• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제22권4호
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• pp.347-354
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• 2014

Larrea nitida is a plant that belongs to the Zygophyllaceae family and is widely used in South America to treat inflammatory diseases, tumors and menstrual pain. However, its pharmacological activity remains unclear. In this study we evaluated the property of selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) of Larrea nitida extracts (LNE) as a phytoestrogen that can mimic, modulate or disrupt the actions of endogenous estrogens, depending on the tissue and relative amount of other SERMs. To investigate the property of SERM of LNE, we performed MCF-7 cell proliferation assays, estrogen response element (ERE)-luciferase reporter gene assay, human estrogen receptor (hER) binding assays and in vivo uterotrophic assay. To gain insight into the active principles, we performed a bioassay-guided analysis of LNE employing solvents of various polarities and using classical column chromatography, which yielded 16 fractions (LNs). LNE showed high binding affinities for $hER{\alpha}$ and $hER{\beta}$ with $IC_{50}$ values of $1.20{\times}10^{-7}$ g/ml and $1.00{\times}10^{-7}$ g/ml, respectively. LNE induced $17{\beta}$-estradiol (E2)-induced MCF-7 cell proliferation, however, it reduced the proliferation in the presence of E2. Furthermore, LNE had an atrophic effect in the uterus of immature rats through reducing the expression level of progesterone receptor (PR) proteins. LN08 and LN10 had more potent affinities for binding on $hER{\alpha}$ and ${\beta}$ than other fractions. Our results indicate that LNE had higher binding affinities for $hER{\beta}$ than $hER{\alpha}$, and showed SERM properties in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and the rat uterus. LNE may be useful for the treatment of estrogen-related conditions, such as female cancers and menopause.

• 한국가금학회지
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.49-55
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• 2006

이 연구는 시호의 첨가가 육용종계의 생산성, 혈액의 성상, 호르몬 분비에 미치는 영향을 구명하기 위해서 8주간 실시하였다. 총 800수의 20주령 육용종계를 4개 처리구에 각각 200수씩 배치하였고, 시호는 사료에 0, 0.5, 0.1, 0.2% 수준으로 첨가하여 급여하였다. 기초사료의 영양소 함량은 육성기와 산란기로 구분하여 각각 CP 15.0%, ME 2,900 kcal/kg 수준과 CP 17.5%, ME 2,800 kcal/kg 수준으로 하였다. 시호를 육성후기에($20{\sim}24$주) 급여하여 육용종계의 증체량을 조사한 결과, 처리구간에 차이는 없었으나 산란초기($24{\sim}28$주)의 산란율과 산란량은 시호 급여구에서 대조구에 비하여 유의적으로 증가하였다(p<0.05). 시호의 첨가에 따른 육용종계의 혈중 변화를 관찰한 결과, 혈중 콜레스테롤 농도의 경우 대조구에 비하여 시호 2.0% 급여구에서 가장 낮은 수치를 나타내었다(p<0.05). 이와는 다르게 혈중 중성지방 농도에서는 시호의 급여 효과는 관찰되지 않았다. 반면, 혈중 헤마토크릿, 포도당, 칼슘, 인 및 마그네슘 농도에서 시호의 첨가 효과는 관찰할 수 없었다. 혈중 총 단백질과 알부민 함량 또한 시호 급여에 따른 변동은 관찰할 수 없었으나 알부민/글로불린 비율은 시호 급여구가 유의하게 감소하였다(p< 0.05). 혈중 GGT, AST, ALT 및 BUN 농도에서도 시호 급여구와 대조구간의 차이는 관찰되지 않았다. 28주령 육용종계의 혈중 에스트로겐 농도는 시호 급여구가 전체적으로 증가하는 양상을 보였으며, 그 중 시호 0.5% 급여구의 에스트로겐 농도가 현저하게 증가하였다(p<0.05). 또한 IGF-I 농도는 시호 급여구가 대조구와 비교하여 유의하게 증가하였다(p<0.05). 이 연구의 결과 육용종계 사료에 시호의 첨가는 생산능력을 개선하고, 혈중 콜레스테롤 농도와 A/G 비율을 감소시켰으며, 에스트로겐과 IGF-I 분비를 증가시켰다.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.149-155
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• 2015

