Effects of autophagy-inhibiting chemicals on sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein in recombinant CHO cells.

The occurrence of autophagy in recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (rCHO) cell culture has attracted attention due to its effects on therapeutic protein production. Given the significance of glycosylation in therapeutic proteins, this study examined the effects of autophagy-inhibiting chemicals on sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoproteins in rCHO cells. Three chemical autophagy inhibitors known to inhibit different stages were separately treated with two rCHO cell lines that produce the same Fc-fusion glycoprotein derived from DUKX-B11 and DG44. All autophagy inhibitors significantly decreased the sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein in both cell lines. The decrease in sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein is unlikely to be attributed to the release of intracellular enzymes, given the high cell viability and low activity of extracellular sialidases. Interestingly, the five intracellular nucleotide sugars remained abundant in cells treated with autophagy inhibitors. In the mRNA expression profiles of 27 N-glycosylation-related genes using the NanoString nCounter system, no significant differences in gene expression were noted. With the positive effect of supplementing nucleotide sugar precursors on sialylation, attempts were made to enhance the levels of intracellular nucleotide sugars by supplying these precursors. The addition of nucleotide sugar precursors to cultures treated with inhibitors successfully enhanced the sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoproteins compared to the control culture. This was particularly evident under mild stress conditions and not under relatively severe stress conditions, which were characterized by a high decrease in sialylation. These results suggest that inhibiting autophagy in rCHO cell culture decreases sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein by constraining the availability of intracellular nucleotide sugars. KEY POINTS: •  The autophagy inhibition in rCHO cell culture leads to a significant reduction in the sialylation of Fc-fusion glycoprotein. •  The pool of five intracellular nucleotide sugars remained highly abundant in cells treated with autophagy inhibitors. •  Supplementation of nucleotide sugar precursors effectively restores decreased sialylation, particularly under mild stress conditions but not in relatively severe stress conditions.

Fermented barley and soybean (BS) mixture enhances intestinal barrier function in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic or relapsing immune system activation and inflammation within the gastrointestinal tract. The lack of safety and efficacy of standard therapies, the use of food supplements for managing IBD is increasing, and many studies have reported that various food supplements provide many beneficial effects for the IBD. METHODS: This study aimed to evaluate the anti-colitis effects of dietary supplementation with a fermented barley and soybean mixture (BS) on intestinal inflammation using a murine model of IBD. Female C57BL/6 mice were administered with either BS (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) or vehicle (PBS) control through oral gavages for 3 days and received 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) drinking water to induce colitis. Mice body weight was measured every two days and disease activity index (DAI) score was determined on Day 15; mice were sacrificed and colons were analyzed by H & E staining and RT-PCR. We also measured intestinal barrier function in vitro using DSS-treated Caco-2 cells by assessing ZO-1 immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting and in vivo by measuring serum level of FITC-Dextran and by performing bacteria culture from mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) extract. The gut microbiota was examined by real time PCR using fecal DNA. RESULTS: We found that BS alleviated the severity of colitis in a DSS-induced colitis mouse model, and suppressed levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colonic tissue. Moreover, BS prevented epithelial barrier dysfunction, inducing an increase of tight junction protein levels in colonic tissues, BS also inhibited FITC-dextran permeability, and suppressed bacterial translocation to MLNs. In addition, BS increased the levels of Lactobacilli and Bacteroides, which have anti-inflammatory properties. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that BS has protective roles against inflammatory bowel disease through changes in inflammatory activity, tight junction protein expression, and gut microbiota composition in DSS-induced colitis.

Anti-fatigue Effects of 20(S)-Protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-Protopanaxatriol in Mice.

Ginseng (Panax ginseng C.A. MEYER, Araliaceae), which contains protopanaxadiol-type and protopanaxatriol-type ginsenosides, has been used for inflammation, fatigue, stress, and tumor in Asian countries. Orally administered ginsenosides are metabolized to their aglycones 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT) by gut microbiota. However, their anti-fatigue effects have not been studied thoroughly. Therefore, we investigated the anti-fatigue activities of PPD and PPT in mice, using the weight-loaded swimming (WLS) and the rota-rod tests. Ginseng water extract (GW), ginseng saponin fraction (GWS) and ginseng polysaccharide fraction (GWP) at concentrations of 50 and 100 mg/kg and PPD and PPT at 5 and 10 mg/kg were orally administered to mice once daily for 5 d. GW, GWS, and PPT significantly increased the WLS time, however, GWP and PPD did not cause any significant change. PPT induced the most significant increase in WLS time. PPD (10 mg/kg) and PPT (5 and 10 mg/kg) inhibited the WLS-induced increase in corticosterone, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatinine levels as well as the reduction in glucose level. PPT increased the riding time in the rota-rod test, and also inhibited corticosterone, lactate, and creatinine levels. These findings suggest that the anti-fatigue effect of ginseng may be attributable to its saponins, particularly PPT, rather than to its polysaccharides.

