Yen-Chou Chen

Taipei Medical University | TMU

Induction of differentiation sensitizes chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells to the BCR-ABL inhibitor imatinib by mechanisms that remain unknown. We previously identified the BCR-ABL downstream effector CD69 which inhibits imatinib-induced CML cell differentiation. Herein, we found that the erythroid differentiation inducers activin A and aclacinom...

We recently reported that the periodontopathic bacteria Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) initiates an inflammatory cascade that disrupts the balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS), resulting in apoptotic cell death in brain endothelial cells. An extract from Polygonum multiflorum Thunb., 2,3,5,4′-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-glucoside (THSG...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a global health issue that affects at least 10 million people per year. Neuronal cell death and brain injury after TBI, including apoptosis, inflammation, and excitotoxicity, have led to detrimental effects in TBI. 2, 3, 5, 4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-D-glucoside (THSG), a water-soluble compound extracted from t...

Background Our previous studies have shown that evodiamine (EVO) as paclitaxel and nocodazole could trigger apoptosis in various human cancer cells including human renal cell carcinoma cells, colorectal carcinoma cells, and glioblastoma cells. This study aims to investigate the anti-cancer effects of EVO on human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC)...

Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen, has been proposed to cause blood vessel injury leading to cerebrovascular diseases such as stroke. Brain endothelial cells compose the blood-brain barrier that protects homeostasis of the central nervous system. However, whether P. gingivalis causes the death of endothelial cells and the underlying...

Androgens have been shown to have a beneficial effect on brain injury and lower reactive astrocyte expression after TBI. Androgen receptors (ARs) are known to mediate the neuroprotective effects of androgens. However, whether ARs play a crucial role in TBI remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of ARs in TBI pathophysiology, using...

Biofilms of Cutibacterium (C.) acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) are responsible for the persistence and antibiotic resistance of acne vulgaris. In addition to the standard treatments for acne vulgaris, a common adjunctive treatment is the topical administration of nicotinamide (NAM). However, the effects of NAM on biofilms of C. acnes have...

The Mongolian rhubarb—Rheum undulatum L. (RU)—and Rumex crispus L. (RC)—a Taiwanese local rhubarb belonging to the family of Polygonaceae—are principal therapeutic materials in integrative medicine due to their rich quantities of bioactive compounds; however, their phytochemical and antioxidant properties, and anti-cancer activity is poorly investi...

Several biological effects of haem oxygenase (HO)‐1, including anti‐inflammatory, antiapoptotic and antioxidative properties were reported; however, the role of HO‐1 in apoptosis is still unclear. In the presence of stimulation by cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), an HO‐1 inducer, apoptotic characteristics were observed, including DNA laddering, hypodi...

In the present study, we investigated the role of PKR‐like endoplasmic reticular kinase (PERK), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress kinase, in endothelin 1 (ET‐1)‐ and thrombin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and the preventive effects of curcumin (CUR). Using the human embryonic WI‐38 lung fibroblast cell line, ET‐1 and thrombin induced the expr...

Background/Aim: Recent studies implied a significant role of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) in cell transformation. This study aimed to assess the effects of HIF1α on the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumorigenesis of lung adenocarcinoma cells. Materials and Methods: Invasion, migration and colony formation assays were used to...

Nilotinib (AMN), a second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor, induces apoptosis in various cancer cells, and our recent study showed that AMN effectively reduced the viability of human ovarian cancer cells via mitochondrion‐dependent apoptosis. The effect of AMN in the melanogenesis of melanoma cells is still unclear. In the present study, we fou...

We previously synthesized new tubulin inhibitors, MPT0B169 and MPT0B002, which induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in leukemia cells. However, their effects on solid tumor cells have not been determined. In this study, we investigated the effects of MPT0B169 and MPT0B002 on glioblastoma, breast, lung, and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. A c...

