• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.213-219
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• 2009

Purpose:Iron is a critical nutritional element that is essential for a variety of important biological processes, including cell growth and differentiation, electron transfer reactions, and oxygen transport, activation, and detoxification. Iron is also required for neoplastic cell growth due to its catalytic effects on the formation of hydroxyl radicals, suppression of host defense cell activities, and promotion of cancer cell multiplication. Chronic transfusion-dependent patients receiving chemotherapy may have iron overload, which requires iron-chelating therapy. We performed this study to demonstrate whether the iron chelating agent deferoxamine induces apoptosis in Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells, and to investigate the underlying apoptotic mechanism. Methods:To analyze the apoptotic effects of an iron chelator, cultured Saos-2 cells were treated with deferoxamine. We analyzed cell survival by trypan blue and crystal violet analysis, apoptosis by nuclear condensation, DNA fragmentation, and cell cycle analysis, and the expression of apoptotic related proteins by Western immunoblot analysis. Results:Deferoxamine inhibited the growth of Saos-2 cell in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The major mechanism for growth inhibition with the deferoxamine treatment was by the induction of apoptosis, which was supported by nuclear staining, DNA fragmentation analysis, and flow cytometric analysis. Furthermore, bcl-2 expression decreased, while bax, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP expression increased in Saos-2 cells treated with deferoxamine. Conclusion:These results demonstrated that the iron chelating agent deferoxamine induced growth inhibition and mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in osteosarcoma Saos-2 cells, suggesting that iron chelating agents used in controlling neoplastic cell fate can be potentially developed as an adjuvant agent enhancing the anti-tumor effect for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.978-986
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• 2023

Inflammation by the innate immune system is a protective mechanism of the organism against infection-mediated environmental factors. It is also responsible for the pathogenesis of various human diseases, including the progression of cancer. Lichens are receiving increasing attention as a source of bioactive molecules with therapeutic potential for a variety of diseases. Additionally, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer potential of lichen and its secondary metabolites have been widely reported. However, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. In the present study, to investigate molecular mechanisms of anti-inflammation and anti-cancer activity in the Antarctic lichen, Usnea aurantiaco-atra, methanol extract of Usnea aurantiaco-atra (MEUS) was used in vitro assays in RAW 264.7 macrophages cell and HCT116 colon cancer cells. Based on our data, MEUS had the anti-inflammatory activity through the modulation of main inflammatory indicators such as COX-2, IL-6, iNOS, TNF-α and NO production in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, we observed that MEUS had cytotoxic activity against HCT116 colon cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner, leading to a significantly reduced proliferation of the cancer cells through apoptotic induction by activating caspase-3. Taken together, this work firstly reported the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of an Antarctic lichen, Usnea aurantiaco-atra, and MEUS may provide a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying a link between inflammation and cancer.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.149-157
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• 2007

Objective: This study was performed to compare the expression of osteopontin (OPN) mRNA and protein in the eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues in women with endometriosis and endometrial tissues in women without endometriosis. Methods: A total of 32 women with histologically confirmed endometriosis were recruited for study group. For controls, 34 women undergoing operative treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or benign gynecologic condition other than endometriosis were recruited. At the time of laparoscopy or laparotomy, a biopsy specimen was taken from the endometrial cavity and peritoneal endometrial implant or endometrioma whenever appropriate. We employed real time quantitative RT-PCR to quantify OPN mRNA expression of these tissues and performed western blot analysis to measure the quantity of OPN. Results: The expression of OPN mRNA was significantly higher in both eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues of women with endometriosis than in endometrial tissues of controls during both proliferative and secretory phase. In the eutopic endometrial tissue of women with endometriosis, OPN mRNA expression significantly increased during the secretory phase compared to the proliferative phase in women with endometriosis as well as controls. However, in the ectopic endometrial tissue, OPN mRNA expression significantly decreased during the secretory phase compared to the proliferative phase. The expression of OPN protein was significantly higher in women with endometriosis than in controls. Conclusion: This study shows the marked expression of OPN mRNA and protein in eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues in women with endometriosis may be associated with the adhesion and invasion of endometrial explants.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2009

