• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2009

Olibanum (Boswellia serrata) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and anticancer effects. This study determined the role of a water extract of olibanum in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-stimulated proliferation and migration of rat aortic smooth muscle cells (RASMCs). PDGF-BB induced the migration and proliferation of RASMCs that were inhibited by olibanum extract in a dose-dependent manner. The PDGF-BB-increased phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); the heat shock protein (Hsp) 27 was significantly inhibited by the olibanum extract. The effects of PDGF-BB-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase1/2 was not altered by the olibanum extract. Treatment with olibanum extract inhibited PDGF-BB-stimulated sprout out growth of aortic rings. These results suggest that the water extract of olibanum inhibits PDGF-BB-stimulated migration and proliferation in RASMCs as well as sprout out growth, which may be mediated by the inhibition of the p38 MAPK and Hsp27 pathways.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.81-89
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• 1995

The antitumor activities of the cell bound polysaccharide(CBP), water soluble polysaccharide(WSP) and sulfated polysaccharide(SP) of Zoogloea sp. were observe. The results obtained were as follows : 1) The CBP, WSP, and SP showed cytotoxic effect on the Meth A cells in vitro, however, the effect of CBP and WSP was more ten-fold greater than that pf SP. 2) When CBP, WSP, and SP was inoculated into the peritoneal cavity of the Meth A cells transplanted mice, the average survival days tended to prolonged slightly as compared with the control. 3) When Meth A cells were transplanted subcutaneously into the back side of mice, and then CBP, WSP, and Sp was inoculated into the peritoneal cavity of mice, the tumor growth inhibition ratio was 46.9% for WSP, 40.4% for CBP, and 16.2% for SP. 4) The phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages elicited with CBP, WSP, and SP was significantly increased than that of control. 5) The production of nitric oxide in the peritoneal macrophages stimulated with CBP, WSP, SP, and LPS aloneo was not increased than that of control. The production of nitric oxide in the peritoneal macrophages stimulated with IFN-r and CBP, IFN-r and WSP and IFN-r and SP was significantly increased than that of control, but in the case of stimulated with IFN-r and WSP was increased 50% for CBP and SP. These results suggest that the CBP, WSP and SP of Zoogloea sp. showed direct cytotoxic effect and tumor growth inhibition on Meth A cells in vitro and in vivo, and induced nitric oxide production of activated macrophages.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.566-571
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• 1997

To gain further insight into how estrogens modulate cell function, the effects of estrogen on cell proliferation were studied inhuman breast cancer cells. We examined the effects of estrogen on the proliferation of three human breast cancer cell lines that differed in their estrogen receptor contents. Ten nM estradiol markedly stimulated the proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells that contained high levels of estrogen receptor $1.15{\pm}0.03 pmole/mg protein)$(over that of control. In T47D cells that contained low levels of estrogen receptor $0.23{\pm}0.05 pmole/mg protein)$, Ten nM estrogen slightly stimulated the proliferation over that of control. MDA-MB-231 cells, that contained no detectable levels of estrogen receptors, had their growth unaffected by estrogen. These results showed their sensitivity to growth stimulation by estrogen correlated well with their estrogen receptor content. Also we examined the effect of estrogen on cellular progesterone receptor level as well as plasminogen activator activity in MCF-7 cells. Ten nM estradiol showed maximal stimulation of progesterone receptor level as well as plasminogen activator activity in MCF-7 cells. It is not clear whether these stimulations of progesterone receptor and plasminogen activator activity by estrogen are related to the estrogen stimulation of cell proliferation of MCF-7 cells. Studies with estrogen in human breast cancer cells in culture indicate that sensitivity to growth stimulation by estrogen correlates well with estrogen receptor contents.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.89-96
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• 2023

