• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.365-369
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• 2010

In this study, we examined whether melatonin promotes apoptotic cell death via p53 in prostate LNCaP cells. Melatonin treatment significantly curtailed the growth of LNCaP cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Melatonin treatment (0 to 3 mM) induced the fragmentation of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and activation of caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9. Moreover, melatonin markedly activated Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression in dose increments. To investigate p53 and p21 expression, LNCaP cells were treated with 0 to 3 mM melatonin. Melatonin increased the expressions of p53, p21, and p27. Treatment with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitors, PD98059 (ERK inhibitor), SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) and SB202190 (p38 inhibitor), confirmed that the melatonin-induced apoptosis was p21-dependent, but ERK-independent. With the co-treatment of PD98059 and melatonin, the expression of p-p53, p21, and MDM2 did not decrease. These effects were opposite to the expression of p-p53, p21, and MDM2 observed with SP600125 and SB202190 treatments. Together, these results suggest that p53-dependent induction of JNK/p38 MAPK directly participates in apoptosis induced by melatonin.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10483-10487
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• 2015

Heptaphylline derivatives are carbazoles in Clausena harmandiana, a medicinal plant that is utilized for headache, stomach ache, and other treatments of illness. The present study examined the effects of heptaphylline and 7-methoxyheptaphylline on apoptosis of human colon adenocarcinoma cells (HT-29 cell line). Quantification of cell viability was performed using cell proliferation assay (MTT assay) and of protein expression through immunoblotting. The results showed that only heptaphylline, but not 7-methoxyheptaphylline, significantly significantly activated cleaved of caspase-3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) which resulted in HT-29 cell death. We found that heptaphylline activated BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (Bid) and Bak, proapoptotic proteins. In contrast, it suppressed X-linked inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein (XIAP), Bcl-xL and survivin, inhibitors of apoptosis. In addition, heptaphylline inhibited activation of NF-${\kappa}B$/p65 (rel), a regulator of apoptotic regulating proteins by suppressing the activation of Akt and $IKK{\alpha}$, upstream regulators of p65. The findings suggested that heptaphylline induces apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.418-422
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• 2015

In the course of screening for novel cell cycle inhibitors and apoptotic inducers, CR389, elucidated as 5-(1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-1H-pyridin-2-one, was generated as a new hit compound. Flow cytometric analysis and western blots of PA-1 cells treated with $60{\mu}M$ CR389 revealed an appreciable cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase through direct inhibition of the CDK1 complex. In addition, activation of p53 via phosphorylation at Ser15 and subsequent up-regulation of p21^CIP1 showed that CR389 also induces p53-dependent-p21^CIP1-mediated cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, apoptotic induction in $60{\mu}M$ CR389-treated PA-1 cells is associated with the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria through up-regulation of the proapoptotic Bax protein, which results in the activation of procaspase-9 and -3, and the cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Accordingly, CR389 seems to have multiple mechanisms of antiproliferative activity through p53-mediated pathways against human ovarian cancer cells. Therefore, we conclude that CR389 is a candidate therapeutic agent for the treatment of human ovarian cancer via the activation of p53.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.13-24
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• 2006

Purpose : 이 연구는 MCF-7 인간 유방암 세포주에 대한 활락효령단(活絡效靈丹) 추출물의 증식억제효과, 세포독성효과, 세포사 유발효과를 확인하기 위하여 이루어졌다. Methods : MCF-7 인간 유방암 세포주는 Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12 (DMEM/F12)에 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS)와 항생제를 가하여 만든 배지를 이용하여 배양하였고 MCF-7 세포를 96-well plate에 접종한 후 다양한 농도 (0 ${\sim}$ 2000 g/ml)의 활락효령단(活絡效靈丹)이 든 배지로 처리한 후 72시간 동안 배양하였고 또한 1000g/ml의 활락효령단(活絡效靈丹)이 든 배지로 처리한 후 48, 96, 192 시간동안 배양하여 각각 MTS assay kit로 세포생존율을 측정하였다. 세포독성은 Sulforhodamine B assay 방법을 이용해 측정하였고 세포사 과정에서 MCF-7 세포에서의 caspase 활성화를 측정하기 위해 Western blotting을 수행하여 poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP)의 절단을 확인하였다. Results : 실험결과 활락효령단(活絡效靈丹) 추출물에 의한 세포성장 및 독성효과는 시간 및 농도에 비례하는 것으로 나타났고 세포고사과정에서 작용하는 caspase의 전기질인 PARP 절단량이 활락효령단(活絡效靈丹) 처리 농도에 비례에 증가하였다. Conclusions : 활락효령단(活絡效靈丹)은 다양한 기전에 의해서 유방암 세포에 대한 억제효과를 가질 수 있는 것으로 인식할 수 있다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2005

