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The Journal of Pharmacology and... May 2018To determine the effects of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) on metabolic and molecular changes in response to feeding a typical American fast food or Western diet, mice...
To determine the effects of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) on metabolic and molecular changes in response to feeding a typical American fast food or Western diet, mice were fed an American lifestyle-induced obesity syndrome (ALIOS) diet and subjected to metabolic analysis. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to the ALIOS diet, the ALIOS diet supplemented with NDGA (NDGA+ALIOS), or a control diet and were maintained on the specific diet for 8 weeks. Mice fed the ALIOS diet showed increased body, liver, and epididymal fat pad weight as well as increased plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels (a measure of liver injury) and liver triglyceride content. Coadministration of NDGA normalized body and epididymal fat pad weight, ALT and AST levels, and liver triglycerides. NDGA treatment also improved insulin sensitivity but not glucose intolerance in mice fed the ALIOS diet. In mice fed the NDGA+ALIOS diet, NDGA supplementation induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR; the master regulator of fatty acid oxidation) and mRNA levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferases and , key genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, compared with the ALIOS diet. NDGA significantly reduced liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response C/EBP homologous protein, compared with chow or the ALIOS diet, and also ameliorated ALIOS diet-induced elevation of apoptosis signaling protein, caspase 3. Likewise, NDGA downregulated the ALIOS diet-induced mRNA levels of , fatty acid synthase , and diacylglycerol acyltransferase NDGA treatment of ALIOS-fed mice upregulated the hepatic expression of antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase 4, and peroxiredoxin 3 proteins. In conclusion, we provide evidence that NDGA improves metabolic dysregulation by simultaneously modulating the PPAR transcription factor and key genes involved in fatty acid oxidation, key antioxidant and lipogenic enzymes, and apoptosis and ER stress signaling pathways.
Topics: Adipogenesis; Animals; Apoptosis; Diet, Western; Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Fatty Acids; Larrea; Life Style; Lipogenesis; Liver; Male; Masoprocol; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Obesity; Oxidation-Reduction; PPAR alpha; RNA, Messenger; Signal Transduction; Up-Regulation
PubMed: 29472517
DOI: 10.1124/jpet.117.243733 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Aug 2017Protozoan parasites infect and kill millions of people worldwide every year, particularly in developing countries where access to clean fresh water is limited. Among the...
Protozoan parasites infect and kill millions of people worldwide every year, particularly in developing countries where access to clean fresh water is limited. Among the most common are intestinal parasites, including Giardia lamblia and Entamoeba histolytica. These parasites wreak havoc on the epithelium lining the small intestines (G. lamblia) and colon (E. histolytica) causing giardiasis and amebiasis, respectively. In addition, there are less common but far more deadly pathogens such as Naegleria fowleri that thrive in warm waters and infect the central nervous systems of their victims via the nasal passages. Despite their prevalence and associated high mortality rates, there remains an unmet need to identify more effective therapeutics for people infected with these opportunistic parasites. To address this unmet need, we have surveyed plants and traditional herbal medicines known throughout the world to identify novel antiparasitic agents with activity against G. lamblia, E. histolytica, and N. fowleri. Herein, we report Larrea tridentata, known as creosote bush, as a novel source for secondary metabolites that display antiparasitic activity against all three pathogens. This report also characterizes the lignan compound classes, nordihydroguairetic acid and demethoxyisoguaiacin, as novel antiparasitic lead agents to further develop more effective drug therapy options for millions of people worldwide.
Topics: Antiprotozoal Agents; Entamoeba histolytica; Giardia lamblia; Humans; Larrea; Masoprocol; Naegleria fowleri; Naphthols; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 28793307
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005832 -
Aging Cell Aug 2017Aging leads to hypothalamic inflammation, but does so more slowly in mice whose lifespan has been extended by mutations that affect GH/IGF-1 signals. Early-life exposure...
