The bifurcated role of adiponectin in colorectal cancer.

The association of adiponectin with metabolism and cancer is well established. Since its discovery in 1990, adiponectin, as one of the adipose tissue-secreted adipokines, has been very widely studied in biomedical research. Low levels of circulatory adiponectin have been reported in obesity, inflammatory diseases and various types of cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC), which is highly linked with obesity and gut inflammation.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and colorectal cancer: Correlation and missing links.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the major metabolic diseases that occur in almost one in every four global population, while colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer related deaths in the world. Individuals with pre-existing NAFLD show a higher rate of developing CRC and liver metastasis, suggesting a causal relationship. Interestingly, both of these diseases are strongly associated with obesity, which is also a growing global health concern.

Lipectomizing Mice for Applications in Metabolism.

The obesity epidemic is a critical public health problem closely associated with the development of metabolic disease. In obesity there is excess white adipose tissue, a dynamic tissue that has many biological functions. Specifically visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is an active endocrine organ producing hormones that control systemic metabolism.

A role for FGF2 in visceral adiposity-associated mammary epithelial transformation.

Obesity is a leading risk factor for post-menopausal breast cancer, and this is concerning as 40% of cancer diagnoses in 2014 were associated with overweight/obesity. Despite this epidemiological link, the underlying mechanism responsible is unknown. We recently published that visceral adipose tissue (VAT) releases FGF2 and stimulates the transformation of skin epithelial cells.

A BET Bromodomain Inhibitor Suppresses Adiposity-Associated Malignant Transformation.

Almost half a million of all new cancers have been attributed to obesity and epidemiologic evidence implicates visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and high-fat diets (HFD) in increasing cancer risk. We demonstrated that VAT-derived fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) from mice fed an HFD or obese individuals stimulates the malignant transformation of epithelial cells. Mechanism-based strategies to prevent this VAT-enhanced tumorigenesis have not been explored.

Elucidating the role of adipose tissue secreted factors in malignant transformation.

Although there is a growing number of incidences of obesity and obesity-linked cancers, how excess adiposity actually causes cancer has not been fully explained. Our previous study showed that removal of visceral adipose tissue significantly reduced the number of ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-initiated, high-fat diet-promoted skin cancers. This commentary focuses on our recently published study (Chakraborty, et al.

Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase selectively triggers disruption of c-Myc signaling in prostate cancer cells.

Myc is up-regulated in almost all cancer types and is the subject of intense investigation because of its pleiotropic effects controlling a broad spectrum of cell functions. However, despite its recognition as a stand-alone molecular target, development of suitable strategies to block its function is hindered because of its nonenzymatic nature. We reported earlier that arachidonate 5-lipoxygenase (5-Lox) plays an important role in the survival and growth of prostate cancer cells, although details of the underlying mechanisms have yet to be characterized.

Antihyperglycemic drug Gymnema sylvestre also shows anticancer potentials in human melanoma A375 cells via reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondria-dependent caspase pathway.

Objective: Ethanolic extract of Gymnema sylvestre (GS) leaves is used as a potent antidiabetic drug in various systems of alternative medicine, including homeopathy. The present study was aimed at examining if GS also had anticancer potentials, and if it had, to elucidate its possible mechanism of action.

Methods: We initially tested possible anticancer potential of GS on A375 cells (human skin melanoma) through MTT assay and determined cytotoxicity levels in A375 and normal liver cells; we then thoroughly studied its apoptotic effects on A375 cells through protocols such as Hoechst 33258, H2DCFDA, and rhodamine 123 staining and conducted ELISA for cytochrome c, caspase 3, and PARP activity levels; we determined the mRNA level expression of cytochrome c, caspase 3, Bcl2, Bax, PARP, ICAD, and EGFR signaling genes through semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and conducted Western blot analysis of caspase 3 and PARP.

Homeopathic mother tincture of Phytolacca decandra induces apoptosis in skin melanoma cells by activating caspase-mediated signaling via reactive oxygen species elevation.

Objective: Preventive measures against skin melanoma like chemotherapy are useful but suffer from chronic side effects and drug resistance. Ethanolic extract of Phytolacca decandra (PD), used in homeopathy for the treatment of various ailments like chronic rheumatism, regular conjunctivitis, psoriasis, and in some skin diseases was tested for its possible anticancer potential.

Methods: Cytotoxicity of the drug was tested by conducting 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay on both normal (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and A375 cells.

Lycopodine triggers apoptosis by modulating 5-lipoxygenase, and depolarizing mitochondrial membrane potential in androgen sensitive and refractory prostate cancer cells without modulating p53 activity: signaling cascade and drug-DNA interaction.

When the prostate cancer cells become unresponsive to androgen therapy, resistance to chemotherapy becomes imminent, resulting in high mortality. To combat this situation, lycopodine, a pharmacologically important bioactive component derived from Lycopodium clavatum spores, was tested against hormone sensitive (LnCaP) and refractory (PC3) prostate cancer cells in vitro. This study aims to check if lycopodine has demonstrable anti-cancer effects and if it has, to find out the possible mechanism of its action.

