• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제38권6호
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• pp.863-876
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• 2017

Objectives: The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the anti-neoplastic and anti-inflammatory effects of single and mixed extracts of Ulmus davidiana (UD) and Oldenlandia diffusa (OD) on azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS)-induced colonic neoplasms in mice. Methods: AOM/DSS induces colitis-associated colonic neoplasms in mice. Mice were divided into seven groups: normal-no inducement and no treatment; control-colonic neoplasms with no treatment; UD-colonic neoplasms and treatment with UD; OD-colonic neoplasms and treatment with OD; UD1+OD1-colonic neoplasms and treatment with UD1 and OD1. UD1+OD2-colonic neoplasms and treatment with UD1 and OD2; UD2+OD1-colonic neoplasms and treatment with UD2 and OD1. Single and mixed preparations of UD and OD were applied to mice for six weeks. The colon length and weight and histopathologic changes of colon tissue were observed. Serum pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha ($TNF-{\alpha}$) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2, and interferon-gamma ($INF-{\gamma}$) were measured by RT-PCR. Results: The colon length was significantly increased in OD, UD1+OD2, and UD2+OD1 mice, and the colon weight was significantly decreased in OD and UD1+OD2 mice. The morphological change of colon epithelial cells was more suppressed in complex-treatment groups than in single-treatment groups. The inhibitory effect on inflammatory cell invasion was especially shown in UD1+OD2 mice. The serum level of the pro-inflammatory $TNF-{\alpha}$ was decreased in all complex-treatment groups, and the IL-6 level was decreased in UD1+OD1 mice. Single-treatment groups had an increase in the mRNA expression of the pro-apoptosis regulator Bax, and UD2+OD1 decreased the mRNA expression of the anti-apoptosis regulator Bcl-2. The mRNA expression of $INF-{\gamma}$ associated with inflammation was decreased in OD and UD1+OD2 mice. Conclusions: This study suggests that single and mixed extracts of Ulmus davidiana and Oldenlandia diffusa have anti-neoplastic and anti-inflammatory effects on AOM/DSS-induced colonic neoplasms in mice. Therefore, we conclude that UD, OD, and a mixture of UD and OD are potential therapeutic agents for colitis-associated colonic neoplasms.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제27권4호
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• pp.694-700
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• 2017

Clostridium difficile, which causes pseudomembranous colitis, releases toxin A and toxin B. These toxins are considered to be the main causative agents for the disease pathogenesis, and their expression is associated with a marked increase of apoptosis in mucosal epithelial cells. Colonic epithelial cells are believed to form a physical barrier between the lumen and the submucosa, and abnormally increased mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis is considered to be an initial step in gut inflammation responses. Therefore, one approach to treating pseudomembranous colitis would be to develop agents that block the mucosal epithelial cell apoptosis caused by toxin A, thus restoring barrier function and curing inflammatory responses in the gut. We recently isolated an antimicrobial peptide, Periplanetasin-2 (Peri-2, YPCKLNLKLGKVPFH) from the American cockroach, whose extracts have shown great potential for clinical use. Here, we assessed whether Peri-2 could inhibit the cell toxicity and inflammation caused by C. difficile toxin A. Indeed, in human colonocyte HT29 cells, Peri-2 inhibited the toxin A-induced decrease in cell proliferation and ameliorated the cell apoptosis induced by this toxin. Moreover, in the toxin A-induced mouse enteritis model, Peri-2 blocked the mucosal disruption and inflammatory response caused by toxin A. These results suggest that the American cockroach peptide Peri-2 could be a possible drug candidate for addressing the pseudomembranous colitis caused by C. difficile toxin A.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제24권5호
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• pp.696-703
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• 2014

Clostridium difficile causes mucosal damage and diarrhea by releasing two exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. C. difficile colitis is associated with alterations in bowel flora and the failure to mount an effective antibody response. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether antitoxin sera prevent toxin-A-induced apoptosis, cytoskeletal disaggregation, cell detachment, and tight junction loss in cultured colonic epithelial cells. Serum samples were isolated from mice that survived a C. difficile infection following antibiotic treatment, and the antitoxin effects of these samples were investigated in toxin-A-exposed HT29 colonic epithelial cells and a toxin-A-induced animal model of gut inflammation. Unchallenged mice did not produce IgG against toxin A, whereas serum (antiserum) from C. difficile-challenged mice showed significant IgG responses against toxin A. Treatment with the antiserum markedly inhibited mucosal damage and inflammation in the toxin-A-treated mouse model. In contrast to control mouse serum, the antiserum also markedly inhibited toxin-A-induced DNA fragmentation, dephosphorylation of paxillin and Epo receptor (EpoR), deacetylation of tubulin, and upregulation of p21(WAF1/CIP1) and p53. Taken together, these results reveal that the generated antitoxin serum has biotherapeutic effects in preventing various C. difficile toxin-A-induced cellular toxicities.

