Anti-inflammatory effects of immature Citrus unshiu fruit extracts via suppression of NF-κB and MAPK signal pathways in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

This study examined the anti-inflammatory effects of 70% ethanol crude extract of immature Citrus unshiu fruits (ICE) and its solvent fractions in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. In addition, we analyzed the active compounds related to suppression of inflammation. It was found that the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction showed the highest level of inhibition of NO production, and this inhibitory activity was concentration-dependent. Moreover, the EtOAc fraction not only inhibited TNF-α and IL-6 production but also inhibited iNOS and COX-2 protein expression. Furthermore, inhibition of NF-κB activity and MAPK phosphorylation was also observed. In addition, ß-sitosterol, campesterol and isoferulic acid were identified as major anti-inflammatory components in the EtOAc fraction. These results suggested that the EtOAc fraction of immature C. unshiu fruit extract exerts anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, and that this fruit could be used as a natural anti-inflammatory material.

Effects of Cooking and Processing Methods on Phenolic Contents and Antioxidant and Anti-Proliferative Activities of Broccoli Florets.

We investigated the effects of cooking (steaming and microwaving) and processing (freeze-drying and hot-air-drying) methods on the antioxidant activity of broccoli florets. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS•), and alkyl• free radical scavenging assays were employed to assess anti-oxidant potentials. The cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage induced by H2O2 was studied using hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells. Anti-proliferative effects were assessed in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. L-sulforaphane in broccoli extracts was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Steam and microwave treatments caused increases in total polyphenol content (TPC), whereas the total flavonoid content (TFC) decreased following steam treatment. A slight increase in TFC was observed in the microwaved samples. Extracts of all broccoli samples showed almost identical radical scavenging and cytoprotective effects. HPLC demonstrated that steamed (3 min)-freeze-dried (F-S3) and microwaved (2 min)-freeze-dried (F-M2) samples exhibited elevated levels of L-sulforaphane. In addition, the F-S3 and F-M2 extracts displayed strong anti-proliferative effects in MCF-7 cells, which correlated with L-sulforaphane content. As we observed no significant decrease in the antioxidant activity of broccoli florets, the cooking and processing methods and conditions studied here are recommended for broccoli.

2-Methoxy-4-vinylphenol Attenuates Migration of Human Pancreatic Cancer Cells via Blockade of FAK and AKT Signaling.

BACKGROUND/AIM: No effective therapeutics have yet been developed for pancreatic cancer. 2-Methoxy-4-vinyl phenol (2M4VP), a member of the class of phenols, has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory properties and cause cell cycle arrest making it an attractive candidate drug for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of 2M4VP were examined in Panc-1 and SNU-213 human pancreatic cancer cells. RESULTS: 2M4VP had anticancer effects on pancreatic cancer cell lines, Panc-1 and SNU-213. 2M4VP reduced the viability of Panc-1 cells by inhibiting the expression of the cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) protein. 2M4VP also suppressed the migratory activity of both cell lines. In addition, treatment with 2M4VP effectively decreased the phosphorylation of Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK) and AKT. CONCLUSION: 2M4VP might be used as a pancreatic cancer treatment supplement.

Litsea japonica Leaf Extract Suppresses Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts Stimulated with Oral Pathogenic Bacteria or Interleukin-1ß.

Periodontal disease, a chronic disease caused by bacterial infection, eventually progresses to severe inflammation and bone loss. Regulating excessive inflammation of inflamed periodontal tissues is critical in treating periodontal diseases. The periodontal ligament (PDL) is primarily a connective tissue attachment between the root and alveolar bone. PDL fibroblasts (PDLFs) produce pro-inflammatory cytokines in response to bacterial infection, which could further adversely affect the tissue and cause bone loss. In this study, we determined the ability of Litsea japonica leaf extract (LJLE) to inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokine production in PDLFs in response to various stimulants. First, we found that LJLE treatment reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-6 and interleukin-8) mRNA and protein expression in PDLFs without cytotoxicity. Next, we observed the anti-inflammatory effect of LJLE in PDLFs after infection with various oral bacteria, including Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia. These anti-inflammatory effects of LJLE were dose-dependent, and the extract was effective following both pretreatment and posttreatment. Moreover, we found that LJLE suppressed the effect of interleukin-1 beta-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in PDLFs. Taken together, these results indicate that LJLE has anti-inflammatory activity that could be exploited to prevent and treat human periodontitis by controlling inflammation.

