SARS-CoV-2 IgG Seroprevalence in the Okinawa Main Island and Remote Islands in Okinawa, Japan, 2020-2021.

We estimated the seroprevalence of anti-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (anti-SARS-CoV-2) immunoglobulin G (IgG) in different island groups in Okinawa. A cross-sectional serosurvey was conducted over three periods between July 2020 and February 2021. A total of 2,683 serum samples were collected from six referral medical centers, each covering a separate region in Okinawa.

EP4 receptor agonist CAY10598 upregulates ROS-dependent Hsp90 cleavage in colorectal cancer cells.

Prostaglandin E (PGE) interacts with four specific G protein-coupled receptors, namely EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4, playing a pivotal role in determining the fate of cells. Our previous findings highlighted that stimulating the EP4 receptor with its agonist, CAY10598, triggers apoptosis in colon cancer HCT116 cells the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This process also reduces the phosphorylation of the oncogenic protein JAK2 and leads to its degradation in these cells.

IL9 Polarizes Macrophages to M1 and Induces the Infiltration of Antitumor Immune Cells via MIP-1 and CXCR3 Chemokines.

Unlabelled: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are involved in tumor progression, metastasis, and immunosuppression. Because TAMs are highly plastic and could alter their phenotypes to proinflammatory M1 in response to environmental stimuli, reeducating TAMs has emerged as a promising approach to overcoming the challenges of solid cancer treatment. This study investigated the effect of IL9 on macrophage M1 polarization and verified its antitumor potential to retrain TAMs and promote chemokine secretion.

Inactivation of mammalian spermatozoa on the exposure of TiO nanorods deposited with noble metals.

Titanium dioxide (TiO) nanorods (NRs) are well-known semiconducting and catalytic material that has been widely applied, but their toxicities have also attracted recent interest. In this study, we investigated and compared the toxic effects of TiO NRs and TiO NRs loaded with Ag or Au NPs on boar spermatozoa. As a result, sperm incubated with Ag-TiO NRs showed lower motility than sperm incubated with controls (with or without TiO NRs) or Au-TiO NRs.

Discovery of novel phenaleno isoquinolinium-based fluorescence imaging agents for sentinel lymph node mapping.

Fluorescence imaging agents have recently received huge attention due to their important role in disease diagnostics. However, the intrinsic problems of these probes, such as complex synthetic routes and high molecular weight, remain challenging. Here, we developed novel phenaleno isoquinolinium-based fluorescent agents, Medical Fluorophores 37-41 (MF37-41), applicable to the quantitative and sensitive detection of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs).

Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activity of psiguadial B and its halogenated analogues as potential neuroprotective agents.

Psiguadial B (8), and its fluoro- (8a), chloro- (8b), and bromo- (8c) derivatives were synthesized using a sodium acetate-catalyzed single step coupling of three components: β-caryophyllene (5), diformylphloroglucinol (11), and benzaldehyde (12). These compounds efficiently and dose-dependently decreased HO-induced cell death, a quantitative marker of cell death, in primary cultures of mouse cortical neurons. Psiguadial B also decreased neuronal death and accumulation of ROS induced by FeCl in cortical cultures.

Visualization of platelet recruitment to tumor lesions using highly sensitive and stable radioiodine studded gold nanoprobes.

In vivo imaging of platelets will provide a better understanding of their critical roles in arterial cardiovascular disease, hemostasis, inflammation, and cancer. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of using radioiodine studded gold nanoprobes (RIS-GNPs) as a platelet tracker for nuclear medicine imaging in tumor-bearing mice using positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT). Platelet labeling with RIS-GNPs did not alter the platelet functions, such as cellular proliferation and aggregation.

Phorbol 12-Myristate 13-Acetate Induced Toxicity Study and the Role of Tangeretin in Abrogating HIF-1α-NF-κB Crosstalk In Vitro and In Vivo.

Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) is a potent tumor promoter and highly inflammatory in nature. Here, we investigated the toxic effects of PMA on different model system. PMA (10 μg) caused chromosomal aberrations on the root tip and induced mitotic dysfunction.

Assessment of antiviral potencies of cannabinoids against SARS-CoV-2 using computational and in vitro approaches.

Effective treatment choices to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) are limited because of the absence of effective target-based therapeutics. The main object of the current research was to estimate the antiviral activity of cannabinoids (CBDs) against the human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In the presented research work, we performed in silico and in vitro experiments to aid the sighting of lead CBDs for treating the viral infections of SARS-CoV-2.

Increased survival of the honey bee Apis mellifera infected with the microsporidian Nosema ceranae by effective gene silencing.

This study examined the control of nosemosis caused by Nosema ceranae, one of the hard-to-control diseases of honey bees, using RNA interference (RNAi) technology. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) for RNAi application targeted the mitosome-related genes of N. ceranae.

Suspension culture of Vero cells for the production of adenovirus type 5.

Purpose: Most cell culture processes for viral vaccine production are mainly based on adherent cell culture systems using serum, which are associated with expensive and labor-intensive processes to produce large amounts of viral vaccine strains. In this study, we investigated whether Vero cells could be grown in serum-free and shaking suspension conditions. Furthermore, we assessed the ability of the Vero cell suspension culture system to produce adenovirus type 5 (Ad5), compared to that of the adhesive Vero cell culture system.

