• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권10호
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• pp.4867-4871
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• 2012

Cervical cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in women worldwide. Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) is considered the major causative agent of cervical cancer, yet the viral infection alone is not sufficient for cancer progression. The etiopathogenesis of cervical cancer is indeed complex; a precise understanding of the complex cellular/molecular mechanisms underlying the initiation, progression and/or prevention of the uterine cervix is therefore essential. Autophagy is emerging as an important biological mechanism in targeting human cancers, including cervical cancer. Furthermore, autophagy, a process of cytoplasm and cellular organelle degradation in lysosomes, has been implicated in homeostasis. Autophagic flux may vary depending on the cell/tissue type, thereby altering cell fate under stress conditions leading to cell survival and/or cell death. Autophagy may in turn govern tumor metastasis and subsequent carcinogenesis. Inflammation is a known hallmark of cancer. Vascular insufficiency in tumors, including cervical tissue, leads to depletion of glucose and/or oxygen perturbing the osmotic mileu causing extracellular acidosis in the tumor microenvironment that may eventually result in autophagy. Thus, targeted manipulation of complex autophagic signaling may prove to be an innovative strategy in identification of clinically relevant biomarkers in cervical cancer in the near future.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제43권1호
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• pp.86-94
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• 2019

Background: Ginseng is believed to have antitumor activity. Autophagy is largely a prosurvival cellular process that is activated in response to cellular stressors, including cytotoxic chemotherapy; therefore, agents that inhibit autophagy can be used as chemosensitizers in cancer treatment. We examined the ability of Korean Red Ginseng extract (RGE) to prevent autophagic flux and to make hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells become more sensitive to doxorubicin. Methods: The cytotoxic effects of total RGE or its saponin fraction (RGS) on HCC cells were examined by the lactate dehydrogenase assay in a dose- or time-dependent manner. The effect of RGE or RGS on autophagy was measured by analyzing microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain (LC)3-II expression and LC3 puncta formation in HCC cells. Late-stage autophagy suppression was tested using tandem-labeled green fluorescent protein (GFP)-monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP)-LC3. Results: RGE markedly increased the amount of LC3-II, but green and red puncta in tandem-labeled GFP-mRFP-LC3 remained colocalized over time, indicating that RGE inhibited autophagy at a late stage. Suppression of autophagy through knockdown of key ATG genes increased doxorubicin-induced cell death, suggesting that autophagy induced by doxorubicin has a protective function in HCC. Finally, RGE and RGS markedly sensitized HCC cells, (but not normal liver cells), to doxorubicin-induced cell death. Conclusion: Our data suggest that inhibition of late-stage autophagic flux by RGE is important for its potentiation of doxorubicin-induced cancer cell death. Therapy combining RGE with doxorubicin could serve as an effective strategy in the treatment of HCC.

• 대한한방내과학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.317-331
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• 2014

Objectives: The root of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) has been known to possess a range of pharmacological activities including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects. The present study was designed to investigate whether or not PG-induced cell death was connected with autophagy and apoptosis in NCI-H460 human lung cancer cells. Methods: Effects on the cell viability and apoptotic activity were quantified using MTT assays and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Protein activation was measured by immunoblotting. Autophagy was measured by LC3 immunofluorescence and immunoblotting. ROS production and loss of mitochondria membrane potential (MMP) were checked with flow cytometry analysis. Results: Following exposure to PG, NCI-H460 cell proliferation decreased simultaneously inducing autophagic vacuoles and up-regulation of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 and beclin-1 protein expressions. Interestingly, pre-treated with autophagy inhibitors, 3-methyladenin or bafilomycin A1 further triggered reduction of cell viability. PG treatment also induced apoptosis that was related modulation of Bcl-2 family proteins, death receptors and activation of caspases. In addition, PG stimulation clearly enhanced loss of MMP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PG elicited both autophagy and apoptosis by increasing loss of MMP and ROS production. PG induced-autophagy may play a cell protective role.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제27권10호
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• pp.1191-1198
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• 2017

세포 내 소기관들과 소포들은 세포 내에서 미세소관을 따라 적절한 구획으로 수송된다. 이러한 세포 내 수송과정은 분자 모터단백질인 kinesin과 dynein에 의하여 이루어진다. Kinesin 1은 오징어 축삭돌기 세포질로부터 처음 분리되었으며 2개의 중쇄단위체(KHCs, 또는 KIF5s) 및 이와 결합하는 경쇄단위체(KLCs)의 복합체를 형성한다. KIF5s는C-말단 고리 영역을 통해 많은 다양한 단백질과 결합하는데, 아직 그 결합단백질들은 충분히 밝혀지지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 KIF5A 결합단백질을 분리하기 위하여 효모 two-hybrid 탐색을 수행하여 스트레스 과립형성과 mRNP 위치결정에 관여하는 Ras-GTPase-activating protein (GAP) Src homology3 (SH3)-domain-binding protein 2 (G3BP2)를 분리하였다. G3BP2는 KIF5A의 C-말단 고리 영역에 존재하는 73개 아미노산을 포함하는 영역과 결합하였다. 그러나 G3BP2는 KIF5B, KIF5C, KLC1, KIF3A와는 결합하지 않았다. KIF5A는 G3BP2의 arginine-glycine-glycine(RGG)/Gly-rich 도메인과 결합하지만 G3BP1과는 결합하지 않았다. HEK-293T세포에 G3BP2와 KIF5A를 발현하여 면역침강한 결과 G3BP2와 KIF5A는 같이 침강하였다. 또한 HEK-293T 세포 내의 전체에서 두 단백질은 같은 부위에 존재하였다. 이러한 결과들은 세포 내에서 G3BP2는 KIF5A와 결합하는 결합단백질로 확인 되었다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권12호
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• pp.4981-4985
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• 2015

