• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.371-378
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• 2013

Serum and liver metabolites in rats fed red ginseng (RG) were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The mass data were analyzed by partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to discriminate between control and RG groups and identify metabolites contributing to this discrimination. The RG group was clearly separated from the control group on PLS-DA scores plot for serum samples, but not liver samples. The major metabolites contributing to the discrimination included lipid metabolites (lysophosphatidylcholine, acyl-carnitine, and sphingosine), isoleucine, nicotinamide, and corticosterone in the serum; the blood levels of all but isoleucine were reduced by RG administration. Not all metabolites were positively correlated with the health benefits of RG. However, the blood levels of lysophosphatidylcholine, which stimulate various diseases, and long-chain acylcarnitines and corticosterone, which activate the stress response, were reduced by RG, suggesting long-term RG might relieve stress and prevent physiological and biological problems.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.690-696
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• 1996

It has been known that many kinds of cancer are caused by continued proliferation or abnormal differentiation. Thus, recent approaches to anticancer therapy have been focused on developing drugs that induce differentiation of cancer cells to normal cells. A typical differentiation agent, all trans-retinoic acid, is unsuitable for anticancer drug because all trans-retinoic acid produces unfavorable side effects and cytotoxicity in normal cells. Therefore, we have screened some new differentiation-inducing compounds obtained from marine organisms using F9 teratocarcinoma stem cells as a model system. We observed that fatty acid. glycolipid, saponin, sphingosine and sterol compounds of marine organisms had differentiation-inducing activity in F9 cells, were determined by morphological changes and Northern blot analysis. The expression of differentiation marker genes, such as laminin B1, type IV collagen and retinoic acid receptor beta were induced by treatment with those compounds.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Environmental Toocicology Conference
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• 1996.12a
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• pp.25-41
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• 1996

KWON, O. S. SCHMUED, L. C. and LSIKKER, W. JR. Neurotoxiciligy. objectives of this study were to test the hypothesis that fumonisin $B_1$ ($FB_1$) alters sphinganine (Sa) levels and myelin synthesis in the central nervous system of developing rats. $FB_1$ (subcutaneous, 0. 4 or 0. 8 mg/kg/day) from postnatal days (PND) 3 to PND 12 resulted in a significantly increased in the brain of rats given 0. 8 mg $FB_1$/kg/day. To confirm the effect of limited nutrition on changes in the Sa levels and myelinogenesis, rats given 0.8mg $FB_1$/kg/day or treated by limited nutrition (temporary removal from dam during postnatal period) were compared to those in saline controls. Sa levels and Sa/So ratios were compared to those in saline in the 0.8 $FB_1$-treated, 3'-phosphohydrolase (CNP) activities were decreased significantly in both nutritionally limited and $FB_1$-exposed rats. These data indicate that sphingolipid metabolism in the central nervous system of develiping rats is vulnerable to $FB_1$ exposure. The hypomyelination associated with $FB_1$-treatment may be mediated by limited nutrition.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.2 no.6
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• pp.743-752
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• 1998

The atrial acetylcholine-activated $K^+\;(K_{ACh})$ channel is gated by the pertussis toxin-sensitive inhibitory G $(G_K)$ protein. Earlier studies revealed that ATP alone can activate the $K_{ACh}$ channel via transphosphorylation mediated by nucleoside-diphosphate kinase (NDPK) in atrial cells of rabbit and guinea pig. This channel can be activated by various agonists and also modulated its function by phosphorylation. ATP-induced $K_{ACh}$ channel activation (AIKA) was maintained in the presence of the NDPK inhibitor, suggesting the existence of a mechanism other than NDPK-mediated process. Here we hypothesized the phosphorylation process as another mechanism underlying AIKA and was undertaken to examine what kinase is involved in atrial cells isolated from the rat heart. Single application of 1 mM ATP gradually increased the activity of $K_{ACh}$ channels and reached its maximum $40{\sim}50$ sec later following adding ATP. AIKA was not completely reduced but maintained by half even in the presence of NDPK inhibitor. Neither ADP nor a non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PNP can cause AIKA, while a non-specific phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase blocked completely AIKA. PKC antagonists such as sphingosine or tamoxifen, completely blocked AIKA, whereas PKC catalytic domain increased AIKA. Taken together, it is suggested that the PKC-mediated phosphorylation is partly involved in AIKA.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.262-266
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• 2007

ENPP2, a 125 kDa secreted lysophopholipase D which originally identified as a tumor-motogen, Autotaxin, enhances cellular locomotion, cell proliferation, angiogenesis and cell survival by generating the signal molecule lysophosphatic acid or sphingosine-1-phosphate. Previous studies have suggested that expression of Autotaxin is associated with invasive phenotype in advanced breast carcinomas. Thus, to determine whether genetic alterations of ENPP2 gene are involved in the development or progression of breast cancer, we analyzed its somatic mutation in 85 breast carcinomas by single-stranded conformational polymorphism and sequencing. Overall, six ENPP2 mutations were found (7.0%), comprising five missense and one nonsense mutation (s). To our knowledge, this is the first report on ENPP2 mutation in breast carcinoma, and the data indicate that ENPP2 is occasionally mutated in breast carcinomas, and suggest that ENPP2 mutation may contribute to the tumor development in some breast carcinomas.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.525-530
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• 2015

