• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.34-40
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• 2021

Proliferation and maintain of dermal papilla during progression of hair-cycle are crucial to the duration of anagen and regulated by diverse signaling pathway such as PI3K/Akt/Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In this study, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of Viola verecunda on dermal papilla cells. Treatment of dermal papilla cells with whole plant extract of V. verecunda resulted in cell proliferation, which was accompanied by up-regulation of cyclin D1, phospho (ser780)-pRB and cdc2 p34, and down-regulation of p27kip1. V. verecunda extract also promoted the levels of phospho (ser473)-Akt and phospho (ser780)-pRB in a time-dependent manner. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt by Wortmannin suppressed progression of cell-cycle, thereby attenuated the increases in proliferation of dermal papilla cells by V. verecunda extract. We further investigated Wnt/β-catenin pathway with respect to the effects of V. verecunda extract on the proliferation of dermal papilla cells. Treatment with V. verecunda extract results in up-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin proteins such as phospho (ser9)-GSKβ, phospho (ser552)-β-catenin and phospho (ser675)-β-catenin. In addition, Wortmannin abrogated V. verecunda extract mediated up-regulation of cdc2 p34 and down-regulation of p27kip1. These finding reveal that the proliferative effect of V. verecunda mediated by alteration of cell-cycle via activating PI3K/Akt/Wnt pathway in dermal papilla cells.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.233-237
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• 2006

In the present study, we compared the functional analysis of pear extracts cultured in conventional and environment-friendly conditions in primary cultured rat hepatocytes. ATP synthesis significantly increased by the treatment with environment friendly cultured pear powder but not by conventional group. In addition, cell proliferation using $[^3H]$-thymidine incorporation was also stimulated by environment-friendly cultured pear extract compared to conventional group. Moreover, the expressions of CDK-2 and CDK-4 were increased but p21WAF1/Cip1 and p27 Kip1 decreased by environment-friendly cultured pear extract but not by conventional group. In conclusion, environment-friendly cultured pear powder has stimulatory effect on cell proliferation compared to conventional group in primary cultured rat hepatocytes.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2011

Background and Objectives : Papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC) frequently metastasize to the regional neck, however, lateral neck lymph node metastasis is less common. The aim of this study is to investigate clinical and immunohistochemical features of PTC with lateral LN metastasis, and determine the predictive factors for lateral LN metastases. Material and Methods : We undertook a retrospective study of 83 patients treated between January 2007 and December 2009 for PTC by thyroidectomy with or without lateral neck dissection. The following criteria were used to study the clinical predictive value of lateral LN. metastases : sex, age, tumor size, multifocality, extracapsular spread(ECS) and lymphovascular emboli. Immunohistochemical staining for VEGF-A, VEGF-C, Bax, Bcl-2, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E, $p27^{kip1}$ and $p57^{kip2}$ was performed, and quantified blindly by three pathologists who had no clinical information of the patients. Immunohistochemical expression was scored as high(>50% of cells stained) or low(0-49%). Results : With use of univariate and multivariate analysis, tumor size(>2cm) and ECS were independent correlates of lateral LN metastasis in PTC. Expression of VEGF-C, Bax, and Cyclin D1 in the PTC with lateral LN metastasis was scored higher than in PTC without lateral LN metastasis(p<0.05). Conclusion : The important risk factors for lateral LN metastasis in PTC are primary tumor size and the presence of ECS. And expression of VEGF-C, Bax and cyclin D1 may be considered of lateral LN metastatic potential in PTC.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.1055-1060
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• 2003

