Early Effects of Porcine Placental Extracts and Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes on Aging Stress in Skin Cells.

The initial efficacy of placental extracts (Pla-Exts) and human mesenchymal stem-cell-derived exosomes (hMSC-Exo) against aging-induced stress in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) was examined. The effect of Pla-Ext alone, hMSC-Exo alone, the combined effect of Pla-Ext and hMSC-Exo, and the effect of hMSC-Exo (Pla/MSC-Exo) recovered from cultures with Pla-Ext added to hMSC were verified using collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid synthase mRNA levels for each effect. Cells were subjected to photoaging (UV radiation), glycation (glycation end-product stimulation), and oxidation (HO stimulation) as HDF stressors.

Effects of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes on oxidative stress responses in skin cells.

The mechanism by which reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by oxidative stress promote cellular senescence has been studied in detail. This study aimed to verify the preventive or therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Ex) on the production of ROS induced by oxidative stress in human skin fibroblasts and clarify the mechanisms that promote cellular senescence. In a system where HO was applied to skin fibroblasts, we assessed the effects of the application of MSC-Ex before and after oxidative stress and measured the fluctuations in several signaling molecules involved in subsequent intracellular stress responses.

In vitro Antimicrobial Effects of Virus Block, Which Contains Multiple Polyoxometalate Compounds, and Hygienic Effects of Virus Block-Supplemented Moist Hand Towels.

Background: Historical evidence has verified the multifaceted antiviral efficacy of polyoxometalates (PMs).

Methods: We carried out a study to investigate the antimicrobial effects of each of the 5 substances comprising virus block (VB): 3 PMs that have antibacterial and antiviral activity, an antibiotic agent, and an antibacterial agent. We also investigated the effectiveness of the addition of VB to moist hand towels in a study involving 120 volunteers.

Mechanism of Action of the Anti-Influenza Virus Active Kampo (Traditional Japanese Herbal) Medicine, Hochuekkito.

When the Kampo medicine, Hochuekkito (Hochu), was administered to normal mice for 2 weeks, influenza virus titer was reduced. The mechanism of action of Hochu was examined using the plaque assay method. It was suggested that Hochu may either obstruct the first stage of the infection process (adsorption and entry) or may directly target viral particles.

Hochuekkito, a Japanese Herbal Medicine, Restores Metabolic Homeostasis between Mitochondrial and Glycolytic Pathways Impaired by Influenza A Virus Infection.

Background: Hochuekkito (HKT), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine (Kampo), has been used to treat symptoms of several diseases. In a recent clinical study, HKT was shown to be protective against the influenza virus infection. However, the underlying mechanism of the prophylactic effect is not clear.

The Preventive Effect of the Traditional Japanese Herbal Medicine, Hochuekkito, against Influenza A Virus via Autophagy in vitro.

Background: Hochuekkito (HKT), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, enhances the immunity of elderly or weak individuals. It is also known to have preventive effects against influenza clinically. However, the detailed mechanisms of the preventive effects have not been clarified.

Autophagy through 4EBP1 and AMPK regulates oxidative stress-induced premature senescence in auditory cells.

The aim of this study was to determine whether autophagy and AMPK contribute to premature senescence in auditory cells. Incubating HEI-OC1 auditory cells with 5 mM H2O2 for 1 h induced senescence, as demonstrated by senescence-associated β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) staining. H2O2 treatment significantly delayed population-doubling time, leaving cell viability unchanged.

The autophagy pathway maintained signaling crosstalk with the Keap1-Nrf2 system through p62 in auditory cells under oxidative stress.

The main purposes of our study were to consider the effect of autophagy on auditory cells under oxidative stress, and the function of possible crosstalk among p62, Keap1 and Nrf2 in autophagy-deficient auditory cells. First, we described how cell death was induced in auditory cell line (HEI-OC1) exposed to H2O2. We found that the decision for the cell death of auditory cells under oxidative stress depends on the balance between autophagy and necrosis due to ATP depletion, and autophagy plays a cytoprotective function in oxidative stress-induced necrosis.

Methylation of human papillomavirus-52 and -58 is a candidate biomarker in cervical neoplasia.

Background: Previous studies of human papillomavirus (HPV)16/18 genome methylation have concluded that methylation status of the L1 gene might act as a biomarker for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN).

Objectives: We investigated the correlation between methylation status in the L1 gene and the long control region (LCR) of HPV52/58 and CIN.

