• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.199-205
• /
• 2009

It is unclear whether Fructus ligustri Lucidi (FLL) extract anti-proliferative effect in human glioma cells. The present study was therefore undertaken to examine the effect of FLL on cell viability and to determine the underlying mechanism in A172 human glioma cells. Cell viability and cell death were estimated by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. Apoptosis was measured by Annexin-V binding assay and cell cycle analysis. Activation of kinases and caspase-3 was estimated by Western blot analysis. FLL resulted in apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner. FLL-induced cell death was not associated with reactive oxygen species generation. Western blot analysis showed that FLL treatment caused down-regulation of PI3K/Akt pathway, but not ERK. The PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY984002 sensitized the FLL-induced cell death and overexpression of Akt prevented the cell death. FLL induced caspase-3 activation and the FLL-induced cell death was prevented by caspase inhibitors. These findings indicate that FLL results in a caspase-dependent cell death through a P13K/Akt pathway in human glioma cells. These data suggest that FLL may serve as a potential therapeutic agent for malignant human gliomas.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.275-279
• /
• 2006

It is demonstrated that cadmium has cytotoxic effect on glial cells, oxygen radicals are involved in cadmium-induced cytotoxicity. However, the toxic mechanism of cadmium is left unknown so far. The purpose of this study was to examine the cytotoxicity of $CdCl_2$ on $C_6$ glioma cells. The cytotoxicy was measured by cell viability via XTT assay in $C_6$ glioma cells. Colorimetric assay such as XTT assay is regarded as a very sensitive screening method for the determination of the cell viability on a lots of chemicals. In this study, $CdCl_2$ decreased cell viability according to the dose- and time dependent manners after $C_6$ glioma cells were treated with various concentrations of $CdCl_2$ for 48 hours. $IC_{90}\;and\;IC_{50}$ values for XTT assay was determined at $5{\mu}M\;and\;55{\mu}M$ of $CdCl_2$, respectively. These results suggest that $CdCl_2$ has highly cytotoxic effect on $C_6$glioma cells by the decrease of cell viability.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.17-26
• /
• 2009

Objectives: Little information is available regarding the effect of Lycii cortex radicis (LCR) on cell viability in glioma cells. This study was therefore undertaken to examine the effect of LCR on cell survival in U87MG human glioma cells. Methods: Cell viability and cell death were estimated by MTT assay and trypan blue exclusion assay, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation was measured using the fluorescence probe DCFH-DA. Activation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and activation of caspase-3 were estimated by Western blot analysis. Results: LCR resulted in apoptotic cell death in a dose- and time-dependent manner. LCR increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and LCR-induced cell death was also prevented by antioxidants, suggesting that ROS generation played a critical role in LCR-induced cell death. Western blot analysis showed that LCR treatment caused down-regulation of Akt and ERK. The LCR-induced cell death was increased by the inhibitors of Akt and ERK. Activation of caspase-3 was stimulated by LCR and caspase inhibitors prevented the LCR-induced cell death. Conclusion: These findings suggest that LCR results in human glioma cell death through a mechanism involving ROS generation, down-regulation of Akt and ERK, and caspase activation.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.389-395
• /
• 1999

Bifidobcterium spp. can provide human being with several beneficial physiological. Therefor, there has been a considerable interest in products Bifidobcterium spp. dietary supplements or as starter cultures for probiotic products that may assint in the improvement of health on the human. But indusrial applications have been limited because Bifidobcterium spp. are sensitive to acidic pH due to organic acid produced by themselves and various conditions. The objective of this study was to establish new method for improvement of Bifidobcterium viability by entrapment im calcium alginate beads. We have a plan to select the most suitable polymer through the comparison with acid tolerance oxygen tolerance and theological properties of polymer. Increase of the viable number of Bifidobcterium induced increasing acid tolerance and oxygen tolernce trough the development of entrapment technique. The 4%, 3030mm diameter) sodium alginate beads led to the best survivability under acid condition. Especially, addition of 6% mannitol, 6% glycerol or 6% sorbitol to the sodium alginate helped a beneficial effect on viability against acid, bile salt, hydrogen peroxide and cold strage. The number of viability of entrapeede cells by retreatment was 96 fold higher than non-entrapeed cells after 5 hours of storage under pH 3 acidic condition. These experimental data clearly demonstrate that a whole cell immobilization by entrapment in calcium alginate beads is an important survival mechanism enable to withstand environmental stresses as the acidic condition, hydrogen peroxide toxicity and frozen state.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.95-105
• /
• 2008

Objectives : Although herbal medicines containing flavonoids have been reported to exert anti-tumor activities, it has not been explored whether Hwang-Jeong (Polygonati sibirici Rhizoma, PsR) exerts anti-tumor activity in human glioma. The present study was therefore undertaken to examine the effect of PsR on cell viability and to determine its underlying mechanism in A172 human glioma cells. Methods : Cell viability was estimated by MTT assay. Reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured by the fluorescence dyes. The phosphorylation of kinases was evaluated by western blot analysis and caspase activity was estimated using colorimetric assay kit. Results : PsR resulted in loss of cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PsR did not increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and the PsR-induced cell death was also not affected by antioxidants, suggesting that ROS generation is not involved in loss of cell viability. Western blot analysis showed that PsR treatment caused rapid reduction in phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) without changes in p38 and Jun-NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). U0126, an inhibitor of ERK, increased the PsR-induced cell death, but inhibitors of p38 and JNK did not affect the cell death. PsR induced depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential. Caspase activity was not stimulated by PsR and caspase inhibitors did not prevent the PsR-induced cell death. Conclusion : Taken together, these findings suggest that PsR results in human glioma cell death through caspaseindependent mechanisms involving down-regulation of ERK.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.19-33
• /
• 2008

