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•Chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol)/graphene oxide composite nanofiber membranes were prepared and characterized.•Contact angle decreased significantly via the addition of graphene ...oxide.•Composite nanofiber membranes showed good antibacterial activity against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus.
In this paper, chitosan (CS)/poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/graphene oxide (GO) composite nanofibrous membranes were prepared via electrospinning. Such nanofibrous membranes have been characterized and investigated for their morphological, structural, thermal stability, hydrophilic and antibacterial properties. SEM images showed that the uniform and defect-free nanofibers were obtained and GO sheets, shaping spindle and spherical, were partially embedded into nanofibers. FTIR, XRD, DSC and TGA indicated the good compatibility between CS and PVA. There were strong intermolecular hydrogen bonds between the chitosan and PVA molecules. Contact angle measurement indicated that while increasing the content of GO, the distance between fibers increased and water drop showed wetting state on the surface of nanofibrous membranes. As a result, the contact angle decreased significantly. Meanwhile, good antibacterial activity of the prepared nanofibrous membranes were exhibited against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus.
Scope
Gut microbiota imbalance, inflammation, and gut barrier deficiency play an important role in carcinogenesis. Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, has been ...proven to be highly effective in inhibiting cancer. The objective of this study is to investigate the potential roles of the gut microbiota in the inhibition of BBN‐induced bladder cancer by SFN.
Methods and Results
N‐butyl‐N‐(4‐hydroxybutyl)‐nitrosamine is used to induce bladder cancer in male C57BL/6 mice, with or without SFN for 23 weeks. SFN ameliorates the histological changes characteristic of bladder cancer, resulting in fewer submucosal capillaries. SFN normalizes gut microbiota dysbiosis in mice with BBN‐induced bladder cancer with a significant increase in Bacteroides fragilis and Clostridium cluster I. SFN also increases butyric acid levels in the mouse colon, and repairs the injury to the mucosal epithelium of the colon and cecum through the upregulation of the expression of tight junction proteins and GLP2. SFN greatly decreases the release of cytokines (IL‐6) and secretory immunoglobulin A in the mice with bladder cancer.
Conclusion
These results suggest that SFN protects against chemical‐induced bladder cancer through normalizing the composition of gut microbiota and repairing the physiological destruction of the gut barrier, as well as decreasing inflammation and the immune response.
Sulforaphane (SFN) inhibits bladder cancer induced by N‐butyl‐N‐(4‐hydroxybutyl)‐nitrosamine in mice through gut‐microbiota‐related mechanisms. The details of the mechanism are as follows: 1) normalization of the imbalance of the gut microbiota; 2) increasing the levels of fecal butyric acid and the expression of Gpr41 and Glp2; 3) ameliorating the mucosal damage by directly targeting tight junction protein; and 4) decreasing the levels of IL‐6 and SIgA.
Scope
Metabolic disorder is a pivotal hallmark of cancer cells. Sulforaphane (SFN) is reported to improve lipid metabolism. However, the effect of SFN on glucose metabolism in bladder cancer remains ...unclear. Hence, the effect and underling mechanism is investigated.
Methods and Results
Biological samples from bladder cancer patients are collected, and also investigated using N‐butyl‐N‐(4‐hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine‐induced bladder cancer mice and bladder cancer cell lines. A novel glucose transport aberrant‐independent aerobic glycolysis is found in bladder cancer patients, and the lower malignancy tissues have the more obvious abnormality. SFN strongly downregulates ATP production by inhibiting glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Both in vitro cell culture and in bladder tumor mice, SFN weaken the glycolytic flux by suppressing multiple metabolic enzymes, including hexokinase 2 (HK2) and pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH). Moreover, SFN decreases the level of AKT1 and p‐AKT ser473, especially in low‐invasive UMUC3 cells. The downregulation of ATP and HK2 by SFN is both reversed by AKT1 overexpression.
Conclusions
SFN downregulates the unique glucose transport aberrant‐independent aerobic glycolysis existed in bladder cancer via blocking the AKT1/HK2 axis and PDH expression.
