Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for almost a sixth of all reported cancers. Arecoline, from areca nut is known to enhance carcinogenesis in oral squamous cells. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of Taiwanin C, from Taiwania cryptomerioides Hayata against Arecoline-associated carcinogenesis. An OSCC model was created in C57BL/6J Narl mice by administrating 0.5 mg mL arecoline with 0.2 mg mL 4-NQO carcinogen for 8 and 28 wk to mimic the etiology of oral cancer patients in Asia. Mice were sacrificed and two cell lines, T28 from the tumor and N28 cancerous cell line from the surrounding non tumor area, were established. Taiwanin C showed effective anti-tumor activity in nude mice models. Taiwanin C significantly inhibited the cell viability of T28 cells in a dose dependent manner, but did not inflict any effect on N28 normal cells. Taiwanin C treatment inhibited the migration ability of T28 cells in a dose dependent manner as determined by wound healing and migration assays. Taiwanin C also reduced the levels of β-catenin and its downstream metastatic proteins, Tbx3 and c-Myc. Besides, Taiwanin C inhibited the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin and induced β-catenin degradation via proteasome-mediated pathway. Moreover, Taiwanin C enhanced GSK-3β and reduced the p-ser GSK-3β protein level to inactivate Wnt signaling. Taken together, Taiwanin C blocked the cell migration effects of T28 cells mediated through the activation of GSK-3β to enhance protein degradation and reduce nuclear accumulation of β-catenin. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Impaired regulation of blood glucose levels in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients and the associated elevation of blood glucose levels are known to increase the risk of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DC). In the present study, a probiotic bacterium, Lactobacillus reuteri GMN-32, was evaluated for its potential to reduce blood glucose levels and to provide protection against DC risks in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DM rats. The blood glucose levels of the STZ-induced DM rats when treated with L. reuteri GMN-32 decreased from 4480 to 3620 mg/l (with 10 7 colony-forming units (cfu)/d) and 3040 mg/l (with 10 9 cfu/d). Probiotic treatment also reduced the changes in the heart caused by the effects of DM. Furthermore, the Fas/Fas-associated protein with death domain pathway-induced caspase 8-mediated apoptosis that was observed in the cardiomyocytes of the STZ-induced DM rats was also found to be controlled in the probiotic-treated rats. The results highlight that L. reuteri GMN-32 treatment reduces blood glucose levels, inhibits caspase 8-mediated apoptosis and promotes cardiac function in DM rats as observed from their ejection fraction and fractional shortening values. In conclusion, the administration of L. reuteri GMN-32 probiotics can regulate blood glucose levels, protect cardiomyocytes and prevent DC in DM rats.

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Figure-ground organization of an ambiguous pattern can be manipulated by the spatial and temporal frequency content of the two regions ofthe pattern. Controlling for space-averaged luminance and perceived contrast, we tested patterns in which the two regions of the ambiguous pattern contained sine-wave gratings of 8, 4, 1, or 0.5 cycles per degree (cpd) undergoing on:off flicker at the rates of 0, 3.75, 7.5, or 15 Hz. For a full set of combinations of temporal frequency . differences, with each spatial frequency the higher temporal frequency was seen as background for more of the viewing time. For two spatial frequency combinations, 1 and 4 cpd, and 1 and 8 cpd, tested under each of the four temporal frequencies, the lower spatial frequency region was seen as the background for more of the viewing time. When the effects of spatial and temporal frequency were set in opposition, neither was predominant in determining perceptual organization. It is suggested that figure-ground organization may parallel the sustained-transient response characteristics of the visual system.

BackgroundAging is associated with physiological or pathological left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) cardiac changes. Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is associated with pathological LVH. The action mechanism in cardiac concentric hypertrophy from SHS exposure is understood, but the transition contributed from SHS exposure is not. To determine whether exposure to SHS has an impact on age-induced LVH we examined young and old hamsters that underwent SHS exposure in a chamber for 30 mins.MethodsMorphological and histological studies were then conducted using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome staining. Echocardiographic analysis was used to determine left ventricular wall thickness and function. LVH related protein expression levels were detected by western blot analysis.ResultsThe results showed that both young and aged hamsters exposed to SHS exhibited increased heart weights and left ventricular weights, left ventricular posterior wall thickness and intraventricular septum systolic and diastolic pressure also increased. However, left ventricular function systolic and diastolic pressure deteriorated. H&E and Masson’s trichrome staining results showed LV papillary muscles were ruptured, resulting in lower cardiac function at the myocardial level. LV muscle fiber arrangement was disordered and collagen accumulation occurred. Concentric LVH related protein molecular markers increased only in young hamsters exposed to SHS. However, this declined with hamster age. By contrast, eccentric LVH related proteins increased in aging hamsters exposed the SHS. Pro-inflammatory proteins, IL-6, TNF-α, JAK1, STAT3, and SIRTI expression increased in aging hamsters exposed to SHS.ConclusionsWe suggest that SHS exposure induces a pro-inflammatory response that results in concentric transition to aging eccentric LVH.