• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2001.11a
• /
• pp.459-462
• /
• 2001

Angiopoietin-2 (Ang2) is a naturally occurring antagonist for angiopoietin-l (Angl) and its Tie2 receptor during vasculogenesis, Although angiopoietins have been expressed in several mammalian cell lines, their expression levels are low. Recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines expressing a high level of human Ang2 or its analog, human $Ang2_{443}$, with an amino-terminal FLAG-tag were constructed by transfecting the expression vectors into dhfr-deficient CHO cells and subsequent gene amplification in medium containing stepwise increments in methotrexate level. Secreted Ang2 or human $Ang2_{443}$ were purified from the cultured medium using an anti-FLAG- agarose affinity chromatography, The purified Ang2 and $Ang2_{443}$ migrated on SOS-PAGE as a broad band, characteristic of glycosylated protein. Their biological activity in vitro was demonstrated in a serum deprivation-induced apoptosis assay. Ang2 at high concentration, like AngI, can be an apoptosis survival factor for endothelial cells through the activation of the Tie2 receptor.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.11-18
• /
• 2015

Objectives: The goal of this study was to determine the correlation of clinicopathological factors and the up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining of VEGF and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of VEGF mRNA were performed in 20 specimens from 20 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and another 20 specimens from 20 patients with carcinoma in situ as a controlled group. Results: The results were as follows: 1) In immunohistochemical study of poorly differentiated and invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma, high-level staining of VEGF was observed. Significant correlation was observed between immunohistochemical VEGF expression and histologic differentiation, tumor size of specimens (Pearson correlation analysis, significance r>0.6, P<0.05). 2) In VEGF quantitative RT-PCR analysis, progressive cancer showed more VEGF expression than carcinoma in situ. Paired-samples analysis determined the difference of VEGF mRNA expression level between cancer tissue and carcinoma in situ tissue, between T1 and T2-4 (Student's t-test, P<0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that up-regulation of VEGF may play a role in the angiogenesis and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
• /
• 2008.11a
• /
• pp.1404-1408
• /
• 2008

The migration and proliferation of vascular endothelial cells (VEC), which play an important role in vascular remodeling, are known to be regulated by hemodynamic forces in the blood vessels. When shear stresses of 2, 6, 15 dynes/$cm^2$ are applied on mouse micro-VEC in vitro, cells surprisingly migrate against the flow direction at all conditions. While higher flow rate imposes more resistance against the cells, reducing their migration speed, the horizontal component of the velocity parallel to the flow increases with the flow rate, indicating the higher alignment of cells in the direction parallel to the flow at a higher shear stress. In addition, cells exhibit substrate stiffness and calcium dependent migration behavior, which can be explained by polarized remodeling in the mechanosensitive pathway under shear stress.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.980-984
• /
• 2006

In order to examine the effect of oxygen free radicals on the vascular endothelial cells, cell viability was measured by XTT assay after bovine pulmonary vascular endothelial cell line(BPVEC) was treated only with hydrogen peroxide. In addition, the antioxidant effect of allopurinol on cells treated with hydrogen peroxide was examined by colormetric assay. in this study, the BPVEC treated with hydrogen peroxide showed the significantly decreased cell viability compared with control. Whereas, the viability of cells treated with hydrogen peroxide and allopurinol has significantly increased when compared with that of cells treated only with hydrogen peroxide. These results suggested that hydrogen peroxide, one of the oxygen free radicals showed cytotoxic effect and allopurinol has protective effect on oxygen free radical-induced cytotoxicity.

• Animal cells and systems
• /
• v.8 no.1
• /
• pp.27-32
• /
• 2004

Endothellial cells are subjected to hemodynamic shear stress, the dragging force generated by blood flow. Shear stress regulates endothelial cell shape, structure, and function, including gene expression. Since endothelial cells must be anchored to their extracellular matrices(ECM) for their survival and growth, we hypothesized that ECMs are crucial for shear-dependent activation of extracellular signalactivated regulated kinase(ERK) that is important for cell proliferation. Shear stress-dependent activation of ERK was observed in cells plated on two different matrices, fibronectin and vitronectin(the two most physiologically relevant ECM in endothelial cells). We then treated bovine aortic endothelial cells(BAECs) with Arg-Gly-Asp(RGD) peptides that block the functional activation of integrin binding to fibronectin and vitronectin, and a nonfunctional peptide as a control. Treatment of cells with the RGD peptides, but not the control peptide, significantly inhibited ERK activity in a concentration-dependent manner. This supports the idea that integrin adhesion to the ligands, fibronectin and vitronectin, mediates shear stress-dependent activation of ERK. Subsequently, whereas antagonists of vitronectin(LM 609, an antibody for integrin ${\alpha}_{\gamma}$/${\beta}_3$ and XT 199, an antagonist specific for integrin ${\alpha}_{\gamma}$/${\beta}_3$) did not have any effect on shear-dependent activation of ERK, antagonists of fibronectin(a neutralizing antibody for integrin ${\alpha}_5$/${\beta}_1$or ${\alpha}_4$${\beta}_1$ and SM256) had an inhibitory effect. These results clearly demonstrate that mechanoactivation of ERK requires anchoring of endothelial cells to fibronectin through integrins.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.163-168
• /
• 2014

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) are known to play an important role in the repair of damaged blood vessels. We used an endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming assay (EPC-CFA) to determine whether EPC numbers could be increased in healthy individuals through regular exercise training. The number of functional EPCs obtained from human peripheral blood-derived AC133 stem cells was measured after a 28-day regular exercise training program. The number of total endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming units (EPC-CFU) was significantly increased compared to that in the control group (p=0.02, n=5). In addition, we observed a significant decrease in homocysteine levels followed by an increase in the number of EPC-CFUs (p=0.04, n=5), indicating that the 28-day regular exercise training could increase the number of EPC colonies and decrease homocysteine levels. Moreover, an inverse correlation was observed between small-endothelial progenitor cell colony-forming units (small-EPC-CFUs) and plasma homocysteine levels in healthy men (r=-0.8125, p=0.047). We found that regular exercise training could increase the number of EPC-CFUs and decrease homocysteine levels, thus decreasing the cardiovascular disease risk in men.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.11-21
• /
• 1982

A number of recent ultrastructural studies have shown marked differences between the two lining cell types in adult liver sinusoids, endothelial cells and Kupffer cells. In the present study, the ultrastructural features and electron microscopic cytochemistry of sinusoidal lining cells in the fetal liver were studied through fetal period to neonate in the rat. At fetal period, the sinusoid, which contains various blood component, in lined by the endothelial cells, the Kupffer cells and the fat storing cells that located in the space of Disse. As gestation proceeded, these eel's are arranged as adult liver sinusoids. The sinusoidal wall appears to be discontinuous with open fenestration between endothelial cells, but no basal lamina can observed. It seems to be morphologically and functionally distinct at the early gestation between the endothelial cells and the Kupffer cells, the latter showing marked phagocytized activity. The fat storing cells, which contain several fat droplets, are located in the space of Disse. Ultrastructural localization of the acid and alkaline phosphatase activity were noted on the sinusoidal lining cells.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
• /
• v.31 no.8
• /
• pp.1235-1243
• /
• 1998

Although an elevated plasma level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) is known as a protective component against the development of atherosclerosis and ensuing coronary heart diseases, the related mechanisms are still not established . It has been clearly demonstrated in the early stages of atherogenesis that adhesion of monocytes and lymphocytes to the vascular endothelium is enhanced via adhesion molecules, and that monocytes and macrophages accumulate in the subendothelial space. The present study has investigated whether isolated plasma HDL plays a role in protection against atherogenesis by inhibiting the expression of vascular cell adhesioin molecule-1(VCAM-1) on the endothelial cells. Effects of plasma native low density lipoprotein (LDL) and ac ethylated LDL(AcLDL) on VCAM-1 expression were also examined by using an immunocytochemical technique. While plasma HDL did not alter the basal expression of VCAM-1 , lipopolysaccharide(LPS) induction of this adhesion modlecule was markedly inhibited at a phyaiological concentration of HDL. In contrast, 30$\mu\textrm{g}$ protein/ml AcLDL increased sifnificantly both basal VCAM-1 expression and its LPD induction , suggesting that this modified LDL enhances leukocyte adhesiion to endothelial cells. Unlike AcLDL , plasma native LDL inhibited significantly VCAM-1 expression. This indicates that LDL did not undergo oxidative modificantion while incubated with endothelial cells. These results suggest that plasam HDL may inhibit atherogenesis by reducing the expression of adhesion molecules, which is a protective mechanism independent of tis reverse cholesterol transport function . Modified LDL is a potent iducer for adhesion molecules in vascular endothelical cells and could play a role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis by adhering to blood cells.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.45 no.8
• /
• pp.464-469
• /
• 2012

Endothelial cells (ECs) apoptosis induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is thought to play a critical role in atherosclerosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that posttranscriptionally regulate the expression of genes involved in diverse cell functions, including differentiation, growth, proliferation, and apoptosis. MiRNA let-7 family is known to be involved in the regulation of cell apoptosis. However, the function of let-7 in ox-LDL induced ECs apoptosis and atherosclerosis is still unknown. Here, we show that let-7c expression was markedly up-regulated in ox-LDL induced apoptotic human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Let-7c over-expression enhanced apoptosis in ECs whereas inhibition of let-7c could partly alleviate apoptotic cell death mediated by ox-LDL. Searching for how let-7c affected apoptosis, we discovered that antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xl was a direct target of let-7c in ECs. Our data suggest that let-7c contributes to endothelial apoptosis through suppression of Bcl-xl.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.15 no.5
• /
• pp.311-314
• /
• 2007

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) are the most important angiogenic molecules associated with tumor-induced neovascularization. This study was carried out to investigate inhibitory effect of extracts from root of Rehmannia glutinosa LIBOSCHITZ (Rehmannia Radix and Rehmannia Radix Preparata) on endothelial cell proliferation. The methanol extracts from the medicinal herb were fractionated into n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions. Among the four fractions, the n-butanol fraction from R. Radix on exhibited highly effective inhibition (${\approx}79%$ inhibition) on the binding of KDR/Flk-1-Fc to immobilized $VEGF_{165}$ and then ethyl acetate fraction from R. Radix (${\approx}45%$ inhibition) at the concentration of $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. The n-butanol fraction efficiently blocked the VEGF- and bFGF-induced HUVEC proliferation in a dose-dependent manner, but did not affect the growth of HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells. The n-butanol fraction more efficiently blocked the binding of KDR/Flk-1-Fc to immobilized $VEGF_{165}$ and VEGF- and bFGF-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell proliferation than the fraction from R. Radix Preparata. Our results suggest that Rehmannia Radix may be used as a candidate for developing anti-angiogenic agent.