• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.700-704
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• 2007

In the recent, increased concern has been focused on the pharmacology and clinical utility of herbal extracts and derivatives as a drug or adjunct to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Here we investigated the role of the extract of Anethi Fructus in the expression of inflammatory mediators, surface molecule, and related receptors in vitro. In murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells and peritoneal macrophages of C57BL/6N mice, water extract of Anethi Fructus increased the production of secretary tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a and Nitric oxide (NO), and the expression level of CD14, LPS co-receptor and CD86, co-stimulatory molecule compared to negative natural extract ex vivo. The water extract of Anethi Fructus increased the production of interferon (IFN)-g from splenocytes. Also, water extract of Anethi Fructus increased ConA-induced cell proliferation. These results suggest that water extract of Anethi Fructus may enhance the immune response through immune modulation of macrophage and lymphocytes.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.253-259
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• 2011

Transforming growth factor ${\beta}$ (TGF-${\beta}$) is involved in cellular processes including growth, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, and homeostasis. Generally, TGF-${\beta}$ is the inhibitor of cell cycle progression and plays a role in enhancing the antagonistic effects of many growth factors. Unlike the antiproliferative effect of TGF-${\beta}$, E2, an endogeneous estrogen, is stimulating cell proliferation in the estrogen-dependent organs, which are mediated via the estrogen receptors, $ER{\alpha}$ and $ER{\beta}$, and may be considered as a critical risk factor in tumorigenesis of hormone-responsive cancers. Previous researches reported the cross-talk between estrogen/$ER{\alpha}$ and TGF-${\beta}$ pathway. Especially, based on the E2-mediated inhibition of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling, we examined the inhibition effect of 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-nonylphenol (NP), which are well known xenoestrogens in endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), on TGF-${\beta}$ signaling via semi-quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. The treatment of E2, OP, or NP resulted in the downregulation of TGF-${\beta}$ receptor2 (TGF-${\beta}$ R2) in TGF-${\beta}$ signaling pathway. However, the expression level of TGF-${\beta}1$ and TGF-${\beta}$ receptor1 (TGF-${\beta}$ R1) genes was not altered. On the other hand, E2, OP, or NP upregulated the expression of a cell-cycle regulating gene, c-myc, which is a oncogene and a downstream target gene of TGF-${\beta}$ signaling pathway. As a result of downregulation of TGF-${\beta}$ R2 and the upregulation of c-myc, E2, OP, or NP increased cell proliferation of BG-1 ovarian cancer cells. Taken together, these results suggest that E2 and these two EDCs may mediate cancer cell proliferation by inhibiting TGF-${\beta}$ signaling via the downregulation of TGF-${\beta}$ R2 and the upregulation of c-myc oncogene. In addition, it can be inferred that these EDCs have the possibility of tumorigenesis in estrogen-responsive organs by certainly representing estrogenic effect in inhibiting TGF-${\beta}$ signaling.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.266-272
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• 1995

The analysis of membrane receptors for hormones and neurotransmitters has progressed considerably by pharmacological and biochemical means and more recently through the use of specific antibodies. To generate and characterize a moloclonal antibody against $\beta$-adrenergic receptor, a synthetic $\beta$2-adrenergic receptor peptide (Phe-Gly-Asn-Phe-Trp-Cys-Phe-Trp-Thr-Ser-lle-Asp-Val-Leu) which may comprise part of $\beta$-adrenergic receptor ligand binding pocket was coupled to Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH) and used as an immunogen. Male BALB/C mice were immunized with this antigen and the immunized spleen was fused with myeloma SP2/0-Ag14 cells to produce monoclonal antibodies. Two clones were obtained but one of monoclonal antibodies, mAb5G09, was used throughout in this study because the other clone, mAb5All showed weak immunoreactivity against KLH as well. The mouse monoclonal antibody mAb5G09 produced in this study showed immunoreactivity to peptide-KLH conjugates and also to human A43l cells and guinea pig lung $\beta$2-adrenergic receptor as revealed by ELISA and western blot. In the course of determination of the effects of mAb5G09 on $\beta$-receptor ligand binding, it was observed that mAb5G09 specifically bound $\beta$-adrenergic radioligand [$^3$H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA) with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 60 nM. The [$^3$H]DHA binding activity of mAb5G09 had characteristics of immunoglobulins and the binding activity was not observed in the control anti-KLH monoclonal antibody. The monoclonal antibody, mAb5G09 produced in this study may provide useful models for the study of the structure of receptor binding sites.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.83-91
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• 2020

