• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5535-5538
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• 2014

Background: To determine the amount of co-expression of IDO and EGFR in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods:In order to obtain the distribution of co-expression of IDO and EGFR in breast cancer, we tested 110 breast cancer paraffin tissue blocks with immunohistochemical methods. Then we investigated the relationship between the diagnostic and pathologic characteristics (tumor size, lymph node status, histologic grade, the gene expression of ER, PR, HER2, p53, Ki67 and PCNA) with the situation of co-expression of IDO and EGFR by reviewing the medical records of 32 breast cancer patients. Results: Among 110 breast cancers, 32 cases demonstrated IDO and EGFR co-expression (29.1%), IDO and EGFR synchronous co-expression being found in 19.1% and asynchronous in 10.0%. Conclusions: IDO and EGFR were co-expressed in breast cancer, including synchronous and asynchronous co-expression. The results suggest that considering IDO and EGFR as two indicators for breast cancer treatment or prognosis analysis provides a potential option of individual treatment for the portion of breast cancer patients with co-expression of IDO and EGFR.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.9
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• pp.5467-5472
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• 2013

Objective: To construct short hairpin RNA (shRNA) eukaryotic expression vectors targeting Livin and Survivin genes, and to explore the impact of co-transfection of Livin and Survivin shRNA expression vectors on the biological behavior of HepG2 cells. Methods: shRNA eukaryotic expression vectors pSD11-Livin and pSD11-Survivin were designed and constructed then transfected into HepG2 cells separately or in combination. mRNA and protein expression in transfected cells was assessed by quantitative fluorescence PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured by MTT assay and cell apoptosis by TUNEL assay. Results: The Livin and Survivin shRNA eukaryotic expression vectors were successfully constructed and transfected into HepG2 cells. The relative mRNA expression levels of Livin and Survivin in HepG2 cells co-transfected with pSD11-Livin and pSD11-Survivin were $0.12{\pm}0.02$ and $0.33{\pm}0.13$, respectively, which was significantly lower than levels in cells transfected with either pSD11-Livin or pSD11-Survivin (P<0.05). The relative protein expression levels of Livin and Survivin in the co-transfected cells were also significantly decreased compared to single-transfection (P<0.05). The inhibition rate of cell growth in the co-transfection group was higher than that in the single-transfection groups at 48 h, 60 h, or 72 h after transfection (P<0.01). The apoptotic rate increased to the greatest extent in the co-transfection group relative to any other group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Co-transfection with pSD11-Livin and pSD11-Survivin was more efficient than transfection with either vector alone in reducing the mRNA and protein expression of Livin and Survivin genes in HepG2 cells. Co-transfection also inhibited the proliferation of transfected cells more than the other groups, and induced cellular apoptosis more effectively.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.241-247
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• 2013

This study was carried out to examine the action mechanism of Chamaecyparis obtusa oil (CO) on hair growth in C57BL/6 mice. For alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and ${\gamma}$-glutamyl transpeptidase (${\gamma}$-GT) activities in the skin tissue, at week 4, the 3% minoxidil (MXD) and 3% CO treatment groups showed an ALP activity that was significantly higher by 85% (p < 0.001) and 48% (p < 0.05) and an ${\gamma}$-GT activity that was significantly higher by 294% (p < 0.01) and 254% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the saline (SA) treatment group. For insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression in the skin tissue, at week 4, the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 204% (p < 0.05) and 426% (p < 0.01) respectively, as compared to the SA group. At week 4, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly higher expression by 74% and 96% (p < 0.05) respectively, however, epidermal growth factor (EGF) expression in the MXD and CO groups showed a significantly lower expression by 66% and 61% (p < 0.05) respectively, as compared to the SA group. Stem cell factor (SCF) expression in the MXD and CO groups was observed by immunohis-tochemistry as significant in a part of the bulge around the hair follicle and in a part of the basal layer of the epidermis. Taking all the results together, on the basis of effects on ALP and ${\gamma}$-GT activity, and the expression of IGF-1, VEGF and SCF, which are related to the promotion of hair growth, it can be concluded that CO induced a proliferation and division of hair follicle cells and maintained the anagen phase. Because EGF expression was decreased significantly, CO could delay the transition to the catagen phase.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.871-877
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• 2008

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), an inducible heme-degrading enzyme, is expressed by macrophages and endothelial cells in response to various stresses and mediators of inflammation. HO-1 has been recently implicated in regulation of angiogenesis via expression of VEGF. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of HO-1 modulation on the collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model and on angiogenesis via up- regulation of VEGF expression in human synovial fibroblast. DBA/1J mice were treated with an inhibitor of HO-1, tin protoporphyrin IX (SnPP), or with an inducer of HO-1, cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP), from day 1 to day 35 after CIA induction. The clinical evolution of disease was monitored visually. At the end of the experiment, histopathologic changes were examined on the joints. VEGF expression in paws were measured by immunohistochemical stain. mRNA expression of HO-1 and VEGF stimulated with various concentration of $TNF-{\alpha}$, CoPP accessed on human synovial fibroblast by RT-PCR. Effects of pretreatment with SnPP on mRNA expression of HO-1 and VEGF in the presence of CoPP and $TNF-{\alpha}$ in synovial fibroblast was accessed by Real-time RT-PCR. Administration of cobalt protoporphyrin IX significantly induced the inflammatory response, with increased arthritis index and expression of VEGF in the paws of the arthritis models. Treatment with SnPP significantly reduced the severity of CIA through inhibition of joint inflammation and cartilage destruction. The expression of VEGF were also significantly reduced by SnPP treatment in the paw. CoPPIX as inducer of HO-1, increased HO-1 and VEGF expression dose dependently in synovial fibroblast. In contrast, inhibition of HO-1 activity by SnPPIX abrogated CoPPIX-induced HO-1 and VEGF production in synovial fibroblast. Stimulation with $TNF-{\alpha}$ increased HO-1 and VEGF expression itself and showed additive effect on HO-1 and VEGF expression when it treated with CoPP. When SnPP was treated with CoPP and $TNF-{\alpha}$, it abrogated the CoPP induced HO-1 and VEGF expression and also abrogated $TNF-{\alpha}$ induced HO-1 and VEGF expression in synovial fibroblast. The effects of HO-1 induction in rheumatoid arthritis results in aggravation of arthritis via up-regulation of VEGF. I concluded that inhibition of the expression or activity of HO-1 could be a therapeutic target of rheumatoid arthritis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.553-559
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• 1998

cDNA of human thrombopoietin (hTPO) amplified by polymerase chain reaction from a cDNA library of human fetal liver was cloned. EPO-like domains ($hTPO_{153} \;or\; hTPO_{l63})\; of\; hTPO(hTPO_{332}$) were expressed in Escherichin coli using several kinds of expression systems, such as ompA secretion, thioredoxin fusion, and the $P_L$ and T7 expression systems. To obtain $hTPO_{153}$ in soluble form, $hTPO_{153}$ cDNA was fused in-frame behind the gene encoding ompA signal sequence and thioredoxin protein. When fused with either of the genes, $hTPO_{153}$ was not expressed to the detectable level. However, a high level expression of the EPO-like domain of hTPO was obtained using the PL and T7 expression system. $hTPO_{153} \;or\; hTPO_{l63} cDNA were subcloned into the pLex and pET-28a(＋) vectors under the control of the inducible$ P_L\;T_7$ promoter, respectively. Proteins expressed using pl.ex vector and pET-28a(＋) detected in insoluble forms with an expression level of about 14% and 9% of total cellular proteins, respectively, and the level of expression was rapidly diminished in 2 h after the maximum level of expression was reached.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1073-1076
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• 2015

