Adipose tissue is a specialized organ that synthesizes and stores fat. During adipogenesis, Rho and Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) 2 are inactivated, which enhances the expression of pro-adipogenic genes and induces the loss of actin stress fibers. Furthermore, pan ROCK inhibitors enhance adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. Here, we show that KD025 (formerly known as SLx-2119), a ROCK2-specific inhibitor, suppresses adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells partially through a ROCK2-independent mechanism. KD025 downregulated the expression of key adipogenic transcription factors PPARγ and C/EBPα during adipogenesis in addition to lipogenic factors FABP4 and Glut4. Interestingly, adipogenesis was blocked by KD025 during days 1~3 of differentiation; after differentiation terminated, lipid accumulation was unaffected. Clonal expansion occurred normally in KD025-treated cells. These results suggest that KD025 could function during the intermediate stage after clonal expansion. Data from depletion of ROCKs showed that KD025 suppressed cell differentiation partially independent of ROCK’s activity. Furthermore, no further loss of actin stress fibers emerged in KD025-treated cells during and after differentiation compared to control cells. These results indicate that in contrast to the pro-adipogenic effect of pan-inhibitors, KD025 suppresses adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells by regulating key pro-adipogenic factors. This outcome further implies that KD025 could be a potential anti-adipogenic/obesity agent.

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Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most prevalent and common nutritional deficiency worldwide and is a global health problem with significant risk, particularly among women of reproductive age. Oral iron supplementation is the most widely used and cost-effective treatment for iron deficiency and IDA. However, there are limitations regarding side effects such as enteritis, treatment compliance, and bioavailability. Intestinal microbiome characteristic research has been recently conducted to overcome these issues, but more is needed. Against this background, a metagenomics study on the 16S gene in the feces of young women vulnerable to IDA was conducted. As a result of analyzing 16 normal subjects and 15 IDA patients, significant differences in bacterial community distribution were identified. In particular, a significant decrease in Faecalibacterium was characteristic in IDA patients compared with normal subjects. Furthermore, in the case of patients who recovered from IDA following iron supplementation treatment, it was confirmed that Faecalibacterium significantly recovered to normal levels. However, no significance in beta diversity was seen compared with before treatment. There were also no differences in the beta diversity results between the recovered and normal subjects. Therefore, intestinal dysbiosis during the disease state was considered to be restored as IDA improved. Although the results were derived from a limited number of subjects and additional research is needed, the results of this study are expected to be the basis for developing treatment and prevention strategies based on host–microbiome crosstalk in IDA.

In this study, the methanolic extract of Raphanus sativus (RSME) seeds was evaluated for its protective effect against CCl 4-induced nephrotoxicity. The treatment of Swiss albino rats with intraperitoneal injections of CCl 4 (1 ml/kg body weight) on alternate days for 30 days decreased the antioxidant enzymes, while lipid peroxidation and serum toxicity markers were increased. These changes were reversed in the animals receiving an oral dose of RSME (100 and 200 mg/kg body weight) along with CCl 4 , thus increasing the level of antioxidant enzymes and decreasing serum toxicity markers and thus ameliorating the toxic effect of CCl 4. These results show that seed extract of R. sativus can reciprocate the toxic effects of CCl 4 and can be used to make a chemopreventive drug.

As NGS (next-generation sequencing) technology develops, metagenomics-based microbial ecology, that is, microbiome research, has recently led to the science of fermented food. Based on the above technology, a study was conducted to understand the characteristics of vinegar made from bokbunja, a local crop in Gochang-gun, Korea. Physicochemical characteristics of vinegar, organic acid analysis, microbial community analysis, and electronic tongue analysis were explored while fermenting the vinegar for 70 days under eight fermentation conditions according to the concentration of bokbunja liquid (100% or 50%), type of fermenter (porcelain jar or stainless container), and fermentation environment (natural outdoor conditions or temperature/oxygen controlled). As a result, distinct microbial community patterns were found in the stage of acetic acid fermentation and, accordingly, this fermentation of Gochang vinegar is classified into three categories. Vinegar prepared by the traditional method of outdoor fermentation using jars showed characteristics of “Acetobacter (42.1%)/Lactobacillus (56.9%) fusion fermentation”. Under conditions where oxygen and temperature were controlled indoors using jars, characteristics of “Komagataeibacter (90.2%) fermentation” were found. “Lactobacillus (92.2%) fermentation” characteristics were discovered under natural outdoor conditions using stainless steel containers. These fermentation pattern differences were related to taxonomic phylogenetic diversity, which was also considered involved in determining organic acid production and taste. These results will be helpful as a scientific basis for understanding the fermentation characteristics of Gochang vinegar and developing high-value-added traditional vinegar products.

