The in vitro and in vivo depigmentation activity of coenzyme Q0, a major quinone derivative from Antrodia camphorata, through autophagy induction in human melanocytes and keratinocytes.

BACKGROUND: Coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0), a novel quinone derivative of Antrodia camphorata, has been utilized as a therapeutic agent (including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic, antiatherosclerotic, and anticancer agents); however, its depigmenting efficiency has yet to be studied. METHODS: We resolved the depigmenting efficiency of CoQ0 through autophagy induction in melanoma (B16F10) and melanin-feeding keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells and in vivo Zebrafish model. Then, MPLC/HPLC analysis, MTT assay, Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, LC3 transfection, melanin formation, GFP-LC3 puncta, AVO formation, tyrosinase activity, and TEM were used. RESULTS: CoQ0-induced autophagy in B16F10 cells was shown by enhanced LC3-II accumulation, ATG7 expression, autophagosome GFP-LC3 puncta, and AVOs formation, and ATG4B downregulation, and Beclin-1/Bcl-2 dysregulation. In α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cells, CoQ0 induced antimelanogenesis by suppressing CREB-MITF pathway, tyrosinase expression/activity, and melanin formation via autophagy. TEM data disclosed that CoQ0 increased melanosome-engulfing autophagosomes and autolysosomes in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cells. CoQ0-inhibited melanogenesis in α-MSH-stimulated B16F10 cells was reversed by pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3-MA or silencing of LC3. Additionally, CoQ0-induced autophagy in HaCaT cells was revealed by enhanced LC3-II accumulation, autophagosome GFP-LC3 puncta and AVO formation, ATG4B downregulation, ATG5/ATG7 expression, and Beclin-1/Bcl-2 dysregulation. In melanin-feeding HaCaT cells, CoQ0 induced melanin degradation by suppressing melanosome gp100 and melanin formation via autophagy. TEM confirmed that CoQ0 increased melanosome-engulfing autophagosomes and autolysosomes in melanin-feeding HaCaT cells. Treatment with 3-MA reversed CoQ0-mediated melanin degradation in melanin-feeding HaCaT cells. In vivo study showed that CoQ0 suppressed endogenous body pigmentation by antimelanogenesis and melanin degradation through autophagy induction in a zebrafish model. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that CoQ0 exerted antimelanogenesis and melanin degradation by inducing autophagy. CoQ0 could be used in skin-whitening formulations as a topical cosmetic application.

In vitro and in vivo anti-tumor activity of Coenzyme Q0 against TWIST1-overexpressing HNSCC cells: ROS-mediated inhibition of EMT/metastasis and autophagy/apoptosis induction.

HNSCC (Head and Heck Squamous Cell Carcinoma) is a reasonably prevalent cancer with a high mortality rate. In this study, we tried to examine the anti-metastasis and apoptosis/autophagy actions of Coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0, 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone), a derivative of Antrodia camphorata in HNCC TWIST1 overexpressing (FaDu-TWIST1) cells as well as in vivo tumor xenograft mice model. Using fluorescence based cellular assays, western blot and nude mice tumor xenografts, we determined that CoQ0 effectively reduced cell viability and displayed rapid morphological changes in FaDu-TWIST1 cells compared to FaDu cells. Non/sub-cytotoxic concentrations of CoQ0 treatment reduces the cell migration by downregulating TWIST1 and upregulating E-cadherin. Apoptosis produced by CoQ0 was mostly related with caspase-3 activation, PARP cleavage, and VDAC-1 expression. The FaDu-TWIST1 cells treated with CoQ0 exhibits autophagy-mediated LC3-II accumulation and acidic vesicular organelles (AVOs) formation. Pre-treatment with 3-MA and CoQ effectively prevented CoQ0-induced cell death and CoQ0-triggered autophagy in FaDu-TWIST cells as a death mechanism. CoQ0 induces ROS production in FaDu-TWIST1 cells and NAC pre-treatment significantly reduces anti-metastasis, apoptosis, and autophagy. Likewise, ROS-mediated AKT inhibition regulates CoQ0-induced apoptosis/autophagy in FaDu-TWIST1 cells. In vivo studies exhibit, CoQ0 effectively delays and reduces the tumor incidence and burden in FaDu-TWIST1-xenografted nude mice. Current findings display, CoQ0 exhibits a novel anti-cancer mechanism hence, it might be appropriate for anticancer therapy, and a new potent drug for HNSCC.

Coenzyme Q0 defeats NLRP3-mediated inflammation, EMT/metastasis, and Warburg effects by inhibiting HIF-1α expression in human triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0) is a derivative quinone from Antrodia camphorata (AC) that exerts anticancer activities. This study examined the anticancer attributes of CoQ0 (0-4 µM) on inhibited anti-EMT/metastasis and NLRP3 inflammasome, and altered Warburg effects via HIF-1α inhibition in triple-negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231 and 468) cells. MTT assay, cell migration/invasion assays, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, metabolic reprogramming, and LC-ESI-MS were carried out to assess the therapy potential of CoQ0. CoQ0 inhibited HIF-1α expression and suppressed the NLRP3 inflammasome and ASC/caspase-1 expression, followed by downregulation of IL-1ß and IL-18 expression in MDA-MB-231 and 468 cells. CoQ0 ameliorated cancer stem-like markers by decreasing CD44 and increasing CD24 expression. Notably, CoQ0 modulated EMT by upregulating the epithelial marker E-cadherin and downregulating the mesenchymal marker N-cadherin. CoQ0 inhibited glucose uptake and lactate accumulation. CoQ0 also inhibited HIF-1α downstream genes involved in glycolysis, such as HK-2, LDH-A, PDK-1, and PKM-2 enzymes. CoQ0 decreased extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), glycolysis, glycolytic capacity, and glycolytic reserve in MDA-MB-231 and 468 cells under normoxic and hypoxic (CoCl2) conditions. CoQ0 inhibited the glycolytic intermediates lactate, FBP, and 2/3-PG, and PEP levels. CoQ0 increased oxygen consumption rate (OCR), basal respiration, ATP production, maximal respiration, and spare capacity under normoxic and hypoxic (CoCl2) conditions. CoQ0 increased TCA cycle metabolites, such as citrate, isocitrate, and succinate. CoQ0 inhibited aerobic glycolysis and enhanced mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in TNBC cells. Under hypoxic conditions, CoQ0 also mitigated HIF-1α, GLUT1, glycolytic-related (HK-2, LDH-A, and PFK-1), and metastasis-related (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and MMP-9) protein or mRNA expression in MDA-MB-231 and/or 468 cells. Under LPS/ATP stimulation, CoQ0 inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome/procaspase-1/IL-18 activation and NFκB/iNOS expression. CoQ0 also hindered LPS/ATP-stimulated tumor migration and downregulated LPS/ATP-stimulated N-cadherin and MMP-2/-9 expression. The present study revealed that suppression of HIF-1α expression caused by CoQ0 may contribute to inhibition of NLRP3-mediated inflammation, EMT/metastasis, and Warburg effects of triple-negative breast cancers.

Antrodia camphorata and coenzyme Q0 , a novel quinone derivative of Antrodia camphorata, impede HIF-1α and epithelial-mesenchymal transition/metastasis in human glioblastoma cells.

Antrodia camphorata (AC) and Coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0 ), a novel quinone derivative of AC, exhibits antitumor activities. The present study evaluated EMT/metastasis inhibition and autophagy induction aspects of AC and CoQ0 in human glioblastoma (GBM8401) cells. Our findings revealed that AC treatment (0-150 µg/mL) hindered tumor cell proliferation and migration/invasion in GBM8401 cells. Notably, AC treatment inhibited HIF-1α and EMT by upregulating epithelial marker protein E-cadherin while downregulating mesenchymal proteins Twist, Slug, Snail, and ß-catenin. There was an appearance of the autophagy markers LC3-II and p62/SQSTM1, while ATG4B was downregulated by AC treatment. We also found that CoQ0 (0-10 µM) could inhibit migration and invasion in GBM8401 cells. In particular, E-cadherin was elevated and N-cadherin, Vimentin, Twist, Slug, and Snail, were reduced upon CoQ0 treatment. In addition, MMP-2/-9 expression and Wnt/ß-catenin pathways were downregulated. Furthermore, autophagy inhibitors 3-MA or CQ reversed the CoQ0 -elicited suppression of migration/invasion and metastasis-related proteins (Vimentin, Snail, and ß-catenin). Results suggested autophagy-mediated antiEMT and antimetastasis upon CoQ0 treatment. CoQ0 inhibited HIF-1α and metastasis in GBM8401 cells under normoxia and hypoxia. HIF-1α knockdown using siRNA accelerated CoQ0 -inhibited migration. Finally, CoQ0 exhibited a prolonged survival rate in GBM8401-xenografted mice. Treatment with Antrodia camphorata/CoQ0 inhibited HIF-1α and EMT/metastasis in glioblastoma.

