Abstract. Cirsium japonicum is a wild perennial herb that has been used as an anti-hemorrhagic, anti-hypertensive and uretic agent in traditional chinese medicine. recently, it was reported that C. japonicum inhibits the growth of implanted cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-cancer properties of C. japonicum are not fully understood. in this study, we investigated the effect of a methanol extract of C. japonicum on cell growth in the human breast cancer cell line McF-7. C. japonicum extract inhibited the cell proliferation of McF-7 cells in a time-and dose-dependent manner, as evaluated by the MTT assay. Furthermore, C. japonicum extract induced an antiproliferative effect by causing G 1 phase cell cycle arrest and also induced apoptosis by affecting mitochondrial apoptotic events, as determined by nuclear derangement, flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. Taken together, our findings indicate that C. japonicum extract induces the inhibition of McF-7 cell growth at both the proliferation and apoptosis levels. Introductioncurrently, many efforts are underway to develop new therapeutic anti-cancer drugs from natural sources. a major natural reservoir is plant material. Plant secondary metabolites have occasionally been used as chemotherapeutic agents to mediate cytostatic activity in cancer cells. Widely used anti-mitotic anti-cancer drugs including Vinca alkaloids and paclitaxel have been isolated from Catharanthus roseus and Taxus baccata, respectively (1). The dna polymerase i inhibitor camptothecin was sourced from Camptotheca acuminata (2). curcumin isolated from Curcuma longa has shown anticancer properties, such as the inhibition of tumor promotion and the induction of apoptosis in cancer cells (3-5).Cirsium japonicum is a wild perennial herb found in many areas of Korea, Japan and china. it has been used as an anti-hemorrhagic, anti-hypertensive and uretic agent in traditional chinese medicine (6). recent studies have found that the water extracts of C. japonicum induce the activation of estrogen receptors and have estrogenic effects (7). C. japonicum also contains a vasorelaxant principle, mediating histamine H1-receptor activation (8). in traditional medicine, C. japonicum has sometimes been used for the management of different types of cancer, including liver and uterine cancer and leukemia (9).recently, it was reported that C. japonicum and its flavone components induce the inhibition of tumor formation in mice (9,10). However, the mechanism underlying the anti-cancer effects of these C. japonicum compounds are not fully understood.in the present study, we observed that a methanol extract of C. japonicum significantly reduced cancer cell growth in a time-and dose-dependent manner, using the human breast cancer cell line McF-7. Furthermore, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-proliferative activities of C. japonicum. Materials and methodsPreparation of C. japonicum extract. dried roots of C. japonicum from Korea were purchased from the Kyungd...
BackgroundHeterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) play an important role in mediating signal transduction generated by neurotransmitters or hormones. Go, a member of the Gi/Go subfamily, is the most abundant G-protein found in the brain. Recently, the alpha subunit of Go (Gαo) was characterized as an inducer of neuronal differentiation. However, its underlying molecular mechanisms have remained unclear to date, since the downstream effectors of Gαo are ambiguous.ResultsA neurally differentiated embryonal carcinoma-derived protein (Necdin) was isolated as an interacting partner for Gαo from a mouse brain cDNA library using yeast two-hybrid screening. Interactions between the proteins were confirmed with several affinity binding assays, both in vitro and in vivo. Necdin interacted directly and preferentially with activated Gαo, compared to wild-type protein. Interestingly, Gαo did not interact with Gαi, despite high sequence homology between the two proteins. We subsequently analyzed whether Gαo modulates the cellular activities of Necdin. Notably, expression of Gαo significantly augmented Necdin-mediated cellular responses, such as proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, activation of type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R), a Gi/oα-coupled receptor, augmented cell growth suppression, which was mediated by Gαo and Necdin in U87MG cells containing CB1R, Gαo, and Necdin as normal components.ConclusionsThese results collectively suggest that Necdin is a candidate downstream effector for Gαo. Our findings provide novel insights into the cellular roles of Gαo and its coupled receptor.
BackgroundHeterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins (G-proteins) play an important role in mediating signal transduction generated by neurotransmitters or hormones. Go, a member of the Gi/Go subfamily, is the most abundant G-protein found in the brain. Recently, the alpha subunit of Go (Gαo) was characterized as an inducer of neuronal differentiation. However, its underlying molecular mechanisms have remained unclear to date, since the downstream effectors of Gαo are ambiguous.ResultsA neurally differentiated embryonal carcinoma-derived protein (Necdin) was isolated as an interacting partner for Gαo from a mouse brain cDNA library using yeast two-hybrid screening. Interactions between the proteins were confirmed with several affinity binding assays, both in vitro and in vivo. Necdin interacted directly and preferentially with activated Gαo, compared to wild-type protein. Interestingly, Gαo did not interact with Gαi, despite high sequence homology between the two proteins. We subsequently analyzed whether Gαo modulates the cellular activities of Necdin. Notably, expression of Gαo significantly augmented Necdin-mediated cellular responses, such as proliferation and differentiation. Moreover, activation of type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R), a Gi/oα-coupled receptor, augmented cell growth suppression, which was mediated by Gαo and Necdin in U87MG cells containing CB1R, Gαo, and Necdin as normal components.ConclusionsThese results collectively suggest that Necdin is a candidate downstream effector for Gαo. Our findings provide novel insights into the cellular roles of Gαo and its coupled receptor.
An isolator transmits light in the forward direction and blocks light from passing in the reverse direction. It is regarded an essential optical component in medical, industrial, and research lasers for blocking reflection beams that cause optical damage and noise. It is also used as a communicative light intensifier to expand the lifespan of devices and enhance transmission quality. This study analyzed the characteristics of the core components in the construction of a polarization-independent isolator, namely, the walk-off polarizer and the Faraday rotator. Measurement of the extinction ratio of the resultant walk-off polarizer revealed that the ratio between the vertical and horizontal rays was 1,050:1 with a laser output of 0.032 W and 1,010:1 with a laser output of 2.68 W, thus presenting ratios similar to 1,000:1. In addition, the walk-off polarizer and Faraday rotator constructed in this study were used to compare output changes according to changes in power of input light and to check the penetration ratio. Results from the study presented variations in output value according to changes in power of input light. However, the average penetration ratio remained relatively consistent (~81.4%).
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