• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2008.07a
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• pp.355-356
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• 2008

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.200-208
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• 2011

Ginsenoside (G) $Rp_1$ is a ginseng saponin derivative with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we examined the mechanism by which G-$Rp_1$ inhibits inflammatory responses of cells. We did this using a strategy in which DNA constructs containing cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) promoters were transfected into HEK293 cells. G-$Rp_1$ strongly inhibited the promoter activities of COX-2 and iNOS; it also inhibited lipopolysaccharide induced upregulation of COX-2 and iNOS mRNA levels in RAW264.7 cells. In HEK293 cells G-$Rp_1$ did not suppress TANK binding kinase 1-, Toll-interleukin-1 receptor-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-${\beta}$ (TRIF)-, TRIF-related adaptor molecule (TRAM)-, or activation of interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-3 and nuclear factor (NF)-${\kappa}$B by the myeloid differentiation primary response gene (MyD88)-induced. However, G-$Rp_1$ strongly suppressed NF-${\kappa}$B activation induced by I${\kappa}$B kinase (IKK)${\beta}$ in HEK293 cells. Consistent with these results, G-$Rp_1$ substantially inhibited IKK${\beta}$-induced phosphorylation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and p65. These results suggest that G-$Rp_1$ is a novel anti-inflammatory ginsenoside analog that can be used to treat IKK${\beta}$/NF-${\kappa}$B-mediated inflammatory diseases.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.928-933
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• 2007

Cameleon is a genetically engineered $Ca^{2+}$ sensing molecule consisting of two variants of the green fluorescent protein (GFP), calmodulin and calmodulin-binding protein, M13. HEK-293 cells stably expressing three types of cameleons, yellow cameleon-2, cameleon-3er, and cameleon-2nu, were constructed, and the expression and localization of these cameleons were confirmed by fluorescent imaging. Among the cameleons, the yellow cameleon-2 was selected for analyzing the change in $Ca^{2+}$ induced by the olfactory receptor-mediated signal transduction, because it is localized in the cytosol and binds to cytosolic $Ca^{2+}$ ions. Cells stably expressing yellow cameleon-2 were transfected with each of the test olfactory receptor genes, odr-10 and 17, and the expression of the olfactory receptor genes were examined using immunocytochenmical methods and RT-PCR. Stimulating each olfactory receptor with its specific odorant caused an increase in the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ level, which was measured using yellow cameleon-2. These results demonstrate that yellow cameleon-2 can be conveniently used to examine the function of the olfactory receptors expressed in heterologous cells.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.198-202
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• 2006

The $P2X_7$ receptor, an ATP-gated cation channel, induces cell death in immune cells and is involved in neurodegenerative diseases. Although the receptor plays various roles in these diseases, the cellular mechanisms involved are poorly understood and antagonists are limited. Here, the development of a cell-based assay for human $P2X_7$ receptor is reported. We established permanent lines of HEK 293 cells expressing a high level of $hP2X_7$ receptor. Functional activity of the $hP2X_7$ receptor was confirmed by whole-cell patch recording of ATP-induced ion currents. Prolonged exposure to ATP resulted in death of the $hP2X_7$-expressing HEK 293 cells and this cell death could be quantified. Two known $P2X_7$ antagonists, PPADS and KN-62, blocked ATP-induced death in a concentration-dependent manner. Thus, this assay can be used to screen for new antagonists of $hP2X_7$ receptors.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.169-179
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• 2017

