Defect in Ser312 phosphorylation of Tp53 dysregulates lipid metabolism for fatty accumulation and fatty liver susceptibility: Revealed by lipidomics.

The Tp53 gene is a well-known tumour suppressor, mutation of which (e.g. prevention of Ser312 phosphorylation) induces deletion or expression of an inactive p53 protein to increase the susceptibility of tumour occurance. However, the role of Tp53 gene in maintaining metabolic homeostasis for regulating physio-pathological activities is still not well-understood. This study aimed to use the lipidomics study as a systematic approach to understand the relationship between the phenotypic effects of Tp53 mutation on lipid-related endogenous metabolites. Plasma and liver samples from mice carrying a Tp53 Ser312 to Ala mutation and wild type mice were collected, lipids were extracted by liquid-liquid extraction method and analyzed by the RPLC-LTQ-FTMS for the lipidomics study. Our results indicated that defect in Ser312 phosphorylation of Tp53 leads the lipid disturbance (e.g. triacylglycerols) for fatty accumulation and fatty liver susceptibility, which is with preference of females. Histological observation by staining with haematoxylin and eosin further validated our lipidomics findings. To our conclusion, fatty liver occurrence may have different phenotypes, one of which is strongly linked with the Tp53 mutation and is susceptible in females. Lipidomics as a technique to detect a great number of endogenous compounds provides precise metabolic information that may further help improve personalized diagnosis of Chronic hepatic diseases.

5-Azacytidine increases tanshinone production in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots through epigenetic modulation.

Recent studies have indicated strong connections between epigenetic modulation and secondary metabolites in plants. It is vital to understand the roles of epigenetics in the production of secondary metabolites. In this study, the inhibitor of DNA methylation 5-azacytidine (5-Az) was used on the hairy roots of the medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza to investigate its effect on secondary metabolite production, gene expression, methylation levels in genomic DNA and promoter regions. Our results showed that the contents of tanshinones in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots increased by 1.5-5 times, and some genes in the biosynthesis pathway showed an upward trend. According to our NGS analysis, the methylation pattern in the promotor of the gene encoding copalyl diphosphate synthase (CPS) was altered, and 51 out of 145 cytosines were demethylated during 5-Az treatment. A total of 36 putative transcription factors (TFs) binding cites were identified in these demethylation sites. Among these TFs binding cites, cis-regulatory elements for the binding of NF-Y and MYB were frequently found in our results. This is the first report to demonstrate a possible mechanism of DNA methylation participating in tanshinone biosynthesis in S. miltiorrhiza hairy roots by modulating the CPS promoter and TFs binding sites.

Three bufadienolides induce cell death in the human lung cancer cell line CL1-5 mainly through autophagy.

The effects of 3 bufadienolides, namely kalantuboside B, kalantuboside A, and bryotoxin C, isolated from Kalanchoe tubiflora (Harvey) were evaluated and characterized in CL1-5 highly metastatic human lung cancer cells. In contrast to their apoptosis-promoting activity in other cancer cells, these bufadienolides only slight or did not induce apoptosis in CL1-5 cancer cells. Instead, they activated an autophagy pathway, as indicated by increased autophagosome formation. Autophagy induced by these bufadienolides was demonstrated to be linked to the down-regulation of p-mTOR and the up-regulation of LC3-II, ATG5, ATG7, and Beclin-1. Our findings revealed an autophagy as the alternative mechanism of drug action by bufadienolides in CL1-5 lung cancer cells and provided evidence that bufadienolides are a potential therapeutic strategy for highly metastatic human lung cancer.

Magnoliae Flos Essential Oil as an Immunosuppressant in Dendritic Cell Activation and Contact Hypersensitivity Responses.