Aging leads to hypothalamic inflammation, but does so more slowly in mice whose lifespan has been extended by mutations that affect GH/IGF-1 signals. Early-life exposure to GH by injection, or to nutrient restriction in the first 3 weeks of life, also modulate both lifespan and the pace of hypothalamic inflammation. Three drugs extend lifespan of UM-HET3 mice in a sex-specific way: acarbose (ACA), 17-α-estradiol (17αE2), and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), with more dramatic longevity increases in males in each case. In this study, we examined the effect of these anti-aging drugs on neuro-inflammation in hypothalamus and hippocampus. We found that age-associated hypothalamic inflammation is reduced in males but not in females at 12 months of age by ACA and 17αE2 and at 22 months of age in NDGA-treated mice. The three drugs blocked indices of hypothalamic reactive gliosis associated with aging, such as Iba-1-positive microglia and GFAP-positive astrocytes, as well as age-associated overproduction of TNF-α. This effect was not observed in drug-treated female mice or in the hippocampus of the drug-treated animals. On the other hand, caloric restriction (CR; an intervention that extends the lifespan in both sexes) significantly reduced hypothalamic microglia and TNF-α in both sexes at 12 months of age. Together, these results suggest that the extent of drug-induced changes in hypothalamic inflammatory processes is sexually dimorphic in a pattern that parallels the effects of these agents on mouse longevity and that mimics the changes seen, in both sexes, of long-lived nutrient restricted or mutant mice.
Topics: Acarbose; Animals; Astrocytes; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Caloric Restriction; Estradiol; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; Hippocampus; Hypothalamus; Inflammation; Longevity; Male; Masoprocol; Mice; Microfilament Proteins; Microglia; Sex Factors; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
PubMed: 28544365
DOI: 10.1111/acel.12590 -
Cell Death & Disease May 2017Acyl-CoA thioesterase 7 (ACOT7) is a major isoform of the ACOT family that catalyzes hydrolysis of fatty acyl-CoAs to free fatty acids and CoA-SH. However, canonical and...
Acyl-CoA thioesterase 7 (ACOT7) is a major isoform of the ACOT family that catalyzes hydrolysis of fatty acyl-CoAs to free fatty acids and CoA-SH. However, canonical and non-canonical functions of ACOT7 remain to be discovered. In this study, for the first time, ACOT7 was shown to be responsive to genotoxic stresses such as ionizing radiation (IR) and the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin in time- and dose-dependent manners. ACOT7 knockdown induced cytostasis via activation of the p53-p21 signaling pathway without a DNA damage response. PKCζ was specifically involved in ACOT7 depletion-mediated cell cycle arrest as an upstream molecule of the p53-p21 signaling pathway in MCF7 human breast carcinoma and A549 human lung carcinoma cells. Of the other members of the ACOT family, including ACOT1, 4, 8, 9, 11, 12, and 13 that were expressed in human, ACOT4, 8, and 12 were responsive to genotoxic stresses. However, none of those had a role in cytostasis via activation of the PKCζ-p53-p21 signaling pathway. Analysis of the ACOT7 prognostic value revealed that low ACOT7 levels prolonged overall survival periods in breast and lung cancer patients. Furthermore, ACOT7 mRNA levels were higher in lung cancer patient tissues compared to normal tissues. We also observed a synergistic effect of ACOT7 depletion in combination with either IR or doxorubicin on cell proliferation in breast and lung cancer cells. Together, our data suggest that a low level of ACOT7 may be involved, at least in part, in the prevention of human breast and lung cancer development via regulation of cell cycle progression.
Topics: A549 Cells; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Cycle; Cell Cycle Checkpoints; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; DNA Damage; Down-Regulation; Doxorubicin; Drug Synergism; Humans; MCF-7 Cells; Masoprocol; Protein Kinase C; Radiation, Ionizing; Signal Transduction; Thiolester Hydrolases; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
PubMed: 28518146
DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2017.202 -
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy Aug 2017Flaviviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses distributed all over the world that infect millions of people every year and for which no specific antiviral agents have...
Flaviviruses are positive-strand RNA viruses distributed all over the world that infect millions of people every year and for which no specific antiviral agents have been approved. These viruses include the mosquito-borne West Nile virus (WNV), which is responsible for outbreaks of meningitis and encephalitis. Considering that nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) has been previously shown to inhibit the multiplication of the related dengue virus and hepatitis C virus, we have evaluated the effect of NDGA, and its methylated derivative tetra--methyl nordihydroguaiaretic acid (MN), on the infection of WNV. Both compounds inhibited the infection of WNV, likely by impairing viral replication. Since flavivirus multiplication is highly dependent on host cell lipid metabolism, the antiviral effect of NDGA has been previously related to its ability to disturb the lipid metabolism, probably by interfering with the sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBP) pathway. Remarkably, we observed that other structurally unrelated inhibitors of the SREBP pathway, such as PF-429242 and fatostatin, also reduced WNV multiplication, supporting that the SREBP pathway may constitute a druggable target suitable for antiviral intervention against flavivirus infection. Moreover, treatment with NDGA, MN, PF-429242, and fatostatin also inhibited the multiplication of the mosquito-borne flavivirus Zika virus (ZIKV), which has been recently associated with birth defects (microcephaly) and neurological disorders. Our results point to SREBP inhibitors, such as NDGA and MN, as potential candidates for further antiviral development against medically relevant flaviviruses.
