• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.343-348
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• 2008

In this study, antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (GUE) against $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage in human leucocytcs and cell death in PC12 cells was determined. The effect of GUE on $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage in human leucocytcs was evaluated by the comet assay, where GUE ($1-50\;{\mu}g/mL$) was a dose dependent inhibitor of DNA damage induced by $H_2O_2$. The protective effect of GUE against $H_2O_2$-induced damage on PC12 cells was investigated by MTT reduction assay and lactate dehydrogenase release assay. A marked reduction in cell survival induced by $H_2O_2$ was significantly prevented by $1-50\;{\mu}g/mL$ of GUE. The enzyme activity of caspase-3 was elevated in $H_2O_2$-treated PC12 cells, while preincubation with GUE for 30 min inhibited $H_2O_2$-induced caspase-3 activation in a dose-dependent manner. In conclusion, GUE ameliorates $H_2O_2$-induced DNA damage in human leucocytes and has neuroprotective effect by preventing cell death in PC12 cell, suggesting that GU may be a potential candidate for novel therapeutic agents for neuronal diseases associated with oxidative stress.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.248-256
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• 1996

The present study was performed to clone and express human poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase (PARS) cDNA in E coli. For these purposes, the CDNA for human poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase, encoding the entire protein, was cloned into pGEM-7Zf(+). The resulting recombinant plasmid pPARS6.1 was restriction enzyme mapped and its identity was confirmed by Southern blot analysis. The pPARS6. 1 contained full-length CDNA of human PARS and the nudeotide sequences were identical with those reported previously. The recombinant protein which migrated as a unique 120 kDa band on 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gels, was identified as PARS by Southwestern blots using nick-translated DNA probes and by activity gels and activity blots using 32 P-NAD as a substrate for poly (ADP-ribose) synthetase (PARS). The signals corresponding to 120 and 98 kDa proteins were obtained following IPTG (0.4 mM) induction of the PARS cDNA cloned into Xba I-digested pGEM-7Zf(+) vector. Nonspecific signals corresponding to 45 and 38 kDa proteins were also shown in both IPTG-induced and noninduced cells. The nonspecific proteins may be products of incomplete translation or proteolytic products of intact PARS.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.95-105
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• 2008

Objectives : Although herbal medicines containing flavonoids have been reported to exert anti-tumor activities, it has not been explored whether Hwang-Jeong (Polygonati sibirici Rhizoma, PsR) exerts anti-tumor activity in human glioma. The present study was therefore undertaken to examine the effect of PsR on cell viability and to determine its underlying mechanism in A172 human glioma cells. Methods : Cell viability was estimated by MTT assay. Reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by the fluorescence dyes. The phosphorylation of kinases was evaluated by western blot analysis and caspase activity was estimated using colorimetric assay kit. Results : PsR resulted in loss of cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PsR did not increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the PsR-induced cell death was also not affected by antioxidants, suggesting that ROS generation is not involved in loss of cell viability. Western blot analysis showed that PsR treatment caused rapid reduction in phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) without changes in p38 and Jun-NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). U0126, an inhibitor of ERK, increased the PsR-induced cell death, but inhibitors of p38 and JNK did not affect the cell death. PsR induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Caspase activity was not stimulated by PsR and caspase inhibitors did not prevent the PsR-induced cell death. Conclusion : Taken together, these findings suggest that PsR results in human glioma cell death through caspaseindependent mechanisms involving down-regulation of ERK.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.437-442
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• 1995

The potency of yeast-derived methionyl-free human growth hormone (rhGH), which was obtained by removal of the N-terminal Met from methionyl-hGH, was estimated by in vitro and in vivo assays. In radio-receptor assay where the binding affinity of growth hormone to the receptor was estimated, the recombinant hGH showed 2.9 international units (IU) per mg of specific activity. In contrast, pitUitary-derived human growth hormone had a slightly lower receptor binding activity (2.5 IU/mg) compared with recombinant growth hormone. For the in vivo assay, efficacy of rhGH was tested by use of hypophysectomized rats, in which pituitary organs were surgically removed, resulting in the termination of growth hormone secretion. The weight-increase in rats by the injection of rhGH was almost identical to the result obtained by the injection of the same amount of pituitary-derived (international standard) hGH. A comparision of the secondary structures of rhGH and rMet-hGH by circular dichroism spectrophotometer demonstrated that the removal of the methionyl residue from rMet-hGH did not exert any effect on the structure of the growth hormone. In conclusion, methionyl-free human growth hormone produced from yeast was highly potent in biological activity and maintained a legitimate three dimensional structure.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2016

