Colin Mcgill - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Colin Mcgill

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of the Microbiome in Cancer and the Development of Cancer Therapeutics

International journal of biopharmaceutical sciences, 2020

Cancer is caused by a compilation of hereditary and environmental factors. In the past decade, ne... more Cancer is caused by a compilation of hereditary and environmental factors. In the past decade, next-generation sequencing has revealed the extent to which the microbiome influences the maintenance of homeostasis and therefore the prevention of diseases such as cancer. Current research efforts explore the interaction between cancer and the microbiome, and the results are anticipated to transform how clinicians approach cancer treatment. There is a plausible transition from the use of human genetic biomarkers to microbiomic biomarkers for genomic diagnostics. Considering the expanding knowledge of the ways in which the microbiome can affect the development of cancer, clinicians treating cancer patients should be considerate of how the microbiome can influence the host-drug or microbiome-cancer interactions. Recognition of the importance of the microbiome within the field of oncology is pertinent to understanding and furthering cancer development and treatment.

Research paper thumbnail of The cyanide catalyzed dimerization of 2,3 naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde: a unique oxidative condensation product and derivatives

2,3 Naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde (NDA), in the presence o f cyanide, is commonly used for the deri... more 2,3 Naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde (NDA), in the presence o f cyanide, is commonly used for the derivitization of amino acids and peptides to fluorescent 2-substituted 1cyanobenzo[f]isoindoles, providing high sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations. CE studies o f the neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate have shown the formation o f a number of competitive side products. Although mentioned in the literature, these side products have not been characterized. The product, 15-hydroxybenzo[g]benzo [6,7]isochromeno[4,3c]isochromen-7(15H)-one (2), is reported here, as a dimerization o f NDA in the presence of cyanide and atmospheric oxygen. The structure is confirmed by IR, LRFAB-MS, IRMS, and NMR spectra. Possible mechanisms for the formation of 2, its air oxidation, and an alternative benzoin condensation product are discussed. 15-hydroxybenzo[g]benzo [6,7]isochromeno[4,3-c]isochromen-7(15H)-one (2) is easily converted to full acetals via reflux in an alcohol solvent in the presence of an acid catalyst. Oxidation by NaOCl (aq) yields 3-(3-chloro-l,4-dioxo-3,4-dihydro-1Hbenzo[g]isochromen-3-yl)-2-napthaldahyde (4) by capturing hypochlorite at the position a the enolate. Oxidation by pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) yields naptho[2 ,3-c]furan-1,3-dione (5) by multiple oxidations and the formation o f the anhydride. iv

Research paper thumbnail of Sphingolipids as Regulators of Neuro-Inflammation and NADPH Oxidase 2

NeuroMolecular Medicine, 2021

Neuro-inflammation accompanies numerous neurological disorders and conditions where it can be ass... more Neuro-inflammation accompanies numerous neurological disorders and conditions where it can be associated with a progressive neurodegenerative pathology. In a similar manner, alterations in sphingolipid metabolism often accompany or are causative features in degenerative neurological conditions. These include dementias, motor disorders, autoimmune conditions, inherited metabolic disorders, viral infection, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, psychiatric conditions, and more. Sphingolipids are major regulators of cellular fate and function in addition to being important structural components of membranes. Their metabolism and signaling pathways can also be regulated by inflammatory mediators. Therefore, as certain sphingolipids exert distinct and opposing cellular roles, alterations in their metabolism can have major consequences. Recently, regulation of bioactive sphingolipids by neuro-inflammatory mediators has been shown to activate a neuronal NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) that can provoke damaging oxidation. Therefore, the sphingolipid-regulated neuronal NOX2 serves as a mechanistic link between neuro-inflammation and neurodegeneration. Moreover, therapeutics directed at sphingolipid metabolism or the sphingolipid-regulated NOX2 have the potential to alleviate neurodegeneration arising out of neuro-inflammation.

Research paper thumbnail of Therapeutic effect of Northern Labrador tea extracts for acute myeloid leukemia

Phytotherapy research : PTR, Jan 27, 2018

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy that is one of the more co... more Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy that is one of the more common pediatric malignancies in addition to occurring with high incidence in the aging population. Unfortunately, these patient groups are quite sensitive to toxicity from chemotherapy. Northern Labrador tea, or Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (a.k.a. Ledum palustre subsp. decumbens) or "tundra tea," is a noteworthy medicinal plant used by indigenous peoples in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland to treat a diversity of ailments. However, laboratory investigations of Northern Labrador tea, and other Labrador tea family members, as botanical sources for anticancer compounds have been limited. Utilizing an AML cell line in both in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as in vitro studies using primary human AML patient samples, this study demonstrated for the first time that Northern Labrador tea extracts can exert anti-AML activity and that this may be attributed to ursolic acid as a cons...

