• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.130-142
• /
• 2005

Objectives: Amygdalin is known to be a natural compound which has antitussive and anticancer activities. Amygdalin is abundant in the seeds of bitter almond and apricots of the Prunus genus, and other rosaceous plants. We investigated whether amygdalin induces apoptosis. Materials and Methods : 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT)assay, terminal deoxynuclotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAFI) staining, flow cytometric analysis, DNA fragmentation assay, western blot, and caspase-3 enzyme assay were performed on ME-180 cervical cancer cells treated with amygdalin. Results: Through morphological and biochemical analyses, it was demonstrated that ME-180 cells treated with amygdalin exhibit several apoptotic features. It was shown that amygdalin induces increases in levels of Bax and caspase-3 and a decrease in Bcl-2 expression. Conclusions: These results suggest the possibility that amygdalin exerts an anti-tumor effect on human cervical cancer.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.105-115
• /
• 2006

Fucoidan has been shown to exhibit a host of biological activities, including anti-coagulant, anti-thrombotic, anti-tumourigenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-complementary and neuroprotective effects. In the present study, we attempted to determine the effects of Fucoidan on both apoptosis and cell proliferation in the hippocampal CA1 region and the dentate gyrus of gerbils after the induction of transient global ischemia. This experiment involved the use of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay as well as immunohistochemisty for caspase-3 and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU). The monosaccharide composition of the purified Fucoidan which had been extracted from Laminaria religiosa was utilized in this study. The present study clearly induces that apoptotic cell death and cell proliferation in the gerbil's hippocampal regions increased significantly following the induction of transient global ischemia and the results of this study also indicate that Fucoidan exerted a suppressive effect on this observed ischemia-induced increase in apoptosis within the CA1 and dentate gyrus, and also suppressed cell proliferation in the dentate gyrus.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.161-165
• /
• 2002

Apoptosis can be difficult to detect in routine histological sections. Since extensive DNA fragmentation is an important characteristic of this process, visualization of DNA breaks could greatly facilitate the identification of apoptotic cells. Several techniques for the qualitative and quantitative detection of this process have been established; recently, an in situ nick end-labelling technique based on the detection of DNA fragmentation, which is a molecular characteristic of apoptotic cell death, was described. Applying this method to paraffin sections of rat tissues, sensitivity was observed to be inconsistently low with regard to the expected number of apoptotic cells. I describe a new modified method for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections, pretense pretreatment to permeate the tissue sections that involves an TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling) is acknowledged as a method of choice in the rapid identification and quantification of the apoptotic cell fraction in paraffin tissue preparations. TUNEL was performed without apoptosis and with apopotosis samples to each of the three concentrations of proteinase K (10, 25, 40 mg/ml) pretreatments. In this study, I show that chemical pretreatments of the tissue sections in proteinase K (25 mg/ml for 15 min at room temperature) considerably enhances the sensitivity of this nick end labelling technique.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.13 no.4
• /
• pp.281-285
• /
• 2009

Rotenone, a mitochondrial complex I inhibitor, can induce the pathological features of Parkinson's disease (PD). In the present study, naringin, a grapefruit flavonoid, inhibited rotenone-induced cell death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. We assessed cell death and apoptosis by measuring mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) and caspase (CASPs) activities and by performing 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. Naringin also blocked rotenone-induced phosphorylation of Jun NH2-terminal protein kinase (JNK) and P38, and prevented changes in B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL2) and BCL2-associated X protein (BAX) expression levels. In addition, naringin reduced the enzyme activity of caspase 3 and cleavages of caspase 9, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), and caspase 3. These results suggest that naringin has a neuroprotective effect on rotenone-induced cell death in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.2
• /
• pp.21-31
• /
• 2008

Backgrounds: Singihwan is used "to strengthen inborn energy" and we suspected a protective effect on brain neuron cells. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Singihwan (SGH) on traumatic brain injury-induced delayed apoptosis in rat hippocampal dentate gyrus. Methods: For a surgical induction of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a 5 mm diameter stainless rod was used to make traumatic attack from the surface of the brain used by an impactor. The protective effect of the aqueous extract of SGH against TBI in the rat hippocampal dentate gyrus was investigated by using step-down avoidance task, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay, Bax immunohistochemistry, and 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) immunohistochemistry. Results: The aqueous extract of SGH suppressed the TBI-induced increase in apoptosis and cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. Conclusions: It is possible that the aqueous extract of SGH has a neuroprotective effect on TBI-induced neuronal cell death.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.64-70
• /
• 2000

