• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.333-340
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• 2005

Background: Cancer reseach is done in earnest world-wide, because cancer is one of most threatening diseases to humans. Orostachyos Herba is a widely used herb that has long been in use in Korea as an anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer therapy. The purpose of this study is to verify any anti-cancer effects on stomach and liver cancer in vitro. Materials & Methods: AGS and KATO III stomach cancer cells and Hep3B and HepG2 liver cancer cells, all obtained from Korean Cell Line Bank, were used. The boiled extract of Orostachyos Herba(20 and 40 microliters) were injected into cultures and observed at 0 hours, and at 24-hour intervals up to 96 hours. The destruction of stomach and liver cancer cells was measured through Trypan blue exclusion testing. The suppression on viability of stomach and liver cancer cells was observed, and anti-cancer mechanisms was examined by analyzing the cell cycle. Results: In morphologic change, AGS, KATO III, HepG2 and Hep3B showed some of the withdrawn and floating appearance that is typical in cellular imparment. AGS, KATO III, HepG2 and Hep3B showed more destruction of stomach cancer cells in each test group than in the control group to a statistically significant degree. Analysis of the cell cycle after introduction of Orostachyos Herba showed very little inhibition of divisions of all cell lines. Conclusions: This experiment suggests that Orostachyos Herba has some anti-tumor effects on stomach and liver cancer cells. Progressive research on Orostachyos Herba and it's anti-tumor effects will be needed to determine its practicability as a cancer treatment.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.8
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• pp.849-860
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• 2015

The anti-cancer activities of Rhus verniciflua Stokes (GC), Ulmus davidiana var. japonica Nakai (UGP) and arsenium sublimatum (SS) extracts, which have been used Oriental medicine therapy for various diseases, were investigated. The treatment of GC, UGP and SS alone, and combined treatment with GC, UGP and SS did not affect the cell viability in the mouse normal cell lines (RAW 264.7 macrophages and C2C12 myoblasts). However, co-treatment with GC, UGP and SS markedly induces apoptosis in human gastric cancer AGS cells, but not in other various cancer cell lines (human lung cancer A549, colon cancer HCT116, liver cancer Hep3B and bladder T24 cells) as evidenced by formation of apoptotic bodies, chromatin condensation, and accumulation of annexin-V positive cells. Co-treatment with GC, UGP and SS effectively induced the expression levels of Fas and Fas ligand, and inhibited the levels IAP family proteins such as XIAP, cIAP-1 and survivin, and anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL proteins compared with treatment with either agent alone. Combined treatment also significantly induced the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, which was associated with the activation of caspases (-3, -8, and -9) and degradation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase. However, the cytotoxic effects induced by co-treatment with GC, UGP and SS were significantly attenuated by pan-caspases inhibitor, z-VAD-fmk, indicating an important role for caspases. These results indicated that the caspases were key regulators of apoptosis in response to co-treatment of GC, UGP and SS in human gastric cancer AGS cells and further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2005

Organosulfur compounds have been shown to exert an anti-cancer activity. In an attempt to develop novel chemopreventive and anti-cancer agents for liver cancer, we synthesized allylthiopyridazine derivatives. We have previously shown that allylthiopyridazine derivatives exert inhibitory effects on proliferation, invasion and migration of SK-Hep-1 hepatocarcinoma cells in vitro. The in vivo anti-tumor effect of 3-methvl-6-allylthiopy-ridazine, named as K6, was also reported. In this study, we further investigated the preclinical anti-cancer efficacy of K6 for hepatocarcinoma using nude mice xenografted with Hep-G2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. K6(20-100 mg/kg, orally administered everyday for 30 days) markedly decreased the tumor volume of Hep-G2 cell-transplanted nude mice as evidenced by ultrasonographic and plethysmogranhic analyses. The inhibitory effect on tumor volume was lower than that exerted by doxorubicin (2 mg/kg), intravenously injected) which was used as a positive control. This study shows that K6 efficiently suppresses xenograft tumor growth, revealing K6 as apotential anti-cancer agent for suppressing in vivo progression of liver cancer. Given that hepatocarcinoma is among the most prevalent and lethal malignancies and there is no effective treatment to date, our study may contribute to the potential drug development for liver cancer.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.310-319
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• 2005

