• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.173-179
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• 2013

Since the identification and characterization of toll-like receptors (TLR) in Drosophila, numerous scientific studies have examined the role of TLRs in host innate immunity. Recent studies have suggested a convergence of the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-${\kappa}B$) signaling and cytokine production regulated by the cytosolic elicitor known as NLRs (nucleotide-binding domain and leucine-rich repeat containing domain receptors) as a key modulator in inflammatory diseases. Among the NLRs, NOD1 and NOD2 have been intensively investigated for its role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). On the other hand, NLRs such as NLRP3, NLRP1, and NLRC4 (also known as IPAF) have been identified to form the inflammasome to activate downstream signaling molecules in response to pathogenic microbes. There is evidence to suggest that substantial crosstalk exists for the TLR and NLR signaling pathway in response to pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP). However, the substrate and the mechanistic role of NLRs are largely unknown in innate immune response. Understanding the signaling mechanisms by which NLRs recognize PAMP and other danger signals will shed light on elucidating the pathogenesis of various human inflammatory diseases such as IBD.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.5-7
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• 2003

NADPH is an essential co-factor for fat and cholesterol biosynthesis. However, the role of cytosolic NADP$\^$＋/-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDPc), a putative NADPH producer, in the control of the fat and cholesterol metabolism has not been assessed. Here we report that increased or decreased IDPc expression in 3T3-Ll fat cells promoted or retarded adipogenesis, respectively. Furthermore, overexpression of IDPc in transgenic mice exhibited fatty liver, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia and obesity by increasing NADPH production leading to subsequent stimulation of acetyl-coenzyme A and malonyl-coenzyme A consumption. In contrast, administrations of a synthetic IDPc inhibitor, DAl1004, to ob/ob mice effectively reduced body weight with lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In addition, a positive relationship (${\gamma}$ = 0.69, $\rho$<0.0l) between plasma IDPc activity and body mass indexes was observed in 98 randomly-selected human volunteers. Our findings strongly indicate that NADPH produced by IDPc plays an important role in controlling body fat and lipid biosynthesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.14
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• pp.5801-5805
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• 2015

As a cytosolic transcription factor, the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor is involved in several pathophysiological events leading to immunosuppression and cancer; hence antagonists of the Ah receptor may possess chemoprevention properties. It is known to modulate carcinogen-metabolising enzymes, for instance the CYP1 family of cytochromes P450 and quinone reductase, both important in the biotransformation of many chemical carcinogens via regulating phase I and phase II enzyme systems. Utilising chemically-activated luciferase expression (CALUX) assay it was revealed that intact glucosinolates, glucoraphanin and glucoerucin, isolated from Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala sabellica and Eruca sativa ripe seeds, respectively, are such antagonists. Both glucosinolates were poor ligands for the Ah receptor; however, they effectively antagonised activation of the receptor by the avid ligand benzo[a]pyrene. Indeed, intact glucosinolate glucoraphanin was a more potent antagonist to the receptor than glucoerucin. It can be concluded that both glucosinolates effectively act as antagonists for the Ah receptor, and this may contribute to their established chemoprevention potency.

• BMB Reports
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.173-180
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• 2020

Galectin-3 is a carbohydrate-binding protein and regulates diverse functions, including cell proliferation and differentiation, mRNA splicing, apoptosis induction, immune surveillance and inflammation, cell adhesion, angiogenesis, and cancer-cell metastasis. Galectin-3 is also recommended as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker of various diseases, including heart disease, kidney disease, and cancer. Galectin-3 exists as a cytosol, is secreted in extracellular spaces on cells, and is also detected in nuclei. It has been found that galectin-3 has different functions in cellular localization: (i) Extracellular galectin-3 mediates cell attachment and detachment. (ii) cytosolic galectin-3 regulates cell survival by blocking the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, and (iii) nuclear galectin-3 supports the ability of the transcriptional factor for target gene expression. In this review, we focused on the role of galectin-3 on translocation from cytosol to nucleus, because it happens in a way independent of carbohydrate recognition and accelerates cancer progression. We also suggested here that intracellular galecin-3 could be a potent therapeutic target in cancer therapy.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.3241-3246
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• 2010

NHERF ($Na^+/H^+$ exchanger regulatory factor) and E3KARP (NHE3 kinase A regulatory protein) play important roles in membrane targeting, trafficking and sorting of ion channels, transmembrane receptors and signaling proteins in many tissues. Each of these proteins contains two PDZ (PSD-95/Dlg-1/ZO-1) domains, which mediate the assembly of transmembrane and cytosolic proteins into functional signal transduction complexes. The interaction between NHERF and E3KARP was investigated by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (BIAcore), fluorescence measurement, His-tagged pull-down experiment, and size-exclusion column (SEC) chromatography. BIAcore experiments revealed that NHERF bound to E3KARP with an apparent $K_D$ of 7 nM. Fluorescence emission spectra of the NHERF-E3KARP complex suggested that the tight interaction between these proteins was accompanied by significant conformational changes in one or both. The CD spectra of NHERF and E3KARP show that the conformational changes of these proteins were dependent on pH and temperature. These results implicate that the NHERF-E3KARP complex allows intracellular signaling complexes to form through PDZ-PDZ interactions.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.119-123
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• 2016

Acetylcholine receptors (AChR) including muscarinic and nicotinic AChR are widely expressed and mediate a variety of physiological cellular responses in neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Notably, a functional cholinergic system exists in oral epithelial cells, and nicotinic AChR (nAChR) mediates cholinergic anti-inflammatory responses. However, the pathophysiological roles of AChR in periodontitis are unclear. Here, we show that activation of AChR elicits increased cytosolic $Ca^{2+}([Ca^{2+}]_i)$, transient cytotoxicity, and induction of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) expression. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization in human gingival fibroblast-1 (hGF-1) cells was measured using the fluorescent $Ca^{2+}$ indicator, fura-2/AM. Cytotoxicity and induction of gene expression were evaluated by measuring the release of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and RT-PCR. Activation of AChR in hGF-1 cells by carbachol (Cch) induced $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ increase in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with a high concentration of Cch on hGF-1 cells caused transient cytotoxicity. Notably, treatment of hGF-1 cells with Cch resulted in upregulated RANKL expression. The findings may indicate potential roles of AChR in gingival fibroblast cells in bone remodeling.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.519-524
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• 2014

We have previously shown that 2,4,3',5'-tetramethoxystilbene (TMS), a trans-stilbene analogue, induces apoptosis in human cancer cells. However, the detailed mechanisms of mitochondria-dependent apoptosis induced by TMS are not fully understood. In the present study, the possible roles of annexin A5 in TMS-mediated apoptosis were investigated in MCF7 human breast cancer cells. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis and Western blot analysis showed that the expression of annexin A5 was strongly increased in TMS-treated cells. TMS caused a strong translocation of annexin A5 from cytosol into mitochondria. Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis clearly showed that TMS induced translocation of annexin A5 into mitochondria. TMS increased the expression and oligomerization of voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) 1, which may promote mitochondria-dependent apoptosis through disruption of mitochondrial membrane potential. When cells were treated with TMS, the levels of Bax, and Bak as well as annexin A5 were strongly enhanced. Moreover, we found that the cytosolic release of apoptogenic factors such as cytochrome c, or apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) in mitochondria was markedly increased. Annexin A5 depletion by siRNA led to decreased proapoptotic factors such as Bax, Bak, and annexin A5. Taken together, our results indicate that annexin A5 may play an important role in TMS-mediated mitochondrial apoptosis through the regulation of proapoptotic proteins and VDAC1 expression.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 1996.04a
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• pp.187-187
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• 1996

