Parkinson's disease and skin cancer risk: a nationwide population-based cohort study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have reported that patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) have a significantly lower risk of cancer. Studies reporting prevalence of skin cancers in Parkinson's disease mostly involve Caucasians. OBJECTIVE: A nationwide population-based study was conducted to determine the risk of skin cancer in patients diagnosed with PD in Korea. METHODS: Data obtained from National Health Insurance Claims records were used to retrieve information about 70 780 patients with newly diagnosed PD between January 2010 and December 2015. The control group included 353 900 sex- and age-matched patients without PD. In this nationwide population-based cohort study, we investigated the association between PD and skin cancer. RESULTS: The overall hazard ratio (HR) of skin cancers in patients with PD was 1.169 (95% CI, 1.005-1.359) compared with non-PD group. Among patients with PD, males aged above 65 had a 2.8-fold increase in the risk for melanoma development than the non-PD group (HR, 2.825; 95% CI, 1.395-5.721). In addition, female PD patients aged above 65 years showed a 1.3-fold increase in non-melanoma skin cancer risk than the non-PD group (HR, 1.305; 95% 1.073-1.589). CONCLUSION: Compared with the general population, Korean patients diagnosed with PD had a greater risk of skin cancer. Especially, male patients aged 65 years and above, and diagnosed with PD had a significant risk of melanoma development compared with control.

Curcumin decreases oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation via AMPK phosphorylation in hepatocarcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common metabolic syndromes and is characterized by the accumulation of hepatic triglycerides (TG), which result from an imbalance between uptake, synthesis, export, and oxidation of fatty acids. Curcumin is a polyphenol derived from the herbal remedy and dietary spice turmeric, was found to prevent obesity and diabetes in mouse models. However, a hypolipidemic effect of curcumin in oleic acid- induced hepatocarcinoma cells has not been reported. In this study, we examined the effect of curcumin on reducing lipid accumulation in hepatic cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Hepatocytes were treated with oleic acid (OA) containing with or without curcumin to observe the lipid accumulation by Oil Red O stain. We also tested the effects of curcumin on triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) in HepG2 cells. Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to measure sterol regulatory element binding proteins-1 (SREBP-1), fatty acid synthase (FAS), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α, and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression. RESULTS: Curcumin suppressed OA-induced lipid accumulation and TG and TC levels. Also, curcumin decreased hepatic lipogenesis such as SREBP-1, and FAS. Besides, we also found out the antioxidative effect of curcumin by increasing the expression of PPARα. Curcumin increased AMPK phosphorylation in hepatocytes. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that curcumin has the same ability to activate AMPK and then reduce SREBP-1, and FAS expression, finally leading to inhibit hepatic lipogenesis and hepatic antioxidative ability. In this report, we found curcumin exerted a regulatory effect on lipid accumulation by decreasing lipogenesis in hepatocyte. Therefore, curcumin extract may be active in the prevention of fatty liver.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Hylomecon hylomeconoides in RAW 264.7 cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Papaveraceae serve as a rich source of various alkaloids which have anti-inflammatory effect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effect of Hylomecon hylomeconoides ethanol extract (HHE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NO and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production in RAW 264.7 cells. RESULTS: HHE inhibited LPS-induced NO and IL-6 production. Moreover, HHE suppressed the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, major constituents, dihydrosanguinarine and 6-methoxydihydrosanguinarine, of the chloroform-soluble extract were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, the results of this study indicate that the anti-inflammatory effects of HHE may occur via the inhibition of NO and IL-6 expression through the down-regulation of MAP kinase (ERK1/2, p38) phosphorylation in RAW 264.7 cells.

An extract of Polygonum multiflorum protects against free radical damage induced by ultraviolet B irradiation of the skin.

Over the last decades, the incidence of ultraviolet B (UVB)-related skin problems has been increasing. Damages induced by UVB radiation are related to mutations that occur as a result of direct DNA damage and/or the production of reactive oxygen species. We investigated the anti-oxidant effects of a Polygonum multiflorum thumb extract against skin damage induced by UVB irradiation. Female SKH-1 hairless mice were divided into three groups: control (N = 7), distilled water- (N = 10), and P. multiflorum extract-treated (PM, N = 10) groups. The PM (10 g) was extracted with 100 mL distilled water, cryo-dried and 9.8 g was obtained. The animals received a topical application of 500 microL distilled water or PM extract (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16%, w/v, dissolved in distilled water) for 30 min after UVB irradiation (wavelength 280-320 nm, 300 mJ/cm(2); 3 min) of the dorsal kin for 14 days, and skin immunohistochemistry and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) activity were determined. SOD1 immunoreactivity, its protein levels and activities in the skin were significantly reduced by 70% in the distilled water-treated group after UVB irradiation compared to control. However, in the PM extract-treated groups, SOD1 immunoreactivity and its protein and activity levels increased in a dose-dependent manner (1-16%, w/v, PM extract) compared to the distilled water-treated group. SOD1 protein levels and activities in the groups treated with 8 and 16%, w/v, PM extract recovered to 80-90% of the control group levels after UVB. These results suggest that PM extract strongly inhibits the destruction of SOD1 by UV radiation and probably contains anti-skin photoaging agents.

