• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.11-19
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• 2015

Background Wound healing is an interaction of a complex signaling cascade of cellular events, including inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. $K^+$ channels modulate the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Here, we investigated whether $K^+$ channel-activated MAPK signaling directs collagen synthesis and angiogenesis in wound healing. Methods The human skin fibroblast HS27 cell line was used to examine cell viability and collagen synthesis after potassium chloride (KCl) treatment by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and western blotting. To investigate whether $K^+$ ion channels function upstream of MAPK signaling, thus affecting collagen synthesis and angiogenesis, we examined alteration of MAPK expression after treatment with KCl (channel inhibitor), NS1619 (channel activator), or kinase inhibitors. To research the effect of KCl on angiogenesis, angiogenesis-related proteins such as thrombospondin 1 (TSP1), anti-angiogenic factor, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pro-angiogenic factor were assayed by western blot. Results The viability of HS27 cells was not affected by 25 mM KCl. Collagen synthesis increased dependent on time and concentration of KCl exposure. The phosphorylations of MAPK proteins such as extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and p38 increased about 2.5-3 fold in the KCl treatment cells and were inhibited by treatment of NS1619. TSP1 expression increased by 100%, bFGF expression decreased by 40%, and there is no significant differences in the VEGF level by KCl treatment, TSP1 was inhibited by NS1619 or kinase inhibitors. Conclusions Our results suggest that KCl may function as a therapeutic agent for wound healing in the skin through MAPK signaling mediated by the $K^+$ ion channel.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제8권3호
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• pp.127-135
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• 2002

Anterior subcapsular cataract was developed by opacification with transdifferentiation and abnormal proliferation of lens epithelial cells (LECs) and pathological accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). After-cataract also be caused by a similar transdifferentiation of LECs remaining after surgery and the accompanying increase of ECM deposits. It is blown that prostaglandin E2 and cytokine, such as TGF-$\beta$, bFGF, and IL-1, were associated with abnormal proliferation and transdifferentiation of LECs. The aim of this study was to detect the expression of transforming growth factor-$\alpha$ (TGF-$\alpha$), transforming growth factor-$\beta_1$(TGF-$\beta_1$) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in LECs of senile and diabetic cataract. The expressions of these growth factors in lens epithelial cells were determined. The sample for growth factor determination were collected in senile cataract patients without metabolic disorder, especially diabetes mellitus and diabetic cataract patients. The mRNA expression of growth factors was detected by semi-quantitative reverse transcription - polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) followed by Southern blot analysis. Statistics were analysed using Wilcoxon rank sum test. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR/southern analysis of RNA obtained from thirty surgical specimens demonstrated that the level of mRNA expression of TGF-$\alpha$, -$\beta_1$ and bFGF was increased in diabetic cataract lens tissues compared with senile cataract specimens but non-significant, bFGF and TGF-$\beta_1$ mRNA expression were detected in most patients, expression level of TGF-$\beta_1$ was most high on the basis of normal ocular concentration. Detection rate of TGF-$\alpha$ in diabetic cataract was 1.5 fold higher than in senile cataract (P=0.098). TGF-$\alpha$, TGF-$\beta_1$, and bFGF mRNA expression of LECs were detected in senile and diabetic cataract. In both patient groups, expression level of TGF-$\beta_1$, mRNA was high, so We suggest TGF-$\beta_1$ strong influence in development of senile cataract and of diabetic cataract also. TGF-$\alpha$ expression level was similar but more frequently detected in diabetic cataract than in senile cataract. In conclusion, TGF-$\alpha$ may be associated with early development of diabetic cataract.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.117-125
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• 2019

