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Biomedical subjects

M S Kim

Publications and source records attributed to M S Kim.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Role of caspase-3 in apoptosis of colon cancer cells induced by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) decrease the incidence of and mortality from colon cancer. In addition, NSAIDs reduce the number and the size of polyps in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis. The mechanisms responsible for the antineoplastic effect of NSAIDs are not yet completely understood, but one of the possible mechanisms is an induction of apoptosis. We explored the role of caspase-3, a major apoptosis-executing enzyme, in NSAID-induced apoptosis of colon cancer cell line HT-29. Treatment of HT-29 cells with indomethacin induced a dramatic increase in caspase-3-like protease activity measured by a cleavage of the fluorogenic substrate Ac-DEVD-AMC. Western blot analysis showed that indomethacin treatment led both to decrease in procaspase-3 and to cleavage of its substrate poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Furthermore, the caspase-3-like protease inhibitor Ac-DEVD-CHO attenuated indomethacin-induced DNA fragmentation dose dependently. However, mRNA expression of CASP genes was not affected by the addition of indomethacin, highlighting the importance of posttranslational modification of this enzyme for the activation. These results suggest that NSAIDs, including indomethacin, induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells through a caspase-3 dependent mechanism which may contribute to the chemopreventive functions of these agents.

Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal↗

Hwansodan protects PC12 cells against serum-deprivation-induced apoptosis via a mechanism involving Ras and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway.

Hwansodan has been used as a prescription for senile and vascular dementia in Oriental medicine. We investigated the neuroprotective effects of Hwansodan water extract on the apoptotic death of PC12 cells by serum deprivation. Hwansodan significantly rescued PC12 cells from apoptotic death by serum deprivation in a dose-dependent manner. The nuclear staining of PC12 cells clearly showed that Hwansodan attenuated nuclear condensation and fragmentation, which represents typical neuronal apoptotic characteristics. Hwansodan also prevents DNA fragmentation and caspase-3-like protease activation in serum-deprived PC12 cells and induces the tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins around 44 kDa, which was identified as ERK1 with electrophoretic gel mobility shift by Western blot. In addition, MEK inhibitor PD98059 and Ras inactivator, alpha-hydroxyfarnesylphosphonic acid and mevastatin, attenuated the neuroprotective effects of Hwansodan in serum-deprived PC12 cells. These results indicate that Ras/MEK/ERK signaling pathway plays a role in neuroprotective effects of Hwansodan in serum-deprived PC12 cells.

Animals↗

The water extract of Samultang protects the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced damage and nitric oxide production of C6 glial cells via down-regulation of NF-kappaB.

Samultang has been traditionally used for treatment of ischemic heart and brain diseases in oriental medicine. However, little is known about the mechanism by which Samultang rescues the myocardial and neuronal cells from ischemic damage. This study was designed to evaluate whether the water extract of Samultang may modulate the production of nitric oxide (NO) in LPS and PMA treated-C6 glial cells to protect the cells from NO-induced cytotoxicity. C6 glial cells treated with both LPS and PMA significantly produced a large amount of NO compared to untreated, PMA, or LPS-treated cells. In parallel with NO production, cotreatment of LPS and PMA induced the severe apoptotic death of C6 glial cells. However, Samultang significantly reduced both cell death and NO production by LPS/PMA in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, the modulatory effects of Samultang on LPS/PMA-induced cytotoxicity and NO production could be mimicked by exogenous treatments of N(G)MMA, a nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a strong NF-kappaB inhibitor. Treatment of C6-glial cells with LPS/PMA induced the transcriptional activation of NF-kappaB, which was markedly inhibited by Samultang. Taken together, we suggest that the protective effects of Samultang against LPS/PMA-induced cytotoxicity may be mediated by the suppression of NO synthesis via down-regulation of NF-kappaB activation.

Cell Survival↗

Activation of caspase cascades in Korean mistletoe (Viscum album var. coloratum) lectin-II-induced apoptosis of human myeloleukemic U937 cells.

Mistletoe lectins are of high biological activity and exert cytotoxic effects. We have previously shown that Korean mistletoe, Viscum album var. coloratum, lectin-II specifically induces apoptotic cell death in cancer cells, not normal lymphocytes. The destructive mechanism by mistletoe lectins on tumor cells was mediated by activation of c-JUN N-terminal kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase. Herein, we investigated the involvement of caspase cascade and its proteolytic cleavage effects on biosubstrates of human myeloleukemic U937 cells by D-galactoside and N-acetyl-galactosamine-specific Korean mistletoe lectin-II. Mistletoe lectin-II induced ladder pattern DNA fragmentation and activation of caspase-3, -8, and -9 of U937 cells, but not caspase-1 protease, in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Consistent with catalytic activation of protease, both poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and protein kinase C-delta (PKC-delta) are also cleaved in mistletoe lectin-II-treated U937 cells. An inhibitor of caspase-3-like protease, DEVD-CHO peptide, significantly inhibited mistletoe lectin-II-induced apoptosis, PARP cleavage, and fragmentation of DNA. These results provide the evidence that Korean mistletoe lectin-II induces apoptotic death of U937 cells via activation of caspase cascades.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Multifocal phototherapeutic keratectomy for the treatment of persistent epithelial defect.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of multifocal phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK) for the treatment of indolent and persistent epithelial defect (PED). SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. METHODS: Fifteen eyes diagnosed with PED were treated with Summit excimer laser PTK. In all patients (N = 15), the epithelium had previously failed to cover with at least 1 method of medical or surgical treatment. Multifocal ablations were delivered to the elevated margin surrounding the epithelial defect area using PTK with a diameter of 1.0 mm and depth of 150 to 200 pulse ablations. The mean follow-up was 17.7 months (range 9 to 37 months). RESULTS: Complete reepithelialization occurred within 7 days in 13 eyes and within 11 days and 12 days in 1 eye each. All corneas except 1 remained healed for at least 9 months of follow-up. One eye had a recurrence 3 months after PTK and was retreated. Postoperative visual acuity improved in 8 eyes and was unaltered in 7. CONCLUSION: Multifocal PTK with the 193 nm excimer laser is a safe, effective treatment for PED that is unresponsive to conventional therapy.

Adult↗

The mechanism of nitric oxide and/or superoxide cytotoxicity in endothelial cells.

We examined the mechanism of nitric oxide (NO) and/or superoxide (O2-)-induced cytotoxicity and the importance of thiols in endothelial cells by treating the cells with superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and hemoglobin (Hb). Pyrogallol, a O2 generator and precursor of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), had potent cytotoxic effects on the endothelial cells, but this effect was completely abolished by SOD/CAT. Hb, a NO scavenger, protected the endothelial cells from sodium nitroprusside-induced cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic effect of 3-morpholinosydnonimine (SIN-1), which is thought to form peroxynitrite (ONOO-) as a simultaneous O2- and NO generator, was completely blocked by SOD/CAT or Hb. On the other hand, pretreatment of endothelial cells with diethylmaleate, a glutathione depleter, aggravated the cytotoxicity induced by SIN-1, which was prevented by addition of exogenous glutathione and/or SOD/CAT. These data suggest that the cytotoxicity induced by NO, O2- and ONOO- can be blocked by glutathione, and that this is an important cellular protective mechanism against these reactive oxygen species.

Animals↗

Atrial form and function: lessons from human molecular genetics.

Molecular genetic analyses of human hereditary disorders that affect cardiac atrial structure and function have recently identified several genes that regulate atrial morphogenesis. Mutations of the TBX5, NKX2.5, EVC, and PRKAR1 alpha genes all result in abnormalities of human atrial growth and development, and mutations in at least one gene results in familial atrial fibrillation and is as yet unidentified. Ongoing studies to find interactions between these transcription factors and intracellular signaling molecules and other as yet unknown genes are establishing critical pathways in human cardiogenesis. Human investigation and experimental animal models of heart development synergize to elucidate etiologies of common congenital heart disease.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

CoMed: a real-time collaborative medicine system.

