The American journal of Chinese medicine
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Intracellular calcium signaling is crucial for type 2 helper T cell and mast cell activation, which is essential for allergic inflammation. It is initiated by antigen-mediated receptor stimulation that triggers store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) via ORAI1 calcium channel. Flos Magnoliae (FM) is widely used to treat allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis and asthma. ⋯ FMHex at 0.01 mg/mL (equivalent to 10 μ M LA) inhibited not only SOCE but also IL-2 production, as well as CD3/CD28 receptor co-stimulation induced calcium signaling in Jurkat T lymphocytes. FMEtOH and LA suppressed CD4 + T lymphocyte activation, at least in part, by inhibiting I SOCE. Thus, I SOCE inhibition may be a potential strategy to inhibit immune responses in inflammation.
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Ginsenoside Rh2, a major bioactive ingredient abundant in red ginseng, has an antiproliferative effect on various cancer cells. In this study, we report a novel long noncoding RNA, C3orf67-AS1, which was identified as being hypermethylated at a CpG site of the promoter by Rh2 in MCF-7 cancer cells. Rh2-induced hypermethylation was responsible for the lower gene expression; the expression was recovered following treatment with a methyltransferase inhibitor, 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine. ⋯ Within 800 kb flanking C3orf67-AS1 on the chromosome, eight genes were found, and four genes including C3orf67 (the sense strand gene of C3orf67-AS1) were downregulated by Rh2. In particular, C3orf67 was downregulated when C3orf67-AS1 was suppressed by a siRNA; however, the expression of C3orf67-AS1 was not affected by C3orf67. Taken together, this study identifies a novel noncoding RNA, C3orf67-AS1, of which the expression could be suppressed by Rh2 via promoter methylation, thereby mediating the anti-proliferative effect of the ginsenoside.
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Skin is the outer tissue layer and is a barrier protecting the body from various external stresses. The fresh water green edible algae Prasiola japonica has antiviral, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties; however, few studies of its effects on skin-protection have been reported. In this study, Prasiola japonica ethanol extract (Pj-EE) was prepared, and its skin-protective properties were investigated in skin keratinocytes. ⋯ Moreover, Pj-EE downregulated the mRNA expression of the inflammatory gene cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), the pro-inflammatory cytokine genes interleukin (IL)-1 β , IL-8, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- α , and interferon (IFN)- γ , and the tissue remodeling genes matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, -2, -3, and -9. The Pj-EE-induced anti-inflammatory effect was mediated by suppressing the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF- κ B) signaling pathway in the UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells. Taken together, these results suggest that Pj-EE exerts skin-protective effects through anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities in skin keratinocytes.
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Bee venom of Apis mellifera is a traditional medicine in Asia. It has been used with promoting results for the treatment of pain, rheumatoid, and cancer disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of bee venom on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and determine possible signaling pathway affected in EGF-induced EMT in A549 cells. ⋯ Furthermore, we found that bee venom suppressed the EMT-related transcription factors ZEB2 and Slug by blocking EGF-induced ERK, FAK and mTOR phosphorylation. Bee venom inhibits EGF-induced EMT by blocking the phosphorylation of ERK, FAK, and mTOR, resulting in the suppression of ZEB2 and Slug. These data suggest bee venom as a potential antimetastatic agent for NSCLC.
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The roots of Aucklandia lappa have been used in traditional medicine in Asia to treat inflammation and diseases associated with pain, including endometriosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-endometriotic effect of dehydrocostus lactone, an active compound in A. lappa roots, using human endometriotic cells and macrophages stimulated by these cells. Dehydrocostus lactone induced apoptotic cell death in 12Z human endometriotic cells. ⋯ Moreover, dehydrocostus lactone inhibited the expression of M2 markers (CD206, and Trem-2), IL-10, VEGF, and MMP-2/-9 in endometriosis-associated macrophages (EAMs). Furthermore, dehydrocostus lactone inhibited the Akt and NFκB pathways in both endometriotic cells and EAMs. Taken together, our findings suggest that dehydrocostus lactone, an active compound of A, lappa, has anti-endometriotic activities via induction of apoptosis and downregulation of pain factors in endometriotic cells and inhibition of the alternative activation of EAMs.