We fortuitously observed a human neutrophil intracellular free-calcium concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) increasing activity in the commercially available phosphodiesterase I (PDE I), which is actually dried crude venom of Crotalus atrox. As this activity was not observed with another commercially available pure PDE I, we tried to find out the causative molecule(s) present in 'crude' PDE, and identified Lys49-phospholipase A2 (Lys49-PLA2 or K49-PLA2), a catalytically inactive protein which belongs to the phospholipase A2 family, by activity-driven three HPLC (reverse phase, size exclusion, reverse phase) steps followed by SDS-PAGE and LC-MS/MS. K49-PLA2 induced $Ca^{2+}$ influx in human neutrophils without any cytotoxic effect. Two calcium channel inhibitors, 2-aminoetoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) ($30{\mu}M$) and SKF-96365 ($20{\mu}M$) significantly inhibited K49-PLA2-induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase. These results suggest that K49-PLA2 modulates $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ in human neutrophils via 2-APB- and SKF-96365-sensitive calcium channels without causing membrane disruption.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.21-28
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• 2005

The leaf extracts of Araucaria bidwillii Hook. (Araucariaceae) were evaluated for their cytotoxic effect in various human cancer cell lines. Preliminary investigation by brine shrimp lethality assay indicated that $LC_{50}$ value of various successive extracts were found to be less than $1000\;{\mu}g/ml$, where the ethyl acetate extract showed maximum activity of less than $100\;{\mu}g/ml$. Further cytotoxic evaluation of various leaf extracts of Araucaria bidwilli Hook was carried out in four different human cancer cell lines-acute myeloblastic leukemia (HL-60), chronic myelogenic leukemia (K-562), breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7) and cervical epithelial carcinoma (HeLa). Cytotoxicity was assessed by trypan blue dye exclusion method and 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazole-2yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction assay. From the present investigation it was found that the ethyl acetate and methanol extract of Araucaria bidwilli Hook was found to be more effective in leukemic cell lines and was less effective in MCF-7 and HeLa. The $IC_{50}$ value of the ethyl acetate extract in leukemic cell lines was found to be $28.18\;and\;34.64\;{\mu}g/ml$ and methanol extract was found to be $33.11\;&\;39.81\;{\mu}g/ml$. It can be concluded that various extract from the leaves of Araucaria bidwillii Hook. posses cytotoxic activity tested in brine shrimps and various human carcinoma cell lines.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.333-338
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• 2011

In this study, antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of the herb (cinnamon, clove, glehnia root, ginger, violet-root cromwell, licorice, citrus peel and longan) extracts used for gamhongroju, one of the popular liqueurs in Korea, were investigated. Twenty grams of individual herbs were extracted in 60% purified ethanol and freeze-dried. A mixture of the individual herb extracts (HEM) was separately prepared. Cytotoxicity of the individual extracts and HEM on murine RAW264.7 macrophage cells were examined along with their recovering activity on $H_2O_2$-treated RAW264.7 cells. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of the extract-treated cells were determined by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Violet-root cromwell extract showed the least cytotoxicity in terms of treated concentration. Most of the extracts, below levels of cytotoxicity, recovered the $H_2O_2$-treated cells. Treatment with some of the extracts increased SOD and GPx activities and TEAC levels while a majority inhibited the production of NO and PGE2 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated cells.

