• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.33 no.10
• /
• pp.767-775
• /
• 2023

Sulfasalazine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic abiotic agent. It is a derivative of aminosalicylic acid and has been used for the treatment of various inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn's disease, since it was first synthesized in 1941 and approved as a medicine in the United States in 1950. However, its mechanism of action has not yet been clearly identified. In this study, the effects of sulfasalazine on cell survival, apoptosis, and cell cycle progression in macrophages, which are major immune cells that regulate inflammatory responses, were investigated using mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Sulfasalazine inhibited the viability of RAW 264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner, starting at a concentration of 0.25 mM. Annexin-V staining was used to confirm that the decrease in cell viability was due to apoptosis, and the number of Annexin-V-positive cells increased significantly at a concentration of 0.25 mM or higher. The effect of sulfasalazine on the expression of key proteins that regulate the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle was also investigated. Sulfasalazine treatment significantly increased the expression of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21 and p27 in RAW 264.7 cells. Although sulfasalazine is frequently used as a control drug in studies on inflammatory diseases, such as inflammatory colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, studies on its effect on macrophages are very limited. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to provide vital information on the use of sulfasalazine as a disease treatment.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.425-432
• /
• 2013

Typha orientalis, also known as bulrush or cattail, is a perennial herbaceous plant found in freshwater wetlands and has been widely used in constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment. Recent data has revealed that SH21B, a mixture composed of seven herbs including T. orientalis, exhibited an anti-adipogenic activity by the inhibition of the expression of adipogenic regulators. However, the anti-cancer effect of T. orientalis and its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the anti-cancer effect and its mechanism in the methanol extract of T. orientalis (METO) on human colon carcinoma HT29 cells. It was found that METO treatment showed cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner, and induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HT29 cells. The induction of G2/M arrest by METO was associated with the up-regulation of phospho-Cdc2 (Tyr15), an inactive form of Cdc2 and the down-regulation of Cdc25c phosphatase. METO also induced tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 (WAF1/CIP1) expression. In addition, METO-induced apoptosis was characterized by the proteolytic activation of caspase-3, degradation of poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), and up-regulation of death receptor FAS and pro-apoptotic Bax expression. Collectively, these results indicate that the cell cycle inhibition and apoptosis induction of METO in HT29 cells allows for the possibility of its use in anti-cancer therapies.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
• /
• v.32 no.1
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 2007

Tooth loss in elderly is mainly caused by alveolar bone loss via severe periodontitis. Although the severity of periodontitis is known to be affected by age, the aging process or the genetic changes during the aging of periodontal tissue cells are not well characterized. In this study, we investigated the effect of in vitro aging on the change of gene expression pattern in periodontal fibroblasts. Gingival fibroblasts (GF) and periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDL) were obtained from two young patients and replicative senescence was induced by sequential subcultivation. When more than 90% cells were positively stained with senescence-associated ${\beta},-galactosidase$, those cells were regarded as aged cells. In aged GF and PDL, the level of phosphorylated retinoblastoma (RB) and $p16^{INK4A}$ protein was significantly decreased and increased, respectively. However, the protein level of p53 and p21, well known senescence-inducing genes, did not increase in aged GF and PDL. Although $p27^{Kip1}$ and $p15^{INK4B}$, another cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, were reported to be involved in replicative senescence of human cells, they were decreased in aged GF and PDL. Because senescent cells showed flattened and enlarged cell shape and are known to have increased focal adhesion, we examined the protein level of several integrins. Aged GF and PDL showed increased protein level of integrin ${\alpha}2$, ${\alpha}v$, and ${\beta}1$. When the gene expression profiles of actively proliferating young cells and aged cells were compared by cDNA microarray of 3,063 genes and were confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, 7 genes and 15 genes were significantly and commonly increased and decreased, respectively, in aged GF and PDL. Among them, included are the genes that were known to be involved in the regulation of cell cycle, gene transcription, or integrin signaling. The change of gene expression pattern in GF and PDL was minimally similar to that of oral keratinocyte. These results suggest that $p16^{INK4A}/RB$ might be involved in replicative senescence of periodontal fibroblasts and the change of gene expression profile during aging process is cell type specific.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
• /
• v.30 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2020

