• Title/Summary/Keyword: western biomedical medicine

Search Result 161, Processing Time 0.027 seconds

Berberine Induces p53-Dependent Apoptosis through Inhibition of DNA Methyltransferase3b in Hep3B Cells (Hep3B 세포에서 베르베린은 DNA methyltransferase3b 억제를 통해 p53을 발현시켜 세포사멸을 유도)

  • Kim, Dae-Yeon;Kim, Seon-Hyoung;Cheong, Hee-Tae;Ra, Chang-Six;Rhee, Ki-Jong;Jung, Bae Dong
    • Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
    • /
    • v.52 no.1
    • /
    • pp.69-77
    • /
    • 2020
  • The tumor suppressor gene, p53, is inactivated in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cells line, Hep3B. Berberine has been reported to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells. This study examined whether apoptosis was induced in berberine-treated Hep3B cells and observed the association between apoptosis and the expression of p53 and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT). The cell viability was measured using an MTT assay. Apoptosis of Hep3B was measured using annexin V flow cytometry. Berberine-treated cells were examined for their DNMT enzymatic activity, mRNA expression, and protein synthesis. The p53 levels were examined by Western blot analysis. The berberine treatment resulted in increased Hep3B cell death and apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The DNMT3b activity, mRNA expression, and protein levels all decreased after the berberine treatment. In contrast, the p53 protein levels increased with a concomitant decrease in DNMT3b. No change in the expression of ERK was observed, but the P-ERK levels decreased in a dose dependent manner. These results indicate that a treatment of Hep3B cells with berberine can reduce the expression of DNMT3b, leading to an increase in the tumor suppressant gene p53 and an increase in cell apoptosis. This shows that berberine can effectively suppress the proliferation of liver cancer cells.

Chunghyul-dan acts as an anti-inflammatory agent in endothelial cells by regulating gene expression

  • Jung, Woo-Sang;Cho, Jin-Gu;In, Kyung-Min;Kim, Jong-Min;Cho, Ki-Ho;Park, Jung-Mi;Moon, Sang-Kwan;Kim, Kyung-Wook;Park, Seong-Uk;Pyee, Jae-Ho;Park, Sang-Gyu;Jeong, Yoon-Hwa;Park, Heon-Yong;Ko, Chang-Nam
    • Animal cells and systems
    • /
    • v.14 no.4
    • /
    • pp.275-282
    • /
    • 2010
  • Chunghyul-dan (CHD) is a combinatorial drug known to exert anti-inflammatory effects in endothelial cells. In this study, we employed global transcriptional profiling using cDNA microarrays to identify molecular mechanisms responsible for the anti-inflammatory activity of CHD in endothelial cells. An analysis of the microarray data revealed that transcript levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), vascular cell-adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and activated leukocyte cell-adhesion molecule were dramatically altered in CHD-treated endothelial cells. These changes in gene expression were confirmed by RT-PCR, Western blotting and ELISA. Chronic CHD treatment also appeared to decrease MCP-1 secretion, probably as a result of decreased MCP-1 expression. In addition, we determined that chronic CHD treatment inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated adhesion of THP-1 leukocytes to endothelial cells. The inhibitory effect of CHD on LPS-stimulated adhesion resulted from downregulation of VCAM-1 expression. Transmigration of THP-1 leukocytes through endothelial cells was also inhibited by chronic CHD treatment. In conclusion, CHD controls a variety of inflammatory activities by regulating MCP-1 and VCAM-1 gene expression.

Down-regulation of FRα Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis of Cervical Cancer Cells in Vitro

  • Bai, Li-Xia;Ding, Ling;Jiang, Shi-Wen;Kang, Hui-Jie;Gao, Chen-Fei;Chen, Chen;Zhou, Qin;Wang, Jin-Tao
    • Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
    • /
    • v.15 no.14
    • /
    • pp.5667-5672
    • /
    • 2014
  • Folate receptor alpha ($FR{\alpha}$) mediates folate uptake by endocytosis, and while folate is essential to DNA methylation and synthesis and may have an important role in proliferating cells. $FR{\alpha}$ is known to be expressed in rapidly proliferating cells, including many cancer cell lines, but there has been no systematic assessment of expression in cervical cancer cell lines. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of $FR{\alpha}$ on proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cells and correlation mechanism. In this study, we investigated the biological function of $FR{\alpha}$ in Hela cells using RNA interference. Cell proliferation was evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, while cell cycling and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry, mRNA levels by real time-PCR and protein levels of $FR{\alpha}$, c-Fos and c-Jun by Western blotting. The results revealed that $FR{\alpha}$ was highly expressed in Hela cells and its silencing with a small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis, arresting the cell cycle in G0/G1 stages while decreasing the proportion in S and G2/M stages, and suppressed the expression levels of c-Fos and c-Jun. In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that $FR{\alpha}$ down-regulation might be capable of suppressing cervical cancer cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. It suggested that $FR{\alpha}$ might be a novel therapeutic target for cervical cancer.

