• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.19-30
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• 2012

Objectives: Many efforts have shown multi-oncologic roles of galectin-3 for cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. However, the mechanisms by which galectin-3 is involved in cell proliferation are not yet fully understood, especially in human colon cancer cells. Methods: To cluster genes showing positively or negatively correlated expression with galectin-3, we employed human colon cancer cell lines, SNU-61, SNU-81, SNU-769B, SNU-C4 and SNU-C5 in high-throughput gene expression profiling. Gene and protein expression levels were determined by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. The proliferation rate of human colon cancer cells was measured by using a 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results: Expression of ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid B receptor 1 (GABABR1) showed a positive correlation with galectin-3 at both the transcriptional and the translational levels. Down-regulation of galectin-3 decreased not only GABABR1 expression but also the proliferation rate of human colon cancer cells. However, Korean herbal extract, HangAmDan-B (HAD-B), decreased expression of GABABR1 without any expressional change of galectin-3, and offset ${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-enhanced human colon cancer cell proliferation. Conclusions: Our present study confirmed that GABABR1 expression was regulated by galectin-3. HAD-B induced galectin-3-independent down-regulation of GABABR1, which resulted in a decreased proliferation of human colon cancer cells. The therapeutic effect of HAD-B for the treatment of human colon cancer needs to be further validated.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.140-146
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• 2016

Naringenin (NAR) as one of the flavonoids observed in grapefruit has been reported to exhibit an anti-cancer activity. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is associated with apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. This study was performed to investigate the molecular mechanism by which NAR stimulates ATF3 expression and apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. NAR reduced the cell viability and induced an apoptosis in human colon cancer cells. ATF3 overexpression increased NAR-mediated cleaved PARP, while ATF3 knockdown attenuated the cleavage of PARP by NAR. NAR increased ATF3 expression in both protein and mRNA level, and increased the luciferase activity of ATF3 promoter in a dose-dependent manner. The responsible region for ATF3 transcriptional activation by NAR is located between -317 and -148 of ATF3 promoter. p38 inhibition blocked NAR-mediated ATF3 expression, its promoter activation and apoptosis. The results suggest that NAR induces apoptosis through p38-dependent ATF3 activation in human colon cancer cells.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.564-567
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• 2001

The fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity of patients with colon cancer and healthy controls were measured to determine the relationship between the fluctuation of intestinal bacterial ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ and colon cancer. The fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity of patients with colon cancer was 1.7 times higher than that of the healthy controls. However, when these fecal specimens were sonicated, the enzyme activity of patients with colon cancer was 12.1 times higher than that of the healthy controls. The fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity of human Intestinal bacteria was drastically induced by its substrate or the bile secreted after a subcutaneous injection of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and benzo[a]pyrene into rats. DMH-and benzo[a]pyrene-treated biles induced ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity in the human intestinal microflora by approximately 1.5- and 2.3-fold, respectively. They also induced ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ in E. coli HGU-3, which is a ${\beta}-glucuronidase$-producing bacterium from the human intestine. D-saccharic acid 1,4-lactone similarly inhibited fecal ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ in several patients with colon cancer in addition to the healthy controls. This suggests that potent ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ activity is a prime factor in the etiology of colon cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.402-410
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• 2010

Although the overproduction of prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) in intestinal epithelial cells has been considered to be highly correlated with the colorectal carcinogenesis, the precise mechanism of action remains poorly elucidated. Accumulating evidence suggests that the PGE receptor (EP)-mediated signal transduction pathway might play an important role in this process. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of action underlying $PGE_2$-mediated cell proliferation and the effect of resveratrol on the proliferation of human colon cancer cells in terms of the modulating $PGE_2$-mediated signaling pathway. $PGE_2$ stimulated the proliferation of several human colon cancer cells and activated growth-stimulatory signal transduction, including Akt and ERK. $PGE_2$ also increased the phosphorylation of GSK-$3{\beta}$, the translocation of ${\beta}$-catenin into the nucleus, and the expressions of c-myc and cyclin D1. Resveratrol, a cancer chemopreventive phytochemical, however, inhibited $PGE_2$-induced growth stimulation and also suppressed $PGE_2$-mediated signal transduction, as well as ${\beta}$-catenin/T cell factor-mediated transcription in human colon cancer cells. These findings present an additional mechanism through which resveratrol affects the regulation of human colon cancer cell growth.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.20
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• pp.8581-8586
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• 2014

Activin is a multifunctional growth and differentiation factor of the growth factor-beta (TGF-${\beta}$) superfamily, which inhibits the proliferation of colon cancer cells. It induces phosphorylation of intracellular signaling molecules (Smads) by interacting with its type I and type II receptors. Previous studies showed that human activin receptor-interacting protein 2 (hARIP2) can reduce activin signaling by interacting with activin type II receptors; however, the activity of hARIP2 in colon cancer has yet to be detailed. In vitro, overexpression of hARIP2 reduced activin-induced transcriptional activity and enhanced cell proliferation and colony formation in human colon cancer HCT8 cells and SW620 cells. Also, hARIP2 promoted colon cancer cell apoptosis, suggesting that a vital role in the initial stage of colon carcinogenesis. In vivo, immunohistochemistry revealed that hARIP2 was expressed more frequently and much more intensely in malignant colon tissues than in controls. These results indicate that hARIP2 is involved in human colon tumorigenesis and could be a predictive maker for colon carcinoma aggressiveness.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.852-858
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• 2004