Uric acid produced by guanine deaminase (GDA) is involved in photoaging and hyperpigmentation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by uric acid plays a role in photoaging. However, the mechanism by which uric acid stimulates melanogenesis in GDA-overexpressing keratinocytes is unclear. Keratinocyte-derived paracrine factors have been identified as important mechanisms of ultraviolet-induced melanogenesis. Therefore, the role of paracrine melanogenic growth factors in GDA-induced hypermelanosis mediated by uric acid was examined. The relationships between ROS and these growth factors were examined. Primary cultured normal keratinocytes overexpressed with wild type or mutant GDA and those treated with xanthine or uric acid in the presence or absence of allopurinol, H₂O₂, or N-acetylcysteine (NAC) were used in this study. Intracellular and extracellular bFGF and SCF levels were increased in keratinocytes by wild type, but not by loss-of-function mutants of GDA overexpression. Culture supernatants from GDA-overexpressing keratinocytes stimulated melanogenesis, which was restored by anti-bFGF and anti-SCF antibodies. Allopurinol treatment reduced the expression levels of bFGF and SCF in both GDA-overexpressing and normal keratinocytes exposed to exogenous xanthine; the exogenous uric acid increased their expression levels. H₂O₂-stimulated tyrosinase expression and melanogenesis were restored by NAC pretreatment. However, H₂O₂ or NAC did not upregulate or downregulate bFGF or SCF, respectively. Overall, uric acid could be involved in melanogenesis induced by GDA overexpression in keratinocytes via bFGF and SCF upregulation not via ROS generation.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.34-39
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• 2003

The traditional Asian medicinal herb, roots of Astragalus (A.) membranaceus (Leguminosae), is used for many purposes, some of which are purported to stimulate the release of growth hormone in vivo. Extracts of A. membranaceus were tested to determine whether they stimulate the release of growth hormone in rat pituitary cell culture. A. membranaceus was extracted sequentially with 80% ethanol (fraction A), n-hexane (fraction B); the test compound from the herbal extraction was isolated using silica gel column chromatography and was identified with spectral data. Test compound was also extracted by traditional boiling water methods. Induction of growth hormone in pituitary cell culture was conducted with isolated compounds and extracted fractions of A. Radix (dried roots of A. membranaceus). The fraction A was not active in the rat pituitary cell culture, but the fraction B derived from the ethanol fraction stimulated the release of growth hormone in culture. Six compounds from fraction B (1-6) were isolated and identified previously. The compounds 1,2-benzendicarboxylic acid diisononylester (1), $\beta$-sitosterol (2), and 3-Ο-$\beta$-D-galactopyranosyl-$\beta$-sitosterol (5) did not induce growth hormone release in the culture. Formononetin (3), 9Z, 12Z-octadecadienoic acid (4), stigmast-4-en-6$\beta$-o1-3-one (6) and 98-E, a mixture of 1'-9, 12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-2',3'-dihydroxy-propylester (7) and 1'-hexadecanoic acid-2',3'-dihydroxy-propylester (8) stimulated the release of growth hormone in the rat pituitary cell culture significantly compared to the control. In conclusions, four compounds isolated from extracts of A. Radix induced growth hormone release in the rat pituitary cell culture. The 98-E isolate was the most active inducer of growth hormone release.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.385-388
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• 1986

In a study of the aerobic growth of Baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on Maxon-Johnson medium (with glucose as substrate) solidified with kudzu root starch, it was observed that between 8 and 24 hour incubation. 10 and 12% solids stimulated greater cell production than did 6 and 8% solids. The concentration of solids also affected thd secretion of protein from the yeast cells with the highest content of extracellular protein at 10-24 hour incubation stimulated by 10% starch solids.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.347-353
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• 1990

The effects of nutrients and cell aggregate size on the cell growth of D. carota and the biosynthesi of carotenoid were investigated. Highest carotenoid content was obtained with sucrose as a carbon source and the equal ratio of ammonium to nitrate. High phosphate concentration stimulated the carotenoid biosynthesis in D. corota. 2,4-D inhibited the cell growth but stimulated the specific carotenoid content at high concentration. By modifying the medium composition based on these findings, three times higher specific carotenoid content and 2.5 times higher total carotenoid content were obtained as compared with the results obtained with basic MS media. Biosynthesis of carotenoid was found to be affected by cell aggregate size; high carotenoid production was obtained from the large aggregated cells resulted from high sucrose concentration.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.117-126
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• 2022

