Cucurbitacin B Down-Regulates TNF Receptor 1 Expression and Inhibits the TNF-α-Dependent Nuclear Factor κB Signaling Pathway in Human Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells

Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), induce the expression of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) by activating the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. In the present study, we found that cucurbitacin B decreased the expression of ICAM-1 in human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells stimulated with TNF-α or interleukin-1α. We further investigated the mechanisms by which cucurbitacin B down-regulates TNF-α-induced ICAM-1 expression. Cucurbitacin B inhibited the nuclear translocation of the NF-κB subunit RelA and the phosphorylation of IκBα in A549 cells stimulated with TNF-α. Cucurbitacin B selectively down-regulated the expression of TNF receptor 1 (TNF-R1) without affecting three adaptor proteins (i.e., TRADD, RIPK1, and TRAF2). The TNF-α-converting enzyme inhibitor suppressed the down-regulation of TNF-R1 expression by cucurbitacin B. Glutathione, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, and, to a lesser extent, L-cysteine attenuated the inhibitory effects of cucurbitacin B on the TNF-α-induced expression of ICAM-1, suggesting that an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety is essential for anti-inflammatory activity. The present results revealed that cucurbitacin B down-regulated the expression of TNF-R1 at the initial step in the TNF-α-dependent NF-κB signaling pathway.     

UV laser diode with 350.9-nm-lasing wavelength grown by hetero-epitaxial-lateral overgrowth technology

We have demonstrated a UV-laser diode with a lasing wavelength of 350.9 nm, which has a GaN-AlGaN multiquantum-well (MQW) active layer and was grown on low-dislocation-density Al/sub 0.18/Ga/sub 0.82/N template. The Al/sub 0.18/Ga/sub 0.82/N template was produced by the hetero-epitaxial lateral overgrowth technology on the low-cost sapphire substrate, and has partially low-dislocation density of approximately 2/spl times/10/sup 7/ cm/sup -2/. The lasing operation under pulsed current injection was achieved with the threshold current density of 7.3 kA/cm/sup 2/ and the operating voltage of 10.4 V.     

Dielectric response and polarization mechanism of alkali silicate glasses in gigahertz to terahertz frequency range

Oxide glasses are dielectric materials with potential applications in high-frequency communications; hence, their dielectric properties in the gigahertz to terahertz frequency range should be investigated. In this study, the dielectric properties of silica glass and five single alkali silicate glasses were measured at 0.5–10 THz using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy and far-infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. At 0.5–10 THz, the silica glass exhibited low dielectric dispersion with a low dielectric constant and loss. By contrast, the alkali silicate glasses exhibited high dielectric dispersion, and the dielectric constant and loss were higher than those of the silica glass. The shape of the dielectric dispersion profile depended on the alkali-metal ions; it was broader for lighter ions such as Li ions and sharper for heavier ions such as Cs ions. The peak dielectric loss shifted toward a lower frequency as the weight of the alkali-metal ions in the alkali-silicate glass increased. To understand the dielectric dispersion, the complex permittivity was calculated using molecular dynamics simulations. The theoretical results qualitatively agreed with the experimental data. Ion dynamics analysis revealed that alkali-metal ions vibrate and migrate under an applied electric field, which affects the dielectric constant and loss of alkali-silicate glasses at gigahertz to terahertz frequencies. To fabricate filter devices at low temperatures, alkali metals should be added to silicate glass; therefore, a minimum amount of light alkali metals should be used to minimize the dielectric loss of the glass materials while maintaining productivity.