Cytotoxic Effect of the Genus Sinularia Extracts on Human SCC25 and HaCaT Cells

Soft corals of the genus Sinularia are being increasingly adopted to treat a wide variety of disease processes. However, the mechanism underlying its activity against human oral cancer cells is poorly understood. This study evaluates the cyototoxicity effects of the genus Sinularia extracts (S. grandilobata, S. parva, S. triangula, S. scabra, S. nanolobata and S. gibberosa) by SCC25 and HaCaT cells. The cell adhesion assay indicates that extracts reduce the cell attachment. Extracts exhibit a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect using MTS assay.Treatment of extracts to observe the morphological alterations in cells, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation, and apoptotic bodies is demonstrated. Flow cytometry shows that extracts sensitized the cells in the G0/G1 and G2/M phases with a concomitant significantly increased sub-G1 fraction, suggesting cell death by apoptosis. Extracts of the genus Sinularia thus apparently cause apoptosis of SCC25 and HaCaT cells, and warrant further research investigating the possible antioral cancer compounds in these soft corals

Correlation between Pineal Activation and Religious Meditation Observed by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The human brain possesses plenty of functions but little is known about its scientific relationship with mind and spirit. Conferences^1,2^ focused on the connection between science and religion were held very recently in which neuroscientists, Buddhist scholars and Dalai Lama discussed attention, mental imagery, emotion, mind, brain functions and meditation, suggesting religious meditation offers an effective means to investigate the mystery of mind and spirit. In the past decade, scientists struggled to obtain brain mappings for various meditation styles using different brain imaging techniques and stimulating results have been observed^3-17^. In this letter we report that, together with other brain regions, pineal body exhibit significant activation during meditation process, supporting the long lasting speculation that pineal plays an important role in the intrinsic awareness which might concern spirit or soul. Pineal is known as an endocrine organ which produces substrates including melatonin and has been ascribed numerous even mysterious functions but its activation during meditation has never been observed by brain imaging technique. In seventeenth century, based on anatomic observation, Descartes ventured to suggest that pineal serves as the principal seat of the soul^18-20^. Inspired by its geometric center in the brain, physiologists, psychologists, philosophers and religionists have been speculating for centuries about pineal's function relevant to spirit and soul. In this study, we chose Chinese Original Quiet Sitting, one style of meditation, to explore this long lasting speculation by functional magnetic resonance imaging technique. Our results demonstrate a correlation between pineal activation and religious meditation which might have profound implications in physiological understanding of the intrinsic awareness

Different Brain Network Activations Induced by Modulation and Nonmodulation Laser Acupuncture

The aim of this study is to compare the distinct cerebral activation with continued wave (CW) and 10 Hz-modulated wave (MW) stimulation during low-level laser acupuncture. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were performed to investigate the possible mechanism during laser acupuncture stimulation at the left foot's yongquan (K1) acupoint. There are 12 healthy right-handed volunteers for each type of laser stimulation (10-Hz-Modulated wave: 8 males and 4 females; continued wave: 9 males and 3 females). The analysis of multisubjects in this experiment was applied by random-effect (RFX) analysis. In CW groups, significant activations were found within the inferior parietal lobule, the primary somatosensory cortex, and the precuneus of left parietal lobe. Medial and superior frontal gyrus of left frontal lobe were also aroused. In MW groups, significant activations were found within the primary motor cortex and middle temporal gyrus of left hemisphere and bilateral cuneus. Placebo stimulation did not show any activation. Most activation areas were involved in the functions of memory, attention, and self-consciousness. The results showed the cerebral hemodynamic responses of two laser acupuncture stimulation modes and implied that its mechanism was not only based upon afferent sensory information processing, but that it also had the hemodynamic property altered during external stimulation

pH-Sensing Characteristics of Hydrothermal Al-Doped ZnO Nanostructures

Highly sensitive and stable pH-sensing properties of an extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) based on the aluminum-doped ZnO (AZO) nanostructures have been demonstrated. The AZO nanostructures with different Al concentrations were synthesized on AZO/glass substrate via a simple hydrothermal growth method at 85°C. The AZO sensing nanostructures were connected with the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET). Afterwards, the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics and the sensing properties of the pH-EGFET sensors were obtained in different buffer solutions, respectively. As a result, the pH-sensing characteristics of AZO nanostructured pH-EGFET sensors with Al dosage of 3 at.% can exhibit the higher sensitivity of 57.95 mV/pH, the larger linearity of 0.9998, the smaller deviation of 0.023 in linearity, the lower drift rate of 1.27 mV/hour, and the lower threshold voltage of 1.32 V with a wider sensing range (pH 1 ~ pH 13). Hence, the outstanding stability and durability of AZO nanostructured ionic EGFET sensors are attractive for the electrochemical application of flexible and disposable biosensor

