A Natural Product, Chios Gum Mastic, Induces the Death of HL-60 Cells via Apoptosis and Cell Cycle Arrest

Chios gum mastic (CGM) is produced from Pistiacia lentiscus L var chia, which grows only on Chios Island in Greece. CGM is a kind of resin extracted from the stem and leaves, has been used for many centuries in many Mediterranean countries as a dietary supplement and folk medicine for stomach and duodenal ulcers. CGM is known to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in some cancer cells. This study was undertaken to investigate the alteration of the cell cycle and induction of apoptosis following CGM treatment of HL-60 cells. The viability of the HL-60 cells was assessed using the MTT assay. Hoechst staining and DNA electrophoresis were employed to detect HL-60 cells undergoing apoptosis. Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, FACScan flow cytometry, MMP activity and proteasome activity analyses were also employed. CGM treatment of HL-60 cells was found to result in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability and apoptotic cell death. Tested HL-60 cells showed a variety of apoptotic manifestations and induced the downregulation of G1 cell cycle-related proteins. Taken collectively, our present findings demonstrate that CGM strongly induces G1 cell cycle arrest via the modulation of cell cycle-related proteins, and also apoptosis via proteasome, mitochondrial and caspase cascades in HL-60 cells. Hence, we provide evidence that a natural product, CGM could be considered as a novel therapeutic for human leukemia.

A Synthetic Chenodeoxycholic Acid Derivative, HS-1200-induced Apoptosis of RBL-2H3 Cells / 대한해부학회지

Bile acids and synthetic bile acid derivatives induced apoptosis in various kinds of cancer cells and anticancer effects. Although synthetic chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) derivatives have been demonstrated to induce apoptosis of various cancer cells, there is no report on their effect on RBL-2H3 basophilic leukemia cell line to date. Therefore, this study was undertaken to examine in vitro effects of cytotoxicity and growth inhibition, and the molecular mechanism underlying induction of apoptosis in RBL-2H3 cells treated with a synthetic CDCA derivative, HS-1200. The viability and the growth inhibition of RBL-2H3 cells were assessed by MTT assay and clonogenic assay respectively. The Hoechst staining and DNA electrophoresis were conducted to observe RBL-2H3 cells undergoing apoptosis. RBL-2H3 cells were treated with HS-1200, and Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, confocal microscopy, DNA hypoploidy assay, MMP activity and proteasome activity were performed. HS-1200 treatment of RBL-2H3 cells resulted in a time- and does-dependent decrease of cell viability and a does-dependent inhibition of cell growth, and induced apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, HS-1200 treatment result in the alteration of G1 cell cycle-related proteins. And tested RBL-2H3 cells showed several lines of apoptotic manifestation.We presented data indicating that HS-1200 induces apoptois via the proteasome, mitochondria and caspase pathway, and induces the alteration of the G1 cell cycle-related proteins in RBL-2H3 cells. Therefore our data provide the possibility that HS-1200 could be as a novel therapeutic strategy in the allergy treatment.

Histomorphometric Characteristics of the Facial Nerve / 체질인류학회지

With the development of microsurgery, autogenous nerve grafting is being used widely in the treatment of the injured facial nerve. To use a donor graft for repair of the facial nerve, fascicular area and fascicular number should be considered in the selection of the donor site. This study demonstrated a detailed morphologic description of the facial nerve, including a microscopic assessment of nerve size and shape, and fascicular number and diameters. 40 embalmed hemi-sectioned head specimens from Korean adult cadavers were dissected to identify the facial nerve branches and nerve samples for histologic examination were cut from the anterior margin of the parotid gland.At the border of the parotid gland, the facial nerve specimens were found to have an average of 11 branches (ranging from 8 to 16). The branches were distributed among the five distinct branches, the buccal branch had the greatest number of branches (3.47), and the zygomatic branch had the largest diameters (0.93 mm). The number of fascicles varied from one to 9 over the course of the nerve, the trunk had the greatest number of fascicles (4.36), and averages indicated a tendency for fascicular numbers to decrease distally, from trunk (4.36) to upper division (3.72) to lower division (3.60) to marginal mandibular branch (2.37). The total fascicular area was averaging 2.72 mm2, 1.88 mm2, and 1.04 mm2 at trunk, upper division, and lower division, respectively. However no significant differences of the fascicular diameter could be shown between five branches. This results of detailed facial nerve microanatomy should help in the treatment of the injured facial nerve.

Induction of Apoptosis in Human Oral Squamous Carcinoma Cells by Extracellular Products from Pseudomonas aeruginosa / 대한해부학회지

It was reported that cancer in humans and animals infected with microbial pathogens was regressed about 100 years ago. Bacteria are able to trigger apoptosis by a variety of mechanisms including the secretion of protein synthesis inhibitors, pore forming proteins, molecules activating the endogenous death machinery in the infected cell. This study was conducted in order to investigate whether extracellular products of Psuedomonas aeruginosa (EPPA) induce apoptosis in human oral carcinoma cells (OSC9). The EPPA showed cytotoxic effect on OSC9 cells in dose and time-dependent manner. The cell death was demonstrated to be due to apoptosis characterized by chromatin condensation and nuclear fragment. EPPA treatment induced cleavage of caspase-3 and caspase-6. The caspase substrates, PARP, DFF45 and lamin A were cleaved during EPPA-induced apoptosis. Taken together, EPPA induces apoptosis on human oral squamous carcinoma cells in caspase-dependent manner. Our data therefore provide that EPPA contains a novel antitumor agent for human oral squamous carcinoma.