• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2009

Skin aging appears to be principally attributed to a decrease in both levels of Type I collagen and regeneration ability of dermal fibroblasts. It is important to introduce an efficient and safe agent for effective management of skin aging. To this end, we performed screening for anti-ageing agents and then found that vegetable peptones (pea and wheat) promoted cell proliferation of adult stem cells. Vegetable peptones may be considered as useful medium additives because it can supply nutrients, peptides, amino acids or growth factor analogues. This study was designed to investigate effects of vegetable peptones on cell proliferation/collagen production and their possible mechanisms in human dermal fibroblasts. In cell proliferation assay, vegetable peptones significantly promoted cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, human COL1A2 promoter luciferase and type I procollagen synthesis assays showed that vegetable peptones induce type I procollagen production through the activation of COLlA2 promoter. In both TGF-${\beta}1$ luciferase reporter and ELISA assays, vegetable peptones was found to induce TGF-${\beta}1$ production, suggesting that vegetable peptones induce type I procollagen production through the activation of TGF-${\beta}1$. When applied topically in a human skin twice a day for an 4-week period of time, vegetable peptones did not induce any adverse reactions. Theretore, based on these results, we suggest the possibility that vegetable peptones may be considered as an attractive, wrinkle-reducing candidate for topical application.

• Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Scientists of Korea
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• v.32 no.3 s.58
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• pp.181-191
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• 2006

In this study, we investigated the anti-oxidative, anti-wrinkle and whitening effects of 36 plant extracts collected from self-growing plants in Jeju island. Their anti-oxidant activities were measured by free radical scavenging activity using DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical), reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities on ROS generated in $Fe^{3+}-EDTA/H_2O_2$ system using the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence assay, and cell protecting activities using the rose-bengal sensitized photohemolysis of human erythrocytes. In addition, the inhibitory activities of tyrosinase for whitening effect and elastase for anti-wrinkle were investigated. The results showed that the Rumex crispus (all grass) extract has the most significant free radical scavenging activity ($FSC_{50};\;10{\mu}g/mL$), Plantago asiatica and Rumex crispus extracts for the prominent ROS scavenging activity ($OSC_{50};\;0.006{\mu}g/mL$, $0.04{\mu}g/mL$ respectively), Rumex crispus ($\tau_{50};\;1,140 min $at $50{\mu}g/mL$), Machilus thunbergii leaf (216 min), and Celastrus orbiculatus (200 min) for cell protecting effects, Morus alba stem for the inhibitory activity on tyrosinse (94.8% at $200{\mu}g/mL$), Rumex crispus (81.8% at $200{\mu}g/mL$), Morus alba (74.6%), and Celastrus orbiculatus leaf/stem/flower (63.1%) for the activity on elastase. These results indicated that the extracts of Rumex crispus, Plantago asiatica, Machilus thunbergii leaf, Morus alba stem, Celastrus orbiculatus leaf/stem/flower could have the functional effects when they are added as ingredients in cosmetics. Thus, it is concluded that further experiments are needed to apply for cosmetic products.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.99-111
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• 2011

The present experiment was performed to evaluate the chondrogenic differentiation potential of human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ATMSCs) in the chondrogenic induction medium (CIM) with transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) and to evaluate the chondrogenic differentiation of ATMSCs seeded in gelatin-chondroitinglucosamine scaffold (GCG-scaffold). ATMSCs and mouse chondrocytes were cultured in the basic medium and CIM without TGF-${\beta}1$ (CIM1) or with TGF-${\beta}1$ (CIM2) for chondrogenic differentiation potential. The chondrogenic differentiation of ATMSCs was evaluated by glycosaminoglycan (GAG) synthesis and histochemical staining. In pellet culture, GAG synthesis of ATMSCs and chondrocyte was increased in culture on 14 days, but higher in CIM1 than basic medium, especially highest in CIM2. Cartilage matrix was observed in ATMSCs cultured in CIM2 on 14 days by Safranin O and trichrome staining. In well plate culture, proliferation of ATMSCs was continuously increased in culture on 10 days and higher in CIM than basic medium. The cell adhesion rate of ATMSCs seeded in flask or scaffolds was continuously increased during culture period, but higher in scaffold than flask. GAG synthesis of ATMSCs seeded in scaffolds showed no change in control group. In the CIM groups, GAG synthesis of ATMSCs was continuously increased than control group during culture period, especially very high in CIM2 and in the GCG-scaffold was slightly higher than the gelatin scaffold (G-scaffold). The present results demonstrated that ATMSCs showed an low chondrogenic differentiation potential, compared to mouse chondrocytes for 14 days of culture. TGF-${\beta}1$ is important factor in chondrogenic differentiation of ATMSCs. Gelatin scaffold was considered to increasing the effective chondrogenic differentiation environment. ATMSCs seeded in GCG-scaffold was more effective in chondrogenesis than in G-scaffold. Conclusively, the present results demonstrated that the treatment of chondroitin and glucosamine in the scaffold was more effective to promote the cartilage matrix formation.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.197-205
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• 2007

Angiogenesis is a essential part for bone formation and bone fracture healing. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), one of the most important molecules among many angiogenic factors, is a specific mitogen for vascular endothelial cells. VEGF-mediated angiogenesis is required for bone formation and repair. However, the effect of VEGF on osteoblastic cells during osteogenesis is still controversial. In recent days, substantial progress have been made toward developing tissue-engineered alternatives to autologous bone grafting for maxillofacial bony defects. Periosteum has received considerable interest as a better source of adult stem cells. Periosteum has the advantage of easy harvest and contains various cell types and progenitor cells that are able to differentiate into a several mesenchymal lineages, including bone. Several studies have reported the bone formation potential of periosteal cells, however, the correlation between VEGF signaling and cultured human periosteal cell-derived osteogenesis has not been fully investigated yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between VEGF signaling and cultured human periosteal-derived cells osteogenesis. Periosteal tissues of $5\;{\times}\;20\;mm$ were obtained from mandible during surgical extraction of lower impacted third molar from 3 patients. Periosteal-derived cells were introduced into the cell culture and were subcultured once they reached confluence. After passage 3, the periosteal-derived cells were further cultured for 42 days in an osteogenic inductive culture medium containing dexamethasone, ascorbic acid, and ${\beta}-glycerophosphate$. We evaluated the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, the expression of Runx2 and VEGF, alizarin red S staining, and the quantification of osteocalcin and VEGF secretion in the periosteal-derived cells. The ALP activity increased rapidly up to day 14, followed by decrease in activity to day 35. Runx2 was expressed strongly at day 7, followed by decreased expression at day 14, and its expression was not observed thereafter. Both VEGF 165 and VEGF 121 were expressed strongly at day 35 and 42 of culture, particularly during the later stages of differentiation. Alizarin red S-positive nodules were first observed on day 14 and then increased in number during the entire culture period. Osteocalcin and VEGF were first detected in the culture medium on day 14, and their levels increased thereafter in a time-dependent manner. These results suggest that VEGF secretion from cultured human periosteal-derived cells increases along with mineralization process of the extracellular matrix. The level of VEGF secretion from periosteal-derived cells might depend on the extent of osteoblastic differentiation.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.16
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• pp.6813-6823
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• 2015

Glioblastoma, also known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), is the most aggressive of human brain tumors and has a stunning progression with a mean survival of one year from the date of diagnosis. High cell proliferation, angiogenesis and/or necrosis are histopathological features of this cancer, which has no efficient curative therapy. This aggressiveness is associated with particular heterogeneity of the tumor featuring multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations, but also with implications of aberrant signaling driven by growth factors. The transforming growth factor ${\beta}$ ($TGF{\beta}$) superfamily is a large group of structurally related proteins including $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily members Nodal, Activin, Lefty, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and growth and differentiation factor (GDF). It is involved in important biological functions including morphogenesis, embryonic development, adult stem cell differentiation, immune regulation, wound healing and inflammation. This superfamily is also considered to impact on cancer biology including that of GBM, with various effects depending on the member. The $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily, in particular, is overexpressed in some GBM types which exhibit aggressive phenotypes. This subfamily impairs anti-cancer immune responses in several ways, including immune cells inhibition and major histocompatibility (MHC) class I and II abolishment. It promotes GBM angiogenesis by inducing angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-I) and insulinlike growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), contributes to GBM progression by inducing metalloproteinases (MMPs), "pro-neoplastic" integrins (${\alpha}v{\beta}3$, ${\alpha}5{\beta}1$) and GBM initiating cells (GICs) as well as inducing a GBM mesenchymal phenotype. Equally, Nodal promotes GICs, induces cancer metabolic switch and supports GBM cell proliferation, but is negatively regulated by Lefty. Activin promotes GBM cell proliferation while GDF yields immune-escape function. On the other hand, BMPs target GICS and induce differentiation and sensitivity to chemotherapy. This multifaceted involvement of this superfamily in GBM necessitates different strategies in anti-cancer therapy. While suppressing the $TGF{\beta}$ subfamily yields advantageous results, enhancing BMPs production is also beneficial.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.10
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• pp.873-884
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• 2021

