Theobromine enhances the conversion of white adipocytes into beige adipocytes in a PPARγ activation-dependent manner.

The adipocytes play an important role in driving the obese-state-white adipose tissue (WAT) stores the excess energy as fat, wherein brown adipose tissue (BAT) is responsible for energy expenditure via the thermoregulatory function of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-the imbalance between these two onsets obesity. Moreover, the anti-obesity effects of brown-like-adipocytes (beige) in WAT are well documented. Browning, the process of transformation of energy-storing into energy-dissipating adipocytes, is a potential preventive strategy against obesity and its related diseases. In the present study, to explore an alternative source of natural products in the regulation of adipocyte transformation, we assessed the potential of theobromine (TB), a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, inducing browning in mice (in vivo) and primary adipocytes (in vitro). Dietary supplementation of TB significantly increased skin temperature of the inguinal region in mice and induced the expression of UCP1 protein. It also increased the expression levels of mitochondrial marker proteins in subcutaneous adipose tissues but not in visceral adipose tissues. The microarray analysis showed that TB supplementation upregulated multiple thermogenic and beige adipocyte marker genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue. Furthermore, in mouse-derived primary adipocytes, TB upregulated the expression of the UCP1 protein and mitochondrial mass in a PPARγ ligand-dependent manner. It also increased the phosphorylation levels of PPARγ coactivator 1α without affecting its protein expression. These results indicate that dietary supplementation of TB induces browning in subcutaneous WAT and enhances PPARγ-induced UCP1 expression in vitro, suggesting its potential to treat obesity.

Oral Immunotherapy with a Phosphorylated Hypoallergenic Allergen Ameliorates Allergic Responses More Effectively Than Intact Allergen in a Murine Model of Buckwheat Allergy.

SCOPE: Buckwheat is a common food allergen frequently consumed in Asian countries, with Fag e 1 and Fag e 2 being the major buckwheat allergens. The purpose of this study is to prepare an oral immunotherapy agent by attenuating these allergens via phosphorylation. The immunomodulatory effects of phosphorylated Fag e 2 (P-Fag e 2) in a mouse model of buckwheat allergy are evaluated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Phosphorylated Fag e 1 (P-Fag e 1) and P-Fag e 2 are prepared by dry-heating in the presence of pyrophosphate. Subsequent dot-blot analysis using serum from food-allergic patient indicates that both proteins exhibit reduced allergenicity upon phosphorylation. Mice subjected to oral administration of P-Fag e 2 for 6 weeks exhibit decreased specific serum IgE and increased specific IgA after Fag e 2 sensitization compared to the sham-treated mice. Moreover, the Peyer's patches (PP) of phosphorylated antigen-fed mice show decreased IL-4 production and induction of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells. Increased production of IL-6 is observed in the CD11c+ cells isolated from the PPs of P-Fag e 2-fed mice. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that attenuated allergens can suppress Th2-induced allergic responses via induction of Tfh cells, which are regulated by IL-6 secreted from dendritic cells.

Soybean-Derived Glycine-Arginine Dipeptide Administration Promotes Neurotrophic Factor Expression in the Mouse Brain.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophin family, plays an important role in cognitive abilities, including memory and learning. We demonstrated that soybean protein hydrolysate (SPH) diet suppresses age-related cognitive decline via the upregulation of BDNF in a mouse model of senescence. Our purpose was to identify novel bioactive peptides in SPH, which enhance BDNF expression. We treated mouse primary astrocytes with SPH as well as with its positively charged chromatographic fraction. Significant increases in the expression of BDNF were observed in the treatment with positively charged fraction of SPH. Among the synthesized peptides, the dipeptide glycine-arginine (GR) increased BDNF expression in vitro, and LC-TOF-MS analysis showed the presence of GR in the SPH. Furthermore, its administration in vivo increased the expression of BDNF in the cerebral cortex and the number of neurons in hippocampus and cerebral cortex. These data indicate that GR might promote neurogenesis by upregulating BDNF levels.

Methylxanthine Derivative-Rich Cacao Extract Suppresses Differentiation of Adipocytes through Downregulation of PPARγ and C/EBPs.

