Luteolin decreases IGF-II production and downregulates insulin-like growth factor-I receptor signaling in HT-29 human colon cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Luteolin is a 3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone found in various fruits and vegetables. We have shown previously that luteolin reduces HT-29 cell growth by inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. The objective of this study was to examine whether luteolin downregulates the insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) signaling pathway in HT-29 cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In order to assess the effects of luteolin and/or IGF-I on the IGF-IR signaling pathway, cells were cultured with or without 60 μmol/L luteolin and/or 10 nmol/L IGF-I. Cell proliferation, DNA synthesis, and IGF-IR mRNA levels were evaluated by a cell viability assay, [³H]thymidine incorporation assays, and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Western blot analyses, immunoprecipitation, and <it>in vitro </it>kinase assays were conducted to evaluate the secretion of IGF-II, the protein expression and activation of IGF-IR, and the association of the p85 subunit of phophatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) with IGF-IR, the phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)1/2, and cell division cycle 25c (CDC25c), and PI3K activity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Luteolin (0 - 60 μmol/L) dose-dependently reduced the IGF-II secretion of HT-29 cells. IGF-I stimulated HT-29 cell growth but did not abrogate luteolin-induced growth inhibition. Luteolin reduced the levels of the IGF-IR precursor protein and IGF-IR transcripts. Luteolin reduced the IGF-I-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of IGF-IR and the association of p85 with IGF-IR. Additionally, luteolin inhibited the activity of PI3K activity as well as the phosphorylation of Akt, ERK1/2, and CDC25c in the presence and absence of IGF-I stimulation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present results demonstrate that luteolin downregulates the activation of the PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 pathways via a reduction in IGF-IR signaling in HT-29 cells; this may be one of the mechanisms responsible for the observed luteolin-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.</p

Thermoelectric properties of Cu-dispersed bi0.5sb1.5te3

A novel and simple approach was used to disperse Cu nanoparticles uniformly in the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix, and the thermoelectric properties were evaluated for the Cu-dispersed Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3. Polycrystalline Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 powder prepared by encapsulated melting and grinding was dry-mixed with Cu(OAc)2 powder. After Cu(OAc)2 decomposition, the Cu-dispersed Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 was hot-pressed. Cu nanoparticles were well-dispersed in the Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 matrix and acted as effective phonon scattering centers. The electrical conductivity increased systematically with increasing level of Cu nanoparticle dispersion. All specimens had a positive Seebeck coefficient, which confirmed that the electrical charge was transported mainly by holes. The thermoelectric figure of merit was enhanced remarkably over a wide temperature range of 323-523 K

Evidence for B- -> tau- nu_bar with a Semileptonic Tagging Method

We present a measurement of the decay B- -> tau- nu_bar using a data sample containing 657 million BB_bar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. A sample of BB_bar pairs are tagged by reconstructing one B meson decaying semileptonically. We detect the B- -> tau- nu_bar candidate in the recoil. We obtain a signal with a significance of 3.6 standard deviations including systematic uncertainties, and measure the branching fraction to be Br(B- -> tau- nu_bar) = [1.54+0.38-0.37(stat)+0.29-0.31(syst)]*10^-4. This result confirms the evidence for B- -> tau- nu_bar obtained in a previous Belle measurement that used a hadronic B tagging method.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, corrected references, to appear in PRD-R

A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness and Safety of Prephase Steroid Treatment before Remission Induction Chemotherapy in Patients with Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using Common Data Model-Based Real-World Data: A Retrospective Observational Study

Yoona Choi,1,2,&ast; Bo Kyung Kim,3,4,&ast; Jung-Hyun Won,2,5 Jae Won Yoo,6 Wona Choi,7 Surin Jung,7 Jae Yoon Kim,7,8 In Young Choi,7 Nack-Gyun Chung,6 Jae Wook Lee,6 Jung Yoon Choi,3,4 Hyoung Jin Kang,3,4,9 Howard Lee1,2,5,10,11 1Department of Applied Bioengineering, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 2Center for Convergence Approaches in Drug Development, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 3Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 4Seoul National University Cancer Research Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 5Department of Molecular Medicine and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 6Department of Pediatrics, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 7Department of Medical Informatics, College of Medicine, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 8Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, the Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 9Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 10Advanced Institutes of Convergence Technology, Suwon, Republic of Korea; 11Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Howard Lee, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul National University Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea, Email [email protected] Hyoung Jin Kang, Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea, Email [email protected]: Rapid reduction of leukemic cells in the bone marrow during remission induction chemotherapy (RIC) can lead to significant complications such as tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). We investigated whether prephase steroid treatment before RIC could decrease TLS incidence and improve overall survival in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).Methods: Data were extracted from the Common Data Model databases in two tertiary-care hospitals in Seoul, South Korea. Patients were classified into the treated or untreated group if they had received RIC with prephase steroid treatment ≥ 7 days before RIC in 2012– 2021 or not, respectively. Stabilized Inverse Probability of Treatment Weighting (sIPTW) was applied to ensure compatibility between the treated and untreated groups. The incidence of TLS within 14 days of starting RIC, overall survival (OS), and the incidence of adverse events of special interest were the primary endpoints. Multiple sensitivity analyses were performed.Results: Baseline characteristics were effectively balanced between the treated (n=308.4) and untreated (n=246.6) groups after sIPTW. Prephase steroid treatment was associated with a significant 88% reduction in the risk of TLS (OR 0.12, 95% CI: 0.03– 0.41). OS was numerically greater in the treated group than in the untreated group although the difference was not statistically significant (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.25– 1.64). The treated group experienced significantly elevated risks for hyperbilirubinemia and hyperglycemia. The reduction in TLS risk by prephase steroid treatment was maintained in all of the sensitivity analyses.Conclusion: Prephase steroid treatment for ≥ 7 days before RIC in pediatric patients with ALL reduces the risk of TLS, while careful monitoring for toxicities is necessary. If adequately analyzed, real-world data can provide crucial effectiveness and safety information for proper management of pediatric patients with ALL, for whom prospective randomized studies may be difficult to perform for ethical and practical reasons.Keywords: pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia, tumor lysis syndrome, remission induction chemotherapy, prephase steroid treatment, common data mode

Optimal synthesis and characterization of Ag nanofluids by electrical explosion of wires in liquids

Silver nanoparticles were produced by electrical explosion of wires in liquids with no additive. In this study, we optimized the fabrication method and examined the effects of manufacturing process parameters. Morphology and size of the Ag nanoparticles were determined using transmission electron microscopy and field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Size and zeta potential were analyzed using dynamic light scattering. A response optimization technique showed that optimal conditions were achieved when capacitance was 30 μF, wire length was 38 mm, liquid volume was 500 mL, and the liquid type was deionized water. The average Ag nanoparticle size in water was 118.9 nm and the zeta potential was -42.5 mV. The critical heat flux of the 0.001-vol.% Ag nanofluid was higher than pure water

Studies of the Decay B+- -> D_CP K+-

We report studies of the decay B+- -> D_CP K+-, where D_CP denotes neutral D mesons that decay to CP eigenstates. The analysis is based on a 29.1/fb data sample of collected at the \Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e+ e- storage ring. Ratios of branching fractions of Cabibbo-suppressed to Cabibbo-favored processes involving D_CP are determined to be B(B- -> D_1 K-)/B(B- -> D_1 pi-)=0.125 +- 0.036 +- 0.010 and B(B- -> D_2 K-)/B(B- -> D_2 pi-)=0.119 +- 0.028 +- 0.006, where indices 1 and 2 represent the CP=+1 and CP=-1 eigenstates of the D0 - anti D0 system, respectively. We also extract the partial rate asymmetries for B+- -> D_CP K+-, finding A_1 = 0.29 +- 0.26 +- 0.05 and A_2 = -0.22 +- 0.24 +- 0.04.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter

In vivo STED microscopy visualizes morphological changes of large PSD95 assemblies over several hours in the mouse visual cortex

Abstract The post-synaptic density (PSD) is an electron dense region consisting of ~1000 proteins, found at the postsynaptic membrane of excitatory synapses, which varies in size depending upon synaptic strength. PSD95 is an abundant scaffolding protein in the PSD and assembles a family of supercomplexes comprised of neurotransmitter receptors, ion channels, as well as signalling and structural proteins. We use superresolution STED (STimulated Emission Depletion) nanoscopy to determine the size and shape of PSD95 in the anaesthetised mouse visual cortex. Adult knock-in mice expressing eGFP fused to the endogenous PSD95 protein were imaged at time points from 1 min to 6 h. Superresolved large assemblies of PSD95 show different sub-structures; most large assemblies were ring-like, some horse-shoe or figure-8 shaped, and shapes were continuous or made up of nanoclusters. The sub-structure appeared stable during the shorter (minute) time points, but after 1 h, more than 50% of the large assemblies showed a change in sub-structure. Overall, these data showed a sub-morphology of large PSD95 assemblies which undergo changes within the 6 hours of observation in the anaesthetised mouse

Serial interferon-gamma release assays during treatment of active tuberculosis in young adults