CoMed is a prototype of a real-time collaborative medicine system that allows medical specialists to share patient records and to communicate with each other on the Internet. CoMed consists of a multimedia medical database containing relevant information about laryngeal diseases and a real-time collaboration system including a teleconferencing system, a whiteboard and a chatting system. CoMed is web-based. We adopted the object database O2 and CORBA technologies for the multimedia medical database. Therefore, our system can provide the flexibility, extensibility and location transparency of patient databases. We developed a SeeYou Active X control for the teleconferencing system and a Java applet for the whiteboard and chatting system. CoMed improves the efficiency of the overall system by separating the servers on a UNIX machine and a Windows NT machine. CoMed can be utilized for stand-alone research, for collaborative consultations among medical specialists and for a telemedicine in participation with the patients and medical specialists. Our system can be extended easily into other types of the collaborative systems, such as collaborative distance learning, collaborative science system, etc.

Humans↗

Selection of side-chain carbons in a high-molecular-weight, hydrophobic peptide using solid-state spectral editing methods.

Solid-state spectral editing techniques have been used by others to simplify 13C CPMAS spectra of small organic molecules, synthetic organic polymers, and coals. One approach utilizes experiments such as cross-polarization-with-polarization-inversion and cross-polarization-with-depolarization to generate subspectra. This work shows that this particular methodology is also applicable to natural-abundance 13C CPMAS NMR studies of high-molecular-weight biopolymers. The editing experiments are demonstrated first with model peptides and then with alpha-elastin, a high-molecular-weight peptidyl preparation obtained from the elastic fibers in mammalian tissue. The latter has a predominance of small, nonpolar residues, which is evident in the crowded aliphatic region of typical 13C CPMAS spectra. Spectral editing is particularly useful for simplifying he aliphatic region of the NMR spectrum of this elastin preparation.

Animals↗

Genetic alterations in microdissected prostate cancer cells by comparative genomic hybridization.

Molecular genetic abnormalities were assessed on 23 cases of prostate adenocarcinoma by performing microdissection on archived tumor tissue sections followed by degenerate oligonucleotide primed PCR (DOP-PCR) on extracted DNA, providing sufficient product to carry out comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). The results of CGH show a significant regional DNA copy number alteration in 100% of the cases. Copy number gains were detected most frequently in chromosome 8q (91.3%), followed by chromosome X (43.5%), and chromosomes 20, 7, 4, and 3 (8.7%). DNA copy number losses occurred most frequently in chromosome 18 (34.8%), followed by chromosome 20 (21.7%), chromosomes 16 and 22 (17.4%) and chromosomes 12, 17, and 19 (8.7%). Since tissue microdissection and DOP-PCR yields product for analysis that represents DNA from pure tumor cells. CGH shows high sensitivity in detecting copy number alterations. This method indicates regions of the genome that are likely to be driven to amplification or deletion by the presence of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, respectively. The most common alteration detected was a regional gain in copy number in chromosome 8 near 8q21, indicating an oncogene in this region may be key to development of prostate adenocarcinoma. Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases (2000) 3, 110-114

Journal Article↗

The effects of ciliary neurotrophic factor on the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis in vitro in female rats.

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a member of the neuropoietic family of cytokines. CNTF exerts its actions through activation of a receptor complex, which shows similarity of sequence, second messenger systems and distribution to the leptin receptor. Leptin has been demonstrated to exert profound effects on the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis. This study examines the in vitro effects of CNTF on hypothalamic luteinizing hormone releasing hormone release (LHRH) and pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) release compared to those of leptin in the female. We report that CNTF stimulates LHRH release from medial basal hypothalamic explants harvested from proestrous female rats and this effect is of similar magnitude to that seen with leptin. In contrast, CNTF suppresses LHRH-stimulated LH release from dispersed anterior pituitary cells harvested from proestrous female rats but has no effect on basal LH release. Leptin stimulates basal LH release but has no effect on LHRH-stimulated LH release. The suppressive effect of CNTF on LHRH-stimulated LH release has been confirmed in perifused anterior hemipituitaries. These results suggest a differential effect of CNTF on the hypothalamo-pituitary gonadal axis and a possible role in the modulation of pituitary gonadal function.