A unique characteristic of glucose transport aberrant‐independent aerobic glycolysis exists in bladder cancer patients. Sulforaphane (SFN) has been proven to inhibit glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation via blocking the AKT1/HK2 axis and PDH expression, especially in low‐invasive tumor cells. SFN is potentially able to be explored as a targeting antineoplastic agent in bladder cancer patients with low grades
Scope
Mitochondria‐associated membrane (MAM) connects endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria plays a significant role in lipid metabolism and Ca2+ homeostasis. Albeit sulforaphane (SFN) shows ...potential in ameliorating excessive fat accumulation and mitochondrial function; whether MAM is a target of SFN and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear.
Methods and Results
High‐fat‐intake models are established both in vivo and in vitro. SFN widens the distance between ER and mitochondria and down‐regulates MAM tether protein mitofusin‐2. SFN reverses the increase of Ca2+ induced by fatty acid and inhibits the Ca2+ channel inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). Compared with high fat group, SFN alleviates Ca2+ overload in the mitochondria and suppresses mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU). Furthermore, SFN increases mitochondrial DNA quantities and mitochondria membrane potential, while decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Finally, SFN increases mitochondria complexes IV content and ATP synthesis.
Conclusion
These results suggest that SFN balances the Ca2+ homeostasis in the MAM through regulating Ca2+ flux by Ca2+ channel IP3R and MCU.
SFN widens the distance between ER and mitochondria by down‐regulating Mfn2. SFN inhibits the channel of Ca2+‐inositol‐1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) and blocks Ca2+ uptake into mitochondria via suppressing MCU. SFN improves the dysfunction of mitochondria caused by Ca2+ overloading. To sum up, SFN balances the Ca2+ homeostasis in the MAM through regulating Ca2+ flux by IP3R on ER and MCU in mitochondria.
•This study highlights the importance of paying attention to gender differences when considering the impact of diet on cancer outcomes.•Understanding how diet affects cancer mortality differently in ...men and women can help healthcare professionals develop targeted dietary interventions to improve patient outcomes.
Recent studies have found that dietary fiber improves prognosis in cancer patients. However, few subgroup analyses exist. Subgroups can differ greatly in terms of different factors such as dietary intake, lifestyle, and sex. It is unclear whether fiber benefits all of the subgroups equally. In this study, we examined differences in dietary fiber consumption and cancer mortality between subgroups, including sex.
This trial was conducted using eight consecutive National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANESs) cycles data between 1999 and 2014. Subgroup analyses were used to investigate the results and heterogeneity within subgroups. Survival analysis was performed using the Cox proportional hazard model and Kaplan-Meier curves. Multivariable Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline analysis were applied to examine the association between dietary fiber intake and mortality.
In total, 3504 cases were included in this study. Among the participants, the mean age (SD) was 65.5 (15.7) y and 1657 (47.3%) of the participants were men. Subgroup analysis found that men differed significantly from women (P for interaction < 0.001). We found no significant differences in the other subgroups (all P for interaction > 0.05). During an average follow-up of 6.8 y, 342 cancer deaths were recorded. The Cox regression models found that fiber consumption was associated with a lower cancer mortality rate in men (model I: hazard ratio HR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.50–0.72; model II: HR = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.47–0.75; and model III: HR = 0.61; 95% CI, 0.48–0.77). However, there was no relationship between fiber consumption and cancer mortality in women (model I: HR = 1.06; 95% CI, 0.88–1.28; model II: HR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.84–1.26; and model III: HR = 1.04; 95% CI, 0.87–1.50). The Kaplan-Meier curve illustrates that male patients who consumed higher levels of dietary fiber survived significantly longer than those who consumed lower levels of fiber (P < 0.001). However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of female patients (P = 0.84). A dose-response analysis found an L-shaped relationship between fiber intake and mortality among men.
This study found that higher dietary fiber intake was only associated with better survival in male cancer patients, not in female cancer patients. Sex differences between dietary fiber intake and cancer mortality were observed.
•It was found for the first time that soybean oil rich in ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (>50%) emerged as an important risk factor for bladder cancer in northeast China.•No such clinical trial had ...been carried out in northeast China which owned their specific eating habits.•Intake of nuts and marine fish was inversely related to bladder cancer.•Intake of milk and dairy products was inversely related to bladder cancer in male patients.
The aim of this study was to explore the association between dietary fatty foods and the risk for bladder cancer.
Patients newly diagnosed with bladder cancer (n = 113) and 292 controls were recruited. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used to investigate the food intake within 1 y. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to estimated odds ratio (OR) between different types of fatty food consumption and bladder cancer.