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of interferon-γ release assay (IGRA) in monitoring responses to anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment is not clear. We evaluated the results of the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube (QFT-GIT) assay over time during the anti-TB treatment of adults with no underlying disease.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We enrolled soldiers who were newly diagnosed with active TB and admitted to the central referral military hospital in South Korea between May 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. For each participant, we preformed QFT-GIT assay before treatment (baseline) and at 1, 3, and 6 months after initiating anti-TB medication.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 67 eligible patients, 59 (88.1%) completed the study protocol. All participants were males who were human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative and had no chronic diseases. Their median age was 21 years (range, 20-48). Initially, 57 (96.6%) patients had positive QFT-GIT results, and 53 (89.8%), 42 (71.2%), and 39 (66.1%) had positive QFT-GIT results at 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. The IFN-γ level at baseline was 5.31 ± 5.34 IU/ml, and the levels at 1, 3, and 6 months were 3.95 ± 4.30, 1.82 ± 2.14, and 1.50 ± 2.12 IU/ml, respectively. All patients had clinical and radiologic improvements after treatment and were cured. A lower IFN-γ level, C-reactive protein ≥ 3 mg/dl, and the presence of fever (≥ 38.3°C) at diagnosis were associated with negative reversion of the QFT-GIT assay.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the IFN-γ level measured by QFT-GIT assay decreased after successful anti-TB treatment in most participants, less than half of them exhibited QFT-GIT reversion. Thus, the reversion to negativity of the QFT-GIT assay may not be a good surrogate for treatment response in otherwise healthy young patients with TB.</p

Gene Flow between the Korean Peninsula and Its Neighboring Countries

SNP markers provide the primary data for population structure analysis. In this study, we employed whole-genome autosomal SNPs as a marker set (54,836 SNP markers) and tested their possible effects on genetic ancestry using 320 subjects covering 24 regional groups including Northern ( = 16) and Southern ( = 3) Asians, Amerindians ( = 1), and four HapMap populations (YRI, CEU, JPT, and CHB). Additionally, we evaluated the effectiveness and robustness of 50K autosomal SNPs with various clustering methods, along with their dependencies on recombination hotspots (RH), linkage disequilibrium (LD), missing calls and regional specific markers. The RH- and LD-free multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) method showed a broad picture of human migration from Africa to North-East Asia on our genome map, supporting results from previous haploid DNA studies. Of the Asian groups, the East Asian group showed greater differentiation than the Northern and Southern Asian groups with respect to Fst statistics. By extension, the analysis of monomorphic markers implied that nine out of ten historical regions in South Korea, and Tokyo in Japan, showed signs of genetic drift caused by the later settlement of East Asia (South Korea, Japan and China), while Gyeongju in South East Korea showed signs of the earliest settlement in East Asia. In the genome map, the gene flow to the Korean Peninsula from its neighboring countries indicated that some genetic signals from Northern populations such as the Siberians and Mongolians still remain in the South East and West regions, while few signals remain from the early Southern lineages

The effect of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on the recovery of bladder and hindlimb function after spinal cord contusion in rats

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Mesenchymal stem cells are widely used for transplantation into the injured spinal cord in vivo model and for safety, many human clinical trials are continuing to promote improvements of motor and sensory functions after spinal cord injury. Yet the exact mechanism for these improvements remains undefined. Neurogenic bladder following spinal cord injury is the main problem decreasing the quality of life for patients with spinal cord injury, but there are no clear data using stem cell transplantation for the improvement of neurogenic bladder for in vivo studies and the clinical setting.</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to delineate the effect of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSCs) transplantation on the restoration of neurogenic bladder and impaired hindlimb function after spinal cord contusion of rats and the relationship between neurotrophic factors such as brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and bladder and hindlimb functions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Modified moderate contusion injury were performed on the thoracic spinal cord of Sprague-Dawley rats using MASCIS impactor and hMSCs, human fibroblasts or phosphate-buffered saline were transplanted into injured spinal cord 9 days after injury for hMSC and two control groups respectively. Ladder test showed more rapid restoration of hindlimb function in hMSC group than in control group, but Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan score and coupling score were not different significantly among hMSC and two control groups. Neurogenic bladder was not improved in either group. ED1 positive macrophages were significantly reduced in hMSC group than in two control groups, but ELISA and RT-PCR studies revealed BDNF and NT-3 levels in spinal cord and bladder were not different among hMSC and two control groups regardless the experimental duration.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>hMSC transplantation was effective in reducing inflammatory reaction after spinal cord contusion of rats but not sufficient to recover locomotor and bladder dysfunction. BDNF and NT-3 levels in the spinal cord and bladder were not increased 28 and 56 days after hMSC transplantation.</p