• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2014

Cigarette smoke is considered a major risk factor for vascular diseases. There are many toxic compounds in cigarette smoke, including acrolein and other ${\alpha},{\beta}$-unsaturated aldehydes, which are regarded as mediators of inflammation and vascular dysfunction. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that acrolein, an ${\alpha},{\beta}$-unsaturated aldehyde in cigarette smoke, induces inflammatory mediator expression, which is known to be related to vascular diseases. In this study, we investigated whether Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) water extract suppressed acrolein-induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Acrolein-induced COX-2 expression was accompanied by increased levels of phosphorylated p38 in HUVECs and KRG inhibited COX-2 expression in HUVECs. These results suggest that KRG suppresses acrolein-induced COX-2 expression via inhibition of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. In addition, KRG exhibited an inhibitory effect on acrolein-induced apoptosis, as demonstrated by annexin Vepropidium iodide staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay. Consistent with these results, KRG may exert a vasculoprotective effect through inhibition of COX-2 expression in acrolein-stimulated human endothelial cells.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2003

Selective COX (cyclooxygenase)-2 inhibitors including celecoxib have been shown to induce apoptosis and cell cycle changes in various tumor cells. New inhibitors are recently being developed as chemomodulating agents. We evaluated celecoxib and screened 150 synthetic compounds for anti-proliferative activities in vitro. Effects of celecoxib on COX activity, cell growth, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis induction were determined in A549 COX-2 overexpressing human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. The COX inhibition of celecoxib increased with concentration up to 82% at $1\;{\mu}M$ after 24 hr exposure. Forty ${\mu}M$ and $50\;{\mu}M$ of ce1ecoxib induced $G_1$ arrest, and TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells, respectively. Among 150 compounds, several compounds were selected for having greater COX-2 inhibitory activity and higher selectivity than celecoxib with growth inhibitory activity. Celecoxib showed concentration-dependent COX inhibitory activity, and ability to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in human NSCLC cells in vitro. Among synthetic analogues screened, several compounds showed promising in vitro activity as COX-2 inhibitory anticancer agents, which warrant further evaluation in vitro and in vivo.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.153-159
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• 2003

When available rainfall data is not sufficient, a rough tendency of I-D-F relationship appeared frequently. In fact, rainfall intensity on the curve shows abnormally higher value the longer rainfall duration is applied that gives rise to great confusion to apply a rainfall I-D-F relationships curve to a practical work, however, the research work will present a way to solve above mentioned problem by the use of the Box-Cox transformation formula for a given rainfall data. The study came to a conclusion that the Box-Cox transformation formula is satisfied to utilize in a practical work on the ground of analysis for rainfall data of Sancheong and Yeongcheon.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.172-177
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• 2017

Fucoidan, a cell wall polysaccharide found in the brown seaweed, is reported to have broad-spectrum biological activities. The objectives of this study were to examine the effect of fucoidan on prostaglandin $E_2$ ($PGE_2$) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and to determine whether these effects are involved in Akt activation. The levels of $PGE_2$ production in the culture supernatants from PBMCs were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and the levels of COX-2 mRNA were measured by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Akt activity was determined by Western blot analysis. Fucoidan in LPS-$na{\ddot{i}ve}$ PBMCs has no effect on $PGE_2$ production and COX-2 mRNA expression. Furthermore, fucoidan does not affect Akt activation in LPS- $na{\ddot{i}ve}$ PBMCs. However, $PGE_2$ production and COX-2 mRNA expression on PBMCs were remarkably enhanced by LPS stimulation. Akt activity was also increased by LPS. Increasing effects of $PGE_2$ production and COX-2 mRNA expression in PBMCs induced by LPS were suppressed by addition of fucoidan. In addition, fucoidan reduced an increase in Akt activity in LPS-stimulated PBMCs. These results suggested that fucoidan exerts potent anti-inflammatory properties by suppression of $PGE_2$ production, COX-2 mRNA expression and Akt activation in LPS-stimulated PBMCs.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.1591-1595
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• 2002

Familial adenomatous polyposis(FAP) is an autosomal dominant disease characterized by numerous adenomas in the colorectum. Patients with FAP are always at risk of malignant transformation, so that colectomy is unavoidable. NSAID, such as sulindac, and selective COX-2 inhibitor, such as celecoxib, have shown a positive effect on FAP by causing polyp regression in some patients. We report a case of FAP in a 9-year-old female whose polyposis regressed markedly after six months-treatment with celecoxib.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.558-566
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• 1998

Two isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) have been identified - COX-1, which is constitlitively expressed in most tissues, and the inducible form, COX-2, of which expression is induced by inflammatory signals and mitogens. It has been considered that the beneficial effects of NSAIDs are due to the inhibition of COX-2 activity and the side effects are from the inhibition of COX-1 activity. Therefore, it is essential to develop selective COX-2 inhibitor for developing new GI-tolerable NSAIDS. To discover new leads for developing selective COX-2 inhibitors, three-hundred extracts of natural products were primarily screened with the system of prostaglandin accumulation in LPS-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages. To identify whether these inhibitory activities of crude extracts on the accumulation of Prostaglandins were derived from direct action against COX-2, the effects of selected extracts on exogenous arachidonic acid-derived production of prostaglandins by LPS-stimulated macrophages were determined. Among them, 5 methanol extracts of natural products, such as Zingiberis Rhizoma, Alpinae Officinarum Rhizoma, Caryophilli Flos, Scutellariae Radix, Dalbergia ordorifera. inhibited more than 70% of the prostaglandin production in LPS-stimulated mouse peritoneal macrophages at a con-centration of 1${\mu}$g/ml.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.19-28
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• 1997