Isolation, structure elucidation and antibacterial activity of methyl-4,8-dimethylundecanate from the marine actinobacterium Streptomyces albogriseolus ECR64.

Around 120 actinobacterial colonies were isolated from various regions of marine East coast region of Tamil Nadu, India. Among them, 33 were morphologically distinct and they were preliminarily screened for their antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas fluorescens, Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, and Aeromonas hydrophila by cross-streak plate technique. Among the isolated, the isolate ECR64 exhibited maximum zone of inhibition against fish pathogenic bacteria. The crude bioactive compounds were extracted from the isolate ECR64 using different organic solvents which exhibited maximum antibacterial activity. Separation and purification of the bioactive compounds were made by column chromatography which yielded 27 fractions and were re-chromatographed to obtain the active compound. Ultra violet (UV), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral studies were used to predict the structure of the active compound which was identified as methyl-4,8-dimethylundecanate. The potential isolate ECR64 was identified as Streptomyces albogriseolus by phylogenetic, phenotypic and genotypic (16S rRNA gene sequence) analyses. The identified compound methyl-4,8-dimethylundecanate can be used as potential and alternative drug in disease management of aquaculture.

Magnetic nanoparticles are highly toxic to chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, dengue virus (DEN-2), and their mosquito vectors.

A main challenge in parasitology is the development of reliable tools to prevent or treat mosquito-borne diseases. We investigated the toxicity of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) produced by Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense (strain MSR-1) on chloroquine-resistant (CQ-r) and sensitive (CQ-s) Plasmodium falciparum, dengue virus (DEN-2), and two of their main vectors, Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti, respectively. MNP were studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. They were toxic to larvae and pupae of An. stephensi, LC50 ranged from 2.563 ppm (1st instar larva) to 6.430 ppm (pupa), and Ae. aegypti, LC50 ranged from 3.231 ppm (1st instar larva) to 7.545 ppm (pupa). MNP IC50 on P. falciparum were 83.32 µg ml-1 (CQ-s) and 87.47 µg ml-1 (CQ-r). However, the in vivo efficacy of MNP on Plasmodium berghei was low if compared to CQ-based treatments. Moderate cytotoxicity was detected on Vero cells post-treatment with MNP doses lower than 4 µg ml-1. MNP evaluated at 2-8 µg ml-1 inhibited DEN-2 replication inhibiting the expression of the envelope (E) protein. In conclusion, our findings represent the first report about the use of MNP in medical and veterinary entomology, proposing them as suitable materials to develop reliable tools to combat mosquito-borne diseases.

DNA barcoding and molecular evolution of mosquito vectors of medical and veterinary importance.

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are a key threat for millions of people worldwide, since they act as vectors for devastating pathogens and parasites. The standard method of utilisation of morphological characters becomes challenging due to various factors such as phenotypical variations. We explored the complementary approach of CO1 gene-based identification, analysing ten species of mosquito vectors belonging to three genera, Aedes, Culex and Anopheles from India. Analysed nucleotide sequences were found without pseudo genes and indels; they match with high similarity in nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLASTn) search. The partial CO1 sequence of Anopheles niligricus was the first time record submitted to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Mean intra- and interspecies divergence was found to be 1.30 and 3.83 %, respectively. The congeneric divergence was three times higher than the conspecifics. Deep intraspecific divergence was noted in three of the species, and the reason could be explained more accurately in the future by improving the sample size across different locations. The transitional and transversional substitutions were tested individually. Ts and Tv substitutions in all the 1st, 2nd and 3rd codons were estimated to be (0.44, 99.51), (40.35, 59.66) and (59.16, 40.84), respectively. Saturation of the sequences was resolved, since both the Ts and Tv exhibited a linear relationship suggesting that the sequences were not saturated. NJ and ML tree analysis showed that the individuals of the same species clustered together based on the CO1 sequence similarity, regardless of their collection site and geographic location. Overall, this study adds basic knowledge to molecular evolution of mosquito vectors of medical and veterinary importance and may be useful to improve biotechnological tools employed in Culicidae control programmes.

