Association between CDK5RAP1 polymorphisms and susceptibility to vitiligo in the Korean population.

The neuronal theory of the pathogenesis of vitiligo is supported by clinical, ultrastructural and biochemical findings. Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit associated protein 1 (CDK5RAP1) is expressed in neuronal tissues, and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) seems to be critically involved in the migration of neuroblasts during early post-natal development. To evaluate whether CDK5RAP1 polymorphisms are associated with vitiligo patients in the Korean population, we conducted a case-control association study of 296 vitiligo patients and 426 healthy controls. A total of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CDK5RAP1 were investigated. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. A synonoymous SNP (rs291700, Thr54Thr) and intron SNP (rs158676) of CDK5RAP1 were associated with onset age of the vitiligo (rs291700, p=0.040 in co-dominant 1 and p=0.036 in overdominant; rs158676, p=0.034 in overdominant). Haplotype (AC) showed a difference between the vitiligo and control groups (p=0.036). These results suggest that CDK5RAP1 may be a risk factor of vitiligo in the Korean population.

Pharmacokinetic comparison of ginsenoside metabolite IH-901 from fermented and non-fermented ginseng in healthy Korean volunteers.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: IH-901 (20-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-20(S)-protopanaxadiol) is a novel ginseng saponin metabolite formed by human intestinal bacteria and is known to have antitumor and antimetastatic effects. However, there has been no pharmacokinetic study of IH-901 in human beings. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to investigate the pharmacokinetic differences of IH-901 from fermented and non-fermented ginseng. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate whether the pharmacokinetics of IH-901 differ between fermented and non-fermented ginseng, an open label, randomized, single dose, fasting, two-period, cross-over, pharmacokinetic study was conducted. A total of 24 healthy Korean male volunteers participated in this study. All subjects were allocated into two equal groups and administered 3g of fermented or non-fermented Panax ginseng. Serial blood samples for pharmacokinetic analysis were collected in the 24 h after dosing. Plasma IH-901 concentration was measured by a validated high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Pharmacokinetic parameters including AUC(t), C(max), and T(max) were calculated by noncompartmental models in the BA-CALC program (KFDA, 2008, 1.0.0, Korea). RESULTS: After oral administration of fermented ginseng, 5 subjects experienced diarrhea. The means of AUC(t) and C(max) were significantly different between the two groups. In the fermented ginseng group, AUC(t) was 2083.09±91.97 ng h/mL, a 15.5-fold increase over that of IH-901 from the non-fermented group (134.50±63.10 ng h/mL), and the mean C(max) was 325.00±91.97 ng/mL in the fermented ginseng group, a 27-fold higher value than that in the non-fermented group (13.88±7.24 ng/mL). T(max) was 3.29±1.00 and 12.04±4.96 h in the fermented and non-fermented group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the pharmacokinetic parameters of IH-901 from fermented Panax ginseng are different from those of non-fermented ginseng, from which IH-901 is formed by intestinal fermentation.

Association of UVRAG polymorphisms with susceptibility to non-segmental vitiligo in a Korean sample.

Autoimmune, self-destructive, oxidative stress and genetic theories have been proposed for the pathogenesis of vitiligo. Autophagy is essential for cellular homeostasis and is implicated in many pathophysiological conditions such as cancer, response to oxidative stress and autoimmunity. The ultraviolet (UV) radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG) activates the Beclin1-PI(3)KC3 complex, promoting autophagy. To evaluate whether UVRAG polymorphisms are associated with non-segmental vitiligo (NSV) patients in a Korean sample, we conducted a case-control association study of 225 NSV patients and 439 matched healthy controls. A total of five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of UVRAG were selected for analysis. Among these, two SNPs (rs1458836, rs7933235) showed significant genotypic differences between the NSV patient group and the control group. These two SNPs were located within a strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) block. In addition, the haplotype of the UVRAG polymorphism was associated with NSV. This study suggests a possible association between UVRAG and NSV susceptibility.

Suppressive effect by Hizikia fusiforme on the production of tumor necrosis factor in BV2 murine microglial cells.

BACKGROUND: Hizikia fusiforme has been commonly used as food in Korea. Antioxidant effect of Hizikia fusiforme, however, was recently reported. Thus, herein, we investigated the effect of Hizikia fusiforme on the production and expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a major proinflammatory mediator, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated BV2 microglial cells. METHODS: Cells were pre-treated with 5 or 50 mug/ml Hizikia fusiforme and treated with 1 mug/ml LPS. The production of TNF was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The effect of Hizikia fusiforme on the expression of TNF was also performed by immunoblot analysis and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Activation of nuclear factor kappab (NFkappab) was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). RESULTS: We observed that Hizikia fusiforme decreased the production of TNF. The inhibitory effect of the Hizikia fusiforme on the expression of TNF was confirmed by immunoblot and RT-PCR analyses. In addition, EMSA experiment revealed that Hizikia fusiforme blocked the LPS-induced activation of NFkappab. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that Hizikia fusiforme may suppress LPS-stimulated TNF production via inhibition of NFkappab in murine microglial cells.

Amygdalin inhibits genes related to cell cycle in SNU-C4 human colon cancer cells.

AIM: The genes were divided into seven categories according to biological function; apoptosis-related, immune response-related, signal transduction-related, cell cycle-related, cell growth-related, stress response-related and transcription-related genes. METHODS: We compared the gene expression profiles of SNU-C4 cells between amygdalin-treated (5 mg/mL, 24 h) and non-treated groups using cDNA microarray analysis. We selected genes downregulated in cDNA microarray and investigated mRNA levels of the genes by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Microarray showed that amygdalin downregulated especially genes belonging to cell cycle category: exonuclease 1 (EXO1), ATP-binding cassette, sub-family F, member 2 (ABCF2), MRE11 meiotic recombination 11 homolog A (MRE11A), topoisomerase (DNA) I (TOP1), and FK506 binding protein 12-rapamycin-associated protein 1 (FRAP1). RT-PCR analysis revealed that mRNA levels of these genes were also decreased by amygdalin treatment in SNU-C4 human colon cancer cells. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that amygdalin have an anticancer effect via downregulation of cell cycle-related genes in SNU-C4 human colon cancer cells, and might be used for therapeutic anticancer drug.