Development of an Ex Vivo Porcine Eye Model for Exploring the Pathogenicity of .

, a widely distributed free-living amoeba found in various environments, is an opportunistic pathogen responsible for causing keratitis, a condition that may lead to blindness. However, identifying the pathogenicity of is challenging due to its complex life cycle, ability to adapt to different environments, variable virulence factors, and intricate interactions with the host immune system. Additionally, the development of an effective model for studying pathogenicity is limited, hindering a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying its virulence and host interactions.

A gender-specific COMT haplotype contributes to risk modulation rather than disease severity of major depressive disorder in a Chinese population.

Background: COMT rs4680 Val158 allele is associated with high MB-COMT protein expression and elevated activity compared to the Met158 allele in post-mortem brains. A meta-analysis study suggested the link between COMT SNPs and MDD risk; in addition, MB membrane-bound (MB-COMT) specific genetic variation was reported that influences predisposition to depression amongst females.

Methods: Four tagSNPs, including rs4680, were genotyped.

Antifibrotic role of PGC-1α-siRNA against TGF-β1-induced renal interstitial fibrosis.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) is a transcriptional coactivator that regulates energy metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis. Recently, mitochondrial dysfunction has been indicated as an established risk factor for the development of renal fibrosis. However, whether PGC-1α is involved in the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis is unknown.

Elucidation of the therapeutic role of mitochondrial biogenesis transducers NRF-1 in the regulation of renal fibrosis.

Background: Mitochondrial dysfunction is a newly established risk factor for the development of renal fibrosis. Cell survival and injury repair is facilitated by mitochondrial biogenesis. Nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF-1) is a transcriptional regulation factor that plays a central role in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis.

Treatment with cytokine thymic stromal lymphopoietin short hairpin RNA substantially reduces TGF-β1-induced interstitial cellular fibrosis.

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) has previously been linked to allergic inflammatory diseases, and tissue fibrosis and organ dysfunction may also arise from such inflammation. It remains unclear, however, whether TSLP plays any role in the occurrence of renal fibrosis, so this study investigated that possibility. An in vitro fibrosis model was established by treating normal rat kidney fibroblast (NRK-49F) cells with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), after which the levels of various fibrogenic markers (e.

Apigenin, a dietary flavonoid, inhibits proliferation of human bladder cancer T-24 cells via blocking cell cycle progression and inducing apoptosis.

Background: Apigenin is a nontoxic dietary flavonoid, and it may have chemopreventive and therapeutic potential as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer agent. However, its role in bladder cancer remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-proliferative activity of apigenin in human bladder cancer T-24 cells.

Galangin, a novel dietary flavonoid, attenuates metastatic feature via PKC/ERK signaling pathway in TPA-treated liver cancer HepG2 cells.

Background: Galangin (3,5,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a flavonoid compound found in high concentration in lesser galangal. The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of galangin to inhibit 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced the invasion and metastasis of HepG2 liver cancer cells.

Results: First, using a cell-matrix adhesion assay, immunofluorescence assay, transwell-chamber invasion/migration assay, and wound healing assay, we observed that galangin exerted an inhibitory effect on TPA-induced cell adhesion, morphology/actin cytoskeleton arrangement, invasion and migration.

Andrographolide sensitizes the cytotoxicity of human colorectal carcinoma cells toward cisplatin via enhancing apoptosis pathways in vitro and in vivo.

Andrographolide (Andro), a diterpenoid lactone isolated from a traditional herbal medicine Andrographis paniculata, has been shown to suppress the growth and invasion of human colorectal carcinoma (CRC) Lovo cells, and trigger apoptosis in vitro. The potential of Andro as a chemotherapeutic agent in CRC was evaluated by investigating its cytotoxic effects as a single agent or in coadministration with cisplatin (CDDP). Andro potentiated the cytotoxic effect of CDDP in Lovo cells through apoptosis.

CXCL12-G801A polymorphism modulates risk of colorectal cancer in Taiwan.

Introduction: The chemokine CXCL12, designated stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), plays a significant role in many cancer metastases. Previous studies have shown that CXCL12-G801A, a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3' untranslated region, correlates with breast and lung cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of the gene variant CXCL12-G801A with colorectal cancer (CRC) in a Taiwanese cohort.

Pinocembrin suppresses TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells through inactivating αvβ3 integrin/FAK/p38α signaling pathway.

Background: Pinocembrin is the most abundant flavonoid in propolis. In this study, we investigated the antimetastatic effect of pinocembrin on TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis of human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells.

Results: Firstly, the results showed that pinocembrin significantly suppresses the TGF-β1-induced abilities of the invasion and migration of Y-79 cells under non-cytotoxic concentration.

Factors associated with sex hormones and erectile dysfunction in male Taiwanese participants with obesity.

Introduction: Obesity has been receiving an increasing amount of attention recently, but investigations regarding the potential impact of obesity, sexual behaviors, and sex hormones on erectile dysfunction (ED) in men have not completely clarified the association.

Aim: To identify the relationship between ED, sexual behavior, sexual satisfaction, sex hormones, and obesity in older adult males in Taiwan.

Methods: Data were obtained from a baseline survey of 476 older adult males (≧40 years old).

Nobiletin attenuates metastasis via both ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways in HGF-treated liver cancer HepG2 cells.

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and its receptor, c-Met activation has recently been shown to play important roles in cancer invasion and metastasis in a wide variety of tumor cells. We use HGF as an invasive inducer of human HepG2 cells to investigate the effect of four flavones including apigenin, tricetin, tangeretin, and nobiletin on HGF/c-Met-mediated tumor invasion and metastasis. Among them, nobiletin markedly inhibited HGF-induced the abilities of the adhesion, invasion, and migration by cell-matrix adhesion assay and transwell-chamber invasion/migration assay under non-cytotoxic concentrations.

Factors contributing to the disturbance of coagulation and fibrinolysis in dengue virus infection.

Hemorrhage is one of the hallmarks of dengue hemorrhagic fever. However, the mechanisms that cause hemorrhage are unclear. In this review we focus on the possible factors that may be involved in the disturbance of coagulation and fibrinolysis during dengue virus (DENV) infection.

Advanced glycation end products-mediated hypertrophy is negatively regulated by tetrahydrobiopterin in renal tubular cells.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGE) is a key mediator of renal tubular hypertrophy in DN. Elimination of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH(4)) and nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability may contribute to the aggravation of DN.

Metabolic outcome for diabetes shared care program outpatients in a veterans hospital of southern Taiwan.

Background: To evaluate the metabolic outcomes of the Diabetes Shared Care Program (DSCP) for Type 2 diabetes after completion of 1 year and 3 years of intervention.

Methods: Total 162 Type 2 diabetes (average age 67.14 years with 62.

α-Tomatine suppresses invasion and migration of human non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H460 cells through inactivating FAK/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and reducing binding activity of NF-κB.

α-Tomatine, isolated from Lycopersicon esculentum Linn., is a naturally occurring steroidal glycoalkaloid in immature green tomatoes. Some reports demonstrated that α-tomatine had various anticarcinogenic properties.

alpha-Mangostin, a novel dietary xanthone, suppresses TPA-mediated MMP-2 and MMP-9 expressions through the ERK signaling pathway in MCF-7 human breast adenocarcinoma cells.

This study first investigates the anti-metastatic effect of alpha-mangostin on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expressions in human breast adenocarcinoma cells, MCF-7. First, the result demonstrated alpha-mangostin could inhibit TPA-induced abilities of the adhesion, invasion, and migration by cell-matrix adhesion assay and Boyden chamber assay. Data also showed alpha-mangostin could inhibit the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) involved in the downregulation the enzyme activities, protein, and messenger RNA levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 induced by TPA.

Andrographolide could inhibit human colorectal carcinoma Lovo cells migration and invasion via down-regulation of MMP-7 expression.

Andrographolide (Andro), a diterpenoid lactone isolated from a traditional herbal medicine Andrographis paniculata, is known to possess multiple pharmacological activities. In our previous study, Andro had been shown to have potent anti-cancer activity against human colorectal carcinoma Lovo cells by inhibiting cell-cycle progression. To further investigate the mechanism for the anti-cancer properties of Andro, it was used to examine the effect on migration and invasion of Lovo cells.

Myricetin suppresses invasion and migration of human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells: possible mediation by blocking the ERK signaling pathway.

Cancer metastasis, involving multiple processes and various cytophysiological changes, is a primary cause of cancer death and may complicate clinical management, even leading to death. Myricetin (3,5,7,3',4',5'-hexahydroxyflavone), a naturally occurring flavonoid, has various anticancer activities. This is the first study to explore the antimetastatic effect of myricetin in human adenocarcinoma A549 cells in vitro.

Inhibition of cell-cycle progression in human colorectal carcinoma Lovo cells by andrographolide.

In recent years, attention has been focused on the anti-cancer properties of pure components, an important role in the prevention of disease. Andrographolide (Andro), the major constituent of Andrographis paniculata (Burm. F.

Increased risk of viral hepatitis in Taiwanese male conscriptees with tattoos.

A number of previous literature reviews and research studies have found a correlation between viral hepatitis infections and tattoos. The 1897 subjects of the current study were young adult male military recruits in southern Taiwan (476 with tattoos and 1421 without tattoos) who underwent induction physical examinations before conscription. During the examination, blood samples were collected to screen for hepatitis B surface antigen, antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-hepatitis B HCV), syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus.