The Effects of Adlay Tea Intake on Immune Homeostasis and Vascular Endothelial Function in Healthy Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Comparative Study.

Excessive immune response and inflammation are associated with an increased risk of various diseases. In particular, excessive myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in neutrophils causes inflammatory reactions and lifestyle-related diseases. Adlay has a long history of being used as a traditional Chinese medicine. Polyphenols present in adlay seeds are expected to have the effect of suppressing excessive immune and inflammatory responses. Here, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled study was conducted to evaluate the suppressing effects of adlay seeds extract on excessive immune responses. One hundred and twenty adults participated in the study and they were equally divided into an adlay tea intake group and a placebo group. MPO activity was significantly elevated in the placebo group after 8-wk ingestion, while no significant change was observed in the adlay group. Vascular endothelial functions improved in the adlay group, especially in subjects over 40 y old. These results indicate that adlay tea intake may suppress an excessive immune and inflammatory responses, and improve arterial stiffness. Since caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid detected in adlay tea are known to inhibit MPO activity, these polyphenols may be the major functional molecules. Collectively, adlay tea is considered to have a preventative effect against lifestyle-related diseases through improving vascular endothelial function by effects to maintain immune homeostasis of the contained polyphenols. This trial was registered at University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000032263).

Effects of isoflavone-rich red clover extract on blood glucose level: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

High blood glucose is associated with increased risk of various diseases. Red clover (RC; Trifolium pratense L.) is an edible legume whose sprout is rich in isoflavones such as formononetin and biochanin A. We examined the effects of RC extract on postprandial and fasting blood glucose level, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 36 participants, aged 25 to 64 years, who were randomly assigned to receive either 1.91 g of RC extract (containing 8 mg formononetin and 1.8 mg biochanin A) or placebo. Each participant ingested the assigned test food daily for 8 weeks, and at the oral maltose tolerance test (OMTT). Initially, the two groups did not significantly differ in OMTT results. However, fasting insulin levels at 8 weeks were significantly lower in the RC group (4.76 µIU/ml at Week 0 to 4.01 µIU/ml at Week 8) with a significant interaction (P = 0.046). Subgroup analysis showed that change in blood glucose level (blood glucose ΔC) tended to decrease late in the trial period during OMTT in the ≤50-year-old RC group, as did fasting blood glucose and insulin levels at 8 weeks; hemoglobin A1c was also significantly reduced in this subgroup (5.36% at Week 0 to 5.28% at Week 8) with a significant interaction (P = 0.040). These results suggest that the daily intake of RC could reduce blood glucose, particularly for those ≤50 years old. Formononetin-an α-glucosidase inhibitor-is considered to be the major functional molecule for these effects. Therefore, intake of RC that contains formononetin might help blood glucose control.

A phospho-switch controls RNF43-mediated degradation of Wnt receptors to suppress tumorigenesis.

Frequent mutation of the tumour suppressor RNF43 is observed in many cancers, particularly colon malignancies. RNF43, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, negatively regulates Wnt signalling by inducing degradation of the Wnt receptor Frizzled. In this study, we discover that RNF43 activity requires phosphorylation at a triplet of conserved serines. This phospho-regulation of RNF43 is required for zebrafish development and growth of mouse intestinal organoids. Cancer-associated mutations that abrogate RNF43 phosphorylation cooperate with active Ras to promote tumorigenesis by abolishing the inhibitory function of RNF43 in Wnt signalling while maintaining its inhibitory function in p53 signalling. Our data suggest that RNF43 mutations cooperate with KRAS mutations to promote multi-step tumorigenesis via the Wnt-Ras-p53 axis in human colon cancers. Lastly, phosphomimetic substitutions of the serine trio restored the tumour suppressive activity of extracellular oncogenic mutants. Therefore, harnessing phospho-regulation of RNF43 might be a potential therapeutic strategy for tumours with RNF43 mutations.

Cell competition corrects noisy Wnt morphogen gradients to achieve robust patterning in the zebrafish embryo.

Morphogen signalling forms an activity gradient and instructs cell identities in a signalling strength-dependent manner to pattern developing tissues. However, developing tissues also undergo dynamic morphogenesis, which may produce cells with unfit morphogen signalling and consequent noisy morphogen gradients. Here we show that a cell competition-related system corrects such noisy morphogen gradients. Zebrafish imaging analyses of the Wnt/ß-catenin signalling gradient, which acts as a morphogen to establish embryonic anterior-posterior patterning, identify that unfit cells with abnormal Wnt/ß-catenin activity spontaneously appear and produce noise in the gradient. Communication between unfit and neighbouring fit cells via cadherin proteins stimulates apoptosis of the unfit cells by activating Smad signalling and reactive oxygen species production. This unfit cell elimination is required for proper Wnt/ß-catenin gradient formation and consequent anterior-posterior patterning. Because this gradient controls patterning not only in the embryo but also in adult tissues, this system may support tissue robustness and disease prevention.

