• Development and Reproduction
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.61-69
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• 2011

Previously, we have shown that Bcl2l10 as a member of Bcl-2 family, key regulators of the apoptotic process, is dominantly expressed in oocytes of ovary but several member of the Bcl-2 family are not expressed in oocytes. Recent our studies had been processed about roles and regulatory mechanisms of Bcl2l10 in oocytes. Microinjection of Bcl2l10 RNAi into the cytoplasm of germinal vesicle oocytes resulted in metaphase I (MI) arrest and exhibited abnormalities in their spindles and chromosome configurations (Yoon et al., 2009). The present study was conducted to elucidate the downstream genes regulated by Bcl2l10 and signaling networks in Bcl2l10 RNAi microinjected oocytes by using microarray analysis. Surprisingly, we found that a large proportion of genes regulated by Bcl2l10 RNAi were involved in the cell cycle and actin skeletal system regulation as important upstream genes of Bcl2l10. Among the transcripts with highly significant fold changes more than 2-fold, Tpx2 and Cep192 are 16.1- and 8.2-fold down regulated respectively by Bcl2l10 RNAi. Tpx2 and Cep192 are known as cofactors that control Aurora A kinase activity and localization. Therefore, we concluded that Bcl2l10 may have important roles during oocyte meiosis as functional upstream regulator of Tpx2 and Cep192.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.307-313
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• 2006

The development of in vitro assays has been recommended to screening and testing the potential endocrine disruptors (EDs). These assay systems focus only on identifying the estrogenic or antiestrogenic activity of EDs, whereas a few studies have been carried out to screen the thyroid hormone (TH) disruptors. The aim of this study was to evaluate a test system to detect TH disruptors using rat pituitary tumor $GH_3$ cells. The test system is based on the TH-dependent increase in growth rate. As expected, L-3,5,3-triiodothyronine ($(T_3)$ markedly induced a morphological change in $GH_3$ cells from flattened fibroblastic types to rounded or spindle-shaped types. $T_3$ stimulated $GH_3$ cell growth in a dose-dependent manner with the maximum growth-stimulating effect being observed at a concentration $1{\times}10^9M$. In addition, $T_3$ increased the release of growth hormone and prolactin into the medium of the $GH_3$ cells culture. Using this assay system, the TH-disrupting activities of bisphenol A (BPA) and its related compounds were examined. BPA, dimethy/bisphenol A (DMBPA), and TCI-EP significantly enhanced the growth of $GH_3$ cells in the range of $1{\times}10^{-5}M\;to\;1{\times}10^{-6}M$ concentrations. In conclusion, this in vitro assay system might be useful for identifying potential TH disruptors. However, this method will require further evaluation and standardization before it can be used as a broad-based screening tool.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.7-13
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• 2014

Purpose: As well as patient survival, the restoration of postoperative function such as ambulation is important in limb salvage operations for treatment of malignant bone tumors involving the proximal femur. The authors analyzed clinical outcomes of limb salvage operations using tumor prostheses for metastatic or primary malignant bone tumors in the proximal femur. Materials and Methods: From February 2005 to January 2014, 20 cases (19 patients) with malignant bone tumor involving the proximal femur with pain or complicated pathologic fracture were treated with segmental resection and limb salvage operations with tumor prostheses. Mean age was 63.1 years (range 35-86). Fourteen patients were male and six ones were female. The mean follow-up period was 20 months (1-94 months). There were 15 cases of metastatic bone tumor, 4 cases of osteosarcoma, and 1 case of multiple myeloma. The primary tumors of the metastatic bone tumors included 4 lung cancers, 3 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 3 renal cell carcinomas. Other primary tumors were breast cancer, thyroid cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, and malignant spindle cell tumor, each in 1 case. Modular tumor prostheses were used in all cases; (Kotz's$^{(R)}$ Modular Tumor prosthesis (Howmedica, Rutherford, New Jersey) in 3 cases, MUTARS$^{(R)}$ proximal femur system (Implantcast, Munster, Germany) in 17 cases). Perioperative pain was assessed with Visual Analogue Scales (VAS). Postoperative functional outcome was assessed with Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) grading system. Results: Out of 20 cases (19 patients), 11 cases (10 patients) survived at the last follow-up. Average postoperative survival of the 9 deceased patients was 10.1 months (1-38 months). VAS score improved from pre-operative average of 8.40 (5-10) to 1.35 (0-3) after operation. Average postoperative MSTS function score was 19.65 (65.50%, 7-28). The associated complications were 2 local recurrences, 3 hematomas, 3 infections, 2 scrotal swellings, and 1 dislocation. There was no case of periprosthetic fracture or loosening. Conclusion: Limb salvage operation with tumor prosthesis is an appropriate treatment for early pain reduction and functional restoration in malignant bone tumors in the proximal femur with pain an/or complicated pathologic fractures.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.376-386
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• 2016