Objective: The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum progesterone (P4) levels on the day of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and the pregnancy rate among women undergoing controlled ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection-embryo transfer (ICSI-ET) using a flexible antagonist protocol. Methods: This prospective study included 200 IVF and ICSI-ET cycles in which a flexible antagonist protocol was used. The patients were divided into five distinct groups according to their serum P4 levels at the time of hCG administration (0.80, 0.85, 0.90, 0.95, and 1.00 ng/mL). The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) was calculated for each P4 interval. Statistically significant differences were observed at a serum P4 level of 0.9 ng/mL. These data suggest that a serum P4 concentration of 0.9 ng/mL may represent the optimal threshold level for defining premature luteinization (PL) based on the presence of a significant negative impact on the CPR. Results: The CPR for each round of ET was significantly lower in the PL group defined using this threshold (25.8% vs. 41.8%; p=0.019), and the number of oocytes retrieved was significantly higher than in the non-PL group ($17.3{\pm}7.2$ vs. $11.0{\pm}7.2$; p=0.001). Elevated serum P4 levels on the day of hCG administration were associated with a reduced CPR, despite the retrieval of many oocytes. Conclusion: Measuring serum P4 values at the time of hCG administration is necessary in order to determine the optimal strategy for embryo transfer.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제15권10호
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• pp.1403-1411
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• 2002

The aims of this study were, firstly, to analyze the biochemical compositions of serum and follicular fluid (FF) from prepubertal gilts after PMSG (1,000 IU) treatment. The concentrations of total proteins, lipids, cholesterol, glucose and sex hormones (progesterone, $P_4$; estradiol-$17{\beta}$, $E_2$; testosterone, T) were measured. Secondary, the effects of porcine FF (pFF) addition (40% and 100%) in IVM media and different culture conditions [Exp. 1: mBMOC-2+20% porcine serum (PS), fresh IVM medium, filtered IVMconditioned medium, or rabbit oviducts; Exp. 2: mBMOC-2+20%PS or stepwise medium replacement procedures (SMRP) cocultured with or without cumulus cells] on the in vitro development (IVD) of porcine oocytes were also examined. Results showed that no significant differences were found in total protein levels between serum and pFF from different sizes (large, >7 mm; medium, ~5-7 mm; small, <3-5 mm) of follicles (75-85 and 49-90 mg/dl; p>0.05). Total lipid concentrations remained constant in serum (395-472 mg/dl), and reduced significantly in the pFF from large follicles (287 mg/dl) at 132 h after PMSG treatment when compared to those at other time points (441-480 mg/dl). Basal cholesterol levels in serum and pFF at 12 h were similar (153-161 mg/dl), but increased at 36 h (186-197 mg/dl). Basal P4 and E2 levels in serum (0.1 ng/ml and 5.5 pg/ml) were low, but increased from 0.34 ng/ml and 12.13 pg/ml at 24 h to 0.81 ng/ml and 61.70 pg/ml at 98 h, respectively, after PMSG treatment (p<0.05). P4 levels increased linearly in pFF from large follicles during 12 through 132 h (138-1,288 ng/ml). A similar increase was also observed in $E_2$ levels (22-730 pg/ml) before 60 h post PMSG treatment, and then dropped afterwards (730-121 pg/ml). The development of the oocytes fertilized in 40% pFF-medium was greater than that in 100% pFF-medium group without gonaodtropin addition (31% vs 10%, p<0.05). However, both were lower than those in mBMOC-2+20%PS and in rabbit oviducts (p<0.05). When cocultured with cumulus cell monolayers, a greater cleavage rate was observed in the group cultured in filtered IVM-conditioned medium than the SMRP group (36% vs 18%, p<0.05). A similar phenomenon was also observed in the culture without cumulus cell monolayers (33% vs 19%, p<0.05). It is concluded that neither the fresh IVM nor filtered IVM-conditioned medium has positive effect on the IVD of oocytes. Coculture with cumulus cell monolayers and the SMRP were not beneficial to the development of IVF pig oocytes.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제16권17호
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• pp.7975-7979
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• 2015