The consumption of soybean oil, the largest proportion of cooking oil, in both groups were much higher than the Chinese recommended dietary intake, especially in the control group. Higher intake of red meat was also observed in bladder cancer cases, although lower intakes of marine fish, egg, milk, and dairy products and nuts were observed in controls. After adjusting for potential confounders, the intakes of marine fish and milk and dairy products were negatively correlated with bladder cancer, with the adjusted OR of 0.28 (95% confidence interval CI, 0.15–0.55) and 0.36 (95% CI, 0.19–0.69). Total nuts were related to a 76% reduction in bladder cancer risk (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.12–0.48). There was clear and positive association between soybean oil and bladder cancer risk with OR of 3.47 (95 % CI, 1.69–7.14). In stratified analyses by sex and smoking status, the relationship was similar for most results, except for milk and dairy products. The negative correlation between milk and dairy products and bladder cancer risk was only found in men; and milk and dairy products and bladder cancer risk were irrelevant by smoking status. No significant association was found between the intakes of other foods and bladder cancer risk.
Intake of nuts and marine fish may be beneficial for the prevention of bladder cancer. The protective effect of milk and dairy products was only found in men with bladder cancer. High soybean oil intake was a risk factor for bladder cancer.
Scope
Sulforaphane (SFN) is reported to reduce the accumulation of lipids. However, the underling mechanism remains unclear. In this study, the potential of SFN to improve lipid metabolism is ...investigated through altering mitochondrial function and biogenesis‐related mechanisms.
Methods and Results
The abnormal lipid metabolism model was established both in HHL‐5 cells and in rats by feeding a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks. The current findings suggest that SFN alleviates the swelling of mitochondria and stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis. The reduced expression of NRF1 and TFAM, were reversed by SFN. SFN increases the levels of antioxidant compounds via nuclear factor erythroid‐2‐related factor (Nrf2) activation. Furthermore, SFN improves multiple mitochondrial bioactivities, such as mitochondrial membrane potential, ATP, and the electron transfer chain based on PGC‐1α pathway. SFN also activates lipolysis by transcriptionally upregulating adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and hormone‐sensitive lipase (HSL).
Conclusions
SFN enhances utilization of lipids via both the PGC‐ 1α‐dependent promotion of mitochondrial biogenesis and Nrf2 dependent improvement of mitochondrial function.
Dysfunction of mitochondria and decreased mitochondrial contents have been observed in free fatty acids (FFAs) treated HHL‐5 cells and high‐fat‐diet‐treated rats. It is shown that sulforaphane not only enhances the utilization of FFAs via both PGC‐1α dependent mitochondrial biogenesis and Nrf‐2‐dependent mitochondrial function, but also activates lipolysis by upregulating the mRNA expression of adipose triglyceride lipase and hormone‐sensitive lipase.
Mol. Nutr. Food Res. 2022, 66, 202100738DOI: 10.1002/mnfr.202100738A unique characteristic of glucose transport aberrant‐independent aerobic glycolysis exists in bladder cancer patients, and the ...lower grade malignant tissues have the more obvious abnormality. Sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate derived from glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables, has been proven to inhibit glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation via blocking of the AKT1/HK2 axis and PDH expression, especially in low grade tumor cells. This is reported by Minghua Ren, Yujuan Shan, and co‐workers in article number 2100738.
Diet plays an important role in health. A high intake of plant chemicals such as glucosinolates/isothiocyanates can promote optimal health and decrease the risk of cancer. Recent research has ...discovered more novel mechanisms of action for the effects of isothiocyanates including the modulation of tumor microenvironment, the inhibition of the self-renewal of stem cells, the rearrangement of multiple pathways of energy metabolism, the modulation of microbiota, and protection against
. However, the hormetic/biphasic effects of isothiocyanates may make the recommendations complicated. Isothiocyanates possess potent anti-cancer activities based on up-to-date evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies. The nature of hormesis suggests that the benefits or risks of isothiocyanates largely depend on the dose and endpoint of interest. Isothiocyanates are a promising class of cancer-preventative phytochemicals, but researchers should be aware of the potential adverse (and hormetic) effects. In the authors' opinion, dietary isothiocyanates are better used as adjunctive treatments in combination with known anti-cancer drugs. The application of nano-formulations and the delivery of isothiocyanates are also discussed in this review.