New Era of Plasma Dentistry.

Plasma, which was coined by Irving Langmuir in 1928, is the fourth physical state after the solid/liquid/gas phases. Low-temperature plasma (LTP) is a contradictory condition that involves high energy with free radicals at near-body temperatures and was developed through engineering in the 1990's. Research on LTP in engineering and medical fields has rapidly developed since the 2000's.

Iron from the gut: the role of divalent metal transporter 1.

Mammalian cells contain thousands of metalloproteins and evolved systems to correctly incorporate metal cofactors into their designated sites. Among the transient metals in living cells, iron is the most abundant element that present as an iron sulfur cluster, mono- and dinuclear iron centers or heme for catalytic reactions. Iron homeostasis is tightly regulated by intestinal iron absorption in mammals owing to the lack of an iron excretive transport system, apart from superficial epithelial cell detachment and urinary outflow reabsorptive impairment.

Iron and Cancer: A Special Issue.

Iron is an essential element for all organisms, and iron-containing proteins play critical roles in cellular functions [...

Non-thermal plasma elicits ferrous chloride-catalyzed DMPO-OH.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species, such as hydroxyl radicals (OH), hydrogen peroxide (HO), singlet oxygen, superoxide, ozone, and nitric oxide, at near-physiological temperatures. These molecules promote blood coagulation, wound healing, disinfection, and selective cancer cell death. Based on these evidences, clinical trials of NTP have been conducted for treating chronic wounds and head and neck cancers.

The Role of Ferric Nitrilotriacetate in Renal Carcinogenesis and Cell Death: From Animal Models to Clinical Implications.

Iron is essential for cellular growth, and various ferroproteins and heme-containing proteins are involved in a myriad of cellular functions, such as DNA synthesis, oxygen transport, and catalytic reactions. As a consequence, iron deficiency causes pleiotropic effects, such as hypochromic microcytic anemia and growth disturbance, while iron overload is also deleterious by oxidative injury. To prevent the generation of iron-mediated reactive oxygen species (ROS), ferritin is synthesized to store excess iron in cells that are consistent with the clinical utility of the serum ferritin concentration to monitor the therapeutic effect of iron-chelation.

Asbestos-induced mesothelial injury and carcinogenesis: Involvement of iron and reactive oxygen species.

Asbestos fibers have been used as an industrial and construction material worldwide due to their high durability and low production cost. Commercial usage of asbestos is currently prohibited in Japan; however, the risk of asbestos-induced malignant mesothelioma (MM) remains. According to epidemiological data, the onset of MM is estimated to occur after a latent period of 30-40 years from initial exposure to asbestos fibers; thus, the continuous increase in MM is a concern.

Mice lacking DYRK2 exhibit congenital malformations with lung hypoplasia and altered Foxf1 expression gradient.

Congenital malformations cause life-threatening diseases in pediatrics, yet the molecular mechanism of organogenesis is poorly understood. Here we show that Dyrk2-deficient mice display congenital malformations in multiple organs. Transcriptome analysis reveals molecular pathology of Dyrk2-deficient mice, particularly with respect to Foxf1 reduction.

Non-thermal plasma-induced DMPO-OH yields hydrogen peroxide.

Recent developments in electronics have enabled the medical applications of non-thermal plasma (NTP), which elicits reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), such as hydroxyl radical (OH), hydrogen peroxide (HO), singlet oxygen (O), superoxide (O), ozone, and nitric oxide at near-physiological temperatures. In preclinical studies or human clinical trials, NTP promotes blood coagulation, eradication of bacterial, viral and biofilm-related infections, wound healing, and cancer cell death. To elucidate the solution-phase biological effects of NTP in the presence of biocompatible reducing agents, we employed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to quantify OH using a spin-trapping probe, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO); O using a fluorescent probe; and O and HO using luminescent probes in the presence of thiols or tempol.

The therapeutic potential of curcumin in alleviating N-diethylnitrosamine and iron nitrilotriacetate induced renal cell tumours in mice via inhibition of oxidative stress: Implications for cancer chemoprevention.

This study was designed to reveal the protective effects of dietary supplementation of curcumin against renal cell tumours and oxidative stress induced by renal carcinogen iron nitrilotriacetate (Fe-NTA) in ddY male mice. The results showed that mice treated with a renal carcinogen, Fe-NTA, a 35% renal cell tumour incidence was noticed, whereas renal cell tumour occurrence was elevated to 80% in Fe-NTA promoted and N-diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated mice as compared with saline- treated mice. No incidence of tumours has been observed in DEN-initiated non-promoted mice.

L-Dehydroascorbate efficiently degrades non-thermal plasma-induced hydrogen peroxide.

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) devices generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species, such as singlet oxygen (O), superoxide (O), hydroxyl radical (OH), hydrogen peroxide (HO), ozone, and nitric oxide at near-physiological temperature. In preclinical studies, NTP promotes blood coagulation, wound healing with disinfection, and selective killing of cancer cells. Although these biological effects of NTP have been widely explored, the stoichiometric quantitation of ROS in the liquid phase has not been performed in the presence of biocompatible reducing agents, which may modify the final biological effects of NTP.

Asbestos conceives Fe(II)-dependent mutagenic stromal milieu through ceaseless macrophage ferroptosis and β-catenin induction in mesothelium.

Asbestos is still a social burden worldwide as a carcinogen causing malignant mesothelioma. Whereas recent studies suggest that local iron reduction is a preventive strategy against carcinogenesis, little is known regarding the cellular and molecular mechanisms surrounding excess iron. Here by differentially using high-risk and low-risk asbestos fibers (crocidolite and anthophyllite, respectively), we identified asbestos-induced mutagenic milieu for mesothelial cells.

Overexpression of miR-199/214 is a distinctive feature of iron-induced and asbestos-induced sarcomatoid mesothelioma in rats.

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is one of the most lethal tumors in humans. The onset of MM is linked to exposure to asbestos, which generates reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are believed to be derived from the frustrated phagocytosis and the iron in asbestos.

deficiency provides longer survival upon intraperitoneal crocidolite injection in female mice.

Exposure to asbestos fiber is central to mesothelial carcinogenesis. Recent sequencing studies on human and rodent malignant mesothelioma (MM) revealed frequently mutated genes, including , and . Crocidolite directly or indirectly catalyses the generation of hydroxyl radicals, which appears to be the major driving force for mesothelial mutations.

Frequent homozygous deletion of Cdkn2a/2b in tremolite-induced malignant mesothelioma in rats.

The onset of malignant mesothelioma (MM) is linked to exposure to asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers are classified as serpentine (chrysotile) or amphibole, which includes the crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite types. Although few studies have been undertaken, anthophyllite has been shown to be associated with mesothelioma, and tremolite, a contaminant in talc and chrysotile, is a risk factor for carcinogenicity.

Oxidative stress-dependent and -independent death of glioblastoma cells induced by non-thermal plasma-exposed solutions.

Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma has been widely used for preclinical studies in areas such as wound healing, blood coagulation, and cancer therapy. We previously developed plasma-activated medium (PAM) and plasma-activated Ringer's lactate solutions (PAL) for cancer treatments. Many in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that both PAM and PAL exhibit anti-tumor effects in several types of cancer cells such as ovarian, gastric, and pancreatic cancer cells as well as glioblastoma cells.

l-Dehydroascorbic acid recycled by thiols efficiently scavenges non-thermal plasma-induced hydroxyl radicals.

Recent development in electronics has enabled the use of non-thermal plasma (NTP) to strictly direct oxidative stress in a defined location at near-physiological temperature. In preclinical studies or human clinical trials, NTP promotes blood coagulation, wound healing with disinfection, and selective killing of cancer cells. Although these biological effects of NTP have been widely explored, the stoichiometric quantitation of free radicals in liquid phase has not been performed in the presence of biocompatible reducing agents, which may modify the final biological effects of NTP.

Twist1 was detected in mesenchymal cells of mammary fibroadenoma and invasive components of breast carcinoma in rats.

Fibroadenoma (FA) is a common mammary fibroepithelial tumor. The tumor size of the FA is increased by estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, and pregnancy, whereas it decreases after menopause. These observations in humans indicate that FA is hormone dependent.

Global overexpression of divalent metal transporter 1 delays crocidolite-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis in male mice.

Exposure to asbestos fiber is central to mesothelial carcinogenesis, for which iron overload in or near mesothelial cells is a key pathogenic mechanism. Alternatively, iron chelation therapy with deferasirox or regular phlebotomy was significantly preventive against crocidolite-induced mesothelial carcinogenesis in rats. However, the role of iron transporters during asbestos-induced carcinogenesis remains elusive.

A fluorescent metal-sensor study provides evidence for iron transport by transcytosis in the intestinal epithelial cells.

Iron transport across the intestinal epithelium is facilitated by the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) on the brush border membrane (BBM). The fluorescent metal sensor calcein, which is hydrophilic, membrane-impermeable and quenched by chelation with iron, was used to test our hypothesis that intestinal iron absorption is through the endocytic processes and is involved in a pathway where BBM-derived vesicles fuse with basolateral membrane (BLM)-derived vesicles. To monitor the flux of iron via transcytosis, Caco-2 cells were employed as a polarized cell layer in Transwell chambers.

Role of catalytic iron and oxidative stress in nitrofen-induced congenital diaphragmatic hernia and its amelioration by Saireito (TJ-114).

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a life-threatening neonatal disease that leads to lung hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. We recently found that maternal prenatal administration of Saireito (TJ-114) ameliorates fetal CDH in a nitrofen-induced rat model. Here, we studied the role of iron and oxidative stress in neonates of this model and in lung fibroblasts IMR90-SV in association with nitrofen and Saireito.