A comparative transcriptomics analysis reveals ethylene glycol derivatives of squalene ameliorate excessive lipogenesis and inflammatory response in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.

Squalene (SQ) is a natural compound with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant effects, but due to its low solubility, its biological properties have been greatly underestimated. This study aims to explore the differences in gene expression patterns of four newly synthesized amphipathic ethylene glycol (EG) derivatives of SQ by whole-genome transcriptomics analysis using DNA microarray to examine the mRNA expression profile of adipocytes differentiated from 3T3-L1 cells treated with SQ and its EG derivatives. Enrichment analyses of the transcriptional data showed that compared with SQ, its EG derivatives exerted different, in most cases desirable, biological responses. EG derivatives showed increased enrichment of mitochondrial functions, lipid and glucose metabolism, and inflammatory response. Mono-, di-, and tetra-SQ showed higher enrichment of the cellular component-ribosome. Histological staining showed EG derivatives prevented excessive lipid accumulation. Additionally, mitochondrial transcription factors showed upregulation in tetra-SQ-treated cells. Notably, EG derivatives showed better anti-inflammatory effects. Further, gene-disease association analysis predicted substantial improvement in the bioactivities of SQ derivatives in metabolic diseases. Cluster analyses revealed di- and tetra-SQ had more functional similarities than others, reflected in their scanning electron microscopy images; both di- and tetra-SQ self-organized into similar sizes and shapes of vesicles, subsequently improving their cation binding activities. Protein-protein interaction networks further revealed that cation binding activity might explain a major part, if not all, of the differences observed in functional analyses. Altogether, the addition of EG derivatives may improve the biological responses of SQ and thus may enhance its health-promoting potential.

Effect of Alkali Metal Cations on the Unilamellar Vesicle of a Squalene Bearing 18-Crown-6.

Squalene bearing 18-crown-6 was synthesized and formed unilamellar vesicles with a membrane thickness of about 6 nm and a diameter of about 0.32 µm. In the wake of the recognition of alkali metal cations, squalene unilamellar vesicles become larger as multilamellar vesicles or smaller while maintaining unilamellar vesicles depending on cations.

Elucidation of the Potential Hair Growth-Promoting Effect of Botryococcus terribilis, Its Novel Compound Methylated-Meijicoccene, and C32 Botryococcene on Cultured Hair Follicle Dermal Papilla Cells Using DNA Microarray Gene Expression Analysis.

A person's quality of life can be adversely affected by hair loss. Microalgae are widely recognized for their abundance and rich functional components. Here, we evaluated the hair growth effect of a green alga, Botryococcus terribilis (B. terribilis), in vitro using hair follicle dermal papilla cells (HFDPCs). We isolated two types of cells from B. terribilis-green and orange cells, obtained from two different culture conditions. Microarray and real time-PCR results revealed that both cell types stimulated the expression of several pathways and genes associated with different aspect of the hair follicle cycle. Additionally, we demonstrated B. terribilis' effect on collagen and keratin synthesis and inflammation reduction. We successfully isolated a novel compound, methylated-meijicoccene (me-meijicoccene), and C32 botryococcene from B. terribilis to validate their promising effects. Our study revealed that treatment with the two compounds had no cytotoxic effect on HFDPCs and significantly enhanced the gene expression levels of hair growth markers at low concentrations. Our study provides the first evidence of the underlying hair growth promoting effect of B. terribilis and its novel compound, me-meijicoccene, and C32 botryococcene.

Microalgae extract induces antidepressant-like activity via neuroinflammation regulation and enhances the neurotransmitter system.

The increasing prevalence of mental disorders, such as depression, is currently a serious public health concern. Microalgae are a diverse group of organisms that contain many bioactive compounds such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols. These compounds can exhibit many health benefits such as antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-obesity effects. In the present study, we focused on microalgal (Botryococcus terribilis) extract (ME) rich in Me-meijicoccene (MM), a novel compound. Our results showed that pretreatment of SH-SY5Y cells with ME and MM ameliorated dexamethasone (depression-causing substance)-induced cytotoxicity. The results of the tail suspension test (TST) indicated that ME (50 mg/kg) induced antidepressant-like activity in TST-stressed mice. Our microarray analysis revealed that ME upregulated neurotransmitter-related gene (neurotransmitter secretion) expression and downregulated neuroinflammatory-related gene (chemokine-mediated signaling) expression in the cerebral cortex. ME also induced an increase in neurotransmitter and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels, and a decrease in corticosterone and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum, cerebral cortex, and hypothalamus. Altogether, our study is the first to report that 50 mg/kg ME (not 100 mg/kg) exerts antidepressant-like effects via regulating neuroinflammation and modulating neurotransmitter systems in the mouse brain, highlighting the prospects of ME in the treatment of depressive disorders of a psychosocial nature.

New Amphiphilic Squalene Derivative Improves Metabolism of Adipocytes Differentiated From Diabetic Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Prevents Excessive Lipogenesis.

