• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.428-433
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• 2006

Objective : We investigated the pattern of glucose uptake in meningiomas using $^{18}F$-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose[FDG] PET/CT. It was hypothesized that the degree of glucose uptake in each tumor could predict the histologic grade. Methods : In 19 patients with meningiomas, the Ki-67 proliferative index, standardized uptake values[SUV] of FDG uptake, tumor to contralateral gray matter ratio[TGR] of SUV, tumor size, edema grade, vascular endothelial growth factor[VEGF] expression, histopathologic grade and the blood supply pattern were assessed. Results : Of the 19 meningiomas, 8 were meningothelial, 1 fibrous, 2 transitional, 1 psammomatous, 2 angiomatous, and 5 atypical. The tumor proliferative index of Ki-67, tumor size, and peritumoral edema were larger in the histopathologic grade-2 meninigiomas than in the grade-1 meningioma group. There were no significant differences in SUV and TGR between two groups. Tumor size and peritumoral edema were significantly larger in VEGF-positive tumors than in negative tumors. Conventional angiography was performed in 12 patients. Dural supply was noted predominantly in 2 patients. Four patients had mainly pial cortical supply patterns. In tumors with more pial supply, VEGF was more frequently positive. There was a significant relation between SUV and Ki-67 and between SUV and peritumoral edema. Conclusion : We found FOG uptake in meningiomas is associated with proliferative potential, however, no clear limits of SUV and TGR can be set to distinguish between grade-1 and grade-2 meningiomas, which makes the assessment of malignancy grade using PET scan metabolic imaging difficult in individual cases.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.206-211
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• 2001

Endostatin, a proteolytic fragment of collagen XVIII, is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and the growth of several primary tumors. However, the opinions on the activity of endostatin derivatives deleted N- or C- terminal are still controversial. In this regard, we produced mouse endostatin and its derivatives in the prokaryotic system, and studied their anti-tumor activity. The [$^3H$]-thymidine incorporation assay demonstrated that N-terminal deleted mouse endostatin, and a C- and N-terminal deleted mutant, effectively inhibited the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The biological activity of endostatin was also shown by its in vivo anti-angiogenic ability on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) of a chick embryo. Treatment of $200\;{\mu}g$ of mouse endostatin, or N-terminal deleted mouse endostatin, inhibited capillary formation of CAM 45 to 71%, which is comparative to a 80% effect of positive control, $1\;{\mu}g$ of retinoic acid. An in vivo mouse tumor growth assay showed that N-terminal deleted mouse endostatin, and the N-/C-terminal deleted mutant, significantly repressed the growth of B16F10 melanoma cells in mice as did the full-length mouse endostatin. According to these results, N-and N-/C-terminal deleted mouse endostatins are the potent inhibitors of tumor growth and angiogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.37 no.2 s.145
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• pp.110-115
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• 2006

Melittia inouei (Yuri Nabang) larvae are used as a crude drug in East Asia for treating stomach cancer and inflammation, and currently reared as a pharmaceutical insect in Jejudo, Korea. This study evaluated the immuno-modulating activity of these extracts, by determining the level of, cytokine production from mouse splenocytes stimulated with the extracts. The Melittia inouei larvae extracts did not induce the splenocyte proliferation. On the other hand, they stimulated the splenocytes to produce cytokines such as $TNF-{\alpha}$, whereas they did not stimulate IL10, IL12 or $IFN-{\gamma}$. The aqueous portion of its plant (Tri-chosanthis kirilowii) extract (sap) was found to be a potent inducer of NO production from the CPAE cells. However, it showed weak inhibitory effects on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production from splenocytes. These data suggests that a Melittia inouei larvae extract immune modulatory activity in cytokine prodcutions such as $TNF-{\alpha}$ and VEGF which might be related its anticancer effect.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.45 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2014