Animals↗

Cadmium blocks hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1-mediated response to hypoxia by stimulating the proteasome-dependent degradation of HIF-1alpha.

Cadmium is a substantial industrial and environmental pollutant which seriously impairs erythropoiesis. Cd has been demonstrated to aggravate anemia by suppressing erythropoietin gene expression in anemic patients. As hypoxic induction of erythropoietin mRNA depends on a transcription factor, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), we hypothesized that Cd suppresses the hypoxic activation of HIF-1. In hypoxic Hep3B cells, all mRNAs of various genes, which are known to be upregulated by HIF-1 activation under hypoxia, were suppressed by Cd in a dose-dependent manner. Cd inhibited the hypoxia-induced activity of luciferase in 293 cells which was transfected with a reporter plasmid carrying a hypoxia response element. By electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay, Cd inhibited the DNA-binding activity of HIF-1 in hypoxic Hep3B cells. Cd reduced the amount of HIF-1alpha protein in hypoxia, whereas it didn't affect HIF-1 alpha mRNA levels. Moreover, Cd inhibited HIF-1alpha accumulation induced by cobalt and desferrioxamine. Antioxidants and a proteasome inhibitor prevented the HIF-1alpha degradation caused by Cd. The possibility that oxidative stress mediates this action of Cd was examined. Cd didn't affect protein oxidation and reduced glutathione levels in hypoxic cells. These results indicate that Cd triggers a redox/proteasome-dependent degradation of HIF-1alpha protein, reducing HIF-1 activity and in turn suppressing the hypoxic induction of hypoxia-inducible genes.

Cadmium↗

A masquerade-like serine proteinase homologue is necessary for phenoloxidase activity in the coleopteran insect, Holotrichia diomphalia larvae.

Previously, we reported the molecular cloning of cDNA for the prophenoloxidase activating factor-I (PPAF-I) that encoded a member of the serine proteinase group with a disulfide-knotted motif at the N-terminus and a trypsin-like catalytic domain at the C-terminus [Lee, S.Y., Cho, M.Y., Hyun, J.H., Lee, K.M., Homma, K.I., Natori, S. , Kawabata, S.I., Iwanaga, S. & Lee, B.L. (1998) Eur. J. Biochem. 257, 615-621]. PPAF-I is directly involved in the activation of pro-phenoloxidase (pro-PO) by limited proteolysis and the overall structure is highly similar to that of Drosophila easter serine protease, an essential serine protease zymogen for pattern formation in normal embryonic development. Here, we report purification and molecular cloning of cDNA for another 45-kDa novel PPAF from the hemocyte lysate of Holotrichia diomphalia larvae. The gene encodes a serine proteinase homologue consisting of 415 amino-acid residues with a molecular mass of 45 256 Da. The overall structure of the 45-kDa protein is similar to that of masquerade, a serine proteinase homologue expressed during embryogenesis, larval, and pupal development in Drosophila melanogaster. The 45-kDa protein contained a trypsin-like serine proteinase domain at the C-terminus, except for the substitution of Ser of the active site triad to Gly and had a disulfide-knotted domain at the N-terminus. A highly similar 45-kDa serine proteinase homologue was also cloned from the larval cDNA library of another coleopteran, Tenebrio molitor. By in vitro reconstitution experiments, we found that the purified 45-kDa serine proteinase homologue, the purified active PPAF-I and the purified pro-PO were necessary for expressing phenoloxidase activity in the Holotrichia pro-PO system. However, incubation of pro-PO with either PPAF-I or 45-kDa protein, no phenoloxidase activity was observed. Interestingly, when the 45-kDa protein was incubated with PPAF-I and pro-PO in the absence, but not in the presence of Ca2+, the 45-kDa protein was cleaved to a 35-kDa protein. RNA blot hybridization revealed that expression of the 45-kDa protein was increased in the Holotrichia hemolymph after Escherichia coli challenge.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Phospholipase C, protein kinase C, Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, and tyrosine phosphorylation are involved in carbachol-induced phospholipase D activation in Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing muscarinic acetylcholine receptor of Caenorhabditis elegans.

