• Development and Reproduction
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.237-242
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• 2000

Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH), the major hypothalamic stimulus of GH secretion from the anterior pituitary gland, has been found to be present in several extrahypothalamic sites including placenta testis, ovary and anterior pituitary gland. The present study was performed to elucidate the role of pituitary GHRH on proliferation of cells derived from rat anterior pituitary gland. The GHRH content of pituitary tissue, cultured pituitary cells, and the conditioned media was evaluated by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Primary cultures of pituitary cells derived from adult rats were prepared by enzymatic dispersion. Significant amounts of GHRH-like molecules were detected in both pituitary tissue and cell cultures by GHRH RIA. Competition curves with increasing amounts of tissue extracts and conditioned media were parallel with those of standard peptide, indicating that the pituitary GHRH-like material is similar to authentic GHRH. To analyze specific cell types responsible for producing GHRH in anteroior pituitary, cell fractionation technique combined with GHRH RIA was performed. In cell fractionation experiment, the highest level of GHRH content was found in gonadotrope enriched-fraction and followed by somatotrope-, lactotrope- and thyrotrope-fraction. Treatment of pituitary cells with GHRH resulted in a dose-dependent increase in [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation. The mitogenic effect of GHRH could be mediated by typical oncogenic activation since the GHRH induced transient increase in c-fos mRNA levels with peak response at 30 minutes. The present study demonstrated that i) the pituitary GHRH expressed in the rat anterior pituitary gland can be secreted, ii) among the various cell types, gonadotropes and somatotorpes are the major GHRH source, and iii) the GHRH treatment increased the [$^3$H] thymidine incorporation and c-fos transcriptional activity in the pituitary cell culture. These findings suggested that GHRH could participated in the paracrine and/or autocrine regulation of cell proliferation, as well as promoting growth hormone secretion.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.40 no.6
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• pp.781-789
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• 2011

We studied the biological activities, including antioxidant compounds, antioxidant activities, anti-proliferative activities, and immunological activities of brown rice and germinated brown rice. We examined the DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activity, and reducing power of 70% ethanol extracts from some cultivars of brown rice and germinated brown rice. The total polyphenol, total flavonoid, and ${\gamma}$-oryzanol contents of the extracts were measured with spectrophotometric methods. The Hongjinjubeyo brown rice and germinated brown rice extracts showed markedly higher antioxidative activity than those of 70% ethanol extracts from other cultivars. The 70% ethanol extracts from brown rice and germinated brown rice had the most effective anti-proliferative activity (cytotoxicity) against breast cancer cells (MCF-7) compared to colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116). A $500\;{\mu}g$/mL concentration of 70% Hongjinjubyeo ethanol extract had higher macrophage and mitogenic activities of immunological activity than other cultivars.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1996

Fumonisin B$_1$ is hepatotoxic in all species, but liver carcinogenic and nephrotoxic in rat. Our objective was to investigate the effects of multiple iv dose of FB$_1$. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intravenously (iv) with FB$_1$ at 1 mg/kg singly (T1), or daily for 2 (T2) or 3 (T3). T1 rats did not show any cytotoxicity in both liver and kidney. However, the most dramatic change occurred in this group was mitotic figures in liver, which increased 5.5-fold to that of control. Hepatotoxic effects were shown in T3, based on histopathology and serum chemistry. A few scattered single cell deaths occurred primarily in the centrilobular area of the liver in T2. Similar but more lesions in liver and a small number of degenerating cells with hypereosinophilic cytoplasm in outer stripe of medulla of kideny were found in T3 rats. Serum chemical profiles included liver enzymes increased, in which cholesterol was very sensitive. This study suggests that multiple exposure of low dose FB$_1$ cause cytotoxic in the liver earlier time point than kideny. FB$_1$$ also stimulates mitosis in liver that may be associated with carcinogenesis.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1998