Magnoliae Flos is a commonly used traditional medicinal material in Asia. It is used to treat sinusitis, nasal congestion, and hypersensitive skin. Because Magonlia Flos was described as an aromatic material in ancient Chinese texts, we hypothesized that its essential oil may be used to treat immune disorders. Dendritic cells (DCs), regarded as a major target of immunomodulators to control immune responses, play a critical role in the adaptive immune response. In this study, Magnoliae Flos essential oil (MFEO) decreased the production of the cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-12p70 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated DCs. It also suppressed the surface markers MHC II, CD80, and CD86 in LPS-stimulated DCs. Animal models demonstrated that the 2,4-Dinitro-1-fluorobenzene (DNFB) inducing a contact hypersensitivity response was inhibited following treatment with MFEO. In addition, MFEO inhibited the infiltration of T cells in the ears of DNFB-induced mice. To explore its bioactive compounds, the components of MFEO were analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and GC-mass spectrometry. The results revealed that the major compounds in MFEO are camphor and 1,8-cineole. Additional DC bioassays confirmed that these compounds substantially suppressed cytokine production in LPS-induced DCs. Therefore, we demonstrated that MFEO exhibits an immunosuppressive effect both in vivo and in vitro, and camphor and 1,8-cineole may be the major components responsible for its immunosuppressive ability. The findings indicate that MFEO has the potential to be developed as a new immunosuppressant for excessive diseases.

Osthole ameliorates cartilage degradation by downregulation of NF-κB and HIF-2α pathways in an osteoarthritis murine model.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and disabling joint disease mainly characterized by cartilage degradation, with the knees most commonly affected. No effective treatment for the cartilage degradation of OA exists. Preliminary studies have revealed the protective and osteogenic effects of osthole, a natural coumarin first isolated from Cnidium monnieri (Fructus Cnidii); however, no evidence of osthole in an OA-related model has been published to date. This study further explored the effects of osthole in a monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced OA-related animal model and focused on the molecular mechanism(s) behind the anti-inflammatory and cartilage protective effects of osthole. This study revealed that the cartilage protective effect of osthole in a MIA-induced osteoarthritis (OA) murine model can be explained by downregulation of COX-2 and RUNX2 by inhibition of NF-κB and HIF-2α up-regulated by OA induction, resulting in downregulation of MMP-13, Syndecan IV and ADAMTS-5. In addition, osthole might have anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects due to COX-2 inhibition. Osthole can be considered as a potential component of the treatment of OA, for it possesses a cartilage protective effect, as well as anti-inflammation, analgesic, and movement improving effects. Further preclinical and human clinical studies are needed to examine the efficacy and safety profile of long-term therapy.

Application of delayed luminescence method on measuring of the processing of Chinese herbal materials.

BACKGROUND: Based on the principle of tradition Chinese medicine, the processing refers to various techniques that alter the overall properties of herbal materials to meet the requirements of therapeutic applications. However, the standards of quality control and scientific standard operation protocol for processing manufacturing are largely unknown and there is a huge demand for the development of scientific tools for evaluating the quality during and after the processing. The key challenge in evidence-based medicine is to characterize the processing of herbal materials from system-based perspective. METHODS: Delayed luminescence (DL) as a rapid, direct, systemic tool was used to characterize the properties of raw and processed materials of Rehmanniae radix and Ginseng radix et rhizome. Hyperbolic function was used to extract four parameters from DL curves of herbal materials. Statistical tools, including one-way analysis of variance and principal component analysis, were used to differentiate raw and processed herbal materials. RESULTS: Our results showed DL properties were able to reliably identify raw and processed materials of Rehmanniae radix and Ginseng radix et rhizoma, respectively. In addition, the results indicated that after four cycles of processing for Rehmanniae radix, there was no much significant change in DL parameters which resembles the results obtained from chemical analyses (after five cycles) using 1HNMR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in previous studies. CONCLUSION: DL may serve as a fast, robust and sensitive tool for evaluating processing on herbs and may be used as part of a comprehensive platform for assessing the quality of herbal materials.

Blue light decreases tanshinone IIA content in Salvia miltiorrhiza hairy roots via genes regulation.

The effect of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on the production of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants and hairy roots is receiving much attention. The roots and rhizomes of the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge are widely used for treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The main components are liposoluble tanshinones and hydrophilic phenolic acids. Moreover, hairy root culture of S. miltiorrhiza has been used in research of valuable plant-derived secondary metabolites. In this study, we examined the effect of LEDs with different combinations of wavelengths on the content of the main components in hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza. Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) content in hairy roots was significantly decreased with all light treatments containing blue light by >60% and was 9 times lower with LED treatment duration changed from 1 week to 3 weeks. HMGR, DXS2, DXR, GGPPS, CPS and CYP76AH1 genes involved in the tanshinone biosynthesis pathway were downregulated by blue light. Furthermore, light quality treatments have different effect on the accumulation of phenolic acids in hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza. The light treatments 6R3B, 6B3IR, 7RGB and 2R6BUV for 3 weeks could increase rosmarinic acid (RA) content slightly but not salvianolic acid B (SAB) content. Different secondary metabolite contents could be regulated by different wavelength combinations of LEDs. Blue light could reduce TSIIA content in hairy roots of S. miltiorrhiza via gene regulation.

