Publications by authors named "Boon Yin Khoo"

MicroRNA (miR)-367 has a wide range of functions in gene regulation and as such plays a critical role in cell proliferation, differentiation and development, making it an essential molecule in various physiological processes. miR-367 belongs to the miR-302/367 cluster and is located in the intronic region of human chromosome 4 on the 4q25 locus. Dysregulation of miR-367 is associated with various disease conditions, including cancer, inflammation and cardiac conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study indicates the presence of quercetin in subfraction F1 and the standardized value of F1 derived from research using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and AlCl colorimetric assays, which further proved that both F1 and quercetin are potential growth inhibitors in MDA-MB-231 cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In the process, staining of F1-treated cells with annexin/propidium iodide (PI) reduced cell proliferation and induced only S and G2 phases of cell cycle arrest in the treated cells by flow cytometry. Quercetin reduced cell proliferation by inducing apoptosis and S phase arrest.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

BPA is a known endocrine-disrupting agent that is capable of binding to the estrogen receptor and has exhibited adverse effects in many laboratory animal and in vitro studies. Moreover, it also been shown to have estrogenic, antiandrogenic, inflammatory, and oxidative properties. The widespread presence of BPA in the environment presents a considerable threat to humans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Research indicates that infections, particularly from parasites, release soluble factors that may act as carcinogens, suggesting a link between chronic infections and cancer development in humans.
  • - Parasitic infections elevate levels of cytokines like IFNγ, IL-18, and IL-21, which are hypothesized to contribute to colorectal cancer, especially in patients with conditions like schistosomiasis and inflammatory bowel disease.
  • - IL-21 plays a significant role in tumor growth and immune response, while IL-15 is involved in immune defense against infections; both may influence the progression and development of colorectal cancer through their complex interactions with immune cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

There has been increased interest in using stem cells for regenerative medicine and cancer therapy in the past decade. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are among the most studied stem cells due to their unique characteristics, such as self-renewal and developmental potency to differentiate into numerous cell types. MSC use has fewer ethical challenges compared with other types of stem cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The presence of certain soluble factors may provide a possible selective advantage for a parasite to gradually modify cell proliferation in neighbouring cells, which may result in chronic diseases. These soluble factors present in the conditioned medium also allow the parasite to invade rapidly into more host cells. The present study aimed to determine the levels of a group of type 1 T helper (Th1) cytokines in the conditioned media of host cells infected with parasites and in IL-21-silenced colorectal cancer cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Eurycoma (E.) longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali) is a widely applied medicine that has been reported to boost serum testosterone and increase muscle mass. However, its actual biological targets and effects on an in vitro level remain poorly understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

LED red light has been reported to have many health benefits. The present study was conducted to characterise anti-proliferation properties of four LED red light wavelengths (615, 630, 660 and 730 nm) against non-triple negative (MCF-7) and triple negative (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer-origin cell lines. It has been shown by MTT assay that at 24 h post-exposure time point, only LED red light with wavelength 660 nm possessed anti-proliferative effects against both cell lines with 40% reduction of cell viability.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study aimed to examine the metabolising effect of chrysin by investigating the mRNA expression levels of PPARα and its related cellular mechanisms in HCT116 cells.