Whitening Effect of Watersoluble Royal Jelly from South Korea

  • Han, Sang Mi;Kim, Jung Min;Hong, In Phyo;Woo, Soon Ok;Kim, Se Gun;Jang, Hye Ri;Park, Kwan Kyu;Pak, Sok Cheon
    • Food Science of Animal Resources
    • /
    • v.35 no.5
    • /
    • pp.707-713
    • /
    • 2015
  • Royal jelly has been widely used as a health supplement worldwide. However, royal jelly has been implicated in allergic reactions, and we developed a water-soluble royal jelly (WSRJ) without the allergy inducing protein. In this study, we aimed to identify the anti-melanogenic efficacy of WSRJ. B16F1 melanoma cells were first treated with 10 nM α-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) and then with various doses of WSRJ. In addition, we investigated the mRNA and protein expression of melanogenesis-related genes such as tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1) and TRP-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. WSRJ directly inhibited tyrosinase and cellular tyrosinase activity, which decreased melanin synthesis in α-MSH stimulated B16F1 melanoma cells a level comparable to that observed with arbutin. WSRJ decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of tyrosinase, TRP-1, and TRP-2, which was comparable to that observed with arbutin. WSRJ has strong anti-melanogenic activity, which invoice direct inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme activity and suppression of expression of melanogenesis related genes. Results from this study suggests that WSRJ is a potential candidate for the treatment of skin pigmentation.

Astaxanthin induces migration in human skin keratinocytes via Rac1 activation and RhoA inhibition

  • Ritto, Dakanda;Tanasawet, Supita;Singkhorn, Sawana;Klaypradit, Wanwimol;Hutamekalin, Pilaiwanwadee;Tipmanee, Varomyalin;Sukketsiri, Wanida
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
    • /
    • v.11 no.4
    • /
    • pp.275-280
    • /
    • 2017
  • BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Re-epithelialization has an important role in skin wound healing. Astaxanthin (ASX), a carotenoid found in crustaceans including shrimp, crab, and salmon, has been widely used for skin protection. Therefore, we investigated the effects of ASX on proliferation and migration of human skin keratinocyte cells and explored the mechanism associated with that migration. MATERIAL/METHOD: HaCaT keratinocyte cells were exposed to $0.25-1{\mu}g/mL$ of ASX. Proliferation of keratinocytes was analyzed by using MTT assays and flow cytometry. Keratinocyte migration was determined by using a scratch wound-healing assay. A mechanism for regulation of migration was explored via immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis. RESULTS: Our results suggest that ASX produces no significant toxicity in human keratinocyte cells. Cell-cycle analysis on ASX-treated keratinocytes demonstrated a significant increase in keratinocyte cell proliferation at the S phase. In addition, ASX increased keratinocyte motility across the wound space in a time-dependent manner. The mechanism by which ASX increased keratinocyte migration was associated with induction of filopodia and formation of lamellipodia, as well as with increased Cdc42 and Rac1 activation and decreased RhoA activation. CONCLUSIONS: ASX stimulates the migration of keratinocytes through Cdc42, Rac1 activation and RhoA inhibition. ASX has a positive role in the re-epithelialization of wounds. Our results may encourage further in vivo and clinical study into the development of ASX as a potential agent for wound repair.

PSME4 determines mesenchymal stem cell fate towards cardiac commitment through YAP1 degradation

