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Hypogonadism in men is associated with an increased incidence of type 2 diabetes. Supplementation with testosterone has been shown to protect pancreatic ß-cell against apoptosis due to toxic substances including streptozotocin and high glucose. One of the pathological mechanisms of glucose-induced pancreatic ß-cell apoptosis is the induction of the local rennin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). The role of testosterone in regulation of the pancreatic RAAS is still unknown. This study aims to investigate the protective action of testosterone against glucotoxicity-induced pancreatic ß-cell apoptosis via alteration of the pancreatic RAAS pathway. Rat insulinoma cell line (INS-1) cells or isolated male mouse islets were cultured in basal and high-glucose media in the presence or absence of testosterone, losartan, and angiotensin II (Ang II), then cell apoptosis, cleaved caspase 3 expression, oxidative stress, and expression of angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AGTR1) and p47phox mRNA and protein were measured. Testosterone and losartan showed similar effects in reducing pancreatic ß-cell apoptosis. Testosterone significantly reduced expression of AGTR1 protein in INS-1 cells cultured in high-glucose medium or high-glucose medium with Ang II. Testosterone decreased the expression of AGTR1 and p47phox mRNA and protein in comparison with levels in cells cultured in high-glucose medium alone. Furthermore, testosterone attenuated superoxide production when co-cultured with high-glucose medium. In contrast, when cultured in basal glucose, supplementation of testosterone did not have any effect on cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and expression of AGT1R and p47phox. In addition, high-glucose medium did not increase cleaved caspase 3 in AGTR1 knockdown experiments. Thus, our results indicated thattestosterone prevents pancreatic ß-cell apoptosis dueto glucotoxicity through reduction of the expression of ATGR1 and its signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the anti-aging activity and toxicity doses of phytooxyresveratrol extracted from Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb. Methods: Artocarpus lakoocha 100 g was extracted with 2 ml of 95 % ethanol to obtain phytooxyresveratrol (POV). Total phenolic content, as well as free radical scavenging and anti-glycation activities of POV were characterized in order to assess its anti-aging properties. The models of DNA nicking and bacterial reverse mutation (Ames) were applied to the extract in order to determine its effective and toxic doses, respectively. Results: Phytooxyresveratrol (POV) exhibited antiaging activity. It also showed high levels of phenolic content, radical scavenging activity and anti-glycation. A POV concentration of 25 µg/ml promoted strong anti-DNA nicking. Furthermore, it was non-toxic at concentrations ranging from 5 - 100 µg/ml. Conclusion: In vitro, phytooxyresveratrol (POV) extracted from Artocarpus lakoocha exerted effective anti-aging activity at a concentration of 25 µg/ml. Thus, the substance should be further studied for possible formulation into pharmaceutical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) is a promising target antigen for cancer immunotherapy. However, WT1 protein expression and its clinical correlation in multiple myeloma (MM) patients are still limited. We, therefore, investigated WT1 expression in 142 bone marrow and plasmacytoma samples of MM patients at different stages of the disease by immunohistochemistry. The correlations between WT1 expression and clinical parameters or treatment outcomes were evaluated. The overall positive rate of WT1 expression was 91.5%; this high prevalence was found in both bone marrow and plasmacytoma samples, regardless of the disease status. Cytoplasmic WT1 expression was correlated with high serum free light chain ratio at presentation. However, no significant association between WT1 expression and treatment outcome was observed. This study confirms the high prevalence of WT1 expression in an Asian cohort of MM, encouraging the development of immunotherapy targeting WT1 in MM patients, particularly in those with extramedullary plasmacytoma or relapsed disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Phikulsod, Sukpanichnant, Kunacheewa, Chieochansin, Junking and Yenchitsomanus.)

Multiple myeloma (MM) patients considered to be at high cytogenetic risk commonly fail to respond to standard treatment. A thorough understanding of the molecular mechanism of MM development is, therefore, needed. We endeavored to explore the transcriptional signature among different subgroups of newly diagnosed MM using gene chip-based expression microarray. Bone marrow samples of 15 newly diagnosed Thai MM patients were included. The chromosomal translocation t(4;14) was the most frequently identified genetic alteration in the high-risk subgroup. Cluster analysis from expression profiling demonstrated that high-risk MM have a distinctly different expression pattern compared to standard-risk patients. The most significant differentially expressed gene was UCHL1 . Functional enrichment analysis by Gene Set Enrichment Analysis, FUNRICH, and Gene Ontology Panther pathway revealed the gene sets involved in cell cycle control to be enriched in the t(4;14) high-risk group. Interestingly, among the well-established downstream targets of UCHL1 , only CCND2 was significantly expressed in the t(4;14) high-risk group. Suppression of UCHL1 protein level by LDN-5744 inhibitor could arrest the cell cycle in G1 phase in cell lines. These findings shed light on the molecular mechanism of UCHL1 in t(4;14) high-risk MM and support the evidence that alteration of the UCHL1 pathway may play a role in the pathogenesis of high-risk MM., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Kamseng, Siriboonpiputtana, Puavilai, Chuncharunee, Paisooksantivatana, Chareonsirisuthigul, Junking, Chiraphapphaiboon, Yenchitsomanus and Rerkamnuaychoke.)