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the value of IHC4 in predicting pathological response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with hormonal receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer (BC). Materials and Methods: In this retrospective exploratory study, data for 68 HR-positive BC patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were recorded. IHC4 scores were calculated based on estrogen receptors/progesterone receptors, Ki-67 and HER2 status. Logistic and ordinal regression analyses in addition to likelihood ratio test were used to explore associations of IHC4 scores and other clinico-pathological parameters with pathological complete response (pCR) and pathological stage. Results: Taking the 25th percentile as the cut-off, a lower IHC4 score was associated with an increased probability of pCR (low; 52.9% vs. High; 21.6%, OR=4.1, 95% CI=1.28-13.16, p=0.018) and a lower pathological stage (OR=3.9, 95% CI=1.34-11.33, p=0.012). When the IHC4 score was treated as a continuous variable, a lower score was again associated with an increased probability of pCR (OR=1.010, 95% CI=1.001-1.018, p=0.025) and lower pathological stage (OR=1.009, 95% CI=1.002-1.017, P=0.008). Lower clinical stage was associated with a better pCR rate that was of borderline significance (P=0.056). When clinical stage and IHC4 score were incorporated together in a logistic model, the likelihood ratio test gave a P-value of 0.004 after removal of the IHC4 score and 0.011 after removal of the stage, indicating a more significant predictive value of the IHC4 score for pCR. Conclusions: This study suggests that the IHC4 score can predict pathological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in HR-positive BC patients. This finding now needs to be validated in a larger cohort of patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.1197-1201
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• 2012

Objective: To study the relationship between clinical pathologic characteristics, treatment modalities and prognostic factors in HER-2 (Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor-2) overexpressed breast carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Major clinico-pathological factors including therapeutic modalities and survival status of 371 breast cancer patients with HER2 over-expression, teated at Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital from March of 2002 to December of 2010 were retrospectively studied, with special attention focused on survival-related factors. Results: The median age of the total 371 patients in this study was 48 years at time of diagnosis, among which, the leading pathological type was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (92.5%); 62.8% presented with a primary tomor larger than 2 cm in diameter at diagnosis, 51.0% had axillary lymph node (ALN) metastases; ER (Estrogen receptor)/PR (Progesterone receptor) double negative occured in 52.8% of cases, and PCNA (proliferation cell nuclear antigen) (+++) was found in 55.1%. HER-2 overexpressed patients were usually in advanced stage when the diagnosis was made (72.8% at stages IIA~IIIC). The prognosis and survival were assessed in 259 patients with complete follow-up data. 5-year DFS (disease-free survival) and OS (overall survival) rate was 68.0% and 78.0% respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that age, tumor size, ALN metastases, LVSI (lymph-vascular space involvement), PCNA status, hormonal therapy, chemotherapy cycles, and HER-2 overexpression, correlated closely with the prognosis. ALN metastases, LVSI, PCNA status and chemotherapy cycles were independent predictors of survival. Conclusions: HER-2 overexpressed breast cancer has special clinical and pathological characteristics, with advanced clinical stages and high rate of ER/PR double negative. Lymph node metastases, LVSI, PCNA and chemotherapy cycles are independent predictors of prognosis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권8호
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• pp.4119-4123
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• 2012

