Publications by authors named "Chun-Jung Chen"

Background/purpose: Diabetic periodontitis (DP) is a severe oral disease characterized by hyperinflammation and impaired wound healing, with inflammaging and pyroptosis playing key roles in its pathogenesis. Corylin, an isoflavone compound, has shown promising anti-inflammatory and anti-pyroptotic properties, but its specific effects on DP remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Corylin on inflammaging and pyroptosis in an in vitro model of DP, potentially offering novel insights into therapeutic strategies for this challenging condition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Dysregulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway has been reported in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and is associated with an aggressive phenotype and a poor prognosis. To obtain insights into the action mechanisms of PI3K/mTOR dual inhibitors, the anti-tumor actions of NVP-BEZ235 were investigated in human 786-O and ACHN RCC cells. NVP-BEZ235 decreased cell proliferation and migration, and induced autophagic cell death.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Malaria is a protozoan disease caused by the Plasmodium species. It is one of the top reasons for mortality globally, with 241 million cases and more than 6,27,000 deaths reported in 2020. The Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) in Plasmodium falciparum plays a vital role in cellular metabolism, serving two main functions: generating ribose-5-phosphate for nucleotide biosynthesis and producing NADPH for reductive biosynthesis and oxidative stress regulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Although chlorpyrifos poses considerable risks to the environment and human health, it is still used in many countries. This pesticide has various toxic effects on humans, including neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, genotoxicity, and organ damage caused by oxidative stress and DNA damage. However, its specific toxicity to the immune system remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In orogenic regions, faults from plate collisions are the main cause of earthquakes. Recent studies have found that underground mudstone structures and intrusions can accompany fault development, causing surface deformation and geological hazards. In southwestern Taiwan, geodetic evidence has detected underground mudstone structures, but their mechanisms of influence remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This research aimed to assess the potential of irigenin to attenuate blue light (BL)-induced apoptosis in human adult retinal pigment epithelial (hARPE-19) cells loaded with N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E, DA50062). Furthermore, the study investigated the associated molecular mechanisms. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay, and flow cytometry was employed to evaluate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, alterations in mitochondrial membrane potential, and cytochrome c release.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Coherent diffraction microscopy (CDM) is a robust direct imaging method due to its unique 2D/3D phase retrieval capacity. Nonetheless, its resolution faces limitations due to a diminished signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in high-frequency regions. Addressing this challenge, X-ray ensemble diffraction microscopy (XEDM) emerges as a viable solution, ensuring an adequate SNR in high-frequency regions and effectively surmounting resolution constraints.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation play significant roles in Japanese Encephalitis virus (JEV) infection, with the NMDA receptor contributing to these processes through excitatory neurotoxicity and inflammation.
  • Research showed that JEV infection in rat microglia leads to glutamate release, activating harmful signaling pathways that result in pro-inflammatory responses and neurodegeneration.
  • NMDA receptor antagonists, such as MK801 and memantine, were found to reduce the harmful effects of JEV infection on microglia and neurons, indicating their potential as therapeutic options to mitigate neuroinflammation and cell death.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Runx2 is a protein that might help predict how serious kidney cancer (RCC) is and how cancer cells grow and move.
  • Researchers found that stopping Runx2 in kidney cancer cells slowed their growth and movement without killing them, but made them more sensitive to a cancer treatment called ABT-737.
  • The study suggests that Runx2 affects other important proteins which help cancer cells survive and grow, but they still need to learn exactly how it does this.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Oxidative damage contributes to age-related macular degeneration. Irigenin possesses diverse pharmacologic properties, including antioxidative and antiapoptotic effects. Our in vivo experiments indicated that irigenin mitigates UVB-induced histopathologic changes and oxidative DNA damage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Poor contour of the implant restoration causes plaque accumulation and increases the risk of peri-implantitis. This study aimed to investigate whether the prosthodontic components of dental implants were associated with the prevalence of peri-implantitis.