Hispolon (HIS) is an active polyphenol compound derived from Phellinus linteus (Berkeley & Curtis), and our previous study showed that HIS effectively inhibited inflammatory responses in macrophages (Yang et al., 2014); however, its effect on neuronal inflammation is still undefined. In this study, HIS concentration- and time-dependently inhibited...

Evodiamine (EVO) is an active medicinal compound derived from the traditional herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa. It has been reported that evodiamine has several beneficial biological properties, including anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities of EVO against the growth of glioblastoma c...

We investigated the anticancer mechanism of evodiamine (EVO) against the viability of human A498 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro study showed that EVO decreased the viability of A498 cells with the occurrence of apoptotic characteristics such as hypodiploid cells, DNA ladders, chromatin-condensed cells, and cleav...

EVO dose-dependently inhibits the viability of human RCC cells including ACHN, 786-O, and Caki-1. (PPT)

Although microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation with intracellular signaling cascade disruption has been demonstrated in the pathophysiology of pulmonary fibrosis, the relationship between miRNAs and intracellular signaling cascades in pulmonary fibrosis remains unclear. Using the human embryonic lung fibroblast cell line WI-38, we observed endothelin-1 (E...

Background Although targeted therapies have improved the clinical outcomes of cancer treatment, tumors resistance to targeted drug are often detected too late and cause mortality. CSE1L is secreted from tumor and its phosphorylation is regulated by ERK1/2. ERK1/2 is located downstream of various growth factor receptors and kinases, the targets of m...

Background: Evodiamine (EVO; 8,13,13b,14-tetrahydro-14-methylindolo[2'3'-3,4]pyrido[2,1-b]quinazolin-5-[7H]-one derived from the traditional herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa was reported to possess anticancer activity; however, the anticancer mechanism of EVO against the viability of human ovarian cancer cells is still unclear. Purpose: A numbe...

Nilotinib (AMN) induces apoptosis in various cancer cells; however the effect of AMN on human ovarian cancer cells is still unclear. A reduction in cell viability associated with the occurrence of apoptotic characteristics was observed in human SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells under AMN but not sorafenib (SORA) or imatinib (STI) stimulation. Activation...

Antroquinonol (ANQ) is an ubiquinon derivative isolated from the mycelium of Antrodia camphorata. However, the effect of ANQ on breast cancer treatment is unknown. We found that ANQ significantly suppressed the migration and invasion of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, and inhibited 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced invasiveness by...

Conditional mediums (CMs) from glioma cells U87, GBM-8401, and C6 significantly induced iNOS protein and NO production by microglial cells BV-2 but without altering the cell viability or cell-cycle progression of BV2 microglia. Significant increases in intracellular peroxide by U87-CM and C6-CM were detected by a DCHF-DA assay, and vitamin (Vit) C...

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Phellinus linteus (Berkeley & Curtis), a well-known medical fungus, has long been used as a traditional medicine in Oriental countries to treat various diseases, and hispolon (HIS) is one of its bioactive components. HIS is known to possess potent antineoplastic and antiviral properties; however, its effect on infla...

Evodiamine (EVO; 8,13,13b,14-tetrahydro-14-methylindolo[2'3'-3,4]pyrido[2,1-b]quinazolin-5-[7H]-one derived from the traditional herbal medicine Evodia rutaecarpa was reported to possess anticancer activity; however, the anticancer mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the anticancer effects of EVO on human colon COLO205 and HT...

Oxidative stress or excessive antioxidant levels-caused redox imbalance can alter apoptotic responses, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) was able to inhibit H2 O2 -mediated cell death, but unable to prevent apoptosis induced by other chemicals such as etoposide. We now demonstrate that 10 and 20 mM NAC, non-toxic concentrations, can enhance fisetin (FI...

Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 is an oxidative stress-response enzyme which catalyzes the degradation of heme into bilirubin, ferric ion, and carbon monoxide (CO). Induction of HO-1 was reported to have antitumor activity; the inhibitory mechanism, however, is still unclear. In the present study, we found that treatment with [Ru(CO)3Cl2]2 (RuCO), a CO-relea...

The phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), is a potent stimulator of differentiation in human leukemia cells; however, the effects of arachidonic acid (AA) on TPA-induced differentiation are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the contribution of AA to TPA-induced differentiation of human leukemia HL-60 cells. W...

We revealed the cytotoxic effect of the flavonoid, fisetin (FIS), on human COLO205 colon cancer cells in the presence and absence of the HSP90 inhibitors, geldanamycin (GA) and radicicol (RAD). Compared to FIS treatment alone of COLO205 cells, GA and RAD significantly enhanced FIS-induced cytotoxicity, increased expression of cleaved caspase-3 and...

Background: Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), a gram-positive anaerobic bacterium, plays a critical role in the development of inflammatory lesion as a result of cytokines production by keratinocytes and macrophages activation. However, effect of P. acnes on iNOS/NO and COX-2/PGE2 production in macrophages is still uninvestigated. Objective: T...

Flavonoids are natural compounds derived from plants and some of them have shown to inhibit osteoclast formation, implicating their potential use for the treatment of osteoporosis. Conventionally, the screening of anti-osteoclast agents is a tedious process that requires visual counting the number of osteoclasts produced. The purpose of this study...

Although prostaglandins (PGs) were reported to exert proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages, their action mechanisms remain unclear. The effects of PGs including PGJ2 (J2), Δ-PGJ2 (Δ), 15-deoxy-Δ PGJ2 (15d), PGE2 (E2), and PGF2α (F2α) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-, lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-, and peptidoglycan (PGN)-induced induc...

In this study, QUE, but not the structurally related chemical, rutin, enhanced the cytotoxicity of arsenic trioxide (As(+3)) against the viability of normal human HaCaT keratinocytes via induction of apoptosis. QUE enhancement of As(+3)-mediated apoptosis was accompanied by increased intracellular peroxide production according to a DCFH-DA analysis...

Our previous study showed that gossypol (GOS) exhibits potent cytotoxic effects via apoptosis induction against human colorectal carcinoma cells; however, the role of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2/prostaglandin (PG)E(2) on GOS-induced apoptosis is still unknown. In the present study, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) addition significantly inhibi...

Although apoptosis induced by amyloid β (Aβ) has been identified, the effect of Aβ on telomerase activity in relation to apoptosis induction remains unclear. In the present study, Aβ(1-40) and Aβ(25-35), but not Aβ(1-16) and Aβ(35-25), reduce the viability of primary cerebral endothelial cells (CECs) in accordance with apoptosis induction. Increase...

Imatinib mesylate (STI571), a protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor, was shown to reduce the viability of several cancer cell lines via apoptosis induction; however, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in STI571-induced melanoma cell apoptosis is still undefined. In this study, we investigated the contribution of ROS to STI571-induced apoptosis i...

2-Methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (menadione or vitamin K3; EPO) and K3-2,3-epoxide (EPO1), but not vitamin K3-3-OH (EPO2), exhibited cytotoxicity that caused DNA fragmentation and chromatin condensation in U87 and C6 cells. EPO1 showed more-potent cytotoxicity than EPO, and the IC(50) values of EPO and EPO1 in U87 cells were 37.5 and 15.7μM, respectivel...

An increase in MMP-9 gene expression and enzyme activity with stimulating the migration of GBM8401 glioma cells via wound healing assay by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) was detected in glioblastoma cells GBM8401. TPA-induced translocation of protein kinase C (PKC)alpha from the cytosol to membranes, and migration of GBM8401 elicited by...

Induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression, nitric oxide (NO) production and migration of RAW264.7 macrophages by coculture with breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells or the addition of conditioned medium derived from MDA-MB-231 cells (MDA-CM) was identified. Increased iNOS/NO induction and migration of macrophages by MDA-CM were...

