• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.2 s.62
• /
• pp.63-76
• /
• 2005

Objectives: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a wide range of acute and longterm neurodegenerative diseases. This study was undertaken to examine whether Sunghyangchungisan(SHCS), a well-known prescription in Korean traditional medicine, might have beneficial effects on ROS-induced brain cell injury. Methods: Human neuroglioma cell line A172 and H2O2 were employed as an experimental model cell and oxidant. Results: SHCS effectively protected the cells against both the necrotic and apoptotic cell death induced by H2O2. The effect of SHCS was dose-dependent at concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 5mg/ml. SHCS significantly prevented depletion of cellular ATP and activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase induced by H2O2. It also helped mitochondria to preserve its functional integrity estimated by MTT reduction ability. Furthermore, SHCS significantly prevented H202-induced release of cytochrome c into cytosol. Determination of intracellular ROS showed that SHCS might exert its role as a powerful scavenger of intracellular ROS. Conclusions: The present study provides clear evidence for the beneficial effect of SHCS on ROS-induced neuroglial cell injury. The action of SHCS as an ROS-scavenger might underlie the mechanism.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
• /
• v.28 no.2
• /
• pp.294-303
• /
• 2007

Objectives : We are aimed to identify anti-tumor effects of realgar on some kinds of cancer cells through molecular biologic methods. Materials & Methods : We used 5 kinds of cancer cell lines: lung cancer cells(A549). stomach cancer cells(KATO) and neuroglioma cells(SUN-1118. U-87MG, U-373MG). We injected the boiled extracts of realgar $50{\mu}g$. $100{\mu}g$ to cultural media( ml )for 24 hours. We measured the killing effects on 5 kinds of cancer cells through inverted and fluorescence microscope, the suppressive effects on viability of those cells via XTT assay and the effects on the revelation of Bax and Bcl-2 proteins related to apoptosis by western blotting. Results : In the changes of morphology, the extracts of realgar showed more significant killing effects on all cancer cells. especially KATO, SNU-1118, U-87MG, U-373MG, than the control group with dose dependence, which was statistically significant. In XTT assay, the extracts of realgar showed more suppressive effects on viability of all cancer cells, especially KATO and U-373MG, than the control group with dose dependence, which was statistically significant. In the revelation of proteins related to apoptosis, the extracts of realgar increased the level of Bax and decreased that of Bcl-2 in all cancer cells with dose dependence. Conclusions : We identified that realgar had more anti-tumor effects on stomach cancer and neuroglioma than on lung cancer in the experiments above. However, these basic experiments were performed in vitro. We hope the anti-tumor effects of realgar will be practically identified through more progressive research.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.37-43
• /
• 2007

Adenosine has been reported to provide cytoprotection in the central nervous systems as well as myocardium by activating cell surface adenosine receptors. However, the exact target and mechanism of its action still remain controversial. The present study was performed to examine whether adenosine has a protective effect against $A{\beta}$-induced injury in neuroglial cells. The astrocyte-derived human neuroglioma cell line, A172 cells, and $A{\beta}_{25{\sim}35}$ were employed to produce an experimental $A{\beta}$-induced glial cell injury model. Adenosine significantly prevented $A{\beta}$-induced apoptotic cell death. Studies using various nucleotide receptor agonists and antagonists suggested that the protection was mediated by $A_1$ receptors. Adenosine attenuated $A{\beta}$-induced impairment in mitochondrial functional integrity as estimated by cellular ATP level and MTT reduction ability. In addition, adenosine prevented $A{\beta}$-induced mitochondrial permeability transition, release of cytochrome c into cytosol and subsequent activation of caspase-9. The protective effect of adenosine disappeared when cells were pretreated with 5-hydroxydecanoate, a selective blocker of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channel. In conclusion, therefore we suggest that adenosine exerts protective effect against $A{\beta}$-induced cell death of A172 cells, and that the underlying mechanism of the protection may be attributed to preservation of mitochonarial functional integrity through opening of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive $K^+$ channels.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.1-13
• /
• 2020

Purpose: Gaucher disease (GD), which is the most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder worldwide, is caused by mutations in the glucocerebrosidase gene (GBA). GD is divided into three clinical subtypes based on the appearance of neurological symptoms. Type 1 GD is a chronic non-neuronopathic disease, and types 2 and 3 are acute neuronopathic and chronic neuronopathic forms, respectively. Neuronopathic GD types 2 and 3 are characterized by increased levels of glucosylceramide (GlcCer) and glucosylsphingosine (GlcSph) in the brain, leading to massive loss of neurons. Methods: DNA damage and subsequent apoptosis of H4 cells were observed following neuroglioma H4 cell culture with GlcCer or GlcSph. Neuronal cell apoptosis was more prominent upon treatment with GlcSph. Results: When H4 cells were treated with GlcSph in the presence of tubacin, a histone deacetylase 6 inhibitor (HDAC6i), attenuation of both DNA damage and a reduction in the protein expression levels of GlcSph-induced apoptosis-associated factors were observed. Conclusion: These findings indicated that GlcSph played a prominent role in the pathogenesis of neuronopathic GD by inducing apoptosis, and that HDAC6i could be considered a therapeutic candidate for the treatment of neuronopathic GD.