Association between polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dioxin with metabolic syndrome (METS): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin are persistent endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and have been associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the associations of PCBs and dioxin with MetS and its risk factors, including obesity, hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG), hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM). We searched three electronic databases for epidemiological studies concerning PCBs and dioxin with MetS published up to the end of 2023.

Establishment of humanised xenograft models as study for lung metastasis of osteosarcoma.

Humanised xenograft models and cancer cell lines are widely used for preclinical drug evaluation, biological studies, and targeted therapy strategies in cancer research. A humanised mouse model is a laboratory mouse that has been genetically modified to contain specific human genes, cells, or tissues. By introducing human-specific elements into rodents, researchers can create a more accurate representation of human physiological and pathological processes.

Palm-based tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) supplementation modulates cardiac sod1 expression, fxr target gene expression, and tauro-conjugated bile acid levels in aleptinemic mice fed a high-fat diet.

Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) has been reported to protect the heart from oxidative stress-induced inflammation. It is, however, unclear whether the protective effects of TRF against oxidative stress involve the activation of farnesoid X receptor (fxr), a bile acid receptor, and the regulation of bile acid metabolites. In the current study, we investigated the effects of TRF supplementation on antioxidant activities, expression of fxr and its target genes in cardiac tissue, and serum untargeted metabolomics of high-fat diet-fed mice.

Trends on Human Norovirus Virus-like Particles (HuNoV-VLPs) and Strategies for the Construction of Infectious Viral Clones toward In Vitro Replication.

Most acute gastroenteritis (AGE) outbreaks and sporadic cases in developing countries are attributable to infection by human norovirus (HuNoV), the enteric virus mainly transmitted via fecal-contaminated water. However, it has been challenging to study HuNoV due to the lack of suitable systems to cultivate and replicate the virus, hindering the development of treatments and vaccines. Researchers have been using virus-like particles (VLPs) and infectious viral clones to overcome this challenge as alternatives to fresh virus isolates in various in vitro and ex vivo models.

Application of Conductive Hydrogels on Spinal Cord Injury Repair: A Review.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes severe motor or sensory damage that leads to long-term disabilities due to disruption of electrical conduction in neuronal pathways. Despite current clinical therapies being used to limit the propagation of cell or tissue damage, the need for neuroregenerative therapies remains. Conductive hydrogels have been considered a promising neuroregenerative therapy due to their ability to provide a pro-regenerative microenvironment and flexible structure, which conforms to a complex SCI lesion.

Increased expression and its association with altered purine metabolism in cell lines derived from different stages of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent malignant cancer types worldwide. Although the purine metabolism pathway is vital for cancer cell survival, little is known about the role of equilibrative nucleoside transporter 2 (ENT2) in CRC development and its association with purine metabolites. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the levels of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT), hypoxanthine and uric acid (UA), as well as xanthine oxidase (XO) activity, and investigate their association with expression levels in a normal human colon cell line and CRC cell lines derived from different stages of CRC.

Antimicrobial Effects of Tetraspanins: A New Turnabout in Treatment of Microorganisms.

Tetraspanins, a transmembrane protein is a 'molecular organiser' with diverse functions that promote a network of signalling involved in the cellular and pathological processes. Tetraspanins-enriched microdomains (TEMs) are the crucial feature for the protein-protein interactions in the cell membrane and are vulnerable to pathogens exploitation. Targetting the tetraspanins has shown to be effective against microbial infections although more research is needed to be performed.

TCGA-My: A Systematic Repository for Systems Biology of Malaysian Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks second among the most commonly occurring cancers in Malaysia, and unfortunately, its pathobiology remains unknown. CRC pathobiology can be understood in detail with the implementation of omics technology that is able to generate vast amounts of molecular data. The generation of omics data has introduced a new challenge for data organization.

Palm tocotrienol rich fraction with palm kernel oil supplementation prevents development of liver steatosis in high fat diet ICR mice.

Background: The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Asian countries is increasing at concerning level. Currently, no specific treatment available to prevent its oxidative stress and progression except for diet and lifestyle changes. Vitamin E such as tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) has a promising potential in preventing NAFLD progression.

Untargeted serum metabolites profiling in high-fat diet mice supplemented with enhanced palm tocotrienol-rich fraction using UHPLC-MS.

Excessive high fat dietary intake promotes risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and predisposed with oxidative stress. Palm based tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) has been reported able to ameliorate oxidative stress but exhibited poor bioavailability. Thus, we investigated whether an enhanced formulation of TRF in combination with palm kernel oil (medium-chain triglycerides) (ETRF) could ameliorate the effect of high-fat diet (HFD) on leptin-deficient male mice.

Metabolomic characterization of colorectal cancer cell lines highlighting stage-specific alterations during cancer progression.

Metabolomic studies on various colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines have improved our understanding of the biochemical events underlying the disease. However, the metabolic profile dynamics associated with different stages of CRC progression is still lacking. Such information can provide further insights into the pathophysiology and progression of the disease that will prove useful in identifying specific targets for drug designing and therapeutics.

Global metabolomics profiling of colorectal cancer in Malaysian patients.

The serum metabolomics approach has been used to identify metabolite biomarkers that can diagnose colorectal cancer (CRC) accurately and specifically. However, the biomarkers identified differ between studies suggesting that more studies need to be performed to understand the influence of genetic and environmental factors. Therefore, this study aimed to identify biomarkers and affected metabolic pathways in Malaysian CRC patients.

