Comparative Analysis of the Antioxidant and Free-Radical Scavenging Activities of Different Water-Soluble Extracts of Green, Black and Oolong Tea Samples

Extracts of 40 green, black or oolong high quality tea samples from China, Japan or India among others, have been prepared according to the manufacturer instructions and assayed for total polyphenols content using the Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagent. In addition, the antioxidant activity was assessed by the CUPRAC method and the free-radical scavenging activity was determined using the antioxidant-promoting decay of the stable free-radical DPPH. Caffeine and the most important catechins were identified using RP-HPLC previously validated method. Results from this study suggest that teas, even though they content similar amounts of caffeine, differ considerably in polyphenolic content and therefore in antioxidant and free-radical scavenging activities, depending on the part of the plant used and the process applied to the material for the preparation of the final tea presentation. Correlations among Folin-Ciocalteau’s reactivity of tea samples, the neocuproine reactivity, the DPPH decolourization and the HPLC analysis suggest that the antioxidant activity is due essentially to polyphenolic compounds present in teas, mainly EGCG. The best extraction method of tea powder was the one indicated by dealers. In general, the richest samples belong to green teas and the poorest samples belong to the black teas.

Nonisothermal Kinetics of Free-Radical Polymerization of 2,2-Dinitropropyl Methacrylate

The 2,2-dinitropropyl methacrylate（DNPMA） was synthesized by esterification of α-methacrylic acid with 2,2-dinitropropanol.The free-radical bulk polymerization of DNPMA in the presence of 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile（AIBN） was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry（DSC） in the nonisothermal mode.Kissinger,Ozawa and Barrett methods were applied to determine the activation energy（Ea） and the reaction order of the free-radical polymerization.The results showed that the temperature of exothermic polymerization peaks increased with increasing heating rate.With increasing the molar ratio of monomer/initiator and the heating rate,the reaction order of nonisothermal polymerization was approximately equal to 1.The average Ea value from Kissinger and Ozawa methods（77.74±1.07 kJ/mol） was smaller than the value from the Barrett method（Ea=102.36 kJ/mol）.

The Study of Influence of Silica and Polyethilene Glycols Organic-Inorganic Compounds on Free-Radical Processes in Vitro

In this study investigation of influence of hybrid nanosilica-polyethylene glycols materials (molecular weight 1500, 6000 and 15000), prepared by sol-gel synthesis, on lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity of human serum in vitro was performed. Methods included chemiluminescence analysis and quantitative malonic dialdehyde estimation. It was revealed that nanosilica-PEG materials with different molecular weight had certain biological activity. Powders of SiO2-PEG 1500 and SiO2-PEG 6000 manifest prooxidant effects, whereas mesoporous (calcine) powders produced antioxidant effects in blood serum in vitro.

A Study of Radiation-Induced Telomere Instability Using Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA)

The integrity of the chromosomes for two WIL2-derived lymphoblastoid cell lines (TK6 and WTK1) in the presence and absence of ionizing radiation was analyzed by Multiplex Ligation-Dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA). The TK6 cell line has the native p53 tumor-suppressor gene, whereas WTK1 cells contain a p53 mutation. Each cell line was isolated pre- and post-irradiation (2 and 3 Gy) and analyzed by MLPA. The impact of irradiation on these two cell lines was investigated using probes that target specific regions on chromosomes associated with subtelomeric regions. Results indicate that WTK1 and TK6 are impacted differently after irradiation, and that each cell line presents its own unique MLPA profile. The most notable differences are the appearance of a number of probes in the post-irradiated MLPA profile that are not present in the controls, and two unique probe signals only seen in WTK1 cells. These results build on our previous studies that indicate how different human cell lines can be affected by radiation in significantly different ways depending on the presence or absence of wild type p53.

