The Usefulness of Carotid Artery Doppler Measurement as a Predictor of Early Death in Sepsis Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department.

This study aims to verify whether the blood flow velocity and the diameter size, measured through intra-carotid artery Doppler measurements performed on sepsis patients visiting the emergency department, are useful as tools for predicting the risk of early death. As a prospective study, this research was performed on sepsis patients who visited a local emergency medical center from August 2021 to February 2023. The sepsis patients' carotid artery was measured using Doppler imaging, and they were divided into patients measured for the size of systolic and diastolic mean blood flow velocity and diameter size: those measured for their qSOFA (quick sequential organ failure assessment) score and those measured using the SIRS (systemic inflammatory response syndrome) criteria.

Preparation and characterization of water-reducible polyester resin based on waste PET for insulation varnish.

Water-reducible polyester resin (WRPE) for insulation varnish was prepared from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET), glycerol (GL), and phthalic anhydride (PA) depolymerization and condensation. PET was depolymerized glycolysis at different molar ratios of PET/GL (PET repeating unit/GL molar ratios: 1.6, 1.

Reactive astrocytes transduce inflammation in a blood-brain barrier model through a TNF-STAT3 signaling axis and secretion of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin.

Astrocytes are critical components of the neurovascular unit that support blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. Pathological transformation of astrocytes to reactive states can be protective or harmful to BBB function. Here, using a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived BBB co-culture model, we show that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) transitions astrocytes to an inflammatory reactive state that causes BBB dysfunction through activation of STAT3 and increased expression of SERPINA3, which encodes alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (α1ACT).

Light sets the brain's daily clock by regional quickening and slowing of the molecular clockworks at dawn and dusk.

How daily clocks in the brain are set by light to local environmental time and encode the seasons is not fully understood. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is a central circadian clock in mammals that orchestrates physiology and behavior in tune with daily and seasonal light cycles. Here, we have found that optogenetically simulated light input to explanted mouse SCN changes the waveform of the molecular clockworks from sinusoids in free-running conditions to highly asymmetrical shapes with accelerated synthetic (rising) phases and extended degradative (falling) phases marking clock advances and delays at simulated dawn and dusk.

Invasive aspergillosis related to ibrutinib therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

We report a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a patient taking ibrutinib, a Bruton's tyrosine kinase inhibitor used to treat refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia. We hypothesize that ibrutinib promoted this infection by suppressing innate immune responses against . Clinicians should be aware of potential infections in patients treated with this drug.

Laminarin favorably modulates gut microbiota in mice fed a high-fat diet.

We investigated the anti-obesity effects of the potential prebiotic, laminarin, on mice fed a high-fat diet. A metagenomics approach was applied to characterize the ecological and functional differences of gut microbiota among mice fed a normal diet (CTL), a high-fat diet (HFD), and a laminarin-supplemented high-fat diet (HFL). The HFL mice showed a slower weight gain than the HFD mice during the laminarin-feeding period, but the rate of weight gain increased after the termination of laminarin supplementation.

The Effects of Costaria costata Extracts on Atopic Dermatitis in an In Vitro Model.

We have provided a protocol for establishing an atopic dermatitis (AD) in vitro model, and evaluated the effects of Costaria costata (CC) extracts on AD in an in vitro model using keratinocytes and splenocytes from AD-induced mice and mast cells. HaCaT cells were each treated with 200 μg/mL of CC water extract (CCW), CC 10% ethanol extract (CCE10%), and CC 70% ethanol extract (CCE70%), immediately followed by stimulation with 20 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and 20 ng/mL interferon (IFN)-γ for inflammation. The splenocytes from AD-induced mice were each treated with 200 μg/mL of CCW, CCE10%, and CCE70%, followed by stimulation with 5 μg/mL ConA or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), to induce T cell or B-cell activation, and 5 μg/mL LPS and 50 ng/mL interleukin-4, to induce immunoglobulin (Ig) E production.

Normal CFTR inhibits epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent pro-inflammatory chemokine production in human airway epithelial cells.

