Platycodi radix aqueous extract salvages doxorubicin-induced senescence by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species reduction in umbilical cord matrix stem cells

Platycodi radix is a widely used herbal medicine that contains numerous phytochemicals beneficial to health. The health and biological benefits of P. radix have been found across various diseases. The utilization of umbilical cord stromal stem cells, derived from Wharton's jelly of the human umbilical cord, has emerged as a promising approach for treating degenerative diseases. Nevertheless, growing evidence indicates that the function of stem cells declines with age, thereby limiting their regenerative capacity. The primary objective in this study is to investigate the beneficial effects of P. radix in senescent stem cells. We conducted experiments to showcase that diminished levels of Lamin B1 and Sox-2, along with an elevation in p21, which serve as indicative markers for the senescent stem cells. Our findings revealed the loss of Lamin B1 and Sox-2, coupled with an increase in p21, in umbilical cord stromal stem cells subjected to a low-dose (0.1 μM) doxorubicin (Dox) stimulation. However, P. radix restored the Dox-damage in the umbilical cord stromal stem cells. P. radix reversed the senescent conditions when the umbilical cord stromal stem cells exposed to Dox-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential are significantly changed. In Dox-challenged aged umbilical cord stromal stem cells, P. radix reduced senescence, increased longevity, prevented mitochondrial dysfunction and ROS and protected against senescence-associated apoptosis. This study suggests that P. radix might be as a therapeutic and rescue agent for the aging effect in stem cells. Inhibition of cell death, mitochondrial dysfunction and aging-associated ROS with P. radix provides additional insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Diallyl trisulfide (DATS) protects cardiac cells against advanced glycation end-product-induced apoptosis by enhancing FoxO3A-dependent upregulation of miRNA-210

Diabetic cardiomyopathy is a common complication of diabetes, resulting in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure associated with excessive reactive oxygen species and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis generation. Mitogen-activated protein kinase-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (MAPK-JNK), regulated by microRNA (miR)-210, affects mitochondrial function and is activated by advanced glycation end-products (AGE) in cardiac cells. Diallyl trisulfide (DATS), an antioxidant in garlic oil, inhibits stress-induced cardiac apoptosis. This study examined whether DATS enhances miR-210 expression to attenuate cardiac apoptosis. We investigated the DATS-mediated attenuation mechanism of AGE-enhanced cardiac apoptosis by modulating miR-210 and its upstream transcriptional regulator, FoxO3a. We found FoxO3a binding sites in the miR-210 promoter region. Our results indicated that DATS treatment inhibited AGE-induced JNK activation, phosphoprotein c-Jun nuclear transactivation, and cardiac apoptosis and reversed the AGE-induced reduction in cardiac miR-210 levels. The luciferase activity after DATS treatment was significantly lower than that of the control and was reversed following AGE treatment. We also showed that FoxO3a, upregulated by DATS treatment, may bind to the miR-210 promoter to enhance its expression and downregulates JNK expression to attenuate AGE-induced cardiac apoptosis. Oral administration of DATS enhanced FoxO3a expression in the heart and reduced diabetes-induced heart apoptosis. Our findings indicate that DATS mediates AGE-induced cardiac cell apoptosis attenuation by promoting FoxO3a nuclear transactivation to enhance miR-210 expression and regulate JNK activation. Our results suggest that DATS can be used as a cardioprotective agent, and miR-210 is a critical regulator in inhibiting diabetic cardiomyopathy.

Gemcitabine resistance in non-small cell lung cancer is mediated through activation of the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway and suppression of ERK signaling by reactive oxygen species

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Chemotherapy is a standard clinical treatment. However, tumor cells often develop multidrug resistance after chemotherapy, an inevitable bottleneck in cancer treatment. Therefore, this study used gemcitabine-resistant (GEM-R) CL1-0 lung cancer cells. First, we used flow cytometry and western blot analysis to examine differences in performance between resistant and parental cells. The results showed that compared with parental cells, GEM-R CL1-0 cells significantly enhanced the activation of the AKT pathway, which promoted survival and growth, and decreased the activation of the reactive oxygen species-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ROS)-ERK pathway. Next, the AKT and ERK pathways' role in tumor growth was further explored in vivo using a xenograft model. The results showed that enhancing AKT and inhibiting ERK activation reduced GEM-induced inhibition of tumor growth. Finally, combining the above results, we found that GEM-R CL1-0 cells showed reduced sensitivity to GEM by activating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT/NF-kB pathway and inhibiting the ROS-ERK pathway leading to resistance against GEM. Therefore, the AKT and ERK pathways are potential targets for improving the sensitivity of cancer cells to anticancer drugs.

Ohwia caudata aqueous extract attenuates doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked to many diseases, including organ degeneration and cancer. Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells provide a valuable source for stem cell-based therapy and represent an emerging therapeutic approach for tissue regeneration. This study focused on screening the senomorphic properties of Ohwia caudata aqueous extract as an emerging strategy for preventing or treating mitochondrial dysfunction in stem cells. Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells were incubated with 0.1 μM doxorubicin, for 24 h to induce mitochondrial dysfunction. Next, the cells were treated with a series concentration of Ohwia caudata aqueous extract (25, 50, 100, and 200 μg/mL) for another 24 h. In addition, an untreated control group and a doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction positive control group were maintained under the same conditions. Our data showed that Ohwia caudata aqueous extract markedly suppressed doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing Tid1 and Tom20 expression, decreased reactive oxygen species production, and maintained mitochondrial membrane potential to promote mitochondrial stability. Ohwia caudata aqueous extract retained the stemness of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells and reduced the apoptotic rate. These results indicate that Ohwia caudata aqueous extract protects Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells against doxorubicin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and can potentially prevent mitochondrial dysfunction in other cells. This study provides new directions for the medical application of Ohwia caudata.

Phosphorylation of Bcl-2 by JNK confers gemcitabine resistance in lung cancer cells by reducing autophagy-mediated cell death

The most common cancer-related death in the world is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gemcitabine (GEM) is a common and effective first-line chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of NSCLC. However, the long-term use of chemotherapeutic drugs in patients usually induces cancer cell drug resistance, leading to poor survival, and prognosis. In this study, to observe and explore the key targets and potential mechanisms of NSCLC resistance to GEM, we first cultured lung cancer CL1-0 cells in a GEM-containing medium to induce CL1-0 cells to develop GEM resistance. Next, we compared protein expression between the parental and GEM-R CL1-0 cell groups. We observed significantly lower expression of autophagy-related proteins in GEM-R CL1-0 cells than in parental CL1-0 cells, indicating that autophagy is associated with GEM resistance in CL1-0 cells. Furthermore, a series of autophagy experiments revealed that GEM-R CL1-0 cells had significantly reduced GEM-induced c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation, which further affected the phosphorylation of Bcl-2, thereby reducing the dissociation of Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 and ultimately reducing the generation of GEM-induced autophagy-dependent cell death. Our findings suggest that altering the expression of autophagy is a promising therapeutic option for drug-resistant lung cancer.

Fisetin attenuates doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity by inhibiting the insulin-like growth factor II receptor apoptotic pathway through estrogen receptor-α/-β activation

Doxorubicin (DOX), an effective chemotherapeutic drug, has been used to treat various cancers; however, its cardiotoxic side effects restrict its therapeutic efficacy. Fisetin, a flavonoid phytoestrogen derived from a range of fruits and vegetables, has been reported to exert cardioprotective effects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated fisetin's cardioprotective role and mechanism against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts and ovariectomized (OVX) rat models. MTT assay revealed that fisetin treatment noticeably rescued DOX-induced cell death in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, western blotting and TUNEL-DAPI staining showed that fisetin significantly attenuated DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in vitro and in vivo by inhibiting the insulin-like growth factor II receptor (IGF-IIR) apoptotic pathway through estrogen receptor (ER)-α/-β activation. The echocardiography, biochemical assay, and H&E staining results demonstrated that fisetin reduced DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by alleviating cardiac dysfunction, myocardial injury, oxidative stress, and histopathological damage. These findings imply that fisetin has a significant therapeutic potential against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity.

