An esculentin-1 homolog from a dark-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) possesses antibacterial and immunoregulatory properties.

BACKGROUND: Esculentin-1, initially discovered in the skin secretions of pool frogs (Pelophylax lessonae), has demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity; however, its immunomodulatory properties have received little attention. RESULTS: In the present study, esculentin-1 cDNA was identified by analysing the skin transcriptome of the dark-spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus). Esculentin-1 from this species (esculentin-1PN) encompasses a signal peptide, an acidic spacer peptide, and a mature peptide. Sequence alignments with other amphibian esculentins-1 demonstrated conservation of the peptide, and phylogenetic tree analysis revealed its closest genetic affinity to esculentin-1P, derived from the Fukien gold-striped pond frog (Pelophylax fukienensis). Esculentin-1PN transcripts were observed in various tissues, with the skin exhibiting the highest mRNA levels. Synthetic esculentin-1PN demonstrated antibacterial activity against various pathogens, and esculentin-1PN exhibited bactericidal activity by disrupting cell membrane integrity and hydrolyzing genomic DNA. Esculentin-1PN did not stimulate chemotaxis in RAW264.7, a murine leukemic monocyte/macrophage cell line. However, it amplified the respiratory burst and augmented the pro-inflammatory cytokine gene (TNF-α and IL-1ß) expression in RAW264.7 cells. CONCLUSIONS: This novel finding highlights the immunomodulatory activity of esculentin-1PN on immune cells.

Investigating the Efficacy of Anal Dimple Anorectoplasty in Congenital Anal Atresia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Congenital anal atresia poses a significant challenge in pediatric surgery, necessitating precise and effective interventions to ensure optimal outcomes. While traditional anterior sagittal approach anoplasty has been a standard procedure, emerging evidence suggests potential benefits of anal dimple anorectoplasty. Objective: This study aims to assess the clinical efficacy of anal dimple anorectoplasty in treating congenital anal atresia. Methods: We conducted a rigorous systematic review and meta-analysis, extensively searching various databases such as Wanfang, CNKI, VIP, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Our aim was to identify randomized controlled trials comparing the efficacy of traditional anterior sagittal approach anoplasty with anal dimple anorectoplasty in treating congenital anal atresia. Search terms included "anal dimple anorectoplasty," "congenital anal atresia," and "RCT." Data regarding operation time, postoperative hospitalization duration, and complication rates were collected. Results: Anal dimple anorectoplasty exhibited significantly greater clinical efficacy (odds ratio [OR]=4.91, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.02-11.94, P < .00001), along with markedly reduced postoperative hospitalization duration (95% CI: -1.27 to -0.57, P < .00001), and a substantially lower incidence of complications (OR=0.1, 95% CI: 0.04-0.25, P < .00001) compared to traditional anterior sagittal approach anoplasty. These findings underscore the clear advantage of anal dimple anorectoplasty over conventional methods, indicating its potential as a preferred surgical approach for congenital anal atresia. Conclusions: Anal dimple anorectoplasty emerges as a highly effective intervention for pediatric patients with congenital anal atresia, demonstrating a notable decrease in postoperative complications. These findings highlight its potential as a preferred surgical approach to enhance patient outcomes and minimize adverse events.

Effect of Ultrasonic Pretreatment on Flocculation Filtration of Low-Rank Coal Slurry.

The efficient filtration of low-rank coal (LRC) slurry was significantly beneficial to the production process of wet coal beneficiation. However, relatively few studies have been reported on novel pretreatment methods for the efficient filtration of LRC slurry. In this paper, the mechanism of ultrasonic pretreatment to promote flocculation and filtration of slurry was studied. The hydrophobic variation of the slurry surface was measured by contact angle and XPS. The flocculation properties of slurry were characterized using zeta potential and FBRM. The effects of filter cake porosity and ultrasonic pretreatment on slurry filtration resistance were calculated by L-F NMR and Darcy's theory. The results showed that the ultrasonic pretreatment promoted the flocculation and filtration performance of LRC slurry, increased the filtration rate, and decreased the cake moisture content. Meanwhile, the contact angle of LRC increased significantly from 50.1° to 67.8° after ultrasonic pretreatment, and the surface tension of the filtrate decreased from 69.5 to 53.31 mN/m. Ultrasonic pretreatment reduced the absolute value of the zeta potential of coal slurry from 24.8 to 21.0 mV, and the average chord length of flocs increased from 5-10 µm to 25-30 µm, thus weakening the electrostatic repulsion between coals to promote floc formation. In addition, the pore tests and filtration theory calculations showed that the ultrasonic pretreatment significantly improved the permeability of the filter cake to water and reduced the resistance to slurry during filtration. In particular, the mesopore porosity increased by 9.18%, and the permeability increased by 2.937 × 108 m2. Therefore, this contributed to the reduction of slurry filtration resistance. This research provides an efficient method for promoting the efficient filtration of slurry.