Catechol derived from aronia juice through lactic acid bacteria fermentation inhibits breast cancer stem cell formation via modulation Stat3/IL-6 signaling pathway.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) as a subpopulation of cancer cells are drug-resistant and radiation-resistant cancer cells to be responsible for tumor progress, maintenance and recurrence of cancer, and metastasis. This study isolated and investigated a new cancer stem cell (CSC) inhibitor derived from lactic acid fermentation products using culture broth with 2% aronia juice. The anti-CSC activity of aronia-cultured broth was significantly higher than that of the control. Activity-guided fractionation and repeated chromatographic preparation led to the isolation of one compound. Using nuclear magnetic resonance and ESI mass spectrometry, we identified the isolated compound as catechol. In this study, we report that aronia-fermented catechol has a novel inhibitory effect on human breast CSCs. Catechol inhibited breast cancer cell proliferation and mammosphere formation in a dose-dependent manner. This compound reduced the CD44high /CD24low subpopulation, ALDH-expressing cell population and the self-renewal-related genes nanog, sox2, and oct4. Catechol preferentially reduced mRNA transcripts and protein levels of Stat3 and did not induce c-Myc degradation. These findings support the novel utilization of catechol for breast cancer therapy via the Stat3/IL-6 signaling pathway. Our results suggest that catechol can be used for breast cancer therapy and that Stat3 expression is a marker of CSCs. Catechol inhibited Stat3 signaling by reducing Stat3 expression and secreted IL-6, a CSC survival factor. These findings support the novel utilization of catechol for breast cancer therapy via Stat3/IL-6 signaling.

Anti-Osteoarthritic Effects of the Litsea japonica Fruit in a Rat Model of Osteoarthritis Induced by Monosodium Iodoacetate.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative chronic disease that affects various tissues surrounding the joints, such as the subchondral bone and articular cartilage. The onset of OA is associated with uncontrolled catabolic and anabolic remodeling processes of the joints, including the cartilage and subchondral bone, to adapt to local biological and biochemical signals. In this study, we determined whether 70% ethanolic (EtOH) extract of Litsea japonica fruit (LJFE) had beneficial effects on the articular cartilage, including structural changes in the tibial subchondral bone, matrix degradation, and inflammatory responses, in OA by using a rat model of monosodium iodoacetate-induced OA. Our results showed that administration of LJFE increased the bone volume and cross-section thickness, but the mean number of objects per slice in this group was lower than that in the OA control (OAC) group. In addition, the LJFE decreased the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Compared to the OAC group, the group treated with high doses of LJFE (100 and 200 mg/kg) showed a more than 80% inhibition of the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. Our results suggest that LJFE can be used as a potential anti-osteoarthritic agent.

Characterization and pH-dependent substrate specificity of alkalophilic xylanase from Bacillus alcalophilus.

The gene of endo-beta-1-4 xylanase, xynT, was cloned from Bacillus alcalophilus AX2000 and expressed in Escherichia coli. This XynT, which belongs to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10, was found to have a molecular weight of approximately 37 kDa and exhibit optimal activity at pH 7-9 and 50 °C. It exhibits a high activity towards birchwood xylan and has the ability to bind avicel. Under optimal conditions, XynT hydrolyzes all xylooligomers into xylobiose as an end product with a preference for cleavage sites at the second or third glycosidic bond from the reducing end. XynT has a different substrate affinity on xylooligomers at pH 5.0, which contributes to its low activity toward xylotriose and its derived intermediate products. This low activity may be due to an unstable interaction with the amino acids that constitute subsites of the active site. Interestingly, the addition of Co(2+) and Mn(2+) led to a significant increase in activity by up to 40 and 50 %, respectively. XynT possesses a high binding affinity and hydrolytic activity toward the insoluble xylan, for which it exhibits high activity at pH 7-9, giving rise to its efficient biobleaching effect on Pinus densiflora kraft pulp.