Results: The mRNA expression of PPARα was significantly induced in HCT116 cells following treatment with chrysin for 36 h, but the mRNA expression of PPARα was inhibited, when the cells were treated with a combination of chrysin and MK886 (PPARα inhibitor). This phenomenon proved that the incorporation of MK886 lowers the expression levels of PPARα, thus enabling us to study the function of PPARα.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Excessive adipose tissue accumulation is an increasing health problem worldwide. The present study aimed to determine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that are associated with the excessive accumulation of adipose tissues by PCR arrays in an excess dietary intake animal model. For this purpose, male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 2 groups: Control (given an ordinary diet) and experimental (given twice the amount of the ordinary diet).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Both aging and diet play an important role in influencing the gut ecosystem. Using premature senescent rats induced by D-galactose and fed with high-fat diet, this study aims to investigate the effects of different potential probiotic strains on the dynamic changes of fecal microbiome and metabolites. In this study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed with high-fat diet and injected with D-galactose for 12 weeks to induce aging.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Increasing levels of antibiotic resistance in pathogens, including Staphylococcus aureus, remains a serious problem for public health, leading to the need for better alternative antimicrobial strategies. The antimicrobial proteins produced by Lactobacillus plantarum USM8613 attributed to its anti-staphylococcal activity were identified as extracellular transglycosylase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH), both with different mechanisms of action. Extracellular transglycosylase, which contains a LysM domain, exerts a cell wall-mediated killing mechanism, while GADPH penetrates into S.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cancer chemotherapy possesses high toxicity, particularly when a higher concentration of drugs is administered to patients. Therefore, searching for more effective compounds to reduce the toxicity of treatments, while still producing similar effects as current chemotherapy regimens, is required. Currently, the search for potential anticancer agents involves a random, inaccurate process with strategic deficits and a lack of specific targets.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aimed to elucidate the targets and mechanisms of anti-staphylococcal effects from bioactive metabolites produced by lactic acid bacteria. We aimed to better understand the safety and efficacy of these bioactive metabolites in in vivo systems, typically at topical sites. The cell-free supernatant and protein-rich fraction from Lactobacillus plantarum USM8613 inhibited staphyloxanthin biosynthesis, reduced (p < 0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aging is an inevitable and ubiquitous progress that affects all living organisms. A total of 18 strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were evaluated on the activation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an intracellular energy sensor mediating lifespan extension. The cell-free supernatant (CFS) of Lactobacillus fermentum DR9 (LF-DR9), Lactobacillus paracasei OFS 0291 (LP-0291), and Lactobacillus helveticus OFS 1515 (LH-1515) showed the highest activation of AMPK and was further evaluated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the primary risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The use of lactobacilli probiotics to reduce blood cholesterol levels have been extensively reported. However, more information is needed to evaluate the possible mechanisms involved and to identify possible targets for further therapeutic development.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The interleukin-21 (IL-21) protein was found to be expressed at an elevated level in clinical samples of colorectal cancer patients without or with a parasitic infection that were collected from Sudan in our previous study. The IL-21 gene in HT29 and HCT116 cells was then correlated to cell proliferation and cell migration, as well as the cellular mechanisms associated with gene expressions in our present study. Our results demonstrated that silencing the IL-21 gene in HCT116 cells increased the cytotoxic level and fibroblast growth factor-4 (FGF4) mRNA expression in the cancer cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study described the isolation of the coding region of human topoisomerase I (TopoI) from MDA-MB-231 and the expression of multiple copy recombinant genes in four Pichia pastoris strains. First, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplification of the enzyme coding region was performed. The PCR fragment was cloned into pPICZ-α-A vector and sequenced.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of bone marrow‑derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) that had been pretreated with pioglitazone and/or rosiglitazone on the growth and proliferation rate of MCF‑7 cells. The adhesive interaction between the BMSCs and the MCF‑7 cancer cells revealed that the pretreatment of BMSCs with a combination of two types of thiazolidinedione drug reduced the growth and proliferation rate of the MCF‑7 cells. The proliferation rate of the MCF‑7 cells could also be reduced by the non‑adhesive interaction of the cancer cells with BMSCs pretreated with pioglitazone and/or rosiglitazone.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The goal of this study was to determine the effects of PGZ and MK886 on the mRNA expression of PPARα and other associated genes in MDA-MB-231 cells, and the biological mechanisms induced by both drugs were also assessed. The levels of PPARα mRNA expression in PGZ-treated and MK886-treated MDA-MB-231 cells were determined using real-time PCR; the growth inhibitory effects of PGZ and MK886 were determined using the trypan blue exclusion assay; the induction of apoptosis by PGZ and MK886 was determined using DNA fragmentation assay and real-time PCR; and the invasion of PGZ-treated and MK886-treated MDA-MB-231 cells was determined using the wound healing and transwell migration assays. In addition, we correlated the expression of PPARα mRNA with other genes, including PPARγ, FGF4 and 5LOX, in drug-treated MDA-MB-231 cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Biomarkers play a pivotal role in the diagnosis and management of patients with acute coronary syndrome. This study aimed to investigate the differences in level of several biomarkers, i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recently, there has been increasing interest in Ficus deltoidea Jack. (Moraceae) due to its chemical composition and the potential health benefits. The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of extracts of F.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Apart from their major function in the coordination of leukocyte recruitment, chemokines, in cooperation with their receptors, have been implicated in the progression of various diseases including different types of cancer, affecting survival, proliferation and metastasis. A complex network of chemokines and receptors exists in the tumor microenvironment and affects tumor development in various ways where chemokines activate typical signalling pathways by binding to the respective receptors. The identification and characterization of a group of atypical chemokine receptors [D6, Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC), ChemoCentryx chemokine receptor (CCX-CKR) and CXCR7] which appear to use unique biochemical properties to regulate the biological activities of these chemokines, is useful in the effort to therapeutically manipulate chemokines in a broad spectrum of diseases in which these chemokines play a critical role.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF