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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the emerging cause of chronic liver disease globally and lack of approved therapies. Here, we investigated the feasibility of combinatorial effects of low molecular weight fucoidan and high stability fucoxanthin (LMF-HSFx) as a therapeutic approach against NAFLD. We evaluated the inhibitory effects of LMF-HSFx or placebo in 42 NAFLD patients for 24 weeks and related mechanism in high fat diet (HFD) mice model and HepaRGTM cell line. We found that LMF-HSFx reduces the relative values of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1c in NAFLD patients. For lipid metabolism, LMF-HSFx reduces the scores of controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and increases adiponectin and leptin expression. Interestingly, it reduces liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients, either. The proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and interferon-γ are reduced in LMF-HSFx group. In HFD mice, LMF-HSFx attenuates hepatic lipotoxicity and modulates adipogenesis. Additionally, LMF-HSFx modulates SIRI-PGC-1 pathway in HepaRG cells under palmitic acid-induced lipotoxicity environment. Here, we describe that LMF-HSFx ameliorated hepatic steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis and insulin resistance in NAFLD patients. LMF-HSFx may modulate leptin-adiponectin axis in adipocytes and hepatocytes, then regulate lipid and glycogen metabolism, decrease insulin resistance and is against NAFLD.

Purpose Results of previous studies have demonstrated that T-cell receptor cross-linking rapidly generates reactive oxygen species, which play essential signaling roles within mitochondria for the antigen-specific expansion of T-cells. However, oxidative stress also causes damage to cellular organelles. Thus, modulating ROS metabolism using antioxidants during naïve T-cell activation may promote the expansion and generation of functional T-cells. Notably, urothelial cancer is a sex-specific malignancy with high mortality rates worldwide. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of various antioxidants on γδ T-cell proliferation, and the associated cytotoxicity against urothelial carcinoma cells (UCs). Methods Over a period of cell induction and expansion, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured with or without different antioxidants, including N -acetyl cysteine (NAC), vitamin C and vitamin E. Subsequently, phenotypic characterization of γδ T-cells and their cytolytic effects against UCs were analyzed by flow cytometry and cell viability assays, respectively. Results and Conclusions The results revealed that NAC partially inhibited T-cell expansion in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, CD3 + /Vγ9 + levels and natural killer group 2D receptor expression were mildly reduced following treatment with a high dose of NAC, whereas CD3 + /CD56 + levels and CD314 expression in natural killer-like cells were moderately decreased following treatment with vitamin E. Particularly, the direct co-incubation of bladder cancer cells with γδ T-cells supplemented with antioxidants significantly enhanced bladder cancer cytolysis. Collectively, results of the present study revealed that co-administration of functional antioxidants during γδ T-cell expansion may enhance the quality and efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapies for cancer treatment.

Early detection is important for improving the survival rate of patients with gastric cancer (GC). Serum tumor markers have been widely used for detecting GC. However, their clinical values remain controversial. This study aims to investigate the role of serum cancer antigen 72-4 (CA72-4) in the diagnosis of GC in a healthy population. A total of 7757 adults who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and serum CA72-4 level measurement in multicenters in Taiwan from January 2006 to August 2016 were recruited in this retrospective study. Risk factors for GC, serum tumor markers, and esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) findings were evaluated. High serum levels of CA72-4 were found in 7.2% of healthy adults. CA72-4 level showed lower sensitivity (33.3%) but higher specificity (92.8%); however, the positive predictive value was quite low (0.18%). After adjustment of clinical risk factors for GC using EGD findings, gastric ulcer (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 2.11), gastric polyps (aOR = 1.42), and atrophic gastritis (aOR = 1.27) were significantly associated with high serum CA72-4 levels. Furthermore, both age (OR = 1.01) and Helicobacter pylori infection (OR = 1.44) exhibited a significant association with high serum CA72-4 levels. These results indicate that routine screening of CA72-4 levels for diagnosing GC in asymptomatic patients may be ineffective due to low sensitivity and low positive predictive value. The clinical utility of EGD findings along with serum CA72-4 level for screening healthy individuals with GC is warranted.

