Brain expressed X-linked (Bex) genes are newer group of pro-apoptotic genes. Role of any Bex gene in neuroblastoma and Bex4 and Bex6 in any cancer is completely unknown. Re-expression of all endogenous Bex genes by any nutraceutical is also unknown. Therefore, we investigated the induction of all endogenous Bex genes and associated mechanisms by curcumin using N2a, an aggressive neuroblastoma c...

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, therefore food products are being investigated for potential prevention or treatment strategies. The ingredient, barley grass extract (Hordeum vulgare L.; Bex) is used to prevent or ameliorate various types of disease. In cancer, Bex has been revealed to inhibit tumor growth. However, its effect on cancer cells is yet to be clearly defined....

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are abundant in complex organisms. Due to their promiscuous nature and their ability to adopt several conformations IDPs constitute important points of network regulation. The family of Brain Expressed and X-linked (Bex) proteins consists of 5 members in humans (Bex1-5). Recent reports have implicated Bex proteins in transcriptional regulation and signal...

PURPOSE Few proteins are known to be selectively expressed in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the neurons directly affected by optic nerve stroke and glaucoma. In addition, subsets of RGCs are reported to project to various CNS areas via the retinohypothalamic pathway in rodents and primates. Many of these areas exhibit immunoreactivity for the brain-expressed X-linked (Bex) proteins Bex1 and Be...

BACKGROUND Furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are the degradation products of lignocellulose during pretreatment operations and significantly inhibit the consequent enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation processes. The biodetoxification fungus Amorphotheca resinae ZN1 had demonstrated its excellent capacity on degrading lignocellulose derived inhibitors and helped the fermentation proces...

OBJECTIVE To determine the relationship between plasma zinc values and the severity of dengue viral infection (DVI) and DVI-caused hepatitis. METHODS A prospective cohort study was conducted during 2008-2010 in hospitalized children aged <15 years confirmed with DVI. Complete blood count, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and zinc values (mcg/dL) were determine...

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is an inflammatory cytokine overexpressed in obese individuals that contributes to the development of diseases such as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of an extract from the bamboo Phyllostachys edulis (BEX) on lipotoxicity-induced over-production of IL-6 in metabolic cell lines. Palmitic acid (P...

The mixed oxide Zn1-xMgxO (x=0.01-0.2) were prepared by sol-gel synthesis using metal-organic precursors. Zn1-xMgxO films were grown on glass substrates using sol-gel deep and spin coating. Different thickness of films, annealed at various temperatures, were tried to observe the thickness and temperature effects on structural properties. The surface morphologies of all samples were characterize...

Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 (MCP-1) is an inflammatory chemokine upregulated in obese subjects contributing to the development of type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the inhibitory effect of an ethanol/water extract from bamboo Phyllostachys edulis (BEX) on blood concentration of MCP-1. C57BL/6J mice were fed standard or high fat diet with or without BEX supplement (11 g dry mass pe...