Diosgenin Attenuates Myocardial Cell Apoptosis Triggered by Oxidative Stress through Estrogen Receptor to Activate the PI3K/Akt and ERK Axes

Cardiovascular diseases in post-menopausal women are on a rise. Oxidative stress is the main contributing factor to the etiology and pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Diosgenin, a member of steroidal sapogenin, is structurally similar to estrogen and has been shown to have antioxidant effects. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effects of diosgenin in preventing oxidation-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and assessed its potential as a substitute substance for estrogen in post-menopausal women. Apoptotic pathways and mitochondrial membrane potential were measured in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells and neonatal cardiomyocytes treated with diosgenin for 1[Formula: see text]h prior to hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) stimulation. H₂O₂-stimulated H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells displayed cytotoxicity and apoptosis via the activation of both Fas-dependent and mitochondria-dependent pathways. Additionally, it led to the instability of the mitochondrial membrane potential. However, the H₂O₂-induced H9c2 cell apoptosis was rescued by diosgenin through IGF1 survival pathway activation. This led to the recovery of the mitochondrial membrane potential by suppressing the Fas-dependent and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Diosgenin also inhibited H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis through the estrogen receptor interaction with PI3K/Akt and extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 activation in myocardial cells. In this study, we confirmed that diosgenin attenuated H₂O₂-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis through estrogen receptors-activated phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and ERK signaling pathways in myocardial cells via estrogen receptor interaction. All results suggest that H₂O₂-induced myocardial damage is reduced by diosgenin due to its interaction with estrogen receptors to decrease the damage. Herein, we conclude that diosgenin might be a potential substitute substance for estrogen in post-menopausal women to prevent heart diseases.

ZAKβ Alleviates Oxidized Low-density Lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-Induced Apoptosis and B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) Upregulation in Cardiomyoblast

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) is a type of modified cholesterol that promotes apoptosis and inflammation and advances the progression of heart failure. Leucine-zipper and sterile-α motif kinase (ZAK) is a kinase of the MAP3K family which is highly expressed in the heart and encodes two variants, ZAKα and ZAKβ. Our previous study serendipitously found opposite effects of ZAKα and ZAKβ in which ZAKβ antagonizes ZAKα-induced apoptosis and hypertrophy of the heart. This study aims to test the hypothesis of whether ZAKα and ZAKβ are involved in the damaging effects of ox-LDL in the cardiomyoblast. Cardiomyoblast cells H9c2 were treated with different concentrations of ox-LDL. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by MTT and TUNEL assay, respectively. Western blot was used to detect apoptosis, hypertrophy, and pro-survival signaling proteins. Plasmid transfection, pharmacological inhibition with D2825, and siRNA transfection were utilized to upregulate or downregulate ZAKβ, respectively. Ox-LDL concentration-dependently reduces the viability and expression of several pro-survival proteins, such as phospho-PI3K, phospho-Akt, and Bcl-xL. Furthermore, ox-LDL increases cleaved caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 as indicators of apoptosis and increases B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) as an indicator of hypertrophy. Overexpression of ZAKβ by plasmid transfection attenuates apoptosis and prevents upregulation of BNP. Importantly, these effects were abolished by inhibiting ZAKβ either by D2825 or siZAKβ application. Our results suggest that ZAKβ upregulation in response to ox-LDL treatment confers protective effects on cardiomyoblast.

Calreticulin nuclear translocalization alleviates CaM/CaMKII/CREB signaling pathway to enhance chemosensitivity in HDAC inhibitor-resistant hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Calreticulin (CRT) is located in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), it helps proteins fold correctly inside the ER, and acts as a modulator of Ca²⁺ homeostasis. Aberrant expression of CRT is implicated in several cancer types, qualifying CRT as a potential therapeutic target. However, it remains unclear how CRT affects specific oncogenic pathways. In this study, we used histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) to establish drug-resistant liver cancer cells and further analyzed the molecular mechanism of development of drug resistance in those cells. The 2D gel electrophoresis and RT-PCR data showed that CRT was downregulated in HDACis-resistant cells by comparing with HA22T parental cells. We previously elucidated the development of drug-resistance in HCC cells via activation of PP1-eIF2α pathway, but not via ER stress pathway. Here, we show that thapsigargin induced ER stress through mechanism other than ER stress downstream protein GRP78-PERK to regulate CRT expression in HDACis-R cells. Moreover, the expression level of CRT was not the main cause of apoptosis in HDACis-resistant cells. Mechanistic studies identified the apoptosis factors in the nucleus-the HDACis-mediated overexpression of CRT, CRT translocation to the cell nucleus, and reduced CaM/CaMKII/CREB pathway-that led to chemosensitivity in HDACis-R HCC cells.

Low-dose rapamycin prevents Ang-II-induced toxicity in Leydig cells and testicular dysfunction in hypertensive SHR model

Hypertension is a common chronic cardiovascular disease reported among both men and women. Hypertension in males affects the testis and reproduction function; however, the pathogenesis is poorly understood. Rapamycin has been reported to have a variety of beneficial pharmacological effects; however, high-doses rapamycin does have side effects such as immunosuppression. The present study investigates whether low-dose rapamycin can reduce the damage caused by hypertension to the testis of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and further examines molecular mechanism of low-dose rapamycin in preventing testicular toxicity induced by angiotensin II (Ang II). Low rapamycin dose restores the testicle size, histological alterations, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) expression, and prevents apoptosis in SHR rats. Ang II downregulates angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) expression through AT1R, p-ERK, and MAS receptor in LC-540 Leydig cells in a dose-dependent manner. Low doses of rapamycin effectively upregulate steroidogenic enzymes, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein and 3β-HSD expression in Leydig cells. Rapamycin upregulates ACE2 expression through p-PKAc and p-PI3k in Ang II-treated cells. Further, rapamycin curbs mitochondrial superoxide generation and depleted mitochondrial membrane potential induced by Ang II through activation of Nrf2-mediated Gpx4 and superoxide dismutase 2 expression. Our results revealed the involvement of ACE2, AT1R, AT2R, PKAc, and oxidative stress in Ang-II-induced testicular toxicity, suggesting low-dose rapamycin could be a potential therapeutic candidate to attenuate testicular toxicity.

KLF10 Functions as an Independent Prognosis Factor for Gastric Cancer

Background and Objectives: Krűppel-like factor 10 (KLF10) participates in the tumorigenesis of several human cancers by binding to the GC-rich region within the promoter regions of specific genes. KLF10 is downregulated in human cancers. However, the role of KLF10 in gastric cancer formation remains unclear. Materials and Methods: In this study, we performed immunohistochemical staining for KLF10 expression in 121 gastric cancer sections. Results: The loss of KLF10 expression was correlated with advanced stages and T status. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that patients with higher KLF10 levels had longer overall survival than those with lower KLF10 levels. Univariate analysis revealed that in patients with gastric cancer, advanced stages and low KLF10 levels were associated with survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, gender, advanced stages, and KLF10 expression were independent prognostic factors of the survival of patients with gastric cancer. After adjusting for age, gender, and stage, KLF10 expression was also found to be an independent prognostic factor in the survival of patients with gastric cancer. Conclusion: Our results collectively suggested that KLF10 may play a critical role in gastric cancer formation and is an independent prognosis factor of gastric cancer.

Cytoplasmic IGF2BP2 Protein Expression in Human Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Prognostic and Clinical Implications

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is particularly prevalent in Taiwan. The goal of this study was to determine the clinicopathological role of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) proteins as an indicator of clinical outcomes in OSCC patients. In this study, immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis was used to examine IGF2BP2 protein expression in 244 OSCC patients. We investigated the relationships among IGF2BP2 expression, clinicopathological variables, and patient survival. Our results showed that IGF2BP2 cytoplasmic protein expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis, cancer stage, and patient survival. Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that elevated cytoplasmic IGF2BP2 expression levels in OSCC patients were associated with poor overall survival. Moreover, multivariate cox proportional hazard models revealed that cytoplasmic IGF2BP2 expression, T status, and lymph node metastasis were independent prognostic factors for survival. In conclusion, IGF2BP2 protein was found to be a helpful predictive marker for OSCC patients, as well as a possible therapeutic target for OSCC treatment.

Distinguishing lupus lymphadenitis from Kikuchi disease based on clinicopathological features and C4d immunohistochemistry

OBJECTIVES

Distinguishing Kikuchi disease (KD) from lupus lymphadenitis (LL) histologically is nearly impossible. We applied C4d immunohistochemical (IHC) stain to develop diagnostic tools.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated clinicopathological features and C4d IHC staining in an LL-enriched development cohort (19 LL and 81 KD specimens), proposed risk stratification criteria and trained machine learning models, and validated them in an external cohort (2 LL and 55 KD specimens).