Genetic deviation in geographically close populations of the dengue vector Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): influence of environmental barriers in South India.

Mosquitoes are vectors of devastating pathogens and parasites, causing millions of deaths every year. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Recently, dengue transmission has strongly increased in urban and semiurban areas, becoming a major international public health concern. Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) is a primary vector of dengue. Shedding light on genetic deviation in A. aegypti populations is of crucial importance to fully understand their molecular ecology and evolution. In this research, haplotype and genetic analyses were conducted using individuals of A. aegypti from 31 localities in the north, southeast, northeast and central regions of Tamil Nadu (South India). The mitochondrial DNA region of cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) gene was used as marker for the analyses. Thirty-one haplotypes sequences were submitted to GenBank and authenticated. The complete haplotype set included 64 haplotypes from various geographical regions clustered into three groups (lineages) separated by three fixed mutational steps, suggesting that the South Indian Ae. aegypti populations were pooled and are linked with West Africa, Columbian and Southeast Asian lineages. The genetic and haplotype diversity was low, indicating reduced gene flow among close populations of the vector, due to geographical barriers such as water bodies. Lastly, the negative values for neutrality tests indicated a bottle-neck effect and supported for low frequency of polymorphism among the haplotypes. Overall, our results add basic knowledge to molecular ecology of the dengue vector A. aegypti, providing the first evidence for multiple introductions of Ae. aegypti populations from Columbia and West Africa in South India.

Carbon and silver nanoparticles in the fight against the filariasis vector Culex quinquefasciatus: genotoxicity and impact on behavioral traits of non-target aquatic organisms.

Mosquito-borne diseases represent a deadly threat for millions of people worldwide. The Culex genus, with special reference to Culex quinquefasciatus, comprises the most common vectors of filariasis across urban and semi-urban areas of Asia. In recent years, important efforts have been conducted to propose green-synthesized nanoparticles as a valuable alternative to synthetic insecticides. However, the mosquitocidal potential of carbon nanoparticles has been scarcely investigated. In this study, the larvicidal and pupicidal activity of carbon nanoparticle (CNP) and silver nanoparticle (AgNP) was tested against Cx. quinquefasciatus. UV-Vis spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and Raman analysis confirmed the rapid and cheap synthesis of carbon and silver nanoparticles. In laboratory assays, LC50 (lethal concentration that kills 50 % of the exposed organisms) values ranged from 8.752 ppm (first-instar larvae) to 18.676 ppm (pupae) for silver nanoparticles and from 6.373 ppm (first-instar larvae) to 14.849 ppm (pupae) for carbon nanoparticles. The predation efficiency of the water bug Lethocerus indicus after a single treatment with low doses of silver and carbon nanoparticles was not reduced. Moderate evidence of genotoxic effects induced by exposure to carbon nanoparticles was found on non-target goldfish, Carassius auratus. Lastly, the plant extract used for silver nanosynthesis was tested for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity. Overall, our results pointed out that AgNP and CNP can be a candidate for effective tools to reduce larval and pupal populations of filariasis vectors, with reduced genotoxicity and impact on behavioral traits of other aquatic organisms sharing the same ecological niche of Cx. quinquefasciatus.

Green-synthesized silver nanoparticles as a novel control tool against dengue virus (DEN-2) and its primary vector Aedes aegypti.

