Effects of Taraxaci Herba (Dandelion) on Testosterone Propionate-Induced Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia in Rats.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is the non-malignant enlargement of the prostate, associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs). Taraxaci Herba (TH), commonly known as dandelion, has traditionally been utilized in East Asia to treat symptoms related to LUTSs. Based on this traditional use, our study aimed to explore the inhibitory effects of TH on BPH progression using a testosterone propionate-induced rat model. To induce BPH, male Sprague Dawley rats were castrated and injected subcutaneously with testosterone propionate (3 mg/kg/day) for 28 days. Concurrently, TH extract was administered orally at doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg/day throughout the four-week period of testosterone propionate injections. The TH extract significantly reduced both the absolute and relative weights of the prostate, along with histopathological changes in the gland. Moreover, it lowered serum levels of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone and reduced the expression of the androgen receptor in the prostate. Additionally, the TH extract modulated the protein expressions of Bax and Bcl-2, which are key regulators of apoptosis in prostate cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that TH inhibits BPH development partially by modulating androgen signaling and inducing apoptosis within the prostate.

An Overview of Systematic Reviews: Complementary Therapies for Cancer Patients.

Introduction: This article critically examines the systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analysis (MA) of complementary therapies for cancer patients to appraise the evidence level, and offers suggestions for future research and practice. Methods: The Cochrane Library and MEDLINE were searched from their inception to January 2018, to identify SR and MA of complementary therapies available for cancer patients. Final selected SR and MA were methodologically evaluated for their quality by applying the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2) instrument. Data extraction and risk of quality assessments were performed by 2 independent reviewers. Results: A total of 104 studies were included in the analysis. The majority of the individual clinical trials included in the SR and MA were performed in China (48%) and the United States (26.9%). Breast cancer was the most studied cancer type (25%), and acupuncture was the most studied intervention (21%). Side effects of cancer such as pain, depression, and fatigue were effectively managed with complementary therapies. The methodologically problematic items included not listing the excluded studies and lack of protocol or protocol registration. Conclusions: With increasing interest in research, complementary therapies appear to be beneficial in reducing side effects and raising the quality of life of cancer patients. Complementary therapies have generally been studied for all cancers, with acupuncture being the most researched, regardless of the cancer type. Since AMSTAR2 is a stricter assessment tool than before, future studies need to consider the risk of methodological bias with caution and discuss appropriate overall quality assessment tools.

Flavin-Based Light-Driven Fluorescent Probe for the Detection of Antioxidant Amino Acids.

We have synthesized a flavin-N(5)-oxide derivative with a p-toluenesulfonyl (Ts-OF) group as a "turn-on" fluorescent probe for the detection of several antioxidant amino acids and biothiols. Oxidized flavin was synthesized by using dithiothreitol as the reducing agent. Ts-OF showed a light-driven fluorescence enhancement in the presence of several amino acids and biothiols such as histidine (His), methionine (Met), cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH), and homocysteine (Hcy). The 1H NMR study indicated the reductive elimination of the p-toluenesulfonyl group from Ts-OF in the presence of antioxidants and photo-irradiation.

A humanized mouse model of hereditary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-resistant rickets without alopecia.

The syndrome of hereditary 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D-resistant rickets (HVDRR) is a genetic disease of altered mineral homeostasis due to mutations in the vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene. It is frequently, but not always, accompanied by the presence of alopecia. Mouse models that recapitulate this syndrome have been prepared through genetic deletion of the Vdr gene and are characterized by the presence of rickets and alopecia. Subsequent studies have revealed that VDR expression in hair follicle keratinocytes protects against alopecia and that this activity is independent of the protein's ability to bind 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3]. In the present study, we introduced into VDR-null mice a human VDR (hVDR) bacterial artificial chromosome minigene containing a mutation that converts leucine to serine at amino acid 233 in the hVDR protein, which prevents 1,25(OH)2D3 binding. We then assessed whether this transgene recreated features of the HVDRR syndrome without alopecia. RT-PCR and Western blot analysis in one strain showed an appropriate level of mutant hVDR expression in all tissues examined including skin. The hVDR-L233S mutant failed to rescue the aberrant systemic and skeletal phenotype characteristic of the VDR null mouse due to the inability of the mutant receptor to activate transcription after treatment with 1,25(OH)2D3. Importantly, however, neither alopecia nor the dermal cysts characteristic of VDR-null mice were observed in the skin of these hVDR-L233S mutant mice. This study confirms that we have created a humanized mouse model of HVDRR without alopecia that will be useful in defining additional features of this syndrome and in identifying potential novel functions of the unoccupied VDR.

