Ixeris dentata (Thunb) Nakai Ethylacetate Extract Attenuates Sterol Regulatory Element-Binding Proteins-1c via AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Activation

Purpose: To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of Ixeris dentataa extract (IDE) in the prevention of high glucose induced lipid accumulation in human HepG-2 hepatocytes.Methods: IDE extract was prepared by maceration in ethyl acetate. Its fractionation was carried out by column chromatography. HepG-2 cells were pretreated with various concentration of IDE (0, 10, 20, 40 and 80 μg/mL) and then treated with serum-free medium with normal glucose (5 mM) for 1 h, followed by exposure to high glucose (30 mM D-glucose) for 24 h. Cell viability and cytotoxicity parameters were measured using lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and MTT assay while triglyceride and total cholesterol levels were evaluated using respective enzymatic reagent kits. Protein expressional levels were analyzed by Western blotting.Results: IDE did not influence the cell viability (up to 200 μg/mL) and did not show any signs of cytotoxicity (up to 80 μg/mlL. IDE significantly attenuated lipid accumulation in human HepG2 hepatocytes when exposed to high glucose (30 mM D-glucose) in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05, 0.01 and 0.001 at 20, 40 and 80 μg/mL concentrations, respectively). Nile red staining showed that 10, 20, 40 and 80 μg/mL concentrations of IDE reduced lipid accumulation by 23.4, 34.8 (p < 0.05), 46.5 (p < 0.01) and 53.2 % (p < 0.001), respectively. The increased levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol were also attenuated by IDE (p < 0.001 at 80 μg/mL). Further, IDE attenuated the expression of fatty acid synthase and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase was also activated by IDE treatment when exposed to high glucose level (30 mM Dglucose) in human HepG2 hepatocytes.Conclusion: The findings indicate that IDE exerts hypolipidemic effect by inhibiting lipid biosynthesis, mediated via AMPK signaling. This probably explains the extract’s beneficial effect in various inflammation disorders.Keywords: Ixeris dentata extract, Lipogenesis, AMP-activated protein kinase, Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 -1, Anti-obesity, HepG-2 cel

In Vitro Chemosensitivity Using the Histoculture Drug Response Assay in Human Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The choice of chemotherapeutic drugs to treat patients with epithelial ovarian cancer has not depended on individual patient characteristics. We have investigated the correlation between in vitro chemosensitivity, as determined by the histoculture drug response assay (HDRA), and clinical responses in epithelial ovarian cancer. Fresh tissue samples were obtained from 79 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. The sensitivity of these samples to 11 chemotherapeutic agents was tested using the HDRA method according to established methods, and we analyzed the results retrospectively. HDRA showed that they were more chemosensitive to carboplatin, topotecan and belotecan, with inhibition rates of 49.2%, 44.7%, and 39.7%, respectively, than to cisplatin, the traditional drug of choice in epithelial ovarian cancer. Among the 37 patients with FIGO stage Ⅲ/Ⅳ serous adenocarcinoma who were receiving carboplatin combined with paclitaxel, those with carboplatin-sensitive samples on HDRA had a significantly longer median disease-free interval than patients with carboplatin- resistant samples (23.2 vs. 13.8 months, p＜0.05), but median overall survival did not differ significantly (60.4 vs. 37.3 months, p＝0.621). In conclusion, this study indicates that HDRA could provide useful information for designing individual treatment strategies in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

Indigofera tinctoria Linn (Fabaceae) attenuates cognitive and behavioral deficits in scopolamine-induced amnesic mice

Purpose: To investigate the cognition-enhancing effects of aqueous extract of Indigofera tinctoria Linn (ITE, Fabaceae) in experimental amnesic mice.Methods: Scopolamine (2 mg/kg, i.p.) was used to induce amnesia in mice. The cognitive-enhancing activity of the ITE (5, 10 and 20 μg/mL) was studied by passive avoidance response, elevated plus maze and Y-maze behavioral paradigm in normal and scopolamine-induced amnesic mice. Antioxidant activities were also determined based on the ability of ITE to inhibit lipid peroxide, superoxide and hydroxyl radicals.Results: Scopolamine-induced cognitive deficits were significantly reversed by ITE (p < 0.001 at 20 mg/kg) in a dose-dependent fashion in all the behavioral paradigms tested. Furthermore, ITE dosedependently scavenged lipid peroxide, superoxide and hydroxyl free radicals with 50 % inhibition concentration (IC50) of 7.28 ± 0.37, 5.25 ± 0.28 and 7.62 ± 0.43 μg/mL, respectively.Conclusion: ITE possesses cognitive-enhancing properties in amnesic mice due to its potent antioxidant action.Keywords: Indigofera tinctoria, Scopolamine, Lipid peroxidation, Amnesia, Antioxidant, Cognitio

Cuminum cyminum Linn (Apiaceae) extract attenuates MPTP-induced oxidative stress and behavioral impairments in mouse model of Parkinson’s disease

Purpose: To evaluate the protective effects of Cuminum cyminum Linn (Apiaceae, CCY) against 1- methyl-4 phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced oxidative stress and behavioral impairments in mouse model of Parkinson’s disease (PD).Methods: MPTP-intoxicated mice model of PD was used for evaluating the effect of CCY extract on behavioral deficits through rota rod, passive avoidance and open field tasks. The effect of CCY extract on oxidative stress levels were assessed by estimating enzyme status, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and lipid peroxidation(LPO) in brain tissues of MPTP-induced mice.Results: MPTP (25 mg/kg, i.p.)-treated mice resulted in a significant (p < 0.001) behavioral deficit in locomotor behavior (from 56.24 ± 1.21 to 27.64 ± 0.94) and cognitive functions (from 298 ± 3.68 s to 207.28 ± 4.12 s) compared with their respective control groups. Administration of CCY extract (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg, p.o.) for three weeks significantly and dose-dependently improved (p < 0.001 at 300 mg/kg) locomotor and cognitive deficits in MPTP-treated mice. CCY treatment also significantly (p < 0.001 at 300 mg/kg) inhibited MPTP-induced decrease in antioxidant enzyme levels (superoxide dismutase and catalase) and lipid peroxides in mice brain tissues.Conclusion: CCY extract exhibits strong protection against MPTP-induced behavioral deficit through enhancement of antioxidant defense mechanisms. Therefore, CCY may be developed as a therapeutic strategy in the treatment of neurodegeneration seen in PD.Keywords: Cuminum cyminum, Neurodegeneration, Catalase, Superoxide dismutase, Oxidative stress, Parkinson’s diseas

Anti-oxidative and anti-neuroinflammatory effects of ethyl acetate extract fractions of Suaeda asparagoides MIq

Purpose: To evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and anti-neuroinflammatory effects of Suaeda asparagoides ethylacetate extract (SAE) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells.Methods: The antioxidative activity of SAE was evaluated by measuring 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity  spectrometrometrically. Cell viability was evaluated by 3-(4, 5- dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5- diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, while LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglia were used to study the expression and production of inflammatory mediators, including nitric oxide (NO), inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-α).Results: Pretreatment with SAE prior to LPS treatment significantly inhibited excessive production of NO (p < 0.001 at 20, 40, 80 and 100 μg/mL) in a dose-dependent manner, and was associated with down-regulation of expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). SAE also suppressed the LPSinduced increase in TNF-α level (p < 0.01at concentrations of 40 and 80 μg/mL) in BV-2 cells. Furthermore, DPPH-generated free radicals were inhibited by SAE in a concentration-dependent manner.Conclusion: These results indicate that SAE possesses strong anti-oxidant properties, and inhibits excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators, including NO, iNOS and TNF-α, in LPS-stimulated BV-2 cellsKeywords: Suaeda asparagoides, DPPH, Anti-inflammatory activity, Microglial cells, iNOS, TNF-

Prediction Data Processing Scheme using an Artificial Neural Network and Data Clustering for Big Data

Various types of derivative information have been increasing exponentially, based on mobile devices and social networking sites (SNSs), and the information technologies utilizing them have also been developing rapidly. Technologies to classify and analyze such information are as important as data generation. This study concentrates on data clustering through principal component analysis and K-means algorithms to analyze and classify user data efficiently. We propose a technique of changing the cluster choice before cluster processing in the existing K-means practice into a variable cluster choice through principal component analysis, and expanding the scope of data clustering. The technique also applies an artificial neural network learning model for user recommendation and prediction from the clustered data. The proposed processing model for predicted data generated results that improved the existing artificial neural network–based data clustering and learning model by approximately 9.25%

Quantum dots based photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Photocatalytic production of hydrogen from water can directly convert solar energy into chemical energy storage, which has significant advantages and great promise. As an emerging photosensitizer, the efficiency of quantum dots (QDs) based artificial photosynthetic system have made breakthroughs. In this review, we will give a summary of the development of QDs based photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in these years. First, we highlight different types of hydrogen evolution catalyst combined with QDs; then we focus on the surface modification and heterostructure formation of QDs to improve the photocatalytic efficiency, respectively. In the end, we will propose some Cd‐free QDs and future development of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution