• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.128-137
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• 1997

The effects of cylindan, a polysaccharide isolated from the basidiocarps of Agrocybe cylindracea, on murine sarcoma 180 tumor and murine immune cells were examined after intraperitoneal administration. Cylindan exhibited a marked life extension effect in mice against ascite forms of sarcoma 180 and Lewis lung carcinoma at a dose of 50 mg/kg/day, although it did not show any direct cytotoxicity against sarcoma 180, X5563, and MM46 murine tumor cells. Cylindan increased numbers of bone marrow stem cells as well as peritoneal exudate cells in flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies. The tumor bearing mice group apparently showed the increase of macrophages and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in mouse spleen cells during the early stage of tumor growth. But during the later stage, the control group decreased immune cells and cylindan restored the decreased immune cells in the tumor bearing mice to the normal level. In non-specific immune response, cylindan stimulated the bacterial phagocytosis and acid phosphatase production in macrophages. It also activated components of the alternative complement pathway and natural killer activity against YAC-1 lymphoma. In number of plasma cells as token of stimulation of the differentiation of B lymphocytes. In cellular immunity, cylindan restored the depressed response of delayed type hypersensitivity in the tumor bearing mice to 60% of the normal level and increased the interleukin-2 (IL-2) responsiveness in the IL-2 dependent CTLL-2 cells. These results suggest that cylindan did not show direct cytotoxic effects on tumor cells but restored the decreased immune response of the tumor bearing mice.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.393-402
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• 2019

Aurora kinases inhibitors, including ZM447439 (ZM), which suppress cell division, have attracted a great deal of attention as potential novel anti-cancer drugs. Several recent studies have confirmed the anti-cancer effects of ZM in various cancer cell lines. However, there have been no studies regarding the cardiac safety of this agent. We performed several cytotoxicity, invasion and migration assays to examine the anti-cancer effects of ZM. To evaluate the potential effects of ZM on cardiac repolarisation, whole-cell patch-clamp experiments were performed with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) and cells with heterogeneous cardiac ion channel expression. We also conducted a contractility assay with rat ventricular myocytes to determine the effects of ZM on myocardial contraction and/or relaxation. In tests to determine in vitro efficacy, ZM inhibited the proliferation of A549, H1299 (lung cancer), MCF-7 (breast cancer) and HepG2 (hepatoma) cell lines with $IC_{50}$ in the submicromolar range, and attenuated the invasive and metastatic capacity of A549 cells. In cardiac toxicity testing, ZM did not significantly affect $I_{Na}$, $I_{Ks}$ or $I_{K1}$, but decreased $I_{hERG}$ in a dose-dependent manner ($IC_{50}$: $6.53{\mu}M$). In action potential (AP) assay using hiPSC-CMs, ZM did not induce any changes in AP parameters up to $3{\mu}M$, but it at $10{\mu}M$ induced prolongation of AP duration. In summary, ZM showed potent broad-spectrum anti-tumor activity, but relatively low levels of cardiac side effects compared to the effective doses to tumor. Therefore, ZM has a potential to be a candidate as an anti-cancer with low cardiac toxicity.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.93-104
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• 2021

Cutaneous melanoma is a fatal disease for patients with distant metastasis. Metformin is the most widely used anti-diabetic drug, and proved to suppress cell proliferation and metastasis in diverse cancers including melanoma. We previously reported that MEK inhibitor trametinib increases the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulators and melanoma cell motility, which are suppressed by addition of metformin in A375 melanoma cells. To confirm our findings further, we first evaluated the effect of metformin in combination with another MEK inhibitor binimetinib on cell viability in G361 melanoma cells. We then investigated whether binimetinib affects the expression of EMT regulators and cell motility. We finally monitored the effect of metformin on binimetinib-induced cell migration. Cell viability assay showed that combination index (CI) value at ED₅₀ is 0.80, suggesting synergy for the combination of metformin with binimetinib. Our results also revealed that binimetinib increased the expression of EMT regulators such as integrin αV, fibronectin and slug, which correlate well with the enhanced cell migration in wound healing assay. Metformin, on the contrary, suppressed the expression of sparc, integrin αV, fibronectin and N-cadherin with the reduced cell motility. The combination treatment showed that metformin counteracts the binimetinib-induced increase of cell motility. Overall, these results suggest that metformin with binimetinib might be useful as a potential therapeutic adjuvant against cell survival and metastatic activity in melanoma patients.