Objectives: The aim is to identify any anti-tumor effects of Duchesnea indica(Andr.) Focke on colon cancer cells. Materials & Methods: Colo201 human adenocarcinoma cells were obtained from American Type Culture Collection. The boiled extract of Duchesnea indica(Andr.) Focke was added (10 and 20 microliters) to cultures and observed at 0, 6, and 12 hours, and at 12-hour intervals thereafter. Morphological changes in colon cancer cells were observed through an inverted microscope, Destruction of colon cancer cells was measured through Trypan blue exclusion testing. Suppression of the viability of colon cancer cells were measured via MTT assay. Anti-cancer mechanisms in the cell cycle of colon cancer cells were analysed via flow cytometry. Results: After introduction of Duchesnea indica(Andr.) Focke to cultures several changes were seen. Significant atrophy of the nucleus and cytoplasm of colon cancer cells was observed, indicating cell injury. Destruction of colon cancer cells was observed in direct proportion to dosage and duration. Suppression of viability of colon cancer cells for each test group was greater than that of the control group increasingly over time(36h, 48h, 60h, 72h), which was statistical significant (p<0.05). Cell numbers of the mitosis phase of the colon cancer cell cycle reduced. Conclusions: Statistcally significant anti-tumor effects of Duchesnea indica(Andr.) Focke were observed in this in vitro experiment. Results support a role for Duchesnea indica(Andr.) Focke in treatment of colon cancer. though it will required progressive research to develop a practical treatment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.616-624
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• 2022

Mebendazole (MBZ), a microtubule depolymerizing drug commonly used for the treatment of helminthic infections, has been suggested as a repositioning candidate for the treatment of brain tumors. However, the efficacy of MBZ needs further study to improve the beneficial effect on the survival of those patients. In this study, we explored a novel strategy to improve MBZ efficacy using a drug combination. When glioblastoma cells were treated with MBZ, cell proliferation was dose-dependently inhibited with an IC₅₀ of less than 1 µM. MBZ treatment also inhibited glioblastoma cell migration with an IC₅₀ of less than 3 µM in the Boyden chamber migration assay. MBZ induced G2-M cell cycle arrest in U87 and U373 cells within 24 h. Then, at 72 h of treatment, it mainly caused cell death in U87 cells with an increased sub-G1 fraction, whereas polyploidy was seen in U373 cells. However, MBZ treatment did not affect ERK1/2 activation stimulated by growth factors. The marked induction of autophagy by MBZ was observed, without any increased expression of autophagy-related genes ATG5/7 and Beclin 1. Co-treatment with MBZ and the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine (CQ) markedly enhanced the anti-proliferative effects of MBZ in the cells. Triple combination treatment with temozolomide (TMZ) (another autophagy inducer) further enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of MBZ and CQ. The combination of MBZ and CQ also showed an enhanced effect in TMZ-resistant glioblastoma cells. Therefore, we suggest that the modulation of protective autophagy could be an efficient strategy for enhancing the anti-tumor efficacy of MBZ in glioblastoma cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.261-268
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• 2016

$Foxp3^+$ $CD25^+CD4^+$ regulatory T (Treg) cells are crucial for the maintenance of immunological self-tolerance and are abundant in tumors. Most of these cells are chemo-attracted to tumor tissues and suppress anti-tumor responses inside the tumor. Currently, several cancer immunotherapies targeting Treg cells are being clinically tested. Cisplatin is one of the most potent chemotherapy drugs widely used for cancer treatment. While cisplatin is a powerful drug for the treatment of multiple cancers, there are obstacles that limit its use, such as renal dysfunction and the development of cisplatin-resistant cancer cells after its use. To minimize these barriers, combinatorial therapies of cisplatin with other drugs have been developed and have proven to be more effective to treat cancer. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of the combination therapy using methyl gallate with cisplatin in EL4 murine lymphoma bearing C57BL/6 mice. The combinatorial therapy of methyl gallate and cisplatin showed stronger anti-cancer effects than methyl gallate or cisplatin as single treatments. In Treg cell-depleted mice, however, the effect of methyl gallate vanished. It was found that methyl gallate treatment inhibited Treg cell migration into the tumor regardless of cisplatin treatment. Additionally, in both the normal and cisplatin-treated tumor-bearing mice, there was no renal toxicity attributed to methyl gallate treatment. These findings suggest that methyl gallate treatment could be useful as an adjuvant method accompanied with cisplatin therapy.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.453-464
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• 2017

