Quercetin is one of the natural components from natural plant and it induces cell apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines. However, no available reports show that quercetin induces apoptosis and ...altered associated gene expressions in human gastric cancer cells, thus, we investigated the effect of quercetin on the apoptotic cell death and associated gene expression in human gastric cancer AGS cells. Results indicated that quercetin induced cell morphological changes and reduced total viability via apoptotic cell death in AGS cells. Furthermore, results from flow cytometric assay indicated that quercetin increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, decreased the levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), and increased the apoptotic cell number in AGS cells. Results from western blotting showed that quercetin decreased anti‐apoptotic protein of Mcl‐1, Bcl‐2, and Bcl‐x but increased pro‐apoptotic protein of Bad, Bax, and Bid. Furthermore, quercetin increased the gene expressions of TNFRSF10D (Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 10d, decoy with truncated death domain), TP53INP1 (tumor protein p53 inducible nuclear protein 1), and JUNB (jun B proto‐oncogene) but decreased the gene expression of VEGFB (vascular endothelial growth factor B), CDK10 (cyclin‐dependent kinase 10), and KDELC2 (KDEL Lys‐Asp‐Glu‐Leu containing 2) that are associated with apoptosis pathways. Thus, those findings may offer more information regarding the molecular, gene expression, and signaling pathway for quercetin induced apoptotic cell death in human gastric cancer cells.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Bone cancer is one of the cancer-related diseases, and there are increased numbers of patients with bone cancer worldwide. Therefore the efficacy of treatment of bone cancer is considered extremely ...vital. Bufalin has been showed to have biological activities including anticancer activities in vitro and in vivo. However, the exact associated mechanisms for bufalin induced apoptosis in human bone cancer cells are still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of bufalin on the cytotoxic effects in U-2 OS human osteosarcoma cells. For examining apoptotic cell deaths, we used flow cytometry assay, Annexin V/PI double staining, and TUNNEL assay. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca
, mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ
), and caspase-8, -9 and -3 activities were measured by flow cytometry assay. Furthermore, western blotting and a confocal laser microscopy examination were used for measuring the alterations of apoptotic associated protein expression and translocation, respectively. The results indicated that bufalin induced cell morphological changes, decreased the viable cell number, induced apoptotic cell death, and increased the apoptotic cell number, and affected apoptotic associated protein expression in U-2 OS cells. Bufalin increased apoptotic proteins such as Bak, and decreased anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-x in U-2 OS cells. Furthermore, bufalin increased the protein levels of cytochrome c (Cyto c), AIF (Apoptosis inducing factor) and Endo G (Endonuclease G) in cytoplasm that were also confirmed by confocal microscopy examination. Based on those findings, bufalin induced apoptotic cell death in U-2 OS cells may be via endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, caspase-, and mitochondria-dependent pathways; thus, we may suggest that bufalin could be used as an anti-cancer agent for the treatment of osteosarcoma in the future, and further in vivo studies are needed.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract
Background
Providing sufficient and usable energy for the cell factory has long been a heated issue in biosynthesis as solar energy has never been rooted out from the strategy for ...improvement, and turning
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
into a phototrophic host has multiple captivating qualities for biosynthesis. In this study, β-carotene was a stable compound for production in
E. coli
with the expression of four enzymes (
CrtE, CrtB, CrtI, CrtY
) for production due to its light-harvesting feature as an antenna pigment and as an antioxidant and important precursor for human health. The expression of
Gloeobacter
rhodopsin (GR) in microbial organisms was proved to have potential for application.
Results
The expression of fusion protein, GR-GFP, in
E. coli
showed visible GFP signal under fluorescent microscopy, and its in vivo proton pumping activity signal can be detected in induced photocurrent by electrodes on the chip under intervals of illumination. To assess the phototrophic synthesis ability of the host strain compared to wild-type and vector control strain in chemostat batch with illumination, the expression of red fluorescent protein (RFP) as a target protein showed its yield improvement in protein assay and also reflected its early dominance in RFP fluorescence signal during the incubation, whereas the synthesis of β-carotene also showed yield increase by 1.36-fold and 2.32-fold compared with its wildtype and vector control strain. To investigate the effect of GR-GFP on
E. coli
, the growth of the host showed early rise into the exponential phase compared to the vector control strain and glucose turnover rate was elevated in increased glucose intake rate and upregulation of ATP-related genes in glycolysis (
PtsG, Pgk, Pyk
).
Conclusion
We reported the first-time potential application of GR in the form of fusion protein GR-GFP. Expression of GR-GFP in
E. coli
improved the production of β-carotene and RFP. Our work provides a strain of
E. coli
harboring phototrophic metabolism, thus paving path to a more sustainable and scalable production of biosynthesis.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Neonatal hypothermia remains a common problem and is related to elevated morbidities and mortality. However, the long-term neurodevelopmental effects of admission hypothermia are still unknown. This ...study attempted to determine the short-term and long-term consequences of admission hypothermia in VLBW preterm infants.
This retrospective study measured the incidence and compared the outcomes of admission hypothermia in very low birth weight (VLBW) preterm infants in a tertiary-level neonatal intensive care unit. Infants were divided into the following groups: normothermia (36.5-37.5°C), mild hypothermia (36.0-36.4°C), moderate hypothermia (32.0-35.9°C), and severe hypothermia (< 32°C). We compared the distribution, demographic variables, short-term outcomes, and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 24 months of corrected age among groups.
We studied 341 infants: 79 with normothermia, 100 with mild hypothermia, 162 with moderate hypothermia, and 0 with severe hypothermia. Patients in the moderate hypothermia group had significantly lower gestational ages (28.1 wk vs. 29.7 wk, P < .02) and smaller birth weight (1004 g vs. 1187 g, P < .001) compared to patients in the normothermia group. Compared to normothermic infants, moderately hypothermic infants had significantly higher incidences of 1-min Apgar score < 7 (63.6% vs. 31.6%, P < .001), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (58.0% vs. 39.2%, P = .006), and mortality (18.5% vs. 5.1%, P = .005). Moderate hypothermia did not affect neurodevelopmental outcomes at 2 years' corrected age. Mild hypothermia had no effect on short-term or long-term outcomes.
Admission hypothermia was common in VLBW infants and correlated inversely with birth weight and gestational age. Although moderate hypothermia was associated with higher RDS and mortality rates, it may play a limited role among multifactorial causes of neurodevelopmental impairment.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Does visual art enhance the prestige of luxury brands? To test the integration effect of luxury brands and art, we conduct two studies using the Louis Vuitton (LV) brand. This paper shows that visual ...art enhances consumers' perceived prestige value, including perceived conspicuous value, perceived unique value, perceived quality value, and perceived hedonic value, but that it has no effect on perceived extended self. Further, this effect is strengthened when the price of the product is between 25 and 50 % higher than the price of a comparable product.
We have developed a simple, sensitive, and rapid fluorescence assay for the detection of cancer cells, based on “turn-on” retro-self-quenched fluorescence inside the cells. 1,3-Phenylenediamine resin ...(DAR) nanoparticles (NPs) containing rhodamine 6G (R6G) are conjugated with aptamer (apt) sgc8c to prepare sgc8c-R6GDAR NPs, while that containing rhodamine 101 (R101) are conjugated with TD05 for the preparation of TD05-R101DAR NPs. The sgc8c-R6GDAR and TD05-R101DAR NPs separately recognize CCRF-CEM and Ramos cells. The fluorescence intensities of the two apt-DAR NPs are both weak due to self-quenching, but they increase inside the cells as a result of release of the fluorophores from the apt-DAR NPs. The apt-DAR NPs’ structure becomes less compact at low pH value, leading to the release of the fluorophores. The sgc8c-R6GDAR and TD05-R101DAR NPs allow detection of as low as 44 CCRF-CEM cells and 79 Ramos cells mL–1, respectively, using a commercial reader within 10 min. Practicality of the two probes have been validated by the quantitation and identification of CCRF-CEM and Ramos cells spiked in blood samples through conventional fluorescence and flow cytometry analysis, with advantages of sensitivity, selectivity, and rapidity.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
This study examines how justifications that are offered by service providers affect the impacts of inferred motives and negative emotions on perceived fairness after service failure. Some researchers ...have indicated that justifications enhance perceived fairness, whereas others argue that they decrease the post-recovery satisfaction. After analyzing 270 responses, this study found that justifications mitigate the negative effects of inferences regarding service providers’ motives on perceived fairness, while they amplify the effects of negative emotions. Furthermore, when the affective relationship strength between service providers and consumers is greater, justifications effectively minimize the negative consequences of inferred motives and negative emotions.