Purpose: Intussusception is the most common cause of intestinal obstruction in young children. Although intussusceptions are easily treated, some intussusceptions with or without a pathologic lead point (PLP) often recur. In this study, we analyzed the clinical characteristics and prognosis of recurrent intussusceptions (RI), the frequency of the PLP, and correlation between RI with PLP. Methods: The medical records of 144 patients, among 590 patients with intussusceptions who had been admitted to the Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery of Dankook University Hospital between May 1994 and June 2009 were reviewed retrospectively. Results: The overall recurrence rate of intussusceptions in this study was 9.2%. The mean interval between the initial occurrence and the first recurrent attack was 130${\pm}$175 days (range, 12 hours to 3 years). There was no statistically significant difference in the recurrence rate among patients who underwent air, barium, and manual reduction (p=0.131). Eighty-seven cases (92.6%) of RI had a successful reduction by the use of non-operative techniques. A PLP was present in 18 patients (3.0%). The most common PLP was intestinal lymphoid hyperplasia, followed by Meckel's diverticulum, duplication cyst, intestinal polyp, and adenomyoma. The mean number of intussusceptions was 4.7${\pm}$1.9 in 7 patients with PLP, which was significantly higher than (2.4${\pm}$0.9) patients without a PLP (p=0.023). The mean duration of recurrences was 17.4${\pm}$19.8 months (range, 2 days to 72 months). Conclusion: A careful search for a PLP should be performed to prevent recurrence of intussusception, especially when intussusception has recurred more than three times.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.8-15
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• 2008

Saussurea lappa (SL) has been used to reduce abdominal pain and tenesmus in traditional oriental medicine. SL and major compounds of SL, sesquiterpene lactones, have been suggested to possess various biological effects, including anti-tumor, anti-ulcer, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and cardiotonic activities. Recently, it has been reported that ethanol extracts from roots of SL have antiproliferative effects on gastric cancer cells. To explore the possibility that SL has chemopreventive effects on prostate cancer, we examined whether the hexane extract of SL (HESL) inhibits the growth of LNCaP human prostate cancer cells. Cells were incubated with various concentrations ($0{\sim}4$ mg/L) of HESL in DMEM/F12 containing 5% charcoal stripped fetal bovine serum. HESL substantially decreased viable cell numbers and induced apoptosis of LNCaP cells in dose-dependent manners. HESL increased the levels of cleaved caspase-8, -9, -7 and -3, and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. HESL increased the levels of the pro-apoptotic Bak and truncated-Bid proteins whereas it had no effect on the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, or Mcl-1. The present results indicate that HESL inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, which involves the activation of the caspase cascades.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.81-84
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• 2005

Henoch-$Sch{\ddot{o}}nlein$ purpura (HSP) is a systemic disorder characterized by leukocytoclastic vasculitis that can affect multiple organs predominantly the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract and kidney. Although the specific pathogenesis of HSP is not known, there are several hypotheses. Although the importance of the complement activation in glomerular injury in HSP has been suggested, the complement levels and the blood pressure in those patients are usually normal and massive proteinuria is not common. And pathologic renal changes also have been reported to show a large variety of glomerular changes. However, to our knowledge, a membranoproliferative glomerulo-nephritis (MPGN) is a rare renal clinicopathologic manifestation of HSP. We report a 6-year-old boy with HSP who developed MPGN with hypertension, massive proteinuria, and hypo-complementemia revealed activation of the classical complement pathway, although we could not exclude the possibility of other hypocomplementemic glomerulonephritis including post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.157-163
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• 2013

Cultured products (callus and exopolysaccharide) were obtained from suspension culture of Aloe vera callus, and the extracts of callus were further prepared with cold water or 60% ethanol solution. The ethanol extract of callus (AC) and exopolysaccharide (ACP) of 10 mg/mL exhibited the relatively higher suppression activity of 43.2-52.1% against hyaluronidase activity. Thus, their anti-inflammatory effects were further investigated using animal cell (Raw 264.7) in vitro. Though AC shows a slight suppression effect of cell survival rate (97%) using MTT assay in the presence of $400{\mu}g/mL$ AC- dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), cell growth promotion was observed in the other samples of lower levels. It indicates that the ethanol extract of Aloe callus rarely affect cell survival rate in the ranges ($200-400{\mu}g/mL$) used in the study. Using Griess reagent, the suppression of NO production by the aloe callus extract was analyzed by measuring the amount of the nitrite produced in Raw 264.7 culture activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). As a result, supplementation of AC-distilled water (DW) and AC-DMSO produced higher levels of NO than the positive control LPS. However, the NO suppression effect by ACP-DW was so intense that lower amount ($80-100{\mu}g/mL$) suppressed NO production to the level of the control. The effect was attributed to the expression of the iNOS. Then, Raw 264.7 cells were stimulated with the LPS and expression of COX-2 protein level was analyzed depending on the Aloe suspension culture product treatment. The results showed that the ACP-DW supplemented medium did not express COX-2 by itself, and LPS stimulated COX-2 expression was slightly decreased. On the other hand, realtime-PCR analysis of the expression of inflammatory cytokine showed that IL-$1{\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ expression was highly suppressed in the ACP- distilled water supplemented medium.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.119-128
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• 2010

