• BMB Reports
• /
• v.37 no.4
• /
• pp.480-486
• /
• 2004

Brain ischemia brings about hypoxic insults. Hypoxia is one of the major pathological factors inducing neuronal injury and central nervous system infection. We studied the involvement of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in hypoxia-induced apoptosis using cobalt chloride in C6 glioma cells. In vitro cytotoxicity of cobalt chloride was tested by MTT assay. Its $IC_{50}$ value was $400\;{\mu}M$. The DNA fragment became evident after incubation of the cells with $300\;{\mu}M$ cobalt chloride for 24 h. We also evidenced nuclear cleavage with morphological changes of the cells undergoing apoptosis with electron microscopy. Next, we examined the signal pathway of cobalt chloride-induced apoptosis in C6 cells. The activation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) started to increase at 1 h and was activated further at 6 h after treatment of 400 M cobalt chloride. In addition, pretreatment of PD98059 inhibited cobalt chloride-induced apoptotic cell morphology in Electron Microscopy. These results suggest that cobalt chloride is able to induce the apoptotic activity in C6 glioma cells, and its apoptotic mechanism may be associated with signal transduction via MAP kinase (ERK 1/2).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.23
• /
• pp.10407-10412
• /
• 2015

Background: ${\beta}$-elemene, extracted from herb medicine Curcuma wenyujin has potent anti-tumor effects in various cancer cell lines. However, the activity of ${\beta}$-elemene against glioma cells remains unclear. In the present study, we assessed effects of ${\beta}$-elemene on human glioma cells and explored the underlying mechanism. Materials and Methods: Human glioma U87 cells were used. Cell proliferation was determined with MTT assay and colony formation assay to detect the effect of ${\beta}$-elemene at different doses and times. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe cell apoptosis with Hoechst 33258 staining and change of glioma apoptosis and cell cycling were analyzed by flow cytometry. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western-blotting assay were performed to investigated the influence of ${\beta}$-elemene on expression levels of Fas/FasL, caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax. The experiment was divided into two groups: the blank control group and ${\beta}$-elemne treatment group. Results: With increase in the concentration of ${\beta}$-elemene, cytotoxic effects were enhanced in the glioma cell line and the concentration of inhibited cell viability ($IC_{50}$) was $48.5{\mu}g/mL$ for 24h. ${\beta}$-elemene could induce cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase. With Hoechst 33258 staining, apoptotic nuclear morphological changes were observed. Activation of caspase-3,-8 and -9 was increased and the pro-apoptotic factors Fas/FasL and Bax were upregulated, while the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 was downregulated after treatment with ${\beta}$-elemene at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, proliferation and colony formation by U87 cells were inhibited by ${\beta}$-elemene in a time and does-dependent manner. Conclusions: Our results indicate that ${\beta}$-elemene inhibits growth and induces apoptosis of human glioma cells in vitro. The induction of apoptosis appears to be related with the upregulation of Fas/FasL and Bax, activation of caspase-3,-8 and -9 and downregulation of Bcl-2, which then trigger major apoptotic cascades.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.12
• /
• pp.6211-6216
• /
• 2012

Objective: To investigate the effects of gambogic acid (GA) on the growth of human malignant glioma cells. Methods: U251MG and U87MG human glioma cell lines were treated with GA and growth and proliferation were investigated by MTT and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by annexin V FITC/PI flow cytometry, mitochondrial membrane potential assays and DAPI nuclear staining. Monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining and GFP-LC3 localisation were used to detect autophagy. Western blotting was used to investigate the molecular changes that occurred in the course of GA treatment. Results: GA treatment significantly suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation, induced apoptosis in U251 and U87MG glioblastoma cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. GA treatment also lead to the accumulation of monodansylcadaverine (MDC) in autophagic vacuoles, upregulated expressions of Atg5, Beclin 1 and LC3-II, and the increase of punctate fluorescent signals in glioblastoma cells pre-transfected with GFP-tagged LC3 plasmid. After the combination treatment of autophagy inhitors and GA, GA mediated growth inhibition and apoptotic cell death was further potentiated. Conclusion: Our results suggested that autophagic responses play roles as a self-protective mechanism in GA-treated glioblastoma cells, and autophagy inhibition could be a novel adjunctive strategy for enhancing chemotherapeutic effect of GA as an anti-malignant glioma agent.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.8
• /
• pp.3495-3501
• /
• 2014

