Herbivore-induced volatiles reduce the susceptibility of neighboring tomato plants to transmission of a whitefly-borne begomovirus.

Plant viruses exist in a broader ecological community, with key components include non-vector herbivores that can impact vector abundance, behavior, and virus transmission within shared host plants. However, little is known about the effects of non-vector herbivores infestation on the virus transmission by vector insects on the neighboring plants through inter-plant airborne chemicals. In this study, we investigated how volatiles emitted from tomato plants infested with the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) affect the infection of Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) transmitted by the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) in the neighboring plants. Exposure of neighboring tomato plants to volatiles released from T. urticae-infested tomato plants reduced subsequent herbivory as well as TYLCV transmission and infection, and JA signaling pathway was essential for generation of the inter-plant defense signals. We also demonstrated that (E)-ß-Ocimene and MeSA were two volatiles induced by T. urticae that synergistically attenuated TYLCV transmission and infection in tomato. Thus, our findings suggest that plant-plant communication via volatiles likely represents a widespread defensive mechanism that substantially contributes to plant fitness. Understanding such phenomena may help us to predict the occurrence and epidemic of multiple herbivores and viruses in the agroecosystem, ultimately to manage pest and virus outbreaks.

Battery-less long-range wireless fluidic sensing system using flexible additive manufacturing ambient energy harvester and microfluidics.

Fluid sensing has been an important but missing part of the massive Internet-of-Things sensor networks due to challenges including excessive manufacturing time/cost, finite wireless interrogation range, limited immunity to ambient clutter, and excessive required power for autonomous microfluidics operability. Here, we proposed an additive manufacturing flexible system as a solution to those challenges while enabling fluid analysis from controlled labs to virtually everywhere. Energy harvesting provides all required power for the actuation of the micro-pump enabling battery-less liquid sample acquisition. Energy sources including ultra-high-frequency radio frequency identification and hand-held devices like two-way talk radio are harvested simultaneously to support energy requirements for periodic monitoring every 6.6 min and on-demand monitoring within 4.63 s. Backscattering topologies are used to significantly extend the reading range while increasing the immunity to interferences and reducing the cost to the reader. A new additive manufacturing process is proposed to reduce fabrication time and cost while enabling massive scalability of flexible microfluidics. The good flexibility makes the system suitable for working toward future wearable applications. Prototypes of a sweat sensing system are demonstrated and successfully interrogated at 3 m with more than 15 dB signal-to-noise ratio using only a 14 dBm transmitter equivalent isotropic radiated power.

Thoracoscopic pulmonary resection combined with real-time image-guided percutaneous ablation for multiple pulmonary nodules: a novel surgical approach and literature review.

Background: Due to the widespread use of computed tomography (CT) screening and advances in diagnostic techniques, an increasing number of patients with multiple pulmonary nodules are being detected and pathologically diagnosed as synchronous multiple primary lung cancers (sMPLC). It has become a new challenge to treat multiple pulmonary nodules and obtain a favorable prognosis while minimizing the perioperative risk for patients. The purpose of this study was to summarize the preliminary experience with a hybrid surgery combining pulmonary resection and ablation for the treatment of sMPLC and to discuss the feasibility of this novel procedure with a literature review. Methods: This is a retrospective non-randomized controlled study. From January 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023, four patients underwent hybrid surgery combining thoracoscopic pulmonary resection and percutaneous pulmonary ablation for multiple pulmonary nodules. Patients were followed up at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively and the last follow-up was on November 30, 2023. Clinical characteristics, perioperative outcomes, pulmonary function recovery and oncologic prognosis were recorded. Meanwhile we did a literature review of studies on hybridized pulmonary surgery for the treatment of multiple pulmonary nodules. Results: All the four patients were female, aged 52 to 70 years, and had no severe cardiopulmonary dysfunction on preoperative examination. Hybrid surgery of simultaneous pulmonary resection and ablation were performed in these patients to treat 2 to 4 pulmonary nodules, assisted by intraoperative real-time guide of C-arm X-ray machine. The operation time was from 155 to 240 minutes, and intraoperative blood loss was from 50 to 200 mL. Postoperative hospital stay was 2 to 7 days, thoracic drainage duration was 2 to 6 days, and pleural drainage volume was 300-1,770 mL. One patient presented with a bronchopleural fistula due to pulmonary ablation; the fistula was identified and sutured during thoracoscopic surgery and the patient recovered well. No postoperative 90-day complications occurred. After 3 months postoperatively, performance status scores for these patients recovered to 80 to 100. No tumor recurrence or metastasis was detected during the follow-up period. Conclusions: Hybrid procedures combining minimally invasive pulmonary resection with ablation are particularly suitable for the simultaneous treatment of sMPLC. Patients had less loss of pulmonary function, fewer perioperative complications, and favorable oncologic prognosis. Hybrid surgery is expected to be a better treatment option for patients with sMPLC.