HIF1A-AS2 Promotes the Proliferation and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer Cells Through miR-429/PD-L1 Axis.

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) is a common leading cause of cancer-related mortality of all malignancies. LncRNA hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha antisense RNA-2 (HIF1A-AS2) has been identified to involve in the development of GC. Therefore, we further explored the detailed molecular mechanism of HIF1A-AS2 in GC progression. METHODS: The expression of HIF1A-AS2, microRNA-429 (miR-429), and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) or transwell assay. The interaction between miR-429 and HIF1A-AS2 or PD-L1 was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay. Murine xenograft model was established to investigate the role of HIF1A-AS2 in vivo. RESULTS: HIF1A-AS2 was elevated in GC tissues and cell lines. Functional experiments showed that HIF1A-AS2 knockdown inhibited GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as hindered tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, HIF1A-AS2 directly bound to miR-429 based on bioinformatics prediction and luciferase assay, and inhibition of miR-429 abolished the effects of HIF1A-AS2 knockdown on GC cells. Furthermore, miR-429 directly targeted PD-L1, and overexpression of miR-429 suppressed GC tumorigenesis via PD-L1. Besides that, PD-L1 also performed an oncogenic role in GC cell proliferation and metastasis. Additionally, HIF1A-AS2 could indirectly regulate PD-L1 expression via sponging miR-429. CONCLUSION: HIF1A-AS2 is a dependable predictor of malignancy and prognosis in GC and functions as an oncogene to promote GC cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating miR-429/PD-L1 axis, indicating a new insight into the search for novel biomarkers and therapeutic strategies.

A Robust Thermal Infrared Vehicle and Pedestrian Detection Method in Complex Scenes.

In complex scenes, it is a huge challenge to accurately detect motion-blurred, tiny, and dense objects in the thermal infrared images. To solve this problem, robust thermal infrared vehicle and pedestrian detection method is proposed in this paper. An important weight parameter ß is first proposed to reconstruct the loss function of the feature selective anchor-free (FSAF) module in its online feature selection process, and the FSAF module is optimized to enhance the detection performance of motion-blurred objects. The proposal of parameter ß provides an effective solution to the challenge of motion-blurred object detection. Then, the optimized anchor-free branches of the FSAF module are plugged into the YOLOv3 single-shot detector and work jointly with the anchor-based branches of the YOLOv3 detector in both training and inference, which efficiently improves the detection precision of the detector for tiny and dense objects. Experimental results show that the method proposed is superior to other typical thermal infrared vehicle and pedestrian detection algorithms due to 72.2% mean average precision (mAP).

Correlation Between MTHFR Polymorphisms and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-analysis.

The correlation between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. Therefore, we performed this study to better assess the relationship between MTHFR polymorphisms and the likelihood of HCC. A systematic research of PubMed, Medline, and Embase was performed to retrieve relevant articles. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. A total of 15 studies with 8,378 participants were analyzed. In overall analyses, a significant association with the likelihood of HCC was detected for the rs1801131 polymorphism with fixed-effect models in recessive comparison (P = 0.002, OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.82). However, no positive results were detected for the rs1801133 polymorphism in any comparison. Further subgroup analyses revealed that the rs1801131 polymorphism was significantly associated with the likelihood of HCC in Asians with both FEMs (recessive model: P < 0.0001, OR = 0.42, 95% CI 0.29-0.62; allele model: P = 0.004, OR =1.20, 95% CI 1.06-1.35) and random-effect models (recessive model: P = 0.002, OR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.29-0.75). Nevertheless, we failed to detect any significant correlation between the rs1801133 polymorphism and HCC. In conclusion, our findings indicated that the rs1801131 polymorphism may serve as a genetic biomarker of HCC in Asians.