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), originally discovered and cloned as a powerful mitogen for hepatocytes, is a four kringle-containing growth factor which specifically binds to membrane-spanning tyrosine kinase, c-Met/HGF receptor. HGF has mitogenic, motogenic (enhancement of cell movement), morphogenic (e.g., induction of branching tubulogenesis), and anti-apoptotic activities for a wide variety of cells. During embryogenesis, HGF supports organogenesis and morphogenesis of various tissues, including liver, kidney, lung, gut, mammary gland, and tooth. In adult tissues HGF elicits an organotrophic function which supports regeneration of organs such as liver, kidney, lung, and vascular tissues. HGF is also a novel member of neurotrophic factor in nervous systems. Together with the preferential expression of HGF in mesenchymal or stromal cells, and c-Met/HGF receptor In epithelial or endothelial cells, the HGF-Met coupling seems to orchestrate dynamic morphogenic processes through epithelial-mesenchymal (or-stromal) interactions for organogenesis and organ regeneration. HGF or HGF gene may well become unique therapeutic tools for treatment of patients with various organ failure, through its actions to reconstruct organized tissue architectures. This review focuses on recently characterized biological and physiological functions integrated by HGF-Met coupling during organogenesis and organ regeneration.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.462-467
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• 2008

TPA is known to cooperate with an activated Ras oncogene in the transformation of rodent fibroblasts, but the biochemical mechanisms responsible for this effect have not been established. In the present study we used c-fos promoter-luciferase constructs as reporters, in transient transfection assays, in NIH3T3 cells to assess the mechanism of this cooperation. We found a marked synergistic interaction between TPA and a transfected v-Ha-ras oncogene in the activation of c-fos promoter and SRE. SRE has binding sites for TCF and SRF. A dominant-negative Ras (ras-N17) inhibited the TPA-Ras synergy by blocking the PKC-MAPK-TCF pathway. Dominant-negative RhoA and Rac1 (but not Cdc42Hs) inhibited the TPA-Ras synergy by blocking the Ras-Rho-SRF signaling pathway. Constitutively active $PKC{\alpha}$ and $PKC{\varepsilon}$ showed synergy with v-Ras. These results suggest that the activation of two distinct pathways such as Ras-Raf-ERK-TCF pathway and Rho-SRF pathway are responsible for the induction of c-fos by TPA and Ras in mitogenic signaling pathways.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.163-169
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• 1998

Fluoride (F), over a narrow concentration range, increases bone formation. Aluminum (Ai) too is biphasic in its action on bone, being mitogenic at very low levels and inhibitory at higher levels. Both F and Al are present in finished drinking water where the chemical interaction of these two agents is well characterized. F and AI, given individually, accumulate preferentially in bone. In addition. in vivo studies have shown that F causes the co-accumulation of Al in bone. Thus, it was necessary to determine the interactive effect of these two agents on bone mitogenesis. Calvaria were obtained from neonatal CD-1 mice and cultured with various concentrations of F (0.05~19 ppm) as NaF, Al (2 ppb~2 ppm) as $AlCl_3$ , or F and Al for 3 days at $37^{\circ}C$ on a rotating roller drum. Alkaline phosphatase activity in calvaria and $\beta$-glucuronidase activity in culture medium were determined as a measures of bone turnover. Alkaline phosphatase activity in calvaria was significantly increased by F (0.05~2 ppm) treatment and $\beta$-glucuronidase activity was slightly increased in the culture medium of calvaria treated with 0.3 ppm Al. The combination of 19 ppm F and 0.3 ppm Al increased alkaline phosphatase activity in calvaria, but did not affect $\beta$-glucuronidase activity, suggesting the interactive effect of fluoride and aluminum on bone turnover.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.256-260
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• 2015

Purpose: Mefenamic acid (MEF) as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is used as a medication for relieving of pain and inflammation. Radiation-induced inflammation process is involved in DNA damage and cell death. In this study, the radioprotective effect of MEF was investigated against genotoxicity induced by ionizing radiation in human blood lymphocytes. Materials and Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from human volunteers and incubated with MEF at different concentrations (5, 10, 50, or $100{\mu}M$) for two hours. The whole blood was exposed to ionizing radiation at a dose 1.5 Gy. Lymphocytes were cultured with mitogenic stimulation to determine the micronuclei in cytokinesis blocked binucleated lymphocyte. Results: A significant decreasing in the frequency of micronuclei was observed in human lymphocytes irradiated with MEF as compared to irradiated lymphocytes without MEF. The maximum decreasing in frequency of micronuclei was observed at $100{\mu}M$ of MEF (38% decrease), providing maximal protection against ionizing radiation. Conclusion: The radioprotective effect of MEF is probably related to anti-inflammatory property of MEF on human lymphocytes.

• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.78-91
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• 1997

Peroxisome is a single membrane-bounded organelle found in hepatic parenchymal cells and kidney tubular epithelial cells. A number of enzymes exist in peroxisome contributing to anabolic and catabolic peroxisomal functions. Extramitochontriai $\beta$-oxidation of fatty acid is a major function of peroxisome. Peroxisomes can be proliferated by many structually unrelated compounds such as hypolipidemic drugs, plasticizers, pesticides, some pharmaceutical agents and high fat diet. These chemicals, called peroxisome proliferators, act via the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor, to induce peroxisome proliferation, hepatomegaly and hepatocellular carcinoma in rodent. The clear mechanisms of peroxisome proliferator-induced hepatocarcinogenesis have been not demonstrated. Since they are not genotoxic, biochemical changes or changes in gene expressions may be involved. A free radical theory has been suggested based on the finding of oxidative damages of macromolecules by hydrogen peroxide released in the peroxisomal $\beta$-oxidation of fatty acid. Increased cell proliferation by a peroxisome proliferator has been also thought to be an important factor in the hepatocarcinogenesis as suggested in other cases of nongenotoxic carcinogenesis. The alternation of eicosanoid concentrations by peroxisome proliferators may be important in the peroxisome proliferator-induced hepatocarcinogenesis since peroxisome proliferators decrease the concentration of eicosanoids, and the peroxisome proliferator ciprofibrate-eicosanoid combination is comitogenic and costimulates some mitogenic signals in hepatocytes. All of proposed mechanisms should be considered in the peroxisome prolifrator-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Developmental Biology Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.20-21
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• 2003

Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are mitogenic peptide hormones that regulate embryonic development, postnatal growth and cellular differentiation in vertebrates IGFs are initially translated as pre-pro-peptides and then proteolytically processed to yield the mature IGFs and E-peptides. Like the C-peptide of pro-insulin, the E-peptides of pro-IGFs are generally believed to possess little or no biological activity other than their potential roles in the biosynthesis of the mature IGFs. Like human IGF-1, previous studies in our laboratory showed that the recombinant trout Ea4-peptide of pro-IGF-1 exhibited a dose-dependent mitegenic activity in cultured BALB/3T3 fibroblasts and other non-oncogenic transformed cells (Tian et al., 1999) We have also shown by in vitro and in vivo studies that Ea4-peptide possessed novel anti-tumor activities (Chen et al., 2002, Kuo and Chen, 2002; Kuo and Chen 2003). Recent results of studies conducted in chorionicallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos revealed that Ea4-peptide of trout pro-IGF-1 also possesses a dose-dependent antiangiogenic activity. Together these results raised the question whether Ea4-peptide of trout pro-IGF-1 may affect heart and blood vessel development and hematopoiesis in fish embryos. (중략)

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.162-173
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• 2006

The water-extracts of Scutellaria barbata Don (SBDE) were isolated from Chinese medicinal plant sources. The extracts showed strong growth-inhibitory activity and cancer chemopreventive activity on the growth and DNA incorporation of MG63 human osteosarcoma and K562 human leukemia cell lines. The growth of human cancer cells was inhibited in the presence of the extracts (20, 50 and 100 ${\mu}$g/ml), and the effects were concentration-dependent and incubation time-dependent up to 8 days. When 50 ${\mu}$g/ml of the extracts was added to the media of MG63 and K562, cell growth after 8 days or 6 days of incubation was retarded by 93.2 to 97.3% of the control group. Morphological changes of MG63 and K562 cell lines were observed. As the concentration of the extracts increased up to 50 ${\mu}$g/ml, degree of cell aggregation decreased. Moreover, the DNA incorporation of the cells which were labeled with [3H] thymidine was significantly reduced after 3 days of incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ with the extract. Therefore, it is suggested that the extract is highly effective on inhibition of cancer cell growth. The extract also inhibited gene expression of IGF-II in transcriptional level. Since IGF-II works as a mitogenic effector on MG63 and K562 cell lines, these results suggest that the growth inhibition is in part mediated through the inhibition of IGF-II gene expression.