Anti-cancer activities of allyl isothiocyanate and its conjugated silicon quantum dots

Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a dietary phytochemical in some cruciferous vegetables, exhibits promising anticancer activities in many cancer models. However, previous data showed AITC to have a biphasic effect on cell viability, DNA damage and migration in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Moreover, in a 3D co-culture of HUVEC with pericytes, it inhibited tube formation at high doses but promoted this at low doses, which confirmed its biphasic effect on angiogenesis. siRNA knockdown of Nrf2 and glutathione inhibition abolished the stimulation effect of AITC on cell migration and DNA damage. The biological activity of a novel AITC-conjugated silicon quantum dots (AITC-SiQDs) has been investigated for the first time. AITC-SiQDs showed similar anti-cancer properties to AITC at high doses while avoiding the low doses stimulation effect. In addition, AITC-SiQDs showed a lower and long-lasting activation of Nrf2 translocation into nucleus which correlated with their levels of cellular uptake, as detected by the intrinsic fluorescence of SiQDs. ROS production could be one of the mechanisms behind the anti-cancer effect of AITC-SiQDs. These data provide novel insights into the biphasic effect of AITC and highlight the application of nanotechnology to optimize the therapeutic potential of dietary isothiocyanates in cancer treatment

Isothiocyanates induce oxidative stress and suppress the metastasis potential of human non-small cell lung cancer cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Isothiocyanates are natural compounds found in consumable cruciferous vegetables. They have been shown to inhibit chemical carcinogenesis by a wide variety of chemical carcinogens in animal models. Recent studies have also shown that isothiocyanates have antitumor activity, inhibiting the growth of several types of cultured human cancer cells. Our previous study showed that PEITC inhibited human leukemia cells growth by inducing apoptosis. However, the effect of isothiocyanates on lung cancer cell metastasis has not been studied. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of BITC and PEITC on metastatic potential of highly metastatic human lung cancer L9981 cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Cell migration and invasion were measured by wound healing assay and transwell chemotaxis assay. Expression of metastasis-related genes was assessed by quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting. The mechanisms of action were evaluated by flow cytometry, reporter assay and Western blotting.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our data showed that both BITC and PEITC inhibited L9981 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, the IC50 values were 5.0 and 9.7 μM, respectively. Cell migrations were reduced to 8.1% and 16.5% of control, respectively; and cell invasions were reduced to 2.7% and 7.3% of control, respectively. Metastasis-related genes MMP-2, Twist and β-catenin were also modulated. BITC and PEITC inhibited cell survival signaling molecules Akt and NFκB activation. Moreover, BITC and PEITC increased ROS generation and caused GSH depletion. Pretreatment with NAC blocked BITC and PEITC induced ROS elevation and NFκB inhibition.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results indicated that BITC and PEITC suppress lung cancer cell metastasis potential by modulation of metastasis-related gene expression, inhibition of Akt/NFκB pathway. Induction of oxidative stress may play an important role.</p

Effect of Broccoli Sprouts and Live Attenuated Influenza Virus on Peripheral Blood Natural Killer Cells: A Randomized, Double-Blind Study

Enhancing antiviral host defense responses through nutritional supplementation would be an attractive strategy in the fight against influenza. Using inoculation with live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) as an infection model, we have recently shown that ingestion of sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprout homogenates (BSH) reduces markers of viral load in the nose. To investigate the systemic effects of short-term BSH supplementation in the context of LAIV-inoculation, we examined peripheral blood immune cell populations in non-smoking subjects from this study, with a particular focus on NK cells. We carried out a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study measuring the effects of BSH (N = 13) or placebo (alfalfa sprout homogenate, ASH; N = 16) on peripheral blood mononuclear cell responses to a standard nasal vaccine dose of LAIV in healthy volunteers. Blood was drawn prior to (day-1) and post (day2, day21) LAIV inoculation and analyzed for neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, T cells, NKT cells, and NK cells. In addition, NK cells were enriched, stimulated, and assessed for surface markers, intracellular markers, and cytotoxic potential by flow cytometry. Overall, LAIV significantly reduced NKT (day2 and day21) and T cell (day2) populations. LAIV decreased NK cell CD56 and CD158b expression, while significantly increasing CD16 expression and cytotoxic potential (on day2). BSH supplementation further increased LAIV-induced granzyme B production (day2) in NK cells compared to ASH and in the BSH group granzyme B levels appeared to be negatively associated with influenza RNA levels in nasal lavage fluid cells. We conclude that nasal influenza infection may induce complex changes in peripheral blood NK cell activation, and that BSH increases virus-induced peripheral blood NK cell granzyme B production, an effect that may be important for enhanced antiviral defense responses

Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: focus on the cancer hallmark of tumor angiogenesis

One of the important ‘hallmarks’ of cancer is angiogenesis, which is the process of formation of new blood vessels that are necessary for tumor expansion, invasion and metastasis. Under normal physiological conditions, angiogenesis is well balanced and controlled by endogenous proangiogenic factors and antiangiogenic factors. However, factors produced by cancer cells, cancer stem cells and other cell types in the tumor stroma can disrupt the balance so that the tumor microenvironment favors tumor angiogenesis. These factors include vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelial tissue factor and other membrane bound receptors that mediate multiple intracellular signaling pathways that contribute to tumor angiogenesis. Though environmental exposures to certain chemicals have been found to initiate and promote tumor development, the role of these exposures (particularly to low doses of multiple substances), is largely unknown in relation to tumor angiogenesis. This review summarizes the evidence of the role of environmental chemical bioactivity and exposure in tumor angiogenesis and carcinogenesis. We identify a number of ubiquitous (prototypical) chemicals with disruptive potential that may warrant further investigation given their selectivity for high-throughput screening assay targets associated with proangiogenic pathways. We also consider the cross-hallmark relationships of a number of important angiogenic pathway targets with other cancer hallmarks and we make recommendations for future research. Understanding of the role of low-dose exposure of chemicals with disruptive potential could help us refine our approach to cancer risk assessment, and may ultimately aid in preventing cancer by reducing or eliminating exposures to synergistic mixtures of chemicals with carcinogenic potential

Machaerothrix Haupt 1938

Genus &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix&lt;/i&gt; Haupt, 1938 &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix&lt;/i&gt; Haupt, 1938: 40. Type species: &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix coactifrons&lt;/i&gt; Haupt, 1938, by original designation.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; Females with long, scattered lanceolate setae on upper frons, vertex, pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum. Males without such setae, characterised by having rugose reticulate propodeum, bidentate clypeal apex and an oblique juncture of &lt;i&gt;cu-a&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;1A&lt;/i&gt; veins on fore wing.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution.&lt;/b&gt; China (Haupt 1938, 1959); Japan (Yasumatsu 1939); The Philippines (Tsuneki 1988); Russian Far East (Lelej 1986, Loktionov &amp; Lelej 2014); Sri Lanka (Wahis &amp; Krombein 2000); Southern India (new record) (Fig. 25).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Prey.&lt;/b&gt; Spiders of the family Salticidae (Evans &amp; Shimizu 1996; present study).&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Binoy, C., Anju, K., Kumar, P. Girish &amp; Thejass, P., 2020, Description of a new species of spider wasp Genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from India with reports on its host association and nesting behaviour, pp. 192-200 in Zootaxa 4766 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on page 193, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.1.11, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3762591"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/3762591&lt;/a&gt

Machaerothrix salticidus Binoy, Girish Kumar & Anju 2020, sp. nov.

&lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix salticidus&lt;/i&gt; Binoy, Girish Kumar &amp; Anju sp. nov. &lt;p&gt;(Figs 1&ndash;20)&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 625FEE26-6E2D-49B7-B0F3-F1A4731860E6&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Type material.&lt;/b&gt; Holotype &female;, &lt;b&gt;India&lt;/b&gt;: Kerala, Kozhikode district, ZSIK campus (11&deg;15&rsquo;50.2&rdquo;N, 75&deg;47&rsquo;11.5&rdquo;E, 11 m), 23.xi.2019, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13437. Paratypes. 4 &female;, 5 &male;, same labels as holotype, ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13438&ndash;13446; 4 &female;, 4 &male;, Kerala, Kannur district, near Kannapuram mangrove (11&deg;57&rsquo;55.6&rdquo;N, 75&deg;18&rsquo;38.9&rdquo;E, 7 m), 04.ii.2019. Coll. C. Charesh; 1 &female;, 1 &male;, Kerala, Kozhikode district, Purameri (11&deg;40&rsquo;25.68&rdquo;N, 75&deg;37&rsquo;56.52&rdquo;E, 20.42 m), 27.vii.2018, Coll. K.P. Hanima Raveendran, ZSIK Regd. Nos. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13455, 13456; 1 &male;, Kerala, Wayanad district, Vellamunda (11&deg;44&rsquo;00.8&rdquo;N 75&deg;56&rsquo;15.4&rdquo;E, 1066 m), 12.vi.2016, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13458; 1 &female;, Kerala, Wayanad district, Mananthavadi (11&deg;48&rsquo;4.91&rdquo;N, 76&deg; 0&rsquo;15.74&rdquo;E, 764.13 m), 17.xi.2017, Coll. P. Girish Kumar, ZSIK Regd. No. ZSI/ WGRC /IR/INV.13457.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; This new species runs close to &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; Wahis in the key to species of &lt;i&gt;Machaerothrix&lt;/i&gt; Haupt (Wahis &amp; Krombein 2000; Lelej &amp; Loktionov 2014) in having a similar venation and a colour pattern of female melanistic form. However, the new species differs from &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; as follows: males are completely black or black with brownish black at parts without any yellow colourations (in &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; the metasoma has yellow marking); males with lateral edges of clypeus produced and weakly inwardly emarginated medially, margins carinate (in &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; the clypeus apically has a strong lateral tooth above the middle of the mandible, medially depressed and similar to labrum, margin sinuate) and females with clypeus large, convex with apical margin laterally angulate, emarginating inwards and medially produced into a blunt lobe (in &lt;i&gt;M. johni&lt;/i&gt; the clypeus is large and convex with the apical margin rounded).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Female&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;(Figs 1&ndash;10)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description.&lt;/b&gt; Length, 6.1&ndash;11.5 mm; fore wing length 3.9&ndash;8.9 mm. Black, matte with following parts as follows: antennal segments honey brown; clypeus pale yellowish with apical margin darker; mandibles paler with tooth dark reddish brown to black; lateral edge of pronotum pale yellowish; all tergites with yellow patches or marking postero-laterally, emarginating inwards medially; S3&ndash;S6 with yellow patches postero-laterally; all legs orange brown.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Pubescence&lt;/i&gt;. Upper frons with small dense golden setae till the anterior margin of toruli (Fig. 3); vertex and gena with dense silvery pubescence, a bare patch adjoining anterior margin of eyes (Fig. 2); clypeus with silvery pubescence and 16&ndash;20 brown lanceolate setae; frons and vertex with long thick brown lanceolate setae, variable in number; mesosoma with scattered lanceolate brown setae, dense golden pubescence and long golden hairs, lanceolate setae fewer on mesoscutum; metasoma with dense golden yellow to white pubescence.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Head&lt;/i&gt;. A trifle wider than high in frontal view; minutely rugose punctate, punctures hardly visible over dense short golden pubescence; toruli situated little above ventral eye margin, strongly converging ventrally; a thin almost indistinct furrow in between the toruli extending till the clypeal shield ventrally; eyes reniform, converging ventrally, bare, 3.4&times; as long as wide; lateral ocelli forming an almost right angle with the median ocelli; OOL 1.3&times; POL; AOD 0.6&times; POL; head narrowed behind eyes; antennae slender; F1 0.9&times; scape and pedicel combined, 1.1&times; as long as F2 (Fig. 2); mandibles strong with an inner subapical tooth; labial brush distinct (Fig. 5); clypeus large, convex with apical margin laterally angulate, emarginating inwards and medially produced into a blunt lobe (Fig. 4); gena slightly narrower than eye in lateral view; occiput carinate throughout.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Mesosoma&lt;/i&gt;. Pronotum and propodeum laterally rounded; pronotum posteriorly slightly angulating medially (Fig. 7); scutellum 0.8&times; mesoscutum in dorsal view (Fig. 6); metapleura striate, smooth anteriorly; foretibia with a single spur apically, all other with two spurs; metatibia with hind basitarsus 0.67&times; hind tibia, 0.4&times; hindtarsus combined; tarsal claw with a strong inner curved tooth at apical third; orbicula with a row of thin long setae; fore wing and hind wing with distinct antefurcal nervellus; fore wing with a curving infuscate band at apical third, apex bare; a small obsolete patch near pterostigma (Fig. 8).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Metasoma&lt;/i&gt;. Petiole stout; metasoma distinctly longer than mesosoma, a trifle longer than hind femora; T2 longest (Fig. 9), sculpture barely visible through the pubescence on the tergites; S1 with a medial line of white pubescence; S2 anteriorly microsculptured, posteriorly smooth; S2 to S6 micropitted, S2 onwards with lateral yellow marking; S6 with moderately dense long brown setae (Fig. 10); ovipositor and ovipositor sheath not exerted.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Male&lt;/b&gt;. &lt;b&gt;(Figs 11&ndash;20)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Description.&lt;/b&gt; Body length 3.7&ndash;4.1 mm, fore wing 2.4&ndash;2.9 mm. Black, no yellow patches on gastral terga.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Pubescence&lt;/i&gt;. Reduced pubescence when compared with the females. Lower face with moderate white setae reaching the clypeal margin; pronotum and mesoscutum sparsely setose; propodeum with long and moderately dense setae concentrated more on the lateral sides.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Head&lt;/i&gt;. 1.2&times; as wide as long in frontal view; finely to minutely colliculate; OOL 1.2&times; OOL; AOD 0.6&times; POL; antennal toruli converging posteriorly, a median furrow distinct in between the toruli (Fig. 13); F1 as long as scape and pedicel combined (Fig. 12); eyes reniform; clypeus with lateral edges produced and medially weakly inwardly emarginated, margins carinate (Fig. 14).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Mesosoma&lt;/i&gt;. Pronotum, mesoscutum and scutellum rugose punctate with lesser pubescence as that in females; mesoscutum and scutellum finely rugose punctate, mesoscutal margins distinctly carinate laterally; axillae transverse striate; an excavated polished area posterior to tegulae (Fig. 15); propodeum with irregular areola; some specimen with long hairs on mesosoma (Fig. 16); all coxae black; other segments honey brown with darker shades; wing venation similar to that of females, no distinct band, but with lighter infuscation apically (Fig. 17).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;i&gt;Metasoma&lt;/i&gt;. Metasoma as long as mesosoma without any yellow markings (Fig. 18); S1 smooth, shiny with scattered setae postero-laterally; S2 minutely microsculptured; S3 onwards alutaceous and moderately setose; hypopygium with a median protubrence, emarginating submedially (Fig. 19); genitalia with gonostyli long, strongly setose and with a basal spiniform process in lateral view (Fig. 20).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Prey.&lt;/b&gt; Spiders of the family Salticidae. Remains of spiders were recovered from nests also.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Etymology&lt;/b&gt;. The species epithet is derived from the family name of the wasp&rsquo;s prey.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Distribution&lt;/b&gt;. India: Kerala.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Sex association&lt;/b&gt;. Sex differentiation is formidable in the overall colouration and setosity of the body. The males were found hovering over the unopened nest cells, maybe as a behavioural mechanism to mate with the emerging females. Emergence of both males and females in large numbers from the same batches of nests (n&gt;20) in similar habitats, along with similar modes of parasitism on spiders within the nests, supports the association of the sexes.&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Binoy, C., Anju, K., Kumar, P. Girish &amp; Thejass, P., 2020, Description of a new species of spider wasp Genus Machaerothrix Haupt (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae) from India with reports on its host association and nesting behaviour, pp. 192-200 in Zootaxa 4766 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on pages 193-196, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4766.1.11, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/3762591"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/3762591&lt;/a&gt

