Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of Cecropin A(1-8)-Magainin2(1-12) hybrid peptide analog p5 against Malassezia furfur infection in human keratinocytes.

The lipophilic fungus Malassezia furfur (M. furfur) is a commensal microbe associated with several chronic diseases such as pityriasis versicolor, folliculitis, and seborrheic dermatitis. Because M. furfur-related diseases are difficult to treat and require prolonged use of medications, the treatment for M. furfur-related skin diseases is supposed to gain control over M. furfur growth and the inflammation associated with it, as well as to prevent secondary infections. In this study, we investigated the antifungal and anti-inflammatory effects of cecropin A(1-8)-magainin 2(1-12) hybrid peptide analog P5 on M. furfur. The minimal inhibitory concentration of P5 against M. furfur was 0.39 µM, making it 3-4 times more potent than commonly used antifungal agents such as ketoconazole (1.5 µM) or itraconazole (1.14 µM). P5 efficiently inhibited the expression of IL-8 and Toll-like receptor 2 in M. furfur-infected human keratinocytes without eukaryotic cytotoxicity at its fungicidal concentration. Moreover, P5 significantly downregulated NF-κB activation and intracellular calcium fluctuation, which are closely related with enhanced responses of keratinocyte inflammation induced by M. furfur infection. Taken together, these observations suggest P5 may be a potential therapeutic agent for M. furfur-associated human skin diseases because of its distinct antifungal and anti-inflammatory action.

Ape1/Ref-1 induces glial cell-derived neurotropic factor (GDNF) responsiveness by upregulating GDNF receptor alpha1 expression.

Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (Ape1/Ref-1) dysregulation has been identified in several human tumors and in patients with a variety of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the function of Ape1/Ref-1 is unclear. We show here that Ape1/Ref-1 increases the expression of glial cell-derived neurotropic factor (GDNF) receptor alpha1 (GFRalpha1), a key receptor for GDNF. Expression of Ape1/Ref-1 led to an increase in the GDNF responsiveness in human fibroblast. Ape1/Ref-1 induced GFRalpha1 transcription through enhanced binding of NF-kappaB complexes to the GFRalpha1 promoter. GFRalpha1 levels correlate proportionally with Ape1/Ref-1 in cancer cells. The knockdown of endogenous Ape1/Ref-1 in pancreatic cancer cells markedly suppressed GFRalpha1 expression and invasion in response to GNDF, while overexpression of GFRalpha1 restored invasion. In neuronal cells, the Ape1/Ref-1-mediated increase in GDNF responsiveness not only stimulated neurite outgrowth but also protected the cells from beta-amyloid peptide and oxidative stress. Our results show that Ape1/Ref-1 is a novel physiological regulator of GDNF responsiveness, and they also suggest that Ape1/Ref-1-induced GFRalpha1 expression may play important roles in pancreatic cancer progression and neuronal cell survival.