Ho Jeong Lee

Naringin induces autophagy-mediated growth inhibition by downregulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR cascade via activation of MAPK pathways in AGS cancer cells

Naringin, one of the major bioflavonoid of Citrus, has been demonstrated as potential anticancer agent. However, the underlying anticancer mechanism still needs to be explored further. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of Naringin on human AGS cancer cells. AGS cell proliferation was inhibited by Naringin in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Naringin did not induce apoptotic cell death, determined by no DNA fragmentation and the reduced Bax/Bcl-xL ratio. Growth inhibitory role of Naringin was observed by western blot analysis demonstrating downregulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR cascade with an upregulated p21CIPI/WAFI. Formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles and autophagosomes were observed in Naringin-treated AGS cells, further confirmed by the activation of autophagic proteins Beclin 1 and LC3B with a significant phosphorylation of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs). Collectively, our observed results determined that anti-proliferative activity of Naringin in AGS cancer cells is due to suppression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR cascade via induction of autophagy with activated MAPKs. Thus, the present finding suggests that Naringin induced autophagy- mediated growth inhibition shows potential as an alternative therapeutic agent for human gastric carcinoma.

Hesperidin Induces Paraptosis Like Cell Death in Hepatoblatoma, HepG2 Cells: Involvement of ERK1/2 MAPK

Hesperidin, a natural flavonoid abundantly present in Citrus is known for its anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study we examined the effect of hesperidin on HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells treated with various concentration of hesperidin undergo a distinct type of programed cell death. Cytoplasmic vacuolization, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum swelling and uncondensed chromatin were observed in hesperidin treated cells. DNA electrophoresis show lack of DNA fragmentation and western blot analysis demonstrates lack of caspase activation and PARP cleavage. It was observed that hesperidin induced cell death is nonautophagic and also activate mitogen activated protein kinase ERK1/2. Taken together, the data indicate that hesperidin induces paraptosis like cell death in HepG2 cells with the activation of ERK1/2. Thus our finding suggests that hesperidin inducing paraptosis may offer an alternative tool in human liver carcinoma therapy.

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Ca(2+) Overload Contributes to Hesperidin Induced Paraptosis in Hepatoblastoma Cells, HepG2.

Paraptosis is a programmed cell death which is morphologically and biochemically different from apoptosis. In this study, we have investigated the role of Ca2+ in hesperidin‐induced paraptotic cell death in HepG2 cells. Increase in mitochondrial Ca2+ level was observed in hesperidin treated HepG2 cells but not in normal liver cancer cells. Inhibition of inositol‐1,4,5‐triphosphate receptor (IP3R) and ryanodine receptor also block the mitochondrial Ca2+ accumulation suggesting that the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) may probably lead to the increase in mitochondrial Ca2+ level. Pretreatment with ruthenium red (RuRed), a Ca2+ uniporter inhibitor inhibited the hesperidin‐induced mitochondrial Ca2+ overload, swelling of mitochondria, and cell death in HepG2 cells. It has also been demonstrated that mitochondrial Ca2+ influxes act upstream of ROS and mitochondrial superoxide production. The increased ROS production further leads to mitochondrial membrane loss in hesperidin treated HepG2 cells. Taken together our results show that IP3R and ryanodine receptor mediated release of Ca2+ from the ER and its subsequent influx through the uniporter into mitochondria contributes to hesperidin‐induced paraptosis in HepG2 cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 231: 1261–1268, 2016.

Vitamin D2 suppresses amyloid-β 25–35 induced microglial activation in BV2 cells by blocking the NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway

AIMS Present emerging world is emphasizing the implication of vitamin D deficiency associated with development of inflammation and neurodegenerative disorder like Alzheimers disease (AD). The chief neuropathological hallmark of AD is aggregation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides surrounding microglial cells in human brain. Microglial activation plays a key role in inflammatory response and neuronal injury. Naturally abundant vitamin D2 (VD2) exhibiting anti-inflammatory activities are yet to explore more. This study has investigated the inhibitory effect of VD2 on inflammatory activities of BV2 microglial cells. MAIN METHODS Cellular compatibility of VD2 and Aβ25-35 protein in treated BV2 microglial cells were measured by CCK-8 assay. Induction of iNOS, COX-2 and NF-κB signaling cascade were measured by western blotting, whereas pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured by ELISA. In addition, generation of ROS was detected by fluorescence intensity. KEY FINDINGS Morphological observations showed that Aβ25-35 induced BV2 cells stimulation noticeably got reduced in VD2 pre-treated group at 24h time period. Anti-inflammatory activities of VD2 was observed demonstrating the inhibition of up-regulated iNOS and COX-2 protein expression further confirmed by attenuating the activated microglia released pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, TNF- α and ROS, while blocking the phosphorylation of NF-κB p65 in nucleus by preventing IκB-α degradation and phosphorylation in cytosol. SIGNIFICANCE The present study revealed that VD2 blocked the phosphorylation of NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway in Aβ25-35 induced activated BV2 microglial cells by suppressing ROS generation and inflammatory cytokines. Our finding suggests that vitamin D2 has therapeutic potential against inflammation and Alzheimers disease.

