• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.11
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• pp.1260-1266
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• 2009

Purpose : Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (NS) can be clinically classified as steroid-sensitive and steroid-resistant. The detailed mechanism of glucocorticoid action in NS is currently unknown. Methods : In this study, we investigated 3 known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (ER22/23EK, N363S, and BclI) of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (the NR3C1 gene) in 190 children with NS using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and analyzed the correlation between the genotypes and clinicopathologic features of the patients. Results : Eighty patients (42.1%) were initial steroid nonresponders, of which 31 (16.3% of the total) developed end-stage renal disease during follow-up. Renal biopsy findings of 133 patients were available, of which 36 (31.9%) showed minimal changes in NS and 77 (68.1%) had focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. The distribution of the BclI genotypes was comparable between the patient and control groups, and the G allele frequencies in both the groups were almost the same. The ER22/23EK and N363S genotypes were homogenous as ER/ER and NN, respectively, in all the patients and in 100 control subjects. The BclI genotype showed no correlation with the NS onset age, initial steroid responsiveness, renal pathologic findings, or progression to end-stage renal disease. Conclusion : These data suggested that the ER22/23EK, N363S, and BclI SNPs in the NR3C1 gene do not affect the development of NS, initial steroid responsiveness, renal pathologic lesion, and progression to end-stage renal disease in Korean children with NS.

• Journal of Acupuncture Research
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.125-140
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• 2007

Objectives: This study was performed to investigate the effects of acupuncture therapy(AT, AT-9), electro-acupuncture therapy(EAT) and low level laser acupuncture therapy(LAT) at LRJ on the focal ischemia-induced by intraluminal filament insertion in rats. Methods : In the present syudy, the focal ischemia was induced by Intraluminal filament insertion into left middle cerebral artery. The subjects were divided into five groups after focal brain ischemia. (n=15, in each group) : Control with no treatment, AT with acupuncture at $LR_3$, AT-9 with acupuncture at $LR_3$ and rotating 9 times in a clockwise direction, EAT with electro-acupuncture at $LR_3$ and LAT with invasive laser acupuncture at $LR_3$. Anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects of acupuncture were observed by mGluR5 mRNA, Bax mRNA, Bcl-2 mRNA, Cytochrome C protein, Cresyl violet-stain and Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-stain in the hippocampus. Results: 1. In LAT, mGluR5, Cresyl violet-stain and ChAT-stain were increased. 2. In LAT, Cytochrome C protein was decreased. 3. In AT-9, Bax, Cytochrome C protein and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were decreased. 4. In AT-9, Bcl-2, Cresyl violet-stain and ChAT-stain were increased. 5. In EAT, Bcl-2 and Cresyl violet-stain were increased. Conclusions: These results suggests that LAT and AT-9 show anti-apoptotic and neuro-protective effects and that LAT and AT-9 may be useful for managing stroke by focal brain ischemia.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.358-364
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• 2006

To investigate the possible mechanism of Drynariae Rhizoma extracts as a candidate of anti-cancer drug, I examined the effects of Drynariae Rhizoma extracts on the apoptosis of U937 cell line. MTT assay, flow cytometric analysis, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR were performed. Drynariae Rhizoma extracts treatment reduced the cell viablilty of U937 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with induction of apoptotic cell death. Drynariae Rhizoma extracts treatment also reduced the levels of Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein expression and increased the levels of caspase-3, p53, pro-apoptotic protein, in U937 cells. RT-PCR data revealed that the level of bcl-2, bcl-xL mRNA expressions decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These findings suggest that Drynariae Rhizoma extracts may have induction of apoptotic cell death via regulation of several growth regulatory gene products. The abbreviations used are: FBS, fetal bovine serum; PBS, phosphate buffered saline; PI, propidium iodide; OD, optical density; DiOC6, 3,3-dihexyloxa carbcyanine iodide; MTT, 3 [4-5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl] -2-diphenyltetrazolium bromide.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.11
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• pp.5031-5035
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• 2016

Docetaxel, recognized as a stabilizing microtubule agent, is frequently administrated as a first line treatment for prostate cancers. Due to high side effects of monotherapy, however, combinations with novel adjuvants have emerged as an alternative strategy in cancer therapy protocols. Here, we investigated the combined effects of stattic and docetaxel on the DU145 prostate cancer cell line. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay. To understand molecular mechanisms of stattic action, apoptotic related genes including Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Survivin and Bax were evaluated by real-time RT-PCR. Alteration in the expression of pro-apoptotic Bax and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 genes and Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were investigated via the $2^{{\Delta}{\Delta}CT}$ method. The $IC_{50}$ values for docetaxel and stattic were $3.7{\pm}0.9nM$ and $4.6{\pm}0.8{\mu}M$, respectively. Evaluation of key gene expression levels revealed a noticeable decrease in antiapoptotic Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 along with an increase in pro-apoptotic Bax mRNA levels (p<0.05). Our results suggest that combination of a STAT3 inhibitor with doctaxel can be considered as a potent strategy for induction of apoptosis via increasing Bax mRNA expression.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.91-98
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• 2003

