• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.33-37
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• 2012

Differential capacity of the parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (PESCs) is still under controversy and the mechanisms of its neural induction are yet poorly understood. Here we demonstrated neural lineage induction of PESCs by addition of insulin-like growth factor-2 (Igf2), which is an important factor for embryo organ development and a paternally expressed imprinting gene. Murine PESCs were aggregated to embryoid bodies (EBs) by suspension culture under the leukemia inhibitory factor-free condition for 4 days. To test the effect of exogenous Igf2, 30 ng/ml of Igf2 was supplemented to EBs induction medium. Then neural induction was carried out with serum-free medium containing insulin, transferrin, selenium, and fibronectin complex (ITSFn) for 12 days. Normal murine embryonic stem cells derived from fertilized embryos (ESCs) were used as the control group. Neural potential of differentiated PESCs and ESCs were analyzed by immunofluorescent labeling and real-time PCR assay (Nestin, neural progenitor marker; Tuj1, neuronal cell marker; GFAP, glial cell marker). The differentiated cells from both ESC and PESC showed heterogeneous population of Nestin, Tuj1, and GFAP positive cells. In terms of the level of gene expression, PESC showed 4 times higher level of GFAP expression than ESCs. After exposure to Igf2, the expression level of GFAP decreased both in derivatives of PESCs and ESCs. Interestingly, the expression level of $Tuj1$ increased only in ESCs, not in PESCs. The results show that IGF2 is a positive effector for suppressing over-expressed glial differentiation during neural induction of PESCs and for promoting neuronal differentiation of ESCs, while exogenous Igf2 could not accelerate the neuronal differentiation of PESCs. Although exogenous Igf2 promotes neuronal differentiation of normal ESCs, expression of endogenous $Igf2$ may be critical for initiating neuronal differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. The findings may contribute to understanding of the relationship between imprinting mechanism and neural differentiation and its application to neural tissue repair in the future.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.721-727
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• 2014

Mushroom-derived ${\beta}$-glucan, a polysaccharide (GLP) isolated from the mycelium of Ganoderma lucidum, was previously shown to have inhibitory effects against tumor-bearing mice in vivo. We investigated the apoptotic effect of mushroom-derived ${\beta}$-glucan in a sarcoma-180 tumor cell- bearing mice model using an ELISA to determine the levels of tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$ (TNF-${\alpha}$) in the mice. The morphology of the tumor cells was assessed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). GLP was injected into the tumor-bearing mice at a dose (i.p.) of 20 mg/kg for 10 days. After 30 days, the tumor mass from the inguinal region was collected, weighed, and assayed using TEM and a TNF-${\alpha}$ ELISA kit. The tumors that developed in the mice treated with GLP were 71.4% smaller than those in the control group, showing the ability of GLP to inhibit tumor growth. The levels of TNF-${\alpha}$ in the serum of the sarcoma-180 bearing mice were 12 times greater than in the serum of the nonbearing tumor mice. An ultrastructural study demonstrated that the GLP-treated sarcoma-180 tumor cells were condensed, with rearranged chromatin. In addition, the marginated chromatin in nucleus induced the nuclear compartment, and there were many vacuolization in the cell. GLP could be an effective apoptosis-inducing compound in sarcoma-type cancers.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.367-373
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• 2008

The natural products are used to be development of new antibacterial substances against human pathogenic bacteria. Adherence to the tooth surface by S. mutans is an important step in initiation of dental caries. This study was to examine antibacterial activity and anti-adhesive effect of Scutellaria baicalensis extract against S. mutans. Extracts of S. baicalensis were tested for antimicrobial activities by paper disc methods and radial diffusion assay methods, and bacterial adherence assay using 3 type of hydroxyapatite. The antibacterial level of ethyl acetate extract, IPK-3 on the growth of S. mutans was 125 mg/ml of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The maximum growth of S. mutans in medium added with IPK-3 extract (50 mg/ml) was delayed to 30 hr, while the highest at 24 hr in control medium. The pH values of the control medium was 5.63 at 18 hr, but the media supplemented with IPK-3 extract was pH 6.50 at 12 hr. In adhesive inhibition assay, S. mutans was labelled with the fluorescent indicator DAPI and measured with fluorescence microscope. Adhesion of S. mutans on hydroxyapatite beads was inhibited by IPK-3 extracts. These results suggest that S. baicalensis extract can be used as an effective material for antibacterial activity and adhesive inhibition against S. mutans.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.589-597
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• 2006