  • Mira Kim;Yong Sook Kim;Youngkeun Ahn;Gwang Hyeon Eom;Somy Yoon
    • The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
    • /
    • v.27 no.4
    • /
    • pp.407-416
    • /
    • 2023
  • The regeneration of myocardium following acute circulatory events remains a challenge, despite numerous efforts. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) present a promising cell therapy option, but their differentiation into cardiomyocytes is a time-consuming process. Although it has been demonstrated that PSME4 degrades acetyl-YAP1, the role of PSME4 in the cardiac commitment of MSCs has not been fully elucidated. Here we reported the novel role of PSME4 in MSCs cardiac commitment. It was found that overnight treatment with apicidin in primary-cultured mouse MSCs led to rapid cardiac commitment, while MSCs from PSME4 knock-out mice did not undergo this process. Cardiac commitment was also observed using lentivirus-mediated PSME4 knockdown in immortalized human MSCs. Immunofluorescence and Western blot experiments revealed that YAP1 persisted in the nucleus of PSME4 knockdown cells even after apicidin treatment. To investigate the importance of YAP1 removal, MSCs were treated with shYAP1 and apicidin simultaneously. This combined treatment resulted in rapid YAP1 elimination and accelerated cardiac commitment. However, overexpression of acetylation-resistant YAP1 in apicidin-treated MSCs impeded cardiac commitment. In addition to apicidin, the universal effect of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition on cardiac commitment was confirmed using tubastatin A and HDAC6 siRNA. Collectively, this study demonstrates that PSME4 is crucial for promoting the cardiac commitment of MSCs. HDAC inhibition acetylates YAP1 and facilitates its translocation to the nucleus, where it is removed by PSME4, promoting cardiac commitment. The failure of YAP1 to translocate or be eliminated from the nucleus results in the MSCs' inability to undergo cardiac commitment.

Trypanosoma cruzi Dysregulates piRNAs Computationally Predicted to Target IL-6 Signaling Molecules During Early Infection of Primary Human Cardiac Fibroblasts

  • Ayorinde Cooley;Kayla J. Rayford;Ashutosh Arun;Fernando Villalta;Maria F. Lima;Siddharth Pratap;Pius N. Nde
    • IMMUNE NETWORK
    • /
    • v.22 no.6
    • /
    • pp.51.1-51.20
    • /
    • 2022
  • Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, is an intracellular protozoan parasite, which is now present in most industrialized countries. About 40% of T. cruzi infected individuals will develop severe, incurable cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, or neurological disorders. The molecular mechanisms by which T. cruzi induces cardiopathogenesis remain to be determined. Previous studies showed that increased IL-6 expression in T. cruzi patients was associated with disease severity. IL-6 signaling was suggested to induce pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic responses, however, the role of this pathway during early infection remains to be elucidated. We reported that T. cruzi can dysregulate the expression of host PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) during early infection. Here, we aim to evaluate the dysregulation of IL-6 signaling and the piRNAs computationally predicted to target IL-6 molecules during early T. cruzi infection of primary human cardiac fibroblasts (PHCF). Using in silico analysis, we predict that piR_004506, piR_001356, and piR_017716 target IL6 and SOCS3 genes, respectively. We validated the piRNAs and target gene expression in T. cruzi challenged PHCF. Secreted IL-6, soluble gp-130, and sIL-6R in condition media were measured using a cytokine array and western blot analysis was used to measure pathway activation. We created a network of piRNAs, target genes, and genes within one degree of biological interaction. Our analysis revealed an inverse relationship between piRNA expression and the target transcripts during early infection, denoting the IL-6 pathway targeting piRNAs can be developed as potential therapeutics to mitigate T. cruzi cardiomyopathies.

Methanol extract of Elsholtzia fruticosa promotes 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation

  • Deumaya Shrestha;Eunbin Kim;Krishna K. Shrestha;Sung-Suk Suh;Sung-Hak Kim;Jong Bae Seo
    • Journal of Animal Science and Technology
    • /
    • v.66 no.1
    • /
    • pp.204-218
    • /
    • 2024
  • Elsholtzia fruticosa (EF) is present in tropical regions throughout South Asian countries as well as the Himalayas. Although it has been used as a traditional medicine to treat digestive, respiratory, and inflammatory issues, its effect on preadipocyte differentiation is unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of a methanol extract prepared from EF on the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Cell differentiation was assessed by microscopic observation and oil-red O staining. The expression of adipogenic and lipogenic genes, including PPARγ and C/EBPα, was measured by western blot analysis and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), to provide insight into adipogenesis and lipogenesis mechanisms. The results indicated that EF promotes the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes, with elevated lipid accumulation occurring in a concentration-dependent manner without apparent cytotoxicity. EF enhances the expression of adipogenic and lipogenic genes, including PPARγ, FABP4, adiponectin, and FAS, at the mRNA and protein levels. The effect of EF was more pronounced during the early and middle stages of 3T3-L1 cell differentiation. Treatment with EF decreased C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) mRNA and protein levels, while increasing C/EBPα and PPARγ expression. Treatment with EF resulted in the upregulation of cyclin E and CDK2 gene expression within 24 h, followed by a decrease at 48 h, demonstrating the early-stage impact of EF. A concomitant increase in cyclin-D1 levels was observed compared with untreated cells, indicating that EF modulates lipogenic and adipogenic genes through intricate mechanisms involving CHOP and cell cycle pathways. In summary, EF induces the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes by increasing the expression of adipogenic and lipogenic genes, possibly through CHOP and cell cycle-dependent mechanisms.

