Procyanidins from evening primrose (Oenothera paradoxa) defatted seeds inhibit invasiveness of breast cancer cells and modulate the expression of selected genes involved in angiogenesis, metastasis, and apoptosis.

There is a growing interest in plant polyphenols (including flavanols) that exhibit pleiotropic biological activities such as antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. Here, we report for the first time the inhibition of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell viability and invasiveness by an evening primrose flavanol preparation (EPFP). We observed a decrease in MDA-MB-231 viability of 50% vs.

Flavanols from evening primrose (Oenothera paradoxa) defatted seeds inhibit prostate cells invasiveness and cause changes in Bcl-2/Bax mRNA ratio.

In this study, we assessed the influence of an evening primrose flavanol preparation (EPFP) on proliferation and invasiveness of human prostate cancer cells (DU 145) and immortalized prostate epithelial cells (PNT1A). We report for the first time that EPFP reduces DU 145 cell proliferation (IC50 = 97 μM GAE for 72 h incubation) and invasiveness (by 24% versus control at 75 μM GAE). EPFP strongly inhibited PNT1A invasiveness in a concentration-dependent manner (by 67% versus control at 75 μM GAE) and did not cause a reduction in their proliferation.

Flavanols from Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) fruit inhibit human prostate and breast cancer cell line invasiveness and cause favorable changes in Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratio.

Polyphenols are natural compounds of high structural diversity which translates into a very wide spectrum of biological activities, including chemoprevention. Here we report that a Japanese quince fruit flavanol preparation (JQFFP) caused favorable changes in Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratio, which rendered normal and cancer cells more resistant and more sensitive, respectively, to apoptosis. DU145 human prostate cancer cells were characterized by the most advantageous Bax/Bcl-2 ratio.

Intraocular matrix metalloproteinase 2 and 9 in patients with diabetes mellitus with and without diabetic retinopathy.

Introduction: We aimed to investigate activities of metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9 in aqueous humour of patients with diabetes mellitus with various stages of diabetic retinopathy.

Material And Methods: We included 36 samples of aqueous humour of patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, undergoing routine cataract surgery. Seven of them suffered from proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), 3 had diabetic maculopathy and the remaining 26 had background or minimal background retinopathy only.

Melatonin augments expression of the procollagen α1 (I) and α1 (III) genes in the infarcted heart scar of pinealectomized rats.

The pineal gland is involved in the regulation of collagen accumulation in peripheral wounds and scars of the infarcted heart. This study is aimed to provide an explanation of whether the pineal gland and melatonin (MLT) is involved in the regulation of α1 (I) and α1 (III) procollagen gene expression. A secondary aim is the investigation of whether the mechanism of changes could be explained by the direct influence of MLT on myofibroblasts isolated from the scar.

[Type IV collagenases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and their substrates--intracellular proteins, hormones, cytokines, chemokines and their receptors].

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are zinc-dependent endopeptidases that cleave protein components of extracellular matrix such as collagens, laminin, fibronectin, proteoglycans and contribute to cell migration by eliminating the surrounding extracellular matrix and basement membrane barriers. However, the extracellular matrix is not simply an extracellular scaffold because, for example, it contains sites that can bind growth factors; therefore, degradation of the extracellular matrix components by MMPs can alter cellular behavior. MMPs also cleave a variety of non-ECM proteins, including cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors, activating or inactivating them, or generating other products that have biological consequences.

Procyanidin oligomers from Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica) fruit inhibit activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 metalloproteinases.

The influence of procyanidin extract from Japanese quince fruit on the activities of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted to culture medium by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and by human leukemia HL-60 cells was investigated by gelatin zymography. The extract proved to be an effective inhibitor of the enzymes activities (for MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted by PBMC IC50 = 16-19 microg extract/mL and 22-25 microg extract/mL, respectively). To identify the most effective components of the extract it was fractionated by means of column chromatography on TSKgel Toyopearl HW-40 (S) bed.