Mutations in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein cause cystic fibrosis, a disease characterized by exaggerated airway epithelial production of the neutrophil chemokine interleukin (IL)-8, which results in exuberant neutrophilic inflammation. Because activation of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling cascade induces airway epithelial IL-8 production, we hypothesized that normal CFTR suppresses EGFR-dependent IL-8 production and that loss of CFTR at the surface exaggerates IL-8 production via activation of a pro-inflammatory EGFR cascade. We examined this hypothesis in human airway epithelial (NCI-H292) cells and in normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells containing normal CFTR treated with a CFTR-selective inhibitor (CFTR-172), and in human airway epithelial (IB3) cells containing mutant CFTR versus isogenic (C38) cells containing wild-type CFTR.

Epidermal growth factor receptor reactivation induced by E-prostanoid-3 receptor- and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme-dependent feedback exaggerates interleukin-8 production in airway cancer (NCI-H292) cells.

Airway epithelial cancer cells produce increased amounts of the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8), inducing pro-tumor responses. Multiple stimuli induce airway epithelial IL-8 production epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) dependently, but the mechanisms that exaggerate IL-8 production in airway cancers remain unknown. Here we show that direct activation of EGFR (EGFR-P) by its ligand transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha induces a second EGFR-P in human airway (NCI-H292) cancer cells but not in normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells, exaggerating IL-8 production in these cancer cells.

CCL20/CCR6 feedback exaggerates epidermal growth factor receptor-dependent MUC5AC mucin production in human airway epithelial (NCI-H292) cells.

Mucous hypersecretion is an important feature of obstructive airway diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. Multiple stimuli induce mucin production via activation of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) cascade, but the mechanisms that exaggerate mucin production in obstructive airway diseases remain unknown. In this study, we show that binding of CCL20, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligand that is upregulated in the airways of subjects with obstructive airway diseases, to its unique GPCR CCR6 induces MUC5AC mucin production in human airway epithelial (NCI-H292) cells via metalloprotease TNF-α-converting enzyme (TACE)-dependent EGFR activation.

Fibrinogen binding to ICAM-1 promotes EGFR-dependent mucin production in human airway epithelial cells.

Mucous hypersecretion is a serious feature of chronic airway diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cystic fibrosis. Although mucins are produced via activation of an EGF receptor (EGFR) signaling cascade, the mechanisms leading to exaggerated mucin production in mucous hypersecretory diseases are unknown. Because expression of ICAM-1 and of the ICAM-1 ligand fibrinogen is increased in the airways of subjects with mucous hypersecretory diseases, we hypothesized that fibrinogen binding to ICAM-1 could increase EGFR-dependent mucin production in human airway (NCI-H292) epithelial cells.

Stereospecific biotransformation of dihydrodaidzein into (3S)-equol by the human intestinal bacterium Eggerthella strain Julong 732.

Stereochemical course of isoflavanone dihydrodaidzein (DHD) reduction into the isoflavan (3S)-equol via tetrahydrodaidzein (THD) by the human intestinal anaerobic bacterium Eggerthella strain Julong 732 was studied. THD was synthesized by catalytic hydrogenation, and each stereoisomer was separated by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography. Circular dichroism spectroscopy was used to elucidate the absolute configurations of four synthetic THD stereoisomers.

Catalytic mechanism of inulinase from Arthrobacter sp. S37.

Detailed catalytic roles of the conserved Glu323, Asp460, and Glu519 of Arthrobacter sp. S37 inulinase (EnIA), a member of the glycoside hydrolase family 32, were investigated by site-directed mutagenesis and pH-dependence studies of the enzyme efficiency and homology modeling were carried out for EnIA and for D460E mutant. The enzyme efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) of the E323A and E519A mutants was significantly lower than that of the wild-type due to a substantial decrease in k(cat), but not due to variations in K(m), consistent with their putative roles as nucleophile and acid/base catalyst, respectively.

Characterization of xylanase from Lentinus edodes M290 cultured on waste mushroom logs.

Extracellular enzymes from Lentinus edodes M290 on normal woods (Quercus mongolica) and waste logs from oak mushroom production were comparatively investigated. Endoglucanase, cellobiohydrolase, beta-glucosidase, and xylanase activities were higher on waste mushroom logs than on normal woods after L. edodes M290 inoculation.

SUMOylation of pontin chromatin-remodeling complex reveals a signal integration code in prostate cancer cells.