Correlation between Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase Polymorphisms and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The correlation between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene polymorphisms and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial. OBJECTIVES: We performed this study to better assess the relationship between MTHFR gene polymorphisms and the likelihood of HCC. METHODS: A systematic research of PubMed, Medline, and Embase was performed to retrieve relevant articles. ORs and 95% CIs were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies with 8,378 participants were analyzed. In overall analyses, a significant association with the likelihood of HCC was detected for the rs1801131 polymorphism with fixed-effect models (FEMs) in recessive comparison (p = 0.002, OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.43-0.82). However, no positive results were detected for the rs1801133 polymorphism in any comparison. Further subgroup analyses revealed that the rs1801131 polymorphism was significantly associated with the likelihood of HCC in Asians with both FEMs (recessive model: p < 0.0001, OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.29-0.62; allele model: p = 0.004, OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.06-1.35) and random-effect models (recessive model: p = 0.002, OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.29-0.75). Nevertheless, we failed to detect any significant correlation between the rs1801133 polymorphism and HCC. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicated that the rs1801131 polymorphism may serve as a genetic biomarker of HCC in Asians.

Evolution of H9N2 avian influenza virus in embryonated chicken eggs with or without homologous vaccine antibodies.

BACKGROUND: Vaccines constitute a unique selective pressure, different from natural selection, drives the evolution of influenza virus. In this study, A/Chicken/Shanghai/F/1998 (H9N2) was continually passaged in specific pathogen-free embryonated chicken eggs with or without selective pressures from antibodies induced by homologous maternal antibodies. Genetic mutations, antigenic drift, replication, and pathogenicity of the passaged virus were evaluated. RESULTS: Antigenic drift of the passaged viruses occurred in the 47th generation (vF47) under selective pressure on antibodies and in the 52nd generation (nF52) without selective pressure from antibodies. Seven mutations were observed in the vF47 virus, with three in PB2 and four in HA, whereas 12 mutations occurred in the nF52 virus, with three in PB2, two in PB1, four in HA, one in NP, one in NA, and one in NS. Remarkably, the sequences of the HA segment from vF47 were 100% homologous with those of the nF52 virus. Both the vF47 and nF52 viruses showed enhanced replication compared to the parental virus F/98, but higher levels of replication and pathogenicity were displayed by nF52 than by vF47. An inactive vaccine derived from the parental virus F/98 did not confer protection against challenges by either the vF47 or nF52 virus, but inactive vaccines derived from the vF47 or nF52 virus were able to provide protection against a challenge using F/98. CONCLUSION: Taken together, the passage of H9N2 viruses with or without selective pressure of the antibodies induced by homologous maternal antibodies showed genetic variation, enhanced replication, and variant antigenicity. Selective pressure of the antibody does not seem to play a key role in antigenic drift in the egg model but may impact the genetic variation and replication ability of H9N2 viruses. These results improve understanding of the evolution of the H9N2 influenza virus and may aid in selecting appropriate vaccine seeds.

[Research on ground reaction forces and utilized coefficient of friction of turning gait].

Utilized coefficient of friction(UCOF), which is calculated with ground reaction forces(GRF), is an effective factor to predict the possibility of slip. For researching the UCOF values of different turning strategies and then predicting the possibility of slip, this study selected 10 healthy young men to perform straight walking and 60° and 90°turning using two turning strategies(step turning and spin turning). ATMI force plate was used to collect the data of GRF,and then the UCOF values of different walking conditions were calculated. The study showed that difference of the medial-lateral force in different walking conditions was great; the slip possibility of turning was significantly greater than that of straight walking. For spin turn, turning angle had no significant effect on peak UCOF values. For step turn, the propulsive force decreased with the increase of turning angle, which caused a result that the peak UCOF values of 60° turn were significantly greater than that for 90° turn. This suggests that turning angle had little effect on possibility of slip of spin turning but great effect on that of step turning, and the greater angle led smaller possibility of slip.

Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy plus high-frequency diathermic therapy followed by intravenous chemotherapy versus intravenous chemotherapy alone for postoperative adjuvant treatment of gastrointestinal cancer: a comparative research study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and toxicity of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) plus high-frequency diathermic therapy (HFDT) followed by intravenous chemotherapy vs intravenous chemotherapy alone for adjuvant treatment of postoperative gastrointestinal neoplasms. METHODS: Fifty-two gastrointestinal carcinoma patients who were radically operated were enrolled and divided into the treatment group and the control group. In the treatment group, 25 patients were treated with combination of HIPEC+HFDT and subsequent intravenous chemotherapy, while in the control group 27 patients received intravenous chemotherapy alone. Post-therapeutic complications and adverse reactions, time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were compared between these two groups. RESULTS: Difference in toxic reactions between the two groups was not statistically significant (p>0.05). Postoperative progression- free survival (PFS) rate at 12 and 40 months after radical surgery was 72.0 and 54.0% respectively in the treatment group, and 65.8 and 11.5% respectively in the control group (p=0.108). TTP was statistically significantly longer in the treatment group than in the control group (median TTP 40.1 vs 18.5 months, p=0.027). Postoperative OS at 12 and 20 months after radical surgery was 88.0 and 78.0% respectively in the treatment group and 92.6 and 72.7% in the control group, without significant difference. CONCLUSION: After radical surgery, combination of HIPEC+HFDT and subsequent intravenous chemotherapy brings about superior PFS compared with intravenous adjuvant chemotherapy alone, while having no more complications and adverse reactions.

[Research on Adaptive Balance Adjustment of Lower Limb Joints and Muscles in the Process of Unexpected Slip].

Aiming at the gait instability phenomenon under disturbed conditions,domestic and foreign scholars have done some research works,but the relationship between the independent balancing act with the surface electromyographic and gait parameters in the process of instability has yet rarely been involved.In this study,using the gait analysis combined with electromyographic signal analysis,we investigated balance adjustment mechanism of joints and muscles of the human lower limb under the condition of walking on the level trail and after foot heel touching the ground and unexpected sliding.Studying 10 healthy subjects with the unified shoes,we acquired and analyzed the changing rule of the lower limb joint torque,joint angle,and the surface electromyographic of the main muscle groups involved in situations of dry or oid trails.Studies showed that when accident sliding happened,the body would increase ankle dorsiflexion torque moment,knee unbend torque and straight angle,and meanwhile increase the torque of hip extension,and timely adjust muscle activation time(Followed by activation of Tibialis anterior muscle→Rectus femoris→Gastrocnemius→Femoral biceps)to adjust the center of gravity,to maintain balance of the body,and to avoid falling down.The results of the research could be used to explore new ideas and to provide a certain reference value for preventing slip damage,rehabilitation training and development of lower limb walker.

[Comparison of Characteristics between Different Turning Strategies].

Turning gait is very common in daily lives.However,study of turning is still limited.For researching the differences of the walking characteristics between straight gait and turning gait and between different turning strategies,and for analyzing the endopathic factor,this study selected 10 healthy young men to perform straight walking and 90°turning using two turning strategies(outside leg turning and inside leg turning).The Vicon capture system and plantar pressure capture system were used to measure gait parameters and plantar pressure parameters at the same time.The study showed that stride velocity reduced while stride time and proportion of stance time increased when turning was compared to straight walking.Inside leg turning strategy needed stronger muscle controlling and could promote turning,while outside leg turning strategy was more stable.This results will offer data for projecting gait of biped robot and provide reference value for walking rehabilitation training design and development of walking assistive equipments,etc.

[Influence of Restricting the Ankle Joint Complex Motions on Gait Stability of Human Body].

The purpose of this study is to determine how restricting inversion-eversion and pronation-supination motions of the ankle joint complex influences the stability of human gait.The experiment was carried out on a slippery level ground walkway.Spatiotemporal gait parameter,kinematics and kinetics data as well as utilized coefficient of friction(UCOF)were compared between two conditions,i.e.with restriction of the ankle joint complex inversion-eversion and pronation-supination motions(FIXED)and without restriction(FREE).The results showed that FIXED could lead to a significant increase in velocity and stride length and an obvious decrease in double support time.Furthermore,FIXED might affect the motion angle range of knee joint and ankle joint in the sagittal plane.In FIXED condition,UCOF was significantly increased,which could lead to an increase of slip probability and a decrease of gait stability.Hence,in the design of a walker,bipedal robot or prosthetic,the structure design which is used to achieve the ankle joint complex inversion-eversion and pronation-supination motions should be implemented.

