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1.
Int J Biol Macromol ; 265(Pt 2): 130945, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38493818

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy is a highly promising strategy for clinical treatment of cancer. Among these inhibitors, ipilimumab stands out for its ability to induce cytotoxic T cell proliferation and activation by binding to CTLA-4. However, ipilimumab also gives rise to systemic immune-related adverse effects and tumor immune evasion, limiting its effectiveness. OBJECTIVES: We developed IFNγ-ipilimumab and confirmed that the addition of INF-γ does not alter the fundamental properties of ipilimumab. RESULTS: IFNγ-ipilimumab can be activated by matrix metalloproteinases, thereby promoting the IFNγ signaling pathway and enhancing the cytotoxicity of T cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that IFNγ-ipilimumab enhances the therapeutic effect of ipilimumab against colorectal cancer by increasing CD8+ and CD4+ lymphocyte infiltration into the tumor area and inducing MHC-I expression in tumor cells. Mice treated with IFNγ-ipilimumab showed higher survival rates and body weight, as well as lower CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocyte activation rates in the blood and reduced organ damage. CONCLUSION: IFNγ-ipilimumab improved the effectiveness of ipilimumab while reducing its side effects. It is likely that future immunotherapies would rely on such antibodies to activate local cancer cells or immune cells, thereby increasing the therapeutic effectiveness of cancer treatments and ensuring their safety.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents , Neoplasms , Animals , Mice , Ipilimumab/pharmacology , Ipilimumab/therapeutic use , Antibodies, Monoclonal/adverse effects , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Neoplasms/drug therapy , T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic
2.
J Neuroinflammation ; 21(1): 61, 2024 Feb 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38419037

ABSTRACT

There is an intrinsic relationship between psychiatric disorders and neuroinflammation, including bipolar disorder. Ouabain, an inhibitor of Na+/K+-ATPase, has been implicated in the mouse model with manic-like behavior. However, the molecular mechanisms linking neuroinflammation and manic-like behavior require further investigation. CCAAT/Enhancer-Binding Protein Delta (CEBPD) is an inflammatory transcription factor that contributes to neurological disease progression. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of CEBPD in astrocytes was increased in ouabain-treated mice. Furthermore, we observed an increase in the expression and transcript levels of CEBPD in human primary astrocytes following ouabain treatment. Transcriptome analysis revealed high MMP8 expression in human primary astrocytes following CEBPD overexpression and ouabain treatment. We confirmed that MMP8 is a CEBPD-regulated gene that mediates ouabain-induced neuroinflammation. In our animal model, treatment of ouabain-injected mice with M8I (an inhibitor of MMP8) resulted in the inhibition of manic-like behavior compared to ouabain-injected mice that were not treated with M8I. Additionally, the reduction in the activation of astrocytes and microglia was observed, particularly in the hippocampal CA1 region. Excessive reactive oxygen species formation was observed in ouabain-injected mice, and treating these mice with M8I resulted in the reduction of oxidative stress, as indicated by nitrotyrosine staining. These findings suggest that MMP8 inhibitors may serve as therapeutic agents in mitigating manic symptoms in bipolar disorder.


Subject(s)
Neuroinflammatory Diseases , Ouabain , Animals , Humans , Mice , Astrocytes/metabolism , CCAAT-Enhancer-Binding Protein-delta/metabolism , Matrix Metalloproteinase 8/metabolism , Ouabain/toxicity
3.
Biomedicines ; 11(5)2023 Apr 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37238980

ABSTRACT

(1) Background: A premature termination codon (PTC) can be induced by a type of point mutation known as a nonsense mutation, which occurs within the coding region. Approximately 3.8% of human cancer patients have nonsense mutations of p53. However, the non-aminoglycoside drug PTC124 has shown potential to promote PTC readthrough and rescue full-length proteins. The COSMIC database contains 201 types of p53 nonsense mutations in cancers. We built a simple and affordable method to create different nonsense mutation clones of p53 for the study of the PTC readthrough activity of PTC124. (2) Methods: A modified inverse PCR-based site-directed mutagenesis method was used to clone the four nonsense mutations of p53, including W91X, S94X, R306X, and R342X. Each clone was transfected into p53 null H1299 cells and then treated with 50 µM of PTC124. (3) Results: PTC124 induced p53 re-expression in H1299-R306X and H1299-R342X clones but not in H1299-W91X and H1299-S94X clones. (4) Conclusions: Our data showed that PTC124 more effectively rescued the C-terminal of p53 nonsense mutations than the N-terminal of p53 nonsense mutations. We introduced a fast and low-cost site-directed mutagenesis method to clone the different nonsense mutations of p53 for drug screening.