Characterization of the therapeutic properties of Chinese herbal materials by measuring delayed luminescence and dendritic cell-based immunomodulatory response.

Based on the traditional Chinese medicine theory, the Chinese pharmacopeia assigns a therapeutic description of "taste" to all herbs; thus, an herb's "taste" is valued in traditional Chinese medicine as a major ethnopharmacological category and reflects the herb's therapeutic properties. These properties guide the practitioner with respect to preparing a specific herbal formula in order to provide each patient with a personalized intervention. The key challenge in evidence-based medicine is to characterize herbal therapeutic properties from a multi-target, multi-dimensional systems pharmacology perspective. Here, we used delayed luminescence (DL, the slowly decaying emission of photons following excitation with light) as a rapid, direct, highly sensitive indicator to characterize the properties of herbal medicines. The DL parameters were able to reliably identify a specific category of herbal materials with the so-called "sweet" taste. To support the DL results and provide biological relevance to the DL results, we used a murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cell-based assay to examine the immunomodulatory effects of herbal extracts from various "taste" categories. Our results indicate that DL may serve as a robust and sensitive tool for evaluating the therapeutic properties of herbs based on the traditional Chinese medicine classification of "taste". Thus, DL provides a promising technological platform for investigating the properties of Chinese herbal medicines both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Hepatoprotective Effect of Cuscuta campestris Yunck. Whole Plant on Carbon Tetrachloride Induced Chronic Liver Injury in Mice.

Cuscuta seeds and whole plant have been used to nourish the liver and kidney. This study was aimed to investigate the hepatoprotective activity of the ethanol extract of Cuscuta campestris Yunck. whole plant (CCEtOH). The hepatoprotective effect of CCEtOH (20, 100 and 500 mg/kg) was evaluated on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced chronic liver injury. Serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride and cholesterol were measured and the fibrosis was histologically examined. CCEtOH exhibited a significant inhibition of the increase of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, triglyceride and cholesterol. Histological analyses showed that fibrosis of liver induced by CCl4 were significantly reduced by CCEtOH. In addition, 20, 100 and 500 mg/kg of the extract decreased the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) and enhanced the activities of anti-oxidative enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GRd) in the liver. We demonstrate that the hepatoprotective mechanisms of CCEtOH were likely to be associated to the decrease in MDA level by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GPx and GRd. In addition, our findings provide evidence that C. campestris Yunck. whole plant possesses a hepatoprotective activity to ameliorate chronic liver injury.

Immunosuppressive Effect of Litsea cubeba L. Essential Oil on Dendritic Cell and Contact Hypersensitivity Responses.

Litsea cubeba L., also named as Makauy, is a traditional herb and has been used as cooking condiment or tea brewing to treat diseases for aborigines. The present study was undertaken to explore the chemical compositions of the fruit essential oil of L. cubeba (LCEO) and the immunomodulatory effect of LCEO on dendritic cells and mice. The LCEO was analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) with direct injection (DI/GC) or headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME/GC). In total, 56 components were identified, of which 48 were detected by DI/GC and 49 were detected by HS-SPME/GC. The principal compounds were citral (neral and geranial). An immunosuppressive activity of LCEO was investigated with bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs) which have a critical role to trigger the adaptive immunity. Additionally, the inhibitory effect of LCEO on immune response was elucidated by performing the contact hypersensitivity (CHS) responses in mice. Our results clearly showed that LCEO decreases the production of TNF-α and cytokine IL-12 in a dose-dependent manner in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated DCs. CHS response and the infiltrative T cells were inhibited in the tested ears of the mice co-treated with LCEO. We demonstrate, for the first time, that the LCEO mainly containing citral exhibits an immunosuppressive effect on DCs and mice, indicating that LCEO can potentially be applied in the treatment of CHS, inflammatory diseases, and autoimmune diseases.