Tryptamines are monoamine alkaloids with hallucinogenic properties and are widely abused worldwide. To hasten the regulations of novel substances and predict their abuse potential, we designed and synthesized four novel synthetic tryptamine analogs: Pyrrolidino tryptamine hydrochloride (PYT HCl), Piperidino tryptamine hydrochloride (PIT HCl), N,N-dibutyl tryptamine hydrochloride (DBT HCl), and 2-Methyl tryptamine hydrochloride (2-MT HCl). Then, we evaluated their rewarding and reinforcing effects using the conditioned place preference (CPP) and self-administration (SA) paradigms. We conducted an open field test (OFT) to determine the effects of the novel compounds on locomotor activity. A head-twitch response (HTR) was also performed to characterize their hallucinogenic properties. Lastly, we examined the effects of the compounds on 5-HTR1a and 5-HTR2a in the prefrontal cortex using a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. None of the compounds induced CPP in mice or initiated SA in rats. PYT HCl and PIT HCl reduced the locomotor activity and elevated the 5-HTR1a mRNA levels in mice. Acute and repeated treatment with the novel tryptamines elicited HTR in mice. Furthermore, a drug challenge involving a 7-day abstinence from drug use produced higher HTR than acute and repeated treatments. Both the acute treatment and drug challenge increased the 5-HTR2a mRNA levels. Ketanserin blocked the induced HTR. Taken together, the findings suggest that PYT HCl, PIT HCl, DBT HCl, and 2-MT HCl produce hallucinogenic effects via 5-HTR2a stimulation, but may have low abuse potential.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.17 no.5 s.85
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• pp.687-693
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• 2007

Insulin-like growth factor-I(IGF-I) has significant insulin-like anabolic effects which include the stimulation of glucose and amino acid uptake, as well as protein and glycogen synthesis. IGFs exist in serum and other biological fluids as complexes bound to a family of structurally related insulin-like growth factor binding proteins(IGFBPs). Six human IGFBPs can modulate the effects of IGFs on target tissues by several mechanisms, including altering the serum's half-life and the transcapillary transport of IGFs, as well as changing the availability of IGFs to specific cell surface receptors. Human fibroblasts secrete IGFBPs that can modify IGF-I action. Previous to our study using either Northern blotting, and Western blotting have shown that fibroblasts express mRNA IGFBP-3, -4, and -5, and synthesize these proteins. In addition, fibroblast cell lysates revealed that the IGFBP-3 was most abundant. For these reasons, we undertook to gain further insight into the effects of high and low glucose incubation condition on metabolism and IGFBP-3 expression. In results of metabolites and IGFBP-3 expression in GM10 cells cultivated with various glucose concentration, the consumption of glucose and accumulation of triglyceride were increased in condition of high glucose, and total protein level was decreased. in the course of time. After 5 days incubation, levels of free amino acid in medium containing glucose of high concentration glucose were higher than in conditions of low glucose. Although the levels of IGFBP-3 protein and mRNA levels were increased in low glucose, and IGFBP-3 was not affected by any pretense. Taken together, we suggest that the study of growth factors, like IGFs, might be a possible model of diabetes militus in cell, although the results in cell models were not in accord with in vivo.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.557-565
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• 2016

The paired immunoglobulin-like type 2 receptor (PILR) family consists of two functionally opposite members, inhibitory $PILR{\alpha}$ and activating $PILR{\beta}$ receptors. PILRs are widely expressed in various immune cells and interact with their ligands, especially CD99 expressed on activated T cells, to participate in immune responses. Here we investigated whether PILR-derived agonists inhibit ${\beta}1$ integrin activity as ligands for CD99. PILR-derived peptides as well as PILR-Fc fusion proteins prevented cell adhesion to fibronectin through the regulation of ${\beta}1$ integrin activity. Especially, PILRpep3, a representative 3-mer peptide covering the conserved motifs of the PILR extracellular domain, prevented the clustering and activation of ${\beta}1$ integrin by dephosphorylating FAK and vinculin, which are major components of focal adhesion. In addition, PILRpep3 inhibited transendothelial migration of monocytes as well as endothelial cell tube formation. Furthermore, upon intraperitoneal injection of PILRpep3 into mice with collagen-induced arthritis, the inflammatory response of rheumatoid arthritis was strongly suppressed. Taken together, these results suggest that PILR-derived agonist ligands may prevent the inflammatory reactions of rheumatoid arthritis by activating CD99.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.109-116
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• 2017

Soybean agglutinin (SBA) is an anti-nutritional factor of soybean, affecting cell proliferation and inducing cytotoxicity. Integrins are transmembrane receptors, mediating a variety of cell biological processes. This research aims to study the effects of SBA on cell proliferation and cell cycle progression of the intestinal epithelial cell line from piglets (IPEC-J2), to identify the integrin subunits especially expressed in IPEC-J2s, and to analyze the functions of these integrins on IPEC-J2 cell cycle progression and SBA-induced IPEC-J2 cell cycle alteration. The results showed that SBA lowered cell proliferation rate as the cell cycle progression from G0/G1 to S phase (P < 0.05) was inhibited. Moreover, SBA lowered mRNA expression of cell cycle-related gene CDK4, Cyclin E and Cyclin D1 (P < 0.05). We successfully identified integrins ${\alpha}2$, ${\alpha}3$, ${\alpha}6$, ${\beta}1$, and ${\beta}4$ in IPEC-J2s. These five subunits were crucial to maintain normal cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in IPEC-J2s. Restrain of either these five subunits by their inhibitors, lowered cell proliferation rate, and arrested the cells at G0/G1 phase of cell cycle (P < 0.05). Further analysis indicated that integrin ${\alpha}2$, ${\alpha}6$, and ${\beta}1$ were involved in the blocking of G0/G1 phase induced by SBA. In conclusion, these results suggested that SBA lowered the IPEC-J2 cell proliferation rate through the perturbation of cell cycle progression. Furthermore, integrins were important for IPEC-J2 cell cycle progression, and they were involved in the process of SBA-induced cell cycle progression alteration, which provide a basis for further revealing SBA anti-proliferation and anti-nutritional mechanism.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.2935-2940
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• 2016