4.
Anal Chem ; 95(19): 7403-7408, 2023 May 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37126857

ABSTRACT

Atmospheric organic aerosols (OA) have profound effects on air quality, visibility, and radiative forcing of climate. Quantitative assessment of gas-particle equilibrium of OA components is critical to understand formation, growth, distribution, and evolution of OA in the atmosphere. This study presents a novel ambient pressure measurement approach developed and tested for untargeted screening of individual components in complex OA mixtures, followed by targeted chemical speciation of identified species and assessment of their physicochemical properties such as saturation vapor pressure and enthalpies of sublimation/evaporation. The method employs temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments coupled to "direct analysis in real time" (DART) ionization source and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) detection. Progression of the mass spectra is acquired in the TPD experiments over a T = 25-350 °C temperature range, and extracted ion chromatograms (EIC) of individual species are used to infer their apparent enthalpies of sublimation/evaporation (ΔHsub*) and saturation vapor pressure (pT*, Pa, or CT*, µg m-3) as a function of T. We validate application of this method for analysis of selected organic compounds with known ΔHsub and CT values, which showed excellent agreement between our results and the existing data. We then extend these experiments to interrogate individual components in complex OA samples generated in the laboratory-controlled ozonolysis of α-pinene, limonene, and ß-ocimene monoterpenes. The abundant OA species of interest are distinguished based on their accurate mass measurements, followed by quantitation of their apparent ΔHsub* and CT* values from the corresponding EIC records. Comparison of C298K* values derived from our experiments for the individual OA components with the corresponding estimates based on their elemental composition using a "molecular corridors" (MC) parametrization suggests that the MC calculations tend to overestimate the saturation vapor pressures of OA components. Presented results indicate very promising applicability of the TPD-DART-HRMS method for the untargeted analysis of organic molecules in OA and other environmental mixtures, enabling rapid detection and quantification of organic pollutants in the real-world condensed-phase samples at atmospheric pressure and without sample preparation.

5.
J Emerg Manag ; 21(7): 227-239, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37154456

ABSTRACT

This research employs Wildavsky's two -strategies-anticipation and resilience-as our conceptual framework to compare COVID-19 policies in the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan. Also, following Handmer and Dovers' three types of resilience, we develop theory-driven codes and then explain how governmental structures and cultural factors influenced governmental responses. We found that a key response to this pandemic is arguably correlated with how quick and flexible a government can adopt different types of resilient strategies. Our research provides a foundation for governmental emergency response discussions and management strategies to better cope with public health crises in the future.


Subject(s)
COVID-19 , United States/epidemiology , Humans , SARS-CoV-2 , Taiwan , Republic of Korea/epidemiology , Public Health
6.
J Phys Chem A ; 127(7): 1656-1674, 2023 Feb 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36763810

ABSTRACT

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formed through multiphase atmospheric chemistry makes up a large fraction of airborne particles. The chemical composition and molecular structures of SOA constituents vary between different emission sources and aging processes in the atmosphere, which complicates their identification. In this work, we employ drift tube ion mobility spectrometry with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (IM-MS) detection for rapid gas-phase separation and multidimensional characterization of isomers in two biogenic SOAs produced from ozonolysis of isomeric monoterpenes, d-limonene (LSOA) and α-pinene (PSOA). SOA samples were ionized using electrospray ionization (ESI) and characterized using IM-MS in both positive and negative ionization modes. The IM-derived collision cross sections in nitrogen gas (DTCCSN2 ) for individual SOA components were obtained using multifield and single-field measurements. A novel application of IM multiplexing/high-resolution demultiplexing methodology was employed to increase sensitivity, improve peak shapes, and augment mobility baseline resolution, which revealed several isomeric structures for the measured ions. For LSOA and PSOA samples, we report significant structural differences of the isomer structures. Molecular structural calculations using density functional theory combined with the theoretical modeling of CCS values provide insights into the structural differences between LSOA and PSOA constituents. The average DTCCSN2 values for monomeric SOA components observed as [M + Na]+ ions are 3-6% higher than those of their [M - H]- counterparts. Meanwhile, dimeric and trimeric isomer components in both samples showed an inverse trend with the relevant values of [M - H]- ions being 3-7% higher than their [M + Na]+ counterparts, respectively. The results indicate that the structures of Na+-coordinated oligomeric ions are more compact than those of the corresponding deprotonated species. The coordination with Na+ occurs on the oxygen atoms of the carbonyl groups leading to a compact configuration. Meanwhile, deprotonated molecules have higher DTCCSN2 values due to their elongated structures in the gas phase. Therefore, DTCCSN2 values of isomers in SOA mixtures depend strongly on the mode of ionization in ESI. Additionally, PSOA monomers and dimers exhibit larger DTCCSN2 values (1-4%) than their LSOA counterparts owing to more rigid structures. A cyclobutane ring is present with functional groups pointing in opposite directions in PSOA compounds, as compared to noncyclic flexible LSOA structures, forming more compact ions in the gas phase. Lastly, we investigated the effects of direct photolysis on the chemical transformations of selected individual PSOA components. We use IM-MS to reveal structural changes associated with aerosol aging by photolysis. This study illustrates the detailed molecular and structural descriptors for the detection and annotation of structural isomers in complex SOA mixtures.