• 대한임상검사과학회지
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.161-170
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• 2011

Quercetin is one of the most distributed flavonoids in the plant kingdom and occurs naturally in a wide range of fruits and vegetables. This study was undertaken to determine whether quercetin exerts beneficial effect against necrotic and apoptotic cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O2$) in intestinal cells using the human-derived cultured T84 colonic epithelial cell line. Necrotic cell death was induced by exposing cells to 0.5 mM $H_2O_2$ for 2 h and apoptosis was induced by incubating cells in normal culture medium for 18 h following exposure of cells to 0.5 mM $H_2O2$ for 2 h. Cell viability was evaluated by the trypan blue exclusion assay and apoptosis was assessed by Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometry. $H_2O_2$ induced necrotic cell death in a time and dose-dependent fashion. Both necrotic and apoptotic cell deaths were not prevented by the antioxidants N,N'-diphenyl-p-phenylenediamine(DPPD) and Trolox, whereas both cell deaths induced by the organic hydroperoxide t-butylhydroperoxide (tBHP) were prevented by DPPD, suggesting that $H_2O_2$ induces cell death through a lipid peroxidation-independent mechanism. $H_2O2$-induced necrotic death was prevented by deferoxamine and 3-aminobenzamide, while the apoptotic cell death was not affected by these agents. Quercetin prevented both necrotic and apoptotic cell deaths induced by $H_2O_2$ in a dose-dependent manner. $H_2O_2$ caused activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polmerase (PARP), which was inhibited by deferoxamine, 3-aminobenzamide, and quercetin, but not DPPD. These results indicate that quercetin inhibits both necroticand apoptotic deaths of T84 cells. The anti-necrotic effect of quercetin may be attributed to its iron chelator activity rather than a direct $H_2O_2$ scavenging capacity and antioxidant. The present study suggests that quercetin may play a therapeutic role in the treatment of human gastrointestinal diseases mediated by oxidants.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• 제52권5호
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• pp.459-469
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• 2014

Entamoeba histolytica is a tissue-invasive protozoan parasite causing dysentery in humans. During infection of colonic tissues, amoebic trophozoites are able to kill host cells via apoptosis or necrosis, both of which trigger IL-8-mediated acute inflammatory responses. However, the signaling pathways involved in host cell death induced by E. histolytica have not yet been fully defined. In this study, we examined whether calpain plays a role in the cleavage of pro-survival transcription factors during cell death of colonic epithelial cells, induced by live E. histolytica trophozoites. Incubation with amoebic trophozoites induced activation of m-calpain in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, incubation with amoebae resulted in marked degradation of STAT proteins (STAT3 and STAT5) and NF-${\kappa}B$ (p65) in Caco-2 cells. However, $I{\kappa}B$, an inhibitor of NF-${\kappa}B$, was not cleaved in Caco-2 cells following adherence of E. histolytica. Entamoeba-induced cleavage of STAT proteins and NF-${\kappa}B$ was partially inhibited by pretreatment of cells with a cell-permeable calpain inhibitor, calpeptin. In contrast, E. histolytica did not induce cleavage of caspase-3 in Caco-2 cells. Furthermore, pretreatment of Caco-2 cells with a calpain inhibitor, calpeptin (but not the pan-caspase inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk) or m-calpain siRNA partially reduced Entamoeba-induced DNA fragmentation in Caco-2 cells. These results suggest that calpain plays an important role in E. histolytica-induced degradation of NF-${\kappa}B$ and STATs in colonic epithelial cells, which ultimately accelerates cell death.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권4호
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• pp.2235-2245
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• 2016

Ulcerative colitis (UC) results from colonic epithelial barrier defects and impaired mucosal immune responses. In this study, we aimed to investigate the modifying effects of a Spirogyra neglecta extract (SNE), a polysaccharide extract (PE) and a chloroform fraction (CF) on dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and to determine the mechanisms. To induce colitis, ICR mice received 3% DSS in their drinking water for 7 days. Seven days preceding the DSS treatment, oral administration of SNE, PE and CF at doses of 50, 25 and 0.25 mg/kg body weight (low dose), 200, 100 and 1 mg/kg body weight (high dose) and vehicle was started and continued for 14 days. Histologic findings showed that DSS-induced damage of colonic epithelial structure and inflammation was attenuated in mice pre-treated with SNE, PE and CF. Furthermore, SNE and PE significantly protected colonic epithelial cells from DSS-induced cell cycle arrest, while SNE, PE and CF significantly diminished apoptosis. Proteome analysis demonstrated that SNE and PE might ameliorate DSS-induced colitis by inducing antioxidant enzymes, restoring impaired mitochondria function, and regulating inflammatory cytokines, proliferation and apoptosis. These results suggest that SNE and PE could prevent DSS-induced colitis in ICR mice by protection against and/or aiding recovery from damage to the colonic epithelium, reducing ROS and maintaining normal mitochondrial function and apoptosis.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• 제13권3호
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• pp.157-165
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• 2008

