• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.228-234
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• 2000

We have synthesized a novel platinum(II) coordination complex containing trans-ι-1,2-diaminocy-clohexane (DACH) as a carrier ligand and 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) as a leaving group. A new series of [Pt(trans-ι-DACH)(DCE)](PC) was evaluated for its cytotoxic activity on MKN-45 human gastric adenocar-cinoma cells and normal primary cultured kidney cells. The new platinum complex has demonstrated high efficacy in the cytotoxicity against MKN-45/P, MKN-45/ADM and MKN-45/CDDP cell-lines. The cytotoxicity of PC against rabbit proximal renal tubular cells, human renal cortical cells and human renal cortical tissues, determined by MTT assay, the [$^3H$]-thymidine uptake arid glucose consumption tests, was found to be quite less than those of cisplatin. Based on these results, this novel platinum(II) coordination complex appears to be better for improving antitumor activities with low nephrotoxicity and is a valuable lead in the development of new, clinically available anticancer chemotherapeutic agents.

• Kidney Research and Clinical Practice
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2016

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, and its pathogenesis is complex and has not yet been fully elucidated. Abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism is key to understanding the pathogenesis of DN, which can develop in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. A hallmark of this disease is the accumulation of glucose and lipids in renal cells, resulting in oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, intracellular hypoxia, and inflammation, eventually leading to glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis. There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that dysregulation of 50 adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an enzyme that plays a principal role in cell growth and cellular energy homeostasis, in relevant tissues is a key component of the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes mellitus; thus, targeting this enzyme may ameliorate some pathologic features of this disease. AMPK regulates the coordination of anabolic processes, with its activation proven to improve glucose and lipid homeostasis in insulin-resistant animal models, as well as demonstrating mitochondrial biogenesis and antitumor activity. In this review, we discuss new findings regarding the role of AMPK in the pathogenesis of DN and offer suggestions for feasible clinical use and future studies of the role of AMPK activators in this disorder.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.44-47
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• 2004

Loranthus tanakae Fr. et Sav. (Loranthaceae) is a species of mistletoe, a semiparasitic plant growing on the branches of Quercus and Betula species as host trees. In our ongoing search for bioactive compounds from endemic species in Korea, we have investigated to isolate the chemical constituents responsible for the antitumor effect of the MeOH extract of L. tanakae. The ethyl acetate soluble part of the MeOH extract demonstrated a marginal inhibition on the proliferation of the tumor cell lines such as A549 (non small cell lung), SK-OV-3 (ovary), SK-MEL-2 (melanoma), XF498 (central nerve system), and HCT-15 (colon) in vitro. Thus, the activity-guided isolation procedure upon the ethyl acetate soluble part of the extract has been carried out and finally four flavonoid rhamnopyranosides (1-4) were isolated as active principle. The structures of 1-4 were elucidated by the physicochemical and spectral data as rhamnetin 3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnoside (1), quercetin 3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnoside (2), rhamnocitrin 3-O-$\alpha$rhamnoside (3), and kaempferol 3-O-$\alpha$-L-rhamnoside (4).

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.81-86
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• 2019

A yellow resin (gamboge) from Garcinia hanburyi has been widely used as folk medicine due to its antibacterial and antitumor activities. We isolated four ${\alpha}$-glucosidase inhibitory compounds from the methanol extract of gamboge. The compounds (1-4) were identified as gambogoic acid (1), moreollic acid (2), gambogic acid (3), and 10-methoxygambogenic acid (4), respectively through spectroscopic data including 2D-NMR and HREIMS. All compounds were examined in the enzyme inhibition assay against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase to identify their inhibitory potencies and kinetic behavior. All compounds (1-4) showed enzyme inhibition against ${\alpha}$-glucosidase, but the activity was significantly affected by the methoxy group on C-10 of ring A and pentenyl pyran moiety of ring D. For example, compound 1 ($IC_{50}=41.4{\mu}M$) bearing pyran ring eight times effective that 4 ($IC_{50}=350.6{\mu}M$) having geranyl group itself. Most active compound was found out to be gambogoic acid (1) which was analyzed most abundant metabolite in gamboge by LC-ESI-MS/MS. In kinetic study, compounds 1 and 2 were proved as noncompetitive inhibitors.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.869-876
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• 2022