RESULTS

Clinically, we observed that LL was associated with an older average age (33 vs 25 years; P=0.005), higher proportion of biopsy sites other than the neck [4/19 (21%) vs 1/81 (1%); P=0.004], and higher proportion of generalized lymphadenopathy compared with KD [9/16 (56%) vs 7/31 (23%); P=0.028]. Histologically, LL involved a larger tissue area than KD did (P=0.006). LL specimens exhibited more frequent interfollicular pattern [5/19 (26%) vs 3/81 (4%); P=0.001] and plasma cell infiltrates (P=0.002), and less frequent histiocytic infiltrates in the necrotic area (P=0.030). Xanthomatous infiltrates were noted in 6/19 (32%) LL specimens. Immunohistochemically, C4d endothelial staining in the necrotic area [11/17 (65%) vs 2/62 (3%); P<10-7], and capillaries/venules [5/19 (26%) vs 7/81 (9%); P=0.048] and trabecular/hilar vessels [11/18 (61%) vs 8/81 (10%); P<10-4] in the viable area was more common in LL. During validation, both the risk stratification criteria and machine learning models were superior to conventional histological criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrating clinicopathological and C4d findings could distinguish LL from KD.

Increased Expression of p-GSK3β Predicts Poor Survival in T -III/IV Stage OSCC Patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3-β) acts either as a tumor suppressor or an oncogene in various human cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the expression and activity of p-GSK3-β (Ser9) in oral cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We investigated the levels of p-GSK3β in 152 oral cancer tissues by immunohistochemistry, and explored their prognostic impact.

RESULTS

To investigate the role of p-GSK3β (Ser9) in OSCC progression, we first analyzed the expression levels of protein p-GSK3β in normal and oral cancer tissues using immunohistochemical staining. p-GSK3β immunostaining was detected in 32 of 152 (21.1%) oral cancer specimens. High p-GSK3β expression was significantly associated with T (III/IV) stage. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high levels of p-GSK3β were correlated with poor survival (p=0.001) in T stage (III/IV) OSCC patients. Multivariate analyses indicated that TN stage, AJCC tumor stage, tumor differentiation status and clinical therapy, but not p-GSK3β levels, were independent prognostic factors. Significant mortality risk was found in T stage (III/IV) oral cancer patients with high levels of p-GSK3β (p=0.0006).

CONCLUSION

GSK3β inactivation is a key event in oral cancer patients and targeting GSK3β might be valuable in treating oral cancer patients.

Cytoplasmic CK1ε Protein Expression Is Correlated With Distant Metastasis and Survival in Patients With Melanoma

BACKGROUND/AIM

Casein kinase 1 epsilon (CK1ε) is a member of the casein kinase 1 family, which includes highly conserved and ubiquitous serine/threonine protein kinases. Recent research has revealed that CK1ε plays an important role in a variety of human cancer types; however, its role in human melanoma remains unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical role of CK1ε in patients with melanoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Samples from 34 patients with melanoma were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue microarrays were also examined by two histopathologists to assess CK1ε protein expression in humans.

RESULTS

Cytoplasmic CK1ε protein expression was significantly lower in tumor tissue than in normal tissue. Lack of cytoplasmic CK1ε protein was significantly correlated with distant metastasis (p=0.022) and poorer survival (p=0.030). However, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that elevated expression of cytoplasmic CK1ε protein was not significantly associated with the overall survival of patients with melanoma. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that lack of cytoplasmic CK1ε protein expression was related to distant metastasis (p<0.001 and p=0.004), showing that CK1ε was a prognostic factor.

CONCLUSION

CK1ε protein expression might serve as a prognostic indicator in the treatment of patients with melanoma.

Prognostic and Clinical Implications of WNK Lysine Deficient Protein Kinase 1 Expression in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIM

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a particularly malignant form of cancer prevalent throughout the world; however, there is a pressing need for HCC biomarkers to facilitate prognosis and risk assessment.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This paper reports on the potential prognostic value of WNK lysine deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1) in cases of HCC. We analyzed the expression of WNK1 at the mRNA level using omics data from the UALCAN database. We then verified our findings through the immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of various human cancer tissue as well as 59 HCC samples paired with corresponding normal tissues. The prognostic value of mRNA or protein expression by WNK1 was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Initial screening results revealed significantly higher WNK1 expression levels in HCC tissue compared to normal tissue. Verification using the paired HCC samples confirmed that the expression of WNK1 was indeed significantly higher in HCC tissue samples than in adjacent normal tissues. High WNK1 expression levels were significantly correlated with clinicopathological variables, including gender and histologic grade. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that high WNK1 expression levels were associated with poor HCC prognosis. Finally, univariate and multivariate analysis identified WNK1 as a prognostic factor for TNM stage in cases of HCC.

CONCLUSION

In summary, WNK1 is overexpressed at the mRNA and protein levels, and correlated with poor prognosis. Thus, WNK1 expression could potentially be used as a biomarker in HCC prognosis.

Anti-apoptotic and pro-survival effects of longan flower extracts on rat hearts with fructose-induced metabolic syndrome

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of longan flower (LF) water extract on cardiac apoptotic and survival pathways in rat models of fructose-induced metabolic syndrome. The study findings revealed that the levels of glucose, insulin, triglyceride, and cholesterol and TUNEL-positive apoptotic cells were significantly increased in the HF group compared with the control group; whereas, the levels were decreased in the HFLF group. The expressions of Fas, FADD, and activated caspases 8 and 3, as well as the expressions of Bax, Bak, Bax/Bcl-2, Bak/Bcl-xL, cytosolic cytochrome c, and activated caspases 9 and 3 were increased in the HF group were significantly reversed in HFLF administrated group. Furthermore, LF extract increased IGF-1R, p-PI3K, p-Akt, Bcl-2, and Bcl-xL expression compared to HF group. Taken together, the present findings help identify LF as a potential cardioprotective agent that can be effectively used in treating fructose-induced metabolic syndrome.

PBK Expression Is Associated With Prognosis of Patients With Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treated With Radiotherapy: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND/AIM

To investigate the impact of PDZ-binding kinase (PBK) on the clinical outcome of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) who received radiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

PBK immunoreactivity of cancer specimens obtained from 179 patients with primary OSCC was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

High PBK expression in tumor cells tended to be associated with advanced N-stage. The 5-year survival rate was greater for patients with high total PBK expression than in those with low PBK expression. After adjustment, high PBK remained associated with a favorable outcome. In subgroups according to tumor stage, the prognostic role was significant in patients with stage III/IV rather than those with stage I/II disease.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that PBK expression should be used as an independent prognostic marker for patients with OSCC treated with radiotherapy, especially for those with advanced-stage disease.

Small Molecule Compound Nerolidol attenuates Hypertension induced hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats through modulation of Mel-18-IGF-IIR signalling

BACKGROUND

Cardiovascular diseases are caused by multitudes of stress factors like hypertension and their outcomes are associated with high mortality and morbidity worldwide. Nerolidol, a naturally occurring sesquiterpene found in several plant species, embodies various pharmacological benefits against numerous health disorders. However, their effects on hypertension induced cardiac complications are not completely understood.

PURPOSE

The present study is to elucidate the efficacy of nerolidol against hypertension related cardiac hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs).

STUDY DESIGN

For preliminary in vitro studies, H9c2 cardiomyoblasts cells were challenged with 200 nM Angiotensin-II (AngII) for 12 h and were then treated with nerolidol for 24 h. The hypertrophic effect in H9c2 cells were analyzed by actin staining and the modulations in hypertrophic protein markers and mediators were determined by Western blotting analysis. For in vivo experiments, sixteen week-old male Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and SHRs were segregated into five groups (n = 9): Control WKY, hypertensive SHRs, SHRs with low dose (75 mg/kg b.w/day) nerolidol, SHRs with high dose (150 mg/kg b.w/day) nerolidol and SHR rats treated with an anti-hypertensive drug captopril (50 mg/kg b.w/day). Nerolidol treatment was given orally for 8 weeks and were analysed through Echocardiography. After euthanasia, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Immunohistochemical analysis and Western blotting was performed on left ventricle tissue.

