• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.559-569
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• 2021

As one of the major types of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the majority of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Treatments for NSCLC includes surgery, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. Among the targeted therapies, resistance to inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is common and remains a problem to be solved. MET (hepatocyte growth factor receptor) amplification is one of the major causes of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) resistance. Therefore, there exists a need to find new and more efficacious therapies. Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT) extracted from Anthriscus sylvestris roots exhibits various pharmacological activities including anti-inflammation and anti-cancer effects. In this study we sought to determine the anti-cancer effects of DPT on HCC827GR cells, which are resistant to gefitinib (EGFR-TKI) due to regulation of EGFR and MET and their related signaling pathways. To identify the direct binding of DPT to EGFR and MET, we performed pull-down, ATP-binding, and kinase assays. DPT exhibited competitive binding with ATP against the network kinases EGFR and MET and reduced their activities. Also, DPT suppressed the expression of p-EGFR and p-MET as well as their downstreat proteins p-ErbB3, p-AKT, and p-ERK. The treatment of HCC827GR cells with DPT induced high ROS generation that led to endoplasmic-reticulum stress. Accordingly, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and apoptosis by multi-caspase activation were observed. In conclusion, these results demonstrate the apoptotic effects of DPT on HCC827GR cells and signify the potential of DPT to serve as an adjuvant anti-cancer drug by simultaneously inhibiting EGFR and MET.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.200-209
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• 2023

Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) amplification or sensitive mutations initially respond to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib, however, the treatment becomes less effective over time by resistance mechanism including mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) overexpression. A therapeutic strategy targeting MET and EGFR may be a means to overcoming resistance to gefitinib. In the present study, we found that picropodophyllotoxin (PPT), derived from the roots of Podophyllum hexandrum, inhibited both EGFR and MET in NSCLC cells. The antitumor efficacy of PPT in gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells (HCC827GR), was confirmed by suppression of cell proliferation and anchorage-independent colony growth. In the targeting of EGFR and MET, PPT bound with EGFR and MET, ex vivo, and blocked both kinases activity. The binding sites between PPT and EGFR or MET in the computational docking model were predicted at Gly772/Met769 and Arg1086/Tyr1230 of each ATP-binding pocket, respectively. PPT treatment of HCC827GR cells increased the number of annexin V-positive and subG1 cells. PPT also caused G2/M cell-cycle arrest together with related protein regulation. The inhibition of EGFR and MET by PPT treatment led to decreases in the phosphorylation of the downstream-proteins, AKT and ERK. In addition, PPT induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and GRP78, CHOP, DR5, and DR4 expression, mitochondrial dysfunction, and regulated involving signal-proteins. Taken together, PPT alleviated gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cell growth and induced apoptosis by reducing EGFR and MET activity. Therefore, our results suggest that PPT can be a promising therapeutic agent for gefitinib-resistant NSCLC.

• Environmental Analysis Health and Toxicology
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2003

Tributyltin (TBT) used world-wide in antifouling paints for ships is a widespread environmental pollutant and cause reproductive organs atrophy in rodents. At low doses, antiproliferative modes of action have been shown to be involved, whereas at higher doses apoptosis seems to be the mechanism of toxicity in reproductive organs by TBT. In this study, we investigated that the mechanisms underlying DNA fragmentation induced by TBT in the rat leyding cell line, R2C. Effects of TBT on intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ level and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were investigated in R2C cells by fluorescence detector. TBT significantly induced intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ level in a time-dependent manner. The rise in intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ level was followed by a time-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) at the cytosol level. Simultaneously, TBT induced the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondrial membrane into the cytosol. Furthermore, ROS production and the release of cytochrome c were reduced by BAPTA, an intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ chelator, indicating the important role of Ca$\^$2+/ in R2C during these early intracellular events. In addition, Z-DEVD FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, decreased apoptosis by TBT. Taken together, the present results indicated that the apoptotic pathway by TBT might start with an increase in intracellular Ca$\^$2+/ level, continues with release of ROS and cytochrome c from mitochondria, activation of caspases,and finally results in DNA fragmentation.

