Elevated plasma level of visfatin/pre-b cell colony-enhancing factor in male oral squamous cell carcinoma patients

Objectives: Visfatin, also known as nicotiamide phosphoribosyltransferase or pre-B cell colony enhancing factor, is a pro-inflammatory cytokine whose serum level is increased in various cancers. In this study, we investigated whether plasma visfatin levels were altered in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The relation ship between plasma visfatin levels and the pretreatment hematologic profile was also explored. Study Design: Plasma visfatin concentrations were measured through ELISA in OSCC patients and control sub- D esign: Plasma visfatin concentrations were measured through ELISA in OSCC patients and control sub- esign: Plasma visfatin concentrations were measured through ELISA in OSCC patients and control sub jects. A total of 51 patients with OSCC and 57 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched control subjects were studied. All study subjects were male. Results: Plasma visfatin was found to be elevated in patients with OSCC (7.0 ± 4.5 vs. 4.8 ± 1.9 ng/ml, p = 0.002). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed visfatin as an independent association factor for OSCC, even after full adjustment of known biomarkers. Visfatin level was significantly correlated with white blood cell (WBC) count, neutrophil count, and hematocrit (all p < 0.05). In addition, WBC count, neutrophil count, and visfatin gradually increased with stage progression, and hematocrit gradually decreased with stage progression (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: Increased plasma visfatin levels were associated with OSCC, independent of risk factors, and were cor related with inflammatory biomarkers. These data suggest that visfatin may act through inflammatory reactions to play an important role in the pathogenesis of OSC

Evaluation of Cinnamomum osmophloeum

Cinnamomum osmophloeum Kanehira belongs to the Lauraceae family of Taiwan’s endemic plants. In this study, C. osmophloeum Kanehira extract has shown inhibition of tyrosinase activity on B16-F10 cellular system first. Whether extracts inhibited mushroom tyrosinase activity was tested, and a considerable inhibition of mushroom tyrosinase activity by in vitro assays was presented. Animal experiments of C. osmophloeum Kanehira were carried out by observing animal wound repair, and the extracts had greater wound healing power than the vehicle control group (petroleum jelly with 8% DMSO, w/v). In addition, the antioxidant capacity of C. osmophloeum Kanehira extracts in vitro was evaluated. We measured C. osmophloeum Kanehira extract’s free radical scavenging capability, metal chelating, and reduction power, such as biochemical activity analysis. The results showed that a high concentration of C. osmophloeum Kanehira extract had a significant scavenging capability of free radical, a minor effect of chelating ability, and moderate reducing power. Further exploration of the possible physiological mechanisms and the ingredient components of skincare product for skin-whitening, wound repair, or antioxidative agents are to be done

Look, the World is Watching How We Treat Migrants! The Making of the Anti-Trafficking Legislation during the Ma Administration

Employing the spiral model, this research analyses how anti-human trafficking legislation was promulgated during the Ma Ying-jeou (Ma Yingjiu) presidency. This research found that the gov- ernment of Taiwan was just as accountable for the violation of mi- grants’ human rights as the exploitive placement agencies and abusive employers. This research argues that, given its reliance on the United States for political and security support, Taiwan has made great ef- forts to improve its human rights records and meet US standards for protecting human rights. The reform was a result of multilevel inputs, including US pressure and collaboration between transnational and domestic advocacy groups. A major contribution of this research is to challenge the belief that human rights protection is intrinsic to dem- ocracy. In the same light, this research also cautions against Taiwan’s subscription to US norms since the reform was achieved at the cost of stereotyping trafficking victimhood, legitimising state surveillance, and further marginalising sex workers

Glossogyne Tenuifolia Enhances Posttranslational S-Nitrosylation of Proteins in Vascular Endothelial Cells

Glossogyne tenuifolia (GT) is a traditional Chinese herb that possesses strong antioxidant activity and protects against endothelial cell (EC) injury by inhibition of free reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which GT prevents endothelial injury using a proteomics approach. We used a sensitive method to analyze the S- nitrosoproteins utilizing a modified biotin-switch method in order to detect the possible effects of GT on protein posttranslational modification. After treatment of vascular ECs with GT, two proteins HspA9 (IS1), beta-actin (IS2) were observed to have increased posttranslational S-nitrosylation, whereas seven proteins, vimentin (DS2, DS3 and DS5), tropomyosin 3, 4 (DS6 and DS7) and oxidative phosphorylation protein such as ATP synthase, F1 complex (DS1) and 80K-H protein (DS4), were found to have decreased posttranslational S-nitrosylation. Due to S-nitrosylation of HspA9 causing the reduction of intracellular ROS and S-nitrosylation of ATP synthase interfering with ATP production and ROS formation, our study may indicate a novel mechanism in which GT protects EC injury by the inhibition of oxidative reaction

Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Siegesbeckia orientalis Ethanol Extract in In Vitro and In Vivo Models