Mebendazole (MBZ), a microtubule depolymerizing drug commonly used for the treatment of helminthic infections, has recently been noted as a repositioning candidate for angiogenesis inhibition and cancer therapy. However, the definite anti-angiogenic mechanism of MBZ remains unclear. In this study, we explored the inhibitory mechanism of MBZ in endothelial cells (ECs) and developed a novel strategy to improve its anti-angiogenic therapy. Treatment of ECs with MBZ led to inhibition of EC proliferation in a dose-dependent manner in several culture conditions in the presence of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) or FBS, without selectivity of growth factors, although MBZ is known to inhibit VEGF receptor 2 kinase. Furthermore, MBZ inhibited EC migration and tube formation induced by either VEGF or bFGF. However, unexpectedly, treatment of MBZ did not affect FAK and ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by these factors. Treatment with MBZ induced shrinking of ECs and caused G2-M arrest and apoptosis with an increased Sub-G1 fraction. In addition, increased levels of nuclear fragmentation, p53 expression, and active form of caspase 3 were observed. The marked induction of autophagy by MBZ was also noted. Interestingly, inhibition of autophagy through knocking down of Beclin1 or ATG5/7, or treatment with autophagy inhibitors such as 3-methyladenine and chloroquine resulted in marked enhancement of anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of MBZ in ECs. Consequently, we suggest that MBZ induces autophagy in ECs and that protective autophagy can be a novel target for enhancing the anti-angiogenic efficacy of MBZ in cancer treatment.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• 제23권1호
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• pp.224-249
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• 2023

Gastric cancer is heterogeneous in morphology, biology, genomics, and treatment response. Alterations in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpression, microsatellite instability (MSI) status, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) levels, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) can be used as biomarkers. Since the combination of fluoropyrimidine/platinum plus trastuzumab that was investigated in the ToGA trial was approved as a standard of care in HER2-positive patients in 2010, no other agents showed efficacy in the first- (HELOISE, LOGiC, JACOB trials) and second- (TyTAN, GATSBY, T-ACT trials) line treatments. Despite the success in treating breast cancer, various anti-HER2 agents, including a monoclonal antibody (pertuzumab), an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC; trastuzumab emtansine [T-DM1]), and a small molecule (lapatinib) failed to translate into clinical benefits until the KEYNOTE-811 (first-line) and DESTINY-Gastri01 (≥second-line) trials were conducted. The incorporation of HER2-directed treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors in the form of a monoclonal antibody or ADC is now approved as a standard treatment. Despite the promising results of new agents (engineered monoclonal antibodies, bi-specific antibodies, fusion proteins, and small molecules) in the early phase of development, the management of HER2-positive gastric cancer requires further optimization to achieve precision medicine with a chemotherapeutic backbone. Treatment resistance is a complex process that can be overcome using a combination of chemotherapy, targeted agents, and immune checkpoint inhibitors, including novel agents. HER2 status must be reassessed in patients undergoing anti-HER2 treatment with disease progression after the first-line treatment. As a general guideline, patients who need systemic treatment should receive chemotherapy plus targeted agents, anti-angiogenic agents, immune checkpoint inhibitors, or their combinations.

• 대한의생명과학회지
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• 제12권1호
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• pp.9-16
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• 2006

We investigated the effects of 835-MHz electromagnetic field (EMF), one of the most popular communication frequency band in Korean code-division multiple-access (CDMA) mobile phone system, on cellular signal transduction. For this, we examined the change of intracellular calcium $([Ca^{2+}]_i)$, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and F-actin polymerization after exposure to 835-MHz EMF followed by the treatment of agonists in Rat-2 fibroblast cells. Culture cells were pretreated with serum-tree medium and concomitantly exposed to 835-MHz at specific absorption rate (SAR) of 4.0 W/kg for 24 hr in a specialized designed apparatus based on Transverse Electro Magnetics (TEM) wave theory. Intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ responses to lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in Rat-2 fibroblast after exposure to 835-MHz EMF were shown to be similar pattern as observed in normal cultured cells. However, the LPA-induced calcium spiking was slightly delayed to 7 sec and sustained thereafter to a little higher ground level under 835-MHz EMF radiation compared to unexposed cells. ROS production level by LPA in the exposed cells was not different from that in control. Furthermore, LPA induced the production of stress fibers with no significant difference in the exposed and unexposed cells. These results suggest that mobile phone radiation (835-MHz, SAR 4.0 W/kg) may not be directly related to signal transduction in Rat-2 fibroblasts except the slight effect of calcium spiking in LPA-induced cells but remain to be further elucidated for possible indirect intervention.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• 제33권4호
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• pp.331-339
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• 2007

