Wook Jin Jang

Optimal Level for the Protection of Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Sprague-Dawley Rat Liver Damage by Mycelial Cultures of Lentinus edodes

The protective effects of a powder mixed with solid-cultured and liquid-cultured Lentinus edodes mycelia (2 : 1, w/w) (designate LED) with different doses of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) on induced hepatotoxicity in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats was investigated. The rats were divided into seven groups (6 rats/group) and the following substances were administered orally to each group: Vehicle (0.2 ㎖ distilled water), Control (0.2 ㎖ distilled water), LED (LED 100, 200, 300 and 400 ㎎/㎏ BW in 0.2 ㎖ distilled water), and Silymarin (200 ㎎/Kg BW in 0.2 ㎖ distilled water). After two weeks of daily administration, all groups except for the Vehiclegroup were subjected to abdominal injection with CCl₄ (CCl₄ : corn oil, 1 : 1 v/v; 0.5 ㎖/㎏ BW). One day later, blood and liver samples were collected to analyze biomarkers. All LED treatments elevated hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH peroxidase) activities, and reduced thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), resulting in the reduction of glutamate-oxalate transaminase (GOT), glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH) activities in plasma. These results indicate that LED effectively protected SD rat hepatotoxicity induced by CCl₄ through its antioxidative activity and reduction of some cytokines. The highest efficacy was found in LED 200 ㎎/㎏ BW, showing potential as a useful material for protection from hepatotoxicity in humans.

Anti-proliferative Effects of β-ionone on Human Lung Cancer A-549 Cells

The anti-proliferative activity of β-ionone was investigated on human non-small lung cancer A-549 cells (designated A-549 cells). A-549 cells were treated with various concentrations of β-ionone (1, 5, 10, and 15 μM) for two, four, and six days. Biochemical markers related to the growth inhibition of A-549 cells by β-ionone were measured at the second day of incubation. β-Ionone inhibited the growth of A-549 cells by dose-and time-dependent manners, resulting in an IC 50 of 5.0 μg/ml at the second day of incubation. β-Ionone induced apoptosis by a dose-dependent manner. β-Ionone increased levels of p53, p21, and Bax proteins, but suppressed expression of the Bcl-2 protein. Similarly, β-ionone enhanced cytochrome c release from the mitochondria to the cytosol, and induced activation of caspase-9 and -3. Additionally, β-ion-one reduced cPLA₂ and COX-2 protein levels. These results suggest that the β-ionone inhibits the proliferation of A-549 cells through reciprocal regulation of Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression and suppression of cPLA₂ and COX-2 protein expressions.