This study aims to investigate the anti-inflammatory responses and mechanisms of Siegesbeckia orientalis ethanol extract (SOE). In cell culture experiments, RAW264.7 cells were pretreated with SOE and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for inflammatory mediators assay. In animal experiments, mice were tube-fed with SOE for 1 week, and s.c. injected with λ-carrageenan or i.p. injected with LPS to simulate inflammation. The degree of paw edema was assessed, and cytokine profile in sera and mouse survival were recorded. Data showed that SOE significantly reduced NO, IL-6, and TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that mice supplemented with 32 mg SOE/kg BW/day significantly lowered sera IL-6 level and resulted a higher survival rate compared to the control group (P=0.019). Furthermore, SOE inhibited LPS-induced NF-κB activation by blocking the degradation of IκB-α. The SOE also reduced significantly the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38, and JNK in a dose-dependent manner. In summary, the in vitro and in vivo evidence indicate that SOE can attenuate acute inflammation by inhibiting inflammatory mediators via suppression of MAPKs- and NF-κB-dependent pathways

Anti-Proliferative Effects of Siegesbeckia orientalis Ethanol Extract on Human Endometrial RL-95 Cancer Cells

Endometrial cancer is a common malignancy of the female genital tract. This study demonstrates that Siegesbeckia orientalis ethanol extract (SOE) significantly inhibited the proliferation of RL95-2 human endometrial cancer cells. Treating RL95-2 cells with SOE caused cell arrest in the G2/M phase and induced apoptosis of RL95-2 cells by up-regulating Bad, Bak and Bax protein expression and down-regulation of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL protein expression. Treatment with SOE increased protein expression of caspase-3, -8 and -9 dose-dependently, indicating that apoptosis was through the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways. Moreover, SOE was also effective against A549 (lung cancer), Hep G2 (hepatoma), FaDu (pharynx squamous cancer), MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer), and especially on LNCaP (prostate cancer) cell lines. In total, 10 constituents of SOE were identified by Gas chromatography-mass analysis. Caryophyllene oxide and caryophyllene are largely responsible for most cytotoxic activity of SOE against RL95-2 cells. Overall, this study suggests that SOE is a promising anticancer agent for treating endometrial cancer

Siegesbeckia orientalis Extract Inhibits TGFβ1-Induced Migration and Invasion of Endometrial Cancer Cells

Type II endometrial carcinoma typically exhibits aggressive metastasis and results in a poor prognosis. Siegesbeckia orientalis Linne is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb with several medicinal benefits, including the cytotoxicity against various cancers. This study investigates the inhibitory effects of S. orientalis ethanol extract (SOE) on the migration and invasion of endometrial cancer cells, which were stimulated by transforming growth factor β (TGFβ). The inhibitory effects were evaluated by determining wound healing and performing the Boyden chamber assay. This study reveals that SOE can inhibit TGFβ1-induced cell wound healing, cell migration, and cell invasion in a dose-dependent manner in RL95-2 and HEC-1A endometrial cancer cells. SOE also reversed the TGFβ1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition, including the loss of the cell-cell junction and the lamellipodia-like structures. Western blot analysis revealed that SOE inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and Akt, as well as the expression of MMP-9, MMP-2, and u-PA in RL95-2 cells dose-dependently. The results of this investigation suggest that SOE is a potential anti-metastatic agent against human endometrial tumors

Tetrandrine Suppresses Human Brain Glioblastoma GBM 8401/<i>luc2</i> Cell-Xenografted Subcutaneous Tumors in Nude Mice In Vivo

Tetrandrine (TET), a bisbenzylisoquinoline (BBI) alkaloid, is isolated from the plant Stephania tetrandra S. Moore and has a wide range of biological activity, including anticancer properties in vitro and in vivo. At first, we established a luciferase-expressing stable clone that was named GBM 8401/luc2 cells. Herein, the primary results indicated that TET reduced the total cell viability and induced cell apoptosis in GBM 8401/luc2 human glioblastoma cells. However, there is no available information showing that TET suppresses glioblastoma cells in vivo. Thus, we investigated the effects and mechanisms of TET on a GBM 8401/luc2 cell-generated tumor in vivo. After the tumor volume reached 100–120 mm3 in subcutaneously xenografted nude mice, all of the mice were randomly divided into three groups: Group I was treated with phosphate-buffered solution (PBS) containing 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide, Group II with 25 mg/kg of TET, and Group III with 50 mg/kg of TET. All mice were given the oral treatment of PBS or TET by gavage for 21 days, and the body weight and tumor volumes were recorded every 5 days. After treatment, individual tumors, kidneys, livers, and spleens were isolated from each group. The results showed that TET did not affect the body weights, but it significantly decreased the tumor volumes. The TET treatment at 50 mg/kg had a two-fold decrease in tumor volumes than that at 25 mg/kg when compared to the control. TET decreased the total photon flux, and treatment with TET at 50 mg/kg had a lower total photon flux than that at 25 mg/kg, as measured by a Xenogen IVIS imaging system. Moreover, the higher TET treatment had lower tumor volumes and weights than those of the lower dose. The apoptosis-associated protein expression in the tumor section was examined by immunohistochemical analysis, and the results showed that TET treatment reduced the levels of c-FLIP, MCL-1, and XIAP but increased the signals of cleaved-caspase-3, -8, and -9. Furthermore, the hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining of kidney, liver, and spleen tissues showed no significant difference between the TET-treated and control groups. Overall, these observations demonstrated that TET suppressed subcutaneous tumor growth in a nude-mice model via the induction of cell apoptosis

MOESM1 of Glossogyne tenuifolia (Hsiang-ju) extract suppresses T cell activation by inhibiting activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase

Additional file 1. Documentation of permission of research ethic protocol