Simultaneous Detection of Seven Phosphoproteins in a Single Lysate Sample during Oocyte Maturation Process (난자성숙 과정의 단일 시료에서 일곱 가지 인산화 단백질의 동시 분석 방법)

  • Yoon, Se-Jin;Kim, Yun-Sun;Kim, Kyeoung-Hwa;Yoon, Tae-Ki;Lee, Woo-Sik;Lee, Kyung-Ah
    • Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
    • /
    • v.36 no.3
    • /
    • pp.187-197
    • /
    • 2009
  • Objective: Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins are important in regulating cellular signaling pathways. Bead-based multiplex phosphorylation assay was conducted to detect the phosphorylation of seven proteins to maximize the information obtained from a single lysate of stage-specific mouse oocytes at a time. Methods: Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured for 2 h, 8 h, and 16 h, respectively to address phosphorylation status of seven target proteins during oocyte maturation process. We analyzed the changes in phosphorylation at germinal vesicle (GV, 0 h), germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD, 2 h), metaphase I (MI, 8 h), and metaphase II (MII, 16 h in vitro or in vivo) mouse oocytes by using Bio-Plex phosphoprotein assay system. We chose seven target proteins, namely, three mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK, and other 4 well known signaling molecules, Akt, GSK-$3{\alpha}/{\beta}$, $I{\kappa}B{\alpha}$, and STAT3 to measure their phosphorylation status. Western blot analysis and kinase inhibitor treatment for ERK1/2, JNK, and Akt during in vitro maturation of oocytes were conducted for the confirmation. Results: Phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK, p38 MAPK and STAT3 was increased over 3 folds up to 20 folds, while phosphorylation of the other three signal molecules, Akt, GSK-$3{\alpha}/{\beta}$, and $I{\kapa}B{\alpha}$ was less than 3 folds. All of these results except for Akt were statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: This is the first report on the new and valuable method measuring many phosphoproteins simultaneously in one minute sample such as oocyte lysates. All of the three MAPKs, ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK are involved in the process of mouse oocyte maturation. In addition, STAT3 might be important regulator of oocyte maturation, while Akt phosphorylation at Serine 473 may not be involved in the regulation of oocyte maturation.

Ginsenosides Rk1 and Rg5 inhibit transforming growth factor-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and suppress migration, invasion, anoikis resistance, and development of stem-like features in lung cancer

  • Kim, Hyunhee;Choi, Pilju;Kim, Taejung;Kim, Youngseok;Song, Bong Geun;Park, Young-Tae;Choi, Seon-Jun;Yoon, Cheol Hee;Lim, Won-Chul;Ko, Hyeonseok;Ham, Jungyeob
    • Journal of Ginseng Research
    • /
    • v.45 no.1
    • /
    • pp.134-148
    • /
    • 2021
  • Background: Lung cancer has a high incidence worldwide, and most lung cancer-associated deaths are attributable to cancer metastasis. Although several medicinal properties of Panax ginseng Meyer have been reported, the effect of ginsenosides Rk1 and Rg5 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) stimulated by transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and self-renewal in A549 cells is relatively unknown. Methods: We treated TGF-β1 or alternatively Rk1 and Rg5 in A549 cells. We used western blot analysis, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), wound healing assay, Matrigel invasion assay, and anoikis assays to determine the effect of Rk1 and Rg5 on TGF-mediated EMT in lung cancer cell. In addition, we performed tumorsphere formation assays and real-time PCR to evaluate the stem-like properties. Results: EMT is induced by TGF-β1 in A549 cells causing the development of cancer stem-like features. Expression of E-cadherin, an epithelial marker, decreased and an increase in vimentin expression was noted. Cell mobility, invasiveness, and anoikis resistance were enhanced with TGF-β1 treatment. In addition, the expression of stem cell markers, CD44, and CD133, was also increased. Treatment with Rk1 and Rg5 suppressed EMT by TGF-β1 and the development of stemness in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, Rk1 and Rg5 markedly suppressed TGF-β1-induced metalloproteinase-2/9 (MMP2/9) activity, and activation of Smad2/3 and nuclear factor kappa B/extra-cellular signal regulated kinases (NF-kB/ERK) pathways in lung cancer cells. Conclusions: Rk1 and Rg5 regulate the EMT inducing TGF-β1 by suppressing the Smad and NF-κB/ERK pathways (non-Smad pathway).