Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an important health concern worldwide and progresses into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Although prevalence and severity of NAFLD/NASH are higher in men than premenopausal women, it remains unclear how sex affects NAFLD/NASH pathophysiology. Formyl peptide receptor 2 (FPR2) modulates inflammatory responses in several organs; however, its role in the liver is unknown. Here we show that FPR2 mediates sex-specific responses to diet-induced NAFLD/NASH. NASH-like liver injury was induced in both sexes during choline-deficient, L-amino acid-defined, high-fat diet (CDAHFD) feeding, but compared with females, male mice had more severe hepatic damage. Fpr2 was more highly expressed in hepatocytes and healthy livers from females than males, and FPR2 deletion exacerbated liver damage in CDAHFD-fed female mice. Estradiol induced Fpr2 expression, which protected hepatocytes and the liver from damage. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that FPR2 mediates sex-specific responses to diet-induced NAFLD/NASH, suggesting a novel therapeutic target for NAFLD/NASH.

Alisol B 23‑acetate (AB23A) is a natural triterpenoid isolated from Alismatis rhizoma, which exhibits a number of pharmacological activities. In the present study, AB23A‑induced anticancer efficacy was examined in AGS gastric cancer cells. Cell viability assay, cell cycle analysis, caspase activity assay, western blotting and reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay were used to investigate the anticancer effects of AB23A on AGS cells. AB23A reduced the viability of AGS cells, increased the sub‑G1 cell fraction and depolarized the mitochondrial membrane. Notably, AB23A‑induced cell death was associated with downregulation of the B‑cell lymphoma 2 and survivin proteins, and upregulation of the Bax protein. In addition, AB23A increased caspase‑3 and ‑9 activities, and regulated the activation of mitogen‑activated protein kinases (MAPK). Moreover, AB23A increased the production of reactive oxygen species. These results suggested that AB23A may induce apoptosis through cell cycle arrest and the mitochondrial pathway, accompanied by the caspase and MAPK signaling cascades. In conclusion, AB23A may have potential as a novel anticancer drug for the treatment of gastric cancer.

The goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to increase access to health insurance and decrease health care cost while improving health care quality. With more articles examining the relationship between one of the ACA provisions and dental health outcomes, we systematically reviewed the effect of the ACA on dental care coverage and access to dental services. We searched literature using the National Library of Medicine’s Medline (PubMed) and Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science between January 2010 and November 2020. We identified 33 articles related to dental coverage, and access/utilization of dental care services. This systematic review of studies showed that the ACA resulted in gains in dental coverage for adults and children, whereas results were mixed with dental care access. Overall, we found that the policy led to a decrease in cost barriers, an increase in private dental coverage for young adults, and increased dental care use among low-income childless adults. The implementation of the ACA was not directly associated with dental insurance coverage among people in the U.S. However, results suggest positive spillover effects of the ACA on dental care coverage and utilization by people in the national level dataset.

Numerous chemically synthesized compounds are widely used in oral hygiene products. However, due to their potential risk, there is a need to improve the safety and quality of dental care by seeking alternative control agents such as those naturally found in plant materials. Here we assessed antibacterial potentials of extracts from 100 species of Korean native plants against Streptococcus mutans on cariogenesis. Among those, extracts from five plants (Arctii Fructus, Caryopteris incana, Aralia continentalis, Symplocarpus renifolius, and Lamium amplexicaule) showed a growth inhibition of S. mutans. The five extracts were further individually evaluated for their minimal inhibitory concentration and minimal bactericidal concentration. Interestingly, a synergistic antibacterial activity was observed with the combination of sodium fluoride and the plant extracts. To determine the anti-biofilm activity of plant extracts, S. mutans was treated with increasing concentrations of the extracts in the range from 1250 to 3750 µg/mL. When S. mutans was grown in the defined biofilm medium containing the individual extracts of 47 species, the biofilm amount markedly decreased compared to that of a negative control. Notably, the extract of S. renifolius significantly downregulated the gtf and spaP genes for synthesis of glucan and adhesive proteins in S. mutans, and L. amplexicaule decreased the expression of gtfD gene. Therefore, these results demonstrate that the five plant extracts modulate survival and pathogenesis of S. mutans by growth inhibition and downregulation of the gene(s) implicated in biofilm formation.

Effective antibacterial substances of Aralia continentalis have anti-biofilm and bactericidal activity to the oral pathogen Streptococcus mutans. In this study, three compounds extracted from A. continentalis were identified as acanthoic acid, continentalic acid, and kaurenoic acid by NMR and were further investigated how these diterpenoids affect the physiology of the S. mutans. When S. mutans was exposed to individual or mixed fraction of diterpenoids, severe growth defects and unique morphology were observed. The proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in the cell membrane was increased compared to that of saturated fatty acids in the presence of diterpenoids. Genome-wide gene expression profiles with RNA-seq were compared to reveal the mode of action of diterpenoids. Streptococcus mutans commonly enhanced the expression of 176 genes in the presence of the individual diterpenoids, whereas the expression of 232 genes was considerably reduced. The diterpenoid treatment modulated the expression of genes or operon(s) involved in cell membrane synthesis, cell division, and carbohydrate metabolism of S. mutans. Collectively, these findings provide novel insights into the antibacterial effect of diterpenoids to control S. mutans infection, which causes human dental caries.