PTEN deficiency and mutant p53 confer glucose-addiction to thyroid cancer cells: impact of glucose depletion on cell proliferation, cell survival, autophagy and cell migration.

Proliferating cancer cells oxidize glucose through the glycolytic pathway. Since this metabolism is less profitable in terms of ATP production, cancer cells consume large quantity of glucose, and those that experience insufficient blood supply become glucose-addicted. We have analyzed the response to glucose depletion in WRO and FTC133 follicular thyroid cancer cells, which differ in the expression of two key regulators of the glucose metabolism.

Turmeric toxicity in A431 epidermoid cancer cells associates with autophagy degradation of anti-apoptotic and anti-autophagic p53 mutant.

The keratinocyte-derived A431 Squamous Cell Carcinoma cells express the p53R273H mutant, which has been reported to inhibit apoptosis and autophagy. Here, we show that the crude extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa), similarly to its bioactive component Curcumin, could induce both apoptosis and autophagy in A431 cells, and these effects were concomitant with degradation of p53. Turmeric and curcumin also stimulated the activity of mTOR, which notoriously promotes cell growth and acts negatively on basal autophagy.

Protection from UVB Toxicity in Human Keratinocytes by Thailand Native Herbs Extracts.

Thai traditional medicine employs a wide range of indigenous herbs in the forms of tincture or tea for the cure of skin and systemic inflammatory diseases. The protection by Thai plants extracts against UVB DNA damage and cytotoxicity was investigated in human keratinocytes. Petroleum ether, dichloromethane and ethanol extracts were prepared from 15 Thai herb species, and the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the antioxidant and UV-absorbing properties were assessed by standard procedures.

Effects of Thai medicinal herb extracts with anti-psoriatic activity on the expression on NF-κB signaling biomarkers in HaCaT keratinocytes.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by rapid proliferation of keratinocytes and incomplete keratinization. Discovery of safer and more effective anti-psoriatic drugs remains an area of active research at the present time. Using a HaCaT keratinocyte cell line as an in vitro model, we had previously found that ethanolic extracts from three Thai medicinal herbs, namely Alpinia galanga, Curcuma longa and Annona squamosa, possessed anti-psoriatic activity.

No relationship found between -1438A/G polymorphism of the serotonin 2A receptor gene (rs6311) and major depression susceptibility in a northeastern Thai population.

Several lines of evidence suggest a molecular role of -1438A/G single nucleotide polymorphism in the 5-HTR2A gene promoter (rs6311) in regulating the expression of this gene, making rs6311 polymorphism a promising candidate for an association study. We looked for a possible association between rs6311 polymorphism and major depressive disorder (MDD) in a northeastern Thai population. We included 180 patients with MDD and 183 unrelated healthy controls in our study.