The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the phytoestrogen genistein (GEN) on the time of onset and/or the incidence of type 1 diabetes in female non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, when administered GEN by gavage once every day for up to 180 days. Five groups of mice (approximately 24 animals/group; 6-7 weeks of age) were included: naïve control, vehicle control (25 mM Na2CO3 in water), and three GEN treatment groups (2 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg). Mice were maintained on a soy- and alfalfa-free diet (5K96) during the study and were monitored for blood glucose changes every week. When compared to the vehicle control, exposure to 2 mg/kg GEN produced significant decreases ranging from 55% to 79% in the total incidences of diabetes (blood glucose ≥ 250 mg/dl) and severe diabetes (blood glucose ≥ 400 mg/dl) starting at week 14 of the study. However, during the later stages of the study (i.e., after week 23), the 2 mg/kg dose had no effect on disease incidence. In animals treated with 6 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg GEN, significant decreases in the total incidence of diabetes were observed starting at week 16 while the incidence of severe diabetes was significantly decreased with the changes being observed initially at weeks 18 and 17 for the 6 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg GEN treatment groups, respectively. Several lines of evidence, including histopathological analysis, suggested that GEN protected the pancreas from autoimmune destruction. However, this protective effect of GEN was absent when female NOD mice were maintained on NTP-2000 rodent diet, which contained 5% soybean meal and 7.5% alfalfa meal (the total concentrations of phytoestrogens ranged between 95 and 134 mg/kg). In summary, oral dosing of GEN reduced the incidence and increased the time to onset of type 1 diabetes in female NOD mice but only when fed a soy- and alfalfa-free diet.

The objective of this study was to determine if genistein (GEN) modulation of the immune responses might contribute to the increased host resistances to tumors. A time-course study was performed in adult female B6C3F1 mice that had been exposed to GEN for 1-4 weeks at the dose level of 20 mg/kg by gavage. A significant increase in ex vivo cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity was observed in the periods of 2 weeks and 4 weeks. Moreover, increased activities of CTLs were associated with a decrease in the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) T cells and an increase in the production of interferon-gamma and activation of STAT1 (signal transducer and activator of transcription 1) and STAT4. Additionally, exposure of mice to GEN increased the activities of in vivo CTLs. An increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells was also observed. Further study in the B16F10 tumor model suggested that GEN-mediated enhancement in host resistance to B16F10 tumor was partially related to its potentiating effect on NK cells. Finally, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced tumor model was employed to determine the chemopreventive effect of oral GEN treatment. Mice pretreated with GEN for 2 weeks by gavage, the time when an enhanced CTL activity had been produced, had a decreased susceptibility toward DMBA-mediated carcinogenesis, while treatment with GEN after tumor induction conferred no protection. In conclusion, pretreatment with GEN by gavage could enhance host resistances to the B16F10 tumor and DMBA-induced carcinogenesis, suggesting that GEN modulation of immune response was, at least partially, responsible for the antitumor effect of this compound.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors invariably develop resistance to cytotoxic and targeted agents, resulting in failed treatment and tumor recurrence. Previous in vivo short hairpin RNA (shRNA) screening evidence revealed mitochondrial-processing peptidase (PMPC) as a leading gene contributing to tumor cell resistance against sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor used to treat advanced HCC. Here, we investigated the contributory role of the b subunit of PMPC (PMPCB) in sorafenib resistance. Silencing PMPCB increased HCC tumor cell susceptibility to sorafenib therapy, decreased liver tumor burden, and improved survival of tumor-bearing mice receiving sorafenib. Moreover, sorafenib + PMPCB shRNA combination therapy led to attenuated liver tumor burden and improved survival outcome for tumor-bearing mice, and it reduced colony formation in murine and human HCC cell lines in vitro. Additionally, PMPCB silencing enhanced PINK1-Parkin signaling and downregulated the anti-apoptotic protein MCL-1 in sorafenib-treated HCC cells, which is indicative of a healthier proapoptotic phenotype. Higher pre-treatment MCL-1 expression was associated with inferior survival outcomes in sorafenibtreated HCC patients. Elevated MCL-1 expression was present in sorafenib-resistant murine HCC cells, while MCL-1 knockdown sensitized these cells to sorafenib. In conclusion, our findings advocate combination regimens employing sorafenib with PMPCB knockdown or MCL-1 knockdown to circumvent sorafenib resistance in HCC patients.