Access to dental care and caries experience among children with cerebral palsy: a Singapore experience.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most severe childhood neurodevelopmental disabilities resulting from non-progressive insult to the developing brain. We aimed to report our experience regarding dental visit attendance, caries prevalence and factors affecting dental access in children with CP in Singapore. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CP who were born in or after 1994 were included in this study. We reviewed the data of all 151 patients recruited under the CP Registry in Singapore (SingCPR) from September 2017 to May 2020. The SingCPR was launched in September 2017 to assist in future planning of services and resources for CP in Singapore. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 7.8 years, with the interquartile range being 3 years and 8 months-10 years and 10 months. Only 41.7% reported a visit to the dentist ever, with 25.4% reporting presence of dental caries. Age was the only statistically significant factor influencing access to dental care. None of the children less than 2 years old ever received any dental care, and 20% of the children with CP aged 2-6 years had received dental care before. Age range with the highest percentage of dental visits was 7-12 years, with up to 44.0% having ever received dental care. We believe the prevalence of dental caries was underreported as many children did not receive any dental care and therefore may have undetected dental caries. CONCLUSION: Dental care in children with CP should be advocated early for prevention and detection of caries.

Increasing DNA damage sensitivity through corylin-mediated inhibition of homologous recombination.

BACKGROUND: DNA repair allows the survival of cancer cells. Therefore, the development of DNA repair inhibitors is a critical need for sensitizing cancers to chemoradiation. Sae2CtIP has specific functions in initiating DNA end resection, as well as coordinating cell cycle checkpoints, and it also greatly interacts with the DDR at different levels. RESULTS: In this study, we demonstrated that corylin, a potential sensitizer, causes deficiencies in DNA repair and DNA damage checkpoints in yeast cells. More specifically, corylin increases DNA damage sensitivity through the Sae2-dependent pathway and impairs the activation of Mec1-Ddc2, Rad53-p and γ-H2A. In breast cancer cells, corylin increases apoptosis and reduces proliferation following Dox treatment by inhibiting CtIP. Xenograft assays showed that treatment with corylin combined with Dox significantly reduced tumor growth in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings herein delineate the mechanisms of action of corylin in regulating DNA repair and indicate that corylin has potential long-term clinical utility as a DDR inhibitor.

Identification of CD5/SOX11 double-negative pleomorphic mantle cell lymphoma.

Cyclin D1 protein-positive diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has an immunophenotype of CD5(-) cyclin D1(+) SOX11(-), and most cases lack a CCND1 rearrangement and have a gene expression profile of DLBCL. Rarely, cyclin D1 protein-positive DLBCL harbors a CCND1 rearrangement, and some genetic copy number features typical of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) have been detected. Since gene expression studies have not been performed, whether such CCND1-rearranged cases represent cyclin D1 protein-positive DLBCL or CD5/SOX11 double-negative pleomorphic MCL remains unclear. To date, no cases of CD5/SOX11 double-negative MCL have been reported. In this study, we collected eight cases initially diagnosed as cyclin D1 protein-positive DLBCL, including four with a CCND1 rearrangement and four without. Immunohistochemically, all four CCND1-rearranged cases had >50% of tumor cells positive for cyclin D1 protein, whereas only one (25%) non-rearranged case had >50% positive tumor cells. Analysis of genome-wide copy number, mutational, and gene expression profiles revealed that CCND1-rearranged cases were similar to MCL, whereas CCND1-non-rearranged cases resembled DLBCL. Despite the SOX11 negativity by immunohistochemistry, CCND1-rearranged cases had a notable trend (P = 0.064) of higher SOX11 mRNA levels compared to non-rearranged cases. Here, we show for the first time that CCND1 rearrangement could be useful for identifying CD5/SOX11 double-negative pleomorphic MCL in cases diagnosed as cyclin D1 protein-positive DLBCL. Cases with >50% cyclin D1 protein-positive tumor cells immunohistochemically and higher SOX11 mRNA levels are more likely to have a CCND1 rearrangement, and fluorescence in situ hybridization can be used to detect the rearrangement.