Dengue is an arthropod-borne viral infection mainly vectored through the bite of Aedes mosquitoes. Recently, its transmission has strongly increased in urban and semi-urban areas of tropical and sub-tropical regions worldwide, becoming a major international public health concern. There is no specific treatment for dengue. Its prevention and control solely depends on effective vector control measures. In this study, we proposed the green-synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) as a novel and effective tool against the dengue serotype DEN-2 and its major vector Aedes aegypti. AgNP were synthesized using the Moringa oleifera seed extract as reducing and stabilizing agent. AgNP were characterized using a variety of biophysical methods including UV-vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and sorted for size categories. AgNP showed in vitro antiviral activity against DEN-2 infecting vero cells. Viral titer was 7 log10 TCID50/ml in control (AgNP-free), while it dropped to 3.2 log10 TCID50/ml after a single treatment with 20 µl/ml of AgNP. After 6 h, DEN-2 yield was 5.8 log10 PFU/ml in the control, while it was 1.4 log10 PFU/ml post-treatment with AgNP (20 µl/ml). AgNP were highly effective against the dengue vector A. aegypti, with LC50 values ranging from 10.24 ppm (I instar larvae) to 21.17 ppm (pupae). Overall, this research highlighted the concrete potential of green-synthesized AgNP in the fight against dengue and its primary vector A. aegypti. Further research on structure-activity relationships of AgNP against other dengue serotypes is urgently required.

Coenzyme Q0 inhibited the NLRP3 inflammasome, metastasis/EMT, and Warburg effect by suppressing hypoxia-induced HIF-1α expression in HNSCC cells.

Coenzyme Q0 (CoQ0), a quinone derivative from Antrodia camphorata, has antitumor capabilities. This study investigated the antitumor effect of noncytotoxic CoQ0, which included NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition, anti-EMT/metastasis, and metabolic reprogramming via HIF-1α inhibition, in HNSCC cells under normoxia and hypoxia. CoQ0 suppressed hypoxia-induced ROS-mediated HIF-1α expression in OECM-1 and SAS cells. Under normoxia and hypoxia, the inflammatory NLRP3, ASC/caspase-1, NFκB, and IL-1ß expression was reduced by CoQ0. CoQ0 reduced migration/invasion by enhancing epithelial marker E-cadherin and suppressing mesenchymal markers Twist, N-cadherin, Snail, and MMP-9, and MMP-2 expression. CoQ0 inhibited glucose uptake, lactate accumulation, GLUT1 levels, and HIF-1α-target gene (HK-2, PFK-1, and LDH-A) expressions that are involved in aerobic glycolysis. Notably, CoQ0 reduced ECAR as well as glycolysis, glycolytic capability, and glycolytic reserve and enhanced OCR, basal respiration, ATP generation, maximal respiration, and spare capacity in OECM-1 cells. Metabolomic analysis using LC-ESI-MS showed that CoQ0 treatment decreased the levels of glycolytic intermediates, including lactate, 2/3-phosphoglycerate, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, and phosphoenolpyruvate, and increased the levels of TCA cycle metabolites, including citrate, isocitrate, and succinate. HIF-1α silencing reversed CoQ0-mediated anti-metastasis (N-Cadherin, Snail, and MMP-9) and metabolic reprogramming (GLUT1, HK-2, and PKM-2) under hypoxia. CoQ0 prevents cancer stem-like characteristics (upregulated CD24 expression and downregulated CD44, ALDH1, and OCT4) under normoxia and/or hypoxia. Further, in IL-6-treated SG cells, CoQ0 attenuated fibrosis by inhibiting TGF-ß and Collagen I expression and suppressed EMT by downregulating Slug and upregulating E-cadherin expression. Interesting, CoQ0 inhibited the growth of OECM-1 tumors in xenografted mice. Our results advocate CoQ0 for the therapeutic application against HNSCC.

