• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.6925-6928
• /
• 2013

Background: Despite numerous useful anticancer properties of curcumin, its utility is limited due to its hydrophobic structure. In this study, we investigated the comparative antiproliferative effect of PAMAM encapsulating curcumin with naked curcumin on the T47D breast cancer cell line. Materials and Methods: Cytotoxic effects of PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin and curcumin alone were investigated by MTT assay. After treating cells with different concentrations of both curcumin alone and curcumin encapsulated for 24h, telomerase activity was determined by TRAP assay. Results: While PAMAM dendrimers encapsulating curcumin had no cytotoxicity on cancer cells, they decreased the $IC_{50}$ for proliferation and also increased the inhibitory effect on telomerase activity. Conclusions: Considering the non-toxicity in addition to effectiveness for enhancing curcumin anticancer properties, dendrimers could be considered good therapeutic vehicles for this hydrophobic agent.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.9
• /
• pp.4185-4197
• /
• 2016

Chronic arsenicosis is a major environmental health hazard throughout the world, including India. Animals and human beings are affected due to drinking of arsenic contaminated ground water, due to natural mineral deposits, arsenical pesticides or improperly disposed arsenical chemicals. Arsenic causes cancer with production of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are neutralized by an elaborate antioxidant defense system consisting of enzymes and numerous non-enzymatic antioxidants. Dietary antioxidant supplements are useful to counteract the carcinogenesis effects of arsenic. Oyster mushroom lectins can be regarded as ingredients of popular foods with biopharmaceutical properties. A variety of compounds have been isolated from mushrooms, which include polysaccharides and polysaccharopeptides with immune-enhancing effects. Lectins are beneficial in reducing arsenic toxicity due to anticarcinogenetic roles and may have therapeutic application in people suffering from chronic exposure to arsenic from natural sources, a global problem that is especially relevant to millions of people on the Indian subcontinent.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.1323-1329
• /
• 2005

This study was carried out to know the immunity responses of Sogyughwalhyel-tanggami(SGHHT) to on Rheumatoid Arthritis in Collagen-induced Arthritis(CIA) Mice. Various experimental were peformed to analyse the immunity effects of SGHHT. The cytotoxicity against mLFCs was not measured. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines $IL-1{\beta}$, IL-6, $TNF-\alpha$ were reduced in hFLSs. The production of pro-inflammatory cytokines $IFN-\gamma$, IgG3, IgG2b, IgM were reduced. Comparison of the results for this study showed that SGHHT had immunomodulatory effects of suppressing or enhancing. So we expect that SGHHT should be used as a effective drugs for not only rheumatoid arthritis but also another auto-immune disease. Therefore we have to survey continuously in looking for the effective substance and mechanism in the future.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.2 no.4
• /
• pp.411-417
• /
• 1998

The role of phospholipase ($A_2\;PLA_2$) in tumor cell growth was investigated using SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma cells. 4-Bromophenacyl bromide (BPB) and mepacrine (Mep), known $PLA_2$ inhibitors, suppressed growth of the tumor cells in a dose-dependent manner without a significant cytotoxicity. Melittin (Mel), a $PLA_2$ activator, enhanced the cell growth in a concentration-dependent fashion. The growth-enhancing effects of Mel were significantly reversed by the co-treatment with $PLA_2$ inhibitors. In addition, Mel induced intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release from internal stores like as did serum, a known intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ agonist in the tumor cells. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release induced by these agonists was significantly blocked by $PLA_2$ inhibitors at growth-inhibitory concentrations. Arachidonic acid (AA), a product of the $PLA_2-catalyzed$ reaction, induced cell growth enhancement and intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ release. These effects of AA were significantly blocked by BAPTA/AM, an intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ chelator. Taken together, these results suggest that the modulation of $PLA_2$ activity may be one of the regulatory mechanisms of cell growth in human neuroblastoma cells. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ may act as a key mediator in the $PLA_2-induced$ growth regulation.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.441-448
• /
• 2021

This study was designed to investigate the intracellular signaling pathways and immunoenhancing effect of macrophage activation by crude polysaccharides (CPP) extracted from citrus peels. CPP did not affect the cytotoxicity of RAW264.7 cells, but showed dose-dependent effects on cell viability. Also, CPP showed high production of chemokine (nitric oxide (NO)) and cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α). CPP increased IL-6, TNF-α, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression dose-dependently. CPP also strongly induced the phosphorylation of the ERK, p38, and IκBα pathways in RAW 264.7 cells. In anti-pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) experiments, the effect of CPP on NO production was strongly suppressed by neutralizing toll-like receptor (TLR)2, TLR4, and Dectin1 antibodies, whereas IL-6 and TNF-α production by CPP was mainly suppressed by mannose receptor (MR). Therefore, these results suggest that CPP treatment-induced NO production was regulated by the ERK, p38, and NF-κB pathways through TLR2, TLR4, and Dectin1 receptors, whereas IL-6 and TNF-α production was primarily regulated by the ERK, p38, and NF-κB pathways through MR receptors.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.31 no.8
• /
• pp.745-754
• /
• 2021

Deterioration of the immune function weakens the body's resistance to various infections, leading to a series of diseases. Immunomodulatory biomaterials have been used to reduce the side effects of immunosuppressants or to enhance immunity. Agarwood is the aromatic resinous portion of Aquilaria trees that has been traditionally used as a medicinal herb for the treatment of various diseases. Although previous studies have shown that agarwood can improve the body's immunity, evidence for this claim is still lacking. In this study, the immune-enhancing effects of the agarwood methanol extracts of Aquilaria malaccensis Lamk were evaluated in a RAW 264.7 macrophage model. Based on the results, the agarwood extracts markedly enhanced phagocytosis in the absence of cytotoxicity. The agarwood extract-treated RAW 264.7 cells exhibited the typical morphology of activated macrophages, which are spindle-shaped with elongated filopodia. Agarwood extract also significantly increased the production of nitric oxide (NO), which is associated with the increased expression of inducible NO synthase. Moreover, the secretion and expression levels of cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6, were increased by agarwood treatment. Notably, these are also associated with a mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. Taken together, our findings provide scientific evidence that agarwood has potential immune-enhancing effects in vitro.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.45 no.2
• /
• pp.228-235
• /
• 2021

Backgroud: Ginsenoside compound K (GK) is a major metabolite of protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides and has remarkable anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. This work used an ionic cross-linking method to entrap GK within O-carboxymethyl chitosan (OCMC) nanoparticles (Nps) to form GK-loaded OCMC Nps (GK-OCMC Nps), which enhance the aqueous solubility and stability of GK. Methods: The GK-OCMC Nps were characterized using several physicochemical techniques, including x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, zeta potential analysis, and particle size analysis via dynamic light scattering. GK was released from GK-OCMC Nps and was conducted using the dialysis bag diffusion method. The effects of GK and GK-OCMC Nps on PC3 cell viability were measured by using the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide assay. Fluorescent technology based on Cy5.5-labeled probes was used to explore the cellular uptake of GK-OCMC Nps. Results: The GK-OCMC NPs had a suitable particle size and zeta potential; they were spherical with good dispersion. In vitro drug release from GK-OCMC NPs was pH dependent. Moreover, the in vitro cytotoxicity study and cellular uptake assays indicated that the GK-OCMC Nps significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of GK toward the PC3 cells. GK-OCMC Nps also significantly promoted the activities of both caspase-3 and caspase-9. Conclusion: GK-OCMC Nps are potential nanocarriers for delivering hydrophobic drugs, thereby enhancing water solubility and permeability and improving the antiproliferative effects of GK.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.35 no.5
• /
• pp.467-477
• /
• 2020

