Asiatic acid, a triterpenoid derived from Centella asiatica, is a putative anticancer agent in several types of cancer cells. Investigations of its biological role in negative regulation of cell growth have focused on the extent of induction of apoptosis in a cell-type-specific manner. In this study, we identified an important regulator of asiatic acid-induced cell death, microRNA (miR)-1290, which sensitizes cells to asiatic acid-induced cytotoxicity and negatively regulates BCL2 expression. Asiatic acid significantly upregulated miR-1290, and asiatic acid-induced cell death was shown to be dependent on miR-1290 activity. Molecular assays demonstrated that BCL2 mRNA is a direct target of miR-1290-mediated RNA interference. The results of functional studies suggest that miR-1290 suppresses cell viability and cell cycle progression. These data provide insight into miR-1290-mediated cellular mechanisms in asiatic acid-treated A549 non-small cell lung carcinoma cells.

BackgroundApproximately 90%~99% of ultraviolet A (UVA) ray reaches the Earth's surface. The deeply penetrating UVA rays induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which results in oxidative stress such as photoproducts, senescence, and cell death. Thus, UVA is considered a primary factor that promotes skin aging.ObjectiveResearchers investigated whether pretreatment with ferulic acid protects human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) against UVA-induced cell damages.MethodsHDF proliferation was analyzed using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt assay. Cell cycle distribution and intracellular ROS levels were assessed by flow cytometric analysis. Senescence was evaluated using a senescence-associated β-galactosidase assay, while Gadd45α promoter activity was analyzed through a luciferase assay. The expression levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase (CAT), xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A and C, matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 3, as well as p21 and p16 were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.ResultsInhibition of proliferation and cell cycle arrest were detected in cells that were irradiated with UVA only. Pretreatment with ferulic acid significantly increased the proliferation and cell cycle progression in HDFs. Moreover, ferulic acid pretreatment produced antioxidant effects such as reduced DCF intensity, and affected SOD1 and CAT mRNA expression. These effects were also demonstrated in the analysis of cell senescence, promoter activity, expression of senescent markers, and DNA repair.ConclusionThese results demonstrate that ferulic acid exerts protective effects on UVA-induced cell damages via anti-oxidant and stress-inducible cellular mechanisms in HDFs.

The identification of novel reagents that exert a biological ultraviolet (UV)-protective effect in skin cells represents an important strategy for preventing UV-induced skin aging. To this end, we investigated the potential protective effects of Ettlia sp. YC001 extracts against UV-induced cellular damage in normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDFs). We generated four different extracts from Ettlia sp. YC001, and found that they exhibit low cytotoxicity in NHDFs. The ethyl acetate extract of Ettlia sp. YC001 markedly decreased UVB-induced cytotoxicity. Additionally, the ethyl acetate extract significantly inhibited the production of hydrogen peroxide-induced reactive oxygen species. Moreover, it inhibited UVB-induced thymine dimers, as confirmed by luciferase assay and thymine dimer dot-blot assay. Thus, the study findings suggest Ettlia sp. YC001 extract as a novel photoprotective reagent on UVB-induced cell dysfunctions in NHDFs.

This erratum is being published to correct the errors of the words in the section of Result and the Figure 4B. The words of 'with HO' (left column, line 25) in page 781 should be corrected as 'with the extract'. And the Figure 4B in page 780 should be replaced with the below new Figure 4B.