The purpose of present study is to investigate the role of artesunate (ART) in enhancing anticancer effect of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) on human cancer cells, and we elucidate a possible molecular mechanism of this combination effect. We showed that the combined effect of ART with NSAID such as celecoxib (CCB) or dimethyl-CCB (DMC) in various type of human cancer cells. After ART treatment, the expression of p62, nuclear factor erythroid 2-like 2 (NRF2) and cancer stemness (CS)-related proteins including CD44, CD133, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), mutated p53 (mutp53) and c-Myc was down-regulated. ART induced autophagy as reduction of the autophagy receptor p62, which was associated with up-regulation of activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and simultaneous down-regulation of NRF2 and CS-related proteins was occurred in the human cancer cells. These results indicate a possibility that ART activates autophagy through ATF4-CHOP cascade leading to down-regulation of CS-related proteins and subsequently eradicated cancer stem cells. In addition, co-treatment with ART and imatinib was more effective than either drug alone on growth inhibition and apoptosis induction of cancer cells. In conclusion, induction of autophagy-dependent cell death by ART might play a critical role in mediating the synergistic effect of drug combination (ART/NSAID and ART/imatinib). Therefore, ART could be a promising candidate as a chemosensitizer to enhance the anticancer effects of NSAID and imatinib.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.733-737
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• 2018

Cucurbitacin-I, a natural triterpenoid derived from Cucurbitaceae family plants, exhibits a number of potentially useful pharmacological and biological activities. Indeed, the previous study demonstrated that cucurbitacin-I reduced the proliferation of colon cancer cells by enhancing apoptosis and causing cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase. CD44, a type I transmembrane protein with the function of adhering to cells, mediates between the extracellular matrix and other cells through hyaluronic acid. Recent studies have demonstrated that an overexpression of the CD44 membrane receptor results in tumor initiation and growth, specific behaviors of cancer stem cells, the development of drug resistance, and metastasis. The aim was to examine the effect of cucurbitacin-I on CD44 expression human ovarian cancer cells because the effect of cucurbitacin-I on CD44 expression has not been reported. The expressions of CD44 mRNA and protein were detected using a quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and a Western blot analysis, respectively. Treatment with cucurbitacin-I inhibited the expression of CD44 mRNA and protein. A subsequent analysis revealed that cucurbitacin-I blocked the phosphorylation of activator protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor kappa-B ($NF-{\kappa}B$), which are key regulators of CD44 expression. Taken together, the data demonstrate that cucurbitacin-I regulates the AP-1 and $NF-{\kappa}B$ signaling pathways, leading to decreased CD44 expression.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.531-534
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• 2010

Purpose: Lipobean$^{(R)}$s, widely used in lipodissolving techniques, contain phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate as its main substances. They have been approved only as medication for liver disease by the FDA. However, they have been used under various clinical settings without exact knowledge of its action mechanism. The authors designed an in vitro study to analyze the effects of different concentrations of phosphatidylcholine and sodium deoxycholate on adipocytes and other types of cells. Methods: Human adipose-derived stem cell were cultured and induced to differentiate into adipocytes. Fibroblasts extracted from human inferior turbinate tissue, and MC3T3-E1 osteoblast lines were cultured. Phosphatidylcholine solution dissolved with ethanol was applied to the culture medium at differing concentrations (1, 4, 7, 10 mg/mL). The sodium deoxycholate solution dissolved in DMSO applied to the medium at differing concentrations (0.07, 0.1. 0.4. 0.7 mg/mL). Cells were dispersed at a concentration of $5{\times}10^3$ cells/well in 24 well plates, and surviving cells were calculated 1 day after the application using a CCK-8 kit. Results: The number of surviving cells of adipocytes, fibroblasts and osteoblasts decreased as the concentration of sodium deoxycholate increased. However, all types of cells that had been processed in a phosphatidylcholine showed a cell survival rate of over 70% at all concentrations. Conclusion: This study shows that sodium deoxycholate is the more major factor in destroying adipocytes, and it is also toxic to the other cells. Therefore, we conclude that care must be taken when using Lipobean$^{(R)}$s as a method of reducing adipose tissue, for its toxicity may destroy other nontarget cells existing in the subcutaneous tissue layer.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2008

Specific protocols to increase the differentiation of neuronal cells from embryonic stem (ES) cells have been well established, such as retinoic acid induction and lineage selection of neuronal cells. For the neuropathological studies, ES-derived neurons (ES neurons) must show normal physiological characteristics related to cell death and survival and should be maintained in vitro for a sufficient time to show insults-specific cell death without spontaneous death. When mouse ES cells were plated onto astrocytes monolayer after retinoic acid induction, most ES cells differentiated into neuronal cells, which were confirmed by the presence of specific neuronal markers, and the cultures were viable for at least four weeks. When these cultures were examined for vulnerability to glutamate excitotoxicity, ES neurons were vulnerable to excitotoxic insults mediated by agonist-specific receptors. The vulnerability to excitotoxic death increased with developmental age of ES neurons in vitro. Specific receptors for Neurotrophin and GDNF family ligands were present in ES neurons. GDNF and NT-3 could modulate the survival and excitotoxic vulnerability of ES neurons. The vulnerability and resistance to toxic insults, which are essential requirements of model culture systems for neuropathological studies, make ES neurons to a useful model culture system. Especially ES cell are highly amenable to genetic modification unlikely to primary neuronal cells, which will give us a chance to answer more complicated neurophysiological questions. Recently there was an outstanding attempt to explore the cellular toxicity using human ES cells (Schrattenholz & Klemm, 2007) and it suggested that ES cells could be a new model system for neurophysiological studies soon and go further a large-scale screening system for pharmacological compounds in the future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1499-1506
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• 2008

To examine antitumor activity of the edible plant Zanthoxylum schinifolium, the cytotoxic effect of various organic solvent extracts of its stems on human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells was investigated. Among these extracts such as methanol extract (SS-7), methylene chloride extract (SS-8), ethyl acetate extract (SS-9), n-butanol extract (SS-10), and residual fraction (SL-11), SS-8 exhibited the most cytotoxic activity against Jurkat T cells. The methylene chloride extract (SS-8) possessed the apoptogenic activity capable of inducing sub-G1 peak along with apoptotic DNA fragmentation in Jurkat T cells. Western blot analysis revealed that SS-8 induced apoptosis via mitochondrial cytochrome c release into cytoplasm, subsequent activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3, and cleavage of PARP, which could be blocked by overexpression of Bcl-xL. Jurkat T cell clone I2.1 $FADD^{-/-}$) and Jurkat T cell clone I9.2 (caspase-$8^{-/-}$ were as sensitive as was the wild-type Jurkat T cell clone A3 to the cytotoxic effect of SS-8, suggesting no contribution of Fas/FasL system to the SS-8-mediated apoptosis. The GC-MS analysis of SS-8 showed that it was composed of 16 ingredients including 9,12-octadecanoic acid (18.62%), 2,4-dihydro-5-methyl-4- (1-methylethylidene)- 2-(4-nitrophenyl)-3H- pyrazol-3-one (14.97%), hexadecanoic acid (14.23%), (z,z)-6,9-pentadecadien- 1-ol (13.73%), 5,6-dimethoxy-2-methyl benzofuran (10.95%), and 4-methoxy-2-methylcinnamic acid (5.38%). These results demonstrate that the methylene chloride extract of the stems of Z. schinifolium can induce apoptotic cell death in Jurkat T cells via intrinsic mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade regulated by Bcl-xL without involvement of the Fas/FasL system.