• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.245-256
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• 2002

This studt was investigated to prove the effect of SPBST on the hypertension, the thrombosis and the brain damage. The results were as follows; 1. SPBST affected the htpertension as adepressant, but insignificant. 2. SPBST decreased significantly dopamine, aldosterone but ineffective on the epinephrine, norepinephrine and renin activity. 3. SPBST increased the NO product but insignificant. 4. SPBST had a death suppression effect by 50% in pulmonary thrombosis inducement experiment and activated slightly on the fibrinolytic activity. 5. SPBST suppressed significantly platelet diminution and prolonged insignificantly PT and APTT. 6. On the measure of the blood flow rate induced by the thrombus, in vivo SPBST accelerated the blood flow rate, in vitro insignificant. 7. SPBST had no toxicity on the PC12 cell and B103 cell induced by amyloid β protein (-35) and a protective effect, in proportion to the density. 8. SPBST decreased significantly coma duration time in a Infatal dose of KCN and showed 50% of survival rate in a fatal dose. 9. SPBST decreased significantly ischemic area and edema incited by the MCA blood flow block. These results indicate that SPBST can be used in hypertension, the thrombosis, the brain damage, the ischemic cerebral infarction and the acute stage of the brain damage. Further study will be needed about the functional mechanism and etc.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1060-1065
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• 2003

To determine whether dietary fatty acids affect pancreatic $\beta$-cell function, the INS-1 $\beta$-cells and the pancreatic islets isolated from Zucker obese (fa/fa) rats were cultured with stearic acid and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). As a result, DNA fragmentation laddering was substantially decreased in the INS-1 $\beta$-cells and the isolated pancreatic islets cultured with 2 mM CLA compared to those cultured with stearic acid. To investigate the mechanism by which CLA alleviates cell apoptosis under DNA fragmentation assay, we examined mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related proteins including Bax and Bcl-2 associated with cell death agonist and antagonist, respectively, in both INS-1 cells and islets cultured with 2 mM fatty acids. Bax mRNA expression was not altered by either stearic acid or CLA, whereas Bcl-2 mRNA expression was enhanced by CLA when compared to the stearic acid cultures. However, there were no changes in cell apoptosis and apoptotic-regulating gene products in either INS-1 cells or isolated islets treated with or without 2 mM CLA. It is concluded that CLA maintains $\beta$-cell viability via increased Bcl-2 expression compared to the stearic acid cultures, which may help to alleviate, at least somewhat, the onset of NIDDM in the physiological status. More detailed study is still needed to elucidate the effect of CLA on the prevention of fatty acid-induced $\beta$-cell apoptosis.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.968-974
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• 2011

Saussurea lappa Clarke is a well-known transitional medicine in Asia including Korea, China and Japan. It has been reported that Clarke has diverse effects such as anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer in human gastric cells and human prostate cancer cells. However, the anti-cancer effects and the mechanism of actions of Saussurea lappa Clarke are still unknown in breast cancer. In this study, we observed that Saussurea lappa Clarke inhibits the cell growth in a dose- and time-dependent manner in highly-metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. In order to examine whether Saussurea lappa Clarke suppresses cell growth inducing apoptosis cell death or cell cycle arrest, we analyzed DNA contents and cell cycle distribution using a flow cytometer and western blotting in MDA-MB-231 cells. We suggest that Saussurea lappa Clarke dose not induced apoptosis and induced G2/M phase cell cycle arrest. Moreover, Saussurea lappa Clarke also decreased the expression level of metastasis-angiogenesis releated protein such as VEGF. However, dose not changed the expression level of metastasis related protease MMP-1 in highly-metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Therefore, Saussurea lappa Clarke might be good and useful chemotherapy agent highly-metastatic breast cancer patients.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2016

Prunellae Spica, the herbaceous plant in the genus Prunella, is a traditional herbal medicine and has been reported to have diuretic, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant effects. However, the mechanism of its action was not clearly identified. In the present study, we investigated the hepatoprotective effect of Prunellae Spica extract (PSE) against the damage of mitochondria and death in hepatocyte induced by oxidative stress. Treatment of arachidonic acid (AA)+iron significantly induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in the hepatocytes. However, PSE protected cells and inhibited apoptosis by altering the protein levels such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and pro-caspase 3. Moreover, AA+iron induced reactive oxygen species production and mitochondrial dysfunction, and Both of them were inhibited by PSE treatment. PSE markedly activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an important regulator in cell survival. Furthermore, this activation by PSE was mediated with liver kinase B1, a major upstream kinase that phosphorylates Thr 172 of AMPKα, and this activation was associated with its cell protection, as assessed by an experiment of a chemical inhibitor. In conclusion, this study demonstrate that PSE protects hepatocytes against oxidative stress as mediated with activation of LKB1-dependent AMPK pathway.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.422-426
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• 2008

