• Molecules and Cells
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.403-406
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• 2009

Rev is an essential regulatory protein for HIV-1 replication. Rev (11-20) is known as the significant region regarding the function of a nuclear entry inhibitory signal (NIS) of Rev. In this study, anticandidal effects and mechanism of action of Rev (11-20) were investigated. The result exhibited that Rev (11-20) contained candidacidal activities. To understand target site(s) of Rev (11-20), the intracellular localization of the peptide was investigated. The result showed that Rev (11-20) rapidly accumulated in the fungal cell surface. The cell wall regeneration test also indicated that Rev (11-20) exerted its anticandidal activity to fungal plasma membrane rather than cell wall. The fluorescent study using 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) further confirmed the membrane-disruption mechanism(s) of Rev (11-20). The present study suggests that Rev (11-20) possesses significant potential regarding therapeutic agents for treating fungal diseases caused by Candida species in humans.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
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• 2001.10a
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• pp.158-158
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• 2001

Bioflavonoids have been regarded as therapeutic agents for a wide range of disease including cancer. The increase of matrix metalloproteinases expression is a key event in several pathological conditions, e.g., dermal photocarcinogenesis, tumor initiation, invasion and metastasis. In this study, we investigated effects of quercetin, a major bioflavonoid in human diet, on matrix metalloproteinase (MMR)-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9 mRNA expression during cellular aging in cultured human foreskin fibroblast. (omitted)

• Toxicological Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2014

Xenograft models of human cancer play an important role in the screening and evaluation of candidates for new anticancer agents. The models, which are derived from human tumor cell lines and are classified according to the transplant site, such as ectopic xenograft and orthotopic xenograft, are still utilized to evaluate therapeutic efficacy and toxicity. The metastasis model is modified for the evaluation and prediction of cancer progression. Recently, animal models are made from patient-derived tumor tissue. The patient-derived tumor xenograft models with physiological characters similar to those of patients have been established for personalized medicine. In the discovery of anticancer drugs, standard animal models save time and money and provide evidence to support clinical trials. The current strategy for using xenograft models as an informative tool is introduced.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.37 no.5
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• pp.287-290
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• 2007

Intrinsic or acquired resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs is one of the major obstacles to effective cancer treatment. Hypoxia is widespread in solid tumors as a consequence of decreased blood flow in the tumor-derived neovasculature. The recent finding of a link between hypoxia and chemoresistance prompted us to investigate whether hypoxia induces doxorubicin resistance in human MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Low oxygen concentration decreased the doxorubicin sensitivity in MCF-7 cells. The expression of p-glycoprotein, a major MDR-related transporter, and those of apoptosis-related proteins (anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-XL and pro-apoptotic Bax) were not altered by hypoxia in MCF-7 cells. Intracellular uptake of doxorubicin was significantly decreased under hypoxic conditions. Decreased cellular uptake of doxorubicin under hypoxia may contribute to causing doxorubicin resistance in these cells. The use of agents that can modulate the doxorubicin uptake for adjuvant therapy may contribute to improving the therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin in breast cancer patients.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.13 no.3_4
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• pp.117-123
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• 1998

Paraquat is a useful nonselective herbicide widely used throughout the world. However, accidental or intentional ingestion of the paraquat cause fetal pulmonary injuring. But there is not suitable antidote of paraquat intoxication and therapeutic agents now be used are not effective. So, in this study we intended to evaluate the inhibitory effects of DDB(dimethyl-4,4'dimethoxy-5,6,5',6'-dimethylene dioxyphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxylate) on paraquat toxicity. DDB (100mg/kg) was administered orally to SD rats lhr after paraquat(50mg/kg) injection. After 24 hours, the biochemical parameters of blood and tissues were examined. In paraquat treated groups sGPT, sGOT, BUN, creatinine, MDA and alkaline phosphatase levels in blood and MDA, glucose-6-phosphatase activity in tissues were elevated by 2 to 5 times of normal values. However in schizandrin treated groups, sGPT, sGOT, MDA and alkaline phosphatase activity in blood and MDA and glucose-6-phosphatase activity were significantly decreased to notmal levels but not in biochemical parameters of nephrotoxicity, BUN and creatinine levels. Therefore, we concluded that schizandrin can be used as an antidote of pulmono, hepatotoxicity of paraquat.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.27-35
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• 2014

