Skin Anti-Aging Potential of Ethanolic Extracts on Promoting Cell Proliferation and Collagen Production in Human Fibroblasts (CCD-986sk Cells).

Collagen loss in the skin dermis is a major cause of age-related changes to the skin. Natural phytochemical substances are desirable for the prevention of skin aging and the formation of wrinkles. (IPC) has been utilized for nutritional and therapeutic purposes, and its extract contains collagenase inhibitory activity while causing no cytotoxicity.

Additive Effect of a Combination of and Extracts on Tyrosinase Inhibition in Melanoma B16 Cells.

(Al) and (Gg) extracts have been reported to show tyrosinase inhibitory activity and melanin pigment reduction. This is the first study to assess the combination of Al and Gg extracts in enhancing inhibition of tyrosinase and reduction of melanin pigments. Al and Gg extracted by maceration in 70% and 95% ethanol were analyzed for oxyresveratrol and glabridin using Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography.

In vitro production of functional immune cells derived from human hematopoietic stem cells.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) from cord blood are potentially high sources for transplantation due to their low immunogenicity and the presence of the multipotent cells. These cells are capable of differentiating to produce various lineages of blood cells under specific conditions. We have enriched highly purified CD34(+) cells from cord blood, determined in vitro growth of the cells in culture systems in the absence (condition A) or presence of GM-CSF and G-CSF (condition B), and determined the profile of immune cells during the period of cultivation by using flow cytometry.

Suppression of erythroid development in vitro by Plasmodium vivax.

Background: Severe anaemia due to dyserythropoiesis has been documented in patients infected with Plasmodium vivax, however the mechanism responsible for anaemia in vivax malaria is poorly understood. In order to better understand the role of P. vivax infection in anaemia the inhibition of erythropoiesis using haematopoietic stem cells was investigated.

Characterization of inhibitory anti-Duffy binding protein II immunity: approach to Plasmodium vivax vaccine development in Thailand.

Plasmodium vivax Duffy binding protein region II (DBPII) is an important vaccine candidate for antibody-mediated immunity against vivax malaria. A significant challenge for vaccine development of DBPII is its highly polymorphic nature that alters sensitivity to neutralizing antibody responses. Here, we aim to characterize naturally-acquired neutralizing antibodies against DBPII in individual Thai residents to give insight into P.

Phosphoproteomic analysis of apoptotic hematopoietic stem cells from hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia.

Background: Hemoglobin E/β-thalassemia is particularly common in Southeast Asia and has variable symptoms ranging from mild to severe anemia. Previous investigations demonstrated the remarkable symptoms of β-thalassemia in terms of the acceleration of apoptotic cell death. Ineffective erythropoiesis has been studied in human hematopoietic stem cells, however the distinct apoptotic mechanism was unclear.

Plasmodium vivax invasion of human erythrocytes inhibited by antibodies directed against the Duffy binding protein.

Background: Plasmodium vivax invasion requires interaction between the human Duffy antigen on the surface of erythrocytes and the P. vivax Duffy binding protein (PvDBP) expressed by the parasite. Given that Duffy-negative individuals are resistant and that Duffy-negative heterozygotes show reduced susceptibility to blood-stage infection, we hypothesized that antibodies directed against region two of P.

Production of erythropoietic cells in vitro for continuous culture of Plasmodium vivax.

Plasmodium vivax cannot be maintained in a continuous culture. To overcome this major obstacle to P. vivax research, we have developed an in vitro method to produce susceptible red blood cell (RBC) precursors from freshly isolated human cord hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which were activated with erythropoietin to differentiate into erythroid cells.

Short-term in vitro culture of field isolates of Plasmodium vivax using umbilical cord blood.

Plasmodium vivax research has been hampered by the lack of technology for culturing this parasite. Culturing P. vivax is difficult because the parasite selectively invades reticulocytes.

Triptolide sensitizes resistant cholangiocarcinoma cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) promotes apoptosis by binding to transmembrane receptors. It is known to induce apoptosis in a wide variety of cancer cells, but TRAIL-resistant cancers have also been documented. In this study, the relative resistance of human cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cell lines against TRAIL-induced apoptosis is reported and the possible potential synergistic effect with triptolide, a diterpene triepoxide extracted from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii, in killing TRAIL-resistant CCA cells is investigated.

Ganoderma lucidum suppresses endothelial cell cytotoxicity and proteinuria in persistent proteinuric focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) nephrosis.

A persistent proteinuria is commonly observed in nephrotic patient with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) under treatment with prednisolone+/-cyclophosphamide or with vasodilators (ACEI+AII receptor antagonist, calcium channel blocker and antiplatelet agent). Fourteen such patients with persistent proteinuria were subject to be treated with Ganoderma lucidum. Initial study revealed an enhanced endothelial cell cytotoxicity induced by patient's serum, and an altered immunocirculatory balance with predominant proinflammatory cytokine TNF alpha activity in the presence of defective anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10.

Glomerular endothelial dysfunction in chronic kidney disease.

A dysfunctioning glomerular endothelium was demonstrated in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients by means of in vitro endothelial cell cytotoxicity test and of in vivo intrarenal hemodynamic study. An enhanced endothelial cell cytotoxicity in CKD patients was 26.5 +/- 12% as compared to 0.

Proteomic analysis of cholangiocarcinoma cell line.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a malignant tumor derived from bile duct epithelium, occurs with a higher incidence in tropical countries, such as Thailand. Distinguishing CCA from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) of the liver often requires the use of histochemistry, so molecular markers for diagnosis and prognosis are still required. In this study, the two-dimensional (2-D) protein map of a Thai human bile duct epithelial carcinoma cell line (HuCCA-1) has been compared to human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (HepG2 and HCC-S102) and a human breast epithelial cancer cell line (MCF-7).

Glomerular endothelial cytotoxicity and dysfunction in nephrosis with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Glomerular endothelial cell dysfunction (GED) with defective release of vasodilator has been delineated in nephrosis (NS) in vivo and in vitro studies. In NS with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), an immunocirculatory balance may be impaired due to defective anti-inflammatory cytokine. This study aimed at simultaneous determination of both proinflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor alpha) and an anti-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin-10) in NS with FSGS.

Synergistic cytotoxicity and apoptosis induced in human cholangiocarcinoma cell lines by a combined treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and triptolide.

Cholangiocarcinoma is known to be relatively resistant to chemotherapy. One alternative approach is to use a combination of an immunomodulating agent with an anticancer drug. Here we studied the synergistic actions of TNF-alpha and triptolide (a diterpene epoxide prepared from Tripterygium wilfordii), previously shown to have antitumor activity against hamster cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) cells.

Development of a monoclonal antibody-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the diagnosis of Penicillium marneffei infection.

A monoclonal antibody (MAb)-based sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was developed for the detection of Penicillium antigen in clinical specimens from patients with Penicillium marneffei infection. The IgM from clone 8C3, reactive with both yeast and mycelial antigens, was immobilized on a microtiter plate. The antigen in serum or urine was captured and detected with biotinylated polyclonal rabbit anti-P.