Topics: Animals; Antiviral Agents; Cell Line; Chlorocebus aethiops; HeLa Cells; Humans; Lipid Metabolism; Masoprocol; Pyridines; Pyrrolidines; Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Proteins; Thiazoles; Vero Cells; Virus Replication; West Nile Fever; West Nile virus; Zika Virus; Zika Virus Infection
PubMed: 28507114
DOI: 10.1128/AAC.00376-17 -
Laboratory Investigation; a Journal of... Oct 2017Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and its synthetic chiral analog dl-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (Nordy) show collective benefits in anti-tumor, and defending against viral...
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) and its synthetic chiral analog dl-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (Nordy) show collective benefits in anti-tumor, and defending against viral and bacterial infections. Here, we synthetized a new derivative-NDGA-P21 based on NDGA structure. Regardless of the structural similarity, NDGA-P21 exhibited stronger capability in suppression of glioblastoma (GBM) cell growth as compared to Nordy. Mechanically, NDGA-P21 is able to arrest cell cycle of GBM cells in G0/G1 phase, and to block cell proliferation sequentially. It is important to note that NDGA-P21 is able to impair the stemness of glioma stem-like cells (GSLCs) via measurement of colony formation and sphere formation. Taken together, the novel NDGA-based compound NDGA-P21 exhibits potential therty -20 apeutic implications through inhibiting proliferation of glioma cells and self-renewal capability of GSLCs.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Cell Cycle; Cell Differentiation; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Glioma; Humans; Masoprocol
PubMed: 28504686
DOI: 10.1038/labinvest.2017.46 -
Aging Cell Aug 2017In a survey of enzymes related to protein oxidation and cellular redox state, we found activity of the redox enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) to be elevated in cells...
In a survey of enzymes related to protein oxidation and cellular redox state, we found activity of the redox enzyme thioredoxin reductase (TXNRD) to be elevated in cells from long-lived species of rodents, primates, and birds. Elevated TXNRD activity in long-lived species reflected increases in the mitochondrial form, TXNRD2, rather than the cytosolic forms TXNRD1 and TXNRD3. Analysis of published RNA-Seq data showed elevated TXNRD2 mRNA in multiple organs of longer-lived primates, suggesting that the phenomenon is not limited to skin-derived fibroblasts. Elevation of TXNRD2 activity and protein levels was also noted in liver of three different long-lived mutant mice, and in normal male mice treated with a drug that extends lifespan in males. Overexpression of mitochondrial TXNRD2 in Drosophila melanogaster extended median (but not maximum) lifespan in female flies with a small lifespan extension in males; in contrast, overexpression of the cytosolic form, TXNRD1, did not produce a lifespan extension.
Topics: Animals; Cytosol; Drosophila melanogaster; Female; Fibroblasts; Gene Expression Regulation; Glutathione Reductase; Humans; Longevity; Male; Masoprocol; Mice; Mitochondria; Organ Specificity; Primary Cell Culture; Primates; Sex Factors; Skin; Species Specificity; Thioredoxin Reductase 1; Thioredoxin Reductase 2; Thioredoxin-Disulfide Reductase
PubMed: 28474396
DOI: 10.1111/acel.12596 -
Biochemistry Feb 2017Fibrillar aggregates of the protein α-synuclein (αS) are one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease. Here, we show that measuring the fluorescence polarization (FP)...
Fibrillar aggregates of the protein α-synuclein (αS) are one of the hallmarks of Parkinson's disease. Here, we show that measuring the fluorescence polarization (FP) of labels at several sites on αS allows one to monitor changes in the local dynamics of the protein after binding to micelles or vesicles, and during fibril formation. Most significantly, these site-specific FP measurements provide insight into structural remodeling of αS fibrils by small molecules and have the potential for use in moderate-throughput screens to identify small molecules that could be used to treat Parkinson's disease.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Catechin; Dopamine; Fluorescence Polarization; Fluorescent Dyes; Humans; Masoprocol; Phosphatidylcholines; Protein Aggregates; Recombinant Proteins; Small Molecule Libraries; Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate; Unilamellar Liposomes; Xanthenes; alpha-Synuclein
PubMed: 28045494
DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.6b01060 -
Oncotarget Jan 2017Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NEN) represent a rare and heterogenous tumor entity. Importantly, the highly proliferative subgroup of...
Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NEN) represent a rare and heterogenous tumor entity. Importantly, the highly proliferative subgroup of neuroendocrine carcinoma (GEP-NEC) is characterized by high resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Consequently, there is an urgent need to identify novel therapeutic targets, especially for GEP-NEC. Thus, we focused on Inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family members survivin and XIAP that orchestrate inhibition of apoptosis, induce resistance against chemotherapeutics and facilitate tumor metastasis. Copy number gains (CNGs) could be detected by microarray comparative genomic hybridization for survivin and XIAP in 60 % and 26.7 % of all GEP-NENs, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining of tissue specimens from 77 consecutive patients with GEP-NEN demonstrated increased survivin protein expression levels in tissue specimens of highly proliferative GEP-NEC or GEP-NEN located in the stomach and colon. In contrast, XIAP overexpression was associated with advanced tumor stages. Knockdown of survivin and XIAP markedly reduced cell proliferation and tumor growth. In vitro, YM155 induced apoptotic cell death accompanied by a reduction in cell proliferation and inhibited GEP-NEC xenograft growth. Taken together, our data provide evidence for a biological relevance of these IAPs in GEP-NEN and support a potential role of survivin as therapeutic target especially in the subgroup of aggressive GEP-NEC.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Apoptosis; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Comparative Genomic Hybridization; DNA Copy Number Variations; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Gene Dosage; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Imidazoles; Immunohistochemistry; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; Intestinal Neoplasms; Male; Masoprocol; Mice, Inbred NOD; Mice, SCID; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Naphthoquinones; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Pancreatic Neoplasms; RNA Interference; Retrospective Studies; Signal Transduction; Stomach Neoplasms; Survivin; Time Factors; Transfection; Tumor Burden; X-Linked Inhibitor of Apoptosis Protein; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
PubMed: 28039474
DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.14207 -
Lipids in Health and Disease Nov 2016Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex disease with alterations in metabolic and inflammatory markers. Stillman Salgado rats (eSS) spontaneously develop type 2 DM by middle...
Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) modulate metabolic and inflammatory markers in a spontaneous type 2 diabetes mellitus model (Stillman Salgado rats).
BACKGROUND
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex disease with alterations in metabolic and inflammatory markers. Stillman Salgado rats (eSS) spontaneously develop type 2 DM by middle age showing progressive impairment of glucose tolerance with hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperinsulinemia. We analyzed the effects of supplementation of ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) with or without nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) added, an antioxidant and lipoxygenase inhibitor, on metabolic and inflammatory parameters in eSS rats to evaluate whether they can delay development and/or prevent progression of DM.
METHODS
After weaning, eSS rats received, intraperitoneally, once a month ω-3 (EPA 35% and DHA 40%-6.25 mg/Kg) or ω-6 (90% arachidonic acid- 6. 25 mg/Kg) for twelve months. Two additional groups of rats received 1.9 mg/kg NDGA added to ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids. Blood samples were collected at day 40, and at the end of the 6th month and 12th month of age to determine plasma triglycerides (TGs), total plasma fatty acids (FA), A1C hemoglobin (HbA1C), C-reactive protein (CRP), gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lipo and hydro peroxides, nitrites and IL-6 (in plasma and liver, kidney, and pancreas) and underwent oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) as well. Wistar and eSS rats that received saline solution were used as controls.
RESULTS
Plasma lipids profile, TG, fasting and post-prandial blood glucose levels, and glycosylated HbA1C showed significant improvements in ω-3 and ω-3 + NDGA treated animals compared to eSS control group. ω-3 and ω-3 + NDGA groups showed an inverse correlation with fasting blood glucose and showed lower plasma levels of GGT, TG, and CRP. eSS rats treated with ω-3 LCPUFAs showed reduced level of inflammatory and oxidative indices in plasma and liver, kidney and pancreas tissues in comparison with eSS control (non-treated) and ω-6 treated groups.
CONCLUSIONS
eSS rats are a useful model to study type 2 DM pathophysiology and related inflammatory indices. ω-3 + NDGA supplementation, at the doses tested, ameliorated inflammatory, metabolic and oxidative stress markers studied.
Topics: Animals; Arachidonic Acid; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Dietary Supplements; Disease Models, Animal; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Glycated Hemoglobin; Inflammation; Interleukin-6; Male; Masoprocol; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Triglycerides; gamma-Glutamyltransferase
PubMed: 27884155
DOI: 10.1186/s12944-016-0363-8