Marine brown algae have been identified as a rich source of structurally diverse bioactive compounds. Whether Myagropsis yendoi ethanolic extracts (MYE) inhibit inflammatory responses was investigated using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated microglia BV-2 cells. MYE inhibited LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in a dose-dependent manner and suppressed the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in BV-2 cells. MYE also reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells. LPS-induced nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$) transcriptional activity and NF-${\kappa}B$ translocation into the nucleus were significantly inhibited by MYE treatment through preventing degradation of the inhibitor ${\kappa}B-{\alpha}$. Moreover, MYE inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, JNK, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cells. These results indicate that MYE is a potential source of therapeutic or functional agents for neuroinflammatory diseases.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.150-156
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• 2018

Tankyrases are multifunctional poly (ADP-ribose) polymerases that regulate a variety of cellular processes including WNT signaling, telomere maintenance, regulation of mitosis, and many others. Tankyrases interact with target proteins and regulate their interactions and stability through poly (ADP-ribosyl) ation. In addition to their roles in telomere maintenance and regulation of mitosis, tankyrase proteins regulate tumor suppressors such as AXIN, PTEN, and AMOT. Therefore, tankyrases can be effective targets for cancer treatment. Tankyrase inhibitors could affect a variety of pathways that are carcinogenic (essential for the unlimited proliferation of human cancer cells), including WNT, AKT, YAP, telomere maintenance, and regulation of mitosis. Recently, new aspects of the function and mechanism of tankyrases have been reported and several tankyrase inhibitors have been identified. Also, it has been proposed that the combination of conventional chemotherapy agents with tankyrase inhibitors may have synergistic anti-cancer effects. Based on this, it is expected that more advanced and improved tankyrase inhibitors will be developed, enabling new therapeutic strategies against cancer and other tankyrase linked diseases. This review discusses tankyrase function and the role of tankyrase inhibitors in the treatment of cancer.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.391-395
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• 2012

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease that can affect any hair-bearing area. AA is known to be caused by immunological disorder but still, the pathogenesis is not fully understood. Many therapeutic modalities have been used to treat alopecia areata, with variable efficacy and safety profiles. Unfortunately, none of these agents is definitely curative or preventive alone. We studied hair growth efficacy and safety of Korean red ginseng (KRG) in AA comparing corticosteroid intra-lesional injection (ILI) alone patient group with ILI with KRG taking patient group using Folliscope 2.5 for 12 wk. Herein, we would like to report the efficacy of KRG in the treatment of AA and recommend KRG as a useful complimentary food for gaining efficacy of treatment for AA.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.28 no.8
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• pp.909-913
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• 2005

We screened natural products to find compounds with anti-osteoporotic potential using a coculture-based system by which osteoclast differentiation is effectively achieved. We found that methylene chloride soluble fraction of the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Labiatae) suppressed osteoclast differentiation. Five tanshinones, tanshinone IIA (1), tanshinone I (2), cryptotanshinone (3), 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I (4), and ferruginol (5) were subsequently isolated from fraction. Among the five compounds, compounds 1-4 reduced the formation of TRAP­positive multinuclear osteoclasts. These results suggest that the identified tanshinones may be useful candidates for development of therapeutic agents to treat osteoporosis and other bone-resorptive diseases.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.2365-2368
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• 2012

The $11{\beta}$-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 ($11{\beta}$-HSD1) enzyme is involved in modulation of glucocorticoid activity within target tissues. This enzyme may contribute to obesity and/or metabolic disease through its action in adipose or liver tissue. Inhibition of $11{\beta}$-HSD1 has major therapeutic potential for glucocorticoid-associated diseases, including obesity, diabetes (wound healing), and muscle atrophy. To develop such therapeutics, we performed a pharmacophore-based virtual screening (VS) for identification of novel $11{\beta}$-HSD1 inhibitors and found that the VS hit compounds show potent inhibition of $11{\beta}$-HSD1 enzyme activity. Further, we present a binding model for active compounds. The proposed pharmacophore may serve as a useful guideline for future design of new chemical entities as $11{\beta}$-HSD1-targeted antidiabetic agents.