Background: Distraction osteogenesis(DO) is a useful method for treating cases demanding the generation of new bone. During DO, the angiogenic activity is crucial factor in the new bone formation. The aim of this study was to detect the autocrine growth activity in the cellular components of the distracted bone with observation of the co-expression of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and its receptors following the mandibular DO. Materials and methods: Unilateral mandibular distraction(0.5 mm twice per day for 10 days) was performed in six mongrel dogs. Two animals were killed at 7, 14, and 28 days after completion of distraction, respectively. Immediately after the animals were killed, the right mandibles were harvested en block. Immunohistochemical staining was processed for observation of the VEGF expression, and double immunofluorescent staining was also processed for detection of the co-expression of osteocalcin and VEGF's two distinct receptors(VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2). Results: At 7 and 14 days after distraction, the expressions of VEGF were significantly increased in the osteogenic cells of the distracted bone. Up to 28 days after distraction, VEGF was still expressed moderate in the osteoblastic cells of distracted bone. The co-expressions of osteocalcin/VEGFR-1 and osteocalcin/VEGFR-2 were observed in the distracted bone at 7 and 14 days after distraction. In the double immunofluorescent staining, the co-expression' s level of osteocalcin/VEGFR-1 was more than that of osteocalcin/VEGFR-2. Conclusion: Taken together, this study suggested that VEGF plays an important role in the osteogenesis, and these osteoblastic cell-derived VEGF might act as autocrine growth factor during distraction osteogenesis. In the other word, the cellular components, such as osteoblasts and immature fibroblast-like cellsor mesenchymal cells in the distracted bone, might have autocrine growth activity during distraction osteogenesis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• 제41권3호
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• pp.411-418
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• 2017

Background: Recently, protein from ginseng was studied and used for the treatment of several kinds of diseases. However, the effect of ginseng total protein (GTP) on proliferation and wound healing in fibroblast cells remains unclear. Methods: In this study, cell viability was analyzed using the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide] assay. Cell cycle distribution was analyzed by flow cytometer. The levels of transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$, vascular endothelial growth factor, and collagens were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunofluorescence staining. The expressions of cyclin A, phosphorylation of extracellular signal-related kinase (p-ERK1/2), and ERK1/2 were analyzed by Western blotting. Results: Our results showed that GTP promoted cell proliferation and increased the percentage of cells in S phase through the upregulation of cyclin A in NIH/3T3 cells. We also found that GTP induced the secretion of type I collagen, and promoted the expression of other factors that regulate the synthesis of collagen such as transforming growth factor ${\beta}1$ and vascular endothelial growth factor. In addition, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 at Thr202/Tyr204 was also increased by GTP. Conclusion: Our studies suggest that GTP promoted proliferation and secretion of collagen in NIH/3T3 cells by activating the ERK signal pathway, which shed light on a potential function of GTP in promoting wound healing.

