• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.306-310
• /
• 2010

This study was designed to investigate the protective effect of the combination of fucoidan and lutein against AAPH-induced oxidative stress in THP-1 cells. The combination of fucoidan and lutein existed significant antioxidant effect on AAPH-damaged THP-1 cells by using lipid peroxidation and cellular antioxidant capacity assay. Fucoidan($1\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and lutein($10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) did not affect at all the viability of THP-1 cells, but protected the AAPH-damage of THP-1 cells at the same concentration. The viability of THP-1 cells was 0% with 1 mM AAPH alone, the protective effect of fucoidan($1\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and lutein($10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was 37% and 36%, respectively. The combination of fucoidan($1\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and lutein($10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) exhibited significant inhibitory effect of lipid peroxidation using TBARS assay and cellular antioxidant capacity using DCFH-DA assay. In lipid peroxidation, the TBARS value of 1 mM AAPH alone was $0.8{\pm}0.03\;nM$ MDA, its of the combination of fucoidan($1\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and lutein($10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) was $0.2{\pm}0.05\;nM$ MDA. In cellular antioxidant capacity, the combination of fucoidan($1\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) and lutein($10\;{\mu}g/m{\ell}$) exhibited significant cellular antioxidant capacity of 76%, whereas quercetin($10\;{\mu}M$) as positive control exhibited the cellular antioxidant capacity of 32%. These results indicate that the cotreatment of fucoidan and lutein protects against AAPH-induced THP-1 cell damage by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, increasing cellular antioxidant capacity.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.16-21
• /
• 2014

Ginseng saponins exert various important pharmacological effects with regard to the control of many diseases, including cancer. In this study, the anticancer effect of ginsenosides on human cancer cells was investigated and compared. Among the tested compounds, ginsenoside-Rh2 displays the highest inhibitory effect on cell viability in HepG2 cells. Ginsenoside-Rh2, a ginseng saponin isolated from the root of Panax ginseng, has been suggested to have potential as an anticancer agent, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, we have shown that cancer cells have differential sensitivity to ginsenoside-Rh2-induced apoptosis, raising questions regarding the specific mechanisms responsible for the discrepant sensitivity to ginsenoside-Rh2. In this study, we demonstrate that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a survival factor under ginsenoside-Rh2 treatment in cancer cells. Cancer cells with acute responsiveness of AMPK display a relative resistance to ginsenoside-Rh2, but cotreatment with AMPK inhibitor resulted in a marked increase of ginsenoside-Rh2-induced apoptosis. We also observed that p38 MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) acts as another survival factor under ginsenoside-Rh2 treatment, but there was no signaling crosstalk between AMPK and p38 MAPK, suggesting that combination with inhibitor of AMPK or p38 MAPK can augment the anticancer potential of ginsenoside Rh2.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.221-231
• /
• 2004

Objective : The purpose of this report is to examine the effects of direct moxibustion in the Low back pain patient. Methods : Clinical studies were done 30 patients who were treated with low back pain to Dept. of Acupuncture & Moxibustion, of Oriental Medical Sang-Ji University from September 1, 2003 to August 31, 2004. We treated them by Oriental medical therapy(including direct moxibustion)for 10 days. The evaluation was performed five times(admission day, before and after each twice). Results : 1. VAS was decreased after direct moxibustion for 10 days significantly(p<0.01). 2. After direct moxibustion, S.L.R. T angle of patients were increased. ConclUsions : We brought to the conclusion that direct moxibustion has possibility to the efficient to cure the Low back pain. So we suggest the possibility to use this treatment for Low back pain.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.365-370
• /
• 2015

Background: The beneficial effects of ginsenoside species have been well demonstrated in a number of studies. However, the function of ginsenoside Ro (GRo), an oleanane-type saponin, has not been sufficiently investigated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of GRo in vitro using the Raw 264.7 mouse macrophage cell line treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and to clarify the possible mechanism of GRo involving heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), which itself plays a critical role in self-defense in the presence of inflammatory stress. Methods: Raw 264.7 cells were pretreated with GRo (up to $200{\mu}M$) for 1 h before treatment with 1 mg/mL LPS, and both cell viability and inflammatory markers involving HO-1 were evaluated. Results: GRo significantly increased cell viability in a dose dependent manner following treatment with LPS, and decreased levels of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. GRo decreased inflammatory cytokines such as nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 induced by LPS. Moreover, GRo increased the expression of HO-1 in a dose dependent manner. Cotreatment of GRo with tin protoporphyrin IX, a selective inhibitor of HO-1, not only inhibited upregulation of HO-1 induced by GRo, but also reversed the anti-inflammatory effect of GRo in LPS treated Raw 264.7 cells. Conclusion: GRo induces anti-inflammatory effects following treatment with LPS via upregulation of HO-1.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.469-475
• /
• 2005

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a cotreatment of bamboo concentrates (Jukcho solution; 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mL/kg) with the chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel on the bioavailability of orally administered paclitaxel (50 mg/kg) in rats. The effect of a pretreatment of bamboo concentrates (1.5 and 3.0 mL/kg for 1.0 h or a consecutive 3 day) was also examined. The paclitaxel plasma concentrations of rats orally administered paclitaxel plus bamboo concentrates (coadministration, 3.0 mL/kg and pretreatment, 1.5 and 3.0 mL/kg) were significantly higher than those of rats treated with paclitaxel alone. Plasma concentrations of paclitaxel in groups pretreated with bamboo concentrates for 3 day were markedly higher than those of a paclitaxel control group at the measured time points. The areas under plasma concentration-time curves (AUCs) of paclitaxel in groups pretreated with bamboo concentrates were elevated and the absolute bioavailability ($AB\%$) and relative bioavailability ($RB\%$) of paclitaxel were also significantly higher than those in the control group. The peak concentration ($C_{max}$), half-life ($t_{1/2}$), and the elimination rate constant ($K_{el}$) of paclitaxel after 3 day of pretreatment with bamboo concentrates were also significantly higher than those in the control, but the time required to reach the maximum plasma concentration ($T_{max}$) of paclitaxel was unaffected by the bamooo concentrates. Western blot analyses demonstrated that the level of CYP3A4 was increased in the livers of rats treated orally with paclitaxel, but this was reversed by pretreating with bamboo concentrates. These results show that bamboo concentrates enhance the bioavailability of orally administered paclitaxel and this effect may be associated with a diminished expression of CYP3A4 in the liver.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.653-660
• /
• 2019

Ganoderma lucidum, an oriental polypore fungus and medicinal mushroom, has a long history of use for promoting health and longevity in Korea, China, and other Asian countries. This study was aimed at determining the anti-inflammatory activity and mechanism of action of Ganoderma lucidum in murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Ganoderma lucidum was extracted with ethanol and freeze-dried. The anti-inflammatory effect (nitrite production) of Ganoderma lucidum extracts was tested using a nitric oxide (NO) colorimetric assay. Semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to quantify the mRNA expression of cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ ($TNF-{\alpha}$), interleukin $(IL)-1{\beta}$, and IL-6. Western blotting was performed to measure the expression levels of inflammation-related proteins, such as inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), nuclear factor kappa B ($NF-{\kappa}B$) p65, and phosphorylated $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65. The NO colorimetric assay showed that NO production increased with the treatment of lipopolysaccharide in (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages and decreased with the cotreatment of Ganoderma lucidum extracts and LPS. Ganoderma lucidum extracts repressed the mRNA expressions of cytokines, which were increased after the LPS treatment. In addition, Ganoderma lucidum extracts inhibited the LPS-induced expression of iNOS and COX-2 and the LPS-induced phosphorylation of $NF-{\kappa}B$ p65. These results suggest that the Ganoderma lucidum extracts exert an anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting $NF-{\kappa}B$ related proteins and cytokines.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.55 no.10
• /
• pp.506-511
• /
• 2022

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most challenging cancers to overcome, and there is a need for better therapeutic strategies. Among the different cancer drugs that have been used in clinics, sorafenib is considered the standard first-line drug for advanced HCC. Here, to identify a chemical compound displaying a synergistic effect with sorafenib in HCC, we screened a focused chemical library and found that MG149, a histone acetyltransferase inhibitor targeting the MYST family, exhibited the most synergistic anticancer effect with sorafenib on HCC cells. The combination of sorafenib and MG149 exerted a synergistic anti-proliferation effect on HCC cells by inducing apoptotic cell death. We revealed that cotreatment with sorafenib and MG149 aggravated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress to promote the death of HCC cells rather than adaptive cell survival. In addition, combined treatment with sorafenib and MG149 significantly increased the intracellular levels of unfolded proteins and reactive oxygen species, which upregulated ER stress. Collectively, these results suggest that MG149 has the potential to improve the efficacy of sorafenib in advanced HCC via the upregulation of cytotoxic ER stress.