Background: Ginsenosides are the main pharmacological components of Panax ginseng root, which are thought to be primarily responsible for the suppressing effect on oxidative stress. Methods: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and oxygen radical absorption capacity were applied to evaluate the antioxidant activities of the ginsenosides. Human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK-293) cells were incubated with ginsenosides extracted by pulsed electric field (PEF) and solvent cold soak extraction (SCSE) for 24 h and then the injury was induced by $40{\mu}M$ $H_2O_2$. The cell viability and surface morphology of HEK-293 cells were studied using MTS assay and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate fluorescent probe assay was used to measure the level of intracellular reactive oxygen species. The intracellular antioxidant activities of ginsenosides were evaluated by cellular antioxidant activity assay in HepG2 cells. Results: The PEF extracts displayed the higher 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity and stronger oxygen radical absorption capacity (with an oxygen radical absorption capacity value of $14.48{\pm}4.04{\mu}M\;TE\;per\;{\mu}g/mL$). The HEK-293 cell model also suggested that the protective effect of PEF extracts was dose-dependently greater than SCSE extracts. Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate assay further proved that PEF extracts are more active (8% higher than SCSE extracts) in reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species accumulation. In addition, scanning electron microscopy images showed that the HEK-293 cells, which were treated with PEF extracts, maintained more intact surface morphology. Cellular antioxidant activity values indicated that ginsenosides extracted by PEF had stronger cellular antioxidant activity than SCSE ginsenosides extracts. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the antioxidative effect of ginsenosides extracted by PEF in vitro. Furthermore, rather than SCSE, PEF may be more useful as an alternative extraction technique for the extraction of ginsenosides with enhanced antioxidant activity.

• BMB Reports
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.265-270
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• 2009

Due to their multiple biological activities, flavonoids have gained attention as potentially useful therapeutics for a variety of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases. In this study, we demonstrated that several flavonoids, including kaempferol, quercetin, fisetin, and chrysin block TNF-$\alpha$ induced IL-8 promoter activation and gene expression in HEK 293 cells. In addition, phosphorylation and degradation of $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ and translocation of NF-${\kappa}B$ p65 were inhibited by these flavonoids in TNF-$\alpha$-stimulated HEK 293 cells. Furthermore, generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to TNF-$\alpha$ was reduced by the flavonoids. Moreover, although pretreatment with fisetin, quercetin, or chrysin decreased cell viability, kaempferol did not. Taken together, these findings suggest that kaempferol would be useful for the treatment of TNF-$\alpha$-induced inflammatory diseases.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.726-735
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• 2020

Objective: Recent innovations in biology are boosting gene and cell therapy, but monitoring the response to these treatments is difficult. The purpose of this study was to find an MRI-reporter gene that can be used to monitor gene or cell therapy and that can be delivered without a viral vector, as viral vector delivery methods can result in long-term complications. Materials and Methods: CMV promoter-human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (CMV-hOATP1B3) cDNA or CMV-blank DNA (control) was transfected into HEK293 cells using Lipofectamine. OATP1B3 expression was confirmed by western blotting and confocal microscopy. In vitro cell phantoms were made using transfected HEK293 cells cultured in various concentrations of gadoxetic acid for 24 hours, and images of the phantoms were made with a 9.4T micro-MRI. In vivo xenograft tumors were made by implanting HEK293 cells transfected with CMV-hOATP1B3 (n = 4) or CMV-blank (n = 4) in 8-week-old male nude mice, and MRI was performed before and after intravenous injection of gadoxetic acid (1.2 µL/g). Results: Western blot and confocal microscopy after immunofluorescence staining revealed that only CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected HEK293 cells produced abundant OATP1B3, which localized at the cell membrane. OATP1B3 expression levels remained high through the 25th subculture cycle, but decreased substantially by the 50th subculture cycle. MRI of cell phantoms showed that only the CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected cells produced a significant contrast enhancement effect. In vivo MRI of xenograft tumors revealed that only CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected HEK293 tumors demonstrated a T1 contrast effect, which lasted for at least 5 hours. Conclusion: The human endogenous OATP1B3 gene can be non-virally delivered into cells to induce transient OATP1B3 expression, leading to gadoxetic acid-mediated enhancement on MRI. These results indicate that hOATP1B3 can serve as an MRI-reporter gene while minimizing the risk of long-term complications.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2005

Hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) causes oxidative stress and is considered as an inducer of cell death in various tissues. Two-pore domain $K^+$ ($K_{2p}$) channels may mediate $K^+$ efflux during apoptotic volume decreases (AVD) in zygotes and in mouse embryos. In the present study, we sought to elucidate linkage between $K_{2p}$ channels and cell death by $H_2O_2$. Thus $K_{2p}$ channels (TASK-1, TASK-3, TREK-1, TREK-2) were stably transfected in HEK-293 cells, and cytotoxicity assay was preformed using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Cell survival rates were calculated using the cytotoxicity assay data and dose-response curve was fitted to the $H_2O_2$ concentration. Ionic currents were recorded in cell-attached mode. The bath solution was the normal Ringer solution and the pipette solution was high $K^+$ solution. In HEK-293 cells expressing TREK-1, TREK-2, TASK-3, $H_2O_2$ induced cell death did not change in comparison to non-transfected HEK-293. In HEK-293 cells expressing TASK-1, however, dose-response curve was significantly shifted to the left. It means that $H_2O_2$ induced cell death was increased. In cell attached-mode recording, application of $H_2O_2$ (300μM) increased activity of all $K_{2p}$ channels. However, a low concentration of $H_2O_2$ ($50{\mu}M$) increased only TASK-1 channel activity. These results indicate that TASK-1 might participate in $K^+$ efflux by $H_2O_2$ at low concentration, thereby inducing AVD.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.7575-7581
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• 2015

Corticotropin-releasing factor(CRF), one of the stress driven neuropeptides, was widely proposed to influence hair loss and re-growth. For the development of receptor antagonists, the screening system based on intracellular calcium signal process was developed and optimized. The aequorin parental cells were transfected with CRF1 receptor and alpha 16 promiscuous G protein cDNA to establish HEK293a16/hCRF1, a stable cell line for the human CRF1 receptor. In HEK293a16/hCRF1 cells, the range of sauvagine dose response was 12-fold higher($EC_{50}:15.21{\pm}1.83nM$) than in the transiently expressed cells, hence essential conditions for the antagonist screening experiments such as the robust signals and high solvent tolerance were secured. The standard antagonists for the CRF1 receptor, antalarmin and CP154526, resulted $IC_{50}$ values of $414.1{\pm}5.5$ and $290.7{\pm}1.9nM$, respectively. Similar results were presented with frozen HEK293a16/hCRF1 cells. Finally, our HEK293a16/hCRF1 cells with the aequorin based cellular functional assay can be a model system for the development of functional cosmetics and modulators that can have a clinical efficacy on hair re-growth.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.162-168
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• 2014

Fruits of Schisandra chinensis (SC) Baill are considered a traditional herbal medicine for the treatment and alleviation of various diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the anti-cancer effects of SC extract in human breast adenocarcinoma cells (MCF-7). We used human breast adenocarcinoma cell line, MCF-7 cells. We examined cell death by MTT assay and caspase 3 and 9 assay with SC extract. To examine the inhibitory effects of SC extract, cell cycle (sub G1) analysis and mitochondrial membrane depolarization was done the MCF-7 cells after one day with SC extract. In addition, to investigate the transient receptor potential melastatin 7 (TRPM7) currents, we used the whole cell patch clamp techniques. Furthermore, TRPM7 channels were overexpressed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells to identify the role of TRPM7 channels in MCF-7 cell growth and survival. SC extract inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells in a dose-dependent fashion. Also we showed that SC extract induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells by MTT assay, caspase 3 and 9 assay, sub-G1 analysis and mitochondrial membrane depolarization. SC extract inhibited the TRPM7 currents in MCF-7 cells and in TRPM7 overexpressed HEK 293 cells. Furthermore, TRPM7 channel overexpression in HEK 293 cells exacerbated SC extract-induced cell death. Our findings provide insight into unraveling the effects of SC extract in human breast adenocarcinoma cells and developing therapeutic agents against breast cancer.