DNA probes for the l6S rRNA have been designed for the detection of Edwardsiella tarda. In order to accomplish this purpose, the l6S rRNA gene from E. tarda has been cloned and sequenced. Two highly feasible oligonucleotide probe sites have been determined by the database analysis programs presented by PCGENE and BLAST. These two probes have been evaluated by slot blot hybridization analysis. Hetero- and homo-trimeric templates have been synthesized using these two probe sites. The templates have been further multimerized by PCR to generate between 150 and 300 bp long DIG-11-dUTP labeled probes. Unlike 3' end labeled oligonucleotide probes or templates, multimerized probes showed no cross­hybridization in the given experimental condition. Furthermore, a significant increase in sensitivity has been observed with these probes. This method, we presented here, may be useful for the designing of probes for the detection of other fish pathogenic microorganisms also.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
• /
• v.3 no.1
• /
• pp.31-35
• /
• 2007

Hesperidin, known as a flavonoid constituent of citrus, has been known to reduce the proliferation of several cancer cells. We investigated whether hesperidin-induced cell death on SNU-668, human gastric cancer cells. The cytotoxicity of hesperidin on SNU-668 cells was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay at the concentration of 1, 10, 50, and 100 ${\mu}M$. Cell viability by hesperidin was 53.18$\pm$2.85% of control value at 100 ${\mu}M$. The cell death by hesperidin showed apoptotic features, which were confirmed using a combination of 4, 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. In the apoptosis-regulating genes, treatment of hesperidin decreased mRNA expression of B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL2), whereas expression of BCL2-associated X protein (BAX) was increased. The mRNA expression and the activity of caspase3 (CASP3), a major apoptotic factor, was significantly increased by hesperidin treatment. These results suggest that hesperidin could induce apoptosis through CASP3 activation on SNU-668, human gastric cancer cells.

• 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.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.34-39
• /
• 2014

Cigarette smoke is considered a major risk factor for vascular diseases. There are many toxic compounds in cigarette smoke, including acrolein and other ${\alpha},{\beta}$-unsaturated aldehydes, which are regarded as mediators of inflammation and vascular dysfunction. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed that acrolein, an ${\alpha},{\beta}$-unsaturated aldehyde in cigarette smoke, induces inflammatory mediator expression, which is known to be related to vascular diseases. In this study, we investigated whether Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) water extract suppressed acrolein-induced cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Acrolein-induced COX-2 expression was accompanied by increased levels of phosphorylated p38 in HUVECs and KRG inhibited COX-2 expression in HUVECs. These results suggest that KRG suppresses acrolein-induced COX-2 expression via inhibition of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. In addition, KRG exhibited an inhibitory effect on acrolein-induced apoptosis, as demonstrated by annexin Vepropidium iodide staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling assay. Consistent with these results, KRG may exert a vasculoprotective effect through inhibition of COX-2 expression in acrolein-stimulated human endothelial cells.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
• /
• v.44 no.3
• /
• pp.329-334
• /
• 2004

Ischemia/reperfusion(I/R) injury of the rat testis causes germ cell death and infiltration of inflammatory cells. To investigate the mechanism of germ cell death in torsion of the rat testis, apoptosis and macrophage activation were studied using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling(TUNEL) method and immunohistochemistry in the testes of Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to 1.5 h of ischemia, followed by 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h of reperfusion. Apoptotic, TUNEL-positive cells were found at the base of the seminiferous epithelia after I/R. TUNEL-positive cells were significantly increased 6 h after repair of the torsion, and there was a significant peak in apoptosis 24 h after reperfusion, as compared with normal or sham-operated controls. In contrast, histological evidence of germ cell necrosis in the seminiferous tubules was first visible 24 h after reperfusion. In the testis of sham-operated rats, ED2-positive resident macrophages were found diffusely in the interstitial space, while ED1-positive monocyte-like macrophages were rarely found. After I/R, ED1-positive cells were significantly increased beginning 12 h after reperfusion, while ED2-positive immunoreactivity did not change during the experimental period. Together, the results of this study confirmed that increased numbers of ED1-positive macrophages, but not resident ED2-positive macrophages, infiltrated the interstitial space surrounding damaged tubules and induced germcell death.