• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.11-18
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• 2016

Objectives : The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of Myrrh 80% ethanol extract on adipocyte differentiation and adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cell.Methods : Myrrh was prepared by extracting with 80% ethanol. Cell viability was assessed by MTT assay using 3T3-L1 cells. Anti-obesity activity was measured in lipid droplets and triglyceride (TG) accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells. We also analyzed the expression of C/EBPβ, C/EBPα, PPARγ, SREBP1c, and aP2 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, we observed the production of fatty acid, acetyl-CoA carboxylase and Oil-red O stainingResults : No cytotoxicity from Myrrh 80% ethanol extracts was observed at the concentration of 1, 10, 100 (㎍/㎖) in 3T3-L1 cells. Treatment with Myrrh significantly suppressed the terminal differentiation of 3T3-L1 in a dose-dependent manner, as confirmed by a decrease in triglyceride and Fatty acid and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Also, Myrrh exhibited potential adipogenesis inhibition and downregulated the expression of pro-adipogenic transcription factors, such as sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins α (C/EBPα) and C/EBPβ, and adipocyte expressed genes, such as adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aP2) and Fas. In addition, lipid accumulation determined by Oil-red O staining showed that Myrrh extract had inhibitory effects on lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells.Conclusions : These results suggest that Myrrh suppresses obesity factors in 3T3-L1 cells. Myrrh may be a useful medical herbs for attenuating metabolic diseases such as obesity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.46-51
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• 2010

Thermal burn injury induces inflammatory cell infiltrates in the dermis and thickening of the epidermis. Following a burn injury, various mediators, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), are produced in macrophages and neutrophils, exposing all tissues to oxidative injury. The anti-oxidant activities of flavonoids have been widely exploited to scavenge ROS. In this study, we observed that several flavonoids-kaempferol, quercetin, fisetin, and chrysin-inhibit LPS-induced IL-8 promoter activation in RAW 264.7 cells. In contrast with quercetin and fisetin, pretreatment of kaempferol and chrysin did not decrease cell viability. Inflammatory cell infiltrates in the dermis and thickening of the epidermis induced by burn injuries in mice was relieved by kaempferol treatment. However, the injury was worsened by fisetin, quercetin, and chrysin. Expression of TNF-a induced by burn injuries was decreased by kaempferol. These findings suggest the potential use of kaempferol as a therapeutic in thermal burn-induced skin injuries.

• BMB Reports
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• v.43 no.12
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• pp.818-823
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• 2010

Plk 1 is overexpressed in many human malignancies including laryngeal carcinoma. However, its therapeutic potential has been never examined in laryngeal carcinoma. In the present study, a simple cellular morphology-based strategy was firstly proposed for rapidly screening the effective siRNAs against Plk1. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of Plk1 depletion via a novel identified effective siRNA against Plk1, Plk1 siRNA-607, on human laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells. The results indicated that Plk1 siRNA-607 transfection resulted in a significant inhibition in Plk1 expression in cells, and subsequently caused a dramatic mitotic cell cycle arrest followed by massive apoptotic cell death, and eventually resulted in a significant decrease in growth and viability of the laryngeal carcinoma cells. Taken together, our present study not only suggests a simple strategy for rapidly screening effective siRNAs against Plk1 but also implicates that Plk1 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in human laryngeal carcinoma.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.569-574
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We investigated the anti-osteoarthritic effects of deer bone extract on the gene expressions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and collagen type II (COL2) in interleukin-$1{\beta}$-induced osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocytes. MATERIALS/METHODS: Primary rabbit chondrocytes were treated as follows: CON (PBS treatment), NC (IL-$1{\beta}$ treatment), PC (IL-$1{\beta}+100{\mu}g/mL$ glucosamine sulphate/chondroitin sulphate mixture), and DB (IL-$1{\beta}+100{\mu}g/mL$ deer bone extract). RESULTS: The results of the cell viability assay indicated that deer bone extract at doses ranging from 100 to $500{\mu}g/mL$ inhibits cell death in chondrocytes induced by IL-$1{\beta}$. Deer bone extract was able to significantly recover the mRNA expression of COL2 that was down-regulated by IL-$1{\beta}$ (NC: 0.79 vs. DB: 0.87, P < 0.05) and significantly decrease the mRNA expression of MMP-3 (NC: 2.24 vs. DB: 1.75) and -13 (NC: 1.28 vs. DB: 0.89) in OA chondrocytes (P < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that deer bone extract induces accumulation of COL2 through the down-regulation of MMPs in IL-$1{\beta}$-induced OA chondrocytes. Our results suggest that deer bone extract, which contains various components related to OA, including chondroitin sulphate, may possess anti-osteoarthritic properties and be of value in inhibiting the pathogenesis of OA.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.352-355
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• 2003