Context-dependent regulation of the ß-catenin transcriptional complex supports diverse functions of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

Wnt/ß-catenin signaling is activated repeatedly during an animal's lifespan, and it controls gene expression through its essential nuclear effector, ß-catenin, to regulate embryogenesis, organogenesis, and adult homeostasis. Although the ß-catenin transcriptional complex has the ability to induce the expression of many genes to exert its diverse roles, it chooses and transactivates a specific gene set from among its numerous target genes depending on the context. For example, the ß-catenin transcriptional complex stimulates the expression of cell cycle-related genes and consequent cell proliferation in neural progenitor cells, while it promotes the expression of neural differentiation-related genes in differentiating neurons. Recent studies using animal and cell culture models have gradually improved our understanding of the molecular basis underlying such context-dependent actions of the ß-catenin transcriptional complex. Here, we describe eight mechanisms that support ß-catenin-mediated context-dependent gene regulation, and their spatio-temporal regulation during vertebrate development. In addition, we discuss their contribution to the diverse functions of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling.

ES1 is a mitochondrial enlarging factor contributing to form mega-mitochondria in zebrafish cones.

Total mass of mitochondria increases during cell proliferation and differentiation through mitochondrial biogenesis, which includes mitochondrial proliferation and growth. During the mitochondrial growth, individual mitochondria have been considered to be enlarged independently of mitochondrial fusion. However, molecular basis for this enlarging process has been poorly understood. Cone photoreceptor cells in the retina possess large mitochondria, so-called mega-mitochondria that have been considered to arise via the enlarging process. Here we show that ES1 is a novel mitochondria-enlarging factor contributing to form mega-mitochondria in cones. ES1 is specifically expressed in cones and localized to mitochondria including mega-mitochondria. Knockdown of ES1 markedly reduced the mitochondrial size in cones. In contrast, ectopic expression of ES1 in rods significantly increased both the size of individual mitochondria and the total mass of the mitochondrial cluster without changing the number of them. RNA-seq analysis showed that ERRα and its downstream mitochondrial genes were significantly up-regulated in the ES1-expressing rods, suggesting facilitation of mitochondrial enlargement via ERRα-dependent processes. Furthermore, higher energy state was detected in the ES1-expressing rods, indicating that the enlarged mitochondria by ES1 are capable of producing high energy. ES1 is the mitochondrial protein that is first found to promote enlargement of individual mitochondria.

Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination using aspartic acid derived P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides: DIAPHOXs.

[reaction: see text] A Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination using aspartic acid derived P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides (DIAPHOXs) is described. Asymmetric allylic amination of both linear and cyclic substrates proceeded at room temperature to give the chiral allylic amines in 72-99% ee.

Quality of life of Japanese seasonal allergic rhinitis patients is related to timing of pollen dispersal - multicenter analysis.

CONCLUSION: Both the symptoms score and quality of life (QOL) score increased in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis as pollen dispersed, and nasal congestion, which had a strong effect on sleep, had the largest effect on the decrease in 'total QOL' in all the groups of patients. OBJECTIVES: To assess QOL scores in patients with Japanese cedar (JC) pollinosis in relationship to timing of pollen dispersal. METHODS: A multicenter, inter-group, cross-sectional study was conducted in 905 adult symptomatic patients with JC pollinosis to investigate the Japanese Allergic Rhinitis Standard QOL Questionnaire (JRQLQ). The subjects were divided into five groups based on the timing of their responses to the questionnaire. JRQLQ scores were analyzed and compared among the patient groups. RESULTS: Both the symptoms score and JRQLQ score increased in patients as pollen dispersed. Among the symptoms of pollinosis, nasal congestion had the largest effect on the decrease in QOL, and had a strong effect on sleep, which may influence daytime activities and reduce QOL.

Development of a new class of chiral phosphorus ligands: P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides. A unique source of enantioselection in Pd-catalyzed asymmetric construction of quaternary carbons.

[reaction: see text] We have recently developed a new class of chiral phosphorus ligands: P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxides. These pentavalent phosphorus compounds have been successfully applied to Pd-catalyzed asymmetric construction of tertiary and quaternary carbons. The actual ligand structure was the trivalent phosphorus species 17, which was generated in situ by BSA-induced P(V) to P(III) transformation of 6, the preligand. Detailed mechanistic studies, including asymmetric amplification and initial rate kinetics, revealed that complex 18 [Pd-17 (1:2) complex] was the active catalyst. The important function of the nitrogen atom on the sidearm in the ligands was also clarified. The source of enantioselection in the construction of asymmetric quaternary carbons was the secondary ligand substrate interaction mediated by N-Zn coordination.

P-Chirogenic diaminophosphine oxide: a new class of chiral phosphorus ligands for asymmetric catalysis.

We successfully synthesized a novel P-chirogenic diaminophosphine oxide 4, which was applied to catalytic enantioselective construction of quaternary carbon centers using Pd-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution with various beta-keto esters (up to 99% yield, 94% ee). Preliminary mechanistic studies indicated that two molecules of 8 coordinate to the Pd metal in a monodentate fashion, resulting in the formation of Pd complex 9 (Pd:8 = 1:2), which functions as the active species.