7.
Life Sci ; 321: 121334, 2023 May 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36587789

ABSTRACT

AIMS: Infiltration of activated neutrophils into the lungs is a hallmark of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Neutrophilic inflammation, particularly neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), is proposed as a useful target for treating ARDS. Carnosic acid (CA) is a food additive; however, its anti-neutrophilic activity in the treatment of ARDS has not been well established. The hypothesis of present study is to confirm that CA alleviates ARDS by suppressing neutrophilic inflammation and oxidative damage. MAIN METHODS: Generation of superoxide anions and reactive oxygen species (ROS), induction of elastase degranulation, and formation of NETs by human neutrophils were assayed using spectrophotometry, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescent microscopy. Immunoblotting was performed to determine the cellular mechanisms involved. Cell-free radical systems were used to test antioxidant activities. The therapeutic effect of CA was evaluated in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ARDS mouse model. KEY FINDINGS: CA greatly reduced superoxide anion production, ROS production, elastase release, cluster of differentiation 11b expression, and cell adhesion in activated human neutrophils. Mechanistic studies have demonstrated that CA suppresses phosphorylation of extracellular regulated kinase and c-Jun N-terminal kinase in activated neutrophils. CA effectively scavenges reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, but not superoxide anions. This is consistent with the finding that CA is effective against ROS-dependent NET formation. CA treatment significantly improved pulmonary neutrophil infiltration, oxidative damage, NET formation, and alveolar damage in LPS-induced mice. SIGNIFICANCE: Our data suggested the potential application of CA for neutrophil-associated ARDS therapy.


Subject(s)
Extracellular Traps , Respiratory Distress Syndrome , Humans , Animals , Mice , Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Neutrophils/metabolism , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/drug therapy , Respiratory Distress Syndrome/metabolism , Inflammation/metabolism , Superoxides/metabolism
8.
Phytomedicine ; 110: 154606, 2023 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36584606

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a disease of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. We have previously demonstrated that blue light can damage RPE cells and their underlying mechanisms. We found that hexahydrocurcumin (HHC), a metabolite of curcumin, had better retinal protection than curcumin. However, the involved mechanisms remain unclear. METHODS: By exposing ARPE-19 human RPE cells and mouse primary RPE cells to blue light, the intracellular mechanisms of HHC in cells were investigated, including the proliferation of RPE cells and the effects of HHC on activating intracellular protective mechanisms and related factors. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) RNA sequencing revealed the underlying mechanisms involved in the induction and regulation of HHC treatment following blue light exposure. RESULTS: HHC promoted autophagy by enhancing autophagic flux, reduced oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and effectively reversed blue light-induced cell death. RNA sequencing-based bioinformatics approaches comprehensively analyze HHC-mediated cellular processes. CONCLUSION: Our findings elucidate the mechanisms of HHC against blue light damage in RPE cells and are beneficial for the development of natural metabolite-based preventive drugs or functional foods.


Subject(s)
Curcumin , Humans , Animals , Mice , Curcumin/pharmacology , Curcumin/metabolism , Retinal Pigment Epithelium , Retina , Oxidative Stress
10.
Chem Commun (Camb) ; 58(73): 10154-10157, 2022 Sep 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35993166

ABSTRACT

A TiO2-nanowire/Au-nanoparticle hybrid layer, possessing nanocavities and a plasmonic metasurface, can accomplish an entire visible region absorbance, inducing remarkable photocurrent-extraction efficiency. A blood-glucose strip-like testing protocol assembled using this layer allows nondestructive quantitative alpha-fetoprotein detection in human serum under homemade visible LED illumination, indicating its potential in commercial point-of-care testing applications.


