Improvement Characteristics of Bio-active Materials Coated Fabric on Rat Muscular Mitochondria.

This study surveys the improvement characteristics in old-aged muscular mitochondria by bio-active materials coated fabric (BMCF). To observe the effects, the fabric (10 and 30%) was worn to old-aged rat then the oxygen consumption efficiency and copy numbers of mitochondria, and mRNA expression of apoptosis- and mitophagy-related genes were verified. By wearing the BMCF, the oxidative respiration significantly increased when using the 30% materials coated fabric. The mitochondrial DNA copy number significantly decreased and subsequently recovered in a dose-dependent manner. The respiratory control ratio to mitochondrial DNA copy number showed a dose-dependent increment. As times passed, Bax, caspase 9, PGC-1α and ß-actin increased, and Bcl-2 decreased in a dose-dependent manner. However, the BMCF can be seen to have had no effect on Fas receptor. PINK1 expression did not change considerably and was inclined to decrease in control group, but the expression was down-regulated then subsequently increased with the use of the BMCF in a dose-dependent manner. Caspase 3 increased and subsequently decreased in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the BMCF invigorates mitophagy and improves mitochondrial oxidative respiration in skeletal muscle, and in early stage of apoptosis induced by the BMCF is not related to extrinsic death-receptor mediated but mitochondria-mediated signaling pathway.

Resveratrol exerts growth inhibitory effects on human SZ95 sebocytes through the inactivation of the PI3-K/Akt pathway.

Resveratrol is known to be a naturally produced polyphenol that is able to reduce cell proliferation in several types of cancer cells and adipocytes. However, the antiproliferative effects of resveratrol on the growth of human sebocytes are not yet clear. In the present study, we investigated possible cellular pathways associated with these growth inhibitory effects on human SZ95 sebocytes. Our results revealed that resveratrol inhibited the proliferation of sebocytes, and that this resulted in disruption of the cell cycle. The inactivation of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK), Akt and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ was also shown to be involved in the inhibition of sebocyte growth by resveratrol. To examine the antiproliferative effects of resveratrol, we determined the levels of cell cycle control proteins. Resveratrol inhibited cyclin D1 synthesis, whereas it stimulated p21WAF1/CIP1 (p21) and p27KIP1 (p27) synthesis. In addition, we demonstrated that the resveratrol-mediated cell cycle arrest resulted in an increase in the proportion of cells in the sub-G0/G1 phase. Moreover, we found that the growth inhibitory effects of resveratrol were enhanced by treatment with LY294002 [a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitor] more so than by treatment with PD98059 (a MEK inhibitor), which indicates that resveratrol exerts its inhibitory effects on sebocyte proliferation through the inhibition of Akt. Linoleic acid (LA) is a well-established lipid inducer in sebocytes and is known to stimulate sebocyte differentiation through the upregulation of PPAR-γ. In this study, resveratrol was found to decrease the lipid content and PPAR-γ expression during LA-stimulated lipogenesis. Our results indicate that resveratrol plays a critical role in the inhibition of sebocyte growth through the inactivation of the Akt pathway. The present data suggest that resveratrol may be used as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of acne vulgaris.

Extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake inhibits elastase activity and TPA-induced MMP-1 expression in human fibroblasts.

Skin aging is induced through complex biological processes in human skin caused by proteolysis of collagen and elastin, two structural proteins of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM). Collagen and elastin degradation can induce the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), as well as that of a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases that play critical roles in skin aging. Moreover, elastase is a metalloproteinase which acts on the degradation of elastin in skin aging, and is also involved in the inhibition or the repair of wrinkle formation. Extract of the mycelium of Tricholoma matsutake (T. matsutake), or pine mushroom, is widely distributed in Asian countries. The extract is from the natural biomaterial of the mushroom which is rich in polysaccharides, including ß-glucan. This extract has shown potent bioactive antioxidant, immunomodulatory and antitumoral properties. In the present study, we investigated whether the extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake has effects on elastase activity, as well as on the expression of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) and MMP-1 under basal conditions. Our results revealed that the extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake significantly decreased elastase activity in a dose-dependent manner and reduced the levels of MMP-1 and MMP-3. On the other hand, the expression of TIMP-1 and tropoelastin was increased in fibroblasts treated with the extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake. However, collagent expression was not affected. In addition, our results demonstrated that the extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake inhibited the 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced MMP-1 expression and suppressed TPA-induced p38 activity. Therefore, the inhibitory effects of the extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake on MMP-1 induction are mediated by the inhibition of p38 in human fibroblasts. Our data suggest that the extract of the mycelium of T. matsutake may prove to be an effective biomaterial for anti-wrinkle treatment, as it can obstruct the degradation of the dermal ECM.