Association between sphingosine-1-phosphate-induced signal transduction via mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways and keloid formation.

We conducted this experimental study to analyze the relationship between sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P)-induced mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathways and keloid formation. We collected samples of the normal tissue and the keloid tissue from 10 normal healthy individuals and 12 patients with keloid scars, respectively. Then, we compared the level of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor (S1PR1/S1PR2) mRNA/protein expression between the normal tissue and the keloid tissue.

Decursinol angelate ameliorates 12-O-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) -induced NF-κB activation on mice ears by inhibiting exaggerated inflammatory cell infiltration, oxidative stress and pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

Decursinol angelate (DA) is a pyranocoumarin purified from the roots of Angelica gigas. Here, we synthesized DA and determined its anti-inflammatory potential on TPA-induced mice ear inflammation. First, we evaluated the non-toxic behaviour of DA on HaCaT cells.

Neferine-induced apoptosis is dependent on the suppression of Bcl-2 expression via downregulation of p65 in renal cancer cells.

Neferine is an alkaloid extracted from a seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera and has recently been shown to have anticancer effects in various human cancer cell lines. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of neferine-induced apoptosis has not been elucidated in renal cancer cells. In the present study, we observed that neferine induced inhibition of cell proliferation and apoptosis in Caki-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner by using MT assay and flow cytometry and that neferine-mediated apoptosis was attenuated by pretreatment with N-benzyloxycarbony-Val-Ala-Asp (O-methyl)-fluoromethyketone, a pan-caspase inhibitor.

Therapeutic Potential of the Rhizomes of and Timosaponin A-III in an Animal Model of Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Lung Inflammation.

Investigations into the development of new therapeutic agents for lung inflammatory disorders have led to the discovery of plant-based alternatives. The rhizomes of have a long history of use against lung inflammatory disorders in traditional herbal medicine. However, the therapeutic potential of this plant material in animal models of lung inflammation has yet to be evaluated.

A hot-water extract of Sanguisorba officinalis ameliorates endotoxin-induced septic shock by inhibiting inflammasome activation.

The inflammasome is a multiprotein signaling complex that mediates inflammatory innate immune responses through caspase 1 activation and subsequent IL-1β secretion. However, because its aberrant activation often leads to inflammatory diseases, targeting the inflammasome holds promise for the treatment of inflammation-related diseases. In this study, it was found that a hot-water extract of Sanguisorba officinalis (HSO) suppresses inflammasome activation triggered by adenosine 5'-triphosphate, nigericin, microbial pathogens, and double stranded DNA in bone marrow-derived macrophages.

Nuclear Factor Kappa B Activation and Peroxisome Proliferator-activated Receptor Transactivational Effects of Chemical Components of the Roots of Polygonum multiflorum.

Background: Polygonum multiflorum is well-known as "Heshouwu" in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In Northeast Asia, it is often used as a tonic to prevent premature aging of the kidney and liver, tendons, and bones and strengthening of the lower back and knees.

Objective: To research the anti-inflammatory activities of components from P.

A new phenolic derivative with soluble epoxide hydrolase and nuclear factor-kappaB inhibitory activity from the aqueous extract of Acacia catechu.

One novel phenolic compound, (4S,5R)-4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-(3-oxobutyl)dihydrofuran-2(3H)-one (1), as well as 12 known compounds (2-13) was obtained from the aqueous extract of Acacia catechu and their chemical structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 8 and 9 exhibited significant soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH) inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 26.6 ± 0.

Anti-Proliferative Effect of Naringenin through p38-Dependent Downregulation of Cyclin D1 in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Naringenin (NAR) as one of the flavonoids observed in grapefruit has been reported to exhibit an anti-cancer activity. However, more detailed mechanism by which NAR exerts anti-cancer properties still remains unanswered. Thus, in this study, we have shown that NAR down-regulates the level of cyclin D1 in human colorectal cancer cell lines, HCT116 and SW480.

Silymarin induces cyclin D1 proteasomal degradation via its phosphorylation of threonine-286 in human colorectal cancer cells.

Silymarin from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) plant has been reported to show anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects. For anti-cancer activity, silymarin is known to regulate cell cycle progression through cyclin D1 downregulation. However, the mechanism of silymarin-mediated cyclin D1 downregulation still remains unanswered.

The contribution of activating transcription factor 3 to apoptosis of human colorectal cancer cells by protocatechualdehyde, a naturally occurring phenolic compound.

Protocatechualdehyde (PCA) is one of the important compounds found in barley, green cavendish bananas and grapevine leaves. PCA shows anti-cancer activities in breast, leukemia and colorectal cancer cells. Previous study reported that PCA exerts anti-cancer activity through down-regulating cyclin D1 and HDAC2 in human colorectal cancer cells.

NF-κB inhibitory activity of polyoxygenated steroids from the Vietnamese soft coral Sarcophyton pauciplicatum.

Chromatographic purification of the methanolic extract from the soft coral Sarcophyton pauciplicatum led to the isolation of three polyhydroxylated steroids 1-3, including a new compound, sarcopanol A (1). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and by comparison of the spectroscopic data with those of similar compounds previously reported in literature. The anti-inflammatory effects of isolated compounds were evaluated using nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) luciferase and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).