Arch Pharm Res
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The extract of European mistletoe (Viscum album, L) has been used in adjuvant chemotherapy of cancer and mistletoe lectins are considered to be major active components. The present work was performed to investigate the effects of Korean mistletoe lectin (Viscum album L. coloratum agglutinin, VCA) on proliferation and apoptosis of human hepatoma cells as well as the underlying mechamisms for these effects. We showed that VCA induced apoptosis in both SK-Hep-1 (p53-positive) and Hep 3B (p53-negative) cells through p53- and p21-independent pathways. ⋯ VCA-induced apoptosis is regulated by mitochondrial controlled pathway independently of p53. These findings are important for the therapy with preparation of mistletoe because they show that telomerase-dependent mechanism can be targeted by VCA in human hepatocarcinoma. Taken together, our results suggest that the VCA, considered as a telomerase-inhibitor, can be envisaged as a candidate for enhancing sensitivity of conventional anticancer drugs.
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Ginseng has been used as a traditional medicine with various therapeutic effects. However, it is still unknown which component of this plant is effective at promoting wound healing. Recently, ginsenoside Rb2 has been reported to improve wound healing. ⋯ Rb2 stimulated epidermal cell proliferation, and the cell showed a 1.5-fold increase in thymidine uptake compared to the control (p<0.05, n=3). Furtheremore, Rb2 was found to stimulate epidermis formation in a dose-dependent manner in raft culture, and to dose dependently enhance the expressions of protein factors related to cell proliferation, namely, epidermal growth factor and its receptor, fibronectin and its receptor, keratin 5/14, and collagenase I (p<0.05, n=3-9). It is believed that ginsenoside Rb2 enhances epidermal cell proliferation by upregulating the expressions of these proliferation-related factors.