Ginsenoside Rg3 (G-Rg3) is one of protopanaxadiol ginsenosides characteristic of red ginseng, steamed and dried ginseng (Panax ginseng), which has recently attracted much attention for its antitumor properties in vitro and in vivo animal models. Experimental studies have demonstrated that it could promote cancer cell apoptosis, inhibit cancer cell growth, the apoptosis of cancer cells, adhesion, invasion and metastasis, and also prevent an angiogenetic formation in prostate, breast, ovarian, colorectal, gastric, liver and lung cancer etc. It has shown the antitumor activities by modulation of diverse signaling pathways, including regulation of cell proliferation mediators (CDKs and cyclins), growth factors (vascular endothelial growth factor), tumor suppressors (p53 and p21), cell death mediators (caspases, Bcl-2, Bax), inflammatory response molecules ($NF-{\kappa}B$ and COX-2), protein kinases (JNK, Akt, and AMP-activated protein kinase) and Wnt/${\beta}$-catenin signaling. In addition, the combination of Rg3 and chemotherapeutic agents have synergistically enhanced therapeutic efficacy and reduced antagonistically side effects. Furthermore, it can reverse the multidrug resistance of cancer cells, prolong the survival duration and improve life quality of cancer patients. Taken together, accumulating evidences could provide the potential of G-Rg3 in the treatment of cancers and the feasibility of further randomized placebo controlled clinical trials.

• Journal of Society of Preventive Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.57-70
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• 2012

The apoptotic process of gastric mucosa triggered by induction of proapoptotic gene expression, such as Bax. Stress-inducing factors may affect Bcl-2/Bax ratio and thus the rate of apoptosis through modulation of the expression of both proteins depending upon the experimental model. TGF-${\beta}$ is believed to be essential in wound healing for regulation of cell growth and differentiation and is known to be involved in tissue repair and remodeling. The polypeptide growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), regulate essential cell functions involved in tissue healing including cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the oral administration of $Hwangyeon-tang$ (HYT) would have protect effects on gastric ulcer in rat. Sprague-Dawley rats (n=40) were randomly divided into 4 groups ; Normal, Saline, Cimetidine and HYT group. The saline, cimetidine and HYT extract were orally administrated to each group and gastric ulcer was induced with HCl/EtOH solution. After 1 hour, the stomachs were collected for histological observation and immunohistochemistry. In Results, the wound healing of gastric ulcer was promoted by HYT and the significant alterations of BAX/Bcl-2, TGF-${\beta}1$ and VEGF proteins in gastric mucosa were observed. These results suggest that Fritillaria ussuriensis extract promotes wound healing and has protective effects on gastric ulcer in rats.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.2503-2509
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• 2012

Considerable research has been conducted concerning galectin-9 and carcinomas, but little information is available about any relation with the hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we employed a small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting galectin-9 to down-regulate the expression in HepG2 cells. As a result, after galectin-9 expression was reduced, cell aggregation was suppressed, while other behaviour such as the proliferation, adhesion and invasion to ECM, cell-endothelial adhesion and transendothelial invasion of the cells were markedly enhanced. When tumors of 200 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were tested for galectin-9 expression by immunohistochemistry, binding levels demonstrated intimate correlations with the histopathologic grade, lymph node metastasis, vascular invasion and intrahepatic metastasis (P<0.05). Moreover, survival analysis indicated that patients with galectin-9 expression had much longer survival time than those with negative lesions, and the Log-rank test indicated that this difference was statistical significant (P<0.0001). The Cox proportional hazards model suggested that negative galectin-9 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma represented a significant risk factor for patient survival. We propose that galectin-9 might be a new prognostic factor with antimetastatic potential in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.167-174
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• 2014

Tumor angiogenesis, growth and metastasis are three closely related processes. We therefore investigated the effects of barbigerone on all three in the B16F10 tumor model established in both zebrafish and mouse models, and explored underlying molecular mechanisms. In vitro, barbigerone inhibited B16F10 cell proliferation, survival, migration and invasion and suppressed human umbilical vascular endothelial cell migration, invasion and tube formation in concentration-dependent manners. In the transgenic zebrafish model, treatment with $10{\mu}M$ barbigerone remarkably inhibited angiogenesis and tumor-associated angiogenesis by reducing blood vessel development more than 90%. In vivo, barbigerone significantly suppressed angiogenesis as measured by H and E staining of matrigel plugs and CD31 staining of B16F10 melanoma tumors in C57BL/6 mice. Furthermore, it exhibited highly potent activity at inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis to the lung of B16F10 melanoma cells injected into C57BL/6 mice. Western blotting revealed that barbigerone inhibited phosphorylation of AKT, FAK and MAPK family members, including ERK, JNK, and p38 MAPKs, in B16F10 cells mainly through the MEK3/6/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. These findings suggested for the first time that barbigerone could inhibit tumor-angiogenesis, tumor growth and lung metastasis via downregulation of the MEK3/6/p38 MAPK signaling pathway. The findings support further investigation of barbigerone as a potential anti-cancer drug.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.161-170
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• 2006

A new piperazine derivative, 8J-8029, is a synthetic anti-cancer agent which exhibits both microtubule and topoisomerase II inhibiting activities. In this study, we investigated the ability of 8J-8029 for anti-angiogenesis and apoptosis. 8J-8029 decreased the bFGF-induced angiogenesis in the CAM and the mouse Matrigel implants, in vivo. 8J-8029 inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, tube fonnation, and expression of MMP-2 in BAECs. In addition, 8J-8029 reduced the cell viability in HepG2 cells, caused the production of fragmented DNA and the morphological changes corresponding to apoptosis. 8J-8029 also elicited the release of cytochrome c and the activation of caspase-3. Taken together, these results suggest 8J-8029 may be a candidate for anti-cancer agent with the ability to inhibit the angiogenesis of endothelial cells and to induce the apoptosis of tumor cells.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2007

We found that the main bacterial metabolite M1 is an active component of orally administered protopanxadiol-type ginsenosides, and that the anti-metastatic effect by oral administration of ginsenosides may be primarily mediated through the inhibition of tumor invasion, migration and growth of tumor cells by their metabolite M1. Pharmacokinetic study after oral administration of ginsenoside Rb1 revealed that M1 was detected in serum for 24 h by HPLC analysis but Rb1 was not detected. M1, with anti-metastatic property, inhibited the proliferation of murine and human tumor cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in vitro, and also induced apoptotic cell death (the ladder fragmentation of the extracted DNA). The induction of apoptosis by M1 involved the up-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase(CDK) inhibitor $p27^{Kip1}$ as well as the down-regulation of a proto-oncogene product c-Myc and cyclin D1 in a time-dependent manner. Thus, M1 might cause the cell-cycle arrest (G1 phase arrest) in honor cells through the up/down-regulation of these cell-growth related molecules, and consequently induce apoptosis. The nucleosomal distribution of fluorescence-labeled M1 suggests that the modification of these molecules is induced by transcriptional regulation. Tumor-induced angiogenesis (neovascularization) is one of the most important events concerning tumor growth and metastasis. Neovascularization toward and into tumor is a crucial step for the delivery of nutrition and oxygen to tumors, and also functions as the metastatic pathway to distant organs. M1 inhibited the tube-like formation of hepatic sinusoidal endothelial (HSE) cells induced by the conditioned medium of colon 26-L5 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. However, M1 at the concentrations used in this study did not affect the growth of HSE cells in vitro.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2013

This study was carried out to examine the action mechanism of Chamaecyparis obtusa oil (CO) on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. For alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GT) activities in the skin tissue, at week 4, the 3% minoxidil (MXD) and 3% CO treatment groups showed an ALP activity that was significantly higher by 85% (p < 0.001) and 48% (p < 0.05) and an ${\gamma}$-GT activity that was significantly higher by 294% (p < 0.01) and 254% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the saline (SA) treatment group. For insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression in the skin tissue, at week 4, the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 204% (p < 0.05) and 426% (p < 0.01) respectively, as compared to the SA group. At week 4, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 74% and 96% (p < 0.05) respectively, however, epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly lower expression by 66% and 61% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the SA group. Stem cell factor (SCF) expression in the MXD and CO groups was observed by immunohis-tochemistry as significant in a part of the bulge around the hair follicle and in a part of the basal layer of the epidermis. Taking all the results together, on the basis of effects on ALP and ${\gamma}$-GT activity, and the expression of IGF-1, VEGF and SCF, which are related to the promotion of hair growth, it can be concluded that CO induced a proliferation and division of hair follicle cells and maintained the anagen phase. Because EGF expression was decreased significantly, CO could delay the transition to the catagen phase.