• Journal of Korean Traditional Oncology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2015

Objective : This case report presents the effects of Gunchilgyebok-Jung to a patient who was clinically diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Methods : The study involved a 74-year-old male patient clinically diagnosed with advanced (stage III) lung cancer by chest computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography. The patient had two masses (11.32 mm and $23.03mm{\times}35.34mm$) in the right upper lobe of the lung and in the mediastinum respectively. Gunchilgyebok-Jung commonly used for its anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory effect is composed of Rhus verniciflua stokes and Guizhifuling wan extracts. We prescribed Gunchilgyebok-Jung at a dosage of 1 g three times a day for 50 days. Results : After the administration of Gunchilgyebok-Jung, a decrease in tumor size to 10.69 mm and $22.71mm{\times}34.21mm$ on chest CT was observed. A numerical rating scale (NRS) showed an improvement in symptoms from points 7-8 to 3-4. Conclusion : This study suggests that Gunchilgyebok-Jung may have considerable anti-tumor and immunopotentiating activity in lung cancer without any adverse effects.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.455-465
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• 2001

The highly potent cytotoxic DNA-DNA cross-linker consists of two cyclopropa[c]pyrrolo[3,4-3]indol-4(5H)-ones insoles [(+)-CPI-I] joined by a bisamido pyrrole (abbreviated to "Pyrrole"). The Pyrrole is a synthetic analog of Bizelesin, which is currently in phase II clinical trials due to its excellent in vivo antitumor activity. The Pyrrole has 10 times more potent cytotoxicity than Bizelesin and mostly form DNA-DNA interstrand cross-links through the N3 of adenines spaced 7 bp apart. The Pyrrole requires a centrally positioned GC base pair for high cross-linking reactivity (i.e., $5^1$-T$AT_2$A*-$3^1$), while Bizelesin prefers purely AT-rich sequences (i.e., $5^1$-T$AT_4$A*-$3^1$, where /(equation omitted) represents the cross-strand adenine alkylation and A* represents an adenine alkylation) (Park et al., 1996). In this study, the high-field $^1$H-NMR and rMD studies are conducted on the 1 1-mer DNA duplex adduct of the Pyrrole where the 5′(equation omitted)TAGTTA*-3′sequence is cross-linked by the drug. A severe structural perturbation is observed in the intervening sequences of cross-linking site, while a normal B-DNA structure is maintained in the region next to the drug-modified adenines. Based upon these observations, we propose that the interplay between the bisamido pyrrole unit of the drug and central C/C base pair (hydrogen-bonding interactions) is involved in the process of cross-linking reaction, and sequence specificity is the outcome of those interactions. This study suggests a mechanism for the sequence specific cross-linking reaction of the Pyrrole, and provides a further insight to develop new DNA sequence selective and distortive cross-linking agents.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.22-26
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• 2014

Protocatechualdehyde (PA) is phenolic compound having antioxidative and antitumor activities. PA was purified from supernatant of Streptomyces lincolnensis M-20. In the presence of copper ion, PA acted as pro-oxidant. The antioxidant activity was assessed with the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, and the pro-oxidant effect of PA on DNA damage as pBR322 plasmid DNA-cleaving agents in the presence of Cu(II) ions was investigated. The involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the DNA damage was confirmed by the inhibition of the DNA breakage by using glutathione (GSH), specific scavenger of ROS. When the increase in ROS reaches a certain level (the toxic threshold), it may trigger cell death. The formation of the PA/Cu(II) chelate complex was confirmed by reaction with ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTA), a well-known chelating agent for metal ions, by using UV/Vis spectroscopic analysis.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.86-94
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• 2019

