• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.12
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• pp.1808-1816
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant activities and anti-inflammatory effects of water and ethanolic extracts from Allium hookeri roots and leaves. Antioxidant activities of Allium hookeri extracts were determined based on various radical scavenging activities using an ESR spectrophotometer, ferric reducing antioxidant power, 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity assays. In addition, we investigated anti-inflammatory effects of Allium hookeri extract on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells. We also explored the effects of extract from Allium hookeri root on suppression of pro-inflammatory mediators such as nitric oxide (NO) and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNF-${\alpha}$ against LPS-induced activation of RAW264.7 cells. Our results demonstrated superior antioxidant activity for leaf extract of Allium hookeri compared to extract from root of Allium hookeri. On the other hand, root extract of Allium hookeri showed better anti-inflammatory activity compared to leaf extract. Our study suggests that Allium hookeri extract exhibits strong antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory effects and can be developed as a potential therapeutic candidate for diseases involving oxidative stress and inflammation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.401-408
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• 2017

Salvia plebeia R. Br. (Lamiaceae) has been used in folk medicines in Asian countries, including Korea and China, to treat inflammatory diseases. The focus of our research was on the anti-adipogenic activity of ethanol extract from Salvia plebeia R. Br. (SPE) in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This study investigated inhibition of differentiation and lipogenesis upon SPE treatment in 3T3-L1 cells. The results reveal that SPE at non-cytotoxic concentration significantly suppressed triglyceride accumulation and reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-alpha, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein as adipogenic transcription factors in 3T3-L1 adipocytes compared to non-treated control cells. Inducible phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase, acetyl CoA carboxylase, and hormone-sensitive lipase as well as carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 mRNA expression increased upon SPE treatment, which suppressed expression of fatty acid synthase. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that SPE can inhibit expression of adipogenic genes in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our study suggests that SPE has potential anti-obesity effects and is a novel therapeutic functional agent with anti-adipogenic activity via reduction of lipogenesis.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.295-305
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• 2017

Purpose: We previously found that the histone methyltransferase suppressor of variegation, enhancer of zeste, trithorax and myeloid-nervy-deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor-1 domain-containing protein 3 (SMYD3) is a potential independent predictive factor or prognostic factor for overall survival in gastric cancer patients, but its roles seem to differ from those in other cancers. Therefore, in this study, the detailed functions of SMYD3 in cell proliferation and migration in gastric cancer were examined. Materials and Methods: SMYD3 was overexpressed or suppressed by transfection with an expression plasmid or siRNA, and a wound healing migration assay and Transwell assay were performed to detect the migration and invasion ability of gastric cancer cells. Additionally, an MTT assay and clonogenic assay were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, and a cell cycle analysis was performed by propidium iodide staining. Furthermore, the expression of genes implicated in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) pathway and proteins involved in cell cycle regulation were detected by polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses. Results: Compared with control cells, gastric cancer cells transfected with si-SMYD3 showed lower migration and invasion abilities (P<0.05), and the absence of SMYD3 halted cells in G2/M phase and activated the ATM pathway. Furthermore, the opposite patterns were observed when SMYD3 was elevated in normal gastric cells. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first evidence that the absence of SMYD3 could inhibit the migration, invasion, and proliferation of gastric cancer cells and halt cells in G2/M phase via the ATM-CHK2/p53-Cdc25C pathway. These findings indicated that SMYD3 plays crucial roles in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells and may be a useful therapeutic target in human gastric carcinomas.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.177-183
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• 2008

This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of dandelion water extract (DWE) on liver injury induced by D-galactosamine (GalN) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Fifty rats were divided into 5 groups; normal control (C), DWE-control (DWE-C: saline injection after feeding 3% DWE diet), GalN-control (GalN-C: GalN injection after normal diet), DWE I (GalN injection after feeding 1.5% DWE diet), and DWE II (GalN injection after feeding 3% DWE diet). After 2 weeks, the acute hepatitis was induced by GalN (650 mg/kg, i.p.) and 24 hrs later, all rats were sacrificed. The DWE supplement ameliorated the serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferase (AST, ALT) as well as alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and tumor necrosis $factor-{\alpha}\;(TNF-{\alpha})$. Hepatic antioxidative enzyme activities, such as catalase, GSH peroxidase, GSH reductase, and Mn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) were slightly or significantly elevated by the treatment of DWE. Moreover, the histological examination corresponded with these biochemical observations. According to these findings, dandelion could be used as a potential therapeutic material for treating chemically induced acute hepatitis.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.103-109
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• 2005

