Differential profiles of gastrointestinal proteins interacting with peptidoglycans from Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus aureus.

Peptidoglycan (PGN) is a major cell wall component of Gram-positive bacteria that contributes to the regulation of host immunity in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Although Gram-positive bacteria contain structurally distinct PGNs that are considered to differently interact with the GIT, PGN-binding proteins (PGN-BPs) in the GIT have been poorly understood. In the present study, we purified PGNs from Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus aureus (named as Lp.

Mycotoxin zearalenone induces AIF- and ROS-mediated cell death through p53- and MAPK-dependent signaling pathways in RAW264.7 macrophages.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is commonly found in many food commodities and is known to cause reproductive disorders and genotoxic effects. However, the mode of ZEN-induced cell death of macrophages and the mechanisms by which ZEN causes cytotoxicity remain unclear. The present study shows that ZEN treatment reduces viability of RAW264.

A phenolic acid phenethyl urea compound inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced production of nitric oxide and pro-inflammatory cytokines in cell culture.

We previously used the Curtius rearrangement to synthesize various phenolic acid phenethyl urea compounds from phenolic acids and demonstrated their beneficial anti-oxidant and anti-cancer effects. Here, we investigated the effects of one of these synthetic compounds, (E)-1-(3,4-dihydroxystyryl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenethyl)urea (DSHP-U), on nitric oxide (NO) production, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, and cytokine secretion in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells.

Induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis in melanoma cells by the synthetic compound (E)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-3-styrylurea.

Recently, various phenolic acid phenethyl ureas (PAPUs) have been synthesized from phenolic acids by Curtius rearrangement for the development of more effective anti-oxidants. In this study, we examined the anti-tumor activity and cellular mechanism of the synthetic compound (E)-1-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-3-styrylurea (PAPU1) using melanoma B16/F10 and M-3 cells. Results showed that PAPU1 inhibited the cell proliferation and viability, but did not induce cytotoxic effects on primary cultured fibroblasts.