Apoptosis induction has been proposed as an efficient mechanism by which malignant tumor cells can be removed following chemotherapy. The intrinsic mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathway is frequently implicated in chemotherapy-induced tumor cell apoptosis. Since DNA-damaging agent (DDA)-induced apoptosis is mainly regulated by the tumor suppressor protein p53, and since more than half of clinical cancers possess inactive p53 mutants, microtubule-damaging agents (MDAs), of which apoptotic effect is mainly exerted via p53-independent routes, can be promising choice for cancer chemotherapy. Recently, we found that the apoptotic signaling pathway induced by MDAs (nocodazole, 17α-estradiol, or 2-methoxyestradiol) commonly proceeded through mitotic spindle defect-mediated prometaphase arrest, prolonged Cdk1 activation, and subsequent phosphorylation of Bcl-2, Mcl-1, and Bim in human acute leukemia Jurkat T cells. These microtubule damage-mediated alterations could render the cellular context susceptible to the onset of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis by triggering Bak activation, Δψm loss, and resultant caspase cascade activation. In contrast, when the MDA-induced Bak activation was inhibited by overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins (Bcl-2 or Bcl-xL), the cells in prometaphase arrest failed to induce apoptosis, and instead underwent mitotic slippage and endoreduplication cycle, leading to formation of populations with 8N and 16N DNA content. These data indicate that cellular apoptogenic mechanism is critical for preventing polyploid formation following MDA treatment. Since the formation of polyploid cells, which are genetically unstable, may cause acquisition of therapy resistance and disease relapse, there is a growing interest in developing new combination chemotherapies to prevent polyploidization in tumors after MDA treatment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.653-660
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• 2000

In order to study the regional distribution and relative frequency of the immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbil, Meriones unguiculatus, the gastrointestinal tract was divided into 9 portions (cardia, fundus, pylorus, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and rectum) and immunostained by immunohistochemical (PAP) method using 8 types of specific antisera against cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, gastrin, secretin, pancreatic polypeptide(PP), somatostatin, serotonin, glucagon and insulin. CCK-8-, gastrin-, somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated in this study. These immunoreactive cells were found in the gastric gland regions of the pylorus or between parietal and chief cells of the fundus with round to spherical shaped, and in the interepithelial regions of the intestinal tract with spherical to spindle shaped except for jejunum where some of immunoreactive cells were also observed in the intestinal glands with round to spherical shaped. CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus and duodenum with numerous and a few frequency, respectively. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the pylorus with numerous frequency. Similar to those of gastrin-immunoreactive cells, somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to pylorus with moderate frequency. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout whole gastrointestinal tract except for cardia and cecum with moderate or numerous frequency. However, no secretin-, PP-, glucagon- and insulin-immunoreactive cells were observed in this study. From these results, the appearance type, regional distribution and relative frequency of immunoreactive endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the Mongolian gerbils were somewhat lowered or restricted compared to those of other mammals and these differences were might be caused by feeding habits and species specification.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2005