Methods: We enrolled 185 patients with 348 implants who underwent at least 1-year follow-up after the delivery of the prosthesis from February 2010 to January 2021.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The enzyme aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (ASDH) plays a pivotal role in the amino acid biosynthesis pathway, making it an attractive target for the development of new antimicrobial drugs due to its absence in humans. This study aims to investigate the presence of ASDH in the filarial parasite Wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi (WBm) using both in vitro and in silico approaches. The size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and Native-PAGE analysis demonstrate that WBm-ASDH undergoes pH-dependent oligomerization and dimerization.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have gradually dominated the drug markets for various diseases. Improvement of the therapeutic activities of mAbs has become a critical issue in the pharmaceutical industry. A novel endo-β--acetylglucosaminidase, EndoSz, from is discovered and applied to enhance the activities of mAbs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Under nitrogen deficient conditions, the Aurantiochytrium limacinum strain BL10 greatly increases the production of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and n-6 docosapentaenoic acid. Researchers have yet to elucidate the mechanism by which BL10 promotes the activity of polyunsaturated fatty acid synthase (Pfa), which plays a key role in the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Analysis in the current study revealed that in nitrogen-depleted environments, BL10 boosts the transcription and synthesis of proteins by facilitating the expression of pfa genes via transcriptional regulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Chlorpyrifos, widely used for pest control, is known to have various harmful effects, although its toxic effects in macrophages and the mechanisms underlying its toxicity remain unclear. The present study investigated the toxic effects of chlorypyrifos in a macrophage cell line. Here, we found that chlorpyrifos induced cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in RAW264.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The K uptake system KtrAB is essential for bacterial survival in low K environments. The activity of KtrAB is regulated by nucleotides and Na. Previous studies proposed a putative gating mechanism of KtrB regulated by KtrA upon binding to ATP or ADP.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has an extremely devastating nature with poor prognosis and increasing incidence, making it a formidable challenge in the global fight against cancer-related mortality. In this innovative preclinical investigation, the VCP/p97 inhibitor CB-5083 (CB), miR-142, a PD-L1 inhibitor, and immunoadjuvant resiquimod (R848; R) were synergistically encapsulated in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs). These SLNs demonstrated features of peptides targeting PD-L1, EGFR, and the endoplasmic reticulum, enclosed in a pH-responsive polyglutamic (PGA)-polyethylene glycol (PEG) shell.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

3-Bromofluoranthene (3-BrFlu) is the secondary metabolite of fluoranthene, which is classified as a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, through bromination and exists in the fine particulate matter of air pollutants. Endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and vascular diseases. Little is known about the molecular mechanism of 3-BrFlu on endothelial dysfunction in vivo and in vitro assay.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Mitochondrial dysfunction, a common cellular hallmark in both familial and sporadic forms of Parkinson's disease (PD), is assumed to play a significant role in pathologic development and progression of the disease. Teaghrelin, a unique bioactive compound in some oolong tea varieties, has been demonstrated to protect SH-SY5Y cells against 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium induced neurotoxicity by binding to the ghrelin receptor to activate the AMPK/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway. In this study, an animal model was established using a neurotoxin, 1-methyl-4phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), a byproduct of a prohibited drug, to evaluate the oral efficacy of teaghrelin on PD by monitoring motor dysfunction of mice in open field, pole, and bean walking tests.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cyclizine, an over-the-counter and prescription antihistamine, finds widespread application in the prevention and treatment of motion sickness, encompassing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, along with its effectiveness in managing vertigo. However, the overuse or misuse of cyclizine may lead to hallucinations, confusion, tachycardia, and hypertension. The molecular mechanisms underlying cyclizine-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) and periodontal disease are both prevalent and chronic inflammatory disorders that have significant health impact. Many studies have pointed out that advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in DM induces inflammaging, which is a pre-aging and hyperinflammatory condition, and it has been linked to a greater likelihood in developing periodontitis. Inflammaging in DM has been shown to be driven by AGEs-induced cell senescence, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress, resulting in the degradation of periodontium.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/purpose: The accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) lead to a series of immune responses such as: increased oxidative stress and inflammation which contribute to the development of diabetic complications and periodontal disease. Resveratrol is a natural compound that has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Studies have found that diabetes-induced periodontitis is mainly caused by oxidative stress, aging and increased inflammation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Macrophages play an important role in defending the body against invading pathogens. In the face of pathogens, macrophages become activated and release toxic materials that disrupt the pathogens. Macrophage overactivation can lead to severe illness and inflammation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objectives: This cohort study investigated the correlation between Parkinson's disease (PD) risk and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) risk under particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) exposure.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * The study explores the effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), known for its positive impact on obesity-related issues, on inflammation in the liver and adipose tissue in obese mice.
  • * DHA supplementation over 8 weeks improved key obesity characteristics, enhanced insulin sensitivity, reduced harmful inflammatory markers, and stimulated the "browning" of fat, suggesting its potential role in dietary strategies against obesity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF