American ginseng significantly reduced the progression of high-fat-diet-enhanced colon carcinogenesis in Apc^Min/+ mice

Yu, Chunhao,Wen, Xiao-Dong,Zhang, Zhiyu,Zhang, Chun-Feng,Wu, Xiaohui,He, Xin,Liao, Yang,Wu, Ningning,Wang, Chong-Zhi,Du, Wei,He, Tong-Chuan,Yuan, Chun-Su The Korean Society of Ginseng 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic gut inflammation is recognized as a risk factor for tumor development, including CRC. American ginseng is a very commonly used ginseng species in the West. Methods: A genetically engineered $Apc^{Min/+}$ mouse model was used in this study. We analyzed the saponin composition of American ginseng used in this project, and evaluated its effects on the progression of high-fat-diet-enhanced CRC carcinogenesis. Results: After oral ginseng administration (10-20 mg/kg/d for up to 32 wk), experimental data showed that, compared with the untreated mice, ginseng very significantly reduced tumor initiation and progression in both the small intestine (including the proximal end, middle end, and distal end) and the colon (all p < 0.01). This tumor number reduction was more obvious in those mice treated with a low dose of ginseng. The tumor multiplicity data were supported by body weight changes and gut tissue histology examinations. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that compared with the untreated group, ginseng very significantly reduced the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-$1{\alpha}$ (IL-$1{\alpha}$), IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in both the small intestine and the colon (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: Further studies are needed to link our observed effects to the actions of the gut microbiome in converting the parent ginsenosides to bioactive ginseng metabolites. Our data suggest that American ginseng may have potential value in CRC chemoprevention.

American ginseng significantly reduced the progression of high-fatdiet-enhanced colon carcinogenesis in ApcMin/þmice

Chunhao Yu,Xiao-Dong Wen,Zhiyu Zhang,Chun-Feng Zhang,Xiaohui Wu,Xin He,Yang Liao,Ningning Wu,Chong-Zhi Wang,Wei Du,Tong-Chuan He,Chun-Su Yuan 고려인삼학회 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic gut inflammation is recognized as a risk factor for tumor development, including CRC. American ginseng is a very commonly used ginseng species in the West. Methods: A genetically engineered ApcMin/þ mouse model was used in this study. We analyzed the saponin composition of American ginseng used in this project, and evaluated its effects on the progression of high-fat-diet-enhanced CRC carcinogenesis. Results: After oral ginseng administration (10e20 mg/kg/d for up to 32 wk), experimental data showed that, compared with the untreated mice, ginseng very significantly reduced tumor initiation and progression in both the small intestine (including the proximal end, middle end, and distal end) and the colon (all p < 0.01). This tumor number reduction was more obvious in those mice treated with a low dose of ginseng. The tumor multiplicity data were supported by body weight changes and gut tissue histology examinations. In addition, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that compared with the untreated group, ginseng very significantly reduced the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1a (IL-1a), IL-1b, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-a, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in both the small intestine and the colon (all p < 0.01). Conclusion: Further studies are needed to link our observed effects to the actions of the gut microbiome in converting the parent ginsenosides to bioactive ginseng metabolites. Our data suggest that American ginseng may have potential value in CRC chemoprevention.

Unveiling the enigma of acute kidney disease: predicting prognosis, exploring interventions, and embracing a multidisciplinary approach

( Szu-yu Pan ),( Thomas Tao-min Huang ),( Zheng-hong Jiang ),( Li-chun Lin ),( I-jung Tsai ),( Tsung-lin Wu ),( Chih-yi Hsu ),( Ting Wang ),( Hui-chuen Chen ),( Yu-feng Lin ),( Vin-cent Wu ) 대한신장학회 2024 Kidney Research and Clinical Practice Vol.43 No.4

Acute kidney disease (AKD) is a critical transitional period between acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. The incidence of AKD following acute kidney injury is approximately 33.6%, and it can occur without identifiable preceding acute kidney injury. The development of AKD is associated with increased risks of chronic kidney disease, dialysis, and mortality. Biomarkers and subphenotypes are promising tools to predict prognosis in AKD. The complex clinical situations in patients with AKD necessitate a comprehensive and structured approach, termed “KAMPS” (kidney function check, advocacy, medications, pressure, sick day protocols). We introduce “MAND-MASS,” an acronym devised to summarize the reconciliation of medications during episodes of acute illness, as a critical component of the sick day protocols at AKD. A multidisciplinary team care, consisting of nephrologists, pharmacists, dietitians, health educators, and nurses, is an optimal model to achieve the care bundle in KAMPS. Although the evidence for patients with AKD is still lacking, several potential pharmacological agents may improve outcomes, including but not limited to angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists. In conclusion, accurate prognosis prediction and effective treatment for AKD are critical yet unmet clinical needs. Future studies are urgently needed to improve patient care in this complex and rapidly evolving field.

Nucleophosmin modulates the alleviation of atopic dermatitis caused by the marine-derived compound dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol

Han-Chun Hung,Chien-Wei Feng,Yen-You Lin,Chun-Hong Chen,Kuan-Hao Tsui,Wu-Fu Chen,Chieh-Yu Pa,Jyh-Horng Sheu,Chun-Sung Sung,Zhi-Hong Wen 생화학분자생물학회 2018 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.50 No.-

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and its prevalence is increasing. AD usually elicits skin barrier dysfunction, dry skin and itching. As the mechanisms of AD remain unknown, there is an urgent need to find effective therapies. Because of the diversity and complexity of marine environments, the discovery of drugs from marine organisms as novel therapeutic agents for human diseases has seen renewed interest. Dihydroaustrasulfone alcohol (WA-25), the synthetic precursor of austrasulfone, which is a natural product isolated from a Formosan soft coral, has been shown to possess many therapeutic effects in our previous studies. However, the detailed mechanisms and therapeutic effects of WA-25 on AD are incompletely understood. We performed in vitro and in vivo studies to examine the effects of WA-25 on AD. We showed that WA-25 blocks inflammation and oxidative stress. Simultaneously, we also found that WA-25 reduces the AD scores and AD-induced transepidermal water loss (TEWL), scratching behavior, and alloknesis. WA-25 is more effective in cases of AD than are the drugs that are currently used clinically. Importantly, we also found that when nucleophosmin (NPM) was inhibited or when its expression was reduced, the anti-inflammatory and anti-AD effects of WA-25 were blocked. These data suggest that NPM plays dual roles in inflammation and AD. Overall, these results suggest that WA-25 is a potential anti-inflammatory and AD therapeutic agent that is modulated by NPM.

Comparative global immune-related gene profiling of somatic cells, human pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives: implication for human lymphocyte proliferation

Chia-Eng Wu,Chen-Wei Yu,Kai-Wei Chang,Wen-Hsi Chou,Chen-Yu Lu,Elisa Ghelfi,Fang-Chun Wu,Pey-Shynan Jan,Mei-Chi Huang,Patrick Allard,Shau-Ping Lin,Hong-Nerng Ho,Hsin-Fu Chen 생화학분자생물학회 2017 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.49 No.-

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced PSCs (iPSCs), represent potentially unlimited cell sources for clinical applications. Previous studies have suggested that hPSCs may benefit from immune privilege and limited immunogenicity, as reflected by the reduced expression of major histocompatibility complex class-related molecules. Here we investigated the global immune-related gene expression profiles of human ESCs, hiPSCs and somatic cells and identified candidate immune-related genes that may alter their immunogenicity. The expression levels of global immune-related genes were determined by comparing undifferentiated and differentiated stem cells and three types of human somatic cells: dermal papilla cells, ovarian granulosa cells and foreskin fibroblast cells. We identified the differentially expressed genes CD24, GATA3, PROM1, THBS2, LY96, IFIT3, CXCR4, IL1R1, FGFR3, IDO1 and KDR, which overlapped with selected immune-related gene lists. In further analyses, mammalian target of rapamycin complex (mTOR) signaling was investigated in the differentiated stem cells following treatment with rapamycin and lentiviral transduction with specific short-hairpin RNAs. We found that the inhibition of mTOR signal pathways significantly downregulated the immunogenicity of differentiated stem cells. We also tested the immune responses induced in differentiated stem cells by mixed lymphocyte reactions. We found that CD24- and GATA3-deficient differentiated stem cells including neural lineage cells had limited abilities to activate human lymphocytes. By analyzing the transcriptome signature of immune-related genes, we observed a tendency of the hPSCs to differentiate toward an immune cell phenotype. Taken together, these data identify candidate immune-related genes that might constitute valuable targets for clinical applications.

Flavones from the Bark of Lindera caudata and Their Anti-Tobacco Mosaic Virus Activity

Yu-Chun Yang,Ying Qin,Xian-Xue Wu,Cong-Fang Xia,Yan-Lin Meng,Bin Zhou,Yan-Qing Ye,Xue-Mei Gao,Yin-Ke Li,Qiu-Fen Hu 대한화학회 2015 Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society Vol.36 No.4

Two new flavones, 5-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-7,4′-dimethoxy-flavone (1) and 6-hydroxy-8-hydroxymethyl-7,4′-dimethoxy-flavone (2), together with six known flavones (3–8), were isolated from the bark of Lindera caudata. The structures of 1–8 were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1–8 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activity. The results showed that Compounds 1 and 2 showed high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 31.2 and 28.8%, respectively. These values are close to those of positive control.

Aberrant Methylation of RASSF2A in Tumors and Plasma of Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Wu, Yu,Zhang, Xian,Lin, Li,Ma, Xiao-Ping,Ma, Ying-Chun,Liu, Pei-Shu Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.3

Objective: The tumor suppressor gene, Ras-association domain family (RASSF)2A, is inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in many cancers. The current study was performed to evaluate the methylation status of RASSF2A in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and plasma, and correlations with gene expression and clinicopathologic characteristics. Method: We detected methylation of the RASSF2A gene in tissues and corresponding plasma samples from 47 EOC patients and 14 patients with benign ovarian tumors and 10 with normal ovarian tissues. The methylation status was determined by methylation-specific PCR while gene expression of mRNA was examined by RT-PCR. The EOC cell line, SKOV3, was treated with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-azadC). Results: RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly low in EOC tissues. The frequency of aberrant methylation of RASSF2A was 51.1% in EOC tissues and 36.2% in corresponding plasma samples, whereas such hypermethylation was not detected in the benign ovarial tumors and normal ovarian samples. The expression of RASSF2A mRNA was significantly down-regulated or lost in the methylated group compared to the unmethylated group (p<0.05). After treatment with 5-aza-dC, RASSF2A mRNA expression was significantly restored in the Skov3 cell line. Conclusion: Epigenetic inactivation of RASSF2A through aberrant promoter methylation may play an important role in the pathogenesis of EOC. Methylation of the RASSF2A gene in plasma may be a valuable molecular marker for the early detection of EOC.

Pretreatment Thrombocytosis as a Prognostic Factor in Women with Gynecologic Malignancies: a Meta-analysis

Yu, Min,Liu, Lei,Zhang, Bing-Lan,Chen, Qi,Ma, Xue-Lei,Wu, Yu-Ke,Liang, Chun-Shui,Niu, Zhi-Min,Qin, Xin,Niu, Ting Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.12