Cancer-preventive effects of ethanol extract of elm tree root (EEE) were investigated. In the in vitro cytotoxicity assay, colon cancer cells were incubated with a chloroform fraction of EEE (CF-EEE). CF-EEE significantly inhibited the proliferation of cells and induced apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. For the assessment of chemopreventive efficacy in vivo, male F344 rats were fed with EEE (0.5 or 1%) in diet for 8 weeks, and were subcutaneously injected with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) to induce colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF). EEE (0.5 and 1%) significantly decreased both the numbers of AC (1191.1/colon) and ACF (529.3/colon) induced by DMH. In addition, in the Western blot analysis on the colonic mucosa, administration of EEE triggered expression of caspase-3, a key factor of an apoptotic cascade. These results suggest that extract of elm tree root may have potential chemopreventive principles that lead to apoptosis of cancer cells, and thereby suppress colorectal carcinogenesis during the initiation stage.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제29권10호
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• pp.1675-1681
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• 2019

Clostridium difficile toxin A is known to cause colonic epithelial cell apoptosis, which is considered the main causative event that triggers inflammatory responses in the colon, reflecting the concept that the essential role of epithelial cells in the colon is to form a physical barrier in the gut. We previously showed that toxin A-induced colonocyte apoptosis and subsequent inflammation were dependent on prostaglandin E2 ($PGE_2$) produced in response to toxin A stimulation. However, the molecular mechanism by which $PGE_2$ mediates cell apoptosis in toxin A-exposed colonocytes has remained unclear. Here, we sought to identify the signaling pathway involved in toxin A-induced, $PGE_2$-mediated colonocyte apoptosis. In non-transformed NCM460 human colonocytes, toxin A exposure strongly upregulated expression of Bak, which is known to form mitochondrial outer membrane pores, resulting in apoptosis. RT-PCR analyses revealed that this increase in Bak expression was attributable to toxin A-induced transcriptional upregulation. We also found that toxin A upregulation of Bak expression was dependent on $PGE_2$ production, and further showed that this effect was recapitulated by an Prostaglandin E2(PGE2) receptor-1 receptor agonist, but not by agonists of other EP receptors. Collectively, these results suggest that toxin A-induced cell apoptosis involves $PGE_2$-upregulation of Bak through the EP1 receptor.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권9호
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• pp.5031-5035
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• 2013

Zizyphus spina-christi (ZSC) fruit is a rich source of bioactive compounds but any medicinal properties in chemoprevention of colon cancer have hitherto not been studied. The aim of the present study was to examine in vivo protective effects of ZSC water extract on colon carcinogenesis in azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats. Our results showed that ZSC significantly reduced AOM-induced colonic aberrant crypt foci development and AOM-induced oxidative stress as indicated by restoration of endogenous glutathione depletion and abrogating the impairment of total antioxidant capacity. Caspase-3 cleavage, which has been considered as an apoptotic index, was almost undetectable in AOM-treated rats and ZSC exhibited pro-apoptotic effects evidenced by increased levels of cleaved caspase-3. In the studied model, our findings provide the first in vivo evidence that ZSC extract could inhibit the early stage of colon carcinogenesis by preventing oxidative stress and inducing apoptosis.

• 대한약학회:학술대회논문집
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• 대한약학회 2005년도 Proceedings of the Convention of the Pharmaceutical Society of Korea Vol.2
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• pp.231-232
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• 2005

Bacteria of Shigella spp. are responsible for shigellosis in humans, a disease characterized by destruction of the colonic epithelium that is induced by the inflammatory response elicited by invasive bacteria. They use a type III secretion system injecting effector proteins into host cells to induce their entry into epithelial cells and triggers apoptosis in macrophages. We present evidence that the effector OspG is a protein kinase that binds various ubiquitinylated ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2s) and blocks degradation of phospho-$I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ induced upon entry of bacteria into epithelial cells. Transfection experiments confirmed that OspG interferes with the $NF-{\kappa}B$ activation patway by preventing phospho-$I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, suggesting that OspG inactivates a component of the $SCF^{{\beta}-TrCP}$ ubiquitin ligase complex (E3) involved in phospho-$I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ ubiquitination. Upon infection of ileal loops in rabbits, the ospG mutant induced a stronger inflammatory response compared with the wild-type strain, indicating that OspG down-regulates the host innate response induced by invasive bacteria.