Bromodomain-containing protein 7 (BRD7) participates in many cellular processes and embryo development. BRD7 is down-regulated in various cancers and evidence of its tumor suppressor function has been accumulating. Here, we identified transforming stimulated clone 22 (TSC-22) as a novel BRD7 interacting protein and show its novel function as a positive regulator of BRD7. We found that TSC-22 expression potentiated the inactivation of the extracellular signal-regulate kinase (ERK) pathway by BRD7. Our data establishes TSC-22 as a modulator of BRD7 and unravels the molecular mechanisms that drive the synergistic tumor-suppressing effects of TSC-22 and BRD7. Our findings may open new avenues for developing novel molecular therapies for tumors exhibiting down-regulated BRD7 and/or TSC-22.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.67-76
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• 2004

In order to promote the value of the flowers as new agricultural products, we investigated the biological activities of rape, arrowroot, and rose extracts. Biological activities investigated included antioxidant activity and the effects on 3T3-L1 fibroblast cells. When each flower was extracted with methanol, the antioxidant index and electron donating activity of roses was the highest $(IC_{50}$ of rose extract was $17.6 \mu{g}/m\ell$). When 3T3-L1 fibroblast cells were treated with extracts made with hexane, ethyl acetate, and ether, the rape extracts had a cytotoxic effect on the cells. 12.2% of cells survived when treated with a 3mg/$m\ell$ ether extract while those treated with the same concentration of hexane and ethyl acetate had survival rates of 76.2% and 78.6% respectively. In contrast to rape, the ether extract of arrowroot and rose stimulated the growth of 3T3-L1 cells. The effect of rose extracts was much bigger than those of other extracts. Although every rose extract stimulated the growth of the 3T3-L 1 cells, the ether extract stimulated growth up to 168.6% compared to the control at the concentration of $0.3mg/m\ell$, and 148.3% at the concentration of $1mg/m\ell$. The toxicity on cells treated with $H_2 O_2$ of $450\mu{M}l$was decreased with the addition of rose extract. The survival rate after treatment with rose extract at the concentration of $100\mu{g}/m\ell$ was increased to 71% compared to the 32% survival rate of control. From these results, it can be concluded that the extracts of arrowroot and rose seem to stimulate cells, whereas the extract of rape has a cytotoxic effect. Biological activities of ether extract were the strongest compared to those of other extracts at the tested concentrations.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.263-270
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• 2005

Transactivation of EGF-receptor (EGFR) by G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) is emerging as an important pathway in cell proliferation, which plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerotic lesion. Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been identified to have a major role in the formation of atherosclerotic lesions, although the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. We hypothesize that Ang II promotes the proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells through the release of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor like growth factor (HB-EGF), transactivation of EGFR and activation of Akt and Erk 1/2, with matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) playing a dispensable role. Primary rat aortic smooth muscle cells were used in this study. Smooth muscle cells rendered quiescent by serum deprivation for 12 h were treated with Ang II (100 nM) in the presence of either GM6001 ($20{\mu}M$), a specific inhibitor of MMPs or AG1478 ($10{\mu}M$), an inhibitor of EGFR. The levels of phosphorylation of EGFR, Akt and Erk 1/2 were assessed in the cell lysates. Inhibition of MMPs by GM6001 significantly attenuated Ang II-stimulated phosphorylation of EGFR, suggesting that MMPs may be involved in the transactivation of EGFR by Ang II receptor. Furthermore Ang II-stimulated proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells were significantly blunted by inhibiting MMPs and EGFR and applying HB-EGF neutralization antibody, indicating that MMPs, HB-EGF and EGFR activation is necessary for Ang-II stimulated migration and proliferation of smooth muscle cells. Our results suggest that inhibition of MMPs may represent one of the strategies to counter the mitogenic and motogenic effects of Ang II on smooth muscle cells and thereby prevent the formation and development of atherosclerotic lesions.