Alkylating agents form alkylated base adducts in the DNA and cause DNA lesions leading to cell killing. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of apoptosis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) in PC-3 and DU145 human prostate carcinoma cell lines. MNNG treatment resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner to a similar extent in both cell lines. This anti-proliferative effect of PC-3 and DU145 cells by MNNG was associated with morphological changed such as membrane shrinking, cell rounding up and formation of apoptotic bodies. MNNG treatment also induced a proteolytic cleavage of specific target proteins such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and $\beta$-catenin proteins in DU145 cells but in PC-3 cells. Furthermore, we observed an increase of proapoptotic protein Bax family expression and a decrease of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 family by MNNG treatment in a concentration-dependent manner MNNG also induced a proteolytic activation of caspase-3 and -9, which is believed to play a central role in the apoptotic signaling pathway.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5741-5745
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• 2014

Purpose: To study the expression of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) in paclitaxel-treated gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells, and to further investigate underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Real time PCR and Western blot assays were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression of IGFBP-2, -3 and -5 after paclitaxel (10 nM) treatment of SGC-7901 cells. In addition IGFBP-3 expression was silenced by RNA interference to determine effects. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Cell cycling and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry. Results: Compared to the control group, only IGFBP-3 expression was elevated significantly after paclitaxel (10 nM) treatment (p<0.05). Paclitaxel treatment caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via downregulating Bcl-2 expression. However, the effect could be abrogated by IGFBP-3 silencing. Conclusions: IGFBP-3 exhibits anti-apoptotic effects on paclitaxel-treated SGC-7901 cells via elevating Bcl-2 expression.

• Neonatal Medicine
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.181-192
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• 2010

Purpose: Current studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of dizocilpine (MK-801) in many animal models of brain injury, including hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephlopathy, trauma and excitotoxicity, but limited data are available for those during the neonatal periods. Here we investigated whether dizocilpine can protect the developing rat brain from HI injury via anti-apoptosis. Methods: In an in vitro model, embryonic cortical neuronal cell culture of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at 18-day gestation was done. The cultured cells were divided into three groups: normoxia (N), hypoxia (H), and hypoxia treated with dizocilpine (HD). The N group was prepared in 5% $CO_2$ incubators and the other groups were placed in 1% $O_2$ incubators (94% N2, 5% $CO_2$) for 16 hours. In an in vivo model, left carotid artery ligation was done in 7-day-old SD rat pups. The animals were divided into six groups; hypoxia (N), hypoxia (H), hypoxia with sham-operation (HS), hypoxia with operation (HO), HO treated with vehicle (HV), and HO treated with dizocilpine (HD). Hypoxia was made by exposure to a 2 hour period of hypoxic incubator (92% N2, 8% $O_2$). Results: In the in vitvo and in vivo models, the expressions of Bcl-2 in the hypoxia groups were reduced compared to the normoxia group. whereas those in the dizocilpine-treated group were increased compared to the hypoxia group. However. the expressions of Bax and caspase-3 and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 were revealed reversely. Conclusion: Dizocilpine has neuroprotective property over perinatal HI brain injury via anti-apoptosis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
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• 1999.10a
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• pp.49-49
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• 1999

In this study, $Cl_2/BCI_3$ magnetized inductively coupled plasmas (MICP) were used to etch GaN and the effects of magnetic confinements of inductively coupled plasmas on the GaN etch characteristics were investigated as a function of $Cl_2/BCI_3$. Also, the effects of Kr addition to the magnetized $Cl_2/BCI_3$ plasmas on the GaN etch rates were investigated. The characteristics of the plasmas were estimated using a Langmuir probe and quadrupole ma~s spectrometry (QMS). Etched GaN profiles were observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The small addition of $Cl_2/BCI_3$ (10-20%) in $Cl_2$ increased GaN etch rates for both with and without the magnetic confinements. The application of magnetic confinements to the $Cl_2/BCI_3$ inductively coupled plasmas (ICP) increased GaN etch rates and changed the $Cl_2/BCI_3$ gas composition of the peak GaN etch rate from 10% $BCI_3$ to 20% $BCI_3$. It also increased the etch selectivity over photoresist, while slightly reducing the selectivity over $Si0_2$. The application of the magnetic field significantly increased positive $BCI_2{\;}^+$ measured by QMS and total ion saturation current measured by the Langmuir probe. Other species such as CI, BCI, and CI+ were increased while species such as $BCl_2$ and $BCI_3$ were decreased with the application of the magnetic field. Therefore, it appears that the increase of GaN etch rate in our experiment is related to the increased dissociative ionization of $BCI_3$ by the application of the magnetic field. The addition of 10% Kr in an optimized $Cl_2/BCI_3$ condition (80% $Cl_2/$ 20% $BCI_3$) with the magnets increased the GaN etch rate about 60%. More anisotropic GaN etch profile was obtained with the application of the magnetic field and a vertical GaN etch profile could be obtained with the addition of 10% Kr in an optimized $Cl_2/BCI_3$ condition with the magnets.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.21.2-21.2
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• 2008

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.67.2-67.2
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• 2007