Equilibrative Nucleoside Transporter 2: Properties and Physiological Roles.

Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 2 (ENT2) is a bidirectional transporter embedded in the biological membrane and is ubiquitously found in most tissue and cell types. ENT2 mediates the uptake of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleobase besides transporting a variety of nucleoside-derived drugs, mostly in anticancer therapy. Since high expression of ENT2 has been correlated with advanced stages of different types of cancers, consequently, this has gained significant interest in the role of ENT2 as a potential therapeutic target.

The impacts of intrauterine Bisphenol A exposure on pregnancy and expression of miRNAs related to heart development and diseases in animal model.

This study aimed to examine the impact of BPA exposure on pregnancy and foetuses on cardiac tissues and the expression of cardiac microRNAs (miRNAs) related to heart development and diseases. Pregnancy is known to be the "critical windows" in determining the offspring physical and cells development in their life after birth. The increment of the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a later stage of life has been reported by few studies demonstrated from prenatal exposure of BPA.

Global serum metabolomics profiling of colorectal cancer.

Accurate diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) relies on the use of invasive tools such as colonoscopy and sigmoidoscopy. Non-invasive tools are less sensitive in detecting the disease, particularly in the early stage. A number of researchers have used metabolomics analyses on serum/plasma samples of patients with CRC compared with normal healthy individuals in an effort to identify biomarkers for CRC.

The Roles of Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Proteins 5, 6, and 8 in Cancer: A Review.

Low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) has been an object of research since the 1970s because of its role in various cell functions. The LDLR family members include LRP5, LRP6, and LRP8. Even though LRP5, 6, and 8 are in the same family, intriguingly, these three proteins have various roles in physiological events, as well as in regulating different mechanisms in various kinds of cancers.

Metabolomics Profiling on Different Stages of Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Early diagnosis and accurate staging of the disease is vital to improve the prognosis. Metabolomics has been used to identify changes in metabolite profiles in the different stages of cancer in order to introduce new non-invasive molecular tools for staging.

Annatto () δ-TCT supplementation protected against embryonic DNA damages through alterations in PI3K/ Akt-Cyclin D1 pathway.

Protective action by annatto-derived delta-tocotrienol (δ-TCT) and soy-derived alpha-tocopherol (α-TOC) through the regulation of PI3K/Akt-Cyclin D1 pathway against the nicotine-induced DNA damages is the focus of the present study. Nicotine, which has been widely reported to have numerous adverse effects on the reproductive system, was used as reproductive toxicant. 48 female balb/c mice (6-8 weeks) (23-25 g) were randomly divided into 8 groups (G1-G8; n = 6) and treated with either nicotine or/and annatto δ-TCT/soy α-TOC for 7 consecutive days.

Palm Oil in Lipid-Based Formulations and Drug Delivery Systems.

Palm oil is natural oil packed with important compounds and fatty acids ready to be exploited in lipid-based formulations and drug delivery. Palm oil and palm kernel oil contain long-chain and medium-chain triglycerides, respectively, including phytonutrients such as tocotrienol, tocopherol and carotenes. The exploitation of these compounds in a lipid-based formulation would be able to address hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, poor bioavailability and low water-solubility of many current drugs.

Annatto () δ-TCT Supplementation Protection against Embryonic Malformations through Alterations in PI3K/Akt-Cyclin D1 Pathway.

Protective action by annatto-derived delta-tocotrienol (δ-TCT) and soy-derived alpha-tocopherol (α-TOC) through the regulation of the PI3K/Akt-cyclin D1 pathway against nicotine-induced DNA damage is the focus of the present study. Nicotine, which has been widely reported to have numerous adverse effects on the reproductive system, was used as a reproductive toxicant. 48 female balb/c mice (6⁻8 weeks) (23⁻25 g) were randomly divided into eight groups (Grp.

Vitamin E as an Antioxidant in Female Reproductive Health.

Vitamin E was first discovered in 1922 as a substance necessary for reproduction. Following this discovery, vitamin E was extensively studied, and it has become widely known as a powerful lipid-soluble antioxidant. There has been increasing interest in the role of vitamin E as an antioxidant, as it has been discovered to lower body cholesterol levels and act as an anticancer agent.

Effects of Nicotine and Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction Supplementation on Cytoskeletal Structures of Murine Pre-Implantation Embryos.

BACKGROUND Cytoskeletal structures, in particular actin and tubulin, provide a fundamental framework in all cells, including embryos. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of nicotine, which is a source of oxidative stress, and subsequent supplementation with Tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) on actin and tubulin of 2- and 8-cell murine embryos. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty female Balb/C mice were divided into 4 groups: Group 1 received: subcutaneous (sc) injection of 0.

Chondrocyte-alginate constructs with or without TGF-β1 produces superior extracellular matrix expression than monolayer cultures.

Tissue engineering approaches often require expansion of cell numbers in vitro to accelerate tissue regenerative processes. Although several studies have used this technique for therapeutic purposes, a major concern involving the use of isolated chondrocyte culture is the reduction of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein expressed due to the transfer of cells from the normal physiological milieu to the artificial 2D environment provided by the cell culture flasks. To overcome this issue, the use of alginate hydrogel beads as a substrate in chondrocyte cultures has been suggested.