Background: Neoadjuvant systemic chemotherapy is the accepted approach for women with locally advanced breast cancer. Anthracycline- and taxane-based regimens have been extensively studied in clinical trials and consequently are widely used. In this study aimed to research the complete response (pCR) rates in different regimens for neoadjuvant setting and determine associated clinical and biological factors. Methods: This study included 63 patients diagnosed with breast carcinoma among 95 patients that had been treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2007 and 2010. TNM staging system was used for staging. The histologic response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was characterized as a pCR when there was no evidence of residual invasive tumor in the breast or axillary lymph nodes. Biologic subclassification using estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER2 were performed. Luminal A was defined as ER+, PR+, HER2-; Luminal B tumor was defined as ER+, PR-, HER2-; ER+, PR-, HER2+; ER-, PR+, HER2-; ER+, PR+, HER2+; HER2 like tumor ER-, PR+, HER2+; and triple negative tumor ER, PR, HER2 negative. Results: Patients median age was 54.14 (min-max: 30-75). Thirty-two patients (50.8%) were premenapousal and 31 (49.2%) were postmenapousal. Staging was performed postoperatively based on the pathology report and appropriated imaging modalities The TNM (tumor, lymph node, metastasis) system was used for clinical and pathological staging. Fifty-seven (90.5%) were invasive ductal carcinomas, 6 (9.5%) were other subtypes. Thirty nine (61.9%) were grade II and 24 (38.1%) were grade III. Seven (11.1%) patients were stage II and 56 (88.9) patients were stage III. The patients were classified for ER, PR receptor and HER2 positivity. Seventeen patients had complete response to chemotherapy. Forty patients (63.5%) were treated with dose dense regimen (cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 and doxorubicine 60 mg/m every two weeks than paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 every two weeks with filgrastim support) 40 patients (48%) were treated anthracycline and taxane containing regimens. Thirteen patients (76%) from 17 patients with pCR were treated with the dose dense regimen but without statistical significance (p=0.06). pCR was higher in HER2(-), ER(-), grade III, premenopausal patients. Conclusion: pCR rate was higher in the group that treated with dose dense regimen, which should thus be the selected regimen in neoadjuvant setting. Some other factors can predict pCR in Turkish patients, like grade, menopausal status, triple negativity, percentage of ER positivity, and HER2 expression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권18호
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• pp.7533-7537
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• 2014

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer type, and the leading cause of death from cancer among women in Israel. The Bedouin-Arab (BA) population in southern Israel is characterized by a high rate of consanguinity, common hereditary disorders, and transition from a semi-nomadic, traditional society to a more sedentary and urbanized society. In this hospital-based study, the demographic and the clinicopathological characteristics of BC in BA were compared with Jewish patients. Materials and Methods: 85 BA patients treated at the Soroka Medical Center, Beer Sheba, during the years 2004-2012, were studied and compared with 180 consecutive Jewish patients treated during the year 2007. Clinicopathological features compared included age, menopausal state, number of births, a history of BC in first-degree relatives, tumor size (T), extent of lymph-node involvement (N), distant metastases (M), stage, grade, estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER/PR), and Her2 status. Types of treatment, relapse rate and site, as well as outcome were also studied. Cox's regression models were applied for studying disease-free, and overall survival. Results: Compared with Jewish patients, BA patients were younger (average age $49{\pm}12$ yrs vs $59{\pm}13$, p<0.001), had a lower rate of BC in first-degree relatives (p<0.001), and a larger number of births ($6{\pm}4.2$ vs $2.5{\pm}1.9$, p<0.001). BA patients had larger tumors (p=0.02), more extensive lymph-node involvement (p=0.002), and more advanced stage (p=0.003). Grade, ER, PR, and Her2 status were similar in the two ethnic groups. Relapse type was most commonly systemic in BA patients (p=0.05), and loco-regional in Jewish patients (p=0.02). Median survival was 63, and 35 months for Jewish and BA patients, respectively (log-rank test, p=0.02). In Cox multivariate analysis, stage and PR status (HR-0.14, p<0.0001; HR-3.11, p=0.046), but not ethnicity, influenced overall survival. Conclusions: BC presents a decade earlier, and with more advanced disease in BA compared with Jewish patients. Biologic parameters including grade, ER, PR, and Her2 status were similar in both groups. Although prognosis was worse in BA than in Jewish patients, it was affected only by stage and PR status, but not by ethnicity.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권7호
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• pp.4115-4119
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• 2013

Background: Previous reports have shown that human epidermal receptor (HER)-3 overexpression may be associated with poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer, but results have been conflicting. In this study, we sought to investigate the prognostic significance of HER-3 immunohistochemical expression in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed HER-3 immunohistochemical expression profiles in 45 paraffin-embedded specimens from patients who had been treated between 1996 and 2006 in the Department of Oncology of the Uludag University School of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey. Membranous or cytoplasmic dominant expression patterns of HER-3 were analyzed using the Rajkumar score and a cytoplasmic 4-point scoring system, respectively. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) served as the main outcome measures. Results: The median PFS in the study participants was 9 months (interquartile range: 4.5-13 months), whereas the median OS was 20 months (interquartile range: 7.5-28 months). Categorization of the patient population according to HER-3 positive immunohistochemical expression did not reveal any statistically significant difference in terms of both PFS (p=0.70) and OS (p=0.81). The results of multivariable Cox regression analysis indicated that tumor size was the only independent predictor of PFS, whereas estrogen and progesterone receptor status was independently associated with OS. Conclusions: HER-3 immunohistochemical expression did not correlate with outcomes in Turkish patients with metastatic breast cancer. Although our results suggest that HER-3 expression in cancer specimens is not of prognostic significance, further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these results.