Clinical Theragnostic Signature of Extracellular Vesicles in Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common cause of disability and fatality worldwide. Depending on the clinical presentation, it is a type of acquired brain damage that can be mild, moderate, or severe. The degree of patient's discomfort, prognosis, therapeutic approach, survival rates, and recurrence can all be strongly impacted by an accurate diagnosis made early on. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), along with neuroimaging (MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and CT scan), is a neurological assessment tools used to evaluate and categorize the severity of TBI based on the patient's level of consciousness, eye opening, and motor response. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a growing domain, explaining neurological complications in a more detailed manner. EVs, in general, play a role in cellular communication. Its molecular signature such as DNA, RNA, protein, etc. contributes to the status (health or pathological stage) of the parental cell. Brain-derived EVs support more specific screening (diagnostic and prognostic) in TBI research. Therapeutic impact of EVs are more promising for aiding in TBI healing. It is nontoxic, biocompatible, and capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to transport therapeutic molecules. This review has highlighted the relationships between EVs and TBI theranostics, EVs and TBI-related clinical trials, and related research domain-associated challenges and solutions. This review motivates further exploration of associations between EVs and TBI and develops a better approach to TBI management.

Tranexamic acid improves psoriasis-like skin inflammation: Evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies.

The chronic disease psoriasis is associated with severe inflammation and abnormal keratinocyte propagation in the skin. Tranexamic acid (TXA), a plasmin inhibitor, is used to cure serious bleeding. We investigated whether TXA ointment mitigated Imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like inflammation. Furthermore, this study investigated the effect of noncytotoxic concentrations of TXA on IL-17-induced human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells to determine the status of proliferative psoriatic keratinocytes. We found that TXA reduced IMQ-induced psoriasis-like erythema, thickness, scaling, and cumulative scores (erythema plus thickness plus scaling) on the back skin of BALB/c mice. Additionally, TXA decreased ear thickness and suppressed hyperkeratosis, hyperplasia, and inflammation of the ear epidermis in IMQ-induced BALB/c mice. Furthermore, TXA inhibited IMQ-induced splenomegaly in BALB/c mouse models. In IL-17-induced HaCaT cells, TXA inhibited ROS production and IL-8 secretion. Interestingly, TXA suppressed the IL-17-induced NFκB signaling pathway via IKK-mediated IκB degradation. TXA inhibited IL-17-induced activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome through caspase-1 and IL1ß expression. TXA inhibited IL-17-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation by enhancing autophagy, as indicated by LC3-II accumulation, p62/SQSTM1 expression, ATG4B inhibition, and Beclin-1/Bcl-2 dysregulation. Notably, TXA suppressed IL-17-induced Nrf2-mediated keratin 17 expression. N-acetylcysteine pretreatment reversed the effects of TXA on NFκB, NLRP3 inflammasomes, and the Nrf2-mediated keratin 17 pathway in IL-17-induced HaCaT cells. Results further confirmed that in the ear skin of IMQ-induced mice, psoriasis biomarkers such as NLRP3, IL1ß, Nrf2, and keratin 17 expression were downregulated by TXA treatment. TXA improves IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation in vivo and psoriatic keratinocytes in vitro. Tranexamic acid is a promising future treatment for psoriasis.

The crux of bioactive metabolites in endophytic and thermophilic fungi and their proximal prospects in biotechnological and industrial domains.

Fungi are ubiquitous in distribution and are found in grasses to hot springs. Their mode of nutrition provides sustenance for living and propagation. Ironically, varied fungal species have developed customized strategies for protection and survival by producing diverse secondary metabolites. The review aimed to project the contrasting potential features of the endophytic and thermophilic fungi groups. The metabolites and the enzymes of endophytic and thermophilic fungi served as the backbone to thrive and adapt within-host and in extreme conditions like higher pH, heat, and salinity, respectively. Identification, knowledge of their biochemistry and pathway, exploration, production, and utilization of these bioactive molecules in various commercial, industrial, and pharmaceutical domains were briefly discussed. The uniqueness of endophytes includes stress management and improved biomass production of the host, green fuel production, omnipresence, selected triple-symbiosis with the virus, synthesis of polyketides, and other active metabolites are widely used in biomedical applications and agriculture management. This review attempted to limelight the specific applications of thermophilic fungal metabolites and the roles of thermo-stable enzymes in bioprospecting. Moreover, probing the metabolites of thermophiles rendered novel antibiotic compounds, which were proven effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria and harboured the potential to curtail infectious diseases.