[Effects of the first metatarsophalangeal joint bending on human walking gait stability when walking on slippery floor].

The first metatarsophalangeal joint bending plays an important role in the foot movement. However, the existing researches mainly focused on the movement scope of the joint and the clinical treatments of related foot diseases. In order to investigate the effects of the first metatarsophalangeal joint bending on human walking gait stability, the present researchers recruited 6 healthy young men to perform the first metatarsophalangeal joint constraint (FMJC) and barefoot (BF) walking tests. Data of the temporal and spatial parameters, the joint angles of lower limbs, the ground reaction forces (GRF) and utilized coefficients of friction (UCOF) were collected and analyzed. The results showed that, since hip and knee could produce compensation motions, the FMJC had no significant effects on waking gait, but the slip and fall probability increased significantly.

Luteolin improves vasoconstriction function and survival of septic mice via AMPK/NF-κB pathway.

Septic shock, the leading cause of death in sepsis, is related to vasoconstriction dysfunction. To investigate the effects of Luteolin (LTL), a flavonoid polyphenol compound, on vasoconstriction dysfunction in septic mice and the underlying mechanism, cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) surgery was performed on wild-type C57BL/6 mice to induce septic shock. Mice were intraperitoneally injected with 0.2 mg/kg LTL within 10 min after CLP surgery with or without 20 mg/kg Compound C (AMPK inhibitor) (CC) 1 h before CLP surgery, and re-administrated every 12 h. The survival rate, systolic arterial pressure (SAP), diastolic arterial pressure (DAP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were explored. After the mice were sacrificed, the vasoconstriction function, inflammatory indicators, and possible regulatory signaling pathways were examined. Our data showed that CLP decreased the survival rate, SAP, DAP, MAP, vasoconstriction function, and expression of ADRA1A and p-AMPK/AMPK, as well as increased the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and iNOS, the serum levels of inflammatory cytokines, and the levels of iNOS, p-p65/p65, and p-IκBα/IκBα in aortas (P < 0.05), which could be reversed by LTL treatment (P < 0.05). However, inhibition of AMPK could abolish the protective effects of LTL (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our study manifested that LTL could prevent vasoconstriction dysfunction and increase survival of septic mice via activating AMPK, which suggested that LTL could be a novel therapeutic option for patients with sepsis.

Exo-III Enzyme and DNAzyme-Assisted Dual Signal Recycles for Sensitive Analysis of Exosomes by Using Personal Glucose Meter.

Exosome plays a crucial role in regulating intercellular communication during atherosclerosis development. However, sensitive and portable exosome detection remains a huge challenge. Herein, a personal glucose meter (PGM)-based exosomes detection approach has been proposed that allows detection of exosomes with a high sensitivity and reproducibility. In this method, a catch probe, which is composed of CD63 aptamer and blocker sequence, is utilized for the specific identification of exosomes. The blocker sequence binds with H probe to initiate the Exo-III-assisted signal recycles to generate numerous DNAzyme sequences. Under the assistance of the substrate, DNAzyme forms its active secondary structure to generate gap site in substrate, releasing a linker to conjugate sucrase to streptavidin magnetic beads (SMBs). After removing unbound sucrase, the SMB-linker-sucrase complex is used to catalyze sucrose to glucose, which can be read by PGMs. Based on this, the method exhibits a wide detection range and a low limit of detection, holding a promising prospect for the analysis of exosomes and screening atherosclerosis.

In situ effects of microplastics on the decomposition of aquatic macrophyte litter in eutrophic shallow lake sediments, China.

