Intracellular calprotectin (S100A8/A9) facilitates DNA damage responses and promotes apoptosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The profiles of free, esterified and insoluble-bound phenolics in peach juice after high pressure homogenization and evaluation of their antioxidant capacities, cytoprotective effect, and inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase and dipeptidyl peptidase-Ⅳ

The phenolic profiles, antioxidant capacities, cytoprotective effect, and α-glucosidase and DPP-IV inhibitory capacity of free (FP), esterified (EP) and insoluble-bound (IBP) phenolic fractions in 'Lijiang snow' peach juice after high pressure homogenization (HPH) were investigated, and the molecular docking was used to explore the enzyme inhibition mechanism. HPH increased total phenolic and total flavonoid contents in three fractions without changing compositions. The IC50 of radicals scavenged by three fractions were all reduced by HPH. The best inhibition on intracellular ROS production were found for phenolic fractions after HPH at 300 MPa, with ROS levels ranged within 95.26-119.16 %. HPH at 300 MPa reduced the apoptosis rates of FP and EP by 16.52 % and 9.33 %, respectively. All phenolic fractions showed effective inhibition on α-glucosidase and DPP-IV by formation of hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces. This study explored the feasibility of HPH to enhance the phenolics and bioactivity of peach juice.

Role of innate host defense proteins in oral cancerogenesis

It is nowadays well accepted that chronic inflammation plays a pivotal role in tumor initiation and progression. Under this aspect, the oral cavity is predestined to examine this connection because periodontitis is a highly prevalent chronic inflammatory disease and oral squamous cell carcinomas are the most common oral malignant lesions. In this review, we describe how particular molecules of the human innate host defense system may participate as molecular links between these two important chronic noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Specific focus is directed toward antimicrobial polypeptides, such as the cathelicidin LL-37 and human defensins, as well as S100 proteins and alarmins. We report in which way these peptides and proteins are able to initiate and support oral tumorigenesis, showing direct mechanisms by binding to growth-stimulating cell surface receptors and/or indirect effects, for example, inducing tumor-promoting genes. Finally, bacterial challenges with impact on oral cancerogenesis are briefly addressed.

A Transcriptional Analysis Showing the Effects of GH12 Combined with Fluoride for Suppressing the Acidogenicity of Streptococcus mutans Biofilms

The acidogenicity of Streptococcus mutans is important for caries development. The antimicrobial peptide GH12 can affect the integrity of cellular membranes and the virulence factors of S. mutans. Combining GH12 and NaF (GF) efficiently controlled the development of caries, but its mechanisms remained unrevealed. This research intended to verify the effects of GF on the acidogenicity of S. mutans biofilms and to reveal the mechanisms. Lactic acid production assays and pH monitoring assays were conducted to investigate the regulatory effects of the GF treatment on the acidogenicity of S. mutans biofilms. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were conducted to screen the transcriptional profile affected by the GF treatment. The results demonstrated the GF group had significantly less lactic acid and maintained the broth's pH values above 5.0 for longer times. Thereafter, GO/KEGG enrichment analyses and RT-qPCR validation revealed that the GF treatment mainly restrained the expression of genes related to the carbohydrates' internalization and metabolism. Compared with NaF, the GF treatment further downregulated the carbohydrates transportation genes. Moreover, compared with GH12, the GF treatment affected the membrane's integrity more significantly. Generally, GF treatment could arrest the acidogenicity of S. mutans biofilms, mainly through suppressing carbohydrates transportation and inhibiting overall metabolism.