In this study, the preventive effects of Radix Trichosanthis extracts (RTE) against cytokine-induced ${\beta}-cell$ death were assessed. Cytokines generated by immune cells infiltrating pancreatic islets are crucial mediators of ${\beta}-cell$ destruction in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The treatment of RIN cells with $interleukin-1{\beta}$ ($IL-1{\beta}$) and $interferon-{\gamma}$ ($IFN-{\gamma}$) resulted in a reduction of cell viability. RTE protected $IL-1{\beta}$ and $IFN-{\gamma}$-mediated viability reduction in a concentration-dependent manner. Incubation with RTE also induced a significant suppression of $IL-1{\beta}$ and $IFN-{\gamma}$-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein expression. The molecular mechanism by which RTE inhibited iNOS protein expression appeared to involve the inhibition of $NF{-\kappa}B$ activation. The $IL-1{\beta}$ and $IFN-{\gamma}$-stimulated RIN cells showed increases in $NF{-\kappa}B$ binding activityand $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation in cytosol compared to unstimulated cells. However, pretreatment with RTE inhibited cytokines-induced $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$ degradation and $NF{-\kappa}B$ activation in RINm5F cells. Furthermore, the protective effects of RTE were verified via protection of impairment in glucose-stimulated insulin secretions in $IL-1{\beta}$ and $IFN-{\gamma}$-treated islets.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.807-815
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• 2011

This study was designed to investigate the effects of Mokhyangjoki-san extract (MJS) on the improvement in cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in cerebral ischemic rats, and further to determine cytokines production (IL-1${\beta}$, TNF-${\alpha}$, IL-10, TGF-${\beta}$) of MJS. The results in cerebral ischemic rats were as follows ; The rCBF was significantly and stably increased by MJS (10 mg/kg, i.p.) during the period of cerebral reperfusion, which contrasted with the findings of rapid and marked increase in control group. In cytokine production in serum from femoral arterial blood 1 hr after middle cerebral arterial occlusion, MJS significantly decreased IL-1${\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ production, and increased IL-10 production compared with control group. In cytokine production in serum from femoral arterial blood 1 hr after reperfusion, MJS significantly decreased IL-1${\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$ production compared with control group. IL-10 and TGF-${\beta}$1 production in MJS group were significantly increased compared with control group. These results suggested that MJS significantly and stably increased rCBF by inhibiting the production IL-1${\beta}$ and TNF-${\alpha}$, and accelerating that of IL-10 and TGF-${\beta}$. The result in nerve cells was as follows ; MJS significantly inhibited lactate dehydrogenase activity in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. This result suggested that MJS prevented the neuronal death.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.650-657
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• 2021

Metformin is an anti-diabetic drug and has anticancer effects on various cancers. Several studies have suggested that metformin reduces cell proliferation and stimulates cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. However, the definitive molecular mechanism of metformin in the pathophysiological signaling in endometrial tumorigenesis and metastasis is not clearly understood. In this study, we examined the effects of metformin on the cell viability and apoptosis of human cervical HeLa and endometrial HEC-1-A and KLE cancer cells. Metformin suppressed cell growth in a dose-dependent manner and dramatically evoked apoptosis in HeLa cervical cancer cells, while apoptotic cell death and growth inhibition were not observed in endometrial (HEC-1-A, KLE) cell lines. Accordingly, the p27 and p21 promoter activities were enhanced while Bcl-2 and IL-6 activities were significantly reduced by metformin treatment. Metformin diminished the phosphorylation of mTOR, p70S6K and 4E-BP1 by accelerating adenosine monophosphate-activated kinase (AMPK) in HeLa cancer cells, but it did not affect other cell lines. To determine why the anti-proliferative effects are observed only in HeLa cells, we examined the expression level of liver kinase B1 (LKB1) since metformin and LKB1 share the same signalling system, and we found that the LKB1 gene is not expressed only in HeLa cancer cells. Consistently, the overexpression of LKB1 in HeLa cancer cells prevented metformin-triggered apoptosis while LKB1 knockdown significantly increased apoptosis in HEC-1-A and KLE cancer cells. Taken together, these findings indicate an underlying biological/physiological molecular function specifically for metformin-triggered apoptosis dependent on the presence of the LKB1 gene in tumorigenesis.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.3
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• pp.196-202
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• 2005