RESULTS

Western blotting analysis revealed that nerolidol significantly attenuates AngII induced expression of hypertrophic markers ANP and BNP in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. In addition, actin staining further ascertained the potential of nerolidol to ameliorate AngII induced cardiac hypertrophy. Moreover, nerolidol administration suppressed the hypertrophic signalling mediators like calcineurin, GATA4, Mel-18, HSF-2 and IGFIIR in a dose-dependent fashion. In silico studies also ascertained the role of Mel-18 in the ameliorative effects of nerolidol. Further, these intriguing in vitro results were further confirmed in in vivo SHR model. Oral neraolidol in SHRs efficiently reduced blood pressure and ameliorated hypertension induced cardiac hypertrophic effects by effectively reducing the levels of proteins involved in cardiac MeL-18-HSF2-IGF-IIR signalling.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the data reveals that the cardioprotective effect of nerolidol against hypertension induced hypertrophy involves reduction in blood pressure and regulation of the cardiac Mel-18-IGFIIR signalling cascade.

Prognostic Significance of Cytoplasmic SPNS2 Expression in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background and Objectives: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a malignant disease with a particularly high incidence in Taiwan. Our objective in this study was to elucidate the involvement of sphingolipid transporter 2 (SPNS2) expression and SPNS2 protein expression in the clinicopathological indexes and the clinical outcomes of OSCC patients. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemistry analysis was performed for SPNS2 protein expression in samples from 264 cases of OSCC. Correlations of SPNS2 expression with clinicopathological variables and patient survival were analyzed. Results: Our results revealed that the cytoplasmic protein expression of SPNS2 in OSCC tissue specimens was lower than in normal tissue specimens. Negative cytoplasmic protein expression of SPNS2 was significantly correlated with T status and stage. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis revealed that negative cytoplasmic SPNS2 expression was predictive of poorer overall survival of OSCC patients in stage III/IV. We also determined that low SPNS2 expression was an independent prognostic factor related to overall survival among OSCC patients in stage III/IV from univariate Cox proportional hazard models. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models revealed that cytoplasmic SPNS2 expression, T status, lymph node metastasis, and histological grade were independent prognostic factors for survival. Conclusions: Overall, this study determined that SPNS2 protein may be a useful prognostic marker for OSCC patients and potential therapeutic target for OSCC treatment.

Oral administration of green tea Epigallocatechin-3-gallate reduces oxidative stress and enhances restoration of cardiac function in diabetic rats receiving autologous transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells

BACKGROUND

Cardio-dysfunction is one of the complications in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). This paper aimed to investigate if oral administration of green tea Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG, E) and transplantation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) show cross effects on the treatment of cardiomyopathy in rats with type 1 DM.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Wistar male rats were divided into four groups (each group contained 8 animals) including sham, DM (diabetic group), DM + ADSC (DM group with ADSC treatment) and DM + ADSC + E (DM + ADSC group with oral administration of EGCG).

RESULTS

Pathological parameters including hypertrophy, inflammation, and fibrosis were activated in DM group. By contrast, all parameters were significantly improved in treatment group (DM + ADSC group). In addition, improvement of pathological parameters in DM + ADSC + E was significantly better than DM + ADSC.

CONCLUSION

We found that EGCG can increase expression of survival marker in ADSC under high glucose environment and reduce serum oxidative stress in DM rats.

Nerolidol improves cardiac function in spontaneously hypertensive rats by inhibiting cardiac inflammation and remodelling associated TLR4/ NF-κB signalling cascade

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is an important mediator of hypertension and AngII induced cardiac inflammation and remodelling. In this study, the potential of nerolidol to ameliorate hypertension induced cardiac injuries and the underlying mechanism of action was explored by using in vitro and in vivo models. The in vitro analysis was performed on AngII challenged H9c2 cells and their ability to overcome cardiac inflammation and cardiac remodelling effects was determined by evaluating TLR4/NF-κB signalling cascade using Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence. The results were further ascertained using in vivo experiments. Eighteen week old male rats were randomly allocated into different groups i.e. Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, hypertensive SHRs, SHRs treated with a low-dose (75 mg/kg b.w) and high-dose of nerolidol (150 mg/kg b.w) and SHRs treated with captopril (50 mg/kg b.w) through oral gauge and finally analysed through echocardiography, histopathological techniques and molecular analysis. The results show that nerilodol target TLR4/NF-κB signalling and thereby attenuate hypertension associated inflammation and oxidative stress thereby provides effective cardioprotection. Echocardiography analysis showed that nerolidol improved cardiac functional characteristics including Ejection Fraction and Fractional Shortening in the SHRs. Collectively, the data of the study demonstrates nerolidol as a cardio-protective agent against hypertension induced cardiac remodelling.

High Expression of KLF10 Is Associated with Favorable Survival in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background and Objectives: Krüppel-like transcription factor 10 (KLF10) plays a vital role in regulating cell proliferation, including the anti-proliferative process, activation of apoptosis, and differentiation control. KLF10 may also act as a protective factor against oral cancer. We studied the impact of KLF10 expression on the clinical outcomes of oral cancer patients to identify its role as a prognostic factor in oral cancer. Materials and Methods: KLF10 immunoreactivity was analyzed by immunohistochemical (IHC) stain analysis in 286 cancer specimens from primary oral cancer patients. The prognostic value of KLF10 on overall survival was determined by Kaplan–Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazard model. Results: High KLF10 expression was significantly associated with male gender and betel quid chewing. The 5-year survival rate was greater for patients with high KLF10 expression than for those with low KLF10 expression (62.5% vs. 51.3%, respectively; p = 0.005), and multivariate analyses showed that high KLF10 expression was the only independent factor correlated with greater overall patient survival. The significant correlation between high KLF10 expression and a higher 5-year survival rate was observed in certain subgroups of clinical parameters, including female gender, non-smokers, cancer stage T1, and cancer stage N0. Conclusions: KLF10 expression, detected by IHC staining, could be an independent prognostic marker for oral cancer patients.

Role of potato protein hydrolysate and exercise in preventing high-fat diet-induced hepatocyte apoptosis in senescence-accelerated mouse

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered to be a serious clinical complication, which could cause significant liver dysfunction including fibrosis, cirrhosis, and cancer. Obesity could lead to NAFLD and contributes to liver disorder and related complicated liver diseases. Effect of exercise combined with alcalase treatment derived potato protein hydrolysate (APPH) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hepatic injury was investigated in senescence accelerated mouse-prone 8 (SAMP8) mice in the present study. Mice were divided into six groups (n = 6): Group I-Control, Group II-HFD, Group III-Exercise, Group IV-HFD + APPH, Group V-HFD + Exercise, and Group VI-HFD + Exercise + APPH. Combined APPH treatment and exercise offer better cytoprotection in HFD-induced histological changes than APPH treatment and exercise alone. Further, APPH and exercise activate the cell survival proteins PI3K/Akt and prevent FasL/FADD-mediated apoptosis in HFD fed SAMP8 mouse. APPH with swimming exercise effectively modulate HFD-induced liver damage and apoptosis in aged mice through activation of PI3K/Akt protein. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Exercise training is proven to reduce the health problems associated with aging and obesity, however, intensity and duration of the exercise differs between individuals. We used integrated pharmacological and nonpharmacological approach as a therapeutic strategy for preventing HFD-induced hepatic injury in aged subjects.

Overexpression of EIF5A2 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common epithelial malignancy affecting the oral cavity, and it is especially significant in Asian countries. Patients diagnosed with OSCC have an unfavorable prognosis and additional prognostic markers would help improve therapeutic strategies. We sought to investigate the association between eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A2 (EIF5A2) and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers as well as the prognostic significance of EIF5A2 in OSCC. The expression of EIF5A2 and EMT markers was measured through the immunohistochemical staining of specimens from 272 patients with OSCC. In addition, the correlation between different clinicopathological factors and EIF5A2 expression was analyzed. The prognostic role of EIF5A2 was then analyzed via Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models. Among the 272 patients, high EIF5A2 expression was significantly associated with an advanced N value (p = 0.008). High tumor expression of EIF5A2 was prone to the expression of low E-cadherin and high beta-catenin (p = 0.046 and p = 0.020, respectively). Patients with high EIF5A2 expression had unfavorable five-year survival rates as compared with those with low expression (49.7% and 67.3%, respectively). The prognostic role of EIF5A2 was further confirmed through multivariate analysis (hazard ratio = 1.714, 95% confidence interval: 1.134–2.590, p = 0.011). High EIF5A2 expression is associated with an advanced N value and EMT markers and may serve as a marker for an unfavorable prognosis in patients with OSCC.