In the previous double auction research for the market optimization, two basic assumptions are usually applied - (1) each trader has a linear or quasi-linear utility function of price and quantity, and (2) buyers as well as sellers have identical utility functions. However, in practice, each buyer and seller in a double auction market may have diverse utility functions for trading goods. Therefore, a flexible and integrated double auction mechanism that can integrate all traders' diverse utility functions is necessary. In particular, the flexible mechanism is more useful in a synchronous double auction because traders can properly change utilities in each round. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a flexible synchronous double auction mechanism in which traders can express diverse utility functions for the price and quantity of the goods, and optimal total market utility is guaranteed. In order to optimize the total market utility which consists of multiple complex utility functions of traders. We show the viability of the proposed mechanism through a several simulation experiments.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2004

Objective : This study investigated the apoptotic effect and its mechanism of Radix Aconiti (RA) extract and aconitine, which is a major constituent of RA, in HepG2 human hepatoma cells. Methods : We used MTT and DNA fragmentation assay to investigate cell viability and apoptotic effect on RA extract-treated HepG2 cells. In addition, to clarify the mechanism of RA extract-induced apoptosis, we applied caspase-3 enzyme activity assay and Western blotting method on poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) protein expression. Results : Treatment with RA extract resulted in the decrease of cell viability, and this effect was caused from apoptosis as confirmed by discontinuous fragmentation of DNA in HepG2 cells, but aconitine did not. Also, RA extract-treated HepG2 cells induced the activation of caspase-3 enzyme activity in time- and dose-dependent manners, which was accompanied by the cleavage of 116 kD PARP to 85 kD product. Conclusions : These results suggest that the apoptotic effects of RA extract on HepG2 cells could not be explained by aconitine. Additionally, RA extract induced apoptosis in hepatoma cells through caspase-3 activation and subsequent PARP cleavage.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.79-82
• /
• 1995

Exposure of spleen lymphocytes to 2-chloroethylethyl sulfide (CEES) leads to a reduction of the intracellular ATP level, followed by a decrease in cell viability. Addition of nicotinamide, an inhibitor of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PADPRP), restores both ATP level and viability, indicating that an activation of PADPRP is responsible for the cytotoxicity of CEES. The involvement of a $Ca^{2+}$-mediated process in cytotoxicity is suggested. Verapamil, EGTA, trifluoperazine, and butacaine exhibit a partial protection (20 to 58%) against the cytotoxicity of CEES. Investigation of the causative role of proteolytic degradation in cell death indicate that pepstatin and leupeptin exert a substantial protective effect (60 to 70%), suggesting the involvement of lysosomal destabilization in CEES-induced cytotoxicity. Also, lysosomotropic agents markedly decrease the cytotoxicity. Lysosomal labilization may be a mechanism for the cytotoxicity of CEES.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.298-303
• /
• 2019

This study investigated the cytotoxic effects and mechanism of action of asiatic acid in pancreatic cancer cell lines. First, we confirmed the cell viability of MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells after asiatic acid administration for 48 and 72 h. The viability of MIA PaCa-2 and PANC-1 cells decreased in a dose-dependent manner following asiatic acid administration. To investigate the underlying mechanism, we performed a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, annexin V assay, and western blotting. Asiatic acid induced apoptosis and autophagy through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in MIA PaCa-2 cells. Finally, the expression of miR-17 and miR-21, known as oncogenes in pancreatic cancer, was decreased by asiatic acid. These results indicate that asiatic acid has potential as a new therapeutic agent against pancreatic cancer.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
• /
• v.20 no.4
• /
• pp.221-229
• /
• 2015

Hesperidin has been shown to possess a potential inhibitory effect on vascular formation in endothelial cells. However, the fundamental mechanism for the anti-angiogenic activity of hesperidin is not fully understood. In the present study, we evaluated whether hesperidin has anti-angiogenic effects in mouse embryonic stem cell (mES)-derived endothelial-like cells, and human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs), and evaluated their mechanism via the AKT/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. The endothelial cells were treated with several doses of hesperidin (12.5, 25, 50, and $100{\mu}M$) for 24 h. Cell viability and vascular formation were analyzed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and tube formation assay, respectively. Alteration of the AKT/mTOR signaling in vascular formation was analyzed by western blot. In addition, a mouse aortic ring assay was used to determine the effect of hesperidin on vascular formation. There were no differences between the viability of mES-derived endothelial-like cells and HUVECs after hesperidin treatment. However, hesperidin significantly inhibited cell migration and tube formation of HUVECs (P<0.05) and suppressed sprouting of microvessels in the mouse aortic ring assay. Moreover, hesperidin suppressed the expression of AKT and mTOR in HUVECs. Taken together, these findings suggest that hesperidin inhibits vascular formation by blocking the AKT/mTOR signaling pathways.