• 한국수정란이식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수정란이식학회 2002년도 국제심포지엄
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• pp.88-88
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• 2002

인공수정 및 수정란기술의 활성화에 따라 소에 있어서 인공수정은 90%이상이 실시되고 있으나, 수정란이식은 수정란의 생산이 안정적이지 않아 활성화에 많은 지장을 초래하고 있다. 이의 원인은 수정란이식에 의한 수태율의 저하가 가장 크며, 수태율 향상을 위하여 수란우에 progesterone, hCG 등의 주사가 실시되고 있다. 그러나 이는 수정란의 착상에 있어서 자궁의 환경을 개선한다고 하나, 착상의 정확한 기전의 구명은 미미한 상태이다. 한편 비장유래 macrophage가 황체를 자극하고 TGF-$\beta$의 생산을 유도하는 것으로 보고되고 있으며, IL-I $\alpha$와 $\beta$에 따라 TGF-$\beta$ 생산에 있어서 약간의 차이를 보이는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구는 비장유래 macrophage가 TGF-$\beta$의 생산시 임신관련 Cytokine인 IL-I$\alpha$와의 관계를 조사하기 위하여 실시하였다. 임신 및 비임신 도축 암소의 비장을 채취하여 얼음에 채워 실험실로 운반한 후 비장의 표면을 70%의 알콜로 세척하고, 표피를 벗겨 비장조직을 세절하여 10% FBS+DMEM에 넣어 조직을 눌러 짜면서 조직속의 세포를 분리하였다. 세척한 배양액은 4-5$m\ell$를 100mm 유리 petri dish에 넣고 39$^{\circ}C$, 5% $CO_2$, 95% 공기인 배양기에서 2시간이상 배양하였으며, 배양 후 냉장된 buffer A 용액으로 세척하여 유리 petri dish의 바닥에 부착된 macrophage만을 cell scraper로 분리하였다. 분리한 macrophage는 0.5-1 $\times$ $10^{6}$ cells/$m\ell$가 되게 조정하여, IL-I 을 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 또한 1 ng/$m\ell$를 첨가하여 농도에 따른 효과를 조사하였고, 각각 24, 48, 72, 96 또한 120시간을 배양하여 시간에 의한 효과도 실시하였다. 각 배치구에서 얻어진 배양액은 TGF-$\beta$를 조사하기 전까지 -2$0^{\circ}C$에 동결 보존하였다. TGF-$\beta$의 측정은 TGF-$\beta$ kit(promega, USA)를 이용하여 실시하였으며, 통계학적 분석은 Anova test를 Statview program을 이용하여 분석하였다. 시험의 결과 대조구에 비해 IL-I 첨가구는 2-3배의 TGF-$\beta$생산을 보였으며, 배양시간에 따른 생산은 시간이 지남에 따라 약간 상승하는 경향을 보였으나, 유의적인 차이를 보이지는 않았다. 또한 IL-I의 농도에 따른 생산의 변화는 IL-I의 농도에 따라 약간의 차이를 보였고 유의적인 차이는 인정되지 않았다. 임신 및 비임신의 경우 임신우의 비장 macrophage가 비임신보다는 약간 상승하는 거스로 나타났다. 이상의 결과로 볼 때 IL-I $\alpha$ 는$\beta$subunit 보다 TGF-$\beta$ 생산에 있어서 서로 다른 양상을 보일 것으로 추정되며, IL-I은 macrophage의 직접적인 영향을 주기보다는 황체세포를 매개로 한 자궁에 TGF-$\beta$의 생산을 유도하는 것으로 사료되며, 임신관련 cytokine에 대한 다양한 연구가 요구되고 있다.