The morbidity and mortality of colon cancer are increasing, because of the westernization of food habit. Probiotics such as lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been known to play an important role in retarding colon carcinogenesis by possibly influencing metabolic, immunologic, and protective functions in the colon. In this study, we evaluated the effect of B. polyfermenticus SCD on N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induced DNA damage in CHO-K, cells and human lymphocytes, and on proliferation of human colon cancer cell. Using the Comet assay to detect DNA damage, we found that B. polyfermenticus SCD protected cells from the DNA damage induced by MNNG in $CHO-K_1$ cells and in human lymphocytes. B. polyfermenticus SCD was also found to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, detected by the MTT assay. These results indicate that B. polyfermenticus SCD has the potential to inhibit not only DNA damage induced by a carcinogen, but also the proliferation of colon cancer cells.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.379-382
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• 2013

In order to investigate the anticancer activity of an anti-yeast substance (AYS), a proteoglycan produced by Rhanella aquatilis AY2000, the cytotoxicity of the AYS against cancer cells was determined in vitro. The AYS was not cytotoxic to the human Jurkat T cell or the mouse sarcoma 180 cell, but was cytotoxic to the human colon cancer TH20 cell. The AYS was increasingly cytotoxic against human colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner at range from 62.5 to 500 ${\mu}g/ml$. Anticancer activity by combination of the AYS and an anticancer agent was also determined. The anticancer agent combined with the AYS was shown to possess greater synergistic anticancer activity against human colon cancer cells, as compared with the anticancer agent alone.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.282-287
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• 2011

This study was presented to the anti-cancer activity from different fraction of Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruits. The values for human colon cancer cell(HT-29) survival rate of 0.3 mg/mL of 70% EtOH and 70% MeOH ethyl acetate fraction extracts were 7.62${\pm}$0.173%, 7.66${\pm}$0.037%, respectively. It was shown that human colon cancer cell(HT-29) survival rate was in a dose-dependent manner. The percentages of cells were increased in the sub-G0 and G0/G1 phase region, meaning that cell proliferation was decreased. The RT-PCR demonstrated that 70% EtOH and 70% MeOH ethyl acetate fraction extracts were down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and survivin genes in HT-29 cells. We examined that 70% EtOH and 70% MeOH ethyl acetate fraction extracts anti-cancer activities initiated through ROS generation suggesting that HT-29 cells treated with ethyl acetate fraction extracts induced ROS generation. Our results revealed that the Zanthoxylum schnifolium fruit may expect for anti-cancer activities in HT-29 cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.15-22
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• 2018

Pristimerin is a triterpene compound isolated from plant extracts that reportedly possesses antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. The current study was designed to evaluate the antitumor effects of pristimerin on human colon cancer cells. Treatment of the human colon cancer cells, HCT116 and SW480, with pristimerin led to a dose-dependent decrease in cell proliferation. Flow cytometry experiments showed that pristimerin increased cell apoptotic rate and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in HCT116 and SW480 cells. Western blot assay showed that pristimerin induced increased cleavage of caspase-3, -7, -8, and poly ADP ribose polymerase. Treatment with pristimerin also caused a marked decrease in the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Additionally, the levels of phosphorylated AKT and forkhead box O3a (FOXO3a) were decreased in pristimerin-treated colon cancer cells. Taken together, our study illustrated that pristimerin promoted apoptosis via the AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway in colon cancer cells, elucidating that it might be considered as a potential agent for colon cancer therapy.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2007

Resveratrol (3,5,4’-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a naturally occurring phytoallexin abundant in grapes and several plants, has been shown to be active in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis in several human cancer cell lines. On the line of the biological activity of resveratrol, a variety of resveratrol analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their growth inhibitory effects against several human cancer cell lines. In the present study, we found that one of the resveratrol analogs, 3,4,5-trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene, markedly suppressed human colon cancer cell proliferation (EC$_{50}$ = 0.01 ${\mu}$g/ml), and the inhibitory activity was superior to its corresponding trans-isomer (EC$_{50}$ = 1.6 ${\mu}$g/ml) and resveratrol (EC$_{50}$ = 18.7 ${\mu}$g/ml). Prompted by the strong growth inhibitory activity in cultured human colon cancer cells (Col2), we investigated its mechanism of action. 3,4,5-Trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene induced arrest of cell cycle progression at G2/M phase and increased at sub-G1 phase DNA contents of the cell cycle in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Colony formation was also inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, indicating the inhibitory activity of the compound on cell proliferation. Moreover, the morphological changes and condensation of the cellular DNA by the treatment of the compound were well correlated with the induction of apoptosis. These data suggest the potential of 3,4,5-trimethoxy-4’-bromo-cis-stilbene might serve as a cancer chemotherapeutic or chemopreventive agent by virtue of arresting the cell cycle and inducing apoptosis for the human colon cancer cells.