Brain tissue scarring (gliosis) was believed to be the major cause of epileptic focus after brain injury, and prevention of scarring could reduce the incidence of seizure. We tried the HA coating onto the cortical brain defect of Spraque-Dawley rats to reduce the marginal glial scarring. A 4 x 2 x 2 mm(3) cortical defect was created in the brain of...

Parkinson's disease, affecting at least 1% of population older than 65 years, is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Up to now, no evidence has demonstrated that biochemical changes in CSF occur preceding the onset of Parkinson's symptoms. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that biochemical changes in CSF precede behavioral de...

In the presence of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) stimulation, an increase in the migration/invasion of U87 glioblastoma cells was detected by a wound healing assay, transwell analysis, and spheroid formation assay by inducing matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) enzyme activity via a gelatin zymographic analysis. A dose- and time-depende...

In the present study, low doses (0.5, 1, and 2 microM) of cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), but not ferric protoporphyrin (FePP) or tin protoporphyrin (SnPP), significantly inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or lipoteichoic acid (LTA)-induced inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) production with an increase in heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) prot...

In the present study, zinc protoporphyrin (ZnPP), but not ferric protoporphyrin (FePP), tin protoporphyrin (SnPP), or zinc chloride (ZnCl(2)), at the doses of 0.5, 1, and 2 microM, dose-dependently inhibited lipopolysaccharide- (LPS), lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and peptidoglycan (PGN)-induced inducible nitric oxide (iNOS) and nitric oxide (NO) produc...

In the present study, the roles of telomerase and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF's) and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2's) effects against C(2)-ceramide-induced cell death were investigated. C(2)-ceramide reduced the viability of NIH3T3 cells in a condition without calf serum (CS) in accordance with decreasing...

Quercetin (QUE; 3,5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone) has been shown to possess several beneficial biological activities including antitumor, anti-inflammation and antioxidant properties; however, the effects of QUE in preventing invasion by breast carcinoma cells are still undefined. Increases in the protein, messenger RNA and enzyme activity levels of...

The effects of six arsenic compounds including As(+3), MMA(+3), DMA(+3), As(+5), MMA(+5), and DMA(+5) on the viability of NIH3T3 cells were examined. As(+3) and MMA(+3), but not the others, exhibited significant cytotoxic effects in NIH3T3 cells through apoptosis induction. The apoptotic events such as DNA fragmentation and chromosome condensation...

In the present study, we investigated the antitumor effects of the invasiveness and migration of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in human breast carcinoma cells. 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) enzyme activity and gene expression at both protein and mRNA levels were examined in human breast carcinoma ce...

We investigate the cytotoxic effect of metal protoporphyrins including ferric protoporphyrin (FePP; hemin), cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP), and tin protoporphyrin (SnPP) in glioblastoma cells C6 and GBM8401. Data of MTT assay show that FePP and CoPP, but not SnPP, significantly reduce the viability of glioma cells C6 and GBM8401 in the absence of ser...

We investigate the roles of methoxyl (OCH(3)) and hydroxyl (OH) substitutions at C8 of flavonoids on their apoptosis-inducing activities. Wogonin (Wog) and nor-wogonin (N-Wog) are structurally related flavonoids, and respectively contain an OH and OCH(3) at C8. In leukemia HL-60 cells, N-Wog exhibited more-potent cytotoxicity than Wog according to...

The Lys49-phospholipases A(2) (K49-PLAs) are abundant in many pit vipers' venom. They are highly basic myotoxins and capable of binding membranes but lack hydrolytic activity. Considerable attention has been directed to its antibacterial activity but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. We now evaluate the roles of a K49-PLA from Trimeresurus stejn...

Among 13 different cell lines, gossypol (GOS) showed the most potent cytotoxic effect against human colorectal carcinoma cells including HT29, COLO205, COLO320HSR and COLO320DM cells according to an MTT assay. The cytotoxic effect of GOS was mediated by its induction of apoptosis as characterized by the occurrence of DNA ladders, apoptotic bodies a...