• Herbal Formula Science
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.283-293
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• 2023

Objectives : Native to East Asia, Japan, and Korea, Cinnamomum japonicum Siebold (CJ) is renowned for its aromatic leaves and bark. We previously assessed the antioxidant activity of fractionated CJ branches (CJB:70% EtOH extract), including hexane (CJB1), chloroform (CJB2), ethyl acetate (CJB3), butanol (CJB4), and water (CJB5). Our findings revealed that CJB3 exhibited the highest antioxidant activity. Here, we aimed to investigate whether CJB3 possesses cytoprotective effects and induces the activity of antioxidant enzymes in hepatocytes. Methods : As HepG2 cells were the first to exhibit the key characteristics of hepatocytes, we investigated the hepatoprotective effects of CJB3 on HepG2 cells. Results : Before conducting the cell experiment, we checked that CJB3, up to a concentration of 100 ㎍/mL, did not exhibit cytotoxicity toward HepG2 cells. ROS production increased because of t-BHP treatment decreased in a concentration-dependent manner upon CJB3 treatment. We confirmed that CJB3 inhibited t-BHP-induced cell death. CJB3 was found to reverse the expression of proteins associated with t-BHP-induced apoptosis. We also observed that CJB3 induced Nrf2 phosphorylation and the nuclear translocation of Nrf2. And, CJB3 treatment caused a time-dependent enhancement of GCL and NQO1 protein expression. We further confirmed that CJB3 increased the expression of Nrf2 target genes, and this effect was associated with the activation of JNK, p38, and AMPK. Conclusion : CJB3 prevents t-BHP-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis and enhances the expression of Nrf2 target genes via JNK, p38, and AMPK activation. These results suggest that CJB3 is a promising candidate for the treatment of liver diseases.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.630-637
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• 2015

Morus alba root extract (MARE) has been used to treat hyperglycaemic conditions in oriental medicine. Here, we studied whether MARE possesses a cytotoxic effect on neuroblastoma. To check the cytotoxicity generated by MARE was whether relatively higher against the cancer cells rather than normal cells, we chose a neuroblastoma cell line (B103) and a normal cell line (Rat-2). A CCK assay revealed that MARE ($10{\mu}g/ml$) reduced cell viability to approximately 60% compared to an untreated control in B103 cells. But in Rat-2 cells, MARE induced relatively lower cytotoxicity. To investigate the mechanisms underlying the cytotoxic effect of MARE, we used flow cytometry combined with immunoblot analyses. We found that MARE-treatment could accumulate ROS and depolarize mitochondria membrane potential of B103 cells. Further treatment with MARE in B103 cells also could damage DNA and induce apoptosis. An expression study of p-Akt also suggested that there was a reduction in cellular proliferation and transcription along with the process of apoptosis, which was further evidenced by an increase in Bax and cleaved-caspase 3 activity. Together, our findings suggest that MARE produces more cytotoxicity in cancer cells while having a relatively attenuated effect on normal cells. As such, MARE may be a safer option in cancer therapeutics, and it also shows potential for the patients with symptoms of hyperglycemia and cancer.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.1423-1430
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• 2008

The water extract of Sopung-tang(SPT) has been traditionally used for treatment of psycologic disease and brain damage in oriental medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which the water extract of SPT rescues cells from these disease. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effect of SPT on the glutamate-induced toxicity of rat C6 glial cells. SPT have protective effects in glutamate-induced toxicity, which was revealed as apoptosis characterized by chromatic condensation and fragmentation and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential in C6 glial cells. Also, SPT have inhibited the active form of caspase-3 and PARP and significantly protected the apoptotic phenomena by glutamate toxicity in C6 glial cells. However, SPT significantly recovered the depletion of GSH and inhibited the generation of ROS by glutamate in C6 glial cells. In addition, both SPT and antioxidants such as GSH and NAC protected the glutamate-induced cytotoxicity in C6 glial cells, indicating that SPT possibly have antioxidative effect. Specially, SPT were showed transcriptional factor significantly increased the activation of NF-${\kappa}B$ using the analysis of NF-${\kappa}B$ luciferase reporter system in C6 glial cells. These NF-${\kappa}B$ activation protected cells from glutamate-induced toxicity to generate the heme oxygenase-1(HO-1). Taken together, we suggest that SPT have protective effects in glutamate-induced toxicity via a antioxidative mechanism.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.250-256
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• 2016