The in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities of Antrodia salmonea through inhibition of metastasis and induction of ROS-mediated apoptotic and autophagic cell death in human glioblastoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Antrodia salmonea (AS) exhibits anticancer activities against various cancers. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the anticancer activities of AS on human glioblastoma (GBM8401 and U87MG) cells both in vitro and in vivo and explained the underlying molecular mechanism. METHODS: MTT, colony formation, migration/invasion assay, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, TUNEL, Annexin V/PI staining, AO staining, GFP-LC3 transfection, TEM, qPCR, siLC3, DCFH2-DA assay, and xenografted-nude mice were used to assess the potential of AS therapy. RESULTS: AS treatment retarded growth and suppressed colony formation in glioblastoma cells. AS attenuates EMT by suppressing invasion and migration, increasing E-cadherin expression, decreasing Twist, Snail, and N-cadherin expression, and inhibiting Wnt/ß-catenin pathways in GBM8401 and U87MG cells. Furthermore, AS induced apoptosis by activating caspase-3, cleaving PARP, and dysregulating Bax and Bcl-2 in both cell lines. TUNEL assay and Annexin V/PI staining indicated AS-mediated late apoptosis. Interestingly, AS induced autophagic cell death by LC3-II accumulation, AVO formation, autophagosome GFP-LC3 puncta, p62/SQSTM1 expression, and ATG4B inhibition in GBM8401 and U87MG cells. TEM data revealed that AS favored autophagosome and autolysosome formation. The autophagy inhibitors 3-MA/CQ and LC3 knockdown suppressed AS-induced apoptosis in glioblastoma cells, indicating that the inhibition of autophagy decreased AS-induced apoptosis. Notably, the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibited AS-mediated ROS production and AS-induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death. Furthermore, AS induced ROS-mediated inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. AS reduced the tumor burden in GBM8401-xenografted nude mice and significantly modulated tumor xenografts by inducing anti-EMT, apoptosis, and autophagy. AS could be a potential antitumor agent in human glioblastoma treatment.

The Warburg effect in osteoporosis: Cellular signaling and epigenetic regulation of energy metabolic events to targeting the osteocalcin for phenotypic alteration.

Osteoporosis is a silent disease of skeletal morphology that induces fragility and fracture risk in aged persons irrespective of gender. Juvenile secondary osteoporosis is rare and is influenced by familial genetic abnormalities. Despite the currently available therapeutic options, more-acute treatments are in need. Women suffer from osteoporosis after menopause, which is characterized by a decline in the secretion of sex hormones in the later phase of life. Several studies in the past two decades emphasized hormone-related pathways to combat osteoporosis. Some studies partially examined energy-related pathways, but achieving a more vivid picture of metabolism and bone remodeling in terms of the Warburg phenomenon is still warranted. Each cell requires sufficient energy for cellular propagation and growth; in particular, osteoporosis is an energy-dependent mechanism affected by a decreased cellular mass of the bone morphology. Energy utilization is the actual propagation of such diseases, and narrowing down these criteria will hopefully provide clues to formulate better therapeutic strategies. Oxidative glycolysis is a particular type of energy metabolic pathway in cancer cells that influences cellular proliferation. Therefore, the prospect of utilizing collective glucose metabolism by inducing the Warburg effect may improve cell propagation. The benefits of utilizing the energy from the Warburg effect may be a difficult task. However, it seems to improve their effectiveness in the osteoblast phenotype by connecting the selected pathways such as WNT, Notch, AKT, and Insulin signaling by targeting osteocalcin resulting in phenotypic alteration. Osteocalcin directs ATP utilization through the sclerostin SOST gene in the bone microenvironment. Thus, selective activation of ATP production involved in osteoblast maturation remains a prime strategy to fight osteoporosis.

Convalescent serum-derived exosomes: Attractive niche as COVID-19 diagnostic tool and vehicle for mRNA delivery.

The spread of SARS-CoV-2 over the entire world is more commonly known as COVID-19. COVID-19 has impacted society in every aspect of routine life. SARS-CoV-2 infection is often misdiagnosed as influenza or seasonal upper respiratory tract viral infections. General diagnostic tools can detect the viral antigen or isotypes of antibodies. However, inter- and intraindividual variations in antibody levels can cause false negatives in antibody immunoassays. On the contrary, the false-positive test results can also occur due to either cross-reactivity of the viral antigens or some other patient-related autoimmune factors. There is need for a cogent diagnostic tool with more specificity, selectivity, and reliability. Here, we have described the potential of convalescent serum-derived exosome as a diagnostic tool for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, even in asymptomatic patients, which is a limitation for currently practiced diagnostic tests throughout the globe. In addition, its potential as a vehicle for messenger RNA (mRNA) delivery is also emphasized.

