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Objective: To compare a co‐culture system with a conventional dispase‐dissociation method for obtaining functional human respiratory epithelial cells from the nasal turbinates for tissue engineering application. Methods: Human respiratory epithelial cells were serially passaged using a co‐culture system and a conventional dispase‐dissociation technique. The growth kinetics and gene expression levels of the cultured respiratory epithelial cells were compared. Four genes were investigated, namely cytokeratin‐18, a marker for ciliated and secretory epithelial cells; cytokeratin‐14, a marker for basal epithelial cells; MKI67, a proliferation marker; and MUC5B, a marker for mucin secretion. Immunocytochemical analysis was performed using monoclonal antibodies against the high molecular‐weight cytokeratin 34βE12, cytokeratin 18, and MUC5A to investigate the protein expression from cultured respiratory epithelial cells. Results: Respiratory epithelial cells cultured using both methods maintained polygonal morphology throughout the passages. At passage 1, co‐cultured respiratory epithelial showed a 2.6‐times higher growth rate compared to conventional dispase dissociation technique, and 7.8 times higher at passage 2. Better basal gene expression was observed by co‐cultured respiratory epithelial cells compared to dispase dissociated cells. Immunocytochemical analyses were positive for the respiratory epithelial cells cultured using both techniques. Conclusion: Co‐culture system produced superior quality of cultured human respiratory epithelial cells from the nasal turbinates as compared to dispase dissociation technique.

Background Brown adipocytes are known to promote energy expenditure and limit weight gain to combat obesity. Averrhoa bilimbi , locally called belimbing buluh (DBB), is mainly used as an ethnomedicine in the treatment of metabolic disorders including diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity. The present study aims to investigate the browning activity on white adipocytes by A. bilimbi leaf extract and to evaluate the potential mechanisms. Methods Ethanolic leaf extract of A. bilimbi was exposed to Myf5 lineage precursor cells to stimulate adipocyte differentiation. Protein expressions of brown adipocyte markers were determined through high content screening analysis and validated through western blotting. Mito Stress Test assay was conducted to evaluate the cellular oxygen consumption rate upon A. bilimbi treatment. Results A. bilimbi ethanolic leaf extract exhibited an adipogenesis effect similar to a PPARgamma agonist. It also demonstrated brown adipocyte differentiation in myoblastic Myf5-positive precursor cells. Expression of UCP1 and PRDM16 were induced. The basal metabolic rate and respiratory capacity of mitochondria were increased upon A. bilimbi treatment. Conclusions The findings suggest that Averrhoa bilimbi ethanolic leaf extract induces adipocyte browning through PRDM16 activation and enhances mitochondria activity due to UCP1 up-regulation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12906-019-2640-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Momordica charantia is a popular vegetable associated with effective complementary and alternative diabetes management in some parts of the world. However, the molecular mechanism is less commonly investigated. In this study, we investigated the association between a major cucurbitane triterpenoid isolated from M. charantia, 3β,7β,25-trihydroxycucurbita-5,23(E)-dien-19-al (THCB) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activation and its related activities using cell culture and molecular biology techniques. In this study, we report on both M. charantia fruit crude extract and THCB in driving the luciferase activity of Peroxisome Proliferator Response Element, associated with PPARγ activation. Other than that, THCB also induced adipocyte differentiation at far less intensity as compared to the full agonist rosiglitazone. In conjunction, THCB treatment on adipocytes also resulted in upregulation of PPAR gamma target genes expression; AP2, adiponectin, LPL and CD34 at a lower magnitude compared to rosiglitazone’s induction. THCB also induced glucose uptake into muscle cells and the mechanism is via Glut4 translocation to the cell membrane. In conclusion, THCB acts as one of the many components in M. charantia to induce hypoglycaemic effect by acting as PPARγ ligand and inducing glucose uptake activity in the muscles by means of Glut4 translocation.

Arjunolic acid (AA) is a triterpenoid saponin majorly found in the Terminalia arjuna and is claimed to exert the cardiovascular protective effects as a phytomedicine. However, it is unclear how AA exerts the effects at the molecular level. Hence, this study used an in vitro model using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes to investigate the cardioprotective effects of arjunolic acid (AA) via MyD88-dependant TLR4 downstream signaling markers expression. The myotubes were developed by differentiating rat H9C2 and mouse C2C12 myoblast cells. The MTT viability assay was used to assess the cytotoxicity of AA. LPS induced in vitro cardiovascular disease model was developed in H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes. The treatment groups were designed such as control (untreated), LPS control, positive control (LPS+ pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC)-25 µM), and treatment groups were co-treated with LPS and three doses of AA (50, 75, and 100 µM). The changes in the expression of TLR4 downstream signaling markers were evaluated through High Content Screening (HCS) and Western Blot (WB) analysis. The outcomes demonstrated that the expression of MyD88, MAPK, JNK, and NFκB markers were significantly upregulated in the LPS-treated groups compared to the untreated control. Evidently, the HCS analysis revealed that MyD88, NF-κB, p38, and JNK were significantly downregulated in the H9C2 myotube in the AA treated groups (50, 75, and 100 µM). For, the C2C12 myotube, the expression of NFκB was downregulated. TLR4 marker expression in H9C2 and C2C12 myotubes was subsequently decreased by AA treatment, suggesting possible cardioprotective effects of AA.

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