Development of nanoparticles incorporated with quercetin and ACE2-membrane as a novel therapy for COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and AXL tyrosine kinase receptor are known to be involved in the SARS-CoV-2 entry of the host cell. Therefore, targeting ACE2 and AXL should be an effective strategy to inhibit virus entry into cells. However, developing agents that can simultaneously target ACE2 and AXL remains a formidable task. The natural compound quercetin has been shown to inhibit AXL expression. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, we employed PLGA nanoparticles to prepare nanoparticles encapsulated with quercetin, coated with ACE2-containing cell membranes, or encapsulated with quercetin and then coated with ACE-2-containing cell membranes. These nanoparticles were tested for their abilities to neutralize or inhibit viral infection. RESULTS: Our data showed that nanoparticles encapsulated with quercetin and then coated with ACE2-containing cell membrane inhibited the expression of AXL without causing cytotoxic activity. Nanoparticles incorporated with both quercetin and ACE2-containing cell membrane were found to be able to neutralize pseudo virus infection and were more effective than free quercetin and nanoparticles encapsulated with quercetin at inhibition of pseudo virus and SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that the biomimetic nanoparticles incorporated with both ACE-2 membrane and quercetin showed the most antiviral activity and may be further explored for clinical application.

Laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy guided by indocyanine green fluorescence: A cranial-dorsal approach.

BACKGROUND: Advancements in laparoscopic technology and a deeper understanding of intrahepatic anatomy have led to the establishment of more precise laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) techniques. The indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence navigation technique has emerged as the most effective method for identifying hepatic regions, potentially overcoming the limitations of LH. While laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy (LLH) is a standardized procedure, there is a need for innovative strategies to enhance its outcomes. AIM: To investigate a standardized cranial-dorsal strategy for LLH, focusing on important anatomical markers, surgical skills, and ICG staining methods. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients who underwent ICG fluorescence-guided LLH at Qujing Second People's Hospital between January 2019 and February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The cranial-dorsal approach was performed which involves dissecting the left hepatic vein cephalad, isolating the Arantius ligament , exposing the middle hepatic vein, and dissecting the parenchyma from the dorsal to the foot in order to complete the anatomical LLH. The surgical methods, as well as intra- and post-surgical data, were recorded and analyzed. Our hospital's Medical Ethics Committee approved this study (Ethical review: 2022-019-01). RESULTS: Intraoperative blood loss during LLH was 335.68 ± 99.869 mL and the rates of transfusion and conversion to laparotomy were 13.5% and 0%, respectively. The overall incidence of complications throughout the follow-up (median of 18 months; range 1-36 months) was 21.6%. No mortality or severe complications (level IV) were reported. CONCLUSION: LLH has the potential to become a novel, standardized approach that can effectively, safely, and simply expose the middle hepatic vein and meet the requirements of precision surgery.

Arecoline Induces ROS Accumulation, Transcription of Proinflammatory Factors, and Expression of KRT6 in Oral Epithelial Cells.

Areca nut is a major contributor to the high prevalence of oral cancer in Asia. The precise mechanisms by which areca nut stimulates mucosal cells and contributes to the progression of oral cancer urgently require clarification. The current study aimed to assess the effects of arecoline on the normal human gingival epithelium cell line S-G. Cell viability, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein expression, cellular morphology, and gene expression were evaluated using the MTT test, flow cytometry, Western blot analysis, optical or confocal microscopy, and RT-qPCR. Keratin (KRT6) analysis involved matched normal and cancer tissues from clinical head and neck specimens. The results demonstrated that 12.5 µg/mL of arecoline induced ROS production, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA expression in S-G cells. This activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway increased KRT6 expression while limiting cell migration. In head and neck cancer tissues, KRT6B gene expression exceeded that of normal tissues. This study confirms that arecoline induces ROS accumulation in normal cells, leading to the secretion of proinflammatory factors and KRT6 expression. This impedes oral mucosal healing, thereby promoting the progression of oral cancer.

The influence of uremic toxins on low bone turnover disease in chronic kidney disease.