Research paper thumbnail of Extracts of Devil's Club ( Oplopanax horridus ) Exert Therapeutic Efficacy in Experimental Models of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Phytotherapy Research, 2014

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of hematological malignancies defined by expanded clonal ... more Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of hematological malignancies defined by expanded clonal populations of immature progenitors (blasts) of myeloid phenotype in blood and bone marrow. Given a typical poor prognostic outlook, there is great need for novel agents with anti-AML activity. Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus) is one of the most significant medicinal plants used among the indigenous people of Southeast Alaska and the coastal Pacific Northwest, with different linguistic groups utilizing various parts of the plant to treat many different conditions including cancer. Studies identifying medically relevant components in Devil’s club are limited. For this research study, samples were extracted in 70% ethanol before in vitro analysis, to assess effects on AML cell line viability as well as to study regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation and cysteine oxidation. The root extract displayed better in vitro anti-AML efficacy in addition to a noted anti-tyrosine kinase activity independent of an antioxidant effect. In vivo therapeutic studies using an immunocompetent murine model of AML further demonstrated that Devil’s club root extract improved the murine survival while decreasing immunosuppressive regulatory T cells and improving CD8+ T-cell functionality. This study defines for the first time an anti-AML efficacy for extracts of Devil’s club.

Research paper thumbnail of Biologically relevant secondary metabolites of Vaccinium uliginosum: Bioassay-directed natural products identification of anti-neuroinflammatory agents in the Alaska bog blueberry

Dietary blueberry supplementation has demonstrated numerous health benefits including improved le... more Dietary blueberry supplementation has demonstrated numerous health benefits including improved learning and memory in aging and neurodegenerative models, neuroprotection from ischemic events, anti-diabetic properties, and modulation of multiple inflammatory cascades. Despite previous research on antioxidant components prevalent in blueberries, no adequate explanation for a molecular mechanism for the benefits of blueberry supplementation has been proposed. Vaccinium uliginosum, the Alaska bog blueberry, possesses higher concentrations of antioxidant components than commercial varietals, and exhibits a greater oxygen radical scavenging capacity, making it an excellent candidate for the identification of biologically relevant secondary metabolites. An approach of bioassay-directed natural products identification was utilized to identify compounds in the Alaska bog blueberry responsible for the inhibition of both a magnesium-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase and NADPH oxidase in TNFa-induced SH-SY5Y human neuroblastomas. Five relevant metabolites were identified: P-sitosterol (1), ursolic acid (2), 3-0-(4-hydroxyphenylcarboxylic acid) 4-0-(P-Dglucopyranosyl) gallic acid (3), malic acid (4), and 2,3-dihydroxybutane-l,2,3,4tetracarboxylic acid (5). Neither compounds 3 or 5 had been previously described as a natural product in the literature. The identification of these compounds in the Alaska bog blueberry provides new explanations as to the benefits of blueberry consumption and offers new avenues of research for nutraceutical treatment of neuroinflammation. V 1.3.1.4 Protection in Alzheimer's models: Involvement of MAPK, CREB, AChE, and GSH..

Research paper thumbnail of Alaskan Botanicals Influence Neuronal Aging

Research paper thumbnail of Lowbush cranberry acts through DAF-16/FOXO signaling to promote increased lifespan and axon branching in aging posterior touch receptor neurons

GeroScience, Apr 1, 2018

Medicinal berries are appreciated for their health benefits, in traditional ecological knowledge ... more Medicinal berries are appreciated for their health benefits, in traditional ecological knowledge and nutrition science. Determining the cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of berry supplementation may contribute to our understanding of aging. Here, we report that lowbush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) treatment causes marked nuclear localization of the central aging-related transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO in aged Caenorhabditis elegans. Further, functional DAF-16 is required for the lifespan extension, improved mechanosensation, and posterior touch receptor neuron morphological changes induced by lowbush cranberry treatments. DAF-16 is not observed in nuceli nor required for lifespan extension in lifespan-extending Alaskan blueberry treatments and, while DAF-16 is not visibly induced into the nucleus in lifespan-extending Alaskan chaga treatments, it is required for chaga-induced lifespan extension. These findings underscore the importance of DAF-16 in the aging of whole ...

Research paper thumbnail of Corrigendum: Mechanosensory Neuron Aging: Differential Trajectories with Lifespan-Extending Alaskan Berry and Fungal Treatments in Caenorhabditis elegans

Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Mechanosensory Neuron Aging: Differential Trajectories with Lifespan-Extending Alaskan Berry and Fungal Treatments in Caenorhabditis elegans

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2016

Many nutritional interventions that increase lifespan are also proposed to postpone age-related d... more Many nutritional interventions that increase lifespan are also proposed to postpone age-related declines in motor and cognitive function. Potential sources of anti-aging compounds are the plants and fungi that have adapted to extreme environments. We studied the effects of four commonly consumed and culturally relevant Interior Alaska berry and fungus species (bog blueberry, lowbush cranberry, crowberry, and chaga) on the decline in overall health and neuron function and changes in touch receptor neuron morphology associated with aging. We observed increased wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan and improved markers of healthspan upon treatment with Alaskan blueberry, lowbush cranberry, and chaga extracts. Interestingly, although all three treatments increased lifespan, they differentially affected the development of aberrant morphologies in touch receptor neurons. Blueberry treatments decreased anterior mechanosensory neuron (ALM) aberrations (i.e., extended outgrowths and abnormal cell