Methylglyoxal (MG) is a dicarbonyl compound formed in cells mainly by the spontaneous degradation of the triose phosphate intermediates of glycolysis. MG is a powerful precursor of advanced glycation end products, which lead to strong dicarbonyl and oxidative stress. Although divergent functions of MG have been observed depending on its concentration, MG is considered to be a potential antitumor factor due to its cytotoxic effects within the oncologic domain. MG detoxification is carried out by the glyoxalase system. Glyoxalase 1 (Glo1), the ubiquitous glutathionedependent enzyme responsible for MG degradation, is considered to be a tumor promoting factor due to it catalyzing the removal of cytotoxic MG. Indeed, various cancer types exhibit increased expression and activity of Glo1 that closely correlate with tumor cell growth and metastasis. Furthermore, mounting evidence suggests that Glo1 contributes to cancer stem cell survival. In this review, we discuss the role of Glo1 in the malignant progression of cancer and its possible use as a promising therapeutic target for tumor therapy. We also summarize therapeutic outcomes of Glo1 inhibitors as prospective treatments for the prevention of cancer.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.68-72
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• 2023

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most fatal cancers with a poor prognosis. Standard chemotherapies have proven largely ineffective because of their toxicity and the development of resistance. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel therapies. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of MS-5, a naphthalene derivative, on BxPC-3, a human pancreatic cancer cell line. We observed that MS-5 was cytotoxic to BxPC-3 cells, as well as inhibited the growth of cells in a concentration- and time- dependent manner. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that the percentage of annexin V-positive cells increased after MS-5 treatment. We also observed cleavage of caspases and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and downregulation of Bcl-xL protein. Flow cytometry analysis of intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial superoxide suggested that MS-5 induced the generation of mitochondrial superoxide while lowering the overall intracellular ROS levels. Thus, MS-5 may be potential candidate for pancreatic cancer treatment.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.692-699
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• 2023

The lack of molecular targets hampers the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In this study, we determined the cytotoxicity of domperidone, a dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) antagonist in human TNBC BT-549 and CAL-51 cells. Domperidone inhibited cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The annexin V/propidium iodide staining showed that domperidone induced apoptosis. The domperidone-induced apoptosis was accompanied by the generation of mitochondrial superoxide and the down-regulation of cyclins and CDKs. The apoptotic effect of domperidone on TNBC cells was prevented by pre-treatment with Mito-TEMPO, a mitochondria-specific antioxidant. The prevention of apoptosis with Mito-TEMPO even at concentrations as low as 100 nM, implies that the generation of mitochondrial ROS mediated the domperidone-induced apoptosis. Immunoblot analysis showed that domperidone-induced apoptosis occurred through the down-regulation of the phosphorylation of JAK2 and STAT3. Moreover, domperidone downregulated the levels of D2-like dopamine receptors including DRD2, regardless of their mRNA levels. Our results support further development of DRD2 antagonists as potential therapeutic strategy treating TNBC.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2020

Although being one of the major causes of malignancy related death globally, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not received much attention in respect of novel drug development. Fortunately, several new drugs were found to be effective and tolerable in patients with advanced HCC from a number of phase 3 studies during the recent several years. Novel multi-targeted kinase inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors were approved for clinical use, and combination strategies to maximize the potent of drugs demonstrated promising antitumor activity and safety with high response rate and improved safety profile. The increased number of available agents for HCC will contribute to change of treatment strategies and prognosis of patients with advanced HCC. Still, there is a many critical questions remain unanswered. Currently ongoing trials and future studies will provide better understanding of tumor biology and optimized criteria for patient selection and combination therapies.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.69-78
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• 2017

Cordyceps militaris has been used in traditional Chinese medicine owing to its anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Germanium compounds have also been shown to be associated with many pharmacological functions, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, antimutagenic, and immunomodulating effects. In this study, we examined the biological properties of hot water extract from mycelial liquid culture of germanium-enriched C. militaris (CMGe). CMGe displayed a concentration-dependent antiproliferation activity against four human cancer cell lines. The antiproliferative activity of CMGe was 2-4-fold lower than that of hot water extract from mycelial liquid culture in C. militaris (CM). However, CM had a concentration-dependent cytotoxicity to human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Contrastingly, CMGe did not cause any cellular damage to MSCs. MSCs cultured with CMGe displayed an increased proliferative activity with no cytotoxic effect. The oral administration of CMGe inhibited increased tumor volume and weight compared with the control group. CMGe has the potential to be used as an industrial product in medicinal foods as well as in pharmaceutical products.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.173-178
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• 2005

Antitumor activities of methanol extract from onion Kochujang (MEOK) were investigated by using aflatoxin $B_{1}-mediated$ Salmonella typhimurium mutagenicity and the model of cytotoxicity on the cancer cell lines. Their immune activities were also investigated using mouse spleen cells and macrophage cell lines, respectively. MEOK showed the enhanced antimutagenicity in a dose-dependent manner. relative to the control group. MEOK decreased over $20\%$ of the proliferation of the A549(lung cancer cell) and MCF(breast cancer cell) cell lines at $1,000\;{\mu}g/mL$ concentration compared with the control cells. The proliferation of mouse spleen cells and the NO production in marcrophage cell lines treated MEOK were increased in a dose-dependent manner, respectively. The activities were higher than that of the control(no added onion) Kochujang.