Food Supplement 20070721-GX May Increase CD34+ Stem Cells and Telomerase Activity

Few rejuvenation and antiaging markers are used to evaluate food supplements. We measured three markers in peripheral blood to evaluate the antiaging effects of a food supplement containing placental extract. Samples were evaluated for CD34+ cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and telomerase activity, which are all markers related to aging. To control the quality of this food supplement, five active components were monitored. In total, we examined 44 individuals who took the food supplement from 1.2 months to 23 months; the average number of CD34+ cells was almost 6-fold higher in the experimental group compared with the control group. Food supplement intake did not change serum IGF1 levels significantly. Finally, the average telomerase activity was 30% higher in the subjects taking this food supplement. In summary, our results suggest that the placental extract in the food supplement might contribute to rejuvenation and antiaging

Association of exposure to air pollutants with gestational diabetes mellitus in Chiayi City, Taiwan

IntroductionWe investigated the associations of exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and several gaseous pollutants with risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in Taiwan.MethodsWe retrospectively identified pregnant women who underwent a two-step approach to screen for GDM between 2006 and 2014. Information on concentrations of air pollutants (including PM2.5, sulfur dioxide [SO2], nitrogen oxides [NOx], and ozone [O3]) were collected from a single fixed-site monitoring station. We conducted logistic regression analyses to determine the associations between exposure to air pollutants and risk of GDM.ResultsA total of 11210 women were analyzed, and 705 were diagnosed with GDM. Exposure to PM2.5 during the second trimester was associated with a nearly 50% higher risk of GDM (odds ratio [OR] 1.47, 95% CI 0.96 to 2.24, p=0.077). The associations were consistent in the two-pollutant model (PM2.5 + SO2 [OR 1.73, p=0.038], PM2.5 + NOx [OR 1.52, p=0.064], PM2.5 + O3 [OR 1.96, p=0.015]), and were more prominent in women with age <30 years and body mass index <25 kg/m2 (interaction p values <0.01).DiscussionExposure to PM2.5 was associated with risk of GDM, especially in women who were younger or had a normal body mass index

Sarcocrassocolides M–O, Bioactive Cembranoids from the Dongsha Atoll Soft Coral Sarcophyton crassocaule

Three new cembranoids, sarcocrassocolides M–O (1–3), have been isolated from the soft coral Sarcophyton crassocaule. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1–3 were shown to exhibit moderate cytotoxicity toward a limited panel of cancer cell lines and display significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells by inhibiting the expression of the iNOS protein

Lobocrassins A–E: New Cembrane-Type Diterpenoids from the Soft Coral Lobophytum crassum

Five new cembrane-type diterpenoids, lobocrassins A–E (1–5), were isolated from the soft coral Lobophytum crassum. The structures of cembranes 1–5 were established by spectroscopic and chemical methods and by comparison of the spectral data with those of known cembrane analogues. Lobocrassin A (1) is the first cembranoid possessing an α-chloromethyl-α-hydroxy-γ-lactone functionality and is the first chlorinated cembranoid from soft corals belonging to the genus Lobophytum. Lobocrassins B (2) and C (3) were found to be the stereoisomers of the known cembranes, 14-deoxycrassin (6) and pseudoplexaurol (7), respectively. Lobocrassin B (2) exhibited modest cytotoxicity toward K562, CCRF-CEM, Molt4, and HepG2 tumor cells and displayed significant inhibitory effects on the generation of superoxide anion and the release of elastase by human neutrophils

Natural Product Chemistry of Gorgonian Corals of Genus Junceella—Part II

The structures, names, bioactivities, and references of 81 new secondary metabolites obtained from gorgonian corals belonging to the genus Junceella are described in this review. All compounds mentioned in this review were obtained from sea whip gorgonian corals Junceella fragilis and Junceella juncea, collected from the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific Ocean

Nardosinane-Type Sesquiterpenoids from the Formosan Soft Coral Paralemnalia thyrsoides

Five new nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids, paralemnolins Q–U (1–5), along with three known compounds (6–8), were isolated from the Formosan soft coral Paralemnalia thyrsoides. The structures of new metabolites were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by the application of Mosher’s method on 1. Among these metabolites, 1 and 3 are rarely found nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids, possessing novel polycyclic structures. Compounds 1, 3, 6 and 7 were found to possess neuroprotective activity