Patients with cancer cachexia have a poor prognosis and impaired quality of life. Numerous studies using preclinical models have shown that inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development of cancer cachexia; however, no clinical trial targeting cytokines has been successful. Therefore, it is essential to identify molecular mechanisms to develop anti-cachexia therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Adipose tissue is the largest endocrine organ. When activated by cancer cells, adipocytes secrete adipocytokines and release fatty acids, which are then transferred to cancer cells and used for structural and biochemical support. How this metabolic symbiosis between cancer cells and adipocytes affects skeletal muscle and thermogenesis during cancer cachexia is unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that confers androgen-independence and aggressiveness in prostate cancer (PCa); however, the molecular mechanisms regulating IL-6 expression remain unclear. The expression of ARID5A, an AT-rich interaction domain (ARID) DNA-binding motif-containing transcription factor is positively correlated with IL-6 expression in human PCa. We, therefore, hypothesized that ARID5A could regulate IL-6 expression in PCa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo express cellular phenotypes in organisms, living cells execute gene expression accordingly, and transcriptional programs play a central role in gene expression. The cellular transcriptional machinery and its chromatin modification proteins coordinate to regulate transcription. To analyze transcriptional regulation at the molecular level, several experimental methods such as electrophoretic mobility shift, transient reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays are available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe assessed the properties of biofilms (BFs) formed by mono- and co-cultures of Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (L+P-BF) at low temperatures and examined their sensitivity to several antibacterial substances. L. monocytogenes viable counts comprised only 1-10% of total L+P-BF viable counts at 10℃ and 15℃, indicating the significant prevalence of P.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The androgen receptor (AR) is one of the most important and dynamically regulated factors in prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Despite the importance of AR expression regulation, the precise mechanisms are not fully understood. ARID5B, an AT-rich interaction domain DNA-binding motif-containing transcription factor, is expressed higher in primary PCa than normal prostate, and correlated with AR expression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study demonstrated that ARID5B mRNA is present in mouse cardiomyocyte HL-1 cells, and that ARID5B siRNA constantly knocked down ARID5B gene expression to the 40% level of control. AMPKα2 protein was elevated in such ARID5B knockdown HL-1 cells, and this was accompanied by an increase in the level of phosphorylated AMPKα. Since AMPKα2 mRNA levels did not change in ARID5B knockdown cells, the stability of AMPKα2 protein was investigated using inhibitors for protein synthesis and proteasomal degradation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe ability of heated scallop-shell powder (HSSP) to work against Listeria sp. biofilm formed at a low temperature was investigated. A biofilm of L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTwo new cucurbitane-type triterpenes, 24-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,25-dien-3beta-ol (1) and 25-hydroperoxycucurbita-5,23-dien-3beta-ol (2), were isolated from a MeOH extract of Citrullus lanatus seeds. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited moderate cytotoxic activities with IC50 values of 33.4-52.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochem Biophys Res Commun
January 2010
Mice lacking modulator recognition factor-2 (Mrf-2; ARID5B) have less fat in brown and white adipose tissues, partly because of a defect in adipocyte differentiation. We have also shown that knockdown of Mrf-2 decreases the expression of the adipogenic transcription factors C/EBPalpha and PPARgamma, and inhibits adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Since these transcription factors may also contribute to the maintenance of adipocyte function, we examined the effects of siRNA targeted to Mrf-2 on triglyceride metabolism in mature 3T3-L1-derived adipocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious study showed that mice lacking modulator recognition factor-2 (Mrf-2) were lean, with significant decreases in white adipose tissue. One postulated mechanism for the lean phenotype in Mrf-2 knockout mice is a defect in adipogenesis. In order to investigate this further, we examined the effects of Mrf-2 deficiency on adipogenesis in vitro.
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