• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.23-29
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• 2008

Panax ginseng C. A. MEYER is one of the most widely used herbal medicines in the Asian countries and has diverse functions including anti-diabetic action. The dysfunctions of mesangial cells in hyperglycemic conditions are implicated in the development of diabetic nephropathy. Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are also associated with the onset of diabetic nephropathy. Thus, we examined the effect of ginsenosides against high glucose-induced dysfunction of primary cultured rat mesangial cells. In the present study, high glucose increased IGF-I and IGF-II secretion in mesangial cells. Ginsenoside total saponin (GTS) prevented high glucose-induced increase of IGF-I and IGF-II secretion in mesangial cells. In addition, GTS prevented high glucose-induced increase of lipid peroxide formation and decrease of GSH contents. GTS also ameliorates high glucose-induced increase of arachidonic acid release and decrease of prostaglandin $E_2$. In conclusion, GTS prevented high glucose-induced dysfunction of mesangial cells via inhibition of oxidative stress and arachidonic acid pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.8
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• pp.958-964
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• 2017

Autophagy plays an important role in cellular homeostasis and survival for cell recycling and various stresses within the cell. Recent studies have shown that autophagy activity modulates the expression of oncogene and tumor suppressor genes, leading to the development or suppression of cancer. Induction of autophagy is involved in preventing cancer development in normal cells and plays an important role in prompting a specific cell death mechanism in cancer cells with damaged cell death function. It is also known that autophagy inhibition increases the therapeutic efficacy by sensitizing cancer cells that are resistant to chemotherapy. However, the role of autophagy has not yet been fully understood in cancer treatment. Oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 90% of oral cancer and is the sixth most common cancer in the world. The incidence of oral cancer has increased by 50% over the last 20 years and the mortality rate is over 40% within 5 years after the onset. In oral cancers, the role of autophagy are described to look for tumor inhibitory in the early stages of tumor formation, like other cancers, indicating the dual functions involved in tumor cell survival include tumor progression stages. This review summarizes the various roles of autophagy in cancer cells and suggests the possibility of autophagy as a promising target for effective oral cancer therapy.