Study Design: Exfoliated cervical cells were taken from 54 HPV52-positive and 41 HPV58-positive women.

A Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal) medicine, Hochuekkito, pretreatment in mice prevented influenza virus replication accompanied with GM-CSF expression and increase in several defensin mRNA levels.

A Kampo medicine, Hochuekkito (TJ-41), with an influenza virus-preventing effect had life-extending effectiveness, and immunological responses other than interferon (IFN)-α release were examined. TJ-41 (1 g/kg) was given to C57BL/6 male mice orally once a day for 2 weeks. Mice were then intranasally infected with influenza virus.

3EZ,20Ac-ingenol, a catalytic inhibitor of topoisomerases, downregulates p-Akt and induces DSBs and apoptosis of DT40 cells.

We have previously reported that many ingenol compounds derived from Euphorbia kansui exhibit topoisomerase (topo) II inhibitory activity. Of these compounds, 3EZ,20Ac-ingenol inhibited topo I activity. Camptothecin, which inhibits the religation activity of topo I without interfering with the binding of topo I to DNA and induces topo I-mediated DNA cleavage, was used as a positive control.

Auditory cells produce nitric oxide in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

The NO productivity of auditory cells in response to LPS was examined by using conditionally immortalized murine HEI-OC1 auditory cells. HEI-OC1 cells produced NO in response to LPS ranging from 0.1 µg/ml to 100 µg/ml in a concentration-dependent manner.

Characterization of cAMP response element-like sequence in gonadal specific aromatase promoter sequence of Xenopus embryos.

The p450 aromatase gene has a tissue-specific promoter that is regulated by specific transcriptional factors. In rats and humans, a cAMP response element-like sequence (CLS) and an NR5A1/NR5A2 binding sequence have been identified as cis elements in the aromatase promoter; these cis elements mediate cAMP-induced expression in the ovaries and testes. CLS is recognized by a cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) as the principal component.

Prevention of the interaction between HVEM, herpes virus entry mediator, and gD, HSV envelope protein, by a Keggin polyoxotungstate, PM-19.

One of the Keggin-type heteropolyoxotungstates (K7[PTi2W10O40]6H2O:PM-19) is a potent inhibitor of the replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) both standard strain 169 and the thymidine kinase-defective strain YS-4C-1 in vitro and in vivo. HSV envelope protein, gD, is necessary for virus entry into the cells. Some cellular molecules, such as HVEM, were reported to act as cofactors during the viral entry step.

[Apolipoprotein E deficiency associated with type III hyperlipoproteinemia--analysis of apolipoprotein E].

The patient was a 50-year old male who was found to have a high cholesterol level during a routine health check up at work 5 years before and was examined at Keio University Hospital. Lipoprotein electrophoresis on agarose gel revealed type III hyperlipidemia, and a screening test yielded the following values (mg/dl): total cholesterol, 420; TG, 138; and HDL-cholesterol, 105. Turbidimetric immunoassay showed that the apolipoprotein E (apoE) level was below the limit of detection.

Significance of metastasis detected by molecular techniques in sentinel nodes of patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

The clinical significance of micrometastasis in sentinel nodes (SNs) may differ in various organs. In particular, the prognostic value of SN micrometastases detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is still controversial. We investigated the diagnostic and therapeutic significance of nodal molecular metastasis detected by nested RT-PCR for cytokeratin (CK) 19 mRNA in gastrointestinal cancer.

Mechanism of the protective effect of heteropolyoxotungstate against herpes simplex virus type 2.

The effects of heteropolyoxotungstate (K(7)[PTi(2)W(10)O(40)]. 6H(2)O; PM-19) on the replication of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) were examined using a semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction of intracellular viral DNA established by us and also other methods. Vero cells were infected with HSV-2 strains: either the standard strain 169, or the acyclovir-resistant strain YS-4C-1.

The memory effect of heteropolyoxotungstate (PM-19) pretreatment on infection by herpes simplex virus at the penetration stage.

The keggin-type heteropolyoxotungstate K(7)[PTi(2)W(10)O(40)].6H(2)O (PM-19) is a potent polyoxometalate (PM) inhibitor of the replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV). Pretreatment of Vero cells with PM-19 prior to HSV-2 infection enhanced the antiviral potency of PM-19 almost 10-fold compared with treatment of the cells only after infection.