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a well-known mitogen in various cell types. However, we found that LPA inhibits melanocyte proliferation. Thus, we further investigated the possible signaling pathways involved in melanocyte growth inhibition. We first examined the regulation of the three major subfamilies of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases and of the Akt pathway by LPA. The activations of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were observed in concert with the inhibition of melanocyte proliferation by LPA, whereas p38 MAP kinase and Akt were not influenced by LPA. However, the specific inhibition of the ERK or JNK pathways by PD98059 or D-JNKI1, respectively, did not restore the antiproliferative effect. We next examined changes in the expression of cell cycle related proteins. LPA decreased cyclin $D_1 and cyclin D_2$ levels but increased $p21^{WAF1/CIP1}$ (p21) and $p27^{KIP1}$ (p27) levels, which are known inhibitors of cyclin-dependent kinase. Flow cytometric analysis showed the inhibition of DNA synthesis by a reduction in the S phase and an increase in the $G_0/G_1$ phase of the cell cycle. Our results suggest that LPA induces cell cycle arrest by regulating the expressions of cell cycle related proteins.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1170-1175
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• 2007

We have examined the effect of water extract of Phellinus linteus, a raw material of Korean traditional herbal medicine, on the induction of HL-60 cell differentiation. The proliferation of HL-60 cell was inhibited dose-dependently by treatment with various doses of P. linteus extract. It also caused a significant change in NBT reduction (7.5 times). The expression of CD11b and CD14 was increased in the cells treated with the extract, especially in those arrested at G0/G1 stage, which suggested that some components in P. Linteus extract induced HL-60 cell differentiation to granulocytic and monocyte lineages. Moreover, the expression levels of $p21^{WAF1/CIP}$ and $p27^{KIP}$ were up-regulated during HL-60 cell differentiation induced by P. Linteus extract. These results together suggest that P. Linteus extract contains potential HL-60 cell differentiation agents.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.113-118
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• 2016

An FDA approved drug for the treatment of type II diabetes, Troglitazone (TRO), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma agonist, is withdrawn due to severe idiosyncratic hepatotoxicity. In the search for new applications of TRO, we investigated the cellular effects of TRO on YD15 tongue carcinoma cells. TRO suppressed the growth of YD15 cells in the MTT assay. The inhibition of cell growth was accompanied by the induction of cell cycle arrest at $G_0/G_1$ and apoptosis, which are confirmed by flow cytometry and western blotting. TRO also suppressed the expression of cell cycle proteins such as cyclin D1, cdk2, cdk4, cyclin B1, cdk1(or cdc2), cyclin E1 and cyclin A. The inhibition of cell cycle proteins was coincident with the up-regulation of $p21^{CIP1/WAF1}$ and $p27^{KIP1}$. In addition, TRO induces the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7, as well as the cleavage of PARP. Further, TRO suppressed the expressions of Bcl-2 without affecting the expressions of Bad and Bax. Overall, our data supports that TRO induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis on YD15 cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.85-95
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• 2014

Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and downstream signaling pathways have been implicated in causing resistance to EGFR-targeted therapy in solid tumors, including the head and neck tumors. To investigate the mechanism of antiproliferation to EGFR inhibition in oral cancer, we compared EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Gefitinib, Iressa, ZD1839) with respect to its inhibitory effects on three kinases situated downstream of EGFR: MAPK, Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase-$3{\beta}$ (GSK-$3{\beta}$). We have demonstrated that ZD1839 induces growth arrest and apotosis in oral cancer cell lines by independent of EGFR-mediated signaling. An exposure of oral cancer cells to ZD1839 resulted in a dose dependent up-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21 and p27, down regulation of cyclin D1, inactivation of GSK-$3{\beta}$ and of active MAPK. In resistant cells, GSK-$3{\beta}$ is constitutively active and its activity is negatively regulated primarily through Ser 9 phosphorylation and further enhanced by Tyr216 phosphorylation. These results showed that the resistance to the antiproliferative effects of ZD1839, in vitro was associated with uncoupling between EGFR and MAPK inhibition, and that GSK-$3{\beta}$ activation and degradation of its target cyclin D1 were indicators of high cell sensitivity to ZD1839. In conclusion, our data show that the uncoupling of EGFR with mitogenic pathways can cause resistance to EGFR inhibition in oral cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 2015