Melanoma-associated antigen (MAGE) family genes have been considered as potentially promising targets for anticancer immunotherapy. MAGED4 was originally identified as a glioma-specific antigen. Current knowledge about MAGED4 expression in glioma is only based on mRNA analysis and MAGED4 protein expression has not been elucidated. In the present study, we investigated this point and found that MAGED4 mRNA and protein were absent or very lowly expressed in various normal tissues and glioma cell line SHG44, but overexpressed in glioma cell lines A172,U251,U87-MG as well as glioma tissues, with significant heterogeneity. Furthermore, MAGED4 protein expression was positively correlated with the glioma type and grade. We also found that the expression of MAGED4 inversely correlated with the overall methylation status of the MAGED4 promoter CpG island. Furthermore, when SHG44 and A172 with higher methylation were treated with the DNA demethylating agent 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR) reactivation of MAGED4 mRNA was mediated by significant demethylation in SHG44 instead of A172. However, 5-AZA-CdR treatment had no effect on MAGED4 protein in both SHG44 and A172 cells. In conclusion, MAGED4 is frequently and highly expressed in glioma and is partly regulated by DNA methylation. The results suggest that MAGED4 might be a promising target for glioma immunotherapy combined with 5-AZA-CdR to enhance its expression and eliminate intratumor heterogeneity.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.59 no.2
• /
• pp.106-116
• /
• 2016

Objective : Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) acts as a chaperone on the cell surface, and it has been reported that PDI is associated with the tumor cell migration and invasion. The aims of this study are to investigate the anti-migration effect of bacitracin, which is an inhibitor of PDI, and the associated factor in this process. Methods : U87-MG glioma cells were treated with bacitracin in 1.25, 2.5, 3.75, and 5.0 mM concentrations. Western blot with caspase-3 was applied to evaluate the cytotoxicity of bacitracin. Adhesion, morphology, migration assays, and organotypic brain-slice culture were performed to evaluate the effect of bacitracin to the tumor cell. Western blot, PCR, and gelatin zymography were performed to investigate the associated factors. Thirty glioma tissues were collected following immunohistochemistry and Western blot. Results : Bacitracin showed a cytotoxicity in 3rd (p<0.05) and 4th (p<0.001) days, in 5.0 Mm concentration. The cell adhesion significantly decreased and the cells became a round shape after treated with bacitracin. The migration ability, the expression of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) decreased in a bacitracin dose- and time-dependent manner. The U87-MG cells exhibited low-invasiveness in the 2.5 mM, compared with the untreated in organotypic brain-slice culture. PDI was expressed in the tumor margin, and significantly increased with histological glioma grades (p<0.001). Conclusion : Bacitracin, as a functional inhibitor of PDI, decreased the phosphorylated FAK and the secreted MMP-2, which are the downstream of integrin and play a major role in cell migration and invasion, might become one of the feasible therapeutic strategies for glioblastoma.

• FLOWER RESEARCH JOURNAL
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.242-245
• /
• 2009

In order to investigate the cytotoxic effect of hexavalent chromium ($Cr0_3$) and the protective effect of Nelumbo nucifera GAERTN (NNG) extract, cultured cerebral neuroglial cells (C6 glioma cells) were treated with $4{\sim}55{\mu}M$ concentrations of $Cr0_3$ for 48 hours. Cell viability was measured by XTT assay. The superoxide dismutase (SOD)-like activity for the antioxidant effect was also examined on the extract of NNG stamen. In this study, $Cr0_3$ significantly decreased cell viability dose-dependently. The cytotoxicities of $XTT_{90}$ and $XTT_{50}$ determined with $10{\mu}M$ and $55{\mu}M$ of $Cr0_3$, respectively, showed that the $Cr0_3$ had highly toxic effect on cultured C6 glioma cells by the cytotoxic criteria. In the protective effect of NNG extract, the cell viability was significantly increased by the treatment of NNG extract, and NNG extract increased SOD-like activity. From these results, it is suggested that $Cr0_3$ showed highly toxic effect on cultured C6 glioma cell s and NNG extract was very effective in the protection of $Cr0_3$-mediated cytotoxicity by antioxidative effect in these cultures.

• Journal of Pharmacopuncture
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.31-40
• /
• 2009

Objective : This study was carried out to investigate protective effects of Pharmacopuncture Solutions (PSs) made by Carthmi Flos (CF), Cnidii Rhizoma (CR) and Astragali Radix (AR) on C6 glioma cells Methods : We investigated the effects of PSs on proliferation rates and types of C6 cells, and also investigated the effects on LDH release. In addition, protective effects of PSs on oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide and SOD-like activities were also investigated. Results : PSs made by CF, CR and AR did not show cytotoxicity in various concentrations. CF-PS and AR-PS elevated levels of proliferation rates significantly. Treatment with CF-PS lowered level of LDH release in C6 cells. In addition, CF-PS and CR-PS showed protective effects on cell death induced by hydrogen peroxide respectively. Finally, CF-PS group showed high level of SOD-like activity compared to that in CR-PS group. Conclusion : These results suggest that CF-PS can accelerate proliferation of neuroglial cells, and has protective action against oxidative stress, which was involved in anti-oxidative effects such as SODlike activities. In addition, CR has protective effects against oxidative stress, and AR can accelerate proliferation of neuroglial cells.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.14 no.1
• /
• pp.27-32
• /
• 2008

To clerify the antioxidant effect of Crataegi Fructus (CF) extract on reactive oxygen species (ROS), The C6 glioma cells were treated with various concentrations of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$). The $H_2O_2$-induced neurotoxicity was measured by XTT assay for the cell viability. For the protective effect of CF extract on the cytotoxicity induced by $H_2O_2$, cell viability, lactate dehydroganase (LDH) activity, and the inhibitive activity of lipid peroxidation of CF extract were performed. In this study, $H_2O_2$ decreased cell viability dose- and time-dependent manners and increased LDH activity compared with the control. In the protective effect on $H_2O_2$, CF extract increased cell viability and decreased LDH activity on $H_2O_2$-induced cytotoxicity, lipid peroxidation by FTC assay. From these results, It is suggested that $H_2O_2$ was highly toxic on cultured C6 glioma cells, and also, CF extract showed the protective effect on $H_2O_2$-mediated cytotoxicity.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.44 no.7
• /
• pp.452-457
• /
• 2011

The Egr-1 is an immediate early response gene encoding a transcription factor that functions in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. Estrogen has diverse physiological effects, including cellular proliferation and neuroprotection against brain injury. There are two types of estrogen receptors (ERs), $ER{\alpha}$ and $ER{\beta}$. $ER{\alpha}$-induced Egr-1 expression has been extensively studied; however, the role of $ER{\beta}$ is yet not known. In the present study, we investigated whether or not $ER{\beta}$ induces Egr-1 expression in C6 rat glioma cells, which express $ER{\beta}$ but not $ER{\alpha}$. Our results show that $ER{\beta}$ promoted up-regulation of Egr-1 expression via a non-genomic mechanism involving the Raf/MEK1/Erk/Elk-1 signaling cascade.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.55-61
• /
• 1982

Thirtyfour species of Korean medicinal plants which have been frequently used in oriental herb prescriptions were evaluated on their cytotoxicity and potential antitumor activities against AC glioma(9 ASK) in vitro. Dose of $100{\mu}g/ml$ of plant extracts appeared to exhibit slight cytotoxicity. Seven plant extracts, Aralia continentalis(Araliaceae), Lycium chinensis(Solanaceae), Epimedium koreanum(Berberidaceae), Platyodon grandiflorium(Campanulaceae), Pleuropterus multiflorus(Polygonaceae), Rheum undulatun(Polygonaceae) and Scutellaria baicalensis(Laminaceae), exhibited significant reversal$(51{\sim}90%)$ of astrocyte formation into original neuroglial cells' morphology through the prescreen tests.