A fermented barley and soybean formula enhances skin hydration.

Skin hydration is one of the primary aims of beauty and anti-aging treatments. Barley (Hordeum vulgare) and soybean (Glycine max) are major food crops, but can also be used as ingredients for the maintenance of skin health. We developed a natural product-based skin treatment using a barley and soybean formula (BS) incorporating yeast fermentation, and evaluated its skin hydration effects as a dietary supplement in a clinical study. Participants ingested a placebo- (n = 33) or BS- (3 g/day) containing drink (n = 32) for 8 weeks. A significant increase in hydration in the BS group as compared to the placebo group was observed on the faces of subjects after 4 and 8 weeks, and on the forearm after 4 weeks. Decreases in stratum corneum (SC) thickness were also observed on the face and forearm. BS enhanced hyaluronan (HA) and skin barrier function in vitro and reduced Hyal2 expression in human dermal fibroblasts (HDF). BS also recovered ultraviolet (UV) B-induced downregulation of HA in HaCaT cells. These results suggest that BS has promising potential for development as a health functional food to enhance skin health.

Oral administration of fermented wild ginseng ameliorates DSS-induced acute colitis by inhibiting NF-κB signaling and protects intestinal epithelial barrier.

Ginseng has been widely used for therapeutic and preventive purposes for thousands of years. However, orally administered ginseng has very low bioavailability and absorption in the intestine. Therefore, fermented ginseng was developed to enhance the beneficial effects of ginseng in the intestine. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory activity of fermented wild ginseng (FWG). We found that FWG significantly alleviated the severity of colitis in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model, and decreased expression level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in colonic tissue. Moreover, we observed that FWG suppressed the infiltration of macrophages in DSS-induced colitis. FWG also attenuated the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) by reducing the translocation of NF-κB into the nucleus. Our data indicate that FWG contains anti-inflammatory activity via NF-κB inactivation and could be useful for treating colitis.

Anti-stress effects of 20(S)-protopanaxadiol and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol in immobilized mice.

Panax ginseng C.A. MEYER (Araliaceae), which contains ginsenosides as its main components, has been shown to have various biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, anti-stress, and anti-tumor effects. Orally administered ginsenoside Rb1 and Re are metabolized to 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD) and compound K via ginsenoside Rd and 20(S)-protopanaxatriol (PPT) and ginsenoside Rh1 via ginsenoside Rg1 by gut microbiota, respectively. Therefore, we investigated the anti-stress effects of these metabolites, PPD and PPT, by measuring their anxiolytic and anti-inflammatory effects in immobilized mice. Treatment with PPD and PPT prior to immobilization stress increased the time spent in open arms and open arm entries in the elevated plus-maze (EPM) test. The anxiolytic effects of PPD (10 mg/kg) and PPT (10 mg/kg) were comparable to that of buspirone (1 mg/kg). This observed anxiolytic effect of PPD was significantly blocked by flumazenil or bicuculline, and the effect of PPT was blocked by WAY-100635. Treatment with PPD also potently suppressed immobilization stress-induced serum levels of corticosterone and interleukin (IL)-6 by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. However, PPT treatment did not suppress them. Based on these findings, PPD and PPT may exhibit the anxiolytic effect via γ-aminobutyrateA (GABAA) receptor(s) and serotonergic receptor(s), respectively, and PPD may have an anti-inflammatory effect that is more potent than that of PPT.

Metabolite profiling of enzymatically hydrolyzed and fermented forms of Opuntia ficus-indica and their effect on UVB-induced skin photoaging.

Fermentation of natural products is emerging as an important processing method and is attracting a lot of attention because it may have the advantage of having a new biological function. In this study, fruits of Opuntia ficus-indica were enzymatically hydrolyzed and then fermented with two species of yeast. We identified novel prominent markers in enzymatically hydrolyzed O. ficus-indica (EO) and fermented O. ficus-indica (FO) samples by using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We also evaluated the effect of EO and FO on photoaging of skin cells exposed to ultraviolet radiation. We identified the major fermented metabolite in the FO as ferulic acid. Our in vitro study indicated that FO significantly enhanced the concentration of pro-collagen type 1 than the EO, by increasing the TGF-ß1 production.