• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.330-336
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• 2001

Angiogenesis is an essential process for the growth, invasion and metastasis of cancer. However, it is uncertain that antiangiogenic effects can be a major treatment strategy of oral cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate whether thalidomide, which is known to be a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis, have inhibitory effect on the growth and antiangiogenic effects of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) xenografted in nude mice and whether antiangiogenesis of thalidomide can be included as a major treatment strategy of oral cancer. After human oral squamous cell carcinoma strain KB was subcutaneously implanted in 20 nude mice, the volume of tumor was measured every three days. When the tumor mass reached $75{\sim}100mm^3$, thalidomide(200mg/kg/d) was administered into 10 experimental nude mice and the same volume of distilled water was administered into 10 control nude mice and the tumor volume was measured every three days. The excised tumor masses on the 30th day after administration were frozen and processed for immunohistochemistry using vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and CD31. We evaluated microvessel density and VEGF expression. The results were as follows ; 1. Thalidomide retarded the growth of human OSCC as compared with the control group, but it was not statistically significant. 2. A statistically significant lower microvessel density was observed in the thalidomide-treated group than in the control group(p<0.01) and thalidomide significantly reduced VEGF expression (p<0.01). Thalidomide exhibited significantly antiangiogenic effect, but did not inhibit the growth of human OSCC effectively. Antiangiogenic therapy of thalidomide alone is not likely to be effective in the treatment of human OSCC, but might be regarded as adjuvant chemotherapeutic strategy.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.178-183
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• 2023

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate cytotoxic lymphoid cells that actively prevent neoplastic development, growth, and metastatic dissemination in a process called cancer immunosurveillance. Regulation of the cytotoxic activity of NK cells relies on integrated interactions between inhibitory receptors and numerous activating receptors that act in tandem to eliminate tumor cells efficiently. Conventional chemotherapy is designed to produce an anti-proliferative or cytotoxic effect on early tumor cell division. Therapies designed to kill cancer cells and simultaneously maintain host anti-tumor immunity are attractive strategies for controlling tumor growth. Depending on the drug and dose used, several chemotherapeutic agents cause DNA damage and cancer cell death through apoptosis, immunogenic cell death, or other forms of non-killing (i.e., mitotic catastrophe, senescence, autophagy). Among stress-induced immunostimulatory proteins, changes in the expression levels of NK cell activating and inhibitory ligands and tumor cell death receptors play an important role in the detection and elimination by innate immune effectors including NK cells. Therefore, we will address how these cytotoxic lymphocytes sense and respond to high and low concentrations of drug-induced stress to the drug cisplatin, among the various types of drugs that contribute to their anticancer activity.

• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 1990.06a
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• pp.102-110
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• 1990

Antitumor polyacetylenlc alcohol, panaxytriol (Ci7 H2603), was isolated and purified from a Powder of the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. Panaxytriol Possesses unusual Property of being soluble in both water and organic solvents. Panaxytriol inhibited the growth of various kinds of human cultured cell lines in dose-dependent fashion in vitro. The in vivo effects of panaxytriol were tested against C57BU6 mice transplanted with Bl6 melanomas. Panaxytriol (8 and 40 mg/kg) administered intramuscularly (im) produced significant tumor growth delays in mice. Although a detailed mechanism of growth inhibition by panaxytriol is unknown, preliminary results appear to implicate a surface membrane site of action. And its action seems to be more dose-dependent than time-dependent. Finally, panaxytriol pharmacokinetics was evaluated in mice given single 8 mgrkg doses intraperitoneally(ip) or im. Serum panaxytriol content was measured using both tumor growth inhibitory assay and a gas chromatographic method. The maximum serum panaxytriol content after ip and im administration was 35.0 and 1.61 ug/ml respectively. These results indicate that the compound may act as cytotoxic substance even in-patients. Keywords Panax ginseng, panaxytriol, tumor growth inhibition