Direct Correlation among Telomere Length, Cellular Aging, and Rejuvenation Effects of Honey Child Powder

Purpose: Telomere length (TL) is an indicator of age;however, hormonal influences complicate individual aging. It remains unclear whether TL shortening is a direct factor in both individual and cellular aging. Therefore, we examined the direct relationship between TL and cellular senescence at the cellular level. Methods: Telomerase activity, TL, and gene expression were measured in cultured human lung-, fetal-, and skin-derived fibroblasts, human skin keratinocytes, and telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) gene-immortalized cells using detection kits, Cawthon’s method, and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Novel substances that elongate telomeres were screened to confirm cell rejuvenation effects. Results: Long-term cell culture of TIG-1-20 normal human fibroblasts resulted in TL shortening, decreased division rate, and senescence progression, whereas in OUMS-36T-2 cells, TL elongation via TERT gene transfer increased the division rate, reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress, and upregulated genes associated with young individuals, indicating that cellular rejuvenation occurs via TL elongation. In addition, a honey child powder (HCP) extract was found through screening, and the HCP extract strongly suppressed the menin gene, resulting in increased telomerase activity and extended cell lifespan. Upon addition of the HCP extract to skin fibroblasts, gene expression of moisturizing components, including collagen, hyaluronic acid, and elastin, increased, and exhibited a rejuvenating effect with an increase in elastin amount. Conclusions: TL elongation or shortening is involved in cell proliferation rate and cellular aging, and TL elongation rejuvenates cells. In addition, HCP extract has a rejuvenating effect on cells and is expected to be a rejuvenating compound.

端粒长度与10种常见肌肉骨骼疾病的关系孟德尔随机化分析

背景:多项观察性研究表明,端粒长度与肌肉骨骼疾病之间存在潜在的关联,然而它们之间的潜在机制仍不清楚。目的:利用两样本孟德尔随机化分析来探索端粒长度与肌肉骨骼疾病之间的遗传因果关系。方法:从英国生物银行中获得端粒长度的全基因组关联研究汇总数据。从FinnGen财团中获得了关于10种常见肌肉骨骼疾病(骨坏死、骨髓炎、骨质疏松、类风湿关节炎、腰痛、椎管狭窄、痛风、肩周炎、强直性脊柱炎和下肢深静脉血栓)的全基因组关联研究汇总数据。使用逆方差加权、孟德尔随机化-Egger和加权中位数方法评估端粒长度与10种肌肉骨骼疾病的因果关系,逆方差加权作为主要的孟德尔随机化分析方法,并进行敏感性分析探讨结果稳健性。结果与结论:①逆方差加权法结果表明,遗传预测的端粒长度与类风湿关节炎(OR=0.78,95%CI:0.64-0.95,P=0.015)和骨坏死(OR=0.56,95%CI:0.36-0.90,P=0.016)风险之间存在负向因果关系,但未发现端粒长度与其他8种肌肉骨骼疾病之间存在因果关系(P均>0.05)。②敏感性分析结果表明因果关系稳健,孟德尔随机化-Egger截距分析未检测到潜在的水平多效性(P均>0.05)。③此项孟德尔随机化研究支持端粒长度对类风湿关节炎和骨坏死的保护作用的结论,然而,未来将需要更多的基础和临床研究来验证。

Telomerase Activity in Human Renal Cell Carcinoma with Reference to Clinicopathologic Features

Objective: To study the telomerase activity in human renal cell carcinoma and to evaluate the correlation with the clinicobiologic features of the neogrowth.Methods: The telomerase activity was studied by means of a modified telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) in 32 renal cell carcinoma tissues, 32 normal renal tissues and 32 paracancer tissues and its correlation with the clinicopathologic features of the tumor was evaluated.Results: Telomerase activity was strongly positive in 17, positive in 12 and negative in 3 cases of renal cell carcinoma tissues, the total positive rate being 91%. Telomerase activity was weakly positive (6%) in only 2 out of 32 samples of normal renal cortex tissues and positive in 6 paracancer tissues (19%), the difference was conspicuous (P<0.01).Conclusion: The positive rate of telomerase activity was significantly higher in renal cell carcinoma tissues and might serve as a prognostic marker for estimating the biologic characteristics of renal cell carcinoma.