Previously, we have reported that thalidomide (Thd) can enhance neutrophil function in female B6C3F1 mice. The present study was intended to evaluate the mechanisms underlying the enhanced neutrophil responses following Thd treatment intraperitoneally (100 mg/kg) for 14 or 28 days. Treatment with Thd increased the numbers of neutrophils in the spleen, peripheral blood, bone marrow, peritoneal cavity and lung of female B6C3F1 mice when compared to the vehicle control mice. Thd treatment for 14 days increased the percentages and the number of neutrophils in the spleen in the first eight hours (peaking at 2 h) after the last Thd treatment, and it returned to the baseline after 24 h. However, Thd treatment for 28 days increased the percentages and number of neutrophils in the spleen even at the 24-h time point after the last Thd treatment. These neutrophils were demonstrated to be functional by the myeloperoxidase activity assay. Further studies have ruled out the possibility of an increased bone marrow granulopoiesis following Thd treatment. Flow cytometric analysis of the surface expression of adhesion molecules suggested that Thd treatment for either 14 or 28 days decreased the surface expression of either CD18 or CD44 by bone marrow neutrophils. On the other hand, the surface expression of both CD18 and CD44 by splenic neutrophils was increased following Thd treatment for 28 days but not for 14 days. No effect was produced for other cell surface molecules such as CD62L and CD11a. It was possible that decreased surface expressions of CD18 and CD44 facilitated neutrophils' release from the bone marrow; increased surface expressions of CD44 and CD18 by splenic neutrophils after 28 days of Thd treatment increased their ability to remain in the periphery. Taken together, Thd treatment increased neutrophils in female B6C3F1 mice, at least partially, through differentially modulating the surface expression of CD18 and CD44 by the neutrophils in the bone marrow and spleen.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of herb formula HDDM, a modification of Huangdan decoction that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of glomerulonephritis and chronic renal failure, on the blood glucose levels in multiple low doses (MLD; 50 mg/kg for five consecutive days) of streptozotocin (STZ)-treated female B6C3F1 mice. Initial studies were performed to compare diabetes induction in five strains (e.g., B6C3F1, NOD, CD-1, C3H/HeN and C57BL/6) of mice by MLD-STZ, and immune changes following the treatment. The results suggested that the order of susceptibility to diabetes induction was NOD ≈ CD-1 > B6C3F1 ≈ C3H > C57BL/6. Furthermore, STZ modulation of T cell development, differentiation and activation might play a role in diabetes induction by MLD-STZ treatment. MLD-STZ-induced diabetes in female B6C3F1 mice was moderate, which allowed the evaluation of drug-induced protection or exacerbation of diabetes to be performed. As such, modulation of blood glucose by HDDM, which consisted of Da Huang (Radix Et Rhizoma Rhei), Huang Qi (Radix Astragali Seu Hedysari), Dan Shen (Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae), Yin Yang Huo (Herba Epimedii), Yi Yi Ren (Semen Coicis or Coix lacryma-jobi), Mai Dong (Radix Ophiopogonis) and Shan Zhu Yu (Fructus Corni), was evaluated in MLD-STZ-treated female B6C3F1 mice. The results suggested that HDDM could lower the blood glucose levels, but it had no immunomodulatory activities. Additionally, HDDM-treated mice exhibited improved glucose tolerance. In conclusion, these studies have suggested that MLD-STZ-induced diabetes in female B6C3F1 mice is a useful model to evaluate drug modulation of diabetes, and that the herb formula HDDM possesses anti-diabetic effects.