Breast cancer is the most frequent type of cancer diagnosed among women worldwide and also in Thailand. Estrogen and estrogen receptors exert important roles in its genesis and progression. Several cytokines have been reported to be involved in the microenvironment that promotes distant metastasis via modulation of immune and inflammatory responses to tumor cells. Estrogen receptor genetic polymorphisms and several cytokines have been reported to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility and aggressiveness. To investigate roles of genetic polymorphisms in estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and interleukin 6 (IL6), breast cancer patients and control subjects were recruited from the Division of Head, Neck and Breast Surgery (Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand). Polymorphisms in ESR1 (rs3798577) and IL6 (rs1800795 and rs1800797) were evaluated by real-time PCR in 391 breast cancer patients and 79 healthy controls. Associations between genetic polymorphisms and clinicopathological data were determined. There was no association between genetic polymorphisms and breast cancer susceptibility. However the ESR1 rs3798577 CT genotype was associated with presence of lymphovascular invasion (OR=2.07, 95%CI 1.20-3.56, p=0.009) when compared to the TT genotype. IL6 rs1800795 CC genotype was associated with presence of extranodal extension (OR= 2.30, 95%CI 1.23-4.31, p=0.009) when compared to the GG genotype. Survival analysis showed that IL6 rs1800797 AG or AA genotypes were associated with lower disease-free survival. These findings indicate that polymorphisms in ESR1 and IL6 contribute to aggressiveness of breast cancer and may be used to identify high risk patients.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 1990

The one event on signalling mechanism is the cleavage by adenyl cyclase of ATP into second messenger, cyclic AMP. The other transfer system of inositol metabolism. it is widely recognized that hydrolysis of the minor membrane lipid phosphoinositide bisphosphate($PIP_2$) initiated by occupation of certain receptors and catalyzed by phospholipase C, lead to toe generation of the two intracellular messengers, inositol triphosphate($IP_3$) and diacylglycerol(DG). $IP_3$ is converted to inositol tetrakisphosphate($IP_4$) by $IP_3$ kinase. In the present study, it is that purification of calmodulin is used by phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B chromatography. it's molecular weigh, 17.000 in SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. In order to observe the affinity between calmodulin (CaM)-Affigel 15 and $IP_3$ kinase, and isolated $IP_3$ kinase, was applied in CaM-Affigel with $Ca^{2+}$ equilibirum buffer and EGTA equilibirum buffer. We compared with binding and elution effect of $IP_3$ kinase in several condition of buffer. In affinity of binding. $Ca^{2+}$ equilibrium buffer was in the most proper condition. and elution, CaM/$Ca^{2+}$ buffer(CE1 10.36, CE2 12. 76pM/min/mg of protein) was effected much more than EGTA buffer(E2 1.48, E3 2.43pM/min/mg of protein), but CaM/$Ca^{2+}$ stimulate the activity of $IP_3$ kinase. And then, several detergents such as sodium deoxycholate, tween 20. cholic acid, polyethylene glycol, chaps were applied. The 0.2% chaps buffer(E2 23.19, E3 8.05pM/min/mg of protein) was the most effective in elution of $IP_3$ kinase.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.246-259
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• 1995

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of baclofen on the detrusor muscle isolated from rat. Rats (Sprague-Dawley) were sacrificed by decapitation and exsanguination. Horizontal muscle strips of $2mm{\times}15mm$ were prepared for isometric myography in isolated muscle chamber bubbled with 95% / 5%-$O_2$ / $CO_2$ at $37^{\circ}C$, and the pH was maintained at 7.4. Detrusor strips contracted responding to the electrical field stimulation (EFS) by 2 Hz, 20 msec, monophasic square wave of 60 VDC. The initial peak of EFS-Induced contraction was tended to be suppresed by ${\alpha},{\beta}$-methylene-adenosine 5'-triphosphate (mATP), a partial agonist of purinergic receptor, and baclofen, a $GABA_B$ receptor agonist (statistically nonsignificant). The late sustained contraction by EFS was suppressed significantly (p < 0.05) by additions of atropione, a cholinergic muscarinic receptor antagonist and baclofen. The adenosine 5'-triphosphate-induced contraction was completely abolished by mA TP but not by baclofen. In the presence of atropine, the subsequent addition of acetylcholine could not contract the muscle strips: but the addition of acetylcholine in the presence of baclofen evoked a contraction to a remarkable extent. These results suggest that in the condition of present study, the cholinergic innervation may play a more important role than the purinergic one, and baclofen suppresses the contractility of rat detrusor by the stimulation of the $GABA_B$ receptors to inhibit the release of neurotransmitter from the cholinergic nerve ending.