It has been known that ras signaling transduction leads to cell proliferation and migration including various adaptor molecules. Dynamin protein has been implicated in the formation of nascent vesicles in both the endocytic and secretory pathways. Dynamin was classified into three isoforms: dynamin I is only expressed in neuronal tissue, dynamin II is expressed ubiquitously in all tissue but that of dynamin III is confined to testis. We have reported in previous study that Grb2, binding to ras, was associated with dynamin II in NIH3T3 cells. Therefore we have tried to identify the relative expression of dynamin II according to overexpressed ras protein in ras oncogene transfected cells (NIH3T3 (ras)). For the detection of differential expression of dynamin II, we have used immunofluorescent staining and western blot methods in NIH3T3 and NIH3T3 (ras) cells. Next we have described the morphological differences between NIH3T3 and NIH3T3 (ras) cells using SEM and TEM. From these experiments dynamin II was highly expressed in NIH3T3 (ras) cells. NIH3T3 cells was transformed to more spindle shape with many cell process by transfection of ras oncogene. Moreover dynamin II was more concentrated in endocytotic membrane of the NIH3T3 (ras) cells compared to that of NIH3T3 cells. The present results suggested that dynamin II may involve the intermediate messenger in Ras signaling transduction pathway.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1230-1238
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• 2013

The regulatory effect of the tumor-suppressor protein p53 on the apoptogenic activity of $17{\alpha}$-estradiol ($17{\alpha}-E_2$) was compared between HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) and HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells. When the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) and HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells were treated with $2.5{\sim}10{\mu}M$ $17{\alpha}-E_2$ for 48 h or with $10{\mu}M$for various time periods, cytotoxicity and an apoptotic sub-$G_1$ peak were induced in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. However, the HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells were much less sensitive to the apoptotic effect of $17{\alpha}-E_2$. Although $17{\alpha}-E_2$ induced aberrant mitotic spindle organization and incomplete chromosome congregation at the equatorial plate, $G_2/M$ arrest was induced to a similar extent in both cell types. In addition, $17{\alpha}-E_2$-induced activation of Bak and Bax, ${\Delta}{\Psi}m$ loss, and PARP degradation were more dominant in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) than in the HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells. In accordance with enhancement of p53 phosphorylation (Ser-15) and p53 levels, p21 and Bax levels were elevated in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) cells treated with $17{\alpha}-E_2$. The HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells exhibited barely or undetectable levels of p21 and Bax, regardless of $17{\alpha}-E_2$ treatment. On the other hand, although the level of Bcl-2 was slightly lower in the HCT116 ($p53^{+/+}$) than in the HCT116 ($p53^{-/-}$) cells, it remained relatively constant after the $17{\alpha}-E_2$ treatment. Together, these results show that among the components of the $17{\alpha}-E_2$-induced apoptotic-signaling pathway, which proceeds through mitotic spindle defects causing mitotic arrest, subsequent activation of Bak and Bax and the mitochondria-dependent caspase cascade, leading to PARP degradation, $17{\alpha}-E_2$-induced activation of Bak and Bax is the upstream target of proapoptotic action of p53.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 1968