Wogonin (Wog; 5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxy flavone) has been shown to effectively inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) gene expression and nitric oxide production in our previous study. In the present study, we found that Nor-wogonin (N-Wog; 5,7,8-trihydroxyl flavone), a structural analogue of Wog with an OH su...

Induction of 17beta-estradiol (E2) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been detected in breast carcinoma, however the interaction between E2 and IGF-I in the proliferation of breast carcinoma cells is still unclear. In the present study, we found that IGF-I enhances the E2-induced proliferation in MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells in acco...

In the present study, baicalein (BE) but not its glycoside, baicalin (BI), induced heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) gene expression at both the mRNA and protein levels, and the BE-induced HO-1 protein was blocked by adding cycloheximide (CHX) or actinomycin D (Act D). Activation of ERK, but not JNK or p38, proteins via induction of phosphorylation in accord...

In the present study, we found that baicalein (BE), but not its glycoside baicalin (BI), induced apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 and Jurkat cells, but not in primary murine peritoneal macrophages (PMs) or human polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells, by the MTT assay, LDH release assay, and flow cytometric analysis. Activation of the caspase 3, but not ca...

In the present study, we examined the protective mechanism of baicalein (BE) and its glycoside, baicalin (BI), on hydrogen-peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced cell death in rat glioma C6 cells. Results of the MTT assay, LDH release assay, and morphological observation showed that H(2)O(2) addition reduced the viability of C6 cells, and this was prevented b...

In the present study, we investigated the protective mechanism of quercetin (QUE) and its glycosides, rutin (RUT) and quercitrin (QUI), on reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent (H(2)O(2)) and -independent (chemical anoxia) cell death in rat glioma C6 cells. Induction of HO-1 protein expression was detected in QUE- but not RUT- or QUI-treated C6 c...

Yeast extracts have been shown to perform anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective activities. However, the effects of yeast extracts on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production and epidermal damages are still unclear. To investigate the effect of Saccharomycopsis Ferment Filtrate (SFF) on LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 macr...

In the present study, we examine the protective mechanism of quercetin (QE) on oxidative stress-induced cytotoxic effect in RAW264.7 macrophages. Results of Western blotting show that QE but not its glycoside rutin (RUT) and quicitrin-induced HO-1 protein expression in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and HO-1 protein induced by QE was blocked by...

The presence of prostaglandins (PGs) has been demonstrated in the processes of carcinogenesis and inflammation. In the present study, we found that 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) induced cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2), but not COX-1, protein expression in HL-60 cells, and the addition of arachidonic acid (AA) in the presence or absence of TPA...

Abrogation of mitochondrial permeability and induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production have been observed in chemical-induced apoptosis; however, the relationship between the mitochondria and intracellular ROS levels in apoptosis is still unclear. In the present study, myricetin (ME) but not its respective glycoside, myricitrin (MI; myr...

Colorectal carcinoma is a leading cause of human mortality due to its high metastatic ability. Because the activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) is a key factor in the metastatic process, agents with the ability to inhibit MMP activity have potential in the treatment of colorectal carcinoma. In the present study, among 36 flavonoids examine...

Flavonoids including the aglycones, hesperetin (HT; 5,7,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxy-flavanone), and naringenin (NE; 5,7,4'-trihydroxy flavanone) and glycones, hesperidin (HD; 5,7,3'-trihydroxy-4'-methoxy-flavanone 7-rhamnoglucoside) and naringin (NI; 5,7,4'-trihydroxy flavanone 7-rhamno glucoside), were used to examine the importance of rutinose at C7...

Nicotine has been shown to induce relaxation via nitric oxide (NO) production with activation of endothelium nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), however the effect of nicotine on lipopolysaccharide/interferon-gamma (LPS/IFN-gamma)-induced NO production and inducible NOS (iNOS) gene expression is still undefined. Here, nicotine alone did not affect the NO...