Raf/ERK/Nrf2 signaling pathway and MMP-7 expression involvement in the trigonelline-mediated inhibition of hepatocarcinoma cell migration.

BACKGROUND: Trigonelline occurs in many dietary food plants and has been found to have anti-carcinogenic activity. Trigonelline is also found in coffee which is one of the most widely consumed beverages. Many epidemiological studies have reported that coffee consumption has an inverse relationship with the risk of cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. It would be interesting to investigate whether trigonelline is an ideal chemoprevent agent to prevent cancer progression. METHODS: The protein expression was performed by western blotting. The trigonelline content in snow pea (Pisum sativum) was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The migratory activity of human hepatocarcinoma cells (Hep3B) was assessed by using a wound migration assay. The percentage of each phase in the cell cycle was analyzed on a FACScan flow cytometer. Gene expression was detected by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction techniques. Native gel analysis was performed to analyze the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione peroxidase. RESULTS: According to the data of HPLC analysis, P. sativum, which is a popular vegetable, has relatively high content of trigonelline. Our findings suggest that trigonelline is an efficient compound for inhibiting Hep3B cell migration. Trigonelline inhibited the migration of hepatoma cells at concentrations of 75-100 µM without affecting proliferation. Raf/ERK/Nrf2 protein levels and further downstream antioxidative enzymes activity, such as SOD, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, significantly decreased after treatment with 100 µM of trigonelline for 24 h. The migration inhibition of trigonelline is also related to its ability to regulate the matrix metalloproteinases 7 (MMP-7) gene expression. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, protein kinase Cα (PKCα) and Raf/ERK/Nrf2 signaling pathway and MMP-7 gene expression were involved in the trigonelline-mediated migration inhibition of Hep3B cells. We also demonstrated that trigonelline inhibits Hep3B cell migration through downregulation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2-dependent antioxidant enzymes activity. This study analyzed the trigonelline content in a popular vegetable, snow pea, as a representative proof to prove that trigonelline is often found in the daily intake of food. Our finding suggested that trigonelline should be a useful chemopreventive agent derived from the daily intake of food to prevent cancer progression.

EFFECTS OF MESSAGE FRAMING AND EXEMPLARS ON PROMOTING ORGAN DONATION.

People in many countries are unwilling to donate organs. Drawing on previous research regarding the use of message framing and the theory of exemplification promoting intentions to donate organs, this study examined messaging strategies. This study used a 2 × 2 between-subjects factorial design to examine the joint effects of gain/loss frames and statistical/exemplar appeals on the intentions of 189 Taiwanese college students (108 women, 81 men; age range = 19-24 yr., M = 21.6, SD = 2.9) regarding organ donation. Each participant was randomly assigned to read one of four versions of an organ donation promotional message and then to complete a questionnaire. The analysis of variance showed a significant interaction between the two factors. Loss-exemplar messages elicited significantly more positive intentions toward donation than did loss-statistical messages. There was no significant difference between the statistical and exemplar appeals observed under the gain-framed condition. The practical implications of developing effective organ donation promotional materials and the limitations of this study are discussed.

Immunosuppressive effect of zhankuic acid C from Taiwanofungus camphoratus on dendritic cell activation and the contact hypersensitivity response.

Some ergostane triterpenoids from Taiwanofungus camphoratus have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. However, the effect of ergostane triterpenoids on the immune response remains unknown. In this study, we elucidated that ergostane triterpenoids significantly decreased the cytokines and chemokine release by dendritic cells (DC) and that, in the case of zhankuic acid C (ZAC), the decrease was dose-dependent and inhibited DC maturation. ZAC inhibited the contact hypersensitivity response and infiltrative T cells in the ears of DNFB-stimulated mice. Thus, we demonstrate for the first time that ZAC exhibits an immunosuppressive effect on DC activation and the contact hypersensitivity response. It is suggested that ZAC can potentially be used for treating chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases.

THE EFFECTS OF SEX, TOPOLOGICAL STRUCTURE, AND TASK TYPE ON HYPERTEXT NAVIGATIONAL PERFORMANCE.

