• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2014

Nitric oxide (NO) is recognized as a mediator and regulator of inflammatory responses. NO is produced by nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and NOS is abundantly expressed in the human dental pulp cells (HDPCs). NO produced by NOS can be cytotoxic at higher concentrations to HDPCs. However, the mechanism by which this cytotoxic pathway is activated in cells exposed to NO is not known. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the NO-induced cytotoxic mechanism in HDPCs. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a NO donor, reduced the viability of HDPCs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We investigated the in vitro effects of nitric oxide on apoptosis of cultured HDPCs. Cells showed typical apoptotic morphology after exposure to SNP. Besides, the number of Annexin V positive cells was increased among the SNP-treated HDPCs. SNP enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) ameliorated the decrement of cell viability induced by SNP. However, a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor (ODQ) did not inhibited the decrement of cell viability induced by SNP. SNP increased cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 expression levels. Moreover, SNP-treated HDPCs elevated activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9. While pretreatment with inhibitors of caspase (z-VAD-fmk, z-DEVD-fmk) reversed the NO-induced apoptosis of HDPCs. From these results, it can be suggested that NO induces apoptosis of HDPCs through the mitochondria-dependent pathway mediated by ROS and Bcl-2 family, but not by the cyclic GMP pathway.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.343-349
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• 1994

A number of neurological syndromes(e.g. tardive dyskinesia) are developed as a consequence of chronic treatment with neuroleptics or antipsychotic agents. Despite the long and succesful use of phenothiazine derivatives and related agents in the treatment of certain states of mental disease, the mechanisms of these drugs are still poorly understood. One current hypothesis from extensive reviews is that these compounds might significantly interfere with the cyclic nucleotide system in brain (Levin and Weiss, 1977; Nowicki et al., 1991; Haley et al., 1992). Nitric oxide (NO), one of an interesting messenger molecule and aberrant transmitter, is believed to play a important role in biological functions of cyclic nucleotides in nervous system. It has been reported that calcium-dependent NO synthesis in endothelial cytosol is mediated by calmodulin which is supposed to be tightly related to pharmacological actions of antipsychotic agents. In the present study, the effect of several antipsychotic agents on the activity of NO synthesis and formation of cyclic GMP were investigated. These agents inhibited both the formation of $[^3H]L-citrulline$ and that of $[^3H]cyclic$ GMP by concentration-dependent manner, and their inhibiting patterns are so similar to that of calmodulin antagonist.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.253-261
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• 1993

Possible changes in the role of insulin-sensitive cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase(PDE) in mediating the antilipolytic action of insulin were investigated in adipocytes from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Isolated adipocytes prepared from epididymal adipose tissue were incubated, with or without insulin, at $37^{\circ}C$ for 15 min following pretreatment with various drugs or toxins, and three (plasma membranes, microsomal membranes, and cytosol) fractions prepared by differential centrifugation were then assayed for cAMP phosphodiesterase activity. The PDE activities only in the crude microsomal (P2) fractions were activated by insulin both in diabetic and control rats. The basal PDE activities in P2 fractions of adipocytes from diabetic rats were higher than those from control rats, although the maximal effects observed at 2 nM of insulin, $100\;{\mu}M$ of isoproterenol or the combination of both were not significantly different from each other. The insulin-stimulated PDE activities in P2 fractions of adipocytes from diabetic rats were not changed by PIA, a $A_{1}$ adenosine receptor agonist, whereas they were decreased to the basal PDE activities in those from control rats. In addition, the adipocytes from diabetic rats showed an increased sensitivity to pertussis toxin compared to those from controls. There were no differences between diabetic and control rats in the sensitivity of adipocytes to cholera toxin. These data indicate that the impaired signalling through inhibitory receptors such as adenosine receptors in adipocytes from streptozotocin-induced diabetes relates to the loss or the decreased function of $G_i$ proteins, and leads to the increased activity of the insulin-dependent PDE at the basal states.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.423-429
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• 2010

In this study, we examined the anti-diabetic activity in vitro by the mixed Korean herb water extracts(JDG) composed of Lycium chinense, Cordyceps militaris, and Acanthopanax senticosus on hepatic glucose-regulating enzyme activities such as glucokinase(GK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC), and inhibition activity of $\alpha$-glucosidase. The hepatic cytosol fraction of a type II diabetic animal(Goto-Kakizaki rat) was used in GK and ACC activity assays. JDG mixed water extracts significantly increased the hepatic GK and ACC activity. The highest anti-$\alpha$-glucosidase activity was observed in JDG 5 water extract when compared to the acarbose control, inhibitor of $\alpha$-glucosidase. We suggest that Lycium chinense, Cordyceps militaris, and Acanthopanax senticosus mixed water extracts may exert an anti-diabetic activity by enhancing the glucose metabolism and may be used as natural $\alpha$-glucosidase inhibitors in type 2 diabetic conditions.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.71 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2011

Background: It is known that cigarette smoke (CS) causes cell death. Apoptotic cell death is involved in the pathogenesis of CS-related lung diseases. Some members of the protein kinase C (PKC) family have roles in cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced apoptosis. This study was conducted to investigate the role of PKC epsilon in CSE-induced apoptosis in human lung fibroblast cell line, MRC-5. Methods: Lactate dehydrogenase release was measured using a cytotoxicity detection kit. The MTT assay was used to measure cell viability. Western immunoblot, Hoechst 33342 staining and flow cytometry were used to demonstrate the effect of $PKC{\varepsilon}$. Caspase-3 and caspase-8 activities were determined using a colorimetric assay. To examine $PKC{\varepsilon}$ activation, Western blotting was performed using both fractions of membrane and cytosol. Results: We showed that CSE activated $PKC{\varepsilon}$ by demonstrating increased expression of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ in the plasma membrane fraction. Pre-treatment of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor attenuated CSE-induced apoptotic cell death, as demonstrated by the MTT assay (13.03% of control, 85.66% of CSE-treatment, and 53.73% of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor-pre-treatment, respectively), Hoechst 33342 staining, and flow cytometry (85.64% of CSE-treatment, 53.73% of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor-pre-treatment). Pre-treatment of $PKC{\varepsilon}$ peptide inhibitor reduced caspase-3 expression and attenuated caspase-3, caspase-8 activity compared with CSE treatment alone. Conclusion: $PKC{\varepsilon}$ seem to have pro-apoptotic function and exerts its function through the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in CSE-exposed MRC-5 cells. This study suggests that $PKC{\varepsilon}$ inhibition may be a therapeutic strategy in CS-related lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.51-57
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• 2007

Cyclosporin A (CsA) plays an important role in clinical medicine and basic biology as an immunosuppressant and a mitochondrial permeability blocker, respectively. It was reported that CsA has a protective role by preventing apoptosis and promoting the proliferation in severed neurons. However, the molecular mechanisms for CsA-induced neuronal cell proliferation are unclear. In this study, we examined the mechanisms underlying the CsA-induced proliferation of PC12 cells. CsA increased the viability of PC12 cells in a dose(over $0.1{\sim}10\;{\mu}M$)-and time-dependent manner. The level of ROS generation was decreased in the CsA-treated PC12 cells. Expression of Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic molecule that inhibits the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol, was upregulated, whereas Bax, a proapototic molecule, was not changed in the CsA-treated PC12 cells. CsA downregulated the mRNA expression of VDAC 1 and VDAC 3, but VDAC 2 was not changed in the CsA-treated PC12 cells. The level of cytosolic cytochrome c released from the mitochondria and the caspase-3 activity were attenuated in the CsA-treated PC12 cells. These results suggest that the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic signal and Bcl-2 family may play an important role in CsA-induced proliferation in PC12 cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.67-74
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• 1999

To investigate the effect of the circadian variations on the toluene metabolism, 50％ toluene in olive oil (0.2 m1/100 g body weight) was intraperitoneally administered to the rats every other day for 6 days both in the night; 24:00 and the day; 12:00. Each group of animals was sacrificed at 8 hr after last injection of toluene. Hepatic microsomal aniline hydroxylase activity was more increased in control rats of night phase than those of day phase. On the other hand, the activities of hepatic benzylalcohol dehydrogenase in control rats of night phase showed the similiar value with that in those of day phase and in case of toluene treatment, these enzyme activities in rats of night phase were rather more decreased than those of day phase. Furthermore, hepatic benzaldehyde dehydrogenase activities were more or less higher in the control rats of night phase than those of day phase and by toluene treatment, enzyme activities of rats of night phase were somewhat decreased than those of day phase. in vitro, benzylalcohol or benzaldehyde inhibited the activities of benzylalcohol or aldehyde dehydrngenase prepared from the rats liver supematant. There were no differences in urinary hippuric acid contents between the night phase and day phase both in the control and toluene treated group. The increasing rate of liver weight per body weight (％), serum xanthine oxidase activities were higher in rats of night phase than in those of day phase by toluene treatment. In conclusion, these results indicate that the producing rate of benzylalcohol and benzaldehyde from toluene may be higher in rats of night phase than those of day phase.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.175-185
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• 1996