Functional polysaccharides from Grifola frondosa aqueous extract inhibit atopic dermatitis-like skin lesions in NC/Nga mice

Grifola frondosa (GF), distributed widely in far east Asia including Korea, is popularly used as traditional medicines and health supplementary foods, especially for enhancing the immune functions of the body. To extend the application of GF polysaccharides (GFP) for atopic dermatitis (AD), we investigated the effects of GFP on the 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene-induced AD-like skin lesion in NC/Nga mice. GFP treatment significantly reduced the dorsa skin dermatitis score and combination treatment with GFP, and dexamethasone has a synergistic effect in AD-like skin lesion by reduced Serum IgE, mast cells infiltration, and cytokines expression. These results indicate that GFP suppressed the AD-like skin lesions by controlling the Th-1/Th-2-type cytokines in NC/Nga mice. These findings strongly suggest that GFP can be useful for AD patients as a novel therapeutic agent and might be used for corticosteroids replacement or supplement agent. Graphical Abstract This study suggests that GFP modulates the Th-1/Th-2 response and mast cell infiltration is a major mechanism of the AD like skin lesion in NC/Nga mice.

Flavonoids isolated from Citrus platymamma induced G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in A549 human lung cancer cells.

Citrus platymamma hort. ex Tanaka belongs to the Rutaceae family and is widely used in folk medicines in Korea due to its anti-proliferative, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic activities. However, the molecular mechanism of its anti-cancer effect is not well understood. The present study was conducted to elucidate the anti-cancer effect and molecular mechanism of flavonoids from Citrus platymamma (FCP) on A549 cells. FCP displayed concentration-dependent inhibition on A549 cells proliferation. Further, flow cytometry revealed that FCP significantly increased the sub-G1 (apoptotic cell population) and G2/M phase population, and the total number of apoptotic cells, in a dose-dependent manner. Nuclear condensation and fragmentation were also observed upon staining with Hoechst 33342 in FCP-treated A549 cells. Immunoblotting demonstrated a dose-dependent downregulation of cyclin B1, cyclin-dependent kinase 1, cell division cycle 25c, pro-caspases −3, −6, −8 and −9, and poly (adenosine diphosphate-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in FCP-treated A549 cells. In addition, FCP induced caspase-3 activation and subsequent PARP cleavage, and increased the B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2-associated X protein/Bcl-extra large ratio in A549 cells. These findings suggest that FCP induced G2/M arrest and apoptosis of A549 cells. The present study provides evidence that FCP may be useful in the treatment of human lung cancer.

Poncirin Induces Apoptosis in AGS Human Gastric Cancer Cells through Extrinsic Apoptotic Pathway by up-Regulation of Fas Ligand

Poncirin, a natural bitter flavanone glycoside abundantly present in many species of citrus fruits, has various biological benefits such as anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities. The anti-cancer mechanism of Poncirin remains elusive to date. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer effects of Poncirin in AGS human gastric cancer cells (gastric adenocarcinoma). The results revealed that Poncirin could inhibit the proliferation of AGS cells in a dose-dependent manner. It was observed Poncirin induced accumulation of sub-G1 DNA content, apoptotic cell population, apoptotic bodies, chromatin condensation, and DNA fragmentation in a dose-dependent manner in AGS cells. The expression of Fas Ligand (FasL) protein was up-regulated dose dependently in Poncirin-treated AGS cells Moreover, Poncirin in AGS cells induced activation of Caspase-8 and -3, and subsequent cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Inhibitor studies’ results confirm that the induction of caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death in Poncirin-treated AGS cells was led by the Fas death receptor. Interestingly, Poncirin did not show any effect on mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax and Bak) and anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-xL) in AGS-treated cells followed by no activation in the mitochondrial apoptotic protein caspase-9. This result suggests that the mitochondrial-mediated pathway is not involved in Poncirin-induced cell death in gastric cancer. These findings suggest that Poncirin has a potential anti-cancer effect via extrinsic pathway-mediated apoptosis, possibly making it a strong therapeutic agent for human gastric cancer.