Posttranslational modification by small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) controls diverse cellular functions of transcription factors and coregulators and participates in various cellular processes including signal transduction and transcriptional regulation. Here, we report that pontin, a component of chromatin-remodeling complexes, is SUMO-modified, and that SUMOylation of pontin is an active control mechanism for the transcriptional regulation of pontin on androgen-receptor target genes in prostate cancer cells. Biochemical purification of pontin-containing complexes revealed the presence of the Ubc9 SUMO-conjugating enzyme that underlies its function as an activator.

Cloning, expression, and characterization of Bacillus sp. snu-7 inulin fructotransferase.

A gene encoding inulin fructotransferase (di-D-fructofuranose 1,2': 2,3' dianhydride [DFA III]-producing IFTase, EC 4.2.2.

Structural and functional insights into intramolecular fructosyl transfer by inulin fructotransferase.

Inulin fructotransferase (IFTase), a member of glycoside hydrolase family 91, catalyzes depolymerization of beta-2,1-fructans inulin by successively removing the terminal difructosaccharide units as cyclic anhydrides via intramolecular fructosyl transfer. The crystal structures of IFTase and its substrate-bound complex reveal that IFTase is a trimeric enzyme, and each monomer folds into a right-handed parallel beta-helix. Despite variation in the number and conformation of its beta-strands, the IFTase beta-helix has a structure that is largely reminiscent of other beta-helix structures but is unprecedented in that trimerization is a prerequisite for catalytic activity, and the active site is located at the monomer-monomer interface.

Pseudomonas lipopolysaccharide accelerates wound repair via activation of a novel epithelial cell signaling cascade.

The surface of the airway epithelium represents a battleground in which the host intercepts signals from pathogens and activates epithelial defenses to combat infection. Wound repair is an essential function of the airway epithelium in response to injury in chronic airway diseases, and inhaled pathogens such as Pseudomonas bacteria are implicated in the pathobiology of several of these diseases. Because epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation stimulates wound repair and because LPS activates EGFR, we hypothesized that LPS accelerates wound repair via a surface signaling cascade that causes EGFR phosphorylation.

Production of phytoestrogen S-equol from daidzein in mixed culture of two anaerobic bacteria.

An anaerobic incubation mixture of two bacterial strains Eggerthella sp. Julong 732 and Lactobacillus sp. Niu-O16, which have been known to transform dihydrodaidzein to S-equol and daidzein to dihydrodaidzein respectively, produced S-equol from daidzein through dihydrodaidzein.

Functional and structural characterization of a thiol peroxidase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

A thiol peroxidase (Tpx) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis was functionally analyzed. The enzyme shows NADPH-linked peroxidase activity using a thioredoxin-thioredoxin reductase system as electron donor, and anti-oxidant activity in a thiol-dependent metal-catalyzed oxidation system. It reduces H2O2, t-butyl hydroperoxide, and cumene hydroperoxide, and is inhibited by sulfhydryl reagents.

Roles of sumoylation of a reptin chromatin-remodelling complex in cancer metastasis.

Defining the functional modules within transcriptional regulatory factors that govern switching between repression and activation events is a central issue in biology. Recently, we have reported the dynamic role of a beta-catenin-reptin chromatin remodelling complex in regulating a metastasis suppressor gene KAI1 (ref.1), which is capable of inhibiting the progression of tumour metastasis.

Melanocortin 4 receptors interact with antimicrobial frog peptide analogues.

We have developed fluorescence polarization (FP) assays of human melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) in 384-well microtiter plates using TAMRA-NDP-MSH as a tracer. The rank order of potency of agonists and antagonists agrees well relative to the published assays: SHU9119>MTII>NDP alphaMSH>alphaMSH. We have screened libraries of Korean plant extracts and frog peptide analogues in search of MC4R ligands using FP assays and cell-based CRE luciferase reporter assays.

The high throughput screening of neuropeptide FF2 receptor ligands from Korean herbal plant extracts.

We have screened 356 libraries of Korean herbal plant extracts to find potential anti-obesity drugs. We employed the recently developed fluorescence polarization high throughput screening (FP HTS) assays of human neuropeptide FF (NPFF) receptors in 384-well microtiter plates. The primary hits were cherry-picked from the libraries and further analyzed by secondary displacement curve assays, in vitro GTPgammaS binding assays and cell-based CRE luciferase reporter assays.