Doenjang is a major fermented soy-based food in Korea. Recent investigations have shown that fermented soybean foods have immunity-enhancing, anti-cancer, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects. Several studies also have reported that genistein and daidzein, which are easily absorbed in the body are produced in larger quantities in aged doenjang. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the variations in the anti-cancer effects of commercialized doenjang as it ages. Four groups were formed for this study according to aging periods of doenjang, namely short (under 5 years, S group), mid (under 10 years, M group), long (under 15 years, L group) and very long (over 15 years, E group). The anti-cancer effects of doenjang were determined by cell cytotoxicity assays in A549, YAC-1, and HepG2 cancer cell lines. Also, NK cell activity and splenocyte proliferation were assayed for cancer immunotherapy. The quantities of phenolic compounds in doenjang at different ages were also measured. The results showed that the anti-cancer effects increased in the S and M groups for all three cancer cell lines. Interestingly, similar to this result, splenocyte proliferation and NK activity were also the highest in the S and M groups. In contrast, the E group showed significantly reduced splenocyte proliferation. The quantity of phenolic compounds was similar to that of the anti-cancer results. Collectively, these results suggest that the fermentation period of doenjang plays a very important role in determining its anti-cancer effects.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.43 no.5
• /
• pp.479-490
• /
• 2020

Interleukin-9 (IL-9) is well known for its role in allergic inflammation. For cancer, both pro- and anti-tumor effects of IL-9 were controversially reported, but the impact of IL-9 on tumor metastasis has not yet been clarified. In this study, IL-9 was expressed as a secretory form (sIL-9) and a membrane-bound form (mbIL-9) on B16F10 melanoma cells. The mbIL-9 was engineered as a chimeric protein with the transmembrane and cytoplasmic region of TNF-α. The effect of either mbIL-9 or sIL-9 expressing cells were analyzed on the metastasis capability of the cancer cells. After three weeks of tumor implantation into C57BL/6 mice through the tail vein, the number of tumor modules in lungs injected with IL-9 expressing B16F10 was 5-fold less than that of control groups. The percentages of CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, NK cells, and M1 macrophages considerably increased in the lungs of the mice injected with IL-9 expressing cells. Among them, the M1 macrophage subset was the most significantly enhanced. Furthermore, peritoneal macrophages, which were stimulated with either sIL-9 or mbIL-9 expressing transfectant, exerted higher anti-tumor cytotoxicity compared with that of the mock control. The IL-9-stimulated peritoneal macrophages were highly polarized to M1 phenotype. Stimulation of RAW264.7 macrophages with sIL-9 or mbIL-9 expressing cells also significantly increased the cytotoxicity of those macrophages against wild-type B16F10 cells. These results clearly demonstrate that IL-9 can induce an anti-metastasis effect by enhancing the polarization and proliferation of M1 macrophages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.743-750
• /
• 2012

A tissue cultured wild ginseng (TCWG) suspension was inoculated with lactic acid bacteria and fermented to improve the functionality of TCWG. The utilization of TCWG was increased directly using the freeze-dried powder. The optimal ratio of TCWG powder and water for fermentation was 1:19 (5%), which was selected by measuring the fluidity and viable cell count according to concentration. The effects on ADH activation and immune cell activation by each ferments with 10 kinds of Lactobacillus sp. strains were examined. The ferments with the Lactobacillus casei KFRI 692 strain showed 5.4 times higher ADH activity and 1.3 times higher ALDH activity than the non-fermented TCWG powder (control). The level of NO production and cytotoxicity was also measured by Raw 264.7 cells. The ferment with the Lac. casei KFRI 692 strain showed the highest level of NO production and lower cytotoxicity than the others. Therefore, the Lac. casei KFRI 692 strain was selected as a strain for fermentation of a TCWG suspension to maximize its functionality. To identify the optimal fermentation time of the selected Lac. casei KFRI 692 strain on the 5% TCWG suspension, the viable cell count of lactic acid bacterial and the changes in pH were observed for 72 hours. 24-hrs was found to be the optimal fermentation time. In this way, fermented TCWG with lactic acid bacteria showed higher ADH activation efficacy and immune cell activation than non-fermented TCWG.