Antisense telomerase RNA induced human gastric cancer cell apoptosis

INTRODUCTION Human tissue homeostasis is precisely regulated bycellular division,differentiation and death.Normalhuman somatic cells progressively lose telomererestriction fragment(TRF)length with eachsuccessive cell division,eventually leading tocellular quiescence,chromosomal end-degradationand apoptosis.On the contrary,stabilization oftelomere lengths by expressing telomerase,an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase,may be involved incellular immortality and carcinogenesis.

Telomere and telomerase in chronic liver disease and hepatocarcinoma

The pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis is not completely elucidated.Although in the majority of patients,the risk factors may be identified in B and C viral hepatitis,alcohol intake,drugs or fatty liver disease,there is a small percentage of patients with no apparent risk factors.In addition,the evolution of chronic liver disease is highly heterogeneous from one patient to another.Among patient with identical risk factors,some rapidly progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)whereas others have a benign course.Therefore,a genetic predisposition may contribute to the development of cirrhosis and HCC.Evidence supporting the role of genetic factors as a risk for cirrhosis has been accumulating during the past years.In addition to the results from epidemiological studies,polymorphisms studies and data on twins,the concept of telomere shortening as a genetic risk factor for chronic liver disease and HCC has been proposed.Here we review the literature on telomerase mutations,telomere shortening and liver disease including hepatocellular carcinoma.

Telomere erosion is independent of microsatellite instability but related to loss of heterozygosity in gastric cancer

AIM: To correlate the length of the telomere to microsatellite instability (MSI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of APC, MCC and DCC genes in gastric carcinomas. METHODS: Telomeric restriction fragment (TRF) length of gastric cancer was measured with Southern blot. LOH of APC, MCC and DCC genes, microsatellite instability (MSI) and frameshift mutation of hMSH6, TGF-betaRII and BAX genes were analyzed by PCR-based methods. RESULTS: Sixty-eight cases of sporadic gastric carcinoma were studied for MSI using five microsatellite markers. MSI in at least one locus was detected in 17 (25%) of 68 tumors analyzed. Frameshift mutations of hMSH6, TGF-betaRII and BAX were detected in 2,6 and 3 of gastric carcinomas respectively showing high MSI (】 or = 2 loci, n = 8), but none was found in those showing low MSI (only one locus, n = 9) or MSS (tumor lacking MSI or stable, n = 51). Thirty-five cases, including all high MSI and low MSI, were studied for TRF. The mean TRF length was not correlated with clinicopathological parameters. No association was observed between TRF length and MSI or frameshift mutation. On the contrary, LOH at the DCC locus was related to telomere shortening (P【0.01). This tendency was also observed in APC and MCC genes, although there was no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The development of gastric cancer can arise through two different genetic pathways. In high MSI gastric cancers, defective mismatch repair allows mutations to accumulate and generate the high MSI phenotype. In gastric cancers showing either low MSI or MSS, multiple deletions may represent the LOH pathway. Telomere erosion is independent of high MSI phenotype but related to the LOH pathway in gastric cancer.

Telomere,telomerase and digestive cancer

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Influence of the h TERT rs2736100 polymorphism on telomere length in gastric cancer

AIM: To investigate the functional consequences of rs2736100 polymorphism in telomere length and examine its link to gastric cancer risk.METHODS: Telomere length and human telomerase reverse transcriptase(h TERT) m RNA expression were measured in 35 gastric cancer tissues and 5 cell lines and correlated to rs2736100 polymorphism. The relationship between rs2736100 polymorphism and the risk of gastric cancer were examined in 243 gastric cancer patients and 246 healthy individuals.RESULTS: The rs2736100 A allele carrier is closely associated with reduced h TERT m RNA expression and shortened telomere length in gastric cancer tissue and cell lines. When gastric cancers were stratified by histological subtype,telomere length and h TERT m RNA levels were significantly increased in those with the C/C genotype in intestinal-type gastric cancer,but not in diffuse-type gastric cancer. Interestingly,there was no significant difference in the genotype and allele frequencies of the rs2736100 polymorphism between the patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls.CONCLUSION: The rs2736100 polymorphism of the h TERT gene is involved in the regulation of h TERT expression and telomere length,but not in the risk of gastric cancer.

Telomeres,telomerase and colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is the third most common cancer worldwide and,despite improved treatments,is still an important cause of cancer-related deaths.CRC encompasses a complex of diseases arising from a multistep process of genetic and epigenetic events.Besides heterogeneity in the molecular and biological features of CRC,chromosomal instability is a hallmark of cancer and cancer cells may also circumvent replicative senescence and acquire the ability to sustain unlimited proliferation.Telomere/telomerase interplay is an important mechanism involved in both genomic stability and cellular replicative potential,and its dysfunction plays a key role in the oncogenetic process.The erosion of telomeres,mainly because of cell proliferation,may be accelerated by specific alterations in the genes involved in CRC,such as APC and MSH2.Although there is general agreement that the shortening of telomeres plays a role in the early steps of CRC carcinogenesis by promoting chromosomal instability,the prognostic role of telomere length in CRC is still under debate.The activation of telomerase reverse transcriptase(TERT),the catalytic component of the telomerase complex,allows cancer cells to grow indefinitely by maintaining the length of the telomeres,thus favouring tumour formation/progression.Several studies indicate that TERT increases with disease progression,and most studies suggest that telomerase is a useful prognostic factor.Plasma TERT mRNA may also be a promising marker for the minimally invasive monitoring of disease progression and response to therapy.

Telomeric associations of chromosomes in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinomas

AIM To investigate the role of telomeric association in the development of esophageal cancer. METHODS Using chromosome R banding technique, telomeric association of chromosome in peripheral blood lymphocytes from 16 untreated patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were observed and 16 healthy adults served as controls. RESULTS The telomeric association frequencies of cell and chromosomes were significantly higher than those of controls (x 2=9.56,P<0.01), but its distribution on the chromosome showed no significant difference (x 2=1.01, P>0.05) between the two groups. CONCLUSION Chromosomal instability can be initiated by telomeric associations, and sequential chromosome analysis can aid the understanding of the tumor occurrence and progression.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TELOMERE LENGTH AND RADIOSENSITIVITY IN VARIOUS HUMAN CANCER CELL LINES

Objective： To investigate the relationship between telomere length and radiosensitivity in various human cancer cell lines with the expectation to find a valid and common predictor of radiosensitivity for different cancers. Methods： Eight human cancer cell lines were used, including five human breast cancer cell lines （ZR-75-30, MCF-7, MDA-MB-435S, T-47-D, F539-1590）, two human larynx squamous carcinoma cell lines （Hep-2 and Hep-2R） and a human malignant glioma cell line （U251）. Among them, the radioresistant cell line Hep-2R was isolated and established from a radiosensitive human larynx squamous carcinoma cell line Hep-2 by our center. The radiobiological characteristics of the eight lines were analyzed by the method of colony-forming assay and the radiosensitivity parameters were calculated. Telomere length was analyzed by TRF （mean Telomere Restriction Fragments） length assay. Results： The radioresistance of Hep-2R cell line proved to be stable in long-term passaged cultures as well as in frozen samples. Radiosensitivity parameters are different among those lines. The SF2 values of Hep-2 and U251 are 0.4148 and 0.7520, respectively; The SF2 values of breast cancer cell lines are between those of Hep-2 and U251. The TRF of Hep-2R is 11.12Kb, longer than three times that of its parental counterpart. There is a positive correlation both between SF2 and TRF （r=-0.786, P〈0.05）, and between Do and TRF （r=0.905, P〈0.01）. Conclusion： It is concluded that radiosensitivity and telomere length （TRF） are negatively correlated, TRF could be a valid predictor for radiosensitivity.