Multifunctional enhancers regulate mouse and human vitamin D receptor gene transcription.

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) mediates the endocrine actions of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2)D(3)] and autoregulates the expression of its own gene in target cells. In studies herein, we used chromatin immunoprecipitation-chip analyses to examine further the activities of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) and to assess the consequences of VDR/retinoid X receptor heterodimer binding at the VDR gene locus. We also explored mechanisms underlying the ability of retinoic acid, dexamethasone, and the protein kinase A activator forskolin to induce VDR up-regulation as well. We confirmed two previously identified intronic 1,25(OH)(2)D(3)-inducible enhancers and discovered two additional regions, one located 6 kb upstream of the VDR transcription start site. Although RNA polymerase II was present at the transcription start site in the absence of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), it was strikingly up-regulated at both this site and at individual enhancers in its presence. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) also increased basal levels of H4 acetylation at these enhancers as well. Surprisingly, many of these enhancers were targets for CCAAT enhancer-binding protein-beta and runt-related transcription factor 2; a subset also bound cAMP response element binding protein, retinoic acid receptor, and glucocorticoid receptor. Unexpectedly, many of these factors were resident at the Vdr gene locus in the absence of inducer, suggesting that they might contribute to basal Vdr gene expression. Indeed, small interfering RNA down-regulation of CCAAT enhancer-binding protein-beta suppressed basal VDR expression. These regulatory activities of 1,25(OH)(2)D(3), forskolin, and dexamethasone were recapitulated in MC3T3-E1 cells stably transfected with a full-length VDR bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clone-luciferase reporter gene. Finally, 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) also induced accumulation of VDR and up-regulated H4 acetylation at conserved regions in the human VDR gene. These data provide important new insights into VDR gene regulation in bone cells.

Gamma-irradiation and doxorubicin treatment of normal human cells cause cell cycle arrest via different pathways.

Ionizing radiation and doxorubicin both produce oxidative damage and double-strand breaks in DNA. Double-strand breaks and oxidative damage are highly toxic and cause cell cycle arrest, provoking DNA repair and apoptosis in cancer cell lines. To investigate the response of normal human cells to agents causing oxidative damage, we monitored alterations in gene expression in F65 normal human fibroblasts. Treatment with g-irradiation and doxorubicin altered the expression of 23 and 68 known genes, respectively, with no genes in common. Both agents altered the expression of genes involved in cell cycle arrest, and arrested the treated cells in G2/M phase 12 h after treatment. 24 h after g-irradiation, the percentage of G1 cells increased, whereas after doxorubicin treatment the percentage of G2/M cells remained constant for 24 h. Our results suggest that F65 cells respond differently to g-irradiation- and doxorubicin-induced DNA damage, probably using entirely different biochemical pathways.

Tc-99m ciprofloxacin imaging in diagnosis of chronic bacterial prostatitis.

AIM: To investigate the value of Tc-99m ciprofloxacin imaging in the differential diagnosis of chronic bacterial prostatitis. METHODS: The study included 4 normal subjects as the negative controls, 2 patients with acute prostatitis or cystourethritis as the positive controls and 59 patients diagnosed as chronic bacterial prostatitis or chronic pelvic pain syndrome by traditional laboratory tests. In every subject, the single photon emission computerized tomography images were obtained 3 h after intravenous injection of Tc-99m Ciprofloxacin. The results of the imaging were compared with those of laboratory tests. RESULTS: On the images, negative uptake was observed in all normal subjects, while strong hot uptake, in the whole prostate of acute prostatitis patients and in the whole urethra of acute cystourethritis patients. In 13 (68%) of 19 patients categorized as chronic bacterial prostatitis by standard laboratory tests, hot uptake with less intensity than that of acute prostatitis was observed in the prostate area around the prostatic urethra. Negative uptake in the prostate was observed in 6 of 19 patients (32%) categorized as chronic bacterial prostatitis. Interestingly, hot uptake in the prostate was exhibited in 28 (70%) of the 40 patients categorized as chronic pelvic pain syndrome. CONCLUSION: Tc-99m ciprofloxacin imaging is helpful in the differential diagnosis of prostatitis syndrome.