Ethyl Caffeate Can Inhibit Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) Signaling and AhR-Mediated Potentiation of Mast Cell Activation.

Ethyl caffeate (EC) is a natural phenolic compound that is present in several medicinal plants used to treat inflammatory disorders. However, its anti-inflammatory mechanisms are not fully understood. Here, we report that EC inhibits aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling and that this is associated with its anti-allergic activity. EC inhibited AhR activation, induced by the AhR ligands FICZ and DHNA in AhR signaling-reporter cells and mouse bone marrow-derived mast cells (BMMCs), as assessed by AhR target gene expressions such as CYP1A1. EC also inhibited the FICZ-induced downregulation of AhR expression and DHNA-induced IL-6 production in BMMCs. Furthermore, the pretreatment of mice with orally administered EC inhibited DHNA-induced CYP1A1 expression in the intestine. Notably, both EC and CH-223191, a well-established AhR antagonist, inhibited IgE-mediated degranulation in BMMCs grown in a cell culture medium containing significant amounts of AhR ligands. Furthermore, oral administration of EC or CH-223191 to mice inhibited the PCA reaction associated with the suppression of constitutive CYP1A1 expression within the skin. Collectively, EC inhibited AhR signaling and AhR-mediated potentiation of mast cell activation due to the intrinsic AhR activity in both the culture medium and normal mouse skin. Given the AhR control of inflammation, these findings suggest a novel mechanism for the anti-inflammatory activity of EC.

Insulin resistance in SHR/NDmc-cp rats correlates with enlarged perivascular adipocytes and endothelial cell dysfunction in skeletal muscle.

Ectopic adipose tissue in skeletal muscle is implicated in the development of insulin resistance, which is frequently induced by abnormal dietary habits such as excessive eating and a high-fat diet. However, the characteristics of ectopic adipocytes are unknown. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of ectopic adipocytes in the skeletal muscle of spontaneously hypertensive corpulent congenic (SHR/NDmc-cp) rats as a model of insulin resistance from excessive eating. SHR/NDmc-cp rats displayed overt insulin resistance with high plasma glucose, insulin, and triacylglycerol concentrations relative to control Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. In contrast, streptozotocin (STZ)-treated WKY rats had high glucose but low insulin concentrations. Ectopic adipocytes were found around blood vessels in the gastrocnemius in SHR/NDmc-cp rats. Areas of perivascular adipocytes and protein expression of resistin were greater in SHR/NDmc-cp rats than in control and STZ-treated WKY rats. The level of the phosphorylated (active) form of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the gastrocnemius was lower in SHR/NDmc-cp rats than in the other groups. Insulin-resistant SHR/NDmc-cp rats showed enlarged perivascular adipocytes and greater endothelial cell dysfunction in the gastrocnemius.

Grape seed extracts inhibit platelet aggregation by inhibiting protein tyrosine phosphatase.

Platelets play an important role in various thrombotic diseases, including myocardial infarction. Because red wine consumption is inversely associated with death due to ischemic heart diseases, the effects of grape components on platelet function have been extensively investigated. Grape seed extracts (GSEs) reportedly inhibit platelet aggregation; however, the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. We discovered that GSEs inhibit platelet aggregation induced by collagen and thrombin-receptor agonist peptide and increase basal levels of tyrosine phosphorylation, which was also observed in the presence of a protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitor. An in vitro phosphatase assay indicated that GSE dose dependently inhibited PTP-1B and Src homology 2 domain-containing phosphatase-1 activity, which positively regulates platelet aggregation. We propose that GSEs inhibit platelet aggregation by inhibiting tyrosine phosphatase activity. Moreover, we showed that GSE ingestion inhibited platelet aggregation in mice without enhancing tail bleeding, implying that GSE supplementation might be beneficial to prevention of thrombotic diseases.

Dietary resveratrol prevents the development of food allergy in mice.

BACKGROUND: Resveratrol is a bioactive polyphenol enriched in red wine that exhibits many beneficial health effects via multiple mechanisms. However, it is unclear whether resveratrol is beneficial for the prevention of food allergy. This study investigated whether resveratrol inhibited the development of food allergy by using a mouse model of the disease. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Mice fed standard diet or standard diet plus resveratrol were sensitized by intragastric administration of ovalbumin (OVA) and mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin (CT). Several manifestations of food allergy were then compared between the mice. The effects of resveratrol on T cells or dendritic cells were also examined by using splenocytes from OVA-specific T cell-receptor (TCR) transgenic DO11.10 mice or mouse bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) in vitro. We found that mice fed resveratrol showed reduced OVA-specific serum IgE production, anaphylactic reaction, and OVA-induced IL-13 and IFN-ã production from the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and spleens in comparison to the control mice, following oral sensitization with OVA plus CT. In addition, resveratrol inhibited OVA plus CT-induced IL-4, IL-13, and IFN-ã production in splenocytes from DO11.10 mice associated with inhibition of GATA-3 and T-bet expression. Furthermore, resveratrol suppressed the OVA plus CT-induced CD25 expression and IL-2 production in DO11.10 mice-splenocytes in association with decreases in CD80 and CD86 expression levels. Finally, resveratrol suppressed CT-induced cAMP elevation in association with decreases in CD80 and CD86 expression levels in BMDCs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Ingestion of resveratrol prevented the development of a food allergy model in mice. Given the in vitro findings, resveratrol might do so by inhibiting DC maturation and subsequent early T cell activation and differentiation via downregulation of CT-induced cAMP activation in mice. These results suggest that resveratrol may have potential for prophylaxis against food allergy.

Differential neuroprotective activity of two different grape seed extracts.

Glutamate excitotoxicity is one of the major events that takes place during various neurotoxic injuries such as brain ischemia. We prepared grape seed extracts, from two different varieties, containing high amounts of polyphenols but little resveratrol. Their neuroprotective effects were investigated using primary culture of neonatal mouse hippocampal neurons treated with an excitotoxic concentration of glutamate. Koshu, a white, local variety of V. vinifera, alleviated the acute inactivation of Erk1/2 and dendrite retraction in cultured hippocampal neurons exposed to a toxic concentration of glutamate (1.0 ng/ml). By contrast, Muscat Bailey A, a red, hybrid variety (Muscat Humburg × Bailey), failed to show any neuroprotective effect. Unlike brain-derived neurotrophic factor and other neuroprotective cytokines, Koshu extract did not induce Akt phosphorylation. Koshu extract also augmented neuron survival rate 24 hours after glutamate toxicity. The comparison of polyphenols between the two samples by liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry demonstrated that Koshu had higher amounts of low molecular weight polyphenols along with several Koshu-specific procyanidin oligomers. These data suggest the presence of high affinity molecular targets for polyphenols in hippocampal neurons, which induce neuroprotective effects in a manner different from BDNF, and the importance of low molecular weight polyphenols and/or procyanidin oligomers for neuroprotection.

Grape seed extract acting on astrocytes reveals neuronal protection against oxidative stress via interleukin-6-mediated mechanisms.

Grape polyphenols are known to protect neurons against oxidative stress. We used grape seed extract (GSE) from "Koshu" grapes (Vitis vinifera) containing a variety of polyphenols, and performed transcriptome analysis to determine the effects of GSE on primary cultures of astrocytes in the hippocampus. GSE upregulated various mRNAs for cytokines, among which interleukin-6 (IL-6) showed the biggest increase after treatment with GSE. The GSE-evoked increase in IL-6 mRNAs was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. We also detected IL-6 proteins by ELISA in the supernatant of GSE-treated astrocytes. We made an oxidative stress-induced neuronal cell death model in vitro using a neuron rich culture of the hippocampus. Treatment of the neurons with H(2)O(2) caused neuronal cell death in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Exogenously applied IL-6 protected against the H(2)O(2)-induced neuronal cell death, which was mimicked by endogenous IL-6 produced by GSE-treated astrocytes. Taken together, GSE acting on astrocytes increased IL-6 production, which functions as a neuroprotective paracrine, could protect neuronal cells from death by oxidative stress.

Flow-injection determination of L-histidine with an immobilized histidine oxidase from Brevibacillus borstelensis KAIT-B-022 and chemiluminescence detection.

A chemiluminometric flow injection analytical system for the quantitation of L-histidine is described. Histidine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.-) from Brevibacillus borstelensis KAIT-B-022 was immobilized on tresylated poly(vinyl alcohol) beads and packed into a stainless-steel column. The hydrogen peroxide produced was detected chemiluminometrically by a flowthrough sensor containing immobilized peroxidase (EC 1.1 1.1.7). The maximum sample throughput was 10 h(-1). The calibration graph was linear from 0.05 to 5 mM; the detection limit (signal to noise ratio = 3) was 0.01 mM. The activity of immobilized histidine oxidase reduced to 65% of the initial value after 350 injections. The system was applied to the determination of L-histidine in fish meat, such as salmon, tunny, bonito, and mackerel.

Characterization of a class III chitinase from Vitis vinifera cv. Koshu.

A chitinase gene (Chi3K) was cloned from the genomic DNA of Vitis vinifera cv. Koshu. The structural gene comprised 891 by without introns and encoded 297 amino acids. The Chi3K product showed high similarity to the class III chitinase of V. vinifera cv. Pinot noir. Chi3K was expressed using a bacterial expression vector for purification and enzymatic characterization of its gene product. The recombinant chitinase exhibited hydrolytic activity toward glycol chitin and its optimum pH was 4.0. It also inhibited the growth of Botrytis cinerea, which causes grey mold disease in grapes.