To investigate the protective effect of Gamdu-tang(GDT) and its constituents. Radix Glycyrrhizae(RG) and Semen Glycine(SG) on the damage of cardiac endothelial cells by xanthine oxidase (XO)/hypoxanthine (HX)-induced oxygen free radical, Neutral Red (NR) and DNA synthesis assay were used. The results were obtained as follows ; Cardiac endothelial cells treated with XO/HX showed the cytotoxicity such as decreases in viability and DNA synthesis. Cardiac endothelial cells pretreated with GDT extracts were not showed the decrease of DNA synthesis by XO/HX, These results show that XO/HX elicits toxic effects in cultured cardiac endothelial cells derived from neonatal rat, and suggest that GDT extract is very effective in the prevention of XO/HX-induced toxicity.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.581-589
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• 2009

The water extract of Dohongsamul-tang(DHSMT) has been traditionally used in treatment of ischemic heart and brain diseases in Oriental Medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which DHSMT protects C6 glial cells from glucose deprevation induced damages. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the protective effects of DHSMT on 2-deoxy-D-glucose induced autophagy of C6 glial cells. Autophagic phenotype is evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry with specific biological staining dyes, including monodansylcadaverine and acridine orange, as well as Western blot analysis with microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3(LC3) and Beclin-1. Treatment with 2-deoxy-D-glucose significantly resulted in a decrease of the viability of C6 glial cells and increase of the extracellular LDH release in a dose and time-dependent manner. However, pretreatment with DHSMT protected C6 glial cells from glucose deprivation with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. The author also observed the fact that autophagy phenotype occurred by 2-deoxy-D-glucose in C6 glial cells. Pretreatment with 3-MA, a pharmacological inhibitior of autophagy, abolished the formation of acidic vesicle organelle in C6 glial cells treated with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. However, pretreatment with DHSMT inhibited the formation of autophagic phenotypes, including formation of acidic vesicle organelle, and increase of the expression of LC-3 II Beclin-1 proteins in C6 glial cells treated with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. Taken together, these data suggest that DHSMT is able to protect C6 glial cells from glucose deprivation with marked inhibition of autophagy formation.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.158-164
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• 2005

Purpose: The serine/threonine kinase Akt was described to inhibit apoptosis in cancer. This study was to examine the effect of Gleevec on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma(HNSCC) through the mechanism of Akt. Experimental Design: Gleevec was introduced into the HNSCC cell lines UMSCC10B, HN12 and HN30 in a range of concentrations. Cell viability was assessed by clonogenic survival analysis. Targets of Gleevec(PDGFR, c-Kit, and c-Abl) were evaluated by Western blot. HNSCC tissue samples were stained for PDGFR, c-Kit and phosphorylated Akt. Akt phosphorylation following Gleevec treatment was assessed using Western blot. Akt siRNA was used to as the positive control. Results: Colony forming efficiency decreased with an increase in concentration of Gleevec. Expressions of PDGFR, c-Kit, and c-Abl were observed in HNSCC cells. Immunohistochemistry confirmed high expression of PDGFR, c-Kit, and p-Akt in human HNSCC tissues. Akt kinase activity was significantly inhibited with increasing concentration of Gleevec in HNSCC cells, and near complete dephosphorylation of Akt was observed at $6{\mu}M$ of Gleevec in the UMSCC10B and HN30 cell lines. Conclusions: Gleevec at clinically comparable concentrations caused a dose dependant decrease in HNSCC survival. The decreased cell survival was related to the inhibition of Akt kinase activity and dephosphorylation of Akt. Akt signaling pathway may be a relevant target for Gleevec in treating HNSCC.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.201-208
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• 2011

