Lo, Chun Shan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 71-80). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / Chinese abstract --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.iv / List of figures --- p.vi / Abbreviations --- p.vii / Contents --- p.viii / Chapter Chapter One --- General Introduction --- p.Page / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Human papillomavirus infection at the larynx --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Biology of human papillomavirus --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- HPV E6 protein --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- HPV E7 protein --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3 --- Apoptosis --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Apoptosis signaling pathways --- p.11 / Chapter 1.4 --- Transcription factor: Nuclear factor -kB --- p.14 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- Overview of the NF-kB signaling pathway --- p.14 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Regulation of NF-kB signaling --- p.16 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Roles of NF-kB in cancers --- p.19 / Chapter 1.5 --- Pteris semipinnata L extract: ent-11 -hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid (5F) --- p.21 / Chapter 1.6 --- Objectives --- p.22 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Materials and Methods / Chapter 2.1 --- Cell culture --- p.24 / Chapter 2.2 --- Cell proliferation analysis --- p.24 / Chapter 2.3 --- Western Blotting --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Total protein extraction --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Nuclear and cytoplasmic protein extraction --- p.26 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Quantification of protein concentration --- p.27 / Chapter 2.3.4 --- Sodium dodecyl sulfate - polyacylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and protein transfer --- p.28 / Chapter 2.3.5 --- Immunoblotting --- p.29 / Chapter 2.4 --- NF-kB Luciferase Assay --- p.29 / Chapter 2.5 --- Annexin V apoptosis assay --- p.31 / Chapter 2.6 --- mRNA expression analyses --- p.33 / Chapter 2.6.1 --- RNA extraction --- p.33 / Chapter 2.6.2 --- Reverse Transcription --- p.33 / Chapter 2.6.3 --- Polymerase Chain Reaction --- p.34 / Chapter 2.7 --- Antibodies --- p.35 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Results / Chapter 3.1 --- "Anti-proliferation effect of 5F on laryngeal cancer cells UMSCC11A, UMSCC12 and HEp-2 cells" --- p.36 / Chapter 3.2 --- Suppression by 5F in HEp-2 of mRNA and protein expression levels in HPV18 E7 while the expression level of HPV18 E6 was not altered --- p.38 / Chapter 3.3 --- Quantification of 5F-induced apoptosis in laryngeal cancer cells by Annexin V assay --- p.40 / Chapter 3.4 --- Morphological changes in laryngeal cancer cells induced by 5F --- p.41 / Chapter 3.5 --- "Cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and pro-caspase-3 induced by 5F in UMSCC11 A, UMSCC12 and HEp-2 cell lines" --- p.47 / Chapter 3.6 --- "Down-regulation of TNF-α-induced NF-kB subunit p65 and p50 nuclear translocations in UMSCC11 A, UMSCC12 and HEp-2 by 5F" --- p.47 / Chapter 3.7 --- Dose-dependent inhibition of 5F on NF-kB transcriptional activity measured by luciferase assay --- p.53 / Chapter 3.8 --- Partial inhibition of TNF-α induced kBα degradation by 5F in UMSCC11A but not in UMSCC12 and HEp-2 --- p.56 / Chapter 3.9 --- Cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction by Bay (11-7082) in laryngeal cancer cells --- p.56 / Chapter 3.10 --- Differential basal nuclear translocation of p65 and p50 in laryngeal cancer cell lines --- p.57 / Chapter 3.11 --- 5F regulated NF-kB target gene expression --- p.58 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Discussions --- p.64 / Reference --- p.71 / Appendix / Appendix 1 Map of pLuc- NF-kB plasmid --- p.81