Objective: Recent innovations in biology are boosting gene and cell therapy, but monitoring the response to these treatments is difficult. The purpose of this study was to find an MRI-reporter gene that can be used to monitor gene or cell therapy and that can be delivered without a viral vector, as viral vector delivery methods can result in long-term complications. Materials and Methods: CMV promoter-human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (CMV-hOATP1B3) cDNA or CMV-blank DNA (control) was transfected into HEK293 cells using Lipofectamine. OATP1B3 expression was confirmed by western blotting and confocal microscopy. In vitro cell phantoms were made using transfected HEK293 cells cultured in various concentrations of gadoxetic acid for 24 hours, and images of the phantoms were made with a 9.4T micro-MRI. In vivo xenograft tumors were made by implanting HEK293 cells transfected with CMV-hOATP1B3 (n = 4) or CMV-blank (n = 4) in 8-week-old male nude mice, and MRI was performed before and after intravenous injection of gadoxetic acid (1.2 μL/g). Results: Western blot and confocal microscopy after immunofluorescence staining revealed that only CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected HEK293 cells produced abundant OATP1B3, which localized at the cell membrane. OATP1B3 expression levels remained high through the 25th subculture cycle, but decreased substantially by the 50th subculture cycle. MRI of cell phantoms showed that only the CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected cells produced a significant contrast enhancement effect. In vivo MRI of xenograft tumors revealed that only CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected HEK293 tumors demonstrated a T1 contrast effect, which lasted for at least 5 hours. Conclusion: The human endogenous OATP1B3 gene can be non-virally delivered into cells to induce transient OATP1B3 expression, leading to gadoxetic acid-mediated enhancement on MRI. These results indicate that hOATP1B3 can serve as an MRI-reporter gene while minimizing the risk of long-term complications.

Mixed lineage leukemia proteins (MLL) are the key histone lysine methyltransferases that regulate expression of diverse genes. Aberrant activation of MLL promotes leukemia as well as solid tumors in humans, highlighting the urgent need for the development of an MLL inhibitor. We screened and isolated MLL1-binding ssRNAs using SELEX (Systemic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment) technology. When sequences in sub-libraries were obtained using next-generation sequencing (NGS), the most enriched aptamers—APT1 and APT2—represented about 30% and 26% of sub-library populations, respectively. Motif analysis of the top 50 sequences provided a highly conserved sequence: 5′-A[A/C][C/G][G/U][U/A]ACAGAGGG[U/A]GG[A/C] GAGUGGGU-3′. APT1, APT2, and APT5 embracing this motif generated secondary structures with similar topological characteristics. We found that APT1 and APT2 have a good binding activity and the analysis using mutated aptamer variants showed that the site information in the central region was critical for binding. In vitro enzyme activity assay showed that APT1 and APT2 had MLL1 inhibitory activity. Three-dimensional structure prediction of APT1-MLL1 complex indicates multiple weak interactions formed between MLL1 SET domain and APT1. Our study confirmed that NGS-assisted SELEX is an efficient tool for aptamer screening and that aptamers could be useful in diagnosis and treatment of MLL1-mediated diseases.

BackgroundThe excessive production and accumulation of melanin in the epidermal skin layer can result in skin hyperpigmentation and darkening. Current technologies for regulating melanin are based on inhibiting melanin biosynthesis. They have low effectiveness and safety issues.AimsThis study aimed to evaluate the potential role of Pediococcus acidilactici PMC48 as a probiotic strain in medicines and cosmetics for skin treatment.Materials and MethodsMeanwhile, our research team has reported that P. acidilactici PMC48 strain isolated from sesame leaf kimchi can directly decompose the already synthesized melanin. It can also inhibit melanin biosynthesis. In the present study, we investigated the skin‐whitening effect of this strain by arranging an 8‐week clinical trial with 22 participants. PMC48 was applied to each participant's artificially UV‐induced tanned skin in the clinical trial. Its whitening effect was investigated based on visual evaluation, skin brightness, and melanin index.ResultsPMC48 showed a significant effect on the artificially induced pigmented skin. The color intensity of the tanned skin was decreased by 47.647%, and skin brightness was increased by 8.098% after the treatment period. PMC48 also significantly decreased the melanin index by 11.818%, indicating its tyrosinase inhibition capacity. Also, PMC48 improved skin moisture content level by 20.943%. Additionally, 16S rRNA‐based amplicon sequencing analysis showed a distinct increase in Lactobacillaceae in the skin by up to 11.2% at the family level without affecting other skin microbiota. Furthermore, it showed no toxicity in in vitro or in vivo analyses.DiscussionThese results indicate that P. acidilactici PMC48 is a promising probiotic strain that can be used to develop medicines and cosmetic products to solve skin‐related problems.ConclusionsThese results demonstrate that P. acidilactici PMC48 can be a potential probiotic for the cosmetic industry against different skin disorders.