Genistein, a natural isoflavonoid phytoestrogen, is a strong inhibitor of protein tyrosine kinase and DNA topoisomerase activities. There are several studies documenting molecular alterations leading to cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis by genistein as a chemopreventive agent in a variety of cancer cell lines; however, its mechanism of action and its molecular targets on human bladder carcinoma and leukemic cells remain unclear. In the present study, we have addressed the mechanism of action by which genistein suppressed the proliferation of T24 bladder carcinoma and U937 leukemic cells. Genistein significantly inhibited the cell growth and induced morphological changes, and induced the G2/M arrest of the cell cycle in both T24 and U937 cells with a relatively stronger cytotoxicity in U937. The G2/M arrest in T24 cells was associated with the inhibition of cyclin A, cyclin B1 and Cdc25C protein expression without alteration of tumor suppressor p53 and cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1). However, the inhibitory effects of genistein on the cell growth of U937 cells were connected with a marked inhibition of cyclin B1 and an induction of Cdk inhibitor p21 proteins by p53-independent manner. These data suggest that genistein may exert a strong anticancer effect and additional studies will be needed to evaluate the different mechanisms between T24 and U937 cells.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.7 s.80
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• pp.1080-1086
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• 2006

본 연구에서는 해조류의 항돌연변이 및 항암 생리활성물질을 검색하여 발암물질 생성 방지 및 생체 방어 물질로서의 이용 가능성을 검토하고자 Ames test를 이용하여 직접돌연변이원인 MNNG와 간접돌연변이원인 $AFB_1$에 대한 항돌연변이 효과 및 암세포 증식 억제 효과를 알아보고자 하였다. $AFB_1$에 대해서 괭생이모자반(S. horneri)이 실험에 사용된 다른 해조류들 중에서 가장 높은 돌연변이 억제 효과를 보였다. 첨가농도 1.25mg/plate일 때, 괭생이모자반의 acetone+methylene chloride 추출물과 methanol 추출물은 각각 96%, 91%로 실험에 사용된 다른 해조류들의 추출물들 중에서 가장 높았으며 양성 대조군인 다시마의 용매 추출물보다도 높은 돌연변이 억제 효과를 보였다. $AFB_1$과 같은 농도인 0.6mg/plate의 농도의 MNNG를 사용하여 S. typhimurium TA100 균주에 대한 해조류의 항돌연변이성 실험을 한 결과, 간접 돌연변이원인 $AFB_1$에 비해 직접 돌연변이원인 MNNG에 대해서는 다소 항돌연변이 효과가 떨어지지만, 여기서도 실험에 사용된 해조류들의 돌연변이 억제 효과를 살펴볼 수 있었으며 acetone+methylene chloride 추출물의 경우가 methanol 추출물보다 다소 높은 활성을 나타내었다. 항돌연변이 실험에서 효과가 뛰어난 괭생이모자반과 짝잎모자반을 중심으로 인체 암세포(위암세포, AGS 및 결장암 세포, HT-29) 증식억제효과를 살펴본 결과, 용매 추출물을 0.5%, 1% 및 2%의 농도별로 암세포에 처리했을 때 acetone+methylene chloride 추출물과 methanol 추출물은 둘 다 가장 낮은 농도인 0.5%에서부터 농도 의존적으로 암세포 증식 억제 효과가 증가하였다. 이상의 7종의 갈조류 추출물들은 Ames test에서 높은 항돌연변이 효과를 나타냈을 뿐만 아니라 괭생이모자반 및 짝잎모자반은 인체 암세포에 대해서도 높은 증식 억제 효과를 나타냄을 살펴 볼 수가 있었다.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.910-914
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• 2005

This study was to determine the inhibitory effect of ethanol extract of leaf, bark and xylem of Quercus aliena Blume and, consecutively, of organic solvent subfractions against food borne pathogens. The ethanol extracts of leaf, bark and xylem of Quercus aliena Blume were shown to have antimicrobial effect against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium were more resistant to ethanol extracts of the Quercus aliena Blume tissues compared with Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The ethanol extract of Quercus aliena Blume leaf showed the strongest antimicrobial activity against food borne pathogens, followed by those of xylem and bark. The ethanol extract treatment $(500\~1,000\mu g/mL)$ of Quercus aliena Blume leaf completely reduced the growth of B. cereus and L. monocytogenes within 24 hour whereas $2,000\mu g/mL$ of ethanol extract was needed for complete growth inhibition of E. coli O157:H7 and S. Typhimurium. Among organic solvent subfractions obtained from the ethanol extract of leaf, bark and xylem of Quercus aliena Blume, the ethyl acetate fraction showed the strongest antimicrobial activity, but no antimicrobial activity was observed in chloroform, hexane and water fractions.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.347-355
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• 1997

For the selection of plants contained pesticidal active conpounds, 31 families 59 species of native plants were collected and biological activites of their crude extracts against brown planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens), Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae and allelopathy were examined. Among the screened plants, the crude extracts from the leaves of Ricinus communis and Sophora angustifolia showed 100% and 82% of mortality on brown planthopper at the concentration of 1% (w/v) respectively. Mixed crude extracts of Sophora angustifolia root and Melia azedarach seed exhibited 128${\sim}$155% of synergistic effects on the mortality of brown planthopper. In case of fungicidal activity, the crude extracts from the leaves of 8 plants including Chrysanthemum indicum were inhibitory of the growth of Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae at 1%(w/v) soluction. Seed germination of radish (Raphanus sativas) and barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crus-galli) was inhibited by 0.5%(w/v) leaf extracts of Pinus densiflora and Quercus acutissima. MeOH extracts of Pinus denislora leaves gave 100% inhibition in seed germintion of radish at 2%(w/v) soluction and showed a complete inhibition in seedling growth of barnyardgrass as well as radish at 5% solution.