Colorectal carcinoma is a human malignant tumor, which is very resistant to currently available methods of treatment. Therefore, developing an effective agent with anti-colorectal carcinoma activity is important. In the present study, 8 structurally related flavones including flavone, 3-OH flavone, 5-OH flavone, 7-OH flavone, quercetin, kaempferol,...

We previously reported that adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inhibits the development of atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. This finding implies that HO-1 induction is beneficial for protecting blood vessels. We also found that quercetin, a common polyphenolic compound in foods of plant origin, induces H...

Flavonoids exist extensively in plants and Chinese herbs, and several biological effects of flavonoids have been demonstrated. The antitumor effects in colorectal carcinoma cells (HT29, COLO205, and COLO320HSR) of eight flavanones including flavanone, 2'-OH flavanone, 4'-OH flavanone, 6-OH flavanone, 7-OH flavanone, naringenin, nargin, and taxifoli...

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacterial has been identified as an important molecule involved in the inflammatory process through inducing nitric oxide (NO) production. However, the effect of LPS in carcinogenesis is still undefined. In the present study, the biological effect of LPS was examined in 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetat...

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) has been shown to induce proliferation in cells, however, the role of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) plays in EGF-induced proliferation in still unclear. EGF and PGE(2) showed proliferation responses in epidermoid carcinoma cell A431 by MTT and [(3)H] thymidine incorporation assay. Activation of the EGF receptor and extra...

The role of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) played in the inhibitory mechanism of flavonoids in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced responses remained unresolved. In the present study, flavonoids, including 3-OH flavone, baicalein, kaempferol, and quercetin, induced HO-1 gene expression at the protein and mRNA levels in the presence or absence of LPS in RAW26...

Rutinoside (rhamnoglucoside; rhamnose+glucose) addition has been examined extensively in the metabolism of flavonoids, however the effect of rutinoside on apoptosis-inducing activity of flavonoids is still unknown. In the present study, the two pairs of flavonoids of hesperetin (HT) and hesperidin (HD; HT-7-rutinose), and naringenin (NE) and naring...

Huang Qui is one of the popular Chinese herbs, and has been used in treatment of several human diseases such as inflammation, allergy and artherosclosis for thousands of years. However the active components of Huang Qui are still undefined. Our recent studies demonstrated that flavonoids in Huang Qui including wogonin, quercetin, and oroxylin A sho...

Flavonoids were demonstrated to possess several biological effects including antitumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities in our previous studies. However, the effect of glycosylation on their biological functions is still undefined. In the present study, the apoptosis-inducing activities of three structure-related flavonoids including...

Cadmium, a well-known environmental hazard, has caused serious health problems in humans and animals. Accumulating evidence suggests the cadmium toxicity is mediated by oxidative stress-induced cell death. However, the molecular signaling underlying cadmium-induced apoptosis remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate here that cadmium induced m...

Emodin (1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) is an active constituent of Rheum palmatum, and showed inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in our previous study. However, the apoptosis-inducing activity of emodin has remained undefined. Among three structurally related anthraquinones, including emodin, physcion, and chry...

Biological functions of flavanones have been studied extensively, however, the structure-related activities of flavanones on 12-o-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced promotive effects are still unclear. In this study, flavanone, 2'-OH flavanone, 4'-OH flavanone, 6-OH flavanone showed the most significant dose-dependent inhibition on TPA-i...

Wogonin and fisetin are flavonoids, which are widely distributed in plants. Our recent study demonstrated that, among seven structurally related flavonoids, wogonin and fisetin showed the most potent apoptosis-inducing activities in human promyeloleukemic cells HL-60. In the present investigation, we performed molecular studies to assess the apopto...

Flavonoids are widely distributed in plants, but their biological functions are still unclear. In the present study, in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to demonstrate the inhibitory activities of rutin, wogonin, and quercetin on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E(2) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, pri...