Suhng Wook Kim

Synergistic Effect of Saccharin and Caffeine on Antiproliferative Activity in Human Ovarian Carcinoma Ovcar-3 Cells

The purpose of this study was to confirm the antiproliferative and apoptotic induction potential of a saccharin and caffeine combination in ovarian cancer cells. The cell line used was Ovcar-3, and the cell viability was measured through a WST-8 assay, while a Chou–Talalay assay was used to confirm the synergistic effect of saccharin and caffeine on the ovarian cancer cells. A clonogenic assay, annexin V-FITC/PI-PE double-staining, and RT-PCR were performed to confirm the expression of genes that induce colony formation, cell viability, and apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells treated with the saccharin–caffeine combination. It was demonstrated that both saccharin and caffeine decreased the viability of Ovcar-3 cells, and the cell viability decreased even more significantly when the cells were treated with the combination of saccharin and caffeine. The clonogenic assay results showed that the number of colonies decreased the most when saccharin and caffeine were combined, and the number of colonies also significantly decreased compared to the single-treatment groups. Based on flow cytometry analysis using annexin V-FITC/PI-PE double-staining, it was confirmed that the decrease in cell viability caused by the combination of saccharin and caffeine was correlated with the induction of apoptosis. The results of the RT-PCR confirmed that the combined treatment of saccharin and caffeine promoted cell apoptosis by regulating the expression of apoptosis-inducing genes. These results demonstrate that the combination of saccharin and caffeine more efficiently inhibits the proliferation of Ovcar-3 cells and induces apoptosis in vitro.

Effects of Induced Exosomes from Endometrial Cancer Cells on Tumor Activity in the Presence of Aurea helianthus Extract

Endometrial cancer (EC) cells metastasize to various regions, including the ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, blood, liver, bone, and brain. Various carcinogens are known to cause EC. Exosomes are released from several types of cells and contain various cellular components. In this study, flow cytometry and quantitative PCR were used to evaluate marker levels, cell migration, cell invasion, and mitochondrial membrane potential, and cellular senescence tests were used to estimate cancer activity. The microRNAs were profiled using next-generation sequencing. Although tocopherol-α and rutin content in Aurea helianthus is high, A. helianthus extract was more useful in modulating tumor activity compared to the two aforementioned substances. Notably, we established that the extract induced bioactive exosomes in EC cells, and profiling of miRNAs in the extract-inducing exosomes (EIE) indicated their potency to be developed as a biological drug. The extract and EIE contributed to the following five biological process categories for EC cells: (1) cell migration and invasion suppression, (2) cellular senescence activation by attenuating mitochondrial membrane potential and enhancing autophagy, (3) reproductive cancer activity attenuation, (4) drug susceptibility activation, and (5) EIE containing miRNAs associated with decreasing inflammation.