• Journal of Oriental Physiology
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• v.14 no.2 s.20
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• pp.229-237
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• 1999

Hwanhonsan has been used for curing tumor as a Oriental medicine without any experimental evidence to support the rational basis for their clinical use. This experiment was carried out to evaluate the possible therapeutic or antitumoral effects of Hwanhonsan extract against cancer, and to study some mechanisms responsible for its effect. Some kind of tumors were induced by the typical application of 3-methylcholanthrene(MCA) or by the implantation of malignant tumor cells such as leukemia cells(3LL cells) or sarcoma cells(S180 cells) and FasII cells. Treatment of the Hwanhonsan extract(daily 1 mg/mouse, i.p.) was continued for 7 days prior to tumor induction and after that the treatment was lasted for 20 hrs. Against squamous cell carcinoma induced by MCA, Hwanhonsan decreased. not only the frequency of tumor production but also the number and weight of tumors per tumor bearing mice(TBM). Hwanhonsan also significantly suppressed the development of 3LL cells and S180 cells implanted tumors by frequency and their size, and some developed tumors were regressed by the continuous treatment of Hwanhonsan extract into TBM. However, when tumor was induced by FsaII cells implantation, the growth of implanted cells in mice was delayed by the water extract of Hwanhonsan until 7 days and then rapid growth ensued. In vitro treatment of Hwanhonsan extract had no inhibitory effect on the tumor induced by some kind of cell lines such as A431 cells strain but it significantly inhibited the proliferation of 3LL cells, S180 cells. These results suggested that Hwanhonsan extract exhibited a significant prophylactic benefits against tumors and its antitumor activity was manifested depending on the type of tumor cells.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.66-71
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• 2016

Delphinidin is a blue-red pigment and one of the major anthocyanins in plants. It plays an important role in anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic and anti-cancer properties. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of delphinidin on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression, an important factor involved in angiogenesis and tumor progression in human prostate cancer. Delphinidin decreased levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced VEGF mRNA expression in PC-3M cells. The expression of the EGF-induced hypoxia inducible factor-$1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$) and signaling transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) proteins, which are the major transcription factors for VEGF, were inhibited by delphinidin. In addition, delphinidin decreases HRE-promoter reporter gene activity, suggesting that delphinidin can suppress the transcription of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ under EGF induction, leading to a decrease in the expression of VEGF. Delphinidin specifically suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt, p70S6K, and 4EBP1, but not the phosphorylation of EGFR. Therefore, our results suggest that delphinidin may inhibit human prostate cancer progression and angiogenesis by inhibiting HIF-$1{\alpha}$, STAT3 and VEGF gene expression.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.266-279
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• 2021

The present study examined the cytotoxic effects of a Smilax china L. extract (SCLE) in human cancer (A-549, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, U87-MG, AGS, MKN-74, and SNU-601) and normal MRC-5 fibroblasts, as well as in mesenchymal stem cells derived from dental tissue (DSC). The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for SCLE were significantly (p<0.05) lower in the cancer cell lines (A-549, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, U87-MG, AGS, MKN-74 and SNU-601) than in the MRC-5 and DSC cells. Cell growth was significantly (p<0.05) more inhibited in the cancer cell lines treated with 200 ㎍/ml SCLE than in the normal MRC-5 and DSC, and anoikis-like floating cell morphology was observed in the SCLE-treated cancer cells. The cells detached by SCLE treatment were retrieved daily and assayed for viability and telomerase activity. Cells retrieved at 4 days showed significantly decreased viability and telomerase activity (p<0.05), as well as apoptosis-like abnormal morphology, when compared to cells retrieved in the previous 3 days. The ratio of apoptosis and cells in the G1 phase was significantly (p<0.05) increased in the A-549, AGS, and MCF-7 cancer cells treated with SCLE for 4 days compared to untreated controls. However, after SCLE treatment, cell adhesion was not increased by application of an inhibitor of the associated protein kinase (ROCK) that mainly contributes to the increase in cell attachment. This suggests that the cellular detachment by SCLE is probably controlled by a Rho-independent mechanism(s). These observations indicate that SCLE readily induces anoikis in cancer cells and could serve as a potent agent for cancer chemotherapy.