항암치료는 현재 암환자의 주요한 치료임에도 불구하고 항암제내성과 같은 문제점을 가지고 있다. 약물내성은 다양한 기전에 의해 발생하는데 수송단백질의 과발현, 비독성화발현, 손상유전자의 복구, 세포사멸신호의 변화, STAT-3와 NF-${\kappa}B$의 발현 등이 포함된다. 암세포는 저산소환경에서 발생하며 일반세포에 비해 무산소해당에 상대적 의존도가 높고 이는 암세포의 성장과 전이를 촉진하는 인자가 된다. 항암제가 효과를 내기 위해서는 산소가 필요한데 저산소환경은 이를 방해하며 또한 유전자의 불안정화로 인해 약물내성이 유도된다. NF-${\kappa}B$는 주요 전사인자 중 하나로서 각종 염증과 암에서 지속적으로 활성화되며 암세포의 변화, 증식, 침윤, 전이에 관여한다. 환경적 스트레스 등과 대부분의 항암약제들이 NF-${\kappa}B$를 활성화시키며 임상적으로도 암환자의 생존과 연관된 중요한 예후인자이다. NF-${\kappa}B$의 발현은 항암제로 인한 암세포의 자멸을 회피하게 만들고 수송단백질을 활성화시켜 항암제내성을 유도한다. 강황, 적포도, 고추, 건칠 등 다양한 천연물에서 NF-${\kappa}B$를 억제시키는 효능이 발견되었으며 이는 항암제내성을 억제시키고 항암제의 효과를 증대시킨다. 저산소환경의 개선과 NF-${\kappa}B$의 억제는 상호연관성을 가지고 있으며 항암제내성의 개선뿐만 아니라 암치료제 개발의 새로운 연구목표가 될 수 있다.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.215-224
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• 2005

Purpose : Endometrial hyperplasia(EH) is an abnormal proliferation of the glandular component of the endometrium. And also EH is relateted to endometrial carcinoma clinically. Hysterectomy is the common treatment for EH patients in western medicine, but this treatment is the invasive treatment for women. The purpose of this study is to report the effect of oriental treatment for an abnormal uterine bleeding owing to endometrial hyperplasia. Methods : This study is about metrorrhagia owing to EH for three years. This report is performed to observe medication of Guichulpajing-tang(歸朮破?湯) diagnosed as blood stasis in oriental medicine view. Results : The uterine bleeding of the EH was reduced gradually during first menstual cycle and was not repeated. The uterine bleeding disappered from the next menstual cycle. Furthermore, the BBT has been stable during 2 menstual cycles and endometrial thickness has been thined remarkably by pelvic sonogram. Conclusion : This case showed successful oriental herbal medication for EH and further study will be investigated in oriental medicine for treatment of EH completely.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1507-1515
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• 2018

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is characterized by prostatic hypertrophy mainly in the elderly. Corni Fructus is reportedly effective in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, but its efficacy on BPH has not been previously studied. In the present study, we investigated whether or not a Corni Fructus water extract (CF) could prevent testosterone-induced prostatic hyperplasia in rats. To induce BPH, castrated rats were subcutaneously injected with testosterone propionate (TP). CF was administered daily by oral gavage, along with the TP injections, and finasteride, a selective inhibitor of $5{\alpha}$-reductase type 2, was used as a positive control. The results show that CF significantly reduces prostate weight and histopathologic changes while also decreasing levels of serum dihydrotestosterone, similar to the finasteride-treated group. CF also suppresses TP-induced $5{\alpha}$-reductase expression and concentration in prostate tissue and serum, respectively. Furthermore, CF markedly inhibited TP-induced expression of the androgen receptor (AR) and the steroid receptor coactivator 1, an AR coactivator, which was associated with a decrease in prostate-specific antigen levels in both serum and prostate tissue. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that CF weakens BPH status by inactivation of $5{\alpha}$-reductase and AR.