Background/Aim: Bladder cancer (BLCA, urothelial bladder cancer) is one of the most common malignancies with increasing incidence and mortality worldwide. Poor diagnosis and the limitation of treatment is still an unmet need in clinical practice. γδ T-Cells have been paid increasing attention because of their potent cytotoxicity against tumors. Herein, we investigated the cytolytic effect of γδ T-cells in combination with the chemotherapeutic drug, carboplatin, against BLCA cells. Materials and Methods: The standard protocol for the induction and expansion of peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived γδ T-cells was a zoledronic acid/interleukin-2-based medium system for 2 weeks. The cytotoxicity of γδ T-cells with and without carboplatin against BLCA cells was examined. Results: After incubation, T-cell receptor-positive γδ T-cells showed a natural killer cell-like phenotypic characteristic and dose-dependently increased cytotoxicity against BLCA cells. Interestingly, we found that in advanced BLCA cells, which were more resistant to carboplatin, the cell viability was significantly (p<0.05) reduced in the presence of γδ T-cells. Conclusion: Our findings showed that γδ T-cell therapy has potent benefit in cancer treatment.

Background/aim: Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) has been discovered to serve a critical role in the survival and infiltration of B-cell lymphoma. Recently, it was reported that BTK inhibitors exerted potential beneficial effects against numerous types of solid tumor, including glioblastoma multiforme and breast cancer; however, whether BTK is crucial for the progression of bladder cancer (BLCA) remains unclear. The present study investigated the in vitro function of BTK in stemness properties of BLCA cells. Furthermore, the therapeutic effects of a standard chemotherapeutic drug, carboplatin in combination with the BTK inhibitor, ibrutinib were also investigated. Materials and Methods: The association between BTK and BLCA progression was evaluated using free databases. The in vitro stemness and metastatic properties of BLCA cells were also investigated. Finally, the cytotoxicity of carboplatin in combination with ibrutinib was determined. Results: The meta-survival analysis of the association between BTK and BLCA progression revealed that the expression levels of BTK were associated with a higher risk of BLCA progression. The CD133+-side population of BLCA cells formed spheroids when cultured in serum-free conditioned medium. In addition, expression levels of BTK and activated mTOR signaling in side population cells was up-regulated compared with the parental BLCA cells. Furthermore, the transfection of short hairpin RNA targeting BTK into BLCA cells markedly reduced cell migratory ability. More importantly, in advanced BLCA cells, which were more resistant to carboplatin, it was discovered that the cell viability was significantly reduced in the presence of ibrutinib (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggested that BTK may have a critical role in the progression of BLCA; however, the underlying mechanisms and potential therapeutic strategies involved require further investigations.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common neural crest-derived extracranial solid cancer in children. Among all childhood cancers, NB causes devastating loss of young lives as it accounts for 15% of childhood cancer mortality. Neuroblastoma, especially high-risk stage 4 NB with MYCN amplification has limited treatment options and associated with poor prognosis. This necessitates the need for novel effective therapeutic strategy. JARID1B, also known as KDM5B, is a histone lysine demethylase, identified as an oncogene in many cancer types. Clinical data obtained from freely-accessible databases show a negative correlation between JARID1B expression and survival rates. Here, we demonstrated for the first time the role of JARID1B in the enhancement of stem cell-like activities and drug resistance in NB cells. We showed that JARID1B may be overexpressed in either MYCN amplification (SK-N-BE(2)) or MYCN-non-amplified (SK-N-SH and SK-N-FI) cell lines. JARID1B expression was found enriched in tumor spheres of SK-N-BE(2) and SK-N-DZ. Moreover, SK-N-BE(2) spheroids were more resistant to chemotherapeutics as compared to parental cells. In addition, we demonstrated that JARID1B-silenced cells acquired a decreased propensity for tumor invasion and tumorsphere formation, but increased sensitivity to cisplatin treatment. Mechanistically, reduced JARID1B expression led to the downregulation of Notch/Jagged signaling. Collectively, we provided evidence that JARID1B via modulation of stemness-related signaling is a putative novel therapeutic target for treating malignant NB.

Background/Aim: Prostate cancer (PC) is one of the major diseases that affects male health and ranks as the second most frequent cancer in men worldwide. Although most newly-diagnosed PCs are well-differentiated tumors with a high cure probability, there are some patients with aggressive malignancies that show potential for recurrence and metastasis. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes are a specific immune effector cell population that mediates immune responses against cancer. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the cytotoxicity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs)-derived γδ T cells and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells in combination with chemoradiotherapy against PC cells was evaluated using Alamar blue cell viability and cell membrane permeability assays. Results: Advanced PC-3 cells, which were more resistant to docetaxel (Doc), also showed higher viability following pretreatment with radiation. The cell proliferation inhibition was significantly increased upon additional γδ T or CIK treatment. Furthermore, the proportion of apoptotic cells was significantly (p<0.05) increased in the Doc-γδ T cell co-treatment group as compared with the Doc or γδ T cell treated alone group. Conclusion: γδ T cell therapy may provide additional benefit compared to traditional chemoradiotherapy for PC treatment.