• Herbal Formula Science
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.265-281
• /
• 2023

Objectives : Ukgan-san plus Citri Pericarpium and Pinelliae Rhizoma (UCP) is used as a traditional herbal formula in Korea and Japan for treatment of fever, fever-induced convulsions, and liver dysfunction and so on. In this study, we investigated the cytoprotective effect and underlying mechanism of UCP against oxidative stress induced by cotreatment of arachidonic acid (AA) and iron. Methods : To evaluate the hepatoprotective effects of UCP against AA + iron-induced oxidative stress in HepG2 cell, cell viability and changes on apoptosis-related proteins were assessed by MTT and immunoblot analyses. The changes in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), glutathione (GSH), and mitochondrial membrane permeability (MMP) were investigated against to the oxidative stress. Furthermore, to verify underlying molecular mechanism, NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its downstream target genes were examined by immunoblot analysis. Results : Treatment of UCP increased the cell viability and altered the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins such as PARP, caspase-9, caspase-3, Bcl-2. UCP also inhibited the GSH depletion, excessive ROS production and mitochondrial dysfunction induced by AA + iron. In addition, the Nrf2 and the Nrf2 target genes activation were increased by UCP. Conclusions : These results indicated that UCP has the ability to protect against oxidative stress-induced hepatocyte damage, which may be mediated with Nrf2 pathway.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.311-319
• /
• 1997

The mechanisms of $estradiol-17{\beta}$ regulating growth of both normal and neoplastic cells are not clear until now. In studies using various estrogen-dependent breast cell lines, it is recently known that estrogen controls the cell growth by regulating the expression of growth factors and/or their receptors. In the present study, we investigated the effects of $estradiol-17{\beta}$on cell growth and IGF-I binding sites using primary cultured renal proximal tubule cells. We have obtained results as follows : $Estradiol-17{\beta}(10^{-9})$ has stimulatory effects in cell growth. Cotreatment of $estradiol-17{\beta}(10^{-9}M)$ and $IGF-I(5{\times}10^{-8}M)$ significantly increased the growth of primary rabbit renal proximal tubule cells compared to that of $estradiol-17{\beta}$ or IGF-I alone treated cells. In binding studies, we found that the binding of $^{125}IGF-I$ on cell membranes was incubation time- and temperature-dependent. Incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ results in higher binding of $^{125}IGF-I$ than that of $23^{\circ}C$ or $4^{\circ}C$. Maximum binding was observed at $37^{\circ}C$ between 30 and 60 minutes. The binding of $^{125}IGF-I$ to both control and $estradiol-17{\beta}-treated$ cells was inhibited by unlabelled $IGF-I(10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-12}M)$ in a concentration-dependent manner. However, EGF did not compete for $^{125}IGF-I$ binding at $10^{-8}{\sim}10^{-12}M$. IGF-I binding to the membranes from both control and $estradiol-17{\beta}-treated$ cells was also analyzed. We found that $estradiol-17{\beta}-treated$ cells exhibited higher binding activity for IGF-I. When $estradiol-17{\beta}$ or tamoxifen alone, or $estradiol-17{\beta}$ and tamoxifen cotreated cells were compared, the binding ratio of $^{125}I-IGF-I$ of $estradiol-17{\beta}-treated$ cell was significantly increased but was similar to control in both $estradiol-17{\beta}$ and tamoxifen cotreated cell. These results suggest that $estradiol-17{\beta}$ in part controls cell proliferation by regulating the expression of IGF-I receptors in primary rabbit renal proximal tubule cells.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.149-157
• /
• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of mixed pharmacopuncture of $Jungsongouhyul$ and $Cervi$ $Pantotrichum$ $Cornu$ on low back pain patients. Methods : 83 patients with Low back pain who were treated in Dept. of Acupuncture and Moxibusion, Dongshin University Hospital in Suncheon from Sep. 1st, 2010 to August 31th, 2011, were divided into two groups. One group (52 patients) was treated with conservative treatments (acupuncture, herb med, cupping therapy and physical therapy) and mixed pharmacopuncture of $Jungsongouhyul$ and $Cervi$ $Pantotrichum$ $Cornu$ theraphy (PG) and the other group (31 patients) was treated with conservative treatments alone(NPG). To estimate the effects of treatments, visual analog scale(VAS) and Oswestry disability index(ODI) were checked. Results : 1. In VAS, both of PG and NPG shows statistically significant improvement rate after 3rd treatment and 5th treatment. 2. In ODI, both of PG and NPG shows statistically significant improvement rate after 3rd treatment and 5th treatment. 3. In comparing VAS of PG and NPG, there was more significant improvement in PG than NPG after 3rd treatment and 5th treatment. 4. In comparing ODI of PG and NPG, there was more significant improvement in PG than NPG after 3rd treatment but no significant improvement between PG and NPG after 5th treatment. Conclusions : According to the study, it is thought that mixed pharmacopuncture of $Jungsongouhyul$ and $Cervi$ $Pantotrichum$ $Cornu$ theraphy is effective to low back pain patients, and further study is needed for the confirmation of the effect of mixed pharmacopuncture of $Jungsongouhyul$ and $Cervi$ $Pantotrichum$ $Cornu$.