Decreased Cytoplasmic Expression of ADAMTS14 Is Correlated with Reduced Survival Rates in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif 14 (ADAMTS14) is a member of the zinc-dependent protease family that is implicated in the occurrence and progression of tumors. Oral cancer (OC) is a common cancer worldwide, but it is particularly prevalent in Taiwan. However, whether the expression of ADAMTS14 is correlated with the carcinogenesis and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has not yet been investigated. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to examine 250 OSCC specimens in order to identify correlations between the cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 and (1) clinicopathological features of OSCC as well as (2) clinical outcomes of OSCC. Our results indicate that cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was lower in OSCC tissues than in normal tissues. In analyzing correlations between ADAMTS14 expression and clinicopathological features, we found that negative cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was significantly associated with higher frequencies of lymph node metastasis and more advanced AJCC stages (III/IV). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that negative cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was also associated with significantly worse OSCC survival. Univariate and multivariate analyses confirmed that cytoplasmic expression of ADAMTS14 was associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, and tumor grade and also indicated that cytoplasmic ADAMTS14 expression may be an independent prognostic factor for OSCC. This is the first study to report that the cytoplasmic expression level of ADAMTS14 is associated with OSCC prognosis and tumor progression. Our data indicate that ADAMTS14 can serve as a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for OSCC.

Carthamus tinctorius L. extract activates insulin-like growth factor-I receptor signaling to inhibit FAS-death receptor pathway and suppress lipopolysaccharides-induced H9c2 cardiomyoblast cell apoptosis

Carthamus tinctorius L. (Compositae) is used in Chinese medicine to treat heart disease and inflammation. In our previous study, we found that C. tinctorius L. inhibited lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) activation, JNK expression, and apoptosis in H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells. The present study was performed to investigate the protective effect of C. tinctorius extract (CTF) on LPS-challenged H9c2 myocardioblast cell and to explore the possible underlying mechanism. Cell viability assay showed that LPS treatment decreased the cell viability of H9c2 cell, whereas CTF treatment reversed LPS cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner, especially in the LPS + CTF 25 (μg/mL) group. LPS treatment-induced apoptosis was determined by transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay, and by Western blot. LPS-induced apoptotic bodies were decreased following CTF treatment. Expression of TNF-α, FAS-L, FAS, FADD, caspase-8, BID, and t-BID was significantly increased in LPS-treated H9c2 cells. In contrast, it was significantly suppressed by the administration of CTF extract. In addition, CTF treatment activates antiapoptotic proteins, Bcl-2 and p-Bad, and downregulates Bax, cytochrome-c, caspase-9, caspase-3, and apoptosis-inducing factor expression. Furthermore, CTF exerted cytoprotective effects by activating insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) signaling pathway leading to downregulation of the apoptotic proteins involved in FAS death receptor pathway. In addition, AG1024 and IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR) inhibitor and siRNA silencing reverses the effect of CTF implying that CTF functions through the IGF-IR pathway to inhibit LPS-induced H9c2 apoptosis. These results suggest that treatment with CTF extract prevented the LPS-induced apoptotic response through IGF-I pathway.

Fisetin activates Hippo pathway and JNK/ERK/AP-1 signaling to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of human osteosarcoma cells via ZAK overexpression

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a tumor entity that can cause a large number of cancer-related deaths. Although chemotherapy can decrease proliferation and increase apoptosis of human OS cells, the clinical prognosis remains poor. Fisetin is a flavonol found in fruits and vegetables and is reported to inhibit cell growth in numerous cancers. But the molecular mechanism underlying fisetin in human OS cells is not clear. It is known that sterile-alpha motif and leucine zipper containing kinase (ZAK), a kinase in the MAP3K family, is involved in various cell processes, including proliferation and apoptosis. In our lab, we have demonstrated that overexpression of ZAK can induce apoptosis in human OS cells. In the previous studies, MAP4K, the upstream of MAP3K, can act in parallel to MST1/2 to activate LATS1/2 in the Hippo pathway. Turning on the Hippo pathway can decrease proliferation and otherwise cause cell apoptosis in cancer cells. In this study, we found that fisetin can upregulate ZAK expression to induce the Hippo pathway and mediate the activation of JNK/ERK, the downstream of ZAK, to trigger cell apoptosis via AP-1 dependent manner in human OS cells. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying fisetin effect on human OS cells.

Taiwanin C elicits apoptosis in arecoline and 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide-induced oral squamous cell carcinoma cells and hinders proliferation via epidermal growth factor receptor/PI3K suppression

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSSC) is a major life-threatening disease with high incidence in the Southeast Asian countries. Chronic exposure to arecoline causes genetic changes in the epithelial cells of the oral mucosa, induces proliferation through activation of the EGF receptor and promotes downstream COX-2 expression. Taiwanin C, a podophyllotoxin derived from Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata is known to inhibit COX activity and to hinder PGE2 production in macrophages. In this study a tumor cell line T28 and a non-tumor cell line N28 derived from mice OSCC models were used to study the effect of Taiwanin C on PGE₂ associated COX-2 expression and cell cycle regulators. Taiwanin C activated p21 protein expression, down-regulated cell cycle regulatory proteins, elevated apoptosis and down-regulated p-PI3K/p-Akt survival mechanism in T28 oral cancer cells. Our results therefore emphasize the therapeutic potential of Taiwanin C against arecoline-induced oral cancer.

Resveratrol increases stem cell function in the treatment of damaged pancreas

Pancreatic damage results in insufficient insulin secretion, leading to type 1 diabetes. Stem cell-based therapy has recently shown potential in the treatment of type 1 diabetes. Resveratrol supplementation has demonstrated a beneficial effect in treating diabetes. This study investigates if adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC), preconditioned with resveratrol, show better effects on experimental diabetic animals. Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups including sham (normal rats), DM (diabetic rats induced by SZT injection), DM+ADSC (DM rats with receiving autologous ADSC transplantation) and DM+R-ADSC (DM rats receiving resveratrol preconditioned ADSC). The experimental results show that SZT induced pancreatic damage (DM group), including reduction of islet size, fibrosis pathway activation, survival signaling suppression, and apoptotic pathway expression, lead to serum glucose elevation. Autologous ADSC (DM+ADSC group) transplantation shows improvement in the above observations in DM rats. Furthermore, ADSC precondition with resveratrol (DM+R-ADSC group) reveals significant improvement in the above pathological observations over both DM and DM+ADSC groups. We found that ADSC precondition with resveratrol increases the survival marker p-Akt expression, leading to enhanced ADSC viability. This study suggests that ADSC precondition with resveratrol shows potential in the treatment of patients with type 1 DM.

[The effect of miR-155 on HBV replication and PTEN expression in vivo]

Objective: To construct the mmu-miR-155 eukaryotic overexpression vector pmR-155 and to investigate its effect on HBV replication and expression of PTEN in vivo. Methods: The mmu-mir-146a precursor gene fragment pre-mmu-mir-146a was amplified by PCR, then connected to the pmR-mCherry plasmid vector after double enzyme digestion, the accuracy of recombinant vector was verified by colony PCR、double enzyme digestion and sequencing; then the recombinant vector was transfected HBV transgene mice(Experimental Group)with hydrodynamics-based injection via vena caudalis, and pmR-mCherry plasmid、PBS were respectively transfected into the mice as Empty plasmid Group、Blank Group. The concentration of IFN-γ in the serum was detected by ELISA. The expression of SOCS1、PTEN mRNA in the liver was detected by qPCR at 30d post-transfectioned. The Western blot was performed to detect the changes in SOCS1、PTEN、HBX in the liver tissue at 30 d post-transfectioned. The results were analyzed with Student's t-test, or one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference test. Results: the colony PCR、double enzyme digestion and sequencing verified that the gene was inserted into the pmR-mCherry vector. Compared with Blank Group, the expression of miR-155 in the Experimental Group was significantly increased(t = 8.90, P < 0.01); the concentration of IFN-γ in the Experimental Group was significantly increased(F = 26.58, P < 0.01); the mRNA(F(SOCS1 mRNA) = 19.72, P < 0.01; F(PTEN mRNA) = 7.38, P < 0.05) and protein(F(SOCS1) = 50.30, P < 0.01; F(PTEN) = 129.00, P < 0.01) expression of COCS1、PTEN was significantly decreased in the Experimental group and the protein of HBX was also significantly(F(HBX) = 77.97, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The pmR-155 eukaryotic overexpression vector is successfully constructed, this recombinant vector can express miR-155 stably; miR-155 can down-regulate cocs1、PTEN gene expression and up-regulate the expression of IFN-γ, it can inhibit the replication of HBV and a potential targets to treating hepatocellular carcinoma.

Alpinia oxyphylla Miq extract ameliorates cardiac fibrosis associated with D-galactose induced aging in rats

Cardiac fibrosis is a common pathophysiological process observed during chronic and stress-induced acceleration of cardiac aging. Fibrosis is a necessary process during wound healing and tissue repair. However, its deposition in organs would proceed to scarring and organ damage. Here Alpinate Oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF), a Chinese medicine extract was used to protect aging heart from collagen accumulation. About 8 weeks old, male SD rats were randomly divided into (i) Control, (ii) D-galactose induced aging (IA), (iii) IA + AOF 50 (AOF low, AL), (iv) IA + AOF 100 (AOF medium, AM), (v) IA + AOF 150 (AOF high, AH) mg/kg/day, AOF was administered orally. After 8 weeks rats were sacrificed and hearts were collected. Results showed collagen deposition and up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases-MMP-2 and -9 in D-galactose-induced aging rats. Furthermore, western blotting and immunostaining were also confirmed the upregulation of TGF-β1 mediated fibrosis in aging induced rats. However, collagen deposition and fibrosis were significantly decreased by AOF treatments (AM and AH). AOF treatments salvaged the cardiac fibrosis. Hence, AOF might be a potential therapeutic agent in the prevention of cardiac fibrosis associated with aging. The protective effects of AOF might have promising results in anti-aging treatments.

CXCL2/CXCR2 axis induces cancer stem cell characteristics in CPT-11-resistant LoVo colon cancer cells via Gαi-2 and Gαq/11

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) exist in colon cancer and exhibit characteristics of stem cells which are due to lineages of tissues where they arise. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-undergoing cancer cells display CSC properties and therapeutic resistance. Cancer and stromal cells comprise of a tumor microenvironment. One way the two populations communicate with each other is to secret CXC ligands (CXCLs). CXCLs are capable of causing chemotaxis of specific types of stromal cells and control angiogenesis. Double immunofluorescence, western blot analysis, and colony-formation assay were carried out to compare parental and CPT-11-resistant LoVo cells. CPT-11-R LoVo colon cancer cells showed increased expression of CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, and CXCL8. They displayed significantly increased intracellular protein levels of CXCL2 and CXCR2. CPT-11-R LoVo cells showed significantly elevated expression in aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1), cluster of differentiation 24 (CD24), cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), and epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). CXCL2 knockdown by short hairpin RNA resulted in reduced expression of CSC proteins, cyclins, EMT markers, G proteins, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Finally, Gαi-2 was found to promote expression of CSC genes and tumorigenesis which were more apparent in the resistant cells. In addition, Gαq/11 showed a similar pattern with exceptions of EpCAM and MMP9. Therefore, CXCL2-CXCR2 axis mediates through Gαi-2 and Gαq/11 to promote tumorigenesis and contributes to CSC properties of CPT-11-R LoVo cells.

Eriobotrya japonica ameliorates cardiac hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiomyoblast and in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Eriobotrya japonica (EJ) is a traditional Chinese plant with high medicinal value. EJ extracts are reported to exhibit antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biological attributes. The current study aims to evaluate the prospective efficacy of E. japonica leave extract (EJLE) against Angiotensin-II induced cardiac hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiomyoblast and in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). For the in vitro studies, Angiotensin-II pretreated H9c2 cells were treated with EJLE and analyzed through Western blotting and rhodamine phalloidin staining for their cardio-protective attributes. In the in vivo studies, 12-week-old SHRs were randomly divided into groups: SHRs supplemented with EJLE, control SHR group supplemented with PBS; in addition, a control group of Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) was also employed. All rats were supplemented twice a week for 8 week time interval. Finally, echocardiography, morphological, histology, and Western blot analysis were performed to assess their role against cardiac hypertrophy. Interestingly, we could observe that supplementation of EJLE could rescue Ang-II induced cardiac hypertrophy as evident through Western blot, rhodamine phalloidin staining, and Hematoxylin-Eosin staining. Notably, morphological and echocardiography data provided further supports for their ability to ameliorate cardiac characteristics. Cumulatively, the results clearly suggests that supplementation of EJLE promotes cardio-protective effects through amelioration of cardiac hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo.

Bioactive Peptide Improves Diet-Induced Hepatic Fat Deposition and Hepatocyte Proinflammatory Response in SAMP8 Ageing Mice

Background/Aims: High-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) poses therapeutic challenges in elderly subjects. Due to lack of efficient drug therapy, plant-based bioactive peptides have been studied as alternative strategy in NAFLD and for less toxicity in elderly. To mimic fatty liver in aging conditions, researchers highly commended the genetically engineered strains SAMP8 (senescence-accelerated mice prone 8). However, there is a paucity of reports about the anti-steatosis effects of bioactive peptides against fatty liver development under a combined action of high-fat diet exposure and aging process. This study was conducted to evaluate the activity of DIKTNKPVIF peptide synthesized from alcalase-generated potato protein hydrolysate (PH), on reducing HFD-driven and steatosis-associated proinflammatory reaction in ageing model. Methods: Five groups of six-month-old SAMP8 mice (n=4, each) were fed either a normal chow (NC group) for 14 weeks upon sacrifice, or induced with a 6-week HFD feeding, then treated without (HCO group) or with an 8-week simultaneous administration of peptide (HPEP group), protein (HPH group) or probucol (HRX group). Liver organs were harvested from each group for histological analysis and immunoblot assay. Results: In contrast to NC, extensive fat accumulation was visualized in the liver slides of HCO. Following the trends of orally administered PH, intraperitoneally injected peptide reduces hepatic fat deposition and causes at protein level, a significant decrease in HFD-induced proinflammatory mediators p-p38 MAPK, FGF-2, TNF-α, IL-6 with concomitant reactivation of AMPK. However, p-Foxo1 and PPAR-α levels were slightly changed. Conclusion: Oral supplementation of PH and intraperitoneal injection of derived bioactive peptide alleviate proinflammatory reaction associated with hepatosteatosis development in elderly subjects, through activation of AMPK.

Correlation between high expression levels of jumonji domain-containing 4 and short survival in cases of colon adenocarcinoma

In this study, we investigated the expression of jumonji domain-containing 4 (JMJD4) in colon adenocarcinoma (CA) look for evidences for future studies on clinical diagnostic and prognostic value. The immunohistochemical (IHC) reactivity of JMJD4 was assessed in human tissue microarrays using monoclonal antibodies. An initial investigation revealed that the expression of JMJD4 protein was significantly higher in tumor tissue of the colon and liver than in normal tissue. Upon further investigation, we observed significant positivity of JMJD4 between 59 paired samples from CA tissue and adjacent normal tissue. JMJD4 protein expression in CA differed significantly according to the histological grade and M-class (distant metastasis). We also determined that the mRNA or protein expression of JMJD4 was significantly associated with poor survival in patients with CA. Finally, univariate and multivariate analysis revealed that JMJD4 expression could be a prognostic indicator for patients with CA and may provide a new target for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of CA.

Thermal treatments prior to and during the beginning of incubation affects development of the broiler embryo and yolk sac membranes, and live performance and carcass characteristics

This study evaluated temperature during preincubation and embryonic day 0 (E0) E0 to E5 of incubation on broiler embryo development and subsequent live performance. Freshly laid eggs from a single 41-wk-old Ross 708 broiler breeder flock produced on a single day were weighed individually for weight matching purposes, stored overnight, and assigned to 4 treatment combinations of 2 preincubation temperatures (23.9 or 29.4°C) × 2 E0 to E5 temperatures (38.1 or 37.5°C). The 29.4°C preincubation temperature decreased (P ≤ 0.05) yolk sac membrane (YSM) vasculature at E6 and E7, and increased (P ≤ 0.05) embryo weight and length but decreased (P ≤ 0.05) yolk sac weight (YSW) at E15. No subsequent main effects were observed. The 38.1°C incubation temperature increased YSM vasculature at E7, chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) vasculature at E8 and E10, and egg weight loss, embryo weight, and embryo length at E15 and chick length at E21 in the presence of reduced BW and YSW (P ≤ 0.05). This was followed by greater male BW at 35 d, as well as improved FCR in females 0 to 14 d and in males 15 to 35 d (P ≤ 0.05). Pectoralis major and minor yields were increased (P ≤ 0.05) at 50 d of age in males and females, respectively. There were no interactions observed with regards to broiler live performance and carcass yield, which probably negated the importance of the interactions observed for preincubation temperature by E0 to E5 incubation temperature that affected YSM vasculature, CAM vasculature area, egg weight loss, embryo weight, yolk sac weight, and chick length.

Anti-Apoptosis and Anti-Fibrosis Effects of Eriobotrya Japonica in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat Hearts

Myocardial apoptosis and fibrosis represent important contributing factors for development of hypertension-induced heart failure. The present study aims to investigate the potential effects of Eriobotrya japonica leaf extract (EJLE) against hypertension-induced cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Twelve-week-old male rats were randomly divided into four different groups; control Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats, hypertensive SHR rats, SHR rats treated with a low dose (100 mg/kg body weight) of EJLE and SHR rats treated with a high dose (300 mg/kg body weight) of EJLE. Animals were acclimatized for 4 weeks and thereafter were gastric fed for 8 weeks with two doses of EJLE per week. The rats were then euthanized following cardiac functional analysis by echocardiography. The cardiac tissue sections were examined by Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase-Mediated Deoxyuridine Triphosphate (dUTP) Nick End-Labeling (TUNEL) assay, histological staining and Western blotting to assess the cardio-protective effects of EJ in SHR animals. Echocardiographic measurements provided convincing evidence to support the ability of EJ to ameliorate crucial cardiac functional characteristics. Furthermore, our results reveal that supplementation of EJLE effectively attenuated cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis and also enhanced cell survival in hypertensive SHR hearts. Thus, the present study concludes that EJLE potentially provides cardio-protective effects against hypertension-induced cardiac apoptosis and fibrosis in SHR animals.

17β-Estradiol and/or estrogen receptor alpha signaling blocks protein phosphatase 1 mediated ISO induced cardiac hypertrophy

Earlier studies have shown that estrogen possess protective function against the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. However, the molecular mechanisms of estrogens (E2) protective effect are poorly understood. Additionally, abnormal activation of β-adrenergic signaling have been implicated in the development of pathological cardiac remodeling. However, the role of serine/threonine protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) in pathological cardiac remodeling under the influence of β-adrenergic signaling have been sparsely investigated. In this study, we assessed the downstream effects of abnormal activation of PP1 upon isoproterenol (ISO) induced pathological cardiac changes. We found that pre-treatment of 17β-estradiol (E2), tet-on estrogen receptor-α, or both significantly inhibited ISO-induced increase in cell size, hypertrophy marker gene expression and cytosolic calcium accumulation in H9c2 cells. Additionally, treatment with estrogen receptor inhibitor (ICI) reversed those effects, implicating role of E2 in inhibiting pathological cardiac remodeling. However, specific inhibition of ERα using melatonin, reduced ISO-induced PP1c expression and enhanced the level of ser-16 phosphorylated phospholamban (PLB), responsible for regulation of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca²⁺-ATPase (SERCA) activity. Furthermore, hypertrophic effect caused by overexpression of PP1cα was reduced by treatment with specific inhibitor of ERα. Collectively, we found that estrogen and estrogen receptor-α have protective effect against pathological cardiac changes by suppressing PP1 expression and its downstream signaling pathway, which further needs to be elucidated.

Lupeol alters ER stress-signaling pathway by downregulating ABCG2 expression to induce Oxaliplatin-resistant LoVo colorectal cancer cell apoptosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers and causes of cancer-related death. There are several first-line chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat CRC. Oxaliplatin (OXA) is an alkylating cytotoxic agent that is usually combined with other chemotherapeutic drugs to treat stage II and stage III CRC. However, cancer cells commonly acquire multidrug resistance (MDR), which is a major obstruction to cancer treatment. Recent studies have shown that natural components from traditional Chinese medicine or foods that have many biological functions may be new adjuvant therapies in clinical trials. We challenged LoVo CRC cell lines with OXA in a dose-dependent manner to create an OXA-resistant model. The expression of ABCG2 was significantly higher, and levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers were lower than those Parental cells. However, Lupeol, which is found in fruits and vegetables, has been shown to have bioactive properties, including anti-tumor properties that are relevant to many diseases. In our study, Lupeol downregulated cell viability and activated cell apoptosis. Moreover, Lupeol decreased the expression of ABCG2 and activated ER stress to induce OXA-resistant cell death. Importantly, the anti-tumor effect of Lupeol in OXA-resistant cells was higher than that of LoVo Parental cells. In addition, we also confirmed our results with a xenograft animal model, and the tumor size significantly decreased after Lupeol injections. Our findings show that Lupeol served as a strong chemoresistant sensitizer and could be a new adjuvant therapy method for chemoresistant patients.

Estrogen and/or Estrogen Receptor α Inhibits BNIP3-Induced Apoptosis and Autophagy in H9c2 Cardiomyoblast Cells

The process of autophagy in heart cells maintains homeostasis during cellular stress such as hypoxia by removing aggregated proteins and damaged organelles and thereby protects the heart during the times of starvation and ischemia. However, autophagy can lead to substantial cell death under certain circumstances. BCL2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa protein-interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), a hypoxia-induced marker, has been shown to induce both autophagy and apoptosis. A BNIP3-docked organelle, e.g., mitochondria, also determines whether autophagy or apoptosis will take place. Estrogen (E2) and estrogen receptor (ER) alpha (ERα) have been shown to protect the heart against mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. The aim of the present study is to investigate the mechanisms by which ERα regulates BNIP3-induced apoptosis and autophagy, which is associated with hypoxic injury, in cardiomyoblast cells. An in vitro model to mimic hypoxic injury in the heart by engineering H9c2 cardiomyoblast cells to overexpress BNIP3 was established. Further, the effects of E2 and ERα in BNIP3-induced apoptosis and autophagy were determined in BNIP3 expressing H9c2 cells. Results from TUNEL assay and Immunoflourecense assay for LC3 puncta formation, respectively, revealed that ERα/E2 suppresses BNIP3-induced apoptosis and autophagy. The Western blot analysis showed ERα/E2 decreases the protein levels of caspase 3 (apoptotic marker), Atg5, and LC3-II (autophagic markers). Co-immunoprecipitation of BNIP3 and immunoblotting of Bcl-2 and Rheb showed that ERα reduced the interaction between BNIP3 and Bcl-2 or Rheb. The results confirm that ERα binds to BNIP3 causing a reduction in the levels of functional BNIP3 and thereby inhibits cellular apoptosis and autophagy. In addition, ERα attenuated the activity of the BNIP3 promoter by binding to SP-1 or NFκB sites.

Platycodin D Reverses Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Platycodin D (PD) is the main active saponin isolated from Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) and is reported to exhibit anticancer, anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammation and anti-obesity biological effects. The current study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of PD in cardiac fibrosis and for hypertrophy in spontaneous hypertension rats (SHRs) and to verify inhibition of the signaling pathway. Significant increases in the cardiac functional indices of left ventricular internal diameter end diastole (LVIDd) and left ventricular internal diameter end systole (LVIDs); the eccentric hypertrophy marker p-MEK5; concentric hypertrophy markers, such as CaMKII[Formula: see text] and calcineurin; and expression levels of NFATc3, p-GATA4 and BNP were observed in spontaneously hypertensive groups. PD treatment reversed these increases in SHRs. In addition, an increase in the fibrosis markers FGF2, uPA, MMP2, MMP9, TGF[Formula: see text]-1 and CTGF during cardiac hypertrophy was detected by western blotting analyses. These results demonstrated that PD treatment considerably attenuates cardiac fibrosis. Histopathological examination revealed that PD treatment remarkably reduced collagen accumulation in contrast to spontaneously hypertensive groups. This study clearly suggests that PD provides myocardial protection by alleviating two damaging responses to hypertension, fibrosis and hypertrophy, in the heart.