세포질에 존재하는 100 kDa Phospholipase $A_2$(cPLA$_2$)는 인지질의 sn-2 위치의 에스테르결합을 가수분해함으로서 Prostaglandin과 Leukotriene등 Eicosanoids 생합성의 전구체인 아라키돈산과 Platelet activating factor(PAF)를 생합성하는 전구체를 동시에 생성시키는 효소로 염증과 세포손상등에 중요한 역할이 기대된다. 본 효소의 활성화 기전을 규명하고자 하는 최근의 활발한 연구에도 불구하고 불명확한 점이 많은 것이 현실이다. 특히 세포를 자극하였을 때 유리되는 아라키돈산의 증가율과 세포를 파괴한 후 조제한 가용성분획에서 측정한 활성의 증가율과는 많은 차이를 나타냈다. 이러한 결과부터 cPLA$_2$ 효소 자체를 활성화시키는 어떤 인자를 가정하였다. 최근, PLA$_2$의 또다른 형태인 14 kDa의 분비성 PLA$_2$의 in vitro 활성을 증가시키는 인자가 동정되어 그 생화학적 특성이 규명되고 있으나 이 인자는 cPLA$_2$의 활성에는 아무런 증가효과를 나타내지 않았다. 본 연구자들은 소의 뇌조직에서 cPLA$_2$의 활성을 증가시키는 인자를 발견하고 그의 생화학적인 특성을 규명하였다. 돼지 비장에서 정제한 cPLA$_2$를 사용하였으며 소의 뇌 조직의 가용성 분획으로부터 본 활성화 인자를 동정하였으며 그 활성분획을 양이온 크로마토그라피로서 Mono S EPLC와 Superose 12 Sepharose gel filtration 크로마토그라피를 이용하여 더욱 분리한 결과 약 70 kDa과 25 kDa에서 각각 용출되었다. 이렇게 부분정제한 활성은 췌장에서 분리한 group I과 흰주의 group I과 흰주의 혈소판에서 분리한 group II PLA$_2$에 대해서는 아무런 증가효과를 나타내지 않는 반면, cPLA$_2$의 활성만을 약 5배 증가시켰다. 본 활성은 cPLA$_2$ 효소량의 증가에 따라 활성의 증가효과가 정차 감소하므로 화학량적인 반응(Stoichiometric reaction)일 것으로 예상되었다.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.303-307
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• 2006

Effect of Oenanthe javanica ethanol extract (OJE) on nuclear factor-${\kappa}B$ (NF-${\kappa}B$)-mediated inflammatory reaction in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells was investigated. The OJE dose-dependently inhibited secretions of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) and prostaglandins $E_2\;(PGE_2)$ from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells and blocked LPS-induced expression of cyclooxygenase-2. To clarify mechanistic basis for its inhibitions of NF-${\kappa}B$ and activator protein-1 (AP-1) activations, effects of OJE on activations of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 genes by luciferase reporter activity were examined. The LPS-stimulated activations of NF-${\kappa}B$ and AP-1 were significantly blocked by 400 and $600\;{\mu$}g/mL of OJE, implicating that OJE might regulate gene expression through more than one signaling pathway. Cytosolic degradation of I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ was inhibited by OJE dose-dependently, indicating that the nuclear translocation of p65 was inhibited by OJE. These findings suggest that the inhibition of LPS-stimulated COX-2 expression by OJE is due to its inhibition of NF-${\kappa}B$ activation by blocking I-${\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation, which may be mechanistic basis of anti-inflammatory effects of OJE.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.113-122
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• 2003

Objective : The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Gagamchunggan-tang on anti-inflammation reaction with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced HepG2 cell. Method : We examined the effects of the Gagamchunggan-tang, a traditional drug for liver inflammation, on the process of lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced nuclear factor-${\kappa}Bp65(NF-{\kappa}Bp65)$ activation in HepG2 cell. SDS-PAGE, Western blotting, Immunofluorescence staining were studied. Results : Immunoblot analysis showed that the level of nucleic $NF-{\kappa}Bp65$ was rapidly up-regulated and cytosolic inhibitory $I-{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ was down-regulated by LPS challenge. While Gagamchunggan-tang inhibited an increase of $NF-{\kappa}Bp65$ and degradation of $I-{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ in HepG2 cell. Besides LPS-induced expression of a group of genes, such as tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}(TNF-{\alpha})$, inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), are repressed by Gagamchunggan-tang. It may be concluded that Gagamchunggan-tang attenuates the progress of LPS-induced inflammation by reduction of $NF-{\kappa}Bp65$ activation. Conclusion : The Gagamchunggan-tang would be useful as a therapeutic agent for endotoxin-induced liver disease.