Cacao extract (CE) consumption has beneficial effects on human health, such as lowering the risk of obesity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for the anti-obesity effect of CE remains incompletely understood. Here, we used a 50% aqueous alcohol extract of cacao mass, which is rich in methylxanthine derivatives (about 11%) and poor in flavan-3-ols (less than 1%), and assessed the suppression effects of this extract on adipocyte differentiation to investigate the anti-obesity mechanism. CE dose-dependently decreased fat accumulation in 3T3-L1 cells without affecting cell viability. CE also dose-dependently decreased the protein and gene expression levels of two adipogenesis-related transcription factors, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins (C/EBPs). Moreover, CE decreased protein expression levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 (SREBP1) and its downstream fatty acid synthase (FAS), which was accompanied by the retained localization of SREBP1 in the cytoplasm of 3T3-L1 cells. After ICR mice were fed a diet containing 1% CE for 1 wk, their white adipose tissue weight was lower, whereas their brown adipose tissue weight was higher compared with those of control animals. Additionally, the protein expression levels of PPARγ, C/EBPs, SREBP1, and FAS in the white adipose tissue of these mice were also lower than those in control animals. In contrast, diet supplementation with CE induced higher levels of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and its downstream acetyl-CoA carboxylase. In conclusion, methylxanthine derivative-rich CE decreases fat accumulation in adipocytes by downregulating the expression of the adipocyte differentiation master regulators through the activation of AMPK.

Cyperenoic acid suppresses osteoclast differentiation and delays bone loss in a senile osteoporosis mouse model by inhibiting non-canonical NF-κB pathway.

Cyperenoic acid is a terpenoid isolated from the root of a medicinal plant Croton crassifolius with a wide range of biological activities. In this study, the effects of cyperenoic acid on osteoclast differentiation were investigated both in vitro and in vivo using receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced bone marrow-derived osteoclasts and senescence-accelerated mouse prone 6 (SAMP6). Cyperenoic acid significantly suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclast differentiation at the concentrations with no apparent cytotoxicity. The half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) for osteoclast differentiation was 36.69 µM ± 1.02. Cyperenoic acid treatment evidently reduced the expression of two key transcription factors in osteoclast differentiation, NFATc1 and c-Fos. Detailed signaling analysis revealed that cyperenoic acid did not affect MAPK pathways and canonical NF-κB pathway but impaired activation of p100/p52 in the non-canonical NF-κB pathway upon RANKL stimulation. Moreover, the expression of osteoclast-related genes, nfatc1, ctsk, irf8, acp5 and cfos were disrupted by cyperenoic acid treatment. The bone resorption activity by cyperenoic acid-treated osteoclasts were impaired. In a senile osteoporosis mouse model SAMP6, mice fed on diet supplemented with cyperenoic acid showed delay in bone loss, compared to the control. Taken together, plant-derived cyperenoic acid shows great potential as therapeutic agent for osteoporosis.

Solventless extraction methods for immature fruits: Evaluation of their antioxidant and cytoprotective activities.

In this study, extraction of immature fruits using an environmentally friendly pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) method was compared with the traditional reflux method. Extracts were tested for their polyphenol content using the Folin-Ciocalteu assay and for their antioxidant activity using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. The highest amount of polyphenol was extracted from grape (stem) using PHWE at 100°C, or reflux extraction. This was followed by reflux extraction of grape (fruit). The results were similar for the ORAC assay. All samples extracted using PHWE at 100°C showed cytoprotective activity against H2O2-induced oxidative stress in Crandell-Reese feline kidney (CRFK) cells. This study demonstrated that beneficial compounds can be extracted from immature fruits without the use of organic solvents. The utilization of beneficial compounds present in immature fruits can also contribute to the reduction in agriculture waste generated.

Resveratrol inhibits hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-mediated androgen receptor signaling and represses tumor progression in castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Androgen-dependent prostate cancer inevitably progresses to incurable castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) after androgen deprivation therapy. Because castration-induced hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α enhances the transcriptional activity of androgen receptor (AR) at low androgen levels mimicking the castration-resistant stage, HIF-1α is expected to be a promising target for suppression of growth of CRPC. We investigated the effect of resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) on the growth of human prostate cancer LNCaP xenografts in castrated male BALB/cSlc-nu/nu mice (5 wk old). The mice were administered a control diet or a resveratrol diet (4 g/kg diet) for 40 d. The resveratrol diet significantly suppressed tumor growth compared to the control diet. In LNCaP xenografts, dietary resveratrol decreased the protein level of HIF-1α, but not the AR coactivator ß-catenin, and reduced the mRNA levels of androgen-responsive genes. In the control group, ß-catenin was predominantly localized in the nucleus with HIF-1α in LNCaP xenografts, whereas dietary resveratrol inhibited the nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin. In hypoxic LNCaP cells at a low androgen level mimicking the castration-resistant stage, hypoxia-induced nuclear accumulation of ß-catenin was inhibited by resveratrol. Furthermore, resveratrol repressed the expression level of HIF-1α even in the presence of a proteasome inhibitor and suppressed hypoxia-enhanced AR transactivation. These results indicate that dietary resveratrol represses nuclear localization of ß-catenin by decreasing the HIF-1α expression, perhaps in a proteasome-independent manner, and inhibits ß-catenin-mediated AR signaling; this contributes to suppression of tumor growth of CRPC.

Resveratrol reduces the hypoxia-induced resistance to doxorubicin in breast cancer cells.

Resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) is known to enhance the cytotoxicity of the anticancer drug doxorubicin. On the other hand, breast cancer MCF-7 cells acquire resistance to doxorubicin under hypoxic conditions. In this study, we investigated the effect of resveratrol on hypoxia-induced resistance to doxorubicin in MCF-7 cells. Resveratrol and its derivative 3,5-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-trans-stilbene, but not 3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-trans-stilbene, cancelled hypoxia-induced resistance to doxorubicin at a concentration of 10 µM. Carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) catalyzes the conversion of doxorubicin to its metabolite doxorubicinol, which is much less effective than doxorubicin. Hypoxia increased the expression of CBR1 at both mRNA and protein levels, and knockdown of CBR1 inhibited hypoxia-induced resistance to doxorubicin in MCF-7 cells. Knockdown of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α repressed the hypoxia-induced expression of CBR1. Resveratrol repressed the expression of HIF-1α protein, but not HIF-1α mRNA, and decreased hypoxia-activated HIF-1 activity. Resveratrol repressed the hypoxia-induced expression of CBR1 at both mRNA and protein levels. Likewise, 3,5-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-trans-stilbene decreased the hypoxia-induced expression of CBR1 protein, but not 3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-trans-stilbene. Furthermore, resveratrol decreased the expression of HIF-1α protein even in the presence of the proteasome inhibitor MG132 in hypoxia. Theses results indicate that in MCF-7 cells, HIF-1α-increased CBR1 expression plays an important role in hypoxia-induced resistance to doxorubicin and that resveratrol and 3,5-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-trans-stilbene decrease CBR1 expression by decreasing HIF-1α protein expression, perhaps through a proteasome-independent pathway, and consequently repress hypoxia-induced resistance to doxorubicin.

Identification of carbonyl reductase 1 as a resveratrol-binding protein by affinity chromatography using 4'-amino-3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene.

The mechanisms by which resveratrol (3,4',5-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene) elicits diverse health benefits remain unclear because the intracellular target molecules of resveratrol are poorly defined. We screened resveratrol-binding proteins from lysates of MCF-7 breast cancer cells using resveratrol-affinity resin, which was constructed by immobilizing 4'-amino-3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene on activated CH-Sepharose. On SDS-PAGE, two bands were detected as proteins that specifically bound to the resveratrol-affinity resin. One of these, a 30-kDa protein, was identified as human carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) by hybrid linear ion trap/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Similarly, recombinant CBR1 bound to the resveratrol-affinity resin in the absence of resveratrol, but not in the presence of resveratrol. Among its activities, CBR1 catalyzes a NADPH-dependent reduction of the anticancer drug doxorubicin to the cardiotoxin doxorubicinol. The effects of doxorubicin on viability of MCF-7 cells were enhanced by resveratrol, 3,5-dihydroxy-4'-methoxy-trans-stilbene, 3,4'-dihydroxy-5-methoxy-trans-stilbene, and 4'-amino-3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene at concentrations of 1 and 10 µM. Resveratrol and these derivatives inhibited CBR1 activities to a similar degree at concentrations of 100 and 200 µM. However, 3,5-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-trans-stilbene and m-hydroquinone had no influence on doxorubicin cytotoxicity or CBR1 activity. Resveratrol inhibited CBR1 activity through an apparent mix of competitive (Ki=55.8 µM) and noncompetitive (αKi=164 µM; α=2.98) inhibition kinetics. These results indicate that (i) resveratrol enhances the cytotoxic effects of doxorubicin on MCF-7 cells; (ii) the moiety that contains the 3,5-dihydroxyl groups of resveratrol, but not the m-hydroquinone structure alone, is required to bind CBR1; and (iii) resveratrol acts as a mixed-type inhibitor of CBR1 activity on doxorubicin.

A yeast bioassay for androgenic and anti-androgenic compounds based on the NH2- and COOH-terminal interaction of androgen receptor.

Androgenic compounds induce an interaction between the NH(2)- and COOH-terminal regions (N-C interaction) of androgen receptor (AR). We describe a rapid yeast bioassay for androgenic and anti-androgenic compounds based on androgen-dependent ß-catenin-enhanced N-C interaction. The bioassay was also effective at detecting compounds that inhibit the N-C interaction in ways that do not involve binding to the ligand-binding domain.