• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.32 no.3 s.126
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• pp.226-232
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• 2001

To explore the possible cancer therapeutic application of "Bo-yang-hwan-oh-tang" (BH), a herbal medicinal recipe used for improvement of blood stasis, we have examined its direct cytotoxicity against tumor cell, and induction of cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes. Water extract of BH alone did not exhibit direct cytotoxicity to Yac-1 target cells even with high concentrations (10 mg/ml). By exposure for 3 days, BH did not induce any nonspecific cytotoxic activity of mouse spleen cells, either, when assessed in a 4 hr $^{51}Cr-release$ assay. However, when BH was added during CD3 stimulation of non-adherent spleen cells, non-specific CTL activity was markedly promoted in a dose dependent manner. In contrast, BH did not alter activated NK cell activity following IL-2 stimulation. These data suggest that BH does not induce but upregulates non-specific CTL effecter function and that activated NK cell does not respond to BH. For elucidation of the mechanism underlying this function of BH, time kinetic study for IL-2 production using ELISA was undertaken. IL-2 production following CD3 stimulation was significantly augmented and higher level of IL-2 is sustained over 3 days in the culture medium by BH treatment. Moreover, addition of exogenous IL-2 during CD3 stimulation resulted in a similar level of cytotoxicity between control and BH-treated culture. These data indicate that the BH-mediated upregulation of non-specific CTL activity is contributed by augmentation of IL-2 production. Our data imply the possible application of BH for combination therapy of cancer with non-specific activator.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.221-227
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• 2000

A 6-sulfooxymethylbenzo[a]pyrene (SMBP), the ultimate metabolite of methyl-substituted benzo[a]pyrene (BP), has been found to be carcinogenic in mice. These properties may be attributable to its strong reactivity with cellular macromolecules such as DNA. However, serum and its major constituent albumin attenuated significantly the cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of 5MBP in bacterial and mammalian cell systems. This inhibitory activity of serum against 5MBP-induced cytotoxicity and mutagenicity in Chinese hamster V79 cells appears to be caused by the reduced macromolecular adducts such as DNA and proteins, but serum failed to reduce 5MBP binding to naked calf thymus DNA. A number of proteins in the serum could act as nucleophiles that are able to intercept reactive chemicals through covalent binding. Albumin present in the plasma seems to be one of major components responsible for direct binding with 5MBp, thereby reducing its reactivity to genetic materials. We here determined which fraction is preferential for 5MBP binding through fractionation of 5MBP-treated serum with ammonium sulfate. The albumin-containing fraction had slightly more affinity for 5MBP than the immunoglobulin-containing fraction. Our results indicate that the covalent modification of plasma proteins may reduce 5MBP-induced damage.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.365-368
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• 2007

Bioactivity-guided fractionation of MeOH extract of an association of two sponges, Jaspis sp. and Poecillastra sp. resulted in isolation of four apocarotenoids (1 - 4). Their structures were determined on the basis of MS and NMR spectroscopic analyses and by direct comparison with those of reported. This is the first report on isolation of these compounds from any sponge. Isolated metabolites were evaluated for cytotoxicity against a small panel of solid human tumor cell lines.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.2287-2290
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• 2014

Background: In the past few years, a considerable number of preclinical studies have been proposed metformin as a potential anticancer agent, but some of these studies suffer from a number of methodological limitations such as assessment of cytotoxicity in the presence of supraphysiological glucose concentrations or applying suprapharmacological levels of the drug. These objections have limited the translation of published preclinical data to the clinical setting. The present study aimed to investigate direct anticancer effects of metformin on different molecular subtypes of breast cancer with pharmacological concentrations and under normoglycemic conditions in vitro. Materials and Methods: Breast cancer cell lines from luminal A, luminal B, ErbB2 and triple-negative molecular subtypes were treated with a pharmacological concentration of metformin (2mM) at a glucose concentration of 5.5mM. Time-dependant cell viability was assessed by dye exclusion assay. MTTbased cytotoxicity assays were also performed with metformin alone or in combination with paclitaxel. Results: Metformin did not show any growth inhibitory effects or time-dependant cytotoxicity on breast cancer cell lines in the presence of normal glucose concentrations at the therapeutic plasma level. No augmentation of the antineoplastic properties of paclitaxel was apparent under the tested conditions. Conclusions: Metformin is probably unable to exert cytotoxic or cytostatic effects on breast cancer subtypes at pharmacological concentrations and normal plasma glucose levels. These results highlight the importance of establishing a higher steady-state plasma concentration of metformin in the clinical setting for assessment of anticancer effects in normoglycemic patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.30 no.sup1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2001