Tissue homogenates of 12 kinds of human cancer tissues were incubated separately in medium containing $C^{14}-1-glucose$ and $C^{14}-6-glucose$ as a substrate in order to observe the oxidative pathway of glucose in the tumor tissues. At the end of 3 hours incubation in the Dubnuff metabolic shaking incubator, respiratory $CO_2$ samples trapped by alkaling which was placed in the center well of incubation flask were analysed for total $CO_2$ production rates and their radioactivities. The tissue homogenate samples after incubation were analyzed for their concentrations of glucose, lactate and pyruvate. Calculations were made on the glucose consumption rate and accumulation rates of lactate and pyruvate. Fractionation of oxidative pathway of glucose was carried out by calculating $C^{14}O_2 yields from C-1 and C-6 carbon of glucose. The following results were obtained. 1. In 12 kinds of human cancer, total $CO_2$ production rates were less than $8{\mu}M/gm$ except 2 cases. These lower values impressed that oxidative metabolism in the tumor tissues generally inhibited as compared with that in normal tissues. On the other hand, fractions of $CO_2$ derived from glucose to total $CO_2$ production rates (RSA) were less than 10% in every case. These facts showed that oxidation of glucose into $CO_2$ was remarkably inhibited in the tumor tissues. 2. Factions of glucose disappeared into $CO_2\;(RGD_{CO_2})$, lactate $(RGD_L)$, pyruvate $(RGD_P)$ to glucose consumption rates were as follows. $RGD_{CO_2}$ were less than 2% in cases of in this experiment and $RGD_L$ showed more than 5% except in 2 cases. These facts showed that anaerobic degradation of glucose into 3 carbon compounds was easily proceeded but further degradation into $CO_2$ via the TCA cycle was greatly inhibited resulting in accumulation of lactate. There are large variation in values of $RGD_P$ in different kinds of tumor tissue but relatively higher values in $RGD_{CO_2}$ were obtained in the tumor tissues as compared with those of normal tissues. 3. The oxidative pathway of glucose in tumor tissues were analyzed from the values of RSA which were obtained in $C^{14}-1\;and\;C^{14}-6-glucose$ incubation experiments. It was found that 3% of $CO_2$ derived from glucose were oxidized via the principal EMP-TCA cycle and the remainder were via alternate pathway such as HMP in the liver cancer and values in other cancer tissues were as follows; 4% in the tongue cancer, 6% in the colon cancer, 6% in the lung cancer, 9% in the stomach cancer, 11% in the ovarian cancer, 12% in the neck tumor, 22% in the uterine cancer, 22% in the bladder tumor, 32% in the spindle cell sarcoma and 65% in the brain tumor. These values except later 2 cases showed less than 30% which is the lowest value among the normal tissues. Even in the brain tumor in which showed highest value in the tumor group. It is reasonable to suppose that this fraction was remarkably decreased because values in normal brain tissue was more than 90%. From the above data, it was concluded that in tumor tissues, oxidation of glucose via TCA cycle was greatly inhibited but correlation between degree of inhibited oxidation of glucose via TCA cycle and malignancy of tumor were not clarified in this experiments.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2005

Purpose: This study was designed to know the usefulness of the MRI to distinguish lipoma and well differentiated liposarcoma (WDL). Materials and methods: 47 lipomatous tumors with MRI were reviewed among the 107 lipomatous tumors operated in our department. MRI examinations and their corresponding pathology reports were compared to determine sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic ability, positive predictable value and negative predictable value. Statistical analysis was performed to know the relationship between malignancy of the tumor (WDL) with the age and gender of the patients, and location, depth, size and the enhancement of tumors in MRI. Results: Among 28 lipoma in MRI examinations, 26 were proved as lipoma in pathology, and only 6 were WDL from 19 suspicious lesions in MRI, and others were proved as lipoma variants mostly. The varieties of lipoma variants were fibrolipoma, angiolipoma, spindle cell lipoma, lipoblastoma and angiomyolipoma. The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic ability, positive predictable value and negative predictable value of MRI were 100%, 68 %, 72%, 31% and 100% in WDL, and 90%, 89%, 89%, 93% and 84% in lipoma. Among the variants to distinguish WDL and lipoma, the size of tumor and enhancement in MRI were significant statistically (p<0.05). Conclusion: MRI was highly sensitive in detection of WDL and highly specific in detection of simple lipoma. The size of tumor and enhancement in MRI were significant variants to distinguish WDL and lipoma. When MRI finding is non-specific, it is more likely to represent one of lipoma variants.