Background: This study was performed to analyze the prognostic implications of pretreatment or preoperative thrombocytosis in women with gynecologic malignancies. Material and Methods: We surveyed 2 medical databases, PubMed and EMBASE, to identified all relevant studies. A total of 14 (n=3,490) that evaluated the link between thrombocytosis and 5-year survival were included. REVMAN version 5.1 was used for our analysis and publication bias was evaluated using the Begg's funnel plot and tested by STATA 11.0. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) generated by the random effect model were used to assess the strength of any association. Results: 709(20.3%) of the 3,490 patients exhibited thrombocytosis (platelet counts > $400{\times}10^9/L$) at primary diagnosis, and their mortality was 1.62-fold higher compared with the others (RR=1.62, 95%CI=[1.28-2.05], p<0.0001). Thrombocytosis failed to have a stronger effect on the survival of advanced patients of stages III to IV in our study (n=478, RR=1.29, 95% CI=[1.13-1.48], p=0.0003), nor in women with cervical cancer in stage IB (n=1371, RR=1.73, 95% CI=[1.71-2.58], p=0.007). In addition, when adjusted for different carcinoma, it was associated with worse prognosis for all except the ones with vulvar cancer (n=201, RR=0.43, 95% CI=[0.14-1.29], p=0.13). Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicated that thrombocytosis might be associated with a worse prognosis for patients with gynecologic malignancies but without specificity or sensitivity for the ones in advanced stage. When adjusted for different gynecologic malignancies, it showed a significant effect on survival of all except vulvar cancers.

Potential of a combination of entomopathogenic fungal strains and a non-ionic surfactant to control the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda)

Wu Sing-Shan,Tseng Ching-Tzu,Yang Yu-Hung,Liu Yao-Chia,Chang Ju-Chun,Gyawali Purushottam,Li Yi-Hsuan,Yang Tzu-Hao,Tsai Yi-Fang,Tang Li-Cheng,Nai Yu-Shin 한국응용곤충학회 2022 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.25 No.4

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, is an emerging invasive pest in Taiwan that feeds on a wide range of crops and causes serious damage. Herein, an entomopathogenic fungal library (EFLib) was constructed to identify potential microbes to control FAW. Twenty-eight indigenous entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) were iso lated and investigated for their potential pathogenicity, with Metarhizium pinghaense (Mp-NCHU-124) and Beauveria bassiana (Bb-NCHU-157) exerting dose-dependent effects on the 4th instar FAW larvae. The non-ionic surfactant Silwet L-77 rapidly killed FAW larvae after spraying at a concentration of 300 mg/kg and the toxic effect of Silwet L-77 on FAW larvae was dose-dependent. When the EPF isolates (10 6 conidia/mL) were applied to FAW larvae in combination with the non-ionic surfactant Silwet L-77 (30–90 mg/kg), the mortality rate dramatically increased and the LT 50 reduced, with increased fungal mycosis (Mp-NCHU-124: 38% to 72% and Bb-NCHU-157: 20 to 62%), indicating the high compatibility of EPF with the non-ionic surfactant. Thus, the Silwet L-77+EPF combined formulation has potential for practical field application for FAW pest control and sustainable agriculture in the future.

Geometrical and Magnetic Properties of Vanadium Clusters Supported on Graphene

Yu Zou,Chang Yong Zhan,Jian-Chun Wu,Li-Ping Zhou,Hai-Xia Da 한국물리학회 2013 THE JOURNAL OF THE KOREAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY Vol.63 No.2

We report ab-initio calculations of vanadium-cluster Vn(n = 2−5) adsorption on graphene sheets. Geometrical and magnetic properties of various adsorption configurations are studied using firstprinciples density-functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation. The geometrical and magnetic properties of vanadium clusters are found to be size-dependent, and the supported graphene sheet could influence the formation of the vanadium clusters. Low-dimensional Vn cluster configurations could be easily formed when they are absorbed on a graphene sheet, and the combined Vn-graphene systems exhibit a nonmagnetic state, which is the most stable magnetic configuration. Our calculations for the geometrical and the magnetic moment properties of Vn-graphene systems may be of interest for some nanotechnological applications.