In spite of the ongoing advances, standard therapies for oral cancer still has some limitations in efficacy and in ability to prolong survival rate of advanced disease and result in significant functional defect and severe cosmetic deformity. Currently gene therapy using tumor suppressor gene is considered as a potent candidate for new therapeutic approaches that can improve efficacy and reduce complications. The purpose of this research is to identify the role of adenoviral vector to transfer HCCS-1 tumor suppressor gene in oral cancer cells and to find out whether there is a possibility for it to serve in the field of gene therapy. The human SCC-25 cell line was used for transfection. To determine the efficiency of the adenovirus as a gene delivery vector cell line was transduced with LacZ gene and analysed with X-gal staining. Northern blot was performed to confirm the tranfection with HSCC-1 gene and cell viability was assessed by cell cytotoxicity assay. We had successfully construct the recombinant HSCC-1 adenovirus(Ad5CMV-HCCS-1). DNA extracted from Ad5CMV-HCCS-1 revealed HCCS-1 gene is incorporated. The transduction efficiencies were over than 50% of SCC-25 cells with a MOI of 2 and over 95% with a MOI of 50. Northern blot analysis showed that a single 0.6kb mRNA transcript was expressed in Ad5CMV-HCCS-1 transduced SCC-25 cells. There was no or very low transcription HCCS-1 mRNA in wild and Ad5CMV-LacZ transduced SCC-25 cells. Cells transduced with Ad5CMV-HCCS-1 showed significant growth inhibition. By day 6, Ad5CMV-HCCS-1 treated cell count was decreased to 30% of mock-infected cells, while that of Ad5CMV-LacZ treated cells was 90% of mock-infected cells (p<0.05). Finally, these result suggest that the Ad5CMV-HCCS-1 has potential as a gene therapy tool for oral cancer.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.7
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• pp.537-541
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• 2008

Epilepsy is characterized by the presence of spontaneous episodes of abnormal neuronal discharges and its pathogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Recently, we found that the expression of creatine kinase (CK) was markedly decreased in an epilepsy animal model using proteomic analysis. A human CK gene was fused with a HIV-1 Tat peptide to generate an in-frame Tat-CK fusion protein. The purified Tat-CK fusion protein was efficiently transduced into PC12 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner when added exogenously to culture media. Once inside the cells, the transduced Tat-CK fusion protein was stable for 48 h. Moreover, the Tat-CK fusion protein markedly increased endogenous CK activity levels within the cells. These results suggest that Tat-CK provides a strategy for the therapeutic delivery of proteins in various human diseases including the delivery of CK for potential epilepsy treatment.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.109-116
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• 2007

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is responsible for cervical cancer, a common cancer in women. Since HPV infection and cancer development are controlled by the host immune system, immunotherapy against HPV can be helpful in preventing or treating HPV-associated cervical cancer. Two oncoproteins of HPV16, E6 and E7, are promising targets for immunotherapy against cervical cancer, because they are constitutively expressed in cervical cancer. Methods: Since cellular vaccines using B cells as well as dendritic cells offer an efficient approach to cancer immunotherapy, we opted to use B cells. We evaluated the immunogenicity and anti-tumor effects of a B cell vaccine transduced with HPV16 E6/E7-expressing adenovirus. Results: Vaccination with HPV16 E6/E7-transduced B cells induced E6/E7-specific $CD8^+$ T cell-dependent immune responses and generated anti-tumor effects against E6/E7-expressing TC-1 tumor. The anti-tumor effect induced by this B cell vaccine was similar to that elicited by DC vaccine, showing that B cells can be used as an alternative to dendritic cells for cellular vaccines. Conclusion: Thisstudy has shown the feasibility of using B cells as immunogenic APCs and the potential for developing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against HPV-associated cervical cancer using a B cell vaccine transduced with adenovirus expressing HPV16 E6/E7.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.408-413
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• 2009

Odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is a epithelial developmental cyst which were first described by Phillipsen in 1956. The frequency of OKC has been reported to vary from 3% to 11% of odontogenic cysts. The most characteristic clinical aspect of OKC is the high frequency of recurrence. The mechanism of recurrence is thought to be related to residues of cyst epithelium and an intrinsic growth potential following excision. And since the lining of the OKC is thin and friable, removal of the cyst in one piece may sometimes be difficult. Complete removal of the cyst lining without leaving behind remnants attached to the soft tissue or bone is necessary to avoid recurrence. Therapeutic approaches vary in different studies from marsupialization and enucleation, which may be combined with adjuvant therapy such as cryotherapy or Carnoy's solution, to marginal or radical resection. The recurrent rate varies from approximately 20% to 62%. And OKC in the angle-ramus region of the mandible had a higher tendency to recur, because of the difficulty in accessing and removing OKC from the ramus. By employing a sagittal splitting of the mandible a good surgical access was provided and cyst could be removed completely. We present an illustrative case of a small, lobulated OKC that involved ramus on mandible, and a review of the contemporary literature.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.39
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• pp.8.1-8.8
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• 2017

Background: For an effective bone graft for reconstruction of the maxillofacial region, an adequate vascular network will be required to supply blood, osteoprogenitor cells, and growth factors. We previously reported that the secretomes of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-CM) contain numerous growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, transforming growth factor $(TGF)-{\beta}1$, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which can affect the cellular characteristics and behavior of regenerating bone cells. We hypothesized that angiogenesis is an important step for bone regeneration, and VEGF is one of the crucial factors in MSC-CM that would enhance its osteogenic potential. In the present study, we focused on VEGF in MSC-CM and evaluated the angiogenic and osteogenic potentials of MSC-CM for bone regeneration. Methods: Cytokines in MSC-CM were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured with MSC-CM or MSC-CM with anti-VEGF antibody (MSC-CM + anti-VEGF) for neutralization, and tube formation was evaluated. For the evaluation of bone and blood vessel formation with micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and for the histological and immunohistochemical analyses, a rat calvarial bone defect model was used. Results: The concentrations of IGF-1, VEGF, and $TGF-{\beta}1$ in MSC-CM were $1515.6{\pm}211.8pg/mL$, $465.8{\pm}108.8pg/mL$, and $339.8{\pm}14.4pg/mL$, respectively. Tube formation of HUVECs, bone formation, and blood vessel formation were increased in the MSC-CM group but decreased in the MSC-CM + anti-VEGF group. Histological findings suggested that new bone formation in the entire defect was observed in the MSC-CM group although it was decreased in the MSC-CM + anti-VEGF group. Immunohistochemistry indicated that angiogenesis and migration of endogenous stem cells were much more abundant in the MSC-CM group than in the MSC-CM + anti-VEGF group. Conclusions: VEGF is considered a crucial factor in MSC-CM, and MSC-CM is proposed to be an adequate therapeutic agent for bone regeneration with angiogenesis.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.114-121
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• 2020

Objective: Despite extensive research on implantation failure, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the crosstalk between the embryo and the maternal endometrium, which is critical for successful pregnancy. Profilin 1 (PFN1), which is expressed both in the embryo and in the endometrial epithelium, acts as a potent regulator of actin polymerization and the cytoskeletal network. In this study, we identified the specific role of endometrial PFN1 during embryo implantation. Methods: Morphological alterations depending on the status of PFN1 expression were assessed in PFN1-depleted or control cells grown on Matrigel-coated cover glass. Day-5 mouse embryos were cocultured with Ishikawa cells. Comparisons of the rates of F-actin formation and embryo attachment were performed by measuring the stability of the attached embryo onto PFN1-depleted or control cells. Results: Depletion of PFN1 in endometrial epithelial cells induced a significant reduction in cell-cell adhesion displaying less formation of colonies and a more circular cell shape. Mouse embryos co-cultured with PFN1-depleted cells failed to form actin cytoskeletal networks, whereas more F-actin formation in the direction of surrounding PFN1-intact endometrial epithelial cells was detected. Furthermore, significantly lower embryo attachment stability was observed in PFN1-depleted cells than in control cells. This may have been due to reduced endometrial receptivity caused by impaired actin cytoskeletal networks associated with PFN1 deficiency. Conclusion: These observations definitively demonstrate an important role of PFN1 in mediating cell-cell adhesion during the initial stage of embryo implantation and suggest a potential therapeutic target or novel biomarker for patients suffering from implantation failure.