Pharmacologic intervention to affect the membrane lipid homeostasis of lipid rafts is a potent therapeutic strategy for cancer. Here we showed that gallic acid (GA) caused the complex formation of ...inactive Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 (Rac1)-phospho (p)-casein kinase 2 α (CK2α) (Tyr 255) in human tongue squamous carcinoma (TSC) cells, which disturbed the lipid raft membrane-targeting of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Rac1-protein kinase B (Akt) signal molecules by inducing the association of p110α-free p85α with unphosphorylated phosphatase tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) in lipid rafts. The effects on induction of inactive Rac1-p-CK2α (Tyr 255) complex formation and attenuation of p-Akt (Ser 473), GTP-Rac1, glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) lipid raft membrane-targeting, and cell invasive activity by GA were counteracted either by CK2α short hairpin RNA or cellular-Src (c-Src) inhibitor PP1. PP1 treatment, GLUT-1 or constitutively active Rac1 ectopic-expression blocked GA-induced decreases in cellular glucose, sphingolipid and cholesterol of lipid raft membranes, p85α-p110α-GTP-Rac1 complexes, glucosylceramide synthase activity and increase in ceramide and p110α-free p85α-PTEN complex levels of lipid raft membranes, which reversed the inhibition on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2/-9-mediated cell invasion induced by GA. Using transient ectopic expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) p65, MMP-2/-9 promoter-driven luciferase, and NF-κB-dependent luciferase reporter genes and NF-κB specific inhibitors or Rac1 specific inhibitor NSC23766, we confirmed that an attenuation of Rac1 activity by GA confers inhibition of NF-κB-mediated MMP-2/-9 expression and cell invasion. In conclusion, GA-induced c-Src activation is a key inductive event for the formation of inactive Rac1-p-CK2α (Tyr 255) complexes, which disturbed lipid raft compartment of PI3K and PTEN molecules by impairing Akt-regulated GLUT-1-mediated sphingolipid synthesis, and finally resulting in inhibition of TSC cell invasion.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Cardamonin, a monomeric alkaloid, is isolated from Alpinia conchigera Griff and other natural plants. Recently, it has been focused on its anticancer activities, and no information showing its immune ...effects on leukemia mice was reported. In this study, we investigated the immune effects of cardamonin on WEHI‐3 cell–generated leukemia mice. Forty BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups: Group I mice were normal animals and groups II‐IV were leukemia. Group II mice, as a positive control, were administered with normal diet, and group III and IV mice were treated with 1 and 5 mg/kg of cardamonin, respectively, by intraperitoneal injection every 2 days for 14 days. The population of white blood cells, macrophage phagocytosis, and the proliferations of T and B cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Another forty mice were also separated randomly into four groups for the determination of survival rate. Results showed that cardamonin did not affect body weight. Cardamonin decreased CD3, CD11b, and Mac‐3 cell populations but increased CD19 number. Cardamonin enhanced phagocytic abilities of macrophages from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of leukemia mice. Furthermore, cardamonin at 1 mg/kg treatment improved the survival rate of leukemia mice in vivo. Therefore, cardamonin could be applied for a leukemia therapeutic reagent at a defined dose.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The fast fashion phenomenon has revolutionized the apparel industry over the past decade. However, research focused on the implications of brand country-of-origin (brand-COO) and sensory perception ...for consumer behavior remains scarce. This study draws on construal-level theory and active traits theory to develop and test a framework to identify the boundary conditions of the relationships among brand-COO, sensory perception, and consumer personality characteristics on purchase intentions regarding fast fashion apparel. A 2 (sensory perception: single versus multi-sensory) × 2 (brand-COO: local brand versus foreign brand) between-subjects design was employed using 176 participants. The results demonstrate there are different and separate effects of perceived quality on purchase intentions when exposed to single-sensory versus multi-sensory stimuli, and the haptic perception is an important quality signal for fast fashion apparel, which increases consumers’ purchase intentions for local brands compared to foreign brands. Moreover, the results profile consumer segments based on personality traits for fast fashion retailers. Important managerial implications for fast fashion retailers are also discussed.
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CEKLJ, FFLJ, GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, ODKLJ, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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