Objective: The aim of the study was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to compare the clinical efficacy and safety between combination of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and AIs alone in patients with hormone receptor+/human epidermal growth factor receptor type2-(HR+/HER2-) advanced breast cancer. Methods: Published clinical studies were identified through electronic database searches until February 2019. Literature qualities were assessed by the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network Checklist. Key endpoints of efficacy were progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and clinical benefit (CB). Endpoints of safety were adverse events (AEs) (neutropenia, leukopenia, any grade 3/4 AEs, and serious AEs) and on-treatment death. Meta-analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.3 software. Results: The selected five studies were evaluated as "good" in quality assessment. Compared to AIs alone, the combination therapy significantly improved PFS (pooled hazard ratio=0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.62), ORR (odds ratio=1.78; 95% CI=1.49-2.13), and CB (odds ratio=1.86; 95% CI=1.51-2.28). The prevalence of AEs was significantly higher in the combination group than in the AIs alone group. On-treatment death was greater in the combination group than in the AIs alone group, although insignificant. Conclusion: The combination therapy of CDK4/6 inhibitors with AIs was more effective for the treatment of HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer, but less safe than AIs alone. The combination therapy should be effectively managed through patient monitoring, and further studies are needed to reduce AEs in the combination therapy of CDK4/6 inhibitors with AIs.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.45 no.9
• /
• pp.532-537
• /
• 2012

P18, a member of the INK4 family of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors, is a tumor suppressor protein and plays a key cell survival role in a variety of human cancers. Under pathophysiological conditions, the INK4 group proteins participate in novel biological functions associated with neuronal diseases and oxidative stress. Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by loss of dopaminergic neurons, and oxidative stress is important in its pathogenesis. Therefore, we examined the effects of PEP-1-p18 on oxidative stress-induced SH-SY5Y cells and in a PD mouse model. The transduced PEP-1-p18 markedly inhibited 1-methyl-4-phenyl pyridinium-induced SH-SY5Y cell death by inhibiting Bax expression levels and DNA fragmentation. Additionally, PEP-1-p18 prevented dopaminergic neuronal cell death in the substantia nigra of a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6,-tetrahydropyridine-induced PD mouse model. These results indicate that PEP-1-p18 may be a useful therapeutic agent against various diseases and is a potential tool for treating PD.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.243-248
• /
• 2008

The Forkhead box M1 (FoxM1) has been shown to regulate transcription of cell cycle genes essential for $G_1$-S and $G_2$-M progression, including $p27^{kip1}$. The $p27^{kip1}$ gene is a member of the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor family. Immunohistochemical studies for FoxM1 and $p27^{kip1}$ were performed in 154 lung cancers (69 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) and 85 adenocarcinomas (ADC)). Immunoreactivity for FoxM1 and $p27^{kip1}$ were found in 79 (51.3%) and 49 (31.8%) out of 154 cases, respectively. Forty-six (58.2%) of the 79 cases with a positive FoxM1 immunoreactivity showed a negative $p27^{kip1}$ expression in 154 lung cancers. According to histologic type, 22 (53.7%) of the 41 SCC cases with a positive FoxM1 immunoreactivity showed a negative $p27^{kip1}$ expression and 24 (63.2%) of the 38 ADC cases with a positive FoxM1 immunoreactivity showed a negative $p27^{kip1}$ expression. The expression of $p27^{kip1}$ was significantly higher in the SCC than in the ADC (P=0.050). There were no significant associations between the FoxM1 and $p27^{kip1}$ expressions and other clinicopathologic factors. These findings suggest that FoxM1 overexpression may diminish the expression of $p27^{kip1}$ protein in lung cancers. Further studies are needed to define the relation between FoxM1 and $p27^{kip1}$ for examining the mechanisms of tissue-specific FoxM1 expression.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.27-34
• /
• 2000

The chloroform and methanol (2;1, v/v) extract from an edible plant, Actinidia arguta Planchon, appeared to possess antitumor activity against human leukemias Jurkat T and U937 cells through inducing apoptosis. The substance in the solvent extract was purified by silica gel column chromatography, preparative TLC, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Characteristics of the substance analyzed by UV scanning analysis, $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR spectra suggested that the substance belongs to the chlorophyll derivatives-like group. The $IC_{50}$ value of the chlorophyll derivative (Cp-D) determined by MTT assay was $15\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ for Jurkat, $10\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ for U937, and $11.4\mu\textrm{g}/ml$ for HL-60m and was more toxic to these leukemias than to solid tumors or normal fibroblast. In order to elucidate cellular mechanisms underlying the cytotoxicity, the effect of the Cp-D on Jurkat T cells was investigated. When cells were treated with the Cp-D at a concentration of $15\mu\textrm{g}/ml$, [3H]thymidine incorporation declined rapidly and wa undetectable in 1h. However, no significant changes were made in the cell cycle distribution of the cells by 24h. The sub-Gl peak representing apoptotic cells began to be detectable in 36h, at which time apoptotic DNA fragmentation was also detected on agarose gel electrophoresis, demonstrating that the cytotoxic effect of the Cp-D is attributable to the induced apoptosis. Under the same conditions, although the protein level of cyclin-dependent kinases such as cdc4, csk6, cdk2, and cdc2 was not significantly changed until 24h, the kinase activity of all c안 rapidly declined and reached a minimum level within 1-6h and then recovered to the initial level by 12h and sustained until 24h. These results suggest that inactivation of cdks at an inappropriate time during the cell cycle progression in jurkat T cells following a treatment with the Cp-D leads to induction of apoptotic cell death.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
• /
• v.75 no.1
• /
• pp.9-17
• /
• 2013

Background: In cancer cells, autophagy is generally induced as a pro-survival mechanism in response to treatment-associated genotoxic and metabolic stress. Thus, concurrent autophagy inhibition can be expected to have a synergistic effect with chemotherapy on cancer cell death. Monensin, a polyether antibiotic, is known as an autophagy inhibitor, which interferes with the fusion of autophagosome and lysosome. There have been a few reports of its effect in combination with anticancer drugs. We performed this study to investigate whether erlotinib, an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, or rapamycin, an mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, is effective in combination therapy with monensin in non-small cell lung cancer cells. Methods: NCI-H1299 cells were treated with rapamycin or erlotinib, with or without monensin pretreatment, and then subjected to growth inhibition assay, apoptosis analysis by flow cytometry, and cell cycle analysis on the basis of the DNA contents histogram. Finally, a Western blot analysis was done to examine the changes of proteins related to apoptosis and cell cycle control. Results: Monensin synergistically increases growth inhibition and apoptosis induced by rapamycin or erlotinib. The number of cells in the sub-$G_1$ phase increases noticeably after the combination treatment. Increase of proapoptotic proteins, including bax, cleaved caspase 3, and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, and decrease of anti-apoptotic proteins, bcl-2 and bcl-xL, are augmented by the combination treatment with monensin. The promoters of cell cycle progression, notch3 and skp2, decrease and p21, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, accumulates within the cell during this process. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that concurrent autophagy inhibition could have a role in lung cancer treatment.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.29 no.3
• /
• pp.224-234
• /
• 2006

We employed human SK-MEL-28 cells as a model system to identify cellular proteins that accompany N-(4-methyl)phenyl-O-(4-methoxy)phenyl-thionocarbamate (MMTC)-induced apoptosis based on a proteomic approach. Cell viability tests revealed that SK-MEL-28 skin cancer cells underwent more cell death than normal HaCaT cells in a dose-dependent manner after treatment with MMTC. Two-dimensional electrophoresis in conjunction with matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry analysis or computer matching with a protein database further revealed that the MMTC-induced apoptosis is accompanied by increased levels of caspase-1, checkpoint suppressor-1, caspase-4, NF-kB inhibitor, AP-2, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase, melanoma inhibitor, granzyme K, G1/S specific cyclin D3, cystein rich protein, Ras-related protein Rab-37 or Ras-related protein Rab-13, and reduced levels of EMS (oncogene), ATP synthase, tyrosine-phosphatase, Cdc25c, 14-3-3 protein or specific structure of nuclear receptor. The migration suppressing effect of MMTC on SK-MEL-28 cell was tested. MMTC suppressed the metastasis of SK-MEL-8 cells. It was also identified that MMTC had little angiogenic effect because it did not suppress the proliferation of HUVEC cell line. These results suggest that MMTC is a novel chemotherapeutic and metastatic agents against the SK-MEL-28 human melanoma cell line.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.76-84
• /
• 2018

Wet wipes are being increasingly used because of their convenience. Particularly, oral wet wipes are useful for regular cleaning of a baby's mouth after birth. Therefore, the consumption of oral wet wipes has increased over the past few years and a variety of products are commercially available. However, product information on safety is not sufficiently provided and still raises doubts regarding adverse effects. To confirm the safety of wet wipes as an oral hygiene item and provide information for their use, we investigated the cytotoxicity of oral wet wipes and verified the underlying mechanism. The anti-bacterial effect of oral wet wipes was analyzed using the disk diffusion method. The cytotoxic effects of oral wet wipes were observed based on morphological changes using microscopy and determined using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in gingival epithelial cells and gingival fibroblasts. Evaluation of apoptosis by oral wet wipes was explored using propidium iodide flow cytometric analysis and a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. Apoptosis-related molecules were also analyzed using western blotting. Five types of oral wet wipes were tested, and two products from Fisher-Price and Dr. Kennedy revealed strong cytotoxic effects on gingiva epithelial cells and gingiva fibroblasts, although they also showed intense anti-bacterial effects on oral bacteria. Cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase and apoptosis were observed based on treatment of extracts from Fisher-Price and Dr. KENNEDY. Relatively high TUNEL levels, reduction of proliferating cell nuclear antigen and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 expression, and fragmentation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase were also elucidated. These results suggest that commercial oral wet wipes could exert cytotoxic influences on oral tissue, although there are anti-bacterial effects, and careful attention is required, especially for infants and toddlers.