The prevalence of renal disease is increased with the overweight and obesity. High fat diet-associated oxidative stress increases production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induces apoptosis. There are two types of antioxidant defense mechanisms for oxidative stress. One is the enzyme defense mechanism by antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT). The other is non-enzyme defense mechanism by signaling molecules such as nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf-2), HO-1. In this study, we induced obesity in mice with high fat diet for six weeks and thereafter administered orally Viola mandshurica for 4 weeks. V. mandshurica is known to clear heat, detoxify and cool blood, and subside a swelling effect. In the V. mandshurica administered group, the immunoreactive signal of the Tunel staining was weaker than that of obesity group. Proapoptotic Bax, caspase 3 immunoreactives of the V. mandshurica administered group was lower than those of obesity group, whereas anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 immunoreactity was higher in the V. mandshurica administered group. Antioxidant enzyme mechanism such as superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT) immunoreactives of the V. mandshurica administered group and Antioxidant non-enzyme mechanism such as Nuclear factor-like 2 (Nrf2), Heme Oxygenase 1 (HO-1) immunoreactives of the V. mandshurica administered group was higher than those of obesity group. These results demonstrate that V. mandshurica had the antioxidant and anti-apoptosis effects on obese mice.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.803-809
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• 2009

Recent evidence has revealed the occurrence of an apoptotic phenotype in Candida albicans that is inducible with environmental stresses such as acetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and amphotericin B. In the present study, we found that the Chinese herbal medicine Baicalein (BE), which was one of the skullcapflavones, can induce apoptosis in C. albicans. The apoptotic effects of BE were detected by flow cytometry using Annexin V-FITC and DAPI, and it was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy analysis. After exposure to 4 ${\mu}g$/ml BE for 12 h, about 10% of C. albicans cells were apoptotic. Both the increasing intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and upregulation of some redox-related genes (CAP1, SOD2, TRR1) were observed. Furthermore, we compared the survivals of CAP1 deleted, wild-type, and overexpressed strains and found that Cap1p attenuated BE-initiated cell death, which was coherent with a higher mRNA level of the CAP1 gene. In addition, the mitochondrial membrane potential of C. albicans cells changed significantly (p<0.001) upon BE treatment compared with control. Taken together, our results indicated that BE treatment induced apoptosis in C. albicans cells, and the apoptosis was associated with the breakdown of mitochondrial membrane potential.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.249-255
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• 2013

In this study, the protective effects of EGCG on L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA)-induced oxidative cell death in catecholaminergic PC12 cells, the in vitro model of Parkinson's disease, were investigated. Treatment with L-DOPA at concentrations higher than $150{\mu}M$ caused cytotoxicity in PC12 cells, as determined using the 3-(4,5-dimetylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry detection. The apoptotic ratio was similar in cells treated with $100{\mu}M$ EGCG plus $150{\mu}M$ L-DOPA (5.02%) and the control (0.96%) (P > 0.05), and was lower than that of cells treated with L-DOPA only (32.24%, P < 0.05). The generation level of ROS (% of control) in cells treated with EGCG plus L-DOPA was lower than that in cells treated with L-DOPA only (123.90% vs 272.32%, P < 0.05). The optical density in production of TBARS in cells treated with L-DOPA only was higher than that in the control ($0.27{\pm}0.05$ vs $0.08{\pm}0.04$, P < 0.05), and in cells treated with EGCG only ($0.14{\pm}0.02$, P < 0.05), and EGCG plus L-DOPA ($0.13{\pm}0.02$, P < 0.05). The intracellular level of GSH in cells treated with EGCG plus L-DOPA was higher than that in cells treated with L-DOPA only ($233.25{\pm}16.44$ vs $119.23{\pm}10.25$, P < 0.05). These results suggest that EGCG protects against L-DOPA-induced oxidative apoptosis in PC12 cells, and might be a potent neuroprotective agent.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.774-782
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• 2004

The water extract of Dancheonhwan (DCH) has been used to treat ischemic brain and heart damage in oriental medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which the water extract of DCH rescues cells from ischemic damage. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the protective mechanisms of DCH on the H₂O₂-induced toxicity in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. Treatment of H₂O₂ markedly decreased the viability of H9c2 cardiomyoblast in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner. The nature of H₂O₂-induced toxicity of H9c2 cells resulted from apoptotic death confirmed with genomic DNA fragmentation. DCH increased the viability of H₂O₂-treated H9c2 cells by about 23%, and partially suppressed the genomic DNA fragmentation and PARP cleavage. H₂O₂ also activated caspase-3 protease and -9 protease, but not both caspase-6 protease and -8 protease. H₂O₂ induced the mitochondria dysfunction, including mitochondria membrane permeability transition (MPT) and cytosolic release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, which was prevented in part by pretreatment of DCH. N-acetylcystein (NAC), a free-radical scavenger, alone increased the viability of H₂O₂-treated H9c2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the combination of NAC with DCH significantly increased the viability of the H₂O₂-treated H9c2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. These data indicate that DCH has the protective effect on ROS-induced apoptosis of cadiomyoblast H9c2 cells.