Ceramide is the most abundant lipid in the epidermis and plays a critical role in maintaining epidermal barrier function. Overall ceramide content in keratinocyte increases in parallel with differentiation, which is initiated by supplementation of calcium and/or vitamin C. However, the role of metabolic enzymes responsible for ceramide generation in response to vitamin C is still unclear. Here, we investigated whether vitamin C alters epidermal ceramide content by regulating the expression and/or activity of its metabolic enzymes. When human keratinocytes were grown in 1.2 mM calcium with vitamin C ($50{\mu}g/ml$) for 11 days, bulk ceramide content significantly increased in conjunction with terminal differentiation of keratinocytes as compared to vehicle controls (1.2 mM calcium alone). Synthesis of the ceramide fractions was enhanced by increased de novo ceramide synthesis pathway via serine palmitoyltransferase and ceramide synthase activations. Moreover, sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) hydrolysis pathway by action of S1P phosphatase was also stimulated by vitamin C supplementation, contributing, in part, to enhanced ceramide production. However, activity of sphingomyelinase, a hydrolase enzyme that converts sphingomyelin to ceramide, remained unaltered. Taken together, we demonstrate that vitamin C stimulates ceramide production in keratinocytes by modulating ceramide metabolicrelated enzymes, and as a result, could improve overall epidermal barrier function.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.185-190
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• 2011

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP), the most widely utilized industrial plastizer and a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, can act on peroxisome proliferators-activated nuclear hormone receptor family (PPAR) isoforms. To understand the contribution of sphingolipid metabolism to DEHP-induced hepatotoxicity, effect of DEHP exposure on activities of sphingolipid metabolic enzymes in rat liver was investigated. DEHP (250, 500 or 750 mg/kg) was administered to the rats through oral gavage daily for 28 days. The activities of acidic and alkaline ceramidases were slightly increased in 250 mg/kg DEHP-administered rat livers and significantly elevated in 500 mg/kg DEHP-administered ones, although the level of 750 mg/kg DEHP-administered ones was not increased. Neutral ceramidase, acidic and neutral sphingomyelinases, sphingomyeline synthase and ceramide syhthase were not changed at all by DEHP exposure. Therefore, acidic and alkaline ceramidases might play important roles in DEHP-induced hepatotoxicity.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.291-295
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• 2005

To define the effect of silica on the stimulator of signaling pathway, we studied the phospholipase D (PLD) activity in the Rat2 fibroblasts. Silica stimulated the accumulation of labeled $[^3H]$ phosphatidylethanol$([^3H]\;PEt)$ in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. This Silicainduced PLD activity was partially attenuated by the pretreatment with U73122 (phospholipase C inhibitor), genistein (protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor), PD 98056 (MEK inhibitor) and mepacrine (phospholipase $A_2$ inhibitor). But, sphingosine (protein kinase C inhibitor) and DPI (NADPH reductase inhibitor) had not effect the PLD activity. Silica also increased the PLD activity about four fold, which imply that the PLD activity is more influenced by the mobilization of PLD than other signaling mediators. The PLD activity also partially inhibited calcium chelator EGTA or/and BAPTA/AM compared to silica. Finally, we concluded that a silica-stimulated phospholipase D activity is present in the Rat2 fibroblasts and is modulated by combination of various signaling mediators.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.470-476
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• 2012

Resveratrol, a chemopreventive agent, is rapidly metabolized in the intestine and liver via glucuronidation. Thus, the pharmacokinetics of resveratrol limits its efficacy. To improve efficacy, the activity of resveratrol was investigated in the context of sphingolipid metabolism in human gastric cancer cells. Diverse sphingolipid metabolites, including dihydroceramides (DHCer), were tested for their ability to induce resveratrol cytotoxicity. Exposure to resveratrol ($100{\mu}M$) for 24 hr induced cell death and cell cycle arrest in gastric cancer cells. Exposure to the combination of resveratrol and dimethylsphingosine (DMS) increased cytotoxicity, demonstrating that sphingolipid metabolites intensify resveratrol activity. Specifically, DHCer accumulated in a resveratrol concentration-dependent manner in SNU-1 and HT-29 cells, but not in SNU-668 cells. LC-MS/MS analysis showed that specific DHCer species containing C24:0, C16:0, C24:1, and C22:0 fatty acids chain were increased by up to 30-fold by resveratrol, indicating that resveratrol may partially inhibit DHCer desaturase. Indeed, resveratrol mildly inhibited DHCer desaturase activity compared to the specific inhibitor GT-11 or to retinamide (4-HPR); however, in SNU-1 cells resveratrol alone exhibited a typical cell cycle arrest pattern, which GT-11 did not alter, indicating that inhibition of DHCer desaturase is not essential to the cytotoxicity induced by the combination of resveratrol and sphingolipid metabolites. Resveratrol-induced p53 expression strongly correlated with the enhancement of cytotoxicity observed upon combination of resveratrol with DMS or 4-HPR. Taken together, these results show that DHCer accumulation is a novel lipid biomarker of resveratrol-induced cytotoxicity in human gastric cancer cells.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.67-74
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• 2004

Cells consistently face stressful conditions, which cause them to modulate a variety of intracellular processes and adapt to these environmental changes via regulation of gene expression. Hyperosmotic and oxidative stresses are significant stressors that induce cellular damage, and finally cell death. In this study, oligonucleotide microarrays were employed to investigate mRNA level changes in cells exposed to hyperosmotic or oxidative conditions. In addition, since heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) is one of the most inducible stress proteins and plays pivotal role to protect cells against stressful condition, we performed microarray analysis in HSP70-overexpressing cells to identify the genes expressed in a HSP70-dependent manner. Under hyperosmotic or oxidative stress conditions, a variety of genes showed altered expression. Down­regulation of protein phosphatase1 beta (PP1 beta) and sphingosine-1-phosphate phosphatase 1 (SPPase1) was detected in both stress conditions. Microarray analysis of HSP70-overexpressing cells demonstrated that diverse mRNA species depend on the level of cellular HSP70. Genes encoding Iysyl oxidase, thrombospondin 1, and procollagen displayed altered expression in all tested conditions. The results of this study will be useful to construct networks of stress response genes.