Constitutive cyclooxygenase (COX-I) is present in cells under physiological conditions, whereas inducible cyclooxygenase (COX-II) is induced by some cytokines, mitogens, and endotoxin presumably in pathological conditions such as inflammation. We have evaluated the inhibitory effects of solvent fractionated extracts of natural products on the activities of COX-I and COX-II. Oxygen uptake COX assay was performed, as a primary screening from the tissue extracts of bovine seminal vesicles (BSV), by monitoring the initial rate of oxygen uptake using an oxygen electrode. Additionally, we evaluated plant extracts for the inhibitory effects of COX-I (in HEL cells) and COX-II (in lipopolysaccharide activated J774A.1 macrophages) using thin layer chromatography of prostanoids produced from $^{14}C-labelled$ arachidonic acid (AA). The use of such models of COX-I and COX-II assay will lead to the identification of specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenases with presumably less side effects than present therapies. Inhibitory effects of 50 kinds of plant extracts on the COX-I and COX-II activities were determined and the active fractions were found in the ethyl acetate fractions of Dryopteris crassirhizoma (roots), Amomum cardamomum (roots), Triticum aestivum (seeds), Perilla sikokiana (leaves), Anemarrhena asphodeloides (roots). Especially, the ethyl acetate fraction of Dryopteris crassirhizoma (roots), which exhibited the strong inhibition against BSV COX $(IC_{50},\;65.4\;{\mu}g/ml)$, COX-I $(IC_{50},\;8.5\;{\mu}g/ml)$, and COX-II $(IC_{50},\;17.2\;{\mu}g/ml)$, is under investigation to isolate active principles using activity-guided fractionation method.

• Journal of Radiation Protection and Research
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2015

The basic concepts of radiation-induced skin damage have been established, the biological mechanism has not been studied. In this study, we have examined the effects of gamma rays on skin injury and cyclooxygenase(COX)-2 expression. Gamma irradiation induced clinicopathological changes in a dose- and time-dependent manner in mini-pig skin. The histological changes were consistent with the changes in gross appearance at 12 weeks after irradiation. After three days' irradiation, apoptotic cells in the basal layer were found more frequently in irradiated skin than in normal skin, with the magnitude of the effect being dose-dependent. The thickness of the epidermis transiently increased 3 days after irradiation, and then gradually decreased, although changes in the epithelial thickness of the irradiated field were not observed with irradiation doses over 50 Gy. In the epithelium, there was an initial degenerative phase, during which the rate of basal cell depletion was dependent on the radiation dose (20-70 Gy). One week after irradiation, COX-2 expression was mostly limited to the basal cell layer and was scattered across these cells. High COX-2 expression was detected throughout the full depth of the skin after irradiation. The COX-2 protein is upregulated after irradiation in mini-pig skin. These histological changes associated with radiation exposure dose cause the increased COX-2 expression in a dose-dependent fashion.

• The Journal of the Korean Society for Microbiology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.479-489
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• 1999

Invasion of enteric bacteria, such as Salmonella and invasive E. coli, into intestinal epithelial cells induces proinflammatory gene responses and finally epithelial cell apoptosis. In this study, we asked whether invasive bacterial infection of human intestinal epithelial cells could upregulate cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene expression and whether increased COX-2 expression could influence intestinal epithelial cell apoptosis. Expression of COX-2 mRNA and prostaglandin (PG) $E_2$ production were upregulated in HT-29 colon epithelial cells which were infected with S. dublin or invasive E. coli, as examined by quantitative RT-PCR and radioimmunoassay. Inhibition of COX-2 expression and $PGE_2$ production using NS-398, a specific COX-2 inhibitor, showed a significant increase of epithelial cell apoptosis and caspase-3 activation in HT-29 cells infected with invasive bacteria. However, the addition of valerylsalicylate, a specific COX-1 inhibitor, did not change apoptosis in S. dublin-infected HT-29 cells. These results suggest that up regulated COX-2 expression and $PGE_2$ production in response to invasive bacterial infection could contribute to host defense by inhibiting apoptosis of intestinal epithelial cells.

• BMB Reports
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2014

Aspirin has been demonstrated to be effective in inhibiting COX-2 and $PGE_2$ in Alveolar macrophages (AMs). However, the mechanisms have not been fully understood. In the present study, we found that pretreatment with aspirin inhibited LPS-induced COX-2 and$PGE_2$ upregulation, $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, NF-${\kappa}B$ activation and the increase of PKC activity, but elevated LPS-induced the decrease of PTP activity. The PKC inhibitor calphostin C dramatically reduced the COX-2 mRNA and $PGE_2$ levels, but the PTP inhibitor peroxovanadium (POV) significantly increased the COX-2 mRNA and$PGE_2$ levels. Furthermore, the PTP inhibitor mitigated the inhibitory effect of aspirin on COX-2 and$PGE_2$ upregulation and NF-${\kappa}B$ activation, whereas the PKC inhibitor enhanced the inhibitory effects of aspirin on the production of COX-2 and$PGE_2$. Our data indicate a novel mechanism by which aspirin acts as a potent anti-inflammatory agent in alveolus macrophages and ALI.