Oleanolic Acid Protects the Skin from Particulate Matter-Induced Aging

The role of particulate matter (PM) in health problems including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and pneumonia is becoming increasingly clear. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, major components of PM, bind to aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhRs) and promote the expression of CYP1A1 through the AhR pathway in keratinocytes. Activation of AhRs in skin cells is associated with cell differentiation in keratinocytes and inflammation, resulting in dermatological lesions. Oleanolic acid, a natural component of L. lucidum, also has anti-inflammation, anticancer, and antioxidant characteristics. Previously, we found that PM 10, induced the AhR signaling pathway and autophagy process in keratinocytes. Here, we investigated the effects of oleanolic acid on PM 10,-induced skin aging. We observed that oleanolic acid inhibits PM 10,-induced CYP1A1 and decreases the increase of tumor necrosis factor– alpha and interleukin 6 induced by PM 10,. A supernatant derived from keratinocytes cotreated with oleanolic acid and PM 10, inhibited the release of matrix metalloproteinase 1 in dermal fibroblasts. Also, the AhR-mediated autophagy disruption was recovered by oleanolic acid. Thus, oleanolic acid may be a potential treatment for addressing PM 10,-induced skin aging.

The Effect of Levofloxacin on the Survival of Ovarian Cancer Cells with or Without Carboplatin Under Hypoxic Condition / 대한산부인과학회잡지

In solid tumor, there is a hypoxic region where oxygen supply is insufficient. In this study, we found that one of the quinolone antibiotics, levofloxacin, made a human ovarian cancer cells, SK-OV-3, resistant to hypoxia, even in the presence of a platinum-based anti-cancer therapeutic, carboplatin; when the cells (2 X 10(5) cells/12 well multi culture dish) were grown in no glucose medium (0 g/l) under hypoxia (1% O2), all the cells became dead after 24 hours of culture in the absence of levofloxacin and carboplatin, whereas the cells still survived, at least, until 36 hours of culture in the presence of levofloxacin (10-100 microgram/ml) alone or in combination with carboplatin. The results might have some implications in treating solid tumor; if cancer patients should be treated for infection with antibiotics, quinolone antibiotics can aggravate tumor by making cancer cells more resistant to hypoxia. This is also true even when a patient is treated with carboplatin. Therefore, the results strongly suggest that we should be careful in choosing antibiotics when they are used for cancer patients. In this regard, our work could be a new guideline in choosing antibiotics when antibiotics are applied for treating cancer patients.

A Case of Congenital Craniofacial Anomaly due to Amniotic Band Syndrome / 대한산부인과학회잡지

The amniotic band syndrome is a collection of congenital deformities presurmably due to rupture of amniotic sac. It appears to cause fetal injury through three basic mechanisms including malformation, disruption, and deformation. The associated anomalies vary firom minor digital defect to major craniofacial and visceral defects. They can be categorized as neural tube-like defects, craniofacial anomalies, limb anomalies, abdominal and thoracic wall defects, visceral anomalies, and constriction bands. We had expericnced a case of severe congenital craniofacial anomaly due to amniotic bands diagnosed by ultrasonogram in the antenatal period is presented with a brief review of the literatures.