Objectives : In Korea, Rhus verniciflua Stokes (RVS) has been used in traditional medicine for various diseases such as back pain, syndromes of the blood system in women, gastrointestinal disease, and cancer. However, the molecular mechanisms of its anti-cancer activity have not been clearly elucidated yet. Methods : This study investigated the possible mechanisms by which RVS extract (RVE) exerts its anti-proliferative action in cultured human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells. Results : Treatment with RVE in MCF-7 cells resulted in inhibition of cell viability through G1 arrest of the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, as determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis. The induction of G1 arrest by RVE treatment was associated with the inhibition of cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) 2, retinoblastoma protein (pRB), and mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) expression. Moreover, RVE treatment concentration dependently increased the levels of tumor suppressor p53, which was associated with the marked induction of Cdk inhibitors such as p21 (Waf1/Cip1) and p27 (Kip1). However, the inhibition of p53 function by the wild-type p53-specific inhibitor, pifithrin-α, abolished the above-mentioned effects of RVE, showing that p53 was responsible for the cytotoxicity of RVE Conclusions : These data indicate that a molecular pathway involving p53-dependent G1 cell cycle arrest plays a pivotal role in the cellular response to RVE, and demonstrate the potential applications of RVE as an anti-cancer drug for breast cancer treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.281-291
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• 2010

We investigated the antioxidant effects of hederagenin 3-O-b-D-glucopyranosyl($1{\rightarrow}3$)-a-L-rhamnopyranosyl($1{\rightarrow}2$)-a-L-arabinopyranoside (HDL) isolated from root bark of Ulmus davidiana on the activity of enzymes related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Cobalt chloride ($CoCl_2$), a transition metal, was used as an inducer of oxidative stress, generating hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) via increasing xanthine oxidase (XO) activity. The increased levels of $H_2O_2$, XO, ferritin, and ferritin iron by $CoCl_2$ were diminished effectively by co-treatment with HDL in U2OS cells. Furthermore, decreased levels of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) by $CoCl_2$ were highly increased by co-treatment with HDL in U2OS cells; however, the levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) did not change. The increased contents of TBARS related to lipid peroxidation were significantly reduced by HDL in U2OS cells. The concentration of GSH changed in a pattern that went against regulated TBARS by $CoCl_2$ and HDL. We examined the expression of p53, $p21^{CIP1/WAF1}$, and $p27^{KIP1}$ proteins related to oxidative stress and cell cycle regulation. As a result, the expression of $p27^{KIP1}$ modulated by $CoCl_2$ was not changed by HDL. However, the expression of p53 and $p21^{CIP1/WAF}$ increased by $CoCl_2$ was reduced by HDL in U2OS cells. Together with alteration of p53 and $p21^{CIP1/WAF1}$ proteins, the accumulated cells at G1 phase by $CoCl_2$ was decreased by HDL in U2OS cells. Our data suggests that HDL inhibits $CoCl_2$-generated ROS in U2OS cells, providing potentially new antioxidant compounds that are isolated from natural products.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.77-85
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• 2005

Cadmium is an environmental pollutant exposed from contaminated foods or cigarette smoking and known to cause oxidative damage in organs. We investigated the cadmium-induced apoptosis and cell arrest in human breast cancer cells, MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells. Obvious apoptotic cell death was shown in CdCl₂ 100 μM treatment for 12 hr, which were determined by DAPI staining and flow cytometric analysis. In cell cycle analysis, MCF-7 cells and MDA-MB-231 cells were arrested in S phase and G2/M phase respectively. These could be explained by the induction of cell cycle inhibitory protein, p21/sup Waf1/Cip1/ and p27/sup Kip1/, expression and reduction of cyclin/Cdk complexes in both cell lines. The decreased expression of cyclin A and Cdk2 in MCF-7 cells and cyclin B1 and Cdc2 in MDA-MB-231 cells were consistent with the flow cytometric observation. p-ERK expression was increased dose-dependent manner in both cell lines. It suggests that ERK MAPK pathway are involved in cadmium-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, cotreatment of zinc (100 μM, 12 hr) recovered the cadmium-induced cell arrest in both cells, which shows cadmium-induced oxidative stress mediates apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in human breast cancer cells.