Redistribution of Na(V)1.8 in uninjured axons enables neuropathic pain.

The underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain are poorly understood, and existing treatments are mostly ineffective. We recently demonstrated that antisense mediated "knock-down" of the sodium channel isoform, Na(V)1.8, reverses neuropathic pain behavior after L5/L6 spinal nerve ligation (SNL), implicating a critical functional role of Na(V)1.8 in the neuropathic state. Here we have investigated mechanisms through which Na(V)1.8 contributes to the expression of experimental neuropathic pain. Na(V)1.8 does not appear to contribute to neuropathic pain through an action in injured afferents because the channel is functionally downregulated in the cell bodies of injured neurons and does not redistribute to injured terminals. Although there was little change in Na(V)1.8 protein or functional channels in the cell bodies of uninjured neurons in L4 ganglia, there was a striking increase in Na(V)1.8 immunoreactivity along the sciatic nerve. The distribution of Na(V)1.8 reflected predominantly the presence of functional channels in unmyelinated axons. The C-fiber component of the sciatic nerve compound action potential (CAP) was resistant (>40%) to 100 microm TTX after SNL, whereas both A- and C-fiber components of sciatic nerve CAP were blocked (>90%) by 100 microm TTX in sham-operated rats or the contralateral sciatic nerve of SNL rats. Attenuating expression of Na(V)1.8 with antisense oligodeoxynucleotides prevented the redistribution of Na(V)1.8 in the sciatic nerve and reversed neuropathic pain. These observations suggest that aberrant activity in uninjured C-fibers is a necessary component of pain associated with partial nerve injury. They also suggest that blocking Na(V)1.8 would be an effective treatment of neuropathic pain.

Photodynamic effect of iron excess on photosystem II function in pea plants.

An earlier mechanistic phase of iron toxicity in photosynthetic cells was interpreted in terms of enhanced photodynamic action by the cytochrome b6/f complex (Cyt b6/f) via singlet oxygen (1O2) on the photosystem II complex (PS II). Iron excess was induced in hydroponically cultured pea (Pisum sativum L.) plants, and its effect on the function of PS II in vivo as well as in vitro was studied under high-irradiance conditions. Iron excess in plants gave rise to a significant increase in Cyt b6/f content of thylakoids. It appeared that the larger the content of Cyt b6/f, the more susceptible PS II was to photoinhibition, and the higher the rate of 1O2 photoproduction in thylakoids was. The action spectrum for degradation of the D1 protein in thylakoids revealed that photosensitization by nonporphyrin chromophore(s) was apparently associated with near UV to blue light-induced deterioration of PS II. The results are pertinent to the concept that photooxidative damage to PS 11, exacerbated by iron accumulation in thylakoid membranes in the form of Cyt b6/f, is involved in the mechanism of iron toxicity in leaf cells.

Inhibition of neuropathic pain by decreased expression of the tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channel, NaV1.8.

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating chronic syndrome that often arises from injuries to peripheral nerves. Such pain has been hypothesized to be the result of an aberrant expression and function of sodium channels at the site of injury. Here, we show that intrathecal administration of specific antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) to the peripheral tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant sodium channel, NaV1.8, resulted in a time-dependent uptake of the ODN by dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, a selective "knock-down" of the expression of NaV1.8, and a reduction in the slow-inactivating, TTX-resistant sodium current in the DRG cells. The ODN treatment also reversed neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve injury, without affecting non-noxious sensation or response to acute pain. These data provide direct evidence linking NaV1.8 to neuropathic pain. As NaV1.8 expression is restricted to sensory neurons, this channel offers a highly specific and effective molecular target for the treatment of neuropathic pain.