Subject(s)
Gold , Nanoparticles , Humans , Light , Porosity
11.
Biomedicines ; 10(7)2022 Jun 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35884795

ABSTRACT

The members of the p53 family comprise p53, p63, and p73, and full-length isoforms of the p53 family have a tumor suppressor function. However, p53, but not p63 or p73, has a high mutation rate in cancers causing it to lose its tumor suppressor function. The top and second-most prevalent p53 mutations are missense and nonsense mutations, respectively. In this review, we discuss possible drug therapies for nonsense mutation and a missense mutation in p53. p63 and p73 activators may be able to replace mutant p53 and act as anti-cancer drugs. Herein, these p63 and p73 activators are summarized and how to improve these activator responses, particularly focusing on p53 gain-of-function mutants, is discussed.

12.
Sci Rep ; 12(1): 8374, 2022 05 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35589778

ABSTRACT

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most economically important vegetable crops worldwide. Bacterial wilt (BW), caused by the Ralstonia solanacearum species complex, has been reported as the second most important plant pathogenic bacteria worldwide, and likely the most destructive. Extensive research has identified two major loci, Bwr-6 and Bwr-12, that contribute to resistance to BW in tomato; however, these loci do not completely explain resistance. Segregation of resistance in two populations that were homozygous dominant or heterozygous for all Bwr-6 and Bwr-12 associated molecular markers suggested the action of one or two resistance loci in addition to these two major QTLs. We utilized whole genome sequence data analysis and pairwise comparison of six BW resistant and nine BW susceptible tomato lines to identify candidate genes that, in addition to Bwr-6 and Bwr-12, contributed to resistance. Through this approach we found 27,046 SNPs and 5975 indels specific to the six resistant lines, affecting 385 genes. One sequence variant on chromosome 3 captured by marker Bwr3.2dCAPS located in the Asc (Solyc03g114600.4.1) gene had significant association with resistance, but it did not completely explain the resistance phenotype. The SNP associated with Bwr3.2dCAPS was located within the resistance gene Asc which was inside the previously identified Bwr-3 locus. This study provides a foundation for further investigations into new loci distributed throughout the tomato genome that could contribute to BW resistance and into the role of resistance genes that may act against multiple pathogens.


Subject(s)
Solanum lycopersicum , Disease Resistance/genetics , Genetic Complementation Test , Solanum lycopersicum/genetics , Solanum lycopersicum/microbiology , Plant Diseases/genetics , Plant Diseases/microbiology , Ralstonia/genetics
13.
Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open ; 9(11): e3938, 2021 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34796089

ABSTRACT

Although the preferred technique for reconstruction of extensive composite oromandibular defects involves the use of a fibula flap for the inner mucosal lining and mandibular bone reconstruction and an anterolateral thigh flap for outer skin coverage and soft tissue replenishment, this approach is complicated and manpower-dependent. It also often involves prolonged operations requiring nighttime surgery with insufficient manpower in an era of restricted working hours for residents, which can negatively affect the surgical outcomes. Traditionally, the mucosal defect is first defined and the fibula flap is then dissected to ensure a size-matching skin flap for the inner lining. This flap is transferred first after mandibulectomy is completed, but is delayed by the fibula bone shaping process. Finalizing the flap inset is a sophisticated process involving the fibula bone, fibula skin, and anterolateral thigh skin. Thus, we developed a strategy to overcome the late start of fibula flap harvest, the delayed initiation of defect-site reconstruction, and the troublesome flap inset. Briefly, we dissected both flaps sequentially or simultaneously from contralateral limbs before the mucosal defect was defined, so that the flaps were ready in the daytime. Once the mandibulectomy was completed, we transferred the anterolateral thigh flap first while the fibula bone was shaped, and simplified the flap inset by using the anterolateral thigh skin for the inner lining and outer coverage and the fibula skin as a monitoring flap. We employed this approach in five patients and completed postmandibulectomy reconstruction in as fast as 4 hours.

15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34682716

ABSTRACT

The control of tobacco use in adolescents is a critical public health issue that has long been studied, yet has received less attention than adult smoking cessation. Shared decision making (SDM) is a method that highlights a patient's preference-based medical decision. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a novel SDM-integrated cessation model and early intervention on the control of tobacco use in adolescents. The SDM-integrated model provides psychological support and motivational enhancement by involving the participants in making decisions and plans through the three-talk model of the SDM principle. The primary outcome shows positive effects by both increasing the cessation rate (a 25% point abstinence rate at 3 month follow up) and decreasing the number of cigarettes smoked per day (60% of the participants at 3 month follow up) among 20 senior high school participants (mean age, 17.5 years; 95% male). The results also show that the model can achieve the goal of SDM and optimal informed decision making, based on the positive SURE test and the satisfaction survey regarding the cessation model. The SDM cessation model can be further applied to different fields of adolescent substance cessation, yielding beneficial effects regarding reducing potential health hazards. The dissemination of the model may help more adolescent smokers to cease smoking worldwide.