Uremic toxins play a crucial role in the development of low bone turnover disease in chronic kidney disease (CKD) through the induction of oxidative stress. This oxidative stress disrupts the delicate balance between bone formation and resorption, resulting in a decline in both bone quantity and quality. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) activate nuclear factor kappa-B and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways, promoting osteoclastogenesis. Conversely, ROS hinder osteoblast differentiation by facilitating the binding of Forkhead box O proteins (FoxOs) to ß-catenin, triggering apoptosis through FoxOs-activating kinase phosphorylation. This results in increased osteoblastic receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) expression and decreased nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 levels, compromising antioxidant defenses against oxidative damage. As CKD progresses, the accumulation of protein-bound uremic toxins such as indoxyl sulfate (IS) and p-cresyl sulfate (PCS) intensifies oxidative stress, primarily affecting osteoblasts. IS and PCS directly inhibit osteoblast viability, induce apoptosis, decrease alkaline phosphatase activity, and impair collagen 1 and osteonectin, impeding bone formation. They also reduce cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP) production and lower parathyroid hormone (PTH) receptor expression in osteoblasts, resulting in PTH hyporesponsiveness. In summary, excessive production of ROS by uremic toxins not only reduces the number and function of osteoblasts but also induces PTH hyporesponsiveness, contributing to the initiation and progression of low bone turnover disease in CKD.

Surgical outcomes and perioperative risk factors of patients with interstitial lung disease after pulmonary resection.

BACKGROUND: Patients of interstitial lung disease (ILD) combined with pulmonary lesions are increasingly common in clinical practice. Patients with ILD are at significantly higher risk for complications after pulmonary resection (including lobectomy and sublobar resection), especially acute exacerbations of ILD (AE-ILD). The purpose of this study is to summarize the short-term and long-term outcomes after pulmonary resection in ILD patients and to analyze the clinical factors affecting surgical safety. METHODS: From January 2004 to January 2022, a total of 78 patients who were diagnosed with ILD and underwent pulmonary resection at our center were enrolled in this study. Clinical data, pathological findings, surgical procedures, and intraoperative safety of these patients were collected retrospectively. Postoperative 90-day complications and mortality, long-term surgical outcomes from postoperative 90 days to 24 months, and changes in ILD condition were investigated. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors associated with postoperative complications. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 66.5 (range 33-86) years, 82.1% (64/78) of patients were male, and 78.2% (61/78) of patients had comorbidities. Idiopathic ILD and secondary ILD accounted for 86% and 14%, thoracotomy and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery accounted for 12.8% and 87.2%, and lobectomy and sublobar resection accounted for 37.2% and 62.8%, respectively. Postoperative 90-day complications occurred in 25.6% (20/78) of patients, with pulmonary complications and AE-ILD occurring in 15.4% and 9.0% of patients, respectively. The postoperative 90-day mortality rate was 5.1% (4/78), and the cause of death was AE-ILD. Exacerbation of ILD or other complications occurred in 12.8% (10/78) of patients from postoperative 90 days to 24 months. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that comorbidity, extent of resection, systemic lymph node dissection, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and pathology of pulmonary lesion were associated with postoperative 90-day complications. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index and intraoperative blood loss were identified as independent risk factors of postoperative 90-day complications. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ILD have a significantly higher risk of postoperative 90-day complications and mortality after pulmonary resection, especially pulmonary complications and AE-ILD. After postoperative 90 days, the risk of deterioration of pulmonary status remains high, including exacerbation of ILD and complications associated with long-term use of glucocorticoids and immunosuppressant. Age, comorbidity and intraoperative blood loss are high risk factors for postoperative 90-day complications.

Two-stage minimally invasive pulmonary resections with intraoperative localization technique for bilateral multiple primary lung cancers: A case report.

Multiple primary lung cancers (MPLCs) are becoming more and more common and these patients can benefit from minimally invasive surgery. Here, we report a case of a patient diagnosed with synchronous MPLCs who underwent bilateral thoracoscopic pulmonary resections in a two-stage strategy, and achieved a good surgical outcome and high quality of life. A 66-year-old female was found to have one major ground-glass nodule (GGN) in the right upper lobe and eight minor GGNs in the left upper and lower lobes. The patient underwent right upper lobe resection and systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection via single-utility port thoracoscopic surgery in September 2018. Pathology was lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma pT1bN0M0, IA2. Regular high-resolution computed tomography examination during 36 months after right upper lobectomy showed gradually increasing diameter and solid component of multiple GGNs in left lung. The patient underwent thoracoscopic multiple pulmonary resections using an intraoperative localization technique in a hybrid operating room in October 2021 and all eight nodules in the left lung were resected. Two segmentectomies and four wedge resections were performed, and the pathological results of the eight nodules included four adenocarcinomas, three adenocarcinomas in situ, and one alveolar epithelial hyperplasia. The two operations were successful with no intra- or postoperative 90-day complications. During more than 20 months of follow-up after the second operation, the patient had well recovered pulmonary function and physical status with a Karnofsky performance status score of 90 and no local recurrence or metastasis. A two-stage surgical strategy for synchronous MPLCs is therefore feasible. The surgical strategy, timing of intervention, and extent of pulmonary resection should be individually designed according to the location and characteristics of each nodule. Intraoperative localization of small GGNs is very important to ensure that all nodules are completely and accurately resected during the operation.

Corylin Attenuates CCl4-Induced Liver Fibrosis in Mice by Regulating the GAS6/AXL Signaling Pathway in Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Liver fibrosis is reversible when treated in its early stages and when liver inflammatory factors are inhibited. Limited studies have investigated the therapeutic effects of corylin, a flavonoid extracted from Psoralea corylifolia L. (Fabaceae), on liver fibrosis. Therefore, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory activity of corylin and investigated its efficacy and mechanism of action in ameliorating liver fibrosis. Corylin significantly inhibited inflammatory responses by inhibiting the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways and the expression of interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in human THP-1 and mouse RAW264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, corylin inhibited the expression of growth arrest-specific gene 6 in human hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the activation of the downstream phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway. This inhibited the activation of HSCs and the expression of extracellular matrix proteins, including α-smooth muscle actin and type I collagen. Additionally, corylin induced caspase 9 and caspase 3 activation, which promoted apoptosis in HSCs. Moreover, in vivo experiments confirmed the regulatory effects of corylin on these proteins, and corylin alleviated the symptoms of carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice. These findings revealed that corylin has anti-inflammatory activity and inhibits HSC activation; thus, it presents as a potential adjuvant in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Severe inflammatory disorder in trisomy 8 without myelodysplastic syndrome and response to methylprednisolone: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Patients with trisomy 8 consistently present with myeloid neoplasms and/or auto-inflammatory syndrome. A possible link between myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) with trisomy 8 (+8-MDS) and inflammatory disorders is well recognized, several cases having been reported. However, inflammatory disorders in patients without MDS have been largely overlooked. Generally, Behçet's disease is the most common type in +8-MDS. However, inflammatory disorders with pulmonary involvement are less frequent, and no effective treatment has been established. CASE SUMMARY: A 27-year-old man with recurrent fever, fatigue for > 2 mo, and unconsciousness for 1 day was admitted to our emergency department with a provisional diagnosis of severe pneumonia. Vancomycin and imipenem were administered and sputum collected for metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Epstein-Barr virus and Mycobacterium kansasii were detected. Additionally, chromosomal analysis showed duplications on chromosome 8. Two days later, repeat metagenomic next-generation sequencing was performed with blood culture. Cordyceps portugal, M. kansasii, and Candida portugal were detected, and duplications on chromosome 8 confirmed. Suspecting hematological disease, we aspirated a bone marrow sample from the iliac spine, examination of which showed evidence of infection. We added fluconazole as further antibiotic therapy. Seven days later, the patient's condition had not improved, prompting addition of methylprednisolone as an anti-inflammatory agent. Fortunately, this treatment was effective and the patient eventually recovered. CONCLUSION: Severe inflammatory disorders with pulmonary involvement can occur in patients with trisomy 8. Methylprednisolone may be an effective treatment.

Seed priming with rutin enhances tomato resistance against the whitefly Bemisia tabaci.