Vegetable soup has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-cancer effects. In this study, five kinds of vegetable soup were developed using a new manufacturing process and compositional changes in raw material, and anti-cancer and immuno-stimulatory activities were evaluated. Cytotoxicity tests based on MTT assay revealed that all vegetable soups had strong inhibitory effects against CT26 mouse colon cancer cells, with soups including Solomon's seal being most effective based on comparison of $IC_{50}$ values. Apoptosis in response to vegetable soup was occurred by 3-5 fold on cancer cells compared to normal cells. Mouse splenocytes increased by 266-541% in response to addition of vegetable soup in an in vitro proliferation experiment. In co-culture with splenocytes and CT26 cancer cells, splenocytes increased by more than 280% in every vegetable soup treatment, while cancer cells decreased by about 60% and cytokines such as $IFN- {\gamma}$ and IL-12 were secreted from splenocytes in high levels only in response to vegetable soup including Solomon's seal. In conclusion, all vegetable soups developed in this study had anti-cancer effects, and vegetable soup including Solomon's seal showed the strongest anti-cancer and immuno-stimulatory effects. These results suggest that functionality of vegetable soup could be increased by changes in manufacturing processes and raw materials composition.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1763-1768
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• 2006

Cancer is one of the most serious health problem in modern society, and there are many studies to treat this disease. We have performed the study about analyzing papers related with anti-cancerous herbs that is used in clinical treatment recently. We found 257 papers in 'Pub med', the internet site, using the key words 'cancer' and the scientific name of anti-cancerous herbs. We also have compared the herbs' efficacy in oriental medicine with the experimental results in those papers, and thought the practical uses in clinical treatments. However, research studies that reported data on anti-cancerous herbs were wholly lacking. It is recommended that further studies be performed from the point of view of oriental medicine.

• Plant Resources
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.46-58
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• 2000

Many plant species are used in Malaysia in folk medicine for the treatment of cancer. This paper presents some of these species with details on other ethnopharmacological uses, the known bioactivities and some chemical constituents of each of the species given. It is normal practice in traditional medicine that one species of plant is used to treat various ailments. Thus the plant species listed are all used to treat cancer but have various other ethnophrmacological uses as well, some with few other uses and rest with many other uses. Information on bioactivities of each species resulting from tests on human and experimental animals are also given. Proven bioactivities give strength to ethnopharmacological claims on the efficacies of plant resources in the treatment of cancer and various other ailments but will but will not necessarily lead to the production of new pharmaceutical drugs. Many of the known chemical constituents of each species are given. This shows the richness and variety of chemicals containes in each of the species listed. The chemicals listed may or may not prove to be important in the pharmaceutical sciences but is an indication of what each species contatin in thrms of plant chemicals. It is a well known fact that many of the pharmaceutical prescriptions in present day use are of plant origin and semi-synthetic or fully synthetic chemicals produced using knowledge gained from studies of phytochemicals. Thus the paper presented will give useful information and also shows the richness of plant species that have high potentials for the development of anti-cancer resources from plants in Malaysia.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.542-547
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• 2009

Brine mineral water(BMW) has recently gained attention as a new water resource due to its biological activities. In this study, BMW from the Geumjin area(Gangneung-city, Korea) was evaluated for its growth inhibition, anti-metastasis and anti-angiogenesis activity against cancer cells. The in vitro cytotoxicity was measured by CCK assay, and the anti-metastasis activity was estimated by lung metastasis in vivo. The in vitro incubation of mouse splenic cells with BMW that had been diluted more than 4-fold showed no effect on the cell growth when compared to a control group. Additionally, BMW inhibited the growth of the EL-4, L5178Y-R and colon26-M3.1 cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo evaluation of the anti-metastasis activity of BMW in BALB/c mice inoculated with the colon26-M3.1 cell line revealed dose-dependent inhibition in response to treatment with samples that were diluted by up to 9 times. Finally, treatment with BMW effectively suppressed the growth of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) added human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Overall, these results suggest that BMW has anti-cancer activity.