Subject(s)
Smoking Cessation , Adolescent , Adult , Cohort Studies , Decision Making, Shared , Female , Humans , Male , Pilot Projects , Smokers
16.
Int J Hyperthermia ; 38(1): 1013-1022, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34192990

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the effects and possible mechanisms of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in targeting ovarian cancer stem-like cells (CSCs). METHODS: Murine ovarian cancer cell lines presenting CSC surface markers were grown intraperitoneally in both immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice, which were then treated by intraperitoneal hyperthermia with the chemotherapeutic agents: paclitaxel and cisplatin. Tumor growth was measured by non-invasive luminescent imaging. Intraperitoneal immune cells, such as CD4+, CD8+ T cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells, were evaluated through flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: Combined hyperthermia and chemotherapy exhibited an efficient therapeutic effect in the immunocompetent mice. However, a similar effect was not observed in the immunodeficient mice. Intraperitoneal hyperthermia increased the number of Intraperitoneal macrophages and dendritic cells that were lost due to chemotherapy. Compared with ovarian cancer bulk cells, CSCs were more susceptible to phagocytosis by macrophages. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the superior therapeutic efficacy and reduced proportion of CSCs associated with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy were immune-related. Hyperthermia recruits the phagocytes that target surviving CSCs after chemotherapy. These results provide a novel mechanism for the efficacy of HIPEC in treating ovarian cancer.


Subject(s)
Hyperthermia, Induced , Ovarian Neoplasms , Animals , CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Humans , Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy , Mice , Neoplastic Stem Cells , Ovarian Neoplasms/drug therapy
17.
Front Immunol ; 12: 597761, 2021.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33717075

ABSTRACT

The immunomodulatory effects of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and co-signaling receptors have gained much attention, as they help balance immunogenic and immunotolerant responses that may be disrupted in autoimmune and infectious diseases. Drug hypersensitivity has a myriad of manifestations, which ranges from the mild maculopapular exanthema to the severe Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), and drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms/drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DRESS/DIHS). While studies have identified high-risk human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allotypes, the presence of the HLA allotype at risk is not sufficient to elicit drug hypersensitivity. Recent studies have suggested that insufficient regulation by Tregs may play a role in severe hypersensitivity reactions. Furthermore, immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-CTLA-4 or anti-PD-1, in cancer treatment also induce hypersensitivity reactions including SJS/TEN and DRESS/DIHS. Taken together, mechanisms involving both Tregs as well as coinhibitory and costimulatory receptors may be crucial in the pathogenesis of drug hypersensitivity. In this review, we summarize the currently implicated roles of co-signaling receptors and Tregs in delayed-type drug hypersensitivity in the hope of identifying potential pharmacologic targets.


Subject(s)
Disease Susceptibility/immunology , Drug Hypersensitivity/etiology , Immunomodulation , Animals , Biomarkers , Costimulatory and Inhibitory T-Cell Receptors/metabolism , Cytokines/metabolism , Diagnosis, Differential , Drug Hypersensitivity/diagnosis , Gene Expression Regulation , Humans , Severity of Illness Index , Signal Transduction , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology , T-Lymphocyte Subsets/metabolism
18.
Int J Mol Sci ; 22(3)2021 Jan 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33572787