Nitric oxide (NO) is a small, diffusible, and highly reactive molecule, which plays dichotomous regulatory roles under physiological and pathological conditions. NO promotes apoptosis in some cells, and inhibits apoptosis in other cells. In the present study, we attempted to characterize the NO signaling pathway and cellular response in PC12 cells treated with cytokines. $IFN{\gamma}\;and\;TNF{\alpha}$ treatment resulted in a synergistic increase of nitrite accumulation, with the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in the PC12 cells. Moreover, as nitrite concentration increased, cell viability decreased. In order to explore MAP kinase involvement in nitric oxide production resultant from $IFN{\gamma}\;and\;TNF{\alpha}$ stimulation, we measured the activation of MAP kinase using specific MAP kinase inhibitors. PC12 cells pretreated with SB203580, a p38 MAP kinase-specific inhibitor, resulted in the inhibition of iNOS expression and NO production. However, PD98059, an ERK/MAP kinase-specific inhibitor, was not observed to exert such an effect. In addition, Stat1 activated by $IFN{\gamma}\;and\;TNF{\alpha}$ was interacted with p38 MAPK. These data suggest that p38 MAP kinase mediates cytokine-mediated iNOS expression in the PC12 cells, and Jak/Stat pathway interferes with p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.1108-1117
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• 2007

To investigate the possible mechanism of ${\alpha}-spinasterol$ as a candidate of anti-cancer drug, I examined the effects of ${\alpha}-spinasterol$ on the apoptosis of U937 cells MTT assay, flow cytometric analysis, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, Western blot analysis, and RT-PCR were performed. ${\alpha}-spinasterol$ treatment reduced the cell viablilty of U937 cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was associated with the induction of apoptotic cell death. ${\alpha}-spinasterol$ treatment also reduced the levels of Bcl-xL anti-apoptotic protein expression and increased the levels of caspase-3, p53, pro-apoptotic protein, in U937 cells. After treatment the level of Bcl-xL, anti-apoptotic gene expression was decreased and the level of ICE pro-apoptotic gene expression was increased. These findings suggest that ${\alpha}-spinasterol$ induced the apoptotic cell death via regulation of several growth regulatory gene products. The abbreviations used are: FBS, fetal bovine serum; PBS, phosphate buffered saline; PI, propidium iodide; OD, optical density; DiOC6, 3,3-dihexyloxa carbcyanine iodide; MTT, 3 [4-5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl] -2-diphenyltetrazolium bromide.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1449-1455
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• 2004

Bufonis venenum (dried toad venom; Chinese name, Chan su) is a traditional Chinese medicine obtained from the skin venom gland of the toad. It has long been used in treating arrhythmia and other heart diseases in China and other Asian countries. Additionally, Bufonis venenum has been reported to selectively inhibit the growth of various lines of human cancer cells. In the present study, it was examined the effects of extract of Bufonis venenum (EBV) on the growth of human bladder carcinoma cell line T24 in order to investigate the anti-proliferative mechanism and induction of apoptosis by EBV. Treatment of T24 cells to EBV resulted in the growth inhibition, morphological change and induction of apoptotic cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that EBV treatment caused G2/M phase arrest of the cell cycle and down-regulation of cyclin A, cyclin B1 and Cdc2, which was associated with a marked up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) inhibitor p21 (WAF1/CIP1) in a p53-independent manner. The Cdc25C expression was also significantly inhibited by EBV treatment, however Wee1 kinase expression was not affected. The induction of apoptotic cell death by EBV was connected with down-regulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-XS/L expression without alteration pro-apoptotic Bax expression. Taken together, these findings suggest that EBV may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the control of human bladder carcinorma cells and further studies will be needed to identify the active compounds that confer the anti-cancer activity of EBV.