• Proceedings of the PSK Conference
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• 2003.10b
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• pp.159.3-160
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• 2003

It has been known that quercetin is one of bioflavonid compounds and has anti-tumor effect by suppressing tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, including multiple biological effects by antioxidant and effective anti-inflammatory agent. The present study investigated whether quercetin can enhance antioxidant enzyme activity (glutathione proxidase: GPX, superoxide dismutase: SOD, catalase: CAT) and regulate the intracellular reactive oxygen intermediate levels on the B16F10 murine melanoma cells in the presensece of vitamin E, L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and reduced glutathione (GSH). (omitted)

• IMMUNE NETWORK
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.122-126
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• 2009

Transforming growth factor-$\beta$ (TGF-$\beta$) is a highly pleiotropic cytokine playing pivotal roles in immune regulation. TGF-$\beta$ facilitates tumor cell survival and metastasis by targeting multiple cellular components. Focusing on its immunosuppressive functions, TGF-$\beta$ antagonists have been employed for cancer treatment to enhance tumor immunity. TGF-$\beta$ antagonists exert anti-tumor effects through #1 activating effector cells such as NK cells and cytotoxic $CD8^+$ Tcells (CTLs), #2 inhibiting regulatory/suppressor cell populations, #3 making tumor cells visible to immune cells, #4 inhibiting the production of tumor growth factors. This review focuses on the effect of TGF-$\beta$ on T cells, which are differentiated into effector T cells or newly identified tumor-supporting T cells.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5243-5248
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• 2013

Background: Triptolide, extracted from the herb Tripteryglum wilfordii Hook.f that has long been used as a natural medicine in China, has attracted much interest for its anti-cancer effects against some kinds of tumours in recent years. Artesunate, extracted from the Chinese herb Artemisia annua, has proven to be effective and safe as an anti-malarial drug that possesses anticancer potential. The present study attempted to clarify if triptolide enhances artesunate-induced cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Methods: In vitro, to test synergic actions, cell viability and apoptosis were analyzed after treatment of pancreatic cancer cell lines with the two agents singly or in combination. The molecular mechanisms of apoptotic effects were also explored using qRT-PCR and Western blotting. In vivo, a tumor xenograft model was established in nude mice, for assessment of inhibitory effects of triptolide and artesunate. Results: We could show that the combination of triptolide and artesunate could inhibit pancreatic cancer cell line growth, and induce apoptosis, accompanied by expression of HSP 20 and HSP 27, indicating important roles in the synergic effects. Moreover, tumor growth was decreased with triptolide and artesunate synergy. Conclusion: Our result indicated that triptolide and artesunate in combination at low concentrations can exert synergistic anti-tumor effects in pancreatic cancer cells with potential clinical applications.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.359-365
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• 2013

Anthocyanin from purple sweet potato (PSP) extracted by microwave baking (MB) and acidified electrolyzed water (AEW) exhibited antioxidant activity. After further purification by macroporous AB-8 resin, the color value of PSP anthocyanin (PSPA) reached 30.15 with a total flavonoid concentration of 932.5 mg/g. The purified extracts had more potent antioxidant activities than the crude extracts. After continuously administering the PSP extracts to 12-mo-old mice for 1 mo, the anti-aging index of the experimental group was not significantly different from that of 5-mo-old mice. To a certain degree, PSPA was also effective for controlling plasma glucose levels in male Streptozocin (STZ)-treated diabetic mice. In addition, the extracts inhibited Sarcoma S180 cell growth in ICR mice. Mice consuming the PSP extracts formed significantly fewer and smaller sarcomas than mice consuming the control diets. The highest inhibition rate was 69.03%. These results suggest that anthocyanin extracts from PSP not only exert strong antioxidant effects in vitro, but also had anti-aging, anti-hyperglycemic, and anti-tumor activities.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.66-66
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• 2003