• 동의생리병리학회지
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.356-361
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• 2017

Houttuyniae Herba is widely used as a cosmetic for enhancing hair growth, and study on promoting mouse hair growth has also been reported. However, studies on the effects of the Houttuyniae Herba on dermal papilla (DP) cells, which play an important role in hair growth, are not well known. For this reason, we studied the effect of Houttuyniae Herba on DP cells. The strong antioxidant activity of Houttuyniae Herba was confirmed by ABTS assay. In the MTS assay, cell viability was reduced to 94.5% in DP cells by treatment of 2 mg/ml concentration of Houttuyniae Herb and cytotoxicity was not observed at 1 mg/ml concentration. The mRNA expression levels of Bone morphogenetic pretein (BMP6), fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7), FGF10, and ${\beta}$-galactosidase genes, which are involved in hair growth cycle and hair loss induction, were measured by quantitative RT-PCR after Houttuyniae Herbtreatment. Houttuyniae Herb did not significantly affect mRNA expression of BMP6, FGF7, FGF10, and ${\beta}$-catenin, which are important factors for regulating the hair cycle, including type 1 $5{\alpha}$-reductase. However, mRNA expression of type 2 $5{\alpha}$-reductase, the major cause of male hair loss, was significantly reduced to 56.1% by treatment of Houttuyniae Herbtreatment. Taken together, these results suggest that the Houttuyniae Herbtreatment can help to treat lair loss through removing free radicals and suppression of the expression level of type 2 $5{\alpha}$-reductase in DP cells.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제25권6호
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• pp.565-574
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• 2021

Astrocytes are activated in response to brain damage. Here, we found that expression of Kir4.1, a major potassium channel in astrocytes, is increased in activated astrocytes in the injured brain together with upregulation of the neural stem cell markers, Sox2 and Nestin. Expression of Kir4.1 was also increased together with that of Nestin and Sox2 in neurospheres formed from dissociated P7 mouse brains. Using the Kir4.1 blocker BaCl₂ to determine whether Kir4.1 is involved in acquisition of stemness, we found that inhibition of Kir4.1 activity caused a concentration-dependent increase in sphere size and Sox2 levels, but had little effect on Nestin levels. Moreover, induction of differentiation of cultured neural stem cells by withdrawing epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor from the culture medium caused a sharp initial increase in Kir4.1 expression followed by a decrease, whereas Sox2 and Nestin levels continuously decreased. Inhibition of Kir4.1 had no effect on expression levels of Sox2 or Nestin, or the astrocyte and neuron markers glial fibrillary acidic protein and β-tubulin III, respectively. Taken together, these results indicate that Kir4.1 may control gain of stemness but not differentiation of stem cells.

• 대한소아치과학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.539-547
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• 2008

Apert syndrome은 관상봉합의 조기유합에 의한 첨두증(acrocephaly)과 합지증(syndactyly)이 함께 나타나는 선천성 유전 질환으로서, 1906년 Apert에 의해 보고된 증후군이다. 약 $65,000{\sim}160,000$ 당 1명꼴로 발생되며, FGFR2(fibroblast growth factor receptor 2)의 돌연변이로 생겨난다고 알려져 있고, 상염색체 우성 유전을 한다. 임상적으로 첨단두증(acrobrachycephaly)을 보이고, 특징적으로 손과 발의 합지증을 보이며, 높은 이마와 평평한 뒤통수, 후퇴된 중안면부, 안구돌출, 시력이상, 양안격리증, 밑으로 쳐진 안검열, 상악골 형성부전, 상대적인 하악 전돌의 양상 등을 보인다. 감소된 비강인두와 좁아진 후비공으로 인한 구호흡과 전방부 개교를 보이며, 이완시에 입술의 모양은 사다리꼴 형태를 보인다. 중이염이 흔하고, 청각장애를 유발하기도 하며, 정신지체가 높은 비율로 나타난다. 특징적인 구내소견으로 연구개열 또는 구개수열과 가성 경구개열, V자 모양의 악궁과 치열의 총생 등이 관찰되며, 전치부 개방교합과 구치부 교차교합을 동반한 Class III 부정교합을 보인다. 본 증례는 강릉대학교 치과병원 소아치과에 내원한 6세 3개월의 남아로 충치 치료를 받고 싶다는 것을 주소로 내원하였다. 이 환자에서 보이는 Apert syndrome의 특징적인 치과적 소견에 대해 보고하는 바이다.