Estrogen deficiency leads to telomerase inhibition, telomere shortening and reduced cell proliferation in the adrenal gland of mice

Estrogen deficiency mediates aging, but the underlying mechanism remains to be fully determined. We report here that estrogen deficiency caused by targeted disruption of aromatase in mice results in significant inhibition of telomerase activity in the adrenal gland in vivo. Gene expression analysis showed that, in the absence of estrogen, telomerase reverse transcriptase （TERT） gene expression is reduced in association with compromised cell proliferation in the adrenal gland cortex and adrenal atrophy. Stem cells positive in c-kit are identified to populate in the parenchyma of adrenal cortex. Analysis of telomeres revealed that estrogen deficiency results in significantly shorter teiomeres in the adrenal cortex than that in wild-type （WT） control mice. To further establish the causal effects of estrogen, we conducted an estrogen replacement therapy in these estrogen-deficient animals. Administration of estrogen for 3 weeks restores TERT gene expression, telomerase activity and cell proliferation in estrogen-deficient mice. Thus, our data show for the first time that estrogen deficiency causes inhibitions of TERT gene expression, telomerase activity, telomere maintenance, and cell proliferation in the adrenal gland of mice in vivo, suggesting that telomerase inhibition and telomere shortening may mediate cell proliferation arrest in the adrenal gland, thus contributing to estrogen deficiency-induced aging under physiological conditions.

Chromosome painting of telomeric repeats reveals new evidence for genome evolution in peanut

Interspecific hybridization is an important approach to improve cultivated peanut varieties. Cytological markers such as tandem repeats will facilitate alien gene introgression in peanut. Telomeric repeats have also been frequently used in chromosome research. Most plant telomeric repeats are（TTTAGGG）n that are mainly distributed at the chromosome ends, although interstitial telomeric repeats（ITRs） are also commonly identified. In this study, the telomeric repeat was chromosomally localized in 10 Arachis species through sequential GISH（genomic in situ hybridization） and FISH（fluorescence in situ hybridization） combined with 4＇,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole（DAPI） staining. Six ITRs were identified such as in the centromeric region of chromosome Bi5 in Arachis ipa？nsis, pericentromeric regions of chromosomes As5 in A. stenosperma, Bho7 in A. hoehnei and Av5 in A. villosa, nucleolar organizer regions of chromosomes As3 in A. stenosperma and Adi3 in A. diogoi, subtelomeric regions of chromosomes Bho9 in A. hoehnei and Adu7 in A. duranensis, and telomeric region of chromosome Es7 in A. stenophylla. The distributions of the telomeric repeat, 5S r DNA, 45 S r DNA and DAPI staining pattern provided not only ways of distinguishing different chromosomes, but also karyotypes with a higher resolution that could be used in evolutionary genome research. The distribution of telomeric repeats, 5S r DNA and 45 S r DNA sites in this study, along with inversions detected on the long arms of chromosomes Kb10 and Bho10, indicated frequent chromosomal rearrangements during evolution of Arachis species.

Mechanisms of cell immortalization mediated by EB viral activation of telomerase in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） is a common cancer in Southern China and Southeast Asia. The disease is a poorly differentiated carcinoma without effective cure, and the mechanism underlying its development remains largely unknown. Of several factors identified in NPC aetiology in recent years, Epstein-Barr virus （EBV） infection has emerged to be most important. In almost all NPC cells, EBV uses several intracellular mechanisms to cause oncogenic evolution of the infected cells. One such mechanism by which EBV infection induces cellular immortalization is believed to be through the activation of telomerase, an enzyme that is normally repressed but becomes activated during cancer development. Studies show that greater than 85% of primary NPC display high telomerase activity by mechanisms involving EBV infection, consistent with the notion that EBV is commonly involved in inducing cell immortalization. More recently, different EBV proteins have been shown to activate or inhibit the human telomerase reverse transcriptase gene, by modulating intracellular signalling pathways. These findings suggest a new model with a number of challenges towards our understanding, molecular targeting and therapeutic intervention in NPC.

