Quercetin is one of the natural components from natural plant and it induces cell apoptosis in many human cancer cell lines. However, no available reports show that quercetin induces apoptosis and altered associated gene expressions in human gastric cancer cells, thus, we investigated the effect of quercetin on the apoptotic cell death and associated gene expression in human gastric cancer AGS cells. Results indicated that quercetin induced cell morphological changes and reduced total viability via apoptotic cell death in AGS cells. Furthermore, results from flow cytometric assay indicated that quercetin increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, decreased the levels of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ ), and increased the apoptotic cell number in AGS cells. Results from western blotting showed that quercetin decreased anti-apoptotic protein of Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Bcl-x but increased pro-apoptotic protein of Bad, Bax, and Bid. Furthermore, quercetin increased the gene expressions of TNFRSF10D (Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, member 10d, decoy with truncated death domain), TP53INP1 (tumor protein p53 inducible nuclear protein 1), and JUNB (jun B proto-oncogene) but decreased the gene expression of VEGFB (vascular endothelial growth factor B), CDK10 (cyclin-dependent kinase 10), and KDELC2 (KDEL [Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu] containing 2) that are associated with apoptosis pathways. Thus, those findings may offer more information regarding the molecular, gene expression, and signaling pathway for quercetin induced apoptotic cell death in human gastric cancer cells.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) containing autologous growth factors is applied in regenerative medicine, but the lack of an optimized PRP preparation protocol causes unstable therapeutic effects. The aim of this study was to optimize the PRP preparation method and compare the effects of PRP from different preparation methods in restoration of erectile function in a rat model. The in vivo experiments used Sprague-Dawley male rats (n = 24), which were randomly divided into four groups of equal numbers: group I underwent sham operation, while the remaining three groups underwent bilateral CN crush. Crush injury groups were treated at the time of injury with an application of general PRP, optimized PRP [with the largest amount of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AB] or normal saline-only injection in the corpus cavernosum, respectively. Four weeks later, erectile function was assessed by CN electrosimulation, and penile tissue was collected for histology. Results demonstrated that in the PRP group prepared with the ACD-A anticoagulant, chitosan and incubated at -20°C for 15 days had the largest amount of PDGF-AB and showed a synergistic effect on release (p < 0.05). Functional outcome measurement and immunofluorescence staining for the dorsal nerve revealed that improvement after bilateral CN injury occurred in the optimized PRP group (p < 0.05). It was concluded that optimized PRP with a high level of growth factors was more stable, and its injection into the corpus cavernosum facilitated recovery of erectile function. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Our data suggest that renal tubular apoptosis induced by oxidative stress and ER stress occurred in the UUO kidney.

Growth arrest-specific (Gas) genes are expressed during serum starvation or contact inhibition of cells grown in culture. Here we report the isolation and characterization of Gas8, a novel gene identified on the basis of its growth arrest-specific expression in murine fibroblasts. We show that production of Gas8 mRNA and protein occurs in adult mice predominantly in the testes, where expression is regulated during postmeiotic development of male gametocytes. Whereas a low level of Gas8 mRNA was detected by Northern blotting in testes of murine male neonates and young adolescents, Gas8 mRNA increased rapidly postmeiotically. In adult males, both Gas8 mRNA and protein reached steady state levels in testes that were 10-fold higher than in other tissues. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that Gas8 protein accumulates in gametocytes as they approach the lumen of seminiferous tubules and is localized to the cytoplasm of round spermatids, the tails of elongating spermatids, and mature spermatid tail bundles protruding into the lumen; in epididymal spermatozoa Gas8 protein was present in the flagella. However, premeiotic murine gametocytes lacked detectable Gas8 protein, as did seminiferous tubules in biopsy specimens from seven human males having cytological evidence of nonobstructive azoospermia secondary to Sertoli cell-only syndrome. Our findings, which associate Gas8 production developmentally with the later stages of spermatogenesis and spatially with the sperm motility apparatus, collectively suggest that this growth arrest-specific gene product may have a role in sperm motility. This postulated role for Gas8 is supported by our observation that highly localized production of Gas8 protein occurs also in the cilia of epithelial cells lining pulmonary bronchi and fallopian tubes and by the flagellar association of a Trypanosoma brucei ortholog of Gas8.