ABSTRACT

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the progressive degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), retina, and choriocapillaris among elderly individuals and is the leading cause of blindness worldwide. Thus, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms in retinal tissue activated by blue light exposure is important for developing novel treatment and intervention strategies. In this study, blue-light-emitting diodes with a wavelength of 440 nm were applied to RPE cells at a dose of 3.7 ± 0.75 mW/cm2 for 24 h. ARPE-19 cells were used to investigate the underlying mechanism induced by blue light exposure. A trypan blue exclusion assay was used for the cell viability determination. Flow cytometry was used for apoptosis rate detection and autophagy analysis. An immunofluorescence microscopy analysis was used to investigate cellular oxidative stress and DNA damage using DCFDA fluorescence staining and an anti-γH2AX antibody. Blue light exposure of zebrafish larvae was established to investigate the effect on retinal tissue development in vivo. To further demonstrate the comprehensive effect of blue light on ARPE-19 cells, next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed for an ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) to reveal additional related mechanisms. The results showed that blue light exposure caused a decrease in cell proliferation and an increase in apoptosis in ARPE-19 cells in a time-dependent manner. Oxidative stress increased during the early stage of 2 h of exposure and activated DNA damage in ARPE-19 cells after 8 h. Furthermore, autophagy was activated in response to blue light exposure at 24-48 h. The zebrafish larvae model showed the unfavorable effect of blue light in prohibiting retinal tissue development. The RNA-Seq results confirmed that blue light induced cell death and participated in tissue growth inhibition and maturation. The current study reveals the mechanisms by which blue light induces cell death in a time-dependent manner. Moreover, both the in vivo and NGS data uncovered blue light's effect on retinal tissue development, suggesting that exposing children to blue light could be relatively dangerous. These results could benefit the development of preventive strategies utilizing herbal medicine-based treatments for eye diseases or degeneration in the future.


Subject(s)
Autophagy/radiation effects , DNA Damage/radiation effects , Light/adverse effects , Macular Degeneration/etiology , Oxidative Stress/radiation effects , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/radiation effects , Animals , Cell Line , Disease Models, Animal , Humans , Macular Degeneration/genetics , Macular Degeneration/metabolism , Macular Degeneration/pathology , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/metabolism , Retinal Pigment Epithelium/pathology , Zebrafish
19.
Animals (Basel) ; 11(2)2021 Feb 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33562213

ABSTRACT

The identification of animal species of meat in meat products is of great concern for various reasons, such as public health, religious beliefs, food allergies, legal perspectives, and bushmeat control. In this study, we developed a new technique to identify Formosan Reeves' muntjac in meat using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) in combination with a lateral flow (LF) strip. The DNA extracted from a piece of Formosan Reeves' muntjac meat was amplified by a pair of specific primers based on its mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for 10 min at a constant temperature ranging from 30 to 45 °C using RPA. Using the specific probe added to the RPA reaction system, the amplified products were visualized on the LF strip within 5 min. The total operating time from quick DNA extraction to visualizing the result was approximately 30 min. The RPA-LF system we designed was efficient when using boiled, pan-fried, roasted, stir-fried, or stewed samples. The advantages of simple operation, speediness, and cost-effectiveness make our RPA-LF method a promising molecular detection tool for meat species identification of either raw or variously cooked Formosan Reeves' muntjac meat. It is also possible to apply this method to identify the meat of other wildlife sources.

20.
J Food Drug Anal ; 29(3): 502-509, 2021 09 15.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35696248

ABSTRACT

Cosmetic products containing hemp seed oil as permitted raw materials required the specific compound delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) below 10 µg/g. THC was the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis. Since hemp seed oil became an increasingly popular ingredient in cosmetics over the last few years, an efficient and reliable analytical method for THC and other cannabinoids in cannabis-infused cosmetic products was in need. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) in hemp seed oil based cosmetic products was developed. Method validation was performed by fertilizing blank samples with analytes and internal standards (THC-d3, CBD-d3, and CBN-d3). Chromatographic method utilized a Xbridge BEH Shield RP18 column with gradient elution containing 10 mM ammonium formate in water and methanol provided successful separation of THC, CBD, and CBN in cosmetic matrix. The combination of MS detection in positive electrospray ionization (ESI) and multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode offered rapid run time 13 minutes with limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.05 µg/g. The intra- and inter-day recoveries were 79.23-114.04% and 83.55-111.61% with spiking levels ranged between 0.05 µg/g and 0.5 µg/g, respectively. Surveillance results of 90 cosmetic products showed 22, 34, and 5 products containing THC (0.06-1777 µg/g), CBD (0.47-37217 µg/g), and CBN (2.2-25.2 µg/g), respectively. This validated method offered accurate, reliable, and fast way for the determination of drug contaminations including THC, CBD, and CBN in cosmetics. The surveillance results for commercial cosmetic products purchased in Taiwan between 2018-2020 provided valuable background references for THC, CBD, and CBN in hemp seed oil based cosmetic products, and could be used for administration purpose.


Subject(s)
Cannabinoids , Cannabis , Cosmetics , Cannabinoids/chemistry , Cannabis/chemistry , Chromatography, Liquid/methods , Cosmetics/analysis , Dronabinol/analysis , Plant Extracts , Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods
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