Clinical significance of telomerase and its associate genes expression in the maintenance of telomere length in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

AIM: To observe the interaction between the expression of telomerase activity (TA) and its associate genes in regulation of the terminal restriction fragment length(TRFL) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).METHODS: Seventy-four specimens of esophageal SCC were examined. The TA was measured by telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay, and the associated genes [human telomerase-specific reverse transcriptase (hTERT), hTERC, TP1, c-Myc, TRF1,and TRF2] were detected using RT-PCR method. The TRFL was measured by Telomere Length Assay Kit and Southern blotting. The correlations between the expression of telomerase and its associated genes with the TRFL and survivals were examined.RESULTS: Expressions of the TA, hTERT, hTERC, TP1,c-Myc, TRF1, and TRF2 genes were observed in 85.1%,64.9%, 79.7%, 100.0%, 94.6%, 82.4%, and 91.9% of the tumor tissues, respectively. The TRFL of the tumor and normal esophageal tissues were 2.70±1.42 and 4.93±1.74 kb, respectively (P＜0.0001). The TRFL of the telomerase positive and telomerase negative tumor tissues were 2.72±1.44 and 2.58±1.32 kb, respectively (P = 0.767).The TRFL ratios (TRFLR) of the telomerase positive and telomerase negative tumor tissues were 0.55±0.22 and 0.59±0.41, respectively (P = 0.742). The expression rates of h-TERT (P = 0.0002), hTERC (P＜0.0001), and TRF1(P = 0.002) in the tumor tissues are higher than those of the normal paired tissues. Though TA is markedly activated in tumor tissues (P＜0.0001), its expression is not related to clinicopathological parameters including gender, tumor differentiation, and TNM stages. The cumulative 4-year survival rates of telomerase positive and telomerase negative cases were 35.86% and 31.2%,respectively (P = 0.8442). The cumulative 4-year survival rates of patients with their TRFLR ≤85% and ＞85%were 38.7% and 15.7%, respectively (P = 0.1307).CONCLUSION: Though telomerase expression is not related to tumor stages and prognosis, our data support that the TA increased as the TRFL decreased,probably under the control of hTERT, hTERC, and TRF1.When telomerase expression was activated, only TRF2overexpression persisted to stabilize T-loop formation.Furthermore, as the TRFLR decreased to 85%, a trend of better prognosis was observed. Cox model analysis indicates a higher t/n TRFLR and distant metastasis are independent poorer prognostic factors (P = 0.035 and P = 0.042, respectively).

Mild oxidative stress is beneficial for sperm telomere length maintenance

AIM:To evaluate telomere length in sperm DNA and its correlation with oxidative stress(normal,mild,severe).METHODS:The study included infertile men(n=112)and age matched fertile controls(n=102).The average telomere length from the sperm DNA was measured using a quantitative real time PCR based assay.Seminal reactive oxygen species(ROS)and 8-Isoprostane(8-IP)levels were measured by chemiluminescence assay and ELISA respectively.RESULTS:Average sperm telomere length in infertile men and controls was 0.609±0.15 and 0.789±0.060,respectively(P<0.0001).Seminal ROS levels in infertile was higher[66.61±28.32 relative light units(RLU)/s/million sperm]than in controls(14.04±10.67RLU/s/million sperm)(P<0.0001).The 8-IP level in infertile men was significantly higher(421.55±131.29pg/mL)than in controls(275.94±48.13 pg/mL)(P<0.001).When correlated to oxidative stress,in normal range of oxidative stress(ROS,0-21.3 RLU/s/million sperm)the average telomere length in cases was 0.663±0.14,in mild oxidative stress(ROS,21.3-35 RLU/s/million sperm)it was elevated(0.684±0.12)and in severe oxidative stress(ROS>35 RLU/s/million sperm)average telomere length was decreased to 0.595±0.15.CONCLUSION:Mild oxidative stress results in lengthening of telomere length,but severe oxidative stress results in shorter telomeres.Although telomere maintenance is a complex trait,the study shows that mild oxidative stress is beneficial in telomere length maintenance and thus a delicate balance needs to be established to maximize the beneficial effects of free radicals and prevent harmful effects of supra physiological levels.Detailed molecular evaluation of telomere structure,its correlation with oxidative stress would aid in elucidating the cause of accelerated telomere length attrition.