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds widely distributed in wide variety of edible plants including leafy vegetables, fruits, beverages. Quercetin is one of bioflavonoid compounds and has anti-tumor effect by suppressing tumor growth in vitro and in vivo, including multiple biological effects by antioxidant and effective anti-inflammatory agent. The present study investigated whether quercetin can enhance antioxidant enzyme activities (glutathione peroxidase: GPX, superoxide dismutase : SOD, catalase: CAT) and intracellular reactive oxygen intermediate (ROI) levels in the presence of taurine on B16F10 murine melanoma cells. From this result, the antioxidant enzyme activities of quercetin in the presence of taurine was enhanced. In addition, the same treatments decreased intracellular reactive oxygen intermediate levels on B16F10 murine melanoma cells. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the antioxidant effect of quercetin can enhance in the presence of taurine and it might play an important role in anti-tumor effect.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.819-825
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• 2003

pharbitis nil and Taraxacum mongolicum are representative herbs that have been used for cancer treatment in Korean traditional medicine. To understand the molecular basis of the antitumor function, we analyzed the effect of these herbs on proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells using a gastric cancer cell line AGS. Cell counting assay showed that pharbitis nil strongly inhibit cell proliferation Of AGS whereas Taraxacum mongolicum exhibit no detectable effect on cellular growth. [³H]thymidine uptake analysis also demonstrated that DNA replication of AGS is suppressed in a dose-dependent manner by treatment with pharbitis nil. Additionally, tryphan blue exclusion assay showed that Pharbitis nil induce apoptotic cell death of AGS in a dose-dependent. To explore whether anti antiproliferative and/or proapototic property of Pharbitis nil is associated with their effect on gene expression, we performed RT-PCR analysis of cell cycle- and apoptosis-related genes. Interestingly, mRNA expression levels of c-Jun, c-Fos, c-Myc, and Cyclin D1 were markedly reduced by Pharbitis nil. Taraxacum mongolicum also showed inhibitory action on expression of these growth-promoting protooncogene but there effects are less significant, as compared to Pharbitis nil. Furthermore, it was also found that Pharbitis nil activates expression of the p53 tumor suppressor and its downstream effector p21Waf1, which induce G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Collectively, our data demonstrate that Pharbitis nil induce growth inhibition and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells and these effects are accompanied with down-and up-regulation of growth-regulating protooncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, respectively. This observation thus suggests that the anticancer effect of Pharbitis nil might be associated with its regulatory capability of tumor-related gene expression.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1843-1849
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• 2004

Conventional medicines have usually sorted to a number of treatments such asoperation, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. The existing anti-cancer agents, designed to eradicate cancer cells, have strong toxicities, also with leading to harmful side effects. Recently, a number of researches on natural products have been actively carried out in efforts to develop new treatments that can decrease side effects or increase anti-cancer effects. We performed this study to understand the molecular basis underlying the antitumor effects of Pharbitis nil, and Plantago asiatica, which have been used for herbal medicinal treatments against cancers in East Asia. We analyzed the effects of these medicinal herbs on proliferation and on expression of cell growth/apoptosis related molecules, with using an AGS gastric cancer cell line. The treatment of Pharbitis nil dramatically reduced cell viabilities in a dose and time-dependent manner, but Plantago asiatica didn't. FACS analysis and Annexin V staining assay also showed that Pharbitis nil induce apoptotic cell death of AGS. Expression analyses via RT-PCR and Western blots revealed that Pharbitis nil didn't increase expression of the p53 and its downstream effector p21/sup wafl/, and that the both increased expression of apoptosis related Sax and cleavage of active caspase-3 protein. We also confirmed the translocation of Sax to mitochondria. Collectively, our data demonstrate that Pharbitis nilinduce growth inhibition and apoptosis of human gastric cancer cells, and these effects are correlated with down- and up-regulation of growth-regulating apoptotic and tumor suppressor genes, respectively.