Currently, almost all online materials use hyperlinks to provide users access to background, supplemental, or alternative information presented in context, greatly increasing the potential integration of information. However, a major problem is that people do not navigate hyperlinks effectively when the links become more topologically complex. Thus, identification of the variables that lead to navigational errors is necessary for the effective design of hyperlinks. Ninety-one participants (45 women, 46 men) were recruited for this experiment. All were college students and ranged in age from 19 to 23 yr. (M = 20.87, SD = 1.02). Navigational performance was examined in relation to sex, topological structure, and task type. A network topology with single-node task was superior to one with a linear topology under a single-node task condition, but equal to one with a linear topology under a multi-node task condition. Men navigated the linear topology with multi-node task and a network topology with a single-node task significantly faster than women, whereas no significant differences were observed under the other conditions. Sex interacted with topological structure and task type. This study extended the research in this domain by demonstrating an interactive effect among sex, topological structure, and task type on the navigational performance of users and can contribute to research regarding web page design.

Rapid and sensitive identification of the herbal tea ingredient Taraxacum formosanum using loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

Taraxacum formosanum (TF) is a medicinal plant used as an important component of health drinks in Taiwan. In this study, a rapid, sensitive and specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for authenticating TF was established. A set of four specific LAMP primers was designed based on the nucleotide sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) of TF. LAMP amplicons were successfully amplified and detected when purified genomic DNA of TF was added in the LAMP reaction under isothermal condition (65 °C) within 45 min. These specific LAMP primers have high specificity and can accurately discriminate Taraxacum formosanum from other adulterant plants; 1 pg of genomic DNA was determined to be the detection limit of the LAMP assay. In conclusion, using this novel approach, TF and its misused plant samples obtained from herbal tea markets were easily identified and discriminated by LAMP assay for quality control.

High yield production of pigeon circovirus capsid protein in the E. coli by evaluating the key parameters needed for protein expression.

BACKGROUND: Pigeon circovirus (PiCV) is considered to be a viral agent central to the development of young pigeon disease syndrome (YPDS). The Cap protein, a structural protein encoded by the cap (or C1) gene of PiCV, has been shown to be responsible for not only capsid assembly, but also has been used as antigen for detecting antibody when the host is infected with PiCV. The antigenic characteristics of the Cap protein potentially may allow the development of a detection kit that could be applied to control PiCV infection. However, poor expression and poor protein solubility have hampered the production of recombinant Cap protein in the bacteria. This study was undertaken to develop the optimal expression of recombinant full-length Cap protein of PiCV using an E. coli expression system. RESULTS: The PiCV cap gene was cloned and fused with different fusion partners including a His-tag, a GST-tag (glutathioine-S-transferase tag) and a Trx-His-tag (thioredoxin-His tag). The resulting constructs were then expressed after transformation into a number of different E. coli strains; these then had their protein expression evaluated. The expression of the recombinant Cap protein in E. coli was significantly increased when Cap protein was fused with either a GST-tag or a Trx-His tag rather than a His-tag. After various rare amino acid codons presented in the Cap protein were optimized to give the sequence rCapopt, the expression level of the GST-rCapopt in E. coli BL21(DE3) was further increased to a significant degree. The highest protein expression level of GST-rCapopt obtained was 394.27 ± 26.1 mg/L per liter using the E. coli strain BL21(DE3)-pLysS. Moreover, approximately 74.5% of the expressed GST-rCapopt was in soluble form, which is higher than the soluble Trx-His-rCapopt expressed using the BL21(DE3)-pLysS strain. After purification using a GST affinity column combined with ion-exchange chromatography, the purified recombinant GST-rCapopt protein was found to have good antigenic activity when tested against PiCV-infected pigeon sera. CONCLUSIONS: These findings shows that the E. coli-expressed full-length PiCV Cap protein has great potential in terms of large-scaled production and this should allow in the future the development of a serodiagnostic kit that is able to clinically detect PiCV infection in pigeons.

Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of Cuscuta chinensis seeds in mice.

