Hyejeon College

About: Hyejeon College is a education organization based out in Hongseong, South Korea. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cervical cancer & Breast cancer. The organization has 70 authors who have published 119 publications receiving 939 citations.

MiR-9, miR-21, and miR-155 as potential biomarkers for HPV positive and negative cervical cancer

Abstract: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of death among female patients with cancer in the world. High risk human papillomavirus has causal roles in cervical cancer initiation and progression by deregulating several cellular processes. However, HPV infection is not sufficient for cervical carcinoma development. Therefore, other genetic and epigenetic factors may be involved in this complex disease, and the identification of which may lead to better diagnosis and treatment. Our aim was to analyze the expression of microRNAs in cervical cancer cases positive or negative for HPV E6/E7 mRNA, and to assess their diagnostic usefulness and relevance. The expression of three different microRNAs (miR-9, miR-21, and miR-155) in 52 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) primary cervical cancer tissue samples and 50 FFPE normal cervical tissue samples were evaluated. MiR-9, miR-21, and miR-155 were significantly overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues compared to normal tissues (P < 0.001). MiR-21 and miR-155 expression combined with the HPV E6/E7 mRNA assay in HPV E6/E7 negative cervical cancer showed increased AUC of 0.7267 and 0.7000, respectively (P = 0.01, P = 0.04), demonstrating their potential as diagnostic tools. Moreover, miR-21 and miR-155 were predictors showing a 7 fold and 10.3 fold higher risk for HPV E6/E7 negative patients with cervical cancer (P = 0.024 and P = 0.017, respectively) while miR-155 was a predictor showing a 27.9 fold higher risk for HPV E6/E7 positive patients with cervical cancer (P < 0.0001). There is a strong demand for additional, alternative molecular biomarkers for diagnosis and management of precancer patients. MiR-21 and miR-155 may be helpful in the prediction of both HPV positive and HPV negative cases of cervical cancer.

Extract of Punica granatum inhibits skin photoaging induced by UVB irradiation.

Abstract: Background Punica granatum (pomegranate) is kind of a fruit consumed fresh or in beverage. It has been widely used in traditional medicine in various parts of the world. In this study, we examined the efficacy of a Punica granatum (PG) extract in protecting skin against UVB-induced damage using cultured human skin fibroblasts. Methods A Korean red PG sample was used, and its effects classified according to if the PG source originated from the rind, seed and fruit. The polyphenol content of PG, which is known to prevent other adverse cutaneous effects of UV irradiation, was measured by GC-MS. The protective effects of PG on UVB-induced skin photoaging were examined by determining the level of procollagen type I and MMP-1 after UVB irradiation. Results Based on the GC-MS quantitative analysis, catechin, quercetin, kaempferol, and equol were the predominant compounds detected in PG. In the changes of expression of procollagen type I and MMP-1 in UV irradiated human skin fibroblasts treated PG, especially extract prepared from rind, the synthesis of collagen was increased and the expression of MMP-1 was decreased. Conclusion The major polyphenols in PG, particularly catechin, play a significant role in its photoprotective effects on UVB-induced skin damage.

Thermal kinetics of color degradation of mulberry fruit extract.

Abstract: The effects of temperature and pH on color degradation kinetics of the mulberry fruit extract were investigated. The absorbance at 510 nm was decreased with increase of heating time, but that at 420 nm was increased with the increase of heating time at 100 degrees C. The change of the browning index (A510/A420) was increased with increase of pH and was lower at pH 2.0 than that at pH 5.0. The browning index variation was adequately described by both the first-order and the zero-order kinetic. However, the zero-order kinetic model was proposed because of the better fit. According to the Arrhenius model, the activation energies for the browning index in the range of 80-100 degrees C for the four different pH values were 30.68 kJ/mol for pH 2.0, 35.87 kJ/mol for pH 3.0, 42.67 kJ/ mol for pH 4.0, and 43.49 kJ/mol for pH 5.0.

Induction of nerve growth factor by butanol fraction of Liriope platyphylla in C6 and primary astrocyte cells.

Abstract: Liriope platyphylla (LP) has been used as a tonic, antitussive, and expectorant in Korea for many years. In this study, we found that the buthanol fraction of Liriope platyphylla (BLP)-conditioned media of C6 and primary astrocyte induced the neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells, and that the effect was reversed by addition of nerve growth factor (NGF)-antibody and GF109203X, an inhibitor of protein kinase (PKC). Furthermore, we demonstrated that BLP increased the expression and secretion of NGF. GF109203X also decreased NGF expression in C6 cells. Taken together, our results suggest that astroglial NGF enhanced by BLP in a PKC-dependent pathway contributed to the induction of neurite outgrowth of PC12 cells.

Antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity of pine pollen extract in vitro.

Abstract: To determine the medicinal properties of pine pollen, the antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities of the ethanol extract of pine pollen extract (PPE) were investigated. PPE displayed a strong free radical scavenger activity on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical and hydrogen peroxide. It was observed also that the antioxidant activity, measured by the ferric thiocyanate method, increased with the addition of PPE to the linoleic acid emulsion system. PPE was also found to inhibit significantly the amount of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls formed from liver homogenate. Like the antioxidant activity, the reducing power of PPE was excellent. Thereafter, the study investigated the effects of PPE in modulating the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated RAW 264.7 macrophages, and the effect of PPE on interleukin (IL)-1beta-induced matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) production and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation in the human synovial sarcoma cell line, SW982. PPE was found to inhibit the production of nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1 and IL-6 in LPS-activated macrophages. Treatment with PPE at 10 microg/mL significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited IL-1beta-induced MMPs (MMP-1 and -3) production in SW982 cells. IL-1beta-induced JNK activation was inhibited by PPE (10 microg/mL), whereas p38 and ERK1/2 were not affected. These findings suggest that pine pollen is a potential antioxidant and beneficial for inflammatory conditions through down-regulation of JNK and MMPs.