The anti-inflammatory effects of sialic acid on the human glia cells by the upregulation of IL-4 and IL-10 genes' expressions

The Potential of Edible Bird's Nests in Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Narrative Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, with dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension being major modifiable risk factors. Functional foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have gained attention for their potential for reducing CVD risk. Edible bird's nest (EBN), a functional food rich in bioactive compounds such as sialic acid, lactoferrin, and glycoproteins, has been shown to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. This review explores the potential of EBN in mitigating CVD risk factors, focusing on its role in improving lipid profiles, managing obesity, and enhancing glucose metabolism. EBN has been shown to improve the lipid profile by regulating the hepatic cholesterol metabolism and gut-liver axis interactions. Additionally, EBN reduces body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation, improves adipokine regulation, and enhances insulin sensitivity, which may collectively support cardiovascular health. Despite promising findings, clinical evidence remains limited. Future research should focus on clinical trials to validate its efficacy, determine optimal dosages, and assess its long-term safety. Additionally, further studies on EBN's effects on hypertension and its interaction with conventional therapies could enhance its potential role in CVD prevention and management.

Investigation of Lactobacillus Probiotics Derived from Traditional Dairy Products in Eliciting Anti-Tumor Responses in Mouse Colorectal Cancer Model

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious health problem, and finding new treatments is important. There is growing evidence for the antitumor activity of probiotics. This study investigated the anti-cancer potential of a probiotic mix containing Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis, L. helveticus, and L. delbrueckii, alone or in combination with the chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil, against CRC.

Methods

The research was carried out in Mashhad in 2021. The cytotoxic effect of Lactobacillus isolates on CRC cells was investigated in two-dimensional and three-dimensional cell culture models. Histological staining and molecular approaches were used to investigate the regulatory mechanism of Lactobacillus isolates on cell migration, inflammation, fibrosis, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and tumor necrosis in the CRC mouse model. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software version 20 with a significance level of P<0.05. The tests employed included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, ANOVA, Dunnett's post hoc, and Kruskal-Wallis.

Results

Lactobacillus strains effectively suppressed tumor growth in CRC by promoting cell death and inhibiting fibrosis and inflammation. These bacteria regulated apoptosis-related genes such as Bcl-2-associated protein x (P=0.0033), and BCL-2 (P=0.0029), leading to increased tumor necrosis. Treatment with bacterial supernatants reduced tumor size and fibrosis by downregulating collagen type I, alpha 1 (Col1a1) (P=0.024), Col1a2 (P=0.0231), and actin alpha 2 (P=0.0466), and transforming growth factor-beta expression. Additionally, they suppressed inflammation by decreasing tumor necrosis factor-alpha (P=0.0001), interleukin 6, and IL-1β (P=0.0198) levels in tumor tissues. Furthermore, the treatment inhibited CRC cell migration by modulating epithelial cadherin (P=0.0198) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (P=0.033) expression.

Conclusion

Findings indicated that co-administration of Lactobacillus isolates with 5-FU could improve the anti-tumor properties of the standard drug, 5-FU, supporting the therapeutic potential of these safe isolated lactic acid bacteria for CRC patients in vivo.

The physiological characteristics and applications of sialic acid

Sialic acid (SA) is widely present at the end of the sugar chain of glycoproteins and glycolipids on the surface of animal and microbial cells and is involved in many physiological activities between microbial and host cells. Notably, these functions are attributed to the diversity of these SA types, their different transformation pathways, and their metabolic actions within the host, which are considered potential targets for affecting various diseases. However, developing disease mitigation strategies is often limited by an unclear understanding of the mechanisms of interaction of the causative agents with their hosts. This review mainly focuses on three types of SA: Neu5Ac, Neu5Gc, and KDN. The sources, main types, and distribution of these SAs are discussed in detail, emphasizing the metabolic processes of different SAs and their interaction mechanisms with the host. This review will help lay a foundation for developing functional foods and SA-targeted intervention strategies.

Interventional Effects of Edible Bird's Nest and Free Sialic Acids on LPS-Induced Brain Inflammation in Mice

Objectives: Our study investigated the effects and mechanisms of edible bird's nest (EBN) and free sialic acids (SA) on LPS-induced brain inflammation in mice. Methods: The experiment divided the mice into four groups: control group (CON), lipopolysaccharide group (LPS), EBN intervention group (EBN, 200 mg/kg/d in dry EBN), and sialic acid intervention group (SA, dosage was calibrated based on the concentration of sialic acid in EBN). Results: The results showed that LPS caused a decrease followed by upregulation in body weight in female mice, and EBN exhibited renal protective effects. In the Morris water maze, the learning and memory abilities of mice in the LPS group first declined and then recovered. At the same time, the escape latency improved in the EBN and SA groups. In the Open field test, both the EBN and SA groups exhibited anti-anxiety and anti-depressive effects. Immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus showed significant cell damage in the LPS group, while the damage was alleviated in the EBN and SA groups. LPS promoted the expression of TICAM1 and MYD88 in the NF-κB pathway, while both the EBN and SA groups could inhibit the expression of TICAM1. Conclusions: The study has found that both EBN and SA exhibited noteworthy anti-inflammatory effects, indicating that the main active component in EBN that provides neuroprotective effects is SA. The bound SA in EBN confers additional effects, supporting the development of prevention and treatment strategies for brain inflammation.