Overexpression of ZAKβ in human osteosarcoma cells enhances ZAKα expression, resulting in a synergistic apoptotic effect

ZAK is a novel mixed lineage kinase-like protein that contains a leucine-zipper and a sterile-alpha motif as a protein-protein interaction domain, and it is located in the cytoplasm. There are 2 alternatively spliced forms of ZAK: ZAKα and ZAKβ. Previous studies showed that ZAKα is involved in various cell processes, including cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and cardiac hypertrophy, but the molecular mechanism of ZAKβ is not yet known. In a recent study in our laboratory, we found that ZAKβ can ameliorate the apoptotic effect induced by ZAKα in H9c2 cells. We further hypothesized that ZAKβ could also improve the apoptotic effect induced by ZAKα in human osteosarcoma cells. The results of this study show that ZAKβ can induce apoptosis and decrease cell viability similar to the effects of ZAKα. Interestingly, our ZAKα-specific inhibitor assay shows that the expression of ZAKβ is highly dependent on ZAKα expression. However, ZAKβ expression effectively induces ZAKα expression and results in synergistic enhancement of apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells. Furthermore, co-immunoprecipitation results revealed that ZAKα can directly interact with ZAKβ, and this interaction may contribute to the enhanced apoptotic effects.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

ZAK is a mixed lineage kinase involved in cell differentiation, proliferation, and hypertrophic growth. ZAKα isoform of ZAK is associated with tumorigenesis, but the function of ZAKβ is not yet known. In H9c2 cells, ZAKβ was found to ameliorate the apoptotic effect induced by ZAKα. However, in osteosarcoma cells, ZAKβ elevates the apoptotic effect induced by ZAKα. In this study, we show that similar to ZAKα, the ZAKβ induces apoptosis and decreases cell viability. Interestingly, the expression of ZAKβ is dependent on ZAKα expression, and ZAKβ further enhances ZAKα expression and results in synergistic enhancement of apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells.

Adipose-derived stem cells decrease cardiomyocyte damage induced by porphyromonas gingivalis endotoxin through suppressing hypertrophy, apoptosis, fibrosis, and MAPK markers

Heart failure is one of the complications related to periodontal disease. In addition to drugs or herbal medicines, stem cell therapy shows potential in the treatment of cardiomyopathy. This study investigates if stem cells exhibit beneficial effects on cardiomyocyte damage induced by porphyromonas gingivalis endotoxin (Pg-LPS). From the experimental results we find that Pg-LPS reduce cardiomyocyte viability via the activation of apoptosis, hypertrophy, fibrosis and MAPK signaling. Pg-LPS damaged cardiomyocytes co-cultured with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) increases cardiomyocyte viability through suppressing the pathological markers described above. Further evidence implies that survival marker, IGF1, secreted from ADSC, may play an important role in the Pg-LPS induced protective effect on cardiomyocyte damage.

Fisetin mediated apoptotic cell death in parental and Oxaliplatin/irinotecan resistant colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Irinotecan (CPT11) and Oxaliplatin have been used in combination with fluorouracil and leucovorin for treating colorectal cancer. However, the efficacy of these drugs is reduced due to various side effects and drug resistance. Fisetin, a hydroxyflavone possess anti-proliferative, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activity against various types of cancers. Apart from that, fisetin has been shown to induce cytotoxic effects when combined with other known chemotherapeutic drugs. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether Fisetin was capable of sensitizing both Irinotecan and Oxaliplatin resistance colon cancer cells and explored the possible signaling pathways involved using In vitro and In vivo models. The results showed that Fisetin treatment effectively inhibited cell viability and apoptosis of CPT11-LoVo cells than Oxaliplatin (OR) and parental LoVo cancer cells. Western blot assays suggested that apoptosis was induced by fisetin administration, promoting Caspase-8, and Cytochrome-C expressions possibly by inhibiting aberrant activation of IGF1R and AKT proteins. Furthermore, fisetin inhibited tumor growth in athymic nude mouse xenograft model. Overall, our results provided a basis for Fisetin as a promising agent to treat parental as well as chemoresistance colon cancer.

Doxorubicin induces ZAKα overexpression with a subsequent enhancement of apoptosis and attenuation of survivability in human osteosarcoma cells

Human osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant cancer of the bone. It exhibits a characteristic malignant osteoblastic transformation and produces a diseased osteoid. A previous study demonstrated that doxorubicin (DOX) chemotherapy decreases human OS cell proliferation and might enhance the relative RNA expression of ZAK. However, the impact of ZAKα overexpression on the OS cell proliferation that is inhibited by DOX and the molecular mechanism underlying this effect are not yet known. ZAK is a protein kinase of the MAPKKK family and functions to promote apoptosis. In our study, we found that ZAKα overexpression induced an apoptotic effect in human OS cells. Treatment of human OS cells with DOX enhanced ZAKα expression and decreased cancer cell viability while increasing apoptosis of human OS cells. In the meantime, suppression of ZAKα expression using shRNA and inhibitor D1771 both suppressed the DOX therapeutic effect. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism underlying the DOX effect on human OS cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ZAKα enhances the apoptotic effect and decreases cell viability in DOX-treated human OS cells.

Fenofibrate induced PPAR alpha expression was attenuated by oestrogen receptor alpha overexpression in Hep3B cells

The physiological regulation of Oestrogen receptor α (ERα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unknown. The present study we first treat the cells with fenofibrate and further investigated the possible mechanisms of 17β-estradiol (E₂ ) and/or ERα on regulating PPARα expression. We also found higher PPARα expression in the tumor area than adjacent areas and subsequently compared PPARα expression in four different hepatic cancer cell lines. Hep3B cells were found to express more PPARα than the other cell lines. Using the PPARα agonist fenofibrate, we found that fenofibrate increased Hep3B cell proliferation efficiency by increasing cell cycle proteins, such as cyclin D1 and PCNA, and inhibiting p27 and caspase 3 expressions. Next, we performed transient transfections and immuno-precipitation studies using the pTRE2/ERα plasmid to evaluate the interaction between ERα and PPARα. ERα interacted directly with PPARα and negatively regulated its function. Moreover, in Tet-on ERα over-expressed Hep3B cells, E₂ treatment inhibited PPARα, its downstream gene acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), cyclin D1 and PCNA expression and further increased p27 and caspase 3 expressions. However, over-expressed ERα plus 17-β-estradiol (10^-8 M) reversed the fenofibrate effect and induced apoptosis, which was blocked in ICI/melatonin/fenofibrate-treated cells. This study illustrates that PPARα expression and function were negatively regulated by ERα expression in Hep3B cells.

Oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer cells is mediated via activation of ABCG2 to alleviate ER stress induced apoptosis

Oxaliplatin (OXA), is a third generation platinum drug used as first-line chemotherapy in colorectal cancer (CRC). Cancer cells acquires resistance to anti-cancer drug and develops resistance. ATP-binding cassette (ABC) drug transporter ABCG2, one of multidrug resistance (MDR) protein which can effectively discharge a wide spectrum of chemotherapeutic agents out of cancer cells and subsequently reduce the intracellular concentration of these drugs. Role of ABCG2 and plausible molecular signaling pathways involved in Oxaliplatin-Resistant (OXA-R) colon cancer cells was evaluated in the present study. OXA resistant LoVo cells was developed by exposing the colon cells to OXA in a dose-dependent manner. Development of multi drug resistance in OXA-R cells was confirmed by exposing the resistance cells to oxaliplatin, 5-FU, and doxorubicin. OXA treatment resulted in G2 phase arrest in parental LoVo cells, which was overcome by OXA-R LoVo cells. mRNA and protein expression of ABCG2 and phosphorylation of NF-κB was significantly higher in OXA-R than parental cells. Levels of ER stress markers were downregulated in OXA-R than parental cells. OXA-R LoVo cells exposed to NF-κB inhibitor QNZ effectively reduced the ABCG2 and p-NF-κB expression and increased ER stress marker expression. On other hand, invasion and migratory effect of OXA-R cells were found to be decreased, when compared to parental cells. Metastasis marker proteins also downregulated in OXA-R cells. ABCG2 inhibitor verapamil, downregulate ABCG2, induce ER stress markers and induces apoptosis. In vivo studies in nude mice also confirms the same.