The toxicity of microplastics (MPs) to aquatic organisms has been extensively studied recently. However, few studies have investigated the effects of MPs in sediments on aquatic ecosystem functioning. In the present study, we conducted an in situ experiment to explore the concentration-dependent effects (0.025%, 0.25%, 2.5%) and size-dependent effects (150-300 µm and 500-1000 µm) of polypropylene microplastics (PP MPs) on Vallisneria natans litter decomposition dynamics, in particular, the process associated with macroinvertebrates, microorganisms, as well as microalgae and/or cyanobacteria. The results showed that exposure to high concentrations and large sizes of PP MPs can accelerate leaf litter biomass loss and nutrition release. Moreover, microbial respiration, microalgal and/or cyanobacteria chlorophyll-a were also significantly affected by PP MPs. However, PP MPs have no effect on the abundance of associated macroinvertebrate during the experiment, despite the collection of five macroinvertebrate taxa from two functional feeding groups (i.e., collectors and scrapers). Therefore, our experiment demonstrated that PP MPs may enhance leaf litter decomposition through effected microbial metabolic activity, microalgal and/or cyanobacteria biomass in the sedimentary lake. Overall, our findings highlight that PP MPs have the potential to interfere with the basic ecological functions such as plant litter decomposition in aquatic environments.

EDIII-Fc induces protective immune responses against the Zika virus in mice and rhesus macaque.

Zika virus can infect the fetus through the placental barrier, causing ZIKV congenital syndrome and even miscarriage, which can cause great harm to pregnant women and infants. Currently, there is no vaccine and drug available to combat the Zika virus. In this study, we designed a fusion protein named EDIII-Fc, including the EDIII region of Zika E protein and human IgG Fc fragment, and obtained 293T cells that stably secreted EDIII-Fc protein using the lentiviral expression system. Mice were immunized with the EDIII-Fc protein, and it was observed that viral replication was significantly inhibited in the immunized mice compared to non-immunized mice. In rhesus macaques, we found that EDIII-Fc effectively induce the secretion of neutralizing antibodies and T cell immunity. These experimental data provide valid data for further use of Zika virus E protein to prepare an effective, safe, affordable Zika vaccine.

[Gait analysis of adults' slips and falls based on COM equilibrium recovery response].

Aiming at slips and falls occurred during adults' walking, a method was proposed that could predict slips and falls based on center of mass (COM) recovery response. This method, based on the Kane's equation dynamic walking model of the lower extremities, can be used to rapidly detect dynamic parameters in each gait cycle, and analyze any instantaneous balance status of slips and falls, and the characteristic COM curves may be accomplished on the basis of the measurement data. Moreover, causations, phases and processes about gaits of adults' slips and falls could be judged and analyzed by the characteristic curves. When the distance between the projection point of COM to base of support (BOS) domain is more than 0.012-0. 015m, human gaits have a tendency to slip and fall. When COM velocity response curve value is between 0.9-2. 1m/s, human gaits are normal and stable. The experimental results of slips and falls about the two different age groups showed that the method is able to predict and revise slips and falls by the COM recovery response characteristic curves.

Detailed studies on the anticancer action of rosmarinic acid in human Hep-G2 liver carcinoma cells: evaluating its effects on cellular apoptosis, caspase activation and suppression of cell migration and invasion.

PURPOSE: Oral cancer is one among the devastating types of malignancies and imposes tremendous disease burden on humans. This study was undertaken to investigate the anticancer properties of a plant-derived flavanone, Blumeatin, against human oral cancer cells. Additionally, this study also attempted to unreveal the molecular mechanisms responsible for the anticancer properties of this molecule. METHODS: MTT assay was used for the assessment of cell viability. Transwell and wound healing assays were used for the determination of cell invasion and migration, respectively. Comet assay was used for the determination of cell viability. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was done to assess the induction of autophagy. The protein expression was determined by western blot analysis. RESULTS: Blumeatin inhibited the growth of SCC-4 oral cancer cells with minimal cytotoxic effects against the normal hTRET-OME cells. The flow cytometric analysis showed that Blumeatin triggers DNA damage in the SCC-4 cells. Blumeatin also activated autophagy in SCC-4 cells which was accompanied with upregulation of LC3B and Beclin 1. This molecule also increased ROS and decreased the MMP levels in human SCC-4 cells. The effects of Blumeatin were also examined on the migration and invasion of the SCC-4 cells and it was revealed that the molecule suppresses both migration and invasion of the SCC-4 oral cancer cells. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that Blumeatin exhibits potent anticancer effects and points towards its use in the development of a new systemic therapy for oral cancer.