• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.232-238
• /
• 2005

Corneal endothelial cells play an important role in maintaining the transparency and ionic balance of the cornea. Inflammation causes many changes in the intracellular and extracellular environment of the cornea, including acidosis. We examined the relationship between changes in extracellular pH and expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells. When extracellular pH ($[pH]_o$) was reduced to pH 6.4, COX-2 mRNA increased, with a peak at 2 h. This was blocked by pretreatment with actinomycin D and incubation with spermine NONOate (SPER/NO, a nitric oxide donor). Exposure to the $H^+$ ionophore, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), also raised COX-2 mRNA levels. CCCP-induced COX-2 mRNA expression was also reduced by SPER/NO. These results were confirmed immuno-cytochemically. These data demonstrate that COX-2 expression is stimulated by the lowering of extracellular pH that could result from bacterial infection, and that this is countered by over-production of nitric oxide, which could also result from bacterial infection.

• Journal of Plant Biology
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.107-112
• /
• 1996

To study the compensatory aspect of putrescine biosynthetic enzyme n tobacco suspension cultured cells, we examined the contents of the cellular polyamines and the activities of arginine decarboxylase (ADC, EC 4.1.1.19) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC, EC 4.1.1.17) in the tobacco suspension cells treated with $\alpha$-difluoromethyl arginine (DFMA) or $\alpha$-difluoromethyl ornithine (DFMO). In the untreated cells, the content of the cellular putrescine was decreased during the first 3 hours and then subsequently increased. However, the content of the cellular spermidine and spermine remained constant during the incubation time. While ADC activity increased after 6 hours, ODC activity decreased following the rapid increase until 6 hours. DFMA induced the decrease in the contents of putrescine and spermidine, and the increase in that of spermine. It also caused the inhibition of ADC and ODC activities throughout the incubation time. DFMO produced the stimulation of ADC activity about 2 times of untreated cells and the decrease in the content of putrescine about 50% of them at 12 hour. The application of putrescine or cycloheximide prevented the increase of ADC activity by DFMO but that of actinomycin-D did not show any detectable effect. The stimulation of ADC activity by DFMO in tobacco suspension cultured cells was probably due to the enhancement of de novo synthesis for ADC protein, which might be regulated in the translation step by the content of the cellular putrescine.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.11 no.3
• /
• pp.281-287
• /
• 2005

Although actinomycin D (AMD) is known to induce apoptotic cell death to various cell lines, the mechanism of apoptosis induced by AMD is still unclear. Understanding this mechanism may improve its therapeutic efficacy. The present study has been performed to elucidate expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins related to apoptosis in human leukemia K-562 cells. Five different assays were performed in this study; DNA fragmentation analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis, quantitative assay of fragmented DNA, morphological assessment of apoptotic cells, quantification of apoptosis by annexin V (AV) and propidium iodide (PI) staning, and expression of Bcl-2 and Caspase-3 proteins by the western blot analysis. The number of apoptotic cells and amount of fragmented DNA in this cell line treated with AMD was increased at 6 hour. DNA ladder pattern was also appeared at 6 hour. The expression of Bcl-2 was decreased, and disappeared from 12 hours after AMD treatment. Precursor of Caspase-3 was degraded, and 20 kDa cleavage products were detected. These results suggest that AMD induced apoptosis of K-562 cells is Caspase-3-dependent fashion, and this apoptosis is related to the degradation of Bcl-2 proteins.

• BMB Reports
• /
• v.34 no.6
• /
• pp.496-501
• /
• 2001

Lincomycin, an inhibitor of plastid protein synthesis, was found to block the synthesis of apoprotein P700 with a molecular mass of 72 kDa and the assembly of the Chl a-protein of PS I. Synthesis of the polypeptides of 48, 43.5, and 32 kDa of the PS II complex is also suppressed. This process is accompanied by the disappearance of the PS Two reaction center Chl a at 683 nm, and of the PS One reaction center Chl a at 690, 696, and 705 nm on the fourth derivative of the absorption spectra at 77K. Lincomycin does not affect the synthesis of LHC subunits. It increases the content of the two main Chl forms of LHC at 648 nm (Chl b) and 676 nm (Chl a). The low-temperature fluorescence ratio F736/F685 is also increased. However, the effect of cycloheximide (an inhibitor of cytoplasmic protein synthesis) leads to the reduction of polypeptides of the light-harvesting Chl a/b-protein complex in the range of 29.5-22 kDa. Under these conditions, the relative amount of Chl b and the F736/ F685 fluorescence ratio decrease significantly. This is obviously the result of blocking the LHC I and LHC II synthesis. At the same time rifampicin and actinomycin D (inhibitors which block transcription in chloroplast and nuclear genome, respectively) inessentially affect the characteristics of these complexes.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
• /
• v.41 no.1
• /
• pp.81-85
• /
• 1997

Ceramide has been suggested as an important mediator of the effects of extracellular agonists on cell growth inhibition, differentiation, apoptosis. However the biochemical sign aling mechanism involved in transducing the effects of ceramide on leukemia cell differentiation is still unclear. In these respects, we examined the regulatory effects of ceramide on c-jun gene expression during differentiation. In U-937 cells. ceramide increased c-jun mRNA levels in a time-dependent manner. The half life, of c-jun mRNA was 30 min. In contrast, inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide in the absence, of transcription with actinomycin D increased the half-life of c-jun mRNA in ceramide-treated U-937 cells to more than 90 min. In order to examine whether ceramide-inhibited c-jun gene expression is regulated through ceramide-activated protein phosphatase (CAPP), a direct target for the action of ceramide, okadaic acid were treated to the cells. Okadaic acid inhibited enhancement of c-jun mRNA induced by C2-ceramide in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggested that ceramide increases c-jun mRNA level during differentiation in U-937 cells and regulates the gene expression on posttranscriptional level. In addition, we provide the evidence that CAPP is involved in ceramide-induced c-jun gene expression in U-937 cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.7 no.2
• /
• pp.13-18
• /
• 1967

1. Within experimental chromatin, the total protein: DNA ratio did not vary in the same organs of control and irradiated rats. However, the amount of RNA and total protein associated with the DNA varied considerably among the different types of chromatin. In particular, the content of chromatin was the control tissue. RNA and total protein ratio of chromatins from brtain, liver, testis and spleen declined with experimental I organs. 2. There was the same quantitative relationship between the amount of RNA and the amount of histone-protein associated with DNA in chromatin. 3. RNA: DNA ratio of chromatin showed 1.5-2 times increas in the irradiated organs except brain. However, RNA: DNA ratio was decreased in chromatin by irradiation. 4. Histone-protein:residual protein ratio was greatly varied among the organs. However, the effect was not found by irradiation. 5. Priming activity of chromatin showed a higher value in testis and the activity was greater in organs with higher metabolic activity: 6. Inhibition of Actinomycin D is observable in chromatin from testis, liver, spleen and brain declined without relationship between irradiated and non-irradiated conditions. Ammonium sulfate showed increased priming activity by the electrostatic dissociation of DNA and histone in chromatin on the stimulation depending on property of chromatins. 7. It is suggested that the results support a proposal that testis and spleen of highly sensitive to irradiation should an increase in the priming activity whereas brain and liver of lower sensitivity decreased in the activity.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
• /
• v.18 no.4
• /
• pp.249-254
• /
• 2003

본 연구는 환경호르몬(endocrine disruptors)으로 분류되었으며, 에스트로젠 화합물의 특성을 지닌 4-Nonylphenol (NP)이 설치류 Pituitary 세포 중 성장호르몬을 분비하는 GH3 세포의 Nitric oxide(NO)을 증가시키는 작용기전을 규명코자 수행되었다 먼저 GH3세포에 NP처리 농도에 따른 NO의 생성을 측정한 결과 NP처리농도 의존적으로 증가시켰다. 이러한 NO의 증가가 genomic action인지를 확인하기 위해 GH3세포의 NO를 증가시키는 효소인 neuronal oxide synthase의 단백질량을 측정한 결과 GH3세포에서 NP에 의한 nNOS의 단백질의 변화는 없었다. 에스트로젠 화합물인 NP가 에스트로젠 리셉터 (ER)와의 관계를 조사하기 위해 ER억제제(ICI 168,780)클 처리한 경우 NP에 의해 증가한 NO가 감소하였다. 또한 유전자 전사억제제인 actinomycin D 및 단백질 발현 억제제인 cycloheximide을 처리한 경우는 NP에 의한 NO 증가억제효과가 없었다. 이러한 결과를 종합해 볼 때 GH3 세포에서 NP는 ER을 매개한 non-genomic action에 의해 NO를 증가키는 것으로 사료된다.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
• /
• v.19 no.5
• /
• pp.342-347
• /
• 1996

Doxorubicin, one of the clinically most useful anticancer agents, is used alone or in combination with other drugs against a wide variety of tumors, recently. But cancer cells developed resistance to this agent in many ways. This resistance is an important limiting factor of doxorubicin for anticancer drug. We newly established doxorubicin-resistant HCT15/CL02 subline from parental HCT15 human adenocarcinoma colon cancer cells. HCT15/CL02 revealed resistance to doxorubicin about 85-fold of its parental cells, and it also revealed cross-resistance to actinomycin D, etoposide and vinblastine but not to displatin and tamoxifen. And verapamil, a reversal agent of multidrug-resistance (MDR) by P-glycoprotein, elevated the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin against both HCT15 and GCT15/CL02 cells. But the relative resistant rate was not reduced. Verapamil had no effects on the tosicity of cisplatin to the both cell lines. These results indicate that HCT15/CL02 cells have some functionally complex mechanisms for MDR.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.285-297
• /
• 1998

This report details a case of 8-year-old girl showing failure of odontogenesis after chemo-radiation therapy for the rhabdomyosarcoma at the age of 4. The observed results were as follows : 1. Past history revealed that she had received for a total radiation dose of 4430cGy, 29 fractions in 6 weeks and chemotherapy with vincristine, actinomycin D and cytoxan, followed as maintenance phase for 2 years. 2. The patient was symptom -free and appointed for the treatment of multiple dental caries. 3. Oral examination showed hypoplastic enamel on whole erupted permanent teeth and showed retarded eruption. 4. Conventional radiograms showed failure of root development including abrupt cessation of root formation and root agenesis, and microdontia, missing teeth, irregular enamel, dislocation of the impacted teeth. Additional finding showed good healing bone pattern on the left mandibular ramus and angle area. 5. Cephalometric analysis revealed failure of bite raising due to incomplete eruption of all the first molars and made it possible to suspect entrapped mandibular growth and then Class II tendency growth. 6. There was correlation between the time of chemo-radiation therapy and the damage of the teeth.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.271-278
• /
• 2001

Oxidative stress and methylglyoxal (MG), a reactive dicarbonyl metabolites produced by enzymatic and non-enzymatic reaction of normal metabolism, induced aldose reductase (AR) expression in rat aortic smooth muscle cells (SMC). AR expression was induced in a time-dependent manner and reached at a maximum of 4.5-fold in 12 h of MG treatment. This effect of MG was completely abolished by cyclohemide and actinomycin D treatment suggesting AR was synthesized by de novo pathway. Pretreatment of the SMC with N-acetyl-L-cysteine significantly down-regulated the MG-induced AR mRNA. Furthermore, DL-Buthionine-(S,R)-sulfoximine, a reagent which depletes intracellular glutathione levels, increased the levels of MG-induced AR mRNA. These results indicated that MG induces AR mRNA by increasing the intracellular peroxide levels. Aminoguanidine, a scanvenger of dicarbonyl, significantly down-regulated the MG-induced AR mRNA. In addition, the inhibition of AR activities with statil, an AR inhibitor, enhanced the cytotoxic effect of MG on SMC under normal glucose, suggesting a protective role of AR against MG-induced cell damages. These results imply that the induction of AR by MG may contribute to an important cellular detoxification of reactive aldehyde compounds generated under oxidative stress in extrahepatic tissues.