Emerging paradigms: unmasking the role of oxidative stress in HPV-induced carcinogenesis

The contribution of the human papillomavirus (HPV) to cancer is significant but not exclusive, as carcinogenesis involves complex mechanisms, notably oxidative stress. Oxidative stress and HPV can independently cause genome instability and DNA damage, contributing to tumorigenesis. Oxidative stress-induced DNA damage, especially double-strand breaks, aids in the integration of HPV into the host genome and promotes the overexpression of two viral proteins, E6 and E7. Lifestyle factors, including diet, smoking, alcohol, and psychological stress, along with genetic and epigenetic modifications, and viral oncoproteins may influence oxidative stress, impacting the progression of HPV-related cancers. This review highlights various mechanisms in oxidative-induced HPV-mediated carcinogenesis, including altered mitochondrial morphology and function leading to elevated ROS levels, modulation of antioxidant enzymes like Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Glutathione (GSH), and Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx), induction of chronic inflammatory environments, and activation of specific cell signaling pathways like the Phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Protein kinase B, Mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) and the Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. The study highlights the significance of comprehending and controlling oxidative stress in preventing and treating cancer. We suggested that incorporating dietary antioxidants and targeting cancer cells through mechanisms involving ROS could be potential interventions to mitigate the impact of oxidative stress on HPV-related malignancies.

Interplay between LncRNA/miRNA and TGF-β Signaling in the Tumorigenesis of Gynecological Cancer

Gynecologic cancers are among the most common malignancies with aggressive features and poor prognosis. Tumorigenesis in gynecologic cancers is a complicated process that is influenced by multiple factors, including genetic mutations that activate various oncogenic signaling pathways, including the TGF-β pathway. Aberrant activation of TGF-β signaling is correlated with tumor recurrence and metastasis. It has been shown that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have crucial effects on cancer cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Upregulation of various ncRNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs), has been reported in several tumors, like cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, but their cellular mechanisms remain to be investigated. Thus, recognizing the role of ncRNAs in regulating the TGF-β pathway may provide novel strategies for better treatment of cancer patients. The present study summarizes recent findings on the role of ncRNAs in regulating the TGF-β signaling involved in tumor progression and metastasis in gynecologic cancers.

Elevated concentrations of Neu5Ac and Neu5,9Ac2 in human plasma: potential biomarkers of cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a group of health conditions affecting the heart and vascular system with very high prevalence and mortality rates. The presence of CVD is characterised by high levels of inflammation which have previously been associated with increased plasma concentrations of N-acetyl neuraminic acid (Neu5Ac). While Neu5Ac has been studied in the context of CVD, Neu5,9Ac2 has not, despite being the second most abundant sialic acid in human plasma. A small-scale pilot study of thirty plasma samples from patients with diagnosed CVD, and thirty age and sex-matched healthy controls, was designed to gain insight into sialic acids as biomarkers for CVD and potential future areas of study. Each sample was assayed for Neu5Ac and Neu5,9Ac2 concentrations. Mean Neu5Ac and Neu5,9Ac2 concentrations were significantly elevated in patients with CVD compared to healthy controls (Neu5Ac: P < 0.001; Neu5,9Ac2: P < 0.04). Receiver operator curve (ROC) analysis indicated that both Neu5Ac and Neu5,9Ac2 have reasonable predictive power for the presence of CVD (Neu5Ac AUC: 0.86; Neu5,9Ac2 AUC: 0.71). However, while Neu5Ac had both good sensitivity (0.82) and specificity (0.81), Neu5,9Ac2 had equivalent specificity (0.81) but very poor sensitivity (0.44). A combination marker of Neu5Ac + Neu5,9Ac2 showed improvement over Neu5Ac alone in terms of predictive power (AUC: 0.93), sensitivity (0.87), and specificity (0.90). Comparison to a known inflammatory marker, high sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP: P-value: NS, ROC:0.50) was carried out, showing that both Neu5Ac and Neu5,9Ac2 outperformed this marker. Further to this, hs-CRP values were combined with the three different sialic acid markers to determine any effect on the AUC values. A slight improvement in AUC was noted for each of the combinations, with Neu5Ac + Neu5,9Ac2 + hs-CRP giving the best AUC of 0.97 overall. Thus, Neu5Ac would appear to offer good potential as a predictive marker for the presence of CVD, which the addition of Neu5,9Ac2 predictive power improves, with further improvement seen by the addition of hs-CRP.

Enzyme-Digested Edible Bird’s Nest (EBND) Prevents UV and arid Environment-Induced Cellular Oxidative Stress, Cell Death and DNA Damage in Human Skin Keratinocytes and Three-Dimensional Epithelium Equivalents

The aim of this study is to investigate the repressive effects of enzyme-digested edible bird’s nest (EBND) on the combination of arid environment and UV-induced intracellular oxidative stress, cell death, DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and inflammatory responses in human HaCaT keratinocytes and three-dimensional (3D) epithelium equivalents. An oxygen radical antioxidant capacity assay showed that EBND exhibited excellent peroxyl radical scavenging activity and significantly increased cellular antioxidant capacity in HaCaT cells. When EBND was administered to HaCaT cells and 3D epitheliums, it exhibited significant preventive effects on air-drying and UVA (Dry-UVA)-induced cell death and apoptosis. Dry-UVA markedly induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in HaCaT cells and 3D epitheliums as quantified by CellROX® Green/Orange reagents. Once HaCaT cells and 3D epitheliums were pretreated with EBND, Dry-UVA-induced intracellular ROS were significantly reduced. The results from anti-γ-H2A.X antibody-based immunostaining showed that EBND significantly inhibited Dry-UVA-induced DSBs in HaCaT keratinocytes. Compared with sialic acid, EBND showed significantly better protection for both keratinocytes and 3D epitheliums against Dry-UVA-induced injuries. ELISA showed that EBND significantly suppressed UVB-induced IL-6 and TNF-α secretion. In conclusion, EBND could decrease arid environments and UV-induced harmful effects and inflammatory responses in human keratinocytes and 3D epithelium equivalents partially through its antioxidant capacity.