Allyl isothiocyanate inhibits cell migration and invasion in human gastric cancer AGS cells via affecting PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathway in vitro.

Metastasis is commonly occurred in gastric cancer, and it is caused and responsible for one of the major cancer-related mortality in gastric cancer patients. Allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), a natural product, exhibits anticancer activities in human many cancer cells, including gastric cancer. However, no available report shows AITC inhibits gastric cancer cell metastasis. Herein, we evaluated the impact of AITC on cell migration and invasion of human gastric cancer AGS cells in vitro. AITC at 5-20 µM did not induce significant cell morphological damages observed by contrast-phase microscopy but decreased cell viability assayed by flow cytometry. After AGS cells were further examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which indicated AITC affected cell membrane and morphology in AGS cells. AITC significantly suppressed cell motility examined by scratch wound healing assay. The results of the gelatin zymography assay revealed that AITC significantly suppressed the MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities. In addition, AITC suppressed cell migration and invasion were performed by transwell chamber assays at 24 h in AGS cells. Furthermore, AITC inhibited cell migration and invasion by affecting PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways in AGS cells. The decreased expressions of p-AKTThr308 , GRB2, and Vimentin in AGS cells also were confirmed by confocal laser microscopy. Our findings suggest that AITC may be an anti-metastasis candidate for human gastric cancer treatment.

Ouabain Induces DNA Damage in Human Osteosarcoma U-2 OS Cells and Alters the Expression of DNA Damage and DNA Repair-associated Proteins.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Ouabain, isolated from natural plants, exhibits anticancer activities; however, no report has presented its mechanism of DNA damage induction in human osteosarcoma cancer cells in vitro. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ouabain induces DNA damage and repair, accompanied with molecular pathways in human osteosarcoma cancer U-2 OS cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The percentage of viable cell number was measured by flow cytometric assay; DNA damage was assayed by DAPI staining, comet assay, and agarose gel electrophoresis. DNA damage and repair associated protein expressions were assayed by western blotting assays. RESULTS: Ouabain reduced total cell viability, induced chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and DNA damage in U-2 OS cells. Ouabain increased p-ATMSer1981, p-ATRSer428, and p53 at 2.5-10 µM, increased p-p53Ser15 at 10 µM; however, it decreased p-MDM2Ser166 at 2.5-10 µM. Ouabain increased p-H2A.XSer139, MDC-1, and PARP at 2.5-10 µM and BRCA1 at 5-10 µM; however, it decreased DNA-PK and MGMT at 2.5-10 µM in U-2 OS cells at 48 h treatment. Ouabain promoted expression and nuclear translocation of p-H2A.XSer139 in U-2 OS cells and this was confirmed by confocal laser microscopy. CONCLUSION: Ouabain reduced total viable cell number through triggering DNA damage and altering the protein expression of DNA damage and repair system in U-2 OS cells in vitro.

Global greenhouse gas emissions from animal-based foods are twice those of plant-based foods.

Agriculture and land use are major sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but previous estimates were either highly aggregate or provided spatial details for subsectors obtained via different methodologies. Using a model-data integration approach that ensures full consistency between subsectors, we provide spatially explicit estimates of production- and consumption-based GHG emissions worldwide from plant- and animal-based human food in circa 2010. Global GHG emissions from the production of food were found to be 17,318 ± 1,675 TgCO2eq yr-1, of which 57% corresponds to the production of animal-based food (including livestock feed), 29% to plant-based foods and 14% to other utilizations. Farmland management and land-use change represented major shares of total emissions (38% and 29%, respectively), whereas rice and beef were the largest contributing plant- and animal-based commodities (12% and 25%, respectively), and South and Southeast Asia and South America were the largest emitters of production-based GHGs.

Climate impacts on global agriculture emerge earlier in new generation of climate and crop models.

Potential climate-related impacts on future crop yield are a major societal concern. Previous projections of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project's Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison based on the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 identified substantial climate impacts on all major crops, but associated uncertainties were substantial. Here we report new twenty-first-century projections using ensembles of latest-generation crop and climate models. Results suggest markedly more pessimistic yield responses for maize, soybean and rice compared to the original ensemble. Mean end-of-century maize productivity is shifted from +5% to -6% (SSP126) and from +1% to -24% (SSP585)-explained by warmer climate projections and improved crop model sensitivities. In contrast, wheat shows stronger gains (+9% shifted to +18%, SSP585), linked to higher CO2 concentrations and expanded high-latitude gains. The 'emergence' of climate impacts consistently occurs earlier in the new projections-before 2040 for several main producing regions. While future yield estimates remain uncertain, these results suggest that major breadbasket regions will face distinct anthropogenic climatic risks sooner than previously anticipated.

Casticin Induces DNA Damage and Impairs DNA Repair in Human Bladder Cancer TSGH-8301 Cells.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Casticin shows anti-cancer effects in many types of cancer. However, there is no information regarding its role in DNA damage in human bladder cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of casticin on TSGH-8301 cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Viability of cells was assayed by flow cytometry. DNA damage was assayed by DAPI staining, comet assay, and gel electrophoresis. Protein levels were examined by western blotting and confocal laser microscopy. RESULTS: Casticin decreased viability of cells and induced DNA damage. Furthermore, casticin decreased expression of p-ATM, p-ATR, MDC1 and MGMT levels after 48 h of treatment, however, it increased p-ATR and MGMT levels after 12 h. In contrast, casticin increased the levels of p-p53, p-H2A.X, and PARP after 48 h of treatment. As shown by confocal microscopy, casticin affected the translocation of DNA-PKcs and p-p53 to the nucleus of TSGH-8301 cells. CONCLUSION: Casticin decreased viability of human bladder cancer cells through DNA damage.

Bufalin inhibits gefitinib resistant NCI-H460 human lung cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bufalin, a component of Chan Su (frog), has been shown to have biological activities including anti-tumor effects. Gefitinib has been used as an anti-cancer drug in lung cancer patients; however, some patients eventually become gefitinib resistant. AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we investigated anti-metastasis effects of bufalin in gefitinib resistant NCI-H460 lung cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of the bufalin in gefitinib resistant NCI-H460 lung cancer cells were investigated on cell viability using flow cytometry. The adhesion capacity, wound healing assay, invasion and migration assay, and Western blot analysis were used to understand the molecular mechanisms in this study RESULTS: Under sub-lethal concentrations (from 2.5 up to 10nM), bufalin significantly inhibits cell adhension, migration and invasion nature of gefitinib resistant H460 cells. Western blotting assay revealed that bufalin depressed some of the key metastasis-related proteins, such as SOS-1, MMP-2 and Rho A underwent significant reduction. Phosphorylated Focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK1/2), Ras and E-cadherin were significantly reduced at 48h treatment. However, phosphorylated p38 (p-p38), phosphorylated c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (p-JNK1/2) and NF-κBp65 were increased. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these observations, we suggest that bufalin can be used in anti-metastasis of gefitinib resistant NCI-H460 lung cancer cells in the future.

Memory characteristics of metal-oxide-semiconductor structures based on Ge nanoclusters-embedded GeO(x) films grown at low temperature.

The memory devices constructed from the Ge-nanoclusters embedded GeO(x) layer deposited by the laser-assisted chemical vapor deposition (LACVD) system were fabricated. The Ge nanoclusters were observed by a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Using the capacitance versus voltage (C-V) and the conductance versus voltage (G-V) characteristics measured under various frequencies, the memory effect observed in the C-V curves was dominantly attributed to the charge storage in the Ge nanoclusters. Furthermore, the defects existed in the deposited film and the interface states were insignificant to the memory performances. Capacitance versus time (C-t) measurement was also executed to evaluate the charge retention characteristics. The charge storage and retention behaviors of the devices demonstrated that the Ge nanoclusters grown by the LACVD system at low temperature are promising for memory device applications.