• Korean Journal of Plant Resources
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.640-646
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• 2017

In this study, we elucidated anti-cancer activity and potential molecular mechanism of 70% ethanol extracts from Taxilli Ramulus (Taxillus chinensis (DC.) Danser) (TR-E70) against human colorectal cancer cells. Anti-cell proliferative effect of TR-E70 was evaluated by MTT assay. The effect of TR-E70 on the expression of cyclin D1 in the protein and mRNA level was evaluated by Western blot and RT-PCR, respectively. TR-E70 suppressed the proliferation of human colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT116 and SW480. Although TR-E70 decreased cyclin D1 expression in protein and mRNA level, decreased level of cyclin D1 protein by TR-E70 more dramatically occurred than that of cyclin D1 mRNA. Cyclin D1 downregulation by TR-E70 was attenuated in presence of MG132. In addition, TR-E70 phosphorylated threonine-286 (T286) of cyclin D1. TR-E70-mediated cyclin D1 degradation was blocked in presence of LiCl as an inhibitor $GSK3{\beta}$ but not PD98059 as an ERK1/2 inhibitor and SB203580 as a p38 inhibitor. Our results suggest that TR-E70 may downregulate cyclin D1 as one of the potential anti-cancer targets through $GSK3{\beta}$-dependent cyclin D1 degradation. From these findings, TR-E70 has potential to be a candidate for the development of chemoprevention or therapeutic agents for human colorectal cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.81-88
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• 2012

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes involved in the remodelling of chromatin, and have a key role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are emerging as an exciting new class of potential anti-cancer agents. In recent years, a number of structurally diverse HDAC inhibitors have been identifi ed and these HDAC inhibitors induce growth arrest, differentiation and/or apoptosis of cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed at investigating the anti-tumor activity of various HDAC inhibitors, IN-2001, using T47D human breast cancer cells. Moreover, the possible mechanism by which HDAC inhibitors exhibit anti-tumor activity was also explored. In estrogen receptor positive T47D cells, IN-2001, HDAC inhibitor showed anti-proliferative effects in dose-and time-dependent manner. In T47D human breast cancer cells showed anti-tumor activity of IN-2001 and the growth inhibitory effects of IN-2001 were related to the cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis. Flow cytometry studies revealed that IN-2001 showed accumulation of cells at $G_2$/M phase. At the same time, IN-2001 treatment time-dependently increased sub-$G_1$ population, representing apoptotic cells. IN-2001-mediated cell cycle arrest was associated with induction of cdk inhibitor expression. In T47D cells, IN-2001 as well as other HDAC inhibitors treatment significantly increased $p21^{WAF1}$ and $p27^{KIP1}$ expression. In addition, thymidylate synthase, an essential enzyme for DNA replication and repair, was down-regulated by IN-2001 and other HDAC inhibitors in the T47D human breast cancer cells. In summary, IN-2001 with a higher potency than other HDAC inhibitors induced growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and eventual apoptosis in human breast cancer possibly through modulation of cell cycle and apoptosis regulatory proteins, such as cdk inhibitors, cyclins, and thymidylate synthase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.56-63
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• 2013

We have characterized the putative ${\alpha}$-glucosidase gene (st2525) selected by total genome analysis from the acidothermophilic crenarchaeon Sulfolobus tokodaii strain 7. The ORF was cloned and expressed as a fusion protein in Escherichia coli, and recombinant ST2525 was purified by Ni-NTA affinity chromatography. Maximum activity was observed at $95^{\circ}C$ and pH 4.0, and the enzyme exhibited stability with half-lives of 40.1 min and 7.75 min at extremely high temperatures of $100^{\circ}C$ and $105^{\circ}C$, respectively. The enzyme retained at least 85% of its maximal activity in the pH range of 4.0-11.0. ST2525 exclusively hydrolyzed ${\alpha}$-1,4-glycosidic linkages of oligosaccharides in an exo-type manner, with highest catalytic efficiency toward maltotriose. The enzyme also displayed transglycosylation activity, converting maltose to isomaltose, panose, maltotriose, isomaltotriose, etc. From these results, ST2525 could be potentially useful for starch hydrolysis as well as novel synthesis of oligosaccharides in industry.