Antioxidant enzymes (AOEs) play an important role in the protection of cells against reactive oxygen species and facilitate the prevention of oxidative stress-induced aging. In the present study, the antioxidant indices, including the content of peroxidation product and the expression of AOEs in rat livers of varying ages (2, 12 and 18-24 months old) were evaluated. Erythrocytes haemolysis induced by free radicals showed significant age-dependent increases (P < 0.05). The content of oxidation products in livers showed that increasing age was associated with serious oxidative injury. The activities of AOEs decreased with increasing age. Expression of the antioxidant and age-related gene, klotho, decreased with increasing age. Western blot assay showed that aged rats experience higher levels of oxidative stress. Nuclear factor-erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) exhibited an age-dependent decrease. Additionally, the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade (MAPK) played a regulatory role in signaling transduction. Overall, we suggest that age-related declines of the antioxidant defense are closely involved with the expression of Nrf2 and are regulated by the MAPK family.

Background/Aim: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been suggested playing a crucial role in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Clinically, concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) after transurethral resection of the bladder is the widely accepted treatment option for high-grade bladder urothelial carcinoma (UC); however, a proportion of bladder UC patients still suffer from recurrence and metastasis. In the present study, we investigated the stemness properties of bladder UC cells with respect to various disease stages. The metastatic capability and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the parental cells and the CSC cells of bladder UC, after chemotherapy with cisplatin alone or CCRT were also studied, respectively. Materials and Methods: The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH)-positive cells were analyzed by a flow cytometer. The inhibitory effects of radiation in combination with cisplatin on the cell viability, migration, invasion and EMT characteristics were also examined. Results: We found that the proportion of ALDH+-CSCs of bladder UC cells and the disease grading were independent. Furthermore, cisplatin alone significantly (p<0.05) enhanced the migration of both grade-III T24 cells and advanced-stage HT1197 cells, while CCRT treatment significantly (p<0.05) inhibited the T24 cell migration capability, compared to the cisplatin alone group. Interestingly, we found that the cell invasion capability was obviously increased upon the treatment with CCRT in both T24 and HT1197 CSCs. Furthermore, cisplatin played a promoting role in EMT whether in the presence or absence of irradiation. Conclusion: CSCs as well as EMT signaling might contribute to the resistance and metastasis of one-shot CCRT in malignant bladder cancer.

Denervation-mediated skeletal muscle atrophy results from the loss of electric stimulation and leads to protein degradation, which is critically regulated by the well-confirmed transcriptional co-activator peroxisome proliferator co-activator 1 alpha (PGC-1α). No adequate treatments of muscle wasting are available. Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), a naturally occurring antioxidant component with multiple functions including mitochondrial modulation, demonstrates the ability to protect against muscle dysfunction. However, it remains unclear whether PQQ enhances PGC-1α activation and resists skeletal muscle atrophy in mice subjected to a denervation operation. This work investigates the expression of PGC-1α and mitochondrial function in the skeletal muscle of denervated mice administered PQQ. The C57BL6/J mouse was subjected to a hindlimb sciatic axotomy. A PQQ-containing ALZET® osmotic pump (equivalent to 4.5 mg/day/kg b.w.) was implanted subcutaneously into the right lower abdomen of the mouse. In the time course study, the mouse was sacrificed and the gastrocnemius muscle was prepared for further myopathological staining, energy metabolism analysis, western blotting, and real-time quantitative PCR studies. We observed that PQQ administration abolished the denervation-induced decrease in muscle mass and reduced mitochondrial activities, as evidenced by the reduced fiber size and the decreased expression of cytochrome c oxidase and NADH-tetrazolium reductase. Bioenergetic analysis demonstrated that PQQ reprogrammed the denervation-induced increase in the mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and led to an increase in the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), a measurement of the glycolytic metabolism. The protein levels of PGC-1α and the electron transport chain (ETC) complexes were also increased by treatment with PQQ. Furthermore, PQQ administration highly enhanced the expression of oxidative fibers and maintained the type II glycolytic fibers. This pre-clinical in vivo study suggests that PQQ may provide a potent therapeutic benefit for the treatment of denervation-induced atrophy by activating PGC-1α and maintaining the mitochondrial ETC complex in skeletal muscles.