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Targeting autophagic cell death is emerging as a novel strategy in cancer chemotherapy. Aldose reductase (AR) catalyzes the rate limiting step of the polyol pathway of glucose metabolism; besides reducing glucose to sorbitol, AR reduces lipid peroxidation-derived aldehydes and their glutathione conjugates. A complex interplay between autophagic cell death and/or survival may in turn govern tumor metastasis. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the potential role of AR inhibition using a novel inhibitor Fidarestat in the regulation of autophagy in CRC cells. Materials and Methods: For glucose depletion (GD), HT-29 and SW480 CRC cells were rinsed with glucose-free RPMI-1640, followed by incubation in GD medium +/- Fidarestat ($10{\mu}M$). Proteins were extracted by a RIPA-method followed by Western blotting ($35-50{\mu}g$ of protein; n=3). Results: Autophagic regulatory markers, primarily, microtubule associated protein light chain (LC) 3, autophagy-related gene (ATG) 5, ATG 7 and Beclin-1 were expressed in CRC cells; glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was used as an internal reference. LC3 II (14 kDa) expression was relatively high compared to LC3A/B I levels in both CRC cell lines, suggesting occurrence of autophagy. Expression of non-autophagic markers, high mobility group box (HMG)-1 and Bcl-2, was comparatively low. Conclusions: GD +/- ARI induced autophagy in HT-29 and SW-480 cells, thereby implicating Fidarestat as a promising therapeutic agent for colorectal cancer; future studies with more potent ARIs are warranted to fully dissect the molecular regulatory networks for autophagy in colorectal carcinoma.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제30권5호
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• pp.447-454
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• 2022

Few studies have evaluated the role of autophagy in the development of oxaliplatin (OXT) resistance in colon cancer cells. In this study, we compared the role of autophagy between SNU-C5 colon cancer cells and OXT-resistant SNU-C5 (SNU-C5/OXTR) cells. At the same concentration of OXT, the cytotoxicity of OXT or apoptosis was significantly reduced in SNU-C5/OXTR cells compared with that in SNU-C5 cells. Compared with SNU-C5 cells, SNU-C5/OXTR cells exhibited low levels of autophagy. The expression level of important autophagy proteins, such as autophagy-related protein 5 (Atg5), beclin-1, Atg7, microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B I (LC3-I), and LC3-II, was significantly lower in SNU-C5/OXTR cells than that in SNU-C5 cells. The expression level of the autophagy-essential protein p62 was also lower in SNU-C5/OXTR cells than in SNU-C5 cells. In SNU-C5/OXTR cells, the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) was significantly higher than that in SNU-C5 cells, and treatment with the ROS scavenger N-acetylcysteine restored the reduced autophagy levels. Furthermore, the expression of antioxidant-related nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 transcription factor, heme oxygenase-1, and Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase were also significantly increased in SNU-C5/OXTR cells. These findings suggest that autophagy is significantly reduced in SNU-C5/OXTR cells compared with SNU-C5 cells, which may be related to the production of ROS in OXT-resistant cells.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제29권12호
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• pp.1305-1313
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• 2019

감초(Glycyrrhiza inflata)의 뿌리에서 분리된 Licochalcone (LC)은 항염증 및 항종양과 같은 많은 약리학적 효과를 가지고 있다. 현재까지 LCC는 구강암과 방광암에서 연구되었지만 폐암에서의 연구는 밝혀진 바 없다. 또한, 암에서 LCC에 의해 유도된 autophagy에 대한 연구는 없었다. 본 연구는 gefitinib-민감성 또는 내성을 갖는 폐암 세포에 대한 LCC의 효과 및 작용 메커니즘을 조사하기 위해 고안되었다. MTT 분석 데이터는 LCC가 비소세포폐암 세포주인 HCC827 (gefitinib-민감성) 및 HCC827GR (gefitinib-내성)에서 세포생존율을 유의하게 억제함을 보여주었다. 흥미롭게도, Annexin V/7-aminoactinomycin D 이중 염색 및 세포주기 분석에서 가장 높은 농도의 LCC 처리는 apoptosis를 유도하는 비율이 약 10%였다. LCC는 비소세포폐암 세포주에서 세포주기 G2/M 관련 단백질인 cyclin B1 및 cdc2의 발현을 감소시킴으로써 G2/M 정지를 야기하였다. LCC의 처리는 autophagy marker 단백질인 microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) 및 autophagy과정에 관여하는 단백질인 autophagy-related gene (Atg)5의 발현을 증가시킴으로써 autophagy를 유도하였다. 또한, LCC는 reactive oxygen species (ROS)의 생성을 증가시켰으며, ROS 억제제인 N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC)에 의해 세포생존율이 부분적으로 회복되었다. Western blotting 분석에서, NAC과 LCC의 동시처리에 의해 cdc2의 발현이 증가하고 LC3의 발현은 감소되었다. 이러한 결과는 LCC가 비소세포폐암에서 ROS-의존적 G2/M 정지 및 autophagy를 유도함으로써 항종양 효과에 기여할 수 있음을 나타낸다. 결론적으로, LCC 치료는 비소세포폐암에 대한 잠재적 치료제로서 유용할 수 있다.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제20권3호
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• pp.237-243
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• 2016