Flavonoids are ubiquitously distributed in plants, showing pleiotropic effects in defense against abiotic and biotic stresses. Although it has been shown that seed priming with flavonoids can enhance plant resistance to abiotic stress, little is known about its potential to enhance plant tolerance to biotic stresses, especially for herbivorous insects. Here, we investigated whether treatment of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) seeds with rutin improves plant resistance against the whitefly (Bemisia tabaci). Specifically, we measured the effect of rutin seed treatment on tomato seedling vigour, plant growth, feeding behavior and performance of B. tabaci on plants grown from control and rutin-treated seeds, and plant defense responses to B. tabaci attack. We found that seed treatment with different concentrations of rutin (viz 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 mM) had minimal impact on shoot growth. Furthermore, seed treatment of rutin reduced the developmental rate of nymphs, the fecundity and feeding efficiency of adult females on plants grown from these seeds. The enhanced resistance of tomato against B. tabaci is closely associated with increased flavonoids accumulation, callose deposition and the expression of jasmonic acid (JA)-dependent defense genes. Additionally, callose deposition and expression of JA-dependent genes in tomato plants grown from rutin-treated seeds significantly increased upon B. tabaci infestation. These results suggest that seed treatment with rutin primes tomato resistance against B. tabaci, and are not accompanied by reductions in shoot growth. Defense priming by seed treatments may therefore be suitable for commercial exploitation.

Photochemical Hydrogen Atom Transfer Catalysis for Dehydrogenation of Alcohols To Form Carbonyls.

Controllable oxidation of alcohols to carbonyls is one of the fundamental transformations in organic chemistry. Herein, we report an unprecedented visible-light-mediated metal-free oxidation of alcohols to carbonyls with hydrogen evolution. By synergistic combination of organophotocatalyst 4CzIPN and a thiol hydrogen atom transfer catalyst, a broad range of alcohols, including primary and secondary benzylic alcohols as well as aliphatic alcohols, were readily oxidized to carbonyls in moderate to excellent yields. A site-selective oxidation has also been achieved by this protocol. Mechanistic investigation indicates that the oxidation proceeds through an oxidative radical-polar crossover process to obtain an α-oxy carbon cation.

Flavonoid production in tomato mediates both direct and indirect plant defences against whiteflies in tritrophic interactions.

BACKGROUND: The role of plant flavonoids in direct defences against chewing and sap-sucking herbivorous insects has been extensively characterized. However, little is known about flavonoid-mediated tritrophic interactions between plants, herbivorous insects and natural enemies. In this study, we investigated how flavonoids modulate plant-insect interactions in a tritrophic system involving near-isogenic lines (NILs) of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) with high (line NIL-purple hypocotyl [PH]) and low (line NIL-green hypocotyl [GH]) flavonoid levels, with a generalist herbivore whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and its predatory bug (Orius sauteri). RESULTS: By contrasting levels of tomato flavonoids (direct defence) while manipulating the presence of predators (indirect defence), we found that high production of flavonoids in tomato was associated with a higher inducibility of direct defences and a stronger plant resistance to whitefly infestation and stimulated the emissions of induced volatile organic compounds, thereby increasing the attractiveness of B. tabaci-infested plants to the predator O. sauteri. Furthermore, suppression of B. tabaci population growth and enhancement of plant growth were mediated directly by the high production of flavonoids and indirectly by the attraction of O. sauteri, and the combined effects were larger than each effect individually. CONCLUSION: Our results show that high flavonoid production in tomato enhances herbivore-induced direct and indirect defences to better defend against herbivores in tritrophic interactions. Thus, the development of transgenic plants may present an opportunity to utilize the beneficial role of flavonoids in integrated pest management, while simultaneously maintaining or improving resistance against other pests and pathogens. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ester and Caffeamide Derivatives Suppress Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells.

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) contains antibiotic and anticancer activities. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the anticancer properties and mechanisms of CAPE and caffeamide derivatives in the oral squamous cell carcinoma cell (OSCC) lines SAS and OECM-1. The anti-OSCC effects of CAPE and the caffeamide derivatives (26G, 36C, 36H, 36K, and 36M) were evaluated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide test. Cell cycle and total reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were analyzed using flow cytometry. The relative protein expression of malignant phenotypes was determined via Western blot analysis. The results showed that 26G and 36M were more cytotoxic than the other compounds in SAS cells. After 26G or 36M treatment for 48 h, cell cycle S phase or G2/M phase arrest was induced, and cellular ROS increased at 24 h, and then decreased at 48 h in both cell lines. The expression levels of cell cycle regulatory and anti-ROS proteins were downregulated. In addition, 26G or 36M treatment inhibited malignant phenotypes through mTOR-ULK1-P62-LC3 autophagic signaling activated by ROS generation. These results showed that 26G and 36M induce cancer cell death by activating autophagy signaling, which is correlated with altered cellular oxidative stress.