Chelidonine isolated from ethanolic extract of Chelidonium majus promotes apoptosis in HeLa cells through p38-p53 and PI3K/AKT signalling pathways.

Objective: To evaluate the role of chelidonine isolated from ethanolic extract of Chelidonium majus in inducing apoptosis in HeLa cells and to assess the main signalling pathways involved.

Methods: Cells were initially treated with different concentrations of chelidonine for 48 h and the median lethal dose (LD50) value was selected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Morphological analysis of nuclear condensation and DNA damage and fragmentation were measured by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining and comet assay.

[6]-Gingerol induces caspase 3 dependent apoptosis and autophagy in cancer cells: drug-DNA interaction and expression of certain signal genes in HeLa cells.

[6]-Gingerol, a pharmacologically important bioactive component of ginger, has been reported to have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-cancer and anti-oxidative properties, but mechanisms through which these are achieved are largely unclear. The present study focuses on apoptosis and autophagy, two key events of anti-cancer activity, in HeLa cells treated with [6]-gingerol. The treated cells showed several morphological changes, including externalization of phosphatidyl serine, degradation of DNA and increase in TUNEL positivity.

A highly selective and sensitive in vivo fluorosensor for zinc(II) without cytotoxicity.

A highly selective and sensitive fluorescent Zn(2+) sensor, 2,6-bis(2-hydroxy-benzoic acid hydrazide)-4-methylphenol (1), was designed and synthesized. In aqueous THF (4 : 6 v/v) ligand 1 induces a 2 : 1 complex formation with respect to Zn(2+) at physiological pH. This probe features visible light excitation(390 nm) and emission (490 nm) profiles, excellent selectivity responses for Zn(2+)over other competing biological metal ions with K(d) < 1 pM(2), LOD < 1 ng L(-1) and about 680 fold enhancement in fluorescent intensity upon Zn(2+) binding.

Potentiated homeopathic drug Arsenicum Album 30C inhibits intracellular reactive oxygen species generation and up-regulates expression of arsenic resistance gene in arsenite-exposed bacteria Escherichia coli.

Objective: To examine if potentiated homeopathic drug Arsenicum Album 30C (Ars Alb 30C) can reduce sodium arsenite-induced toxicity in Escherichia coli.

Methods: E. coli were exposed to low arsenite insult after they grew up to log phase in standard Luria-Bertani medium.

Hollow spherical mesoporous phosphosilicate nanoparticles as a delivery vehicle for an antibiotic drug.

Mesoporous phosphosilicate nanoparticles of hollow sphere architecture have been prepared hydrothermally for the first time under acidic pH conditions and this material is found to be efficient in encapsulating an antibiotic drug and its controlled release at physiological pH for possible cargo delivery applications.

[6]-Gingerol isolated from ginger attenuates sodium arsenite induced oxidative stress and plays a corrective role in improving insulin signaling in mice.

Arsenic toxicity induces type 2 diabetes via stress mediated pathway. In this study, we attempt to reveal how sodium arsenite (iAs) could induce stress mediated impaired insulin signaling in mice and if an isolated active fraction of ginger, [6]-gingerol could attenuate the iAs intoxicated hyperglycemic condition of mice and bring about improvement in their impaired insulin signaling. [6]-Gingerol treatment reduced elevated blood glucose level and oxidative stress by enhancing activity of super oxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and GSH.

Antihyperglycemic potentials of a threatened plant, Helonias dioica: antioxidative stress responses and the signaling cascade.

Helonias dioica (HD) is a threatened species of herb growing in North America. It is used as a traditional medicine for treating various ailments particularly related to reproductive issues. The root is reported to contain approximately 10% of a saponin (chamaelirin; C(36)H(62)O(18)) apart from certain other fatty acids.

Possible signaling cascades involved in attenuation of alloxan-induced oxidative stress and hyperglycemia in mice by ethanolic extract of Syzygium jambolanum: drug-DNA interaction with calf thymus DNA as target.

We injected alloxan (100 mg/kg b.w.) in mice (Mus musculus) intra-peritoneally to induce hyperglycemia and divided the hyperglycemic mice into two sub-groups: one was fed ethanolic extract of Syzygium jambolanum (EESJ) (20 mg/kg b.

Selecting useful groups of features in a connectionist framework.

Suppose for a given classification or function approximation (FA) problem data are collected using l sensors. From the output of the ith sensor, ni features are extracted, thereby generating p = sigma li = 1 ni features, so for the task we have X subset Rp as input data along with their corresponding outputs or class labels Y subset Rc. Here, we propose two connectionist schemes that can simultaneously select the useful sensors and learn the relation between X and Y.

A neuro-fuzzy scheme for simultaneous feature selection and fuzzy rule-based classification.

Most methods of classification either ignore feature analysis or do it in a separate phase, offline prior to the main classification task. This paper proposes a neuro-fuzzy scheme for designing a classifier along with feature selection. It is a four-layered feed-forward network for realizing a fuzzy rule-based classifier.