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The aerial parts of Artemisia capillaris (Compositae) have been used in traditional Korean medicine as a cholagogic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and diuretic purposes. In our previous study, ethanolic extracts of the plant demonstrated a marked anti-inflammatory effect in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells (J. Korean Soc. Appl. Biol. Chem., 2010, 53, 275-282). In the present study, capillarisin (CPS), a flavone, main constituent of A. capillaris, was examined for its anti-inflammatory activity in the cells. We found that CPS highly suppressed LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) without exerting cytotoxic effects on RAW 264.7 cells. CPS inhibited the expression of LPS-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein and their mRNA in a dose-dependent manner. Also, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion were decreased by CPS in LPS-stimulated macrophages. As a result, CPS inhibited proinflammatory cytokines, iNOS, and COX-2, which is attributed to the suppression of LPS-induced ERK, JNK, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation. Therefore, we demonstrate here that CPS potentially inhibits the biomarkers related to inflammation through the abrogation of ERK, JNK, and NF-κB p65 activation, and it may be a potential therapeutic candidate for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-021-02537-9 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Probiotics and prebiotics are commonly used to improve the gut microbiota. Since prebiotics can support the growth of probiotics, co-administration of these is called synbiotics. It has been demonstrated that obesity-induced gut dysbiosis can worsen inflammatory bowel disease symptoms. This study evaluated how modulation of gut microbiota with Schizophyllum commune-derived β-glucan (BG), probiotics (PRO), and synbiotics containing both BG and PRO (SYN) could improve the symptoms of obesity-associated colitis and hepatic manifestation. Methods: Mice were fed a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD with different additives (BG, PRO, and SYN) for 12 weeks, followed by 5 days of colitis induction. Mice were sacrificed before and after colitis induction. During the experiment, body weight, food and water consumption, and rectal bleeding were monitored. Proteins from the colon were subjected to western blotting, and serum biomarkers such as alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, triglycerides, and total cholesterol were analyzed. Colon and liver samples were sectioned for histological analysis. The fecal microbiota was analyzed based on partial 16S rRNA gene sequences. Results: Although BG and PRO secured intestinal tight junctions, these two treatments did not modulate inflammatory cell infiltration and inflammatory markers (i.e., IL-6 and TNF-α). In contrast, SYN demonstrated stronger and broader effects in reducing colonic inflammation. While BG treatment increased the abundance of indigenous Lactobacillus, PRO treatment decreased bacterial diversity by suppressing the growth of several species of bacteria. SYN treatment groups, however, supported the growth of both indigenous and supplemented bacteria while maintaining bacterial diversity. Conclusion: Obesity-associated colitis can be improved by modulating gut bacteria with β-glucan and probiotics. The co-administration of both outperformed β-glucan and probiotic treatment alone by fostering both indigenous and supplemented probiotic strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Western diet, rich in carbohydrates and fat, is said to be a major factor underlying metabolic syndrome. Interventions with prebiotics, the key modulators of the gut microbiota, have paramount impact on host-associated metabolic disorders. Herein, we investigated the effect of fungus-derived (1,3)/(1,6)-β-glucan, a highly soluble dietary fiber, on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic distress. Methods: Male C57BL/6 J mice were fed with different diet groups (n = 11): control diet, HFD, 3 g/kg or 5 g/kg of β-glucan-incorporated HFD. At the end of experimental study period (12th week), body weight, feces weight and fecal moisture content were observed. Further, colonic motility was measured using activated charcoal meal study. Proteins extracted from liver and intestine tissues were subjected to western blot technique. Paraffin-embedded intestinal tissues were sectioned for histochemical [Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and Alcian blue (AB) staining] analysis. Fecal microbiota analysis