Long-term anthropogenic stressors cause declines in kingfisher assemblages in wetlands in southwestern India

Fragile wetland habitats are susceptible to multiple threats from anthropogenic activities. Direct waste deposition, habitat modification and overexploitation of fish have caused alternations in food webs in wetlands. Kingfishers are ecological indicators with the potential ability to respond to the minute changes in their microenvironment. Their abundance and distribution at wetland habitats are affected by multiple environmental factors. We studied the kingfisher assemblages in India to determine proximate and ultimate causes of their decline. We recorded the abundance of five species of kingfishers across five wetland habitats from 2011 to 2020 in Kerala, southwest coast of India. Kingfishers were counted twice in a month between 6.00 and 12.00 hrs. Air temperature, water temperature, humidity and turbidity were recorded. We measured fish diversity and abundance and organic waste as an additional explanatory variable. One-way ANOVA, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model and structural equation modelling were used to determine which explanatory variables affected kingfisher populations. Air temperature, water temperature and turbidity increased significantly during the study and had negative effects on the abundance of kingfishers. Humidity decreased significantly but had no effect on the kingfisher abundance. Fish abundance declined and had a strong positive effect on the abundance of kingfishers. The analysis of incidence of wastes across the study areas revealed that, all the sites were severely polluted. We also observed drastic decline in the abundance of all the species of kingfishers studied across the sites with a rapid decline in Pied Kingfisher and slower decline in White-throated Kingfisher. Black-capped Kingfisher is a local migrant to the study areas and is already red listed and categorized as Vulnerable (VU). This study suggests that kingfisher assemblages are declining along with the health status of the habitat. Urgent action is needed to help in designing and implementing effective management strategies for the sustainability of wetlands in the region.Peer reviewe