Exosomal mediated signal transduction through artificial microRNA (amiRNA): A potential target for inhibition of SARS-CoV-2.

Exosome trans-membrane signals provide cellular communication between the cells through transport and/or receiving the signal by molecule, change the functional metabolism, and stimulate and/or inhibit receptor signal complexes. COVID19 genetic transformations are varied in different geographic positions, and single nucleotide polymorphic lineages were reported in the second waves due to the fast mutational rate and adaptation. Several vaccines were developed and in treatment practice, but effective control has yet to reach in cent presence. It was initially a narrow immune-modulating protein target. Controlling these diverse viral strains may inhibit their transuding mechanisms primarily to target RNA genes responsible for COVID19 transcription. Exosomal miRNAs are the main sources of transmembrane signals, and trans-located miRNAs can directly target COVID19 mRNA transcription. This review discussed targeted viral transcription by delivering the artificial miRNA (amiRNA) mediated exosomes in the infected cells and significant resources of exosome and their efficacy.

A novel nano therapeutic using convalescent plasma derived exosomal (CPExo) for COVID-19: A combined hyperactive immune modulation and diagnostics.

Extracellular vesicles like exosomes are important therapeutic tactics for treating COVID -19. By utilizing convalescent plasma derived exosomes (CPExo) from COVID-19 recovered persistence could accelerate the treatment strategies in the current state of affairs. Adequate literature has shown that administering the exosome to the in vivo system could be beneficial and could target the pathogens in an effective and precise manner. In this hypothesis we highlight the CPExo instead of convalescent plasma (CP), perhaps to dispense of exosomes are gratified and it's more effectively acquired immune response conferral through antibodies. COVID-19 convalescent plasma has billions of exosomes and it has aptitudes to carry molecular constituents like proteins, lipids, RNA and DNA, etc. Moreover, exosomes are capable of recognizing antigens with adequate sensitivity and specificity. Many of these derivatives could trigger an immune modulation into the cells and act as an epigenetic inheritor response to target pathogens through RNAs. COIVID-19 resistance activated plasma-derived exosomes are either responsible for the effects of plasma beyond the contained immune antibodies or could be inhibitory. The proposed hypothesis suggests that preselecting the plasma-derived antibodies and RNAs merged exosomes would be an optimized therapeutic tactic for COVID-19 patients. We suggest that, the CPExo has a multi-potential effect for treatment efficacy by acting as immunotherapeutic, drug carrier, and diagnostic target with noncoding genetic materials as a biomarker.

Intra-species variation and geographic differentiation among the populations of the quarantine agricultural pest leucinoides orbonalis (lepidoptera: Crambidae) in the global assemblage - a prospective of DNA barcoding.

Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée is serious quarantine pest occurring globally, studies are needed to enlighten the genetic complexities associated with the species. India is considered to be the origin of the L. orbonalis, therefore availability of species records from this region enable to analyse the genetic differences and dispersal of the lineages. The results of the study reported 47 haplotypes in four clusters pertaining to their ancestral lineage. The transition/transversion bias (R) was observed to be higher with 1.238 and 1.312 in the first and third codon positions respectively. The overall intraspecies divergence was found to be 0.302. AMOVA revealed that the total variations were then as reported 67.15 among the south-east countries but our studies reported the total variation to be 77.25% (Germany, India, South east and Australia). FST and Mantel's test indicated that there was no correlation between the genetic variation and geographical distance. The overall haplotype diversity was 0.852, where the nucleotide diversity of H31 (0.00593) was highest and H1 (0.00087) was lowest. The genetic diversity indices Tajima D and Fu's Fs static for H1, H13 and H31 had negative values which possibly inferred for the bottle neck effect. The ML tree was constituted the branch length of 5.0157 with one out-group. The tree was formed with ten distinctive clades with the haplotypes congregated together based on similar genetic composition.