was performed using MOTHUR bioinformatic software. Results: β-glucan consumption exhibited anti-obesity property in mice groups fed with HFD. In addition, β-glucan ameliorated HFD-induced hepatic stress, colonic motility and intestinal atrophy (reduction in colon length, goblet cells, and mucosal layer thickness). Further, β-glucan incorporation shifted bacterial community by increasing butyrate-producing bacteria such as Anaerostipes, Coprobacillus, and Roseburia and decreasing reportedly obesity-associated bacteria such as Parabacteroides and Lactococcus. Conclusion: Altogether, the outcomes of this present pre-clinical animal study show β-glucan to be a promising therapeutic candidate in the treatment of HFD-induced metabolic distress. Further comprehensive research has to be conducted to brace its clinical relevance, reproducibility and efficacy for aiding human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence has displayed that targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a very promising way for anti-cancer therapies. 2′,3′-Dimethoxyflavanone (2′,3′-DMF) showed the most potent toxicity of a group of 42 flavonoids tested in MCF-7-SC breast cancer stem cells. 2′,3′-DMF triggered intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis by stimulating the cleavage of PARP and the activation of caspase-9, -8, and -3. Interestingly, 2′,3′-DMF induces a dramatic increase in the conversion of LC3, a well-known marker for autophagy. However, acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs), one of the autophagic flux markers were not detected. Co-treatment with chloroquine, the lysosomal inhibitor that blocks autophagic degradation did not show any change in the degree of LC3 conversion, implying that LC3 could play a role in the non-autophagic cell death of MCF-7-SC. We found that 2′,3′-DMF induces the ubiquitination of caspase-8, this resulted in an interaction between caspase-8 and LC3, which led to the aggregation and activation of caspase-8. Co-treating cells with 2′,3′-DMF and 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of LC3 lipidation, reduced the activation of caspase-8. These findings provide novel insights into the anti-cancer effects of 2′,3′-DMF in breast cancer stem cells by revealing that it induced apoptosis in accompany with the activation of caspase-8 mediated by LC3 conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cytotoxic activity of oxysterols, 7β-hydroxycholesterol (7β-OHC) and 25-hydroxycholesterol (25-OHC), has been evaluated using various leukemia cell lines. Among the tested cell lines, both oxysterols showed the highest cytotoxicity to THP-1, human monocytic leukemia cell line. These oxysterols induced apoptosis through down-regulation of Bcl-2 expression and activation of caspases. Also, the oxysterols showed the accumulation at G2/M phase of cell cycle through down-regulation of cyclin B1 expression. Taken together, these results indicated that both 7β-OHC and 25-OHC inhibited the proliferation of THP-1 cells through apoptosis and cell cycle accumulation at G2/M phase. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) promulgates epithelial cell associated disease-defining characteristics in tumorigenesis and organ fibrosis. Growth factors such as epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor in addition to cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is said to play a prominent role in remodeling related pathological events of cancer progression such as invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, EMT, etc. through redox related cellular secondary messengers, in particular the reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the signaling cascade underlying the redox mechanism and thereby the progression of EMT remains largely unknown. In this study, upon TGF-β1 treatment, we observed an induction in NOX isoforms-NOX2 and NOX4-that have time (early and late) and cellular localization (nucleus and autophagosome co-localized) dependent effects in mediating EMT associated cell proliferation and migration through activation of the focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/SRC pathway in HeLa, human cervical cancer cells. Upon silencing NOX2/4 gene expression and using the SRC inhibitor (AZD0530), progression of TGF-β1 induced EMT related cellular remodeling, extra cellular matrix (ECM) production, cell migration and invasion, got significantly reverted. Together, these results indicate that NOX2 and NOX4 play important, albeit distinct, roles in the activation of cytokine mediated EMT and its associated processes via tyrosine phosphorylation of the FAK/SRC pathway.

The present study was designed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of Sea hare eggs (SE) in U937 cells and its major active components. The aqueous extract of SE (ASE), which contained the highest protein content, dose-dependently inhibited the cancer cell's growth (IC50 value, 10.42 ± 0.5 µg/mL). Additionally, ASE markedly caused DNA damage by inducing apoptotic body formation, DNA fragmentation, and accumulation of sub-G1 DNA contents. ASE induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3 and 9 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) by regulating the expression of Bcl-2/Bax. Moreover, among its molecular weight fractions, the > 30 kDa fraction showed the highest cell-growth-inhibitory effects, which was inhibited by heat treatment. Furthermore, the > 30 kDa fraction had markedly higher glycine content than the ASE. The presence of two protein bands at around 16 and 32 kDa was identified. In addition, two fractions, F1 and F2, were obtained using anion-exchange chromatography, with the F1 having an improved cell-growth-inhibitory effect than the > 30 kDa fraction. Taken together, these results suggest that the ASE contains glycine-rich proteins, including the active 16 and 32 kDa proteins, which account for its anti-cancer effects by inducing apoptosis via regulation of the mitochondrial pathway.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical biological process characterized by morphological and behavioral changes in cells. The regulatory and signaling mechanisms of both developmental and pathological EMT have been investigated. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in early EMT, but the exact mechanism by which ROS are involved is unclear. We investigated ROS-mediated EMT in human HeLa cells. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) treatments lead to dramatic NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) inductions in HeLa cells; antioxidant treatment prevented TGF-β-driven EMT. Over-expression of the p40phox subunit (NCF4) led to activation of the NOX2 complex and ROS production. We showed that NOX2 and NOX5 mRNA was increased, along with increased expression of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in response to NCF4 expression. Moreover, these changes were reversible upon ROS scavenging. Down-regulation of E-cadherin and up-regulation of Snail, Slug and vimentin occurred at the transcriptional level. We also showed that new EMT regulator, YB-1 is a downstream target in ROS-induced EMT. Together, these data suggest that ROS switching is necessary for increased EMT but is not required for the morphological changes that accompany EMT., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Flavonoids are major active ingredients in plants and are considered components of food that provide medical or health benefits. They have diversified structures and have effects on human health, including wound healing induction. More than a hundred flavonoids were screened for HaCaT keratinocytes cellular migration measurements and the relationships between their structural properties and the effects promoting cellular migration were examined. Here, among flavonoids used in the previous structure-activity relationship calculations, 4',6,7-trimethoxyisoflavone (TMF) was one of the compounds showing the best activity, so that its molecular mechanism of the wound healing effect on HaCaT keratinocytes was investigated in more detail. Our data revealed that TMF increased the wound healing rate, but not the proliferation rate, in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of keratinocytes with TMF influenced signaling pathways, affecting the phosphorylation of AKT and ERK in a time-dependent manner. TMF also induced the cell-cell adhesion protein E-cadherin, which is essential for promoting collective cell migration. Furthermore, the TMF treatment group also showed higher ROS and NOX2 transcriptional and protein levels. Correlating with matrix metalloproteinase induction by TMF, levels of extracellular matrix proteins such as collagens I and III were significantly lower in the treatment group. To confirm that the effects of TMF occur through the NOX2 pathway, we co-treated cells with TMF plus an NADPH inhibitor (DPI) or a ROS scavenger (NAC). Western blotting revealed that DPI and NAC attenuated the effect of TMF, suggesting that TMF induces ROS through the NOX2 pathway and regulates keratinocyte migration. In summary, TMF promotes wound healing through NOX2 induction, which leads to collective migration and MMP activation., (Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Cell migration plays an important role in multicellular development and preservation. Because wound healing requires cell migration, compounds promoting cell migration can be used for wound repair therapy. Several plant-derived polyphenols are known to promote cell migration, which improves wound healing. Previous studies of flavonoids on cell lines have focused on their inhibitory effects and not on wound healing. In addition, studies of flavonoids on wound healing have been performed using mixtures. In this study, individual flavonoids were used for cellular migration measurements. Relationships between the cell migration effects of flavonoids and their structural properties have never been reported. Here, we investigated the migration of keratinocytes caused by 100 flavonoids and examined their relationships using hologram quantitative structure-activity relationships. The structural conditions responsible for efficient cell migration on keratinocyte cell lines determined from the current study will facilitate the design of flavonoids with improved activity., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Snail family proteins regulate transcription of molecules for cell-cell adhesion during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Based on putative glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β) phosphorylation sites within the Slug/Snail2, we explored the significance of GSK-3β-mediated phosphorylation in Slug/Snail2 expression during EMT. Mutation of the putative GSK-3β phosphorylation sites (S92/96A or S100/104A) enhanced the Slug/Snail2-mediated EMT properties of E-cadherin repression and vimentin induction, compared with wild-type Slug/Snail2. S92/96A mutation inhibited degradation of Slug/Snail2 and S100/104A mutation extended nuclear stabilization. Inhibition of GSK-3β activity caused similar effects, as did the phosphorylation mutations. Thus, our study suggests that GSK-3β-mediated phosphorylation of Slug/Snail2 controls its turnover and localization during EMT., (© 2012 The Authors Journal compilation © 2012 FEBS.)

Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by predisposition to early-onset cancers. HNPCC is caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutations within the mismatch repair genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS1, and PMS2. We genotyped the MLH1 and MSH2 genes in patients suffering from Lynch syndrome and in 11 unrelated patients who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer and had subsequently undergone surgery. Five Lynch syndrome patients carried germline mutations in MLH1 or MSH2. Two of these were identified as known mutations in MLH1: deletion of exon 10 and a point mutation (V384D). The remaining three patients exhibited novel mutations: a duplication (937_942dupGAAGTT) in MLH1; deletion of exons 8, 9, and 10; and a point mutation in MLH1 (F396I) combined with multiple missense mutations in MSH2 (D295G, K808E, Q855P, and I884T). The findings underline the importance of efficient pre-screening of conspicuous cases.

The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been reported in various cancers. Its expression is associated with tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis. Studies have shown that galectin-7, a beta-galactoside-binding animal lectin, is involved in various processes including the suppression of tumor growth. However, a recent study reported that the development of thymic lymphoma is accelerated by galectin-7 expression. In this report, we demonstrate that the expression of MMP-9 was increased by galectin-7 in human cervix epithelial cells (HeLa). When the galectin-7 gene was transfected to HeLa cells with the ECFP vector, the expression of MMP-9 mRNA increased, as compared to non-transfected cells. As a result, MMP-9 protein levels also increased, as indicated by Western blot and gelatin zymography. In addition, galectin-7-transfected cells exhibited increased invasion in the matrigel invasion system. Expression of MMP-9 is involved in several signaling pathways by various stimulation factors. Therefore, we investigated how the signaling pathway in galectin-7-transfected cells differs from that of non-transfected cells. Upon transfection of galectin-7, p38 MAPK was activated and SB203580, a chemical inhibitor of p38 MAPK, reversed the effects of galectin-7. These results indicate that galectin-7 increases the expression of MMP-9 through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Four-transmembrane L6 family member 5 (TM4SF5) and its homolog L6, a tumor antigen, form a four-transmembrane L6 family. TM4SF5 expression causes uncontrolled cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Although other genuine transmembrane 4 superfamily (TM4SF) members co-operate with integrins for cell migration, roles of TM4SF5 in the cellular spreading and migration are unknown. Using hepatocarcinoma cell clones that ectopically express TM4SF5, we found that cross talks via an extracellular interaction between TM4SF5 and integrin alpha2 in collagen type I environment inhibited integrin alpha2 functions such as spreading on and migration toward collagen I, which were recovered by suppression of TM4SF5 or structural disturbance of its second extracellular loop using a peptide or mutagenesis. Altogether, the observations suggest that TM4SF5 in hepatocytes negatively regulates integrin alpha2 function via an interaction between the extracellular loop 2 of TM4SF5 and integrin alpha2 during cell spreading on and migration through collagen I environment.

Of the 316 actinomycetes strains isolated from various habitats, Streptomyces sp. strain JJ45 showed the strongest antibiotic activity against the plant pathogenic bacteria Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris and was thus chosen for further study. The 16S rRNA gene sequence (1500 bp) and rpoB gene partial sequence (306 bp) of Streptomyces strains JJ45A and JJ45B were determined. The respective strain JJ45B sequences exhibited 96.8% identity with the Streptococcus gelaticus 16S rRNA gene sequence and 98.4% identity with the Streptococcus vinaceus ATCC 27478 rpoB partial sequence. The fermentation broth of the JJ45B strain was extracted to find an inhibitor of bacterial growth. The distilled water extract showed the highest activity against pathogenic bacteria. The active molecule was isolated by column chromatography on polyacrylamide or silica gel, thin-layer chromatography, and HPLC. It showed growth inhibition activity only toward phytopathogenic Xanthomonas sp. The structure of the compound was identified as alpha-l-sorbofuranose (3-->2)-beta-D-altrofuranose based on the interpretation of the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra.