Interestingly,

butanol extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi significantly reduced the TGF-beta 1-mediated EMT of MCF10A cells. Further analysis revealed that baicalin and baicalein, the major flavones of these butanol extracts, inhibited TGF-beta 1-mediated EMT by reducing the expression level of the EMT-related transcription factor, Slug via the NF-KB pathway, and subsequently increased migration in MCF10A cells. Finally, both compounds reduced the TGF-beta 1-mediated EMT, anchorage-independent growth and cell migration of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 cells). Taken together, these results suggest that baicalin and baicalein of Scurellaria baicalensis Georgi may suppress the EMT of breast epithelial cells and the tumorigenic activity of breast cancer cells. Thus, these compounds could have potential as therapeutic or supplementary agents for the treatment of breast cancer. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Gynura Ro-3306 bicolor DC., a traditional vegetable in Japan, is cultivated as Kinjisou and Suizenjina in Ishikawa and Kumamoto prefectures, p38 MAPK signaling respectively. The adaxial side of the leaves of G. bicolor grown in a field is green, and the abaxial side is reddish purple. It has been reported that these reddish purple

pigments are anthocyanins. Although we established a culture system of G. bicolor, the leaves of G. bicolor plants grown under our culture conditions showed green color on both sides of all leaves. We investigated the effects of phytohormones and chemical treatments on anthocyanin accumulation in cultured plants. Although anthocyanin

accumulation in the leaves was slightly stimulated, anthocyanins accumulation in the MAPK inhibitor roots of the cultured plant was induced remarkably by 25-50 mu M methyl jasmonate (MJ) treatment. This induction was affected by light irradiation and sucrose concentration in the culture medium. However, salicylic acid (SA) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid did not induce anthocyanin accumulation in roots. And then, combinations of MJ and SA or MJ and AgNO(3) did not stimulate the anthocyanin accumulation in the root as found in the case of treatment by MJ solely.”
“Williams KC, Burdo TH. HIV and SIV infection: the role of cellular restriction and immune responses in viral replication and pathogenesis. APMIS 2009; 117: 400-12.\n\nThe human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) have a long biological history. Both viruses evolved from Africa and remnants of them can be found in the ‘fossil record’ of several species in which they are not endemic. SIV remains endemic in several species of monkeys in Africa where it does not cause immune deficiency. HIV and SIV actively replicate within humans and Asian non-human primates, despite cellular and genetic viral restriction factors and genes, and at times robust innate and adaptive immune responses.