Squalene (Sq) is a natural compound, found in various plant oils, algae, and larger quantity in deep-sea shark liver. It is also known as an intermediate of cholesterol synthesis in plants and animals including humans. Although evidences demonstrated its antioxidant, anticancer, hypolipidemic, and hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects, its biological effects in cellular function might have been underestimated because of the water-insoluble property. To overcome this hydrophobicity, we synthesized new amphiphilic Sq derivative (HH-Sq). On the other hand, adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a valuable source in regenerative medicine for its ease of accessibility and multilineage differentiation potential. Nevertheless, impaired cellular functions of ASCs derived from diabetic donor have still been debated controversially. In this study, we explored the effect of the HH-Sq in comparison to Sq on the adipocyte differentiation of ASCs obtained from subjects with type 2 diabetes. Gene expression profile by microarray analysis at 14 days of adipogenic differentiation revealed that HH-Sq induced more genes involved in intracellular signaling processes, whereas Sq activated more transmembrane receptor pathway-related genes. In addition, more important number of down-regulated and up-regulated genes by Sq and HH-Sq were not overlapped, suggesting the compounds might not only have difference in their chemical property but also potentially exert different biological effects. Both Sq and HH-Sq improved metabolism of adipocytes by enhancing genes associated with energy homeostasis and insulin sensitivity, SIRT1, PRKAA2, and IRS1. Interestingly, Sq increased significantly early adipogenic markers and lipogenic gene expression such as PPARG, SREBF1, and CEBPA, but not HH-Sq. As a consequence, smaller and fewer lipid droplet formation was observed in HH-Sq-treated adipocytes. Based on our findings, we report that both Sq and HH-Sq improved adipocyte metabolism, but only HH-Sq prevented excessive lipogenesis without abrogating adipocyte differentiation. The beneficial effect of HH-Sq provides an importance of synthesized derivatives from a natural compound with therapeutic potentials in the application of cell therapies.

Synthesis of 2-(2-Hydroxyethoxy)-3-hydroxysqualene and Characterization of Its Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

Squalene (SQ), a natural precursor of many steroids, can inhibit tumor progression and decrease serum cholesterol levels. However, it is difficult to discern the effect of highly active molecules in the treatment of diseases because not enough active compounds reach the site of pathology in crowded biosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to design artificial probes that work effectively within crowded systems. In this study, to facilitate cell penetration, the ethylene glycol moiety (used as a probe) was chemically added to SQ to form 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)-3-hydroxysqualene (HEHSQ). HEHSQ was prepared from 2,3-epoxysqualene and characterized by Rf, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry. We then evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of SQ and HEHSQ on lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) stimulated RAW264.7 murine macrophages. To determine the effect of SQ and HEHSQ on the viability of RAW264.7 cells, an MTT assay was performed. To quantify the anti-inflammatory effect of SQ and HEHSQ, we measured nitric oxide (NO) production, gene expression, and secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and chemokine C-C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells using an in vitro inflammatory model. 2,3-Epoxysqualene was prepared according to a reported methodology. The reaction of 2,3-epoxysqualene and ethylene glycol in 2-propanol produced 49% HEHSQ. MTT results showed that 10 and 100 µg/mL HEHSQ treatment decreased cell viability, whereas SQ treatment (1-100 µg/mL) did not have any effect on viability. SQ (100 µg/mL) and HEHSQ (1 µg/mL) treatment significantly reduced the production of LPS-stimulated NO and decreased the expression and secretion of proinflammatory TNF-α and CCL2. Therefore, our results suggested that the anti-inflammatory effects of HEHSQ are 100 times higher than that of unmodified SQ. To the best of our knowledge, this study has demonstrated for the first time that HEHSQ can be potentially used as a safe alternative treatment to anti-inflammatory drugs.

Anisotropic Self-Oscillating Reaction in Liquid Crystalline Nanosheet Hydrogels.

Anisotropic chemical wave propagation of self-oscillating Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction was demonstrated in the poly( N-isopropylacrylamide) gel films embedded with macroscopically aligned liquid crystalline inorganic nanosheets. Although the average propagation rate of chemical wave v̅ was 3.56 mm min-1 in the gels without nanosheets, the propagation was retarded in the gels with 1 wt % of nanosheets: [Formula: see text] = 1.89 mm min-1 and [Formula: see text] = 1.33 mm min-1 along the direction parallel and perpendicular to the nanosheet planes, respectively. Thus, the wave propagation is anisotropic with the anisotropy ratio [Formula: see text] = 1.42 in these gels and the periodic patterns formed by the BZ reaction were concentric ellipses, different from circles seen in isotropic gels. Furthermore, the propagation rate and degree of anisotropy were controllable by nanosheet concentration. These phenomena can be explained that the diffusion of molecules inside the gel is effectively hindered along the direction perpendicular to the nanosheet planes due to the very large aspect ratio of the aligned nanosheets. The present systems will be applicable for anisotropic self-oscillating soft actuators with one-dimensional motions as well as for ideal model system of BZ reactions.

Electrochemically Switchable Molecular-Tweezers.

Synthetic receptors possessing two complexing chromophores connected by a single spacer are referred to as molecular tweezers. We report an electrochemically triggered molecular tweezers, which is a calix[4]arene-bis-porphyrin conjugate, that acts as a proof-of-concept demonstration system showing an electro-statically induced approach to guest release. The electrochemical behavior represents that 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) is released from the complex formed between calix[4]arene-bis-porphyrin conjugate and DABCO, just after cooperative two-oxidation occurs at 0.41 V.

Effects of interleukin-8 and Helicobacter pylori on histamine release from isolated canine gastric mucosal mast cells.

BACKGROUND: In recent studies, the involvement of mast cells in the pathogenesis of Helicobacter pylori infection was suggested. In the present study, using isolated canine gastric mucosal mast cells, we undertook to elucidate the effects of interleukin-8 (IL-8) and H. pylori on histamine release from these cells. METHODS: Enriched canine gastric mucosal mast cells (50% target cells) were incubated in Hanks medium with IL-8, or water extract or sonicate of H. pylori for 15 min at 37 degrees C. The content of histamine in the supernatants and the cell pellets after centrifugation was assayed with a histamine radioimmunoassay (RIA) kit. RESULTS: IL-8 (50 ng/ml) and concanavalin A (20 microg/ml) significantly increased histamine release from enriched gastric mucosal mast cells. Dose-dependent stimulation of histamine release by IL-8 (5-50 ng/ml) was also seen. Water extract and sonicate of H. pylori (10(8) bacteria) increased histamine release from mast cells. A concentration-dependent stimulation of histamine release by water extract or sonicate was also seen. The maximal response of histamine release was seen at the highest concentration of the water extract or sonicate. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that IL-8 and H. pylori had stimulatory effects on histamine release from canine gastric mucosal mast cells. The results imply that IL-8 and soluble factors of H. pylori may accelerate inflammation of the gastric mucosa via histamine release from mast cells.

A self-oscillating gel actuator driven by ferroin.

In the wake of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction catalyzed by ferroin, the swelling-deswelling oscillating soft actuator exhibits 7 min period of self-oscillation for the first time.

[Photocurrent generators derived from non-covalently assembled soft-matter molecular system].

It is rather difficult to design a multilayer photocurrent generator system on the ITO electrode, however, the preparation of thin film with high surface concentration of donor units is indispensable in order to achieve high conversion efficiency. The polymer film of porphyrin bearing pyroles on the electrode was prepared by the potential sweep method. It was indicated that the self-aggregation can be suppressed by encapsulation of the porphyrin unit in the cavity of macro-cyclic host molecule, cyclodextrin. We established the non-equilibrium host-guest system with porphyrins and cyclodextrins for the first time. The photocurrent density and the quantum yield in the porphyrin-cyclodextrin system are remarkably improved. It was demonstrated that the high quantum yield, perhaps 25 times larger, arises from the isolation of the porphyrin unit by cyclodextrin through host-guest interactions.

Syntheses and characterizations of a new calixarene-porphyrin conjugate as electron transfer system.

A new calixarene-based donor-acceptor system, cone conformer 1, was prepared for the first time. In this compound, the calix[4]arene serves to juxtapose a tri-chloroquinone acceptor near the porphyrin photo-donor plane. As to the conformational control, the cone conformer 1 gave two peaks of phenolic OH groups at 8.40 and 8.43 ppm. This shows that cone conformer 1 is stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The fluorescence intensity of 1 was 35% of that for the control compound 2. This means the tri-chloroquinone group in 1 efficiently quenched the fluorescence of ZnP*. The shortest edge-to-edge separation of the chromophores of 1 is ca. 8 A (as judged by CPK models). This provides a new calixarene-based supramolecular system in which through-space donor-to-acceptor electron transfer is observed upon photoexcitation.

13C NMR longitudinal relaxation time studies of a molecular tweezers derived from a calixarene-porphyrin conjugate.

Zn(II)porphyrin-substituted calix[4]arene 1 serves as molecular tweezers for 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2] octane (DABCO) selectively, which led to the formation of Ensemble I. The molecular segments composing the calixarene cavity change upon inclusion of DABCO as Ensemble I were evaluated through (13)C NMR longitudinal relaxation times (T(1)) for the first time. As for Ensemble I, the 1:1 complex should be formed. The T(1) values for Ensemble I are generally smaller than those for 1: in CDCl(2)CDCl(2), DT1 = 5.03 s for C-1, 5.31 s for C-2, 0.13 s for C-3, 0.7 s for C-4, and 0.16 s for C-5. This substantiates that the rings of Ensemble I are firmly freezed because of the two-point coordination by DABCO. In 1, the T1 values for C-3 are always greater than those for C-4, and the difference between C-3 and C-4 is slight. As for Ensemble I, on the other hand, the difference between C-3 and C-4 is large. We can suggest two different motions for phenol units in 1 and Ensemble I: a rotational motion around a C-1 to C-4 axis (A) and a seesaw motion around a C-2 to C-2' axis (B). The data indicate that in Ensemble I motion (A) is predominant over motion (B). This indicates that motion (B) is specifically suppressed because of the two-point coordination interactions in Ensemble I.