Korean Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi methanol extracts inhibits metastasis via the Forkhead Box M1 activity in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, commonly known as skullcaps, and it has been widely used as traditional therapeutic herb in several eastern Asia including Korea, China and Japan because of its remarkable anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Our study focuses on the anti-metastatic effects of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS Methanol extract of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi was examined for identification of its composition by HPLC-MS/MS. The extract was evaluated for the anti-metastasis activity using HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells via immunoblotting and RT-PCR. For mechanical study, specific Forkhead Box M1 (FOXM1) vector was transfected to HepG2 cells. RESULTS Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi potentially inhibited proliferation of HepG2 cells dose dependently. Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi decreased metastasis through the regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and FOXM1 activities at the transcription and translation levels. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study suggest that Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi could be a potent chemotherapeutic agent against HCC. Its clinical use guarantee for further study and individual flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi should also be investigated.

Flavonoids of Korean Citrus aurantium L. Induce Apoptosis via Intrinsic Pathway in Human Hepatoblastoma HepG2 Cells

Korean Citrus aurantium L. has long been used as a medicinal herb for its anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The present study investigates the anticancer role of flavonoids extracted from C. aurantium on human hepatoblastoma cell, HepG2. The Citrus flavonoids inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose‐dependent manner. This result was consistent with the in vivo xenograft results. Apoptosis was detected by cell morphology, cell cycle analysis, and immunoblot. Flavonoids decreased the level of pAkt and other downstream targets of phosphoinositide‐3‐kinase/Akt pathway – P‐4EBP1 and P‐p70S6K. The expressions of cleaved caspase 3, Bax, and Bak were increased, while those of Bcl‐2 and Bcl‐xL were decreased with an increase in the expression of Bax/Bcl‐xL ratio in treated cells. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was also observed in flavonoid‐treated HepG2 cells. It was also observed that the P‐p38 protein level was increased both dose and time dependently in flavonoid‐treated cells. Collectively, these results suggest that flavonoid extracted from Citrus inhibits HepG2 cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis via an intrinsic pathway. These findings suggest that flavonoids extracted from C. aurantium L. are potential chemotherapeutic agents against liver cancer. Copyright

Helicobacter pylori infection combined with DENA revealed altered expression of p53 and 14-3-3 isoforms in Gulo-/- mice.

Unlike most other mammals, human bodies do not have the ability to synthesize vitamin C inside of their own bodies. Therefore, humans must obtain vitamin C through daily diet. Gulo(-/-) mice strain is known with deficiency, in which vitamin C intake can be controlled by diet like human, and would be valuable for investigating the molecular mechanism of various diseases. In the present study, we established Gulo(-/-) mice model and investigated the differentially expressed proteins in stomach tissue of Gulo(-)(/-) mice after Helicobacter pylori-infected, and followed by DENA, using immunohistochemistry and proteomic approach. The results of immunohistochemistry analysis of stomach tissue showed that the tumor suppressor, p53 protein, expression was significantly decreased (p<0.05) but not messenger RNA (mRNA) transcriptional level, and 14-3-3 ε, 14-3-3 δ, Ki-67 and cleaved caspase 3 expressions were significantly increased (p<0.05) by H. Pylori infection, and followed by DENA treatment in Gulo(-/-) mice. Moreover, knockdown of 14-3-3 isoforms (14-3-3 ε, 14-3-3 σ, 14-3-3 ζ and 14-3-3 η) were significantly increased sub-G1 phase (characteristics of apoptosis) in AGS cells and, phenotypic changes like cell shrinkage, density and cleaved nuclei were also observed. Proteome analyses showed that 14-3-3 σ, 14-3-3 η, and tropomyosin alpha-1 chain were down-regulated, and Hspd1 protein and HSC70 were up-regulated after H. Pylori-infection, and followed by DENA. The combined results of immunohistochemistry and proteomic analysis suggest that H. pylori altered the p53 and 14-3-3 isoforms expression and DENA further enhanced the H. pylori effect, which might be involved in carcinogenesis and metastasis of gastric cancer on Gulo(-/-) mice.