An extract of Polygonum multiflorum protects against free radical damage induced by ultraviolet B irradiation of the skin

Over the last decades, the incidence of ultraviolet B (UVB)-related skin problems has been increasing. Damages induced by UVB radiation are related to mutations that occur as a result of direct DNA damage and/or the production of reactive oxygen species. We investigated the anti-oxidant effects of a Polygonum multiflorum thumb extract against skin damage induced by UVB irradiation. Female SKH-1 hairless mice were divided into three groups: control (N = 7), distilled water- (N = 10), and P. multiflorum extract-treated (PM, N = 10) groups. The PM (10 g) was extracted with 100 mL distilled water, cryo-dried and 9.8 g was obtained. The animals received a topical application of 500 æL distilled water or PM extract (1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 percent, w/v, dissolved in distilled water) for 30 min after UVB irradiation (wavelength 280-320 nm, 300 mJ/cm²; 3 min) of the dorsal kin for 14 days, and skin immunohistochemistry and Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD1) activity were determined. SOD1 immunoreactivity, its protein levels and activities in the skin were significantly reduced by 70 percent in the distilled water-treated group after UVB irradiation compared to control. However, in the PM extract-treated groups, SOD1 immunoreactivity and its protein and activity levels increased in a dose-dependent manner (1-16 percent, w/v, PM extract) compared to the distilled water-treated group. SOD1 protein levels and activities in the groups treated with 8 and 16 percent, w/v, PM extract recovered to 80-90 percent of the control group levels after UVB. These results suggest that PM extract strongly inhibits the destruction of SOD1 by UV radiation and probably contains anti-skin photoaging agents.

Serum melanotransferrin, p97 as a biochemical marker of Alzheimer's disease.

The protein melanotransferrin (p97) is associated with the brain lesions of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is a potential marker of the disorder. We measured serum p97 concentrations in 211 subjects: 71 patients with AD, 56 patients with non-AD-type dementia, and 84 normal control subjects. Serum p97 concentrations were elevated 3- to 4-fold in AD (median 15.00 pg/microl, interquartile range 10.20-17.00 pg/microl) as compared to non AD dementia (2.85 pg/microl, 1.93-7.15 pg/microl) and normal controls (3.20 pg/microl, 2.55-3.95 pg/microl). The mean elevation was significant at 13.54 +/- 3.72 pg/microl, even in the 38 subjects with mild AD (CDR stage 0.5-1). Receiver operating characteristic analyses confirmed an optimal diagnostic threshold of 10.0 pg/microl, which yielded over-all accuracy of 0.882 to 0.915. Serum p97 is a candidate marker of AD, even in the early stage when clinical diagnosis is most uncertain.

Akt protein kinase inhibits Rac1-GTP binding through phosphorylation at serine 71 of Rac1.

A putative Akt kinase phosphorylation site ((64)ydRIRplSYp(73)) was found in Rac1/CDC42 and Rho family proteins (RhoA, RhoB, RhoC, and RhoG). Phosphorylation of Rac1 by Akt kinase was assayed with recombinant Rac1 protein and the fluorescein-labeled Rac1 peptide. It was shown that the Rac1 peptide and the recombinant protein were phosphorylated by the activated recombinant Akt kinase and the lysate of SK-MEL28 cells, a human melanoma cell line. The phosphorylation of Rac1 inhibited its GTP-binding activity without any significant change in GTPase activity. Both the GTP-binding and GTPase activities of Rac1 S71A protein (with the serine residue to be phosphorylated replaced with alanine) were abolished regardless of the treatment of Akt kinase. Akt kinase activity and Rac1 peptide phosphorylation were down-regulated by the treatment of SK-MEL28 cells with wortmannin or LY294002 (a phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor), but JNK/SAPK kinase activity was up-regulated. Thus, the results suggest that Akt kinase of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase signal transduction pathway phosphorylates serine 71 of Rac1 as one of its authentic substrates and modulates the Rac1 signal transduction pathway through phosphorylation.

Akt protein kinase enhances human telomerase activity through phosphorylation of telomerase reverse transcriptase subunit.

With the amino acid sequences of all reported Akt kinase physiological substrates, the possible Akt kinase substrate specificity has been suggested. The serine/threonine residue to be phosphorylated in these proteins is placed within stretches of amino acids with homology, and the arginine residues on the -5 and -3 positions and a hydrophobic amino acid on the +2 position are conserved relative to those of serine/threonine residues (XXRXRXXS/TXX). We noticed two putative Akt kinase phosphorylation sites (220GARRRGGSAS229) and (817AVRIRGKSYV826) in human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) subunit. To demonstrate that hTERT is an Akt kinase substrate protein, we performed the nonradioactive protein kinase assay with the fluorescein hTERT peptide (817AVRIRGKSYV826). We observed the phosphorylation of hTERT peptide by the human melanoma cell lysate or the activated recombinant Akt kinase proteins in vitro. With the treatment of the growth factor deprivation or okadaic acid, we also observed the up-regulation of both hTERT peptide phosphorylation and the telomerase activity. We noticed that Wortmannin down-regulates hTERT peptide phosphorylation and telomerase activity together. In addition, we observed the enhancement of telomerase activity with the pretreatment of Akt kinase in vitro. Thus, these observations suggest that Akt kinase enhances human telomerase activity through phosphorylation of hTERT subunit as one of its substrate proteins.