Background: To explore the relationship between CXCR4, CD133 co-expression and clinicopathological features as well as prognosis of patients with phase II~III colon cancer. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine paraffin-embedded samples of tumor tissue and epithelial tissue adjacent to cancer were collected from patients with colon cancer undergoing radical surgery in Baotou Cancer Hospital from January, 2010 to June, 2011. CXCR4 and CD133 expression was detected using immunohistochemistry and its relationship with clinicopathological features and the 3-year survival rate was analyzed. Results: In the tumor tissue and colonic epithelial tissue adjacent to cancer, the positive expression rates of CXCR4 were respectively 61.2% (30/49) and 8.16% (4/49), while those of CD133 being 36.7% (18/49) and 6.12% (3/49). CXCR4 and CD133 expression in tumor tissue was not related to patient age, gender, primary focal sites, tumor size, TNM staging, histological type, tumor infiltration depth and presence or absence of lymphatic metastasis, but CXCR4 and CD133 co-expression was associated with TNM staging and lymphatic metastasis. The 3-year survival rate of patients with CXCR4 and CD133 co-expression was 27.3% (3/11), and that of the remainderwas 76.3% (29/38), the difference being significant ($X^2=7.0206$, p=0.0081). Conclusions: CXCR4 and CD133 co-expression may be a risk factor for poor prognosis of patients with stage II~III colon cancer.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2013

Many countries have implemented genetic evaluation for fertility traits in recent years. In particular, reproductive trait is a complex trait and need to require a system-level approach for identifying candidate genes related to the trait. To find the candidate gene associated with reproductive trait, we applied a weighted gene co-expression network analysis from expression value of bovine genes. We identified three co-expressed modules associated with reproductive trait from bovine microarray data. Hub genes (ZP4, FHL2 and EGR4) were determined in each module; they were topologically centered with statistically significant value in the gene co-expression network. We were able to find the highly co-expressed gene pairs with a correlation coefficient. Finally, the crucial functions of co-expressed modules were reported from functional enrichment analysis. We suggest that the network-based approach in livestock may an important method for analyzing the complex effects of candidate genes associated with economic traits like reproduction.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2003

GX-12 is a naked DNA vaccine developed by the DongA Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Genexine for the treatment of HIV infection. This study was peformed to evaluate the biodistribution and expression of GX-12 mRNA in gonadal tissues, and to investigate the histopathological changes after the repeated intramuscular injection. GX-12 (400 $\mu\textrm{g}$/head) was injected into the left anterior tibialis once a week for four weeks. On day 1, 5, 15, 30 and 45 after the final administration, gonadal tissues (testes, epididymis, seminal vesicles, penis, prostate glands, ovaries, vagina, uterus) and the injection site (muscle) were harvested and examined for the expression of mRNA by RT-PCR. In addition, histopathological examination was peformed at each time point. At the injection site, mRNA expression of GX-12 was detected only at early time points (1 ~ 15 days after injection) but not thereafter. However, in gonadal tissues, mRNA expression was not identified at all time points both in male and female rats. There were no histopathological changes in all reproductive organs and muscle. Based on these results, it is unlikely that the plasmid DNAs of GX-12 was distributed to- and expressed in gonadal tissues, suggesting that the chance of germline integration and transmission is negligible.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2004

This study was conducted to determine expression of acyl-CoA synthetase 4(ACS4), which is involved in converts arachidonic acid to postaglandins, in the mouse uterus during pregnancy. In arachidonic acid metabolism, acyl-CoA synthetase plays a key role in the esterification of free arachidonic acid into membrane phospholipids. Following its release by the action of calcium dependent phospholipases, free arachidonic acid is believed to be rapidly converted to arachidonoyl-CoA and reesterified into phospholipids in order to prevent excessive synthesis of prostaglandins. Here we demonstrate that ACS4 gene are differentially regulated in the peri-implatation mouse uterus. During the preimplantation period(days 0.5∼3.5), the ACS4 gene was expressed in the uterus until day 3.5 after which the expression was downregulated. The expression of cPLA2, COX1, and COX2 gene was similar to that of ACS4 gene in the preimplantation periods. However expression levels of COX1 gene show much variation on the various days of pregnancy examined. These data, suggest that ACS4 expression in preimplantation period is involved in initial attachment reaction with cPLA2, COX1, and COX2 gene.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.45.1-45.3
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• 2019

To identify pathways associated with survival phenotypes using gene expression data, we recently proposed the hierarchical structural component model for pathway analysis of gene expression data (HisCoM-PAGE) method. The HisCoM-PAGE software can consider hierarchical structural relationships between genes and pathways and analyze multiple pathways simultaneously. It can be applied to various types of gene expression data, such as microarray data or RNA sequencing data. We expect that the HisCoM-PAGE software will make our method more easily accessible to researchers who want to perform pathway analysis for survival times.