The mitogen-activated protein(MAP) kinase signal transduction pathway represents an important mechanism by which mitogen, such as serum and PMA, regulate cell proliferation and differentiation. Target substrates of the MAP kinase are located within several compartments containing plasma membranes and nucleus. We now report that serum addition induces proliferation of the P388 murine leukemia cell, but PMA does not, while both serum and PMA treatment cause translocation of the MAP kinase, mainly p42$^{mapk}$ isoform, from cytosol into the nucleus, which was monitored by immunoblot analysis using polyclonal anti-ERK1 antibodies. We investigated whether the MAP kinase was capable of phosphorylating c-Jun protein and GST-fusion proteins, the P562$^{kk}$N-terminal peptides (1-77 or 1-123 domain) of the T cell tyrosine kinase, using the partially purified MAP kinase by SP-sephadex C-50, phenyl superose and Mono Q column chromatography. We found that the partially purified MAP kinase was able to phosphorylate c-Jun protein and the GST-fusion protein expressed using E.coli DH5$\alpha$ which is transformed with pGEX-3Xb plasmid vector carrying of p562$^{kk}$N-terminal peptide-encoding DNA. These results imply that tyrosine kinase receptor/Ras/Raf/MAP kinase pathway is a major mechanism for mitogen-induced cell proliferation in P388 murine leukemia cell and that the various MAP kinase isoforms may have their own target substrates located in distinct subcellular compartments.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.21-32
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Imyosan on apoptosis in human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells. Phellodendron amurense Rupr. and Atratylodes lancea D.C. compose Imyosan. First of all, to study the cytotoxic effect of methanol extract of Imyosan (IMS-MeOH) on HCT116 cells, the cells were treated with various concentrations of IMS-MeOH and then cell viability was determined by XTT reduction method. IMS-MeOH reduced viability of HCT116 cells in a dose and time-dependent manner. To confirm the induction of apoptosis, the c1eavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP), a substrate for caspase-3 and a typical sign of apoptosis, and the activation of caspase-3, procaspase-8 and procaspase-9 were examined by western blot analysis. IMS-MeOH decreased procaspase-3, procaspase-8 and procaspase-9 levels in a dose-dependent manner and induced the clevage of PARP. IMS-MeOH triggered the mitochondrial apoptotic signaling by increasing the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol. Furthermore, IMS-MeOH also downregulated the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and upregulated the pro-apoptotic-Bax. Therefore, these results suggest that IMS-MeOH induced HCT1l6 cell death through the mitochondrial pathway. To explore whether the activities of caspases was required for induction of apoptosis by IMS-MeOH, caspase-3, -8, -9 activity measured by using substrates, respectively. IMS-MeOH increased caspase-3, -8, -9 activity. Co-treatment with inhibitors of caspase-3, -8, -9 and IMS-MeOH significantly blocked IMS-MeOH-triggered apoptosis in HCT1l6 cells. These results suggest that IMS-MeOH induces caspases-mediated apoptosis.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1177-1185
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• 2008

In the present work, we show that spermine (spm)-induced cytotoxicity is due to the mitochondrial-dependent pathway triggered by the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Spm induced the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ increase in a dose-dependent manner in the medium containing 1.5 mM $Ca^{2+}$. Even in the $Ca^{2+}$-free medium, spm could induce a minor $Ca^{2+}$ increase in a dose-dependent fashion, suggesting a probable leak from the internal storage. The cytotoxic effect of $Ca^{2+}$ could be further proved by using either BAPTA or ionophore. Spm-induced $Ca^{2+}$ increase led to the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol and the change of mitochondrial membrane potential. In MCF-7 cells, caspase-7 plays a key role in the downstream of apoptosis because caspase-3 is absent. In the cells treated with spm, the cleavage of caspase-7 and -12 was increased almost two-fold. The level of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein decreased to 35% of the control; however, the cells showed increased expression of pro-apoptotic Bax protein about two-fold in response to spm. These results imply that the apoptotic signaling pathway activated by spm is likely to be mediated via the mitochondrial-dependent pathway.