The seeds of Cuscuta chinensis, Cuscutae Semen, are commonly used as a medicinal material for treating the aching and weakness of the loins and knees, tonifying the defects of the liver and the kidney, and treating the diarrhea due to hypofunction of the kidney and the spleen. Since aching and inflammation are highly correlated with such diseases, the aim of this study is to investigate the possible antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the seeds of C. chinensis. The antinociceptive effect of the seeds of C. chinensis was evaluated via the acetic acid-induced writhing response and formalin-induced paw licking methods. The anti-inflammatory effect was evaluated via the λ-carrageenan induced mouse paw edema method. The results found that 100 and 500 mg/kg of the methanol extract of the seeds of C. chinensis( CC MeOH ) significantly decreased (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) the writhing response in the acetic acid assay. Additionally, 20-500 mg/kg of CC MeOH significantly decreased licking time at the early (20 and 100 mg/kg, p < 0.001) and late phases (100 mg/kg, p < 0.01; 500 mg/kg, p < 0.001) of the formalin test, respectively. Furthermore, CC MeOH (100 and 500 mg/kg) significantly decreased (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) edema paw volume four hours after λ-carrageenan had been injected. The results in the following study also revealed that the anti-inflammatory mechanism of CC MeOH may be due to declined levels of NO and MDA in the edema paw by increasing the activities of SOD, GPx and GRd in the liver. In addition, CC MeOH also decreased IL-1ß, IL-6, NF-κB, TNF-α, and COX-2 levels. This is the first study to demonstrate the possible mechanisms for the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of CC MeOH in vivo. Thus, it provides evidence for the treatment of Cuscutae Semen in inflammatory diseases.

Diterpenoids with anti-inflammatory activity from the wood of Cunninghamia konishii.

Two new diterpenoids, konishone (1) and 3b-hydroxy-5,6-dehydrosugiol (2), along with three known diterpenoids--hinokiol (3), sugiol (4), and 12-hydroxy-6,7-secoabieta-8,11,13-triene-6,7-dial (5)--were isolated from the wood of Cunninghamia konishii. Compound 1 is a novel skeleton of the 7,20-dinorabietane-type diterpene. In addition, when RAW264.7 macrophages were treated with different concentrations of compounds 1, 3, and 5 together with LPS, a significant concentration-dependent inhibition of NO production was detected. The IC50 values for inhibition of nitrite production of compounds 1, 3, and 5 were about 9.8 ± 0.7, 7.9 ± 0.9, and 9.3 ± 1.3 µg/mL, respectively. This study presents the potential utilization of compounds 1, 3, and 5, as lead compounds for the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Color of light-source and background luminance on perceived convexity and concavity of a blurred 3-D hemisphere.

In the present study, the effect of light-source color, size, background luminance, and blur on the perceived convexity and concavity of a 3-D hemisphere was investigated. The sample consisted of 84 undergraduates divided into Experience and No-experience groups based on experience working with 3D software. Participants were asked to adjust the angle of light in a clockwise direction until a convex hemisphere appeared concave. Analysis indicated that the color of light had a statistically significant effect on the angle of adjusted light, and the Experience group adjusted the angle of light less than did the No-experience group. The angle of the adjusted light was significantly smaller under the high background luminance condition compared with the medium and low luminance conditions. The angle of adjusted light under the low blur condition was greater than that under the high and medium blur conditions. These results have implications for graphics-based interface design.

Protein kinase C delta-mediated cytoskeleton remodeling is involved in aloe-emodin-induced photokilling of human lung cancer cells.

Photodynamic therapy is becoming a widely accepted form of cancer treatment using a photosensitizing agent and light. Our previous study has demonstrated that photoactivated aloe-emodin induced anoikis and changes in cell morphology, which were in part mediated through its effect on cytoskeleton in lung carcinoma H460 cells. However, the molecular mechanisms of these photoactivated aloe-emodin-induced changes remain unknown. The present study demonstrated that the expression of protein kinase Cδ (PKCδ) was triggered by aloe-emodin and irradiation in H460 cells. Furthermore, the photoactivated aloe-emodin-induced cell death and translocation of PKCδ from the cytosol to the nucleus was found to be significantly inhibited by rottlerin, a PKCδ-selective inhibitor. Western blot analysis demonstrated that rottlerin also reversed the decrease in protein expression of cytoskeleton-related proteins, such as rat sarcoma (RAS), ras homolog gene family member A (RHO), p38, heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), focal adhesion kinase (FAK), α-actinin and tubulin, induced by photoactivated aloe-emodin. Our findings suggest that the regulation of cytoskeleton-related proteins mediated by PKCδ may be the mechanisms for the protective effects of rottlerin against the photoactivated aloe-emodin induced H460 cell death.