Background: Ginseng is believed to have antitumor activity. Autophagy is largely a prosurvival cellular process that is activated in response to cellular stressors, including cytotoxic chemotherapy; therefore, agents that inhibit autophagy can be used as chemosensitizers in cancer treatment. We examined the ability of Korean Red Ginseng extract (RGE) to prevent autophagic flux and to make hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells become more sensitive to doxorubicin. Methods: The cytotoxic effects of total RGE or its saponin fraction (RGS) on HCC cells were examined by the lactate dehydrogenase assay in a dose- or time-dependent manner. The effect of RGE or RGS on autophagy was measured by analyzing microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B-light chain (LC)3-II expression and LC3 puncta formation in HCC cells. Late-stage autophagy suppression was tested using tandem-labeled green fluorescent protein (GFP)-monomeric red fluorescent protein (mRFP)-LC3. Results: RGE markedly increased the amount of LC3-II, but green and red puncta in tandem-labeled GFP-mRFP-LC3 remained colocalized over time, indicating that RGE inhibited autophagy at a late stage. Suppression of autophagy through knockdown of key ATG genes increased doxorubicin-induced cell death, suggesting that autophagy induced by doxorubicin has a protective function in HCC. Finally, RGE and RGS markedly sensitized HCC cells, (but not normal liver cells), to doxorubicin-induced cell death. Conclusion: Our data suggest that inhibition of late-stage autophagic flux by RGE is important for its potentiation of doxorubicin-induced cancer cell death. Therapy combining RGE with doxorubicin could serve as an effective strategy in the treatment of HCC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3855-3859
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• 2013

Purpose: Liver cancer, one of the most common cancers in China, is reported to feature relatively high morbidity and mortality. Curcumin (Cum) is considered as a drug possessing anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation effect. Previous research has demonstrated antitumor effects in a series of cancers. Materials and Methods: In this study the in vitro cytotoxicity of Cum was measured by MTT assay and pro-apoptotic effects were assessed by DAPI staining and measurement of caspase-3 activity. In vivo anti-hepatoma efficacy of Cum was assessed with HepG2 xenografts. Results: It is found that Cum dose-dependently inhibited cell growth in HepG2 cells with activation of apoptosis. Moreover, Cum delayed the growth of liver cancer in a dose-dependent manner in nude mice. Conclusions: Cum might be a promising phytomedicine in cancer therapy and further efforts are needed to explore this therapeutic strategy.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.192-199
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• 2010

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common alimentary malignancies. In this study, the antitumor activity of activated human natural killer (NK) cells against human colorectal cancer was evaluated in vivo. Human NK cells are the key contributors of innate immune response and the effective functions of these cells are enhanced by cytokines. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured with interleukin-2 (IL-2)-containing medium for 14 days and resulted in enriched NK cell population. The resulting populations of the cells comprised 7% $CD3^+CD4^+$ cells, 25% $CD3^+CD8^+$ cells, 13% $CD3^-CD8^+$ cells, 4% $CD3^+$CD16/$CD56^+$ cells, 39% $CD3^+$CD16/$CD56^-$ cells, and 52% $CD3^-$CD16/$CD56^+$ cells. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-$\alpha$), interferon gamma (IFN-$\gamma$), IL-2, IL-4, and IL-5 transcripts of the activated NK cells were confirmed by RT-PCR. In addition, activated NK cells at doses of 2.5, 5 and 10 million cells per mouse inhibited 10%, 34% and 47% of SW620-induced tumor growth in nude mouse xenograft assays, respectively. This study suggests that NK cell-based immunotherapy may be used as an adoptive immunotherapy for colorectal cancer patients.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.1249-1253
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• 2006

The fractions of Capsosiphon fulvescens were studied to verify the anticancer and immunostimulating activity. The fractions from the ethanol extract of C. fulvescens were prepared by the systematic extraction procedure with the solvents such as hexane, ethyl ether, methanol, butanol and H$_2$O. The cytotoxic effects of C. fulvescens fractions against human leukemia cell line U937, mouse neuroblastoma cell line (NB41A3), human hepatoma cell line (HepG2)and rat glioma cell line (C6) were investigated. Ethyl ether fraction of C. fulvescens showed the highest cytotoxicity against all four cell lines tested. In addition, H$_2$O fraction also showed relatively high cytotoxicity. Dose dependent patterns were observed on all four cell lines. The immune-stimulating effects of C. fulvescens fractions on rat macrophage cell line (RAW 264.7) were also investigated. All five fractions of C. fulvescens extract stimulated NO production with concentration dependant manner. These results suggest that C. fulvescens may be a useful candidate for a natural antitumor and immune-stimulating agent.