Objective : We investigated the feasibility of a double suicide gene/prodrug therapy, involving direct introduction of the herpes simplex virus Type 1 thymidine kinase(TK) gene and the Escherichia coli cytosine deaminase(CD) gene, via a recombinant adenoviral vector and ganciclovir(GCV) and/or 5-fluorocytosine(5-FC) treatment, in C6 glioma cells. Methods : Efficient gene transfer and transduction of C6 glioma cells via a recombinant adenovirus were evaluated by infecting cells with adenovirus bearing the ${\beta}$-galactosidase gene and then staining cells with 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-13-D-galactoside. CD/TK expression in cells infected with adenovirus bearing the CD/TK gene(ad-CD/TK) was examined by immunoblotting analysis. For in vitro cytotoxicity experiments, the cells were infected with ad-CD/TK or ad-${\Delta}E1$(as a control). After addition of a variety of concentrations of GCV and 5-FU, either separately or in combination, cell viability was determined by staining the cells with crystal violet solution 6 days after infection. Result : C6 glioma cells were efficiently transduced with recombinant adenoviral vector at multiplicities of infection of 200 or more. In vitro cytotoxicity of GCV and/or 5-FC, either alone or in combination, was exclusively observed in the cells transduced with ad-CD/TK. Obvious cytotoxicity(>50% inhibition) was observed in the presence of 5-FC at concentrations greater than 30ug/ml or GCV at concentrations greater than 0.3ug/ml at a multiplicity of infection of 100. Additionally, cytotoxicity in the presence of both GCV and 5-FC was greater than that after sinlge-prodrug treatments, indicating additive effects of the prodrug treatments. Conclusion : The administration of a double-suicide gene/prodrug therapy might have great potential in the treatment of brain tumors.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.85-104
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• 1997

As one of the chemical and experimental study on cancer treatment in Korea oriental medicine, we investigated the clinical characteristics on the treatment of cancer patients in oriental medical hospital. Furthermore, we carried out the cytotoxicity test of extracts of herbal medicine. The results are as follows: About Clinical Aspects of the Orient낄 Medical Cancer Treatment- (1) Clinical experience is that 420 Oriental medical hospitals were surveyed. Number of cancer patiens treated by one oriental medical doctor was under 10(about 60%)or from 10 to 20(about 30%). (2) Diagnostic Procedure Is that more than 80% of cancer patients were diagnosed by medical doctor of western hospital. (3) Therapeutic Method is that combination of oriental and western medical treatment was used in oriental medical hospital. (4) Relationship between cancer and constitutions is that to the relationship between cancer and constitutions, about 75% responded and most were considered to be Um. About Experimental Study- Toevaluate the direct cytotoxicity of hot water and methanol extracts of 34 oriental medical prescriptions on stomach cancer cell, SRB assay was carried out. (1) The $IC_{50}$ value of water extract of Samsoum was $19{\mu}g/ml$ and that of methanol extract was $15{\mu}g/ml$ so that we confirmed Samsoum has a strong direct cytotoxicity. (2) The $IC_{50}$ values of water extract of Coptidis Rhizoma, methanol extract of Caesalpiniae Lignum and Draba Semen were $10{\mu}g/ml$, $9{\mu}g/ml$ and $12.5{\mu}g/ml$ respectively, so that we confirmed Coptidis Rhizoma, Caesalpiniae Lignum and Drabs Semen have a strong direct cytototoxicity. (3) The $IC_{50}$ lalue of combinatory prescription of Rhei Rhizoma, Forsythie Fructus and Caesalpiniae Lignum was about $40{\mu}g/ml$.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.319-327
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• 1994