Obesity occur from the imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Obesity is a complex chronic disease that is suggested to cause other metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis. In this study, our purpose is to investigate the anti-hyperglycemic and anti-obesitic effects of Maydis stigma water extract in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and db/db mice. Maydis stigma water extract at dose of 100 and 500 ${\mu}g/ml$ slowly inhibited cell viability as compared to that of control in mature adipocytes. Also, the additions of 50 and 250 ${\mu}g/ml$ of Maydis stigma water extract significantly inhibited the lipid accumulations and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein(C/EBP) ${\alpha}$ and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor(PPAR) ${\gamma}$ expressions with dose-dependent manner in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Maydis stigma water extract at 250, 500, and 1000 ${\mu}g/ml$ only showed the increasing pattern on lipolysis activity. The oral treatment of Maydis stigma water extract (100 or 400 mg/kg body weight) in db/db mice only showed tendency to decrease body weight, food efficiency ratio (FER), HbA1c, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and the adipocyte size of in db/db mice. However, Maydis stigma water extract increased the insulin level in a dose dependent manner. Thus these results indicate that Maydis stigma water extracxt inhibits adipogenesis through regulation of C/EBP${\alpha}$ and PPAR${\gamma}$ expressions in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and shows anti-hyperglycemic effect through increase of insulin secretion in db/db mice.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.586-596
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• 2007

Objectives : This study aimed to investigate the underlying protective mechanism of Rhizoma Arisaematis(RA) on 3-NP-induced Cytotoxicity in rat C6 glial cells. Methods : We investigated treatment ofC6 cells with 20mM 3-NP and pretreatment with RA to cause loss of cell viability. and morphological change. which was associated with elevation of ROS level. increase in Bax/Bcl2 ratio and HIF-a protein expression Results : RA inhibited 3-NP-induced cell death in C6 glial cells and inhibited the changes of the : MMPT (mitochondria membrane potential transition) and inhibited the decrease of mitochondria complex II activity and 3-NP-induced ROS generation in C6 cells. And RA decreased the activity of HIF-a and Bax. and increased the activity of $Bcl_2$ in C6 glial cells Conclusions : RA markedly protects C6 glial cells from 3-NP-induced oxidative injury.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.722-728
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• 2005

The DNA topoismerase I inhibitor ${\beta}-lapachone$, the product of a lapacho tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) from South America, activates a novel apoptotic response in a number of cell lines. In the present report, we investigated the effects of ${\beta}-lapachone$ on the growth of human lung in human non-small-cell-lung-cancer A549 cells. Upon treatment with ${\beta}-lapachone$, a concentration-dependent inhibition of cell viability and cell proliferation was observed as measured by hemocytometer counts and MTT assay. The ${\beta}-lapachone-treated$ cells developed many of the hallmark features of apoptosis, including membrane shrinking, condensation of chromatin and DNA fragmentation. These apoptotic effects of ${\beta}-lapachone$ in A549 cells were associated with a marked induction of pro-apoptotic Bax expression, however the levels of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression were decreased in a dose-dependent manner. Accordingly, elevated amount of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 expression accompanied by up-regulation of tumor suppressor p53 was observed. By RT-PCR analyses, decrease in gene expression level of telomerase reverse transcriptase and telomeric repeat binding factor were also observed. Thus, these findings suggest that ${\beta}-lapachone$ may be a potential anti-cancer therapeutics for the control of human lung cancer cell model.