Recently, we have isolated a cDNA encoding a muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) from Caenorhabditis elegans. To investigate the regulation of phospholipase D (PLD) signaling via a muscarinic receptor, we generated stable transfected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells that overexpress the mAChR of C. elegans (CHO-GAR-3). Carbachol (CCh) induced inositol phosphate formation and a significantly higher Ca(2+) elevation and stimulated PLD activity through the mAChR; this was insensitive to pertussis toxin, but its activity was abolished by the phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor U73122. Western blot analysis revealed several apparent tyrosine-phosphorylated protein bands after CCh treatment. The CCh-induced PLD activation and tyrosine phosphorylation were significantly reduced by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor calphostin C and down-regulation of PKC and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein. Moreover, the Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) inhibitor KN62, in addition to chelation of extracellular or intracellular Ca(2+) by EGTA and BAPTA/AM, abolished CCh-induced PLD activation and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Taken together, these results suggest that the PLC/PKC-PLD pathway and the CaM kinase II/tyrosine kinase-PLD pathway are involved in the activation of PLD through mAChRs of C. elegans.

Animals↗

Glucosidase inhibitor from Umbilicaria esculenta.

Inhibitory activity toward beta-glucosidase was detected in extracts of the lichen, Umbilicaria esculenta. The extract showed strong inhibition of disaccharide hydrolytic enzymes of mold and mammalian origin, but weak or no inhibition of polysaccharide hydrolytic enzymes except glucoamylase and laminarinase. The inhibitor in the extract was very stable, retaining more than 95% of its activity when treated with heat, acid, alkali, and some hydrolytic enzymes. Purified inhibitor was identified as 1-deoxynojirimycin (1,5-dideoxy-1,5-immino-D-glucitol) by NMR spectrometry, which was known to be produced by Streptomyces sp. and the plant Morus sp. Extracts from Parmelia austrosinensis, Parmelia praesorediosa, and an unidentified lichen species, showed glucosidase inhibitory activities similar to U. esculenta.

1-Deoxynojirimycin↗

The central melanocortin system affects the hypothalamo-pituitary thyroid axis and may mediate the effect of leptin.

Prolonged fasting is associated with a downregulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary thyroid (H-P-T) axis, which is reversed by administration of leptin. The hypothalamic melanocortin system regulates energy balance and mediates a number of central effects of leptin. In this study, we show that hypothalamic melanocortins can stimulate the thyroid axis and that their antagonist, agouti-related peptide (Agrp), can inhibit it. Intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of Agrp (83-132) decreased plasma thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in fed male rats. Intraparaventricular nuclear administration of Agrp (83-132) produced a long-lasting suppression of plasma TSH, and plasma T4. ICV administration of a stable alpha-MSH analogue increased plasma TSH in 24-hour-fasted rats. In vitro, alpha-MSH increased thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) release from hypothalamic explants. Agrp (83-132) alone caused no change in TRH release but antagonized the effect of alpha-MSH on TRH release. Leptin increased TRH release from hypothalami harvested from 48-hour-fasted rats. Agrp (83-132) blocked this effect. These data suggest a role for the hypothalamic melanocortin system in the fasting-induced suppression of the H-P-T axis.

Agouti-Related Protein↗

Influence of phonation on basement membrane zone recovery after phonomicrosurgery: a canine model.

The process of wound healing at the basement membrane zone of the vocal folds after phonomicrosurgery was investigated. The influence of phonation and the implied optimal period of voice rest were considered. Phonomicrosurgery was performed on both vocal folds of 20 adult dogs. In 10 dogs, the left recurrent laryngeal nerve was simultaneously resected to simulate iatrogenic voice rest; the remaining 10 dogs were allowed to phonate normally. The healing process of the vocal folds of each group was observed at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery with immunohistochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy. In the voice rest group, the basement membrane was completely re-formed in 2 weeks, and the "cover" appeared completely rearranged by 8 weeks. The results of the phonation group were characterized by a delayed healing process and basement membrane changes. These results suggest that voice rest of at least 2 weeks after surgery may be beneficial and that vocal hygiene should be maintained for as long as 8 weeks.

Animals↗