Background: The pathogenetic mechanism of adult respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) is not clearly defined yet, but it is well known that increased pulmonary capillary permeabilty is characteristic feature of ARDS. The increased alveolar-capillary permeability is usually preceded by damage of pulmonary artery endothelial cells. The released enzymes and oxygen free radicals from the activated neutrophils seem to play a predominant role in endothelial cell cytotoxicity. The activated neutrophils, however, probably are not the sole contributing factor in this type of damage because many cases of ARDS have been reported in severe neutropenia. Bacterial endotoxin perse and/or oxygen free radicals released from endothelial cells are suggested to be possible factors that contribute to the development of ARDS. The purpose of this study is to investigate the direct cytotoxicity of endotoxin and the role of oxygen free radicals released from the endothelial cells in endotoxin-induced endothelial cell cytotoxicity. Methods: First, to investigate whether endotoxin is cytotoxic to HUVE by itself, various doses of endotoxin were added to culture medium and cytotoxicity was measured. Second, to evaluate the possible role of oxygen free radical in endotoxin-induced HUVE cytotoxicity, various antioxidants were added on the endotoxin-induced HUVE cytotoxicity and cytotoxicity was measured. Third, to verify the release of oxygen free radicals from HUVE, the concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in the endotoxin-treated culture supernatant were measured. Finally, to observe the cytotoxic effect of hydrogen peroxide, HUVE cytotoxicity in the presence of various doses of hydrogen peroxide was measured. The fourth generations of subcultured HUVE from primary culture were used. The cell cytotoxicity was quantified by the chromium-51 release assay. Results: 1) Endotoxin alone showed HUVE cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent fashion. 2) Endotoxin-induced HUVE cytotoxicity was significantly attenuated by the pretreatment of catalase and DMTU. 3) Hydrogen peroxide was released from HUVE after endotoxin treatment in a dose-dependent fashion. 4) Exogenous hydrogen peroxide also showed HUVE cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent fashion. Conclusion: These results suggest that endotoxin alone can directly injure HUVE, and, oxygen-free radicals released from HUVE in response to endotoxin may also participate in the endotoxin-induced HUVE cytotoxicity.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.70-81
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• 1987

To elucidate action mechanism of lyophyllan A, an antitumor polysaccharide of Lyophyllum decastes, its immunological activities were examined. Lyophyllan A increased significantly the weights of spleen and liver of mice. Lyophyllan A also restored the decreased thymic weight in tumor-bearing mice. It did not show any direct cytotoxicity against tumor cells, but showed immunopotentiating activities by increasing the number of the plaques in hemolytic plaque assays. Lyophyllan A increased the number of peritoneal exudate cells (PEC) and inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180 mixed with PEC. Moreover the macrophages from lyophyllan A-treated mice exhibited a strong cytotoxic activity towards L5178Y target cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.286-291
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• 2014

Inoculation of mice with the murine NFSA cell line caused the formation of large tumors with necrotic tumor cores. FACS analysis revealed accumulations of $CD11b^+$ cells in the tumors. Microarray analysis indicated that the NFSA cells expressed a high level of the pro-inflammatory factor interleukin-18 (il-18), which is known to play a critical role in macrophages. However, little is known about the physiological function of IL-18-stimulated macrophages. Here, we provide direct evidence that IL-18 enhances the phagocytosis of RAW264 cells and peritoneal macrophages, accompanied by the increased expression of tumor necrosis factor (tnf-${\alpha}$), interleukin-6 (il-6) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (Nos2). IL-18-stimulated RAW264 cells showed an enhanced cytotoxicity to endothelial F-2 cells via direct cell-to-cell interaction and the secretion of soluble mediators. Taken together, our results demonstrate that tumor-derived IL-18 plays an important role in the phagocytosis of macrophages and that IL-18-stimulated macrophages may damage tumor endothelial cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.304-308
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• 2016

Background: Joboksansam, Korean bird wild ginseng, is an artificially cultivated wild ginseng germinated from bird feces. Although numerous pharmacologic activities of wild ginsengs have been reported, the beneficial effect of joboksansam in cancer has not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the in vivo and in vitro anticancer activities of joboksansam powder. Methods: To evaluate the in vivo anticancer activity of joboksansam, we established a xenograft mouse model bearing RMA cell-derived cancer. Direct cytotoxicity induced by joboksansam powder was also investigated in vitro using (3-4-5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2-5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The inhibitory activity of this powder on the activation of cell survival signaling involving Akt and Src was examined with immunoblot analysis. Results: Joboksansam powder displayed strong inhibitory activity against the increased tumor size, increased weight of total body and cancer tissues, and mortality of tumor-bearing mice. Joboksansam powder also suppressed the activation of survival regulatory enzymes Akt and Src, as assessed by phosphorylation levels in the immunoblot analysis of tumor tissues. Interestingly, the viability of RMA cells in vitro was directly decreased by joboksansam treatment. Conclusion: Overall, our results strongly suggest that joboksansam powder has the potential to protect against cancer generation by direct cytotoxic effects on cancer cells resulting from suppression of cell survival signaling.