Pseudolaric acid B is a major compound found in the bark of Pseudolarix kaempferi Gordon. In our study, pseudolaric acid B inhibited growth of human melanoma cells, A375-S2 in a time and dose-dependent manner. A375-S2 cells treated with pseudolaric acid B showed typical characteristics of apoptosis including morphologic changes, DNA fragmentation, sub-diploid peak in flow cytometry, cleavage of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and degradation of inhibitor of caspase-activated DNase (ICAD). P53 protein expression was upregulated while cells were arrested at the $G_2/M$ phase of the cell cycle. There was a decrease in the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL proteins, whereas pro-apoptotic Bax was increased. The two classical caspase substrates, PARP and ICAD, were both decreased in a time-dependent manner, indicating the activation of downstream caspases.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Bioinformatics Conference
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• 2004.11a
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• pp.210-218
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• 2004

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP-1) is a nuclear enzyme involved in various physical functions related to genomic repair, and PARP inhibitors have therapeutic application in a variety of neurological diseases. Docking and the QSAR (quantitative structure-activity relationships) studies for 52 PARP-1 inhibitors were conducted using FlexX algorithm, comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA), and hologram quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis (HQSAR). The resultant FlexX model showed a reasonable correlation (r$^{2}$ = 0.701) between predicted activity and observed activity. Partial least squares analysis produced statistically significant models with q$^{2}$ values of 0.795 (SDEP=0.690, r$^{2}$=0.940, s=0.367) and 0.796 (SDEP=0.678, r$^{2}$ = 0.919, s=0.427) for CoMFA and HQSAR, respectively. The models for the entire inhibitor set were validated by prediction test and scrambling in both QSAR methods. In this work, combination of docking, CoMFA with 3D descriptors and HQSAR based on molecular fragments provided an improved understanding in the interaction between the inhibitors and the PARP. This can be utilized for virtual screening to design novel PARP-1 inhibitors.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.35-44
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• 2015

We previously identified Streptomyces griseus as an anti-cancer agent (Kim et al., 2014). In this study, we isolated compounds from S. griseus and evaluated their anticancer effect and toxicity in vitro and in vivo. Preparative centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) was used to obtain three compounds, cyclo($_{\small{L}}$-[4-hydroxyprolinyl]-$_{\small{L}}$-leucine], cyclo($_{\small{L}}$-Phe-trans-4-hydroxy-$_{\small{L}}$-Pro) and phenethyl acetate (PA). We chose PA, which had the highest anticancer activity, as a target compound for further experiments. PA induced the formation of apoptotic bodies, DNA fragmentation, DNA accumulation in $G_0/G_1$ phase, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. Furthermore, PA treatment increased Bax/Bcl-xL expression, activated caspase-3, and cleaved poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) in HL-60 cells. Simultaneous evaluation in vitro and in vivo, revealed that PA exhibited no toxicity in Vero cells and zebrafish embryos. We revealed, for the first time, that PA generates ROS, and that this ROS accumulation induced the Bcl signaling pathway.

• 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.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.79-82
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• 1995

Exposure of spleen lymphocytes to 2-chloroethylethyl sulfide (CEES) leads to a reduction of the intracellular ATP level, followed by a decrease in cell viability. Addition of nicotinamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PADPRP), restores both ATP level and viability, indicating that an activation of PADPRP is responsible for the cytotoxicity of CEES. The involvement of a $Ca^{2+}$-mediated process in cytotoxicity is suggested. Verapamil, EGTA, trifluoperazine, and butacaine exhibit a partial protection (20 to 58%) against the cytotoxicity of CEES. Investigation of the causative role of proteolytic degradation in cell death indicate that pepstatin and leupeptin exert a substantial protective effect (60 to 70%), suggesting the involvement of lysosomal destabilization in CEES-induced cytotoxicity. Also, lysosomotropic agents markedly decrease the cytotoxicity. Lysosomal labilization may be a mechanism for the cytotoxicity of CEES.

• Journal of Genetic Medicine
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.124-127
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• 2013

Among cause of carcinogenesis, heredity is believed to take about 10 percent in ovarian cancer. BRCA1 or BRCA2 account for largest portion of Hereditary Breast and Ovary Cancer (HBOC). Frequency of BRCA1/2 germ line mutations varies according to region and ethnicity from 1.1-39.7 percent. The identification of ovarian cancers with a BRCA mutation is will be more and important due to the possibility to offer a genetic counseling and also due to potential beneficial treatment effects with a poly-ADP-ribose polymerase inhibitor in some individuals. We report the case of a 41 year old woman with a stage Ic mucinous ovarian adenocarcinoma and carrier daughter found on family genetic counseling. We indentified other family members with a history of breast cancer of 1st degree and pancreatic cancer of 2nd degree relative. After a screening with immunohistochemistry, the absence of nuclear expression for BRCA1 and BRCA2 was revealed. The gene sequencing confirmed heterozygous mutations of BRCA2 gene. The daughter of the case subject consented for a test. This test was shown the daughter is positive for BRCA2 mutation. Regular surveillance, chemoprophylaxis with oral contraceptive and prophylactic surgery after childbearing were offered to her.