Oleanolic acid (OA) has a wide variety of bioactivities such as hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity and is used for medicinal purposes in many Asian countries. In the present study, the effect of OA on induction of autophagy in human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 and SMC7721 cells and the related mechanisms were investigated. MTT assay showed that OA significantly inhibited HepG2 and SMC7721 cells growth. OA treatment enhanced formation of autophagic vacuoles as revealed by monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining. At the same time, increasing punctuate distribution of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3) and an increasing ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I were also triggered by OA incubation. In addition, OA-induced cell death was significantly inhibited by autophagy inhibitors 3-methyladenine (3-MA) and chloroquine (CQ) pretreatment. And we found out that OA can suppress the PI3K/Akt1/mTOR signaling pathway. Furthermore, our data suggested that OA-triggered autophagy was ROS-dependent as demonstrated by elevated cellular ROS levels by OA treatment. When ROS was cleared by N-acetylcysteine (NAC), OA-induced LC3-II convertsion and cell death were all reversed. Taken together, our results suggest that OA exerts anticancer effect via autophagic cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma.

• 한국콘텐츠학회논문지
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.355-363
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• 2009

비정상적인 미토콘드리아에 의해 산화 스트레스가 증가하면 세포내 신호전달 및 유전자 발현에 손상을 일으켜 인슐린 저항성이나 당뇨병 등의 여러 질환들을 유발한다. 그런데 자식작용은 산화 스트레스로 기능이 저하된 미토콘드리아를 제거하여 인슐린 저항성 등을 억제해준다. 한편 운동도 미토콘드리아 생합성을 강화시켜 조직의 기능저하나 퇴행을 회복시켜준다. 따라서 운동과 자식작용이 서로 연관되어 미토콘드리아 생합성을 유도하는 신호체계로 작용할 가능성이 있고, 이 연구를 통해 운동 혹은 AICAR (aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-${\beta}$-D-ribofuranoside)처치로 활성 화된 AMPK(5'-AMP- activated protein kinase) 신호전달체계가 미토콘드리아 생합성을 증가시키는 경로에 자식작용이 관여하는지의 여부를 확인하고자 하였다. 연구결과에 따르면, 6시간의 급성운동으로 쥐의 골격근에서 PGC-1(peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1)과 mtTFA (mitochondrial transcription factor A)의 mRNA 발현이 유의하게 증가하였다. 하지만 자식작용 표지제인 LC3(microtubule-associated proteinl light chain 3)의 mRNA 발현은 증가경향을 나타냈지만 유의하지 않았다. 한편 C2C12 근세포에서도 AICAR 처치에 의해 PGC-1, mtTFA mRNA 발현이 모두 증가하였지만, 이러한 증가는 LC3 SiRNA에 의해서 억제되지 않는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 결과들을 통해 자식작용은 AMPK에 의해 조절되는 신호전달 전달체계와는 다른 경로로 미토콘드리아 생합성에 영향을 미칠 것으로 사료된다.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제23권3호
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• pp.581-589
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• 2009

The water extract of Dohongsamul-tang(DHSMT) has been traditionally used in treatment of ischemic heart and brain diseases in Oriental Medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which DHSMT protects C6 glial cells from glucose deprevation induced damages. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of DHSMT on 2-deoxy-D-glucose induced autophagy of C6 glial cells. Autophagic phenotype is evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry with specific biological staining dyes, including monodansylcadaverine and acridine orange, as well as Western blot analysis with microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3) and Beclin-1. Treatment with 2-deoxy-D-glucose significantly resulted in a decrease of the viability of C6 glial cells and increase of the extracellular LDH release in a dose and time-dependent manner. However, pretreatment with DHSMT protected C6 glial cells from glucose deprivation with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The author also observed the fact that autophagy phenotype occurred by 2-deoxy-D-glucose in C6 glial cells. Pretreatment with 3-MA, a pharmacological inhibitior of autophagy, abolished the formation of acidic vesicle organelle in C6 glial cells treated with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. However, pretreatment with DHSMT inhibited the formation of autophagic phenotypes, including formation of acidic vesicle organelle, and increase of the expression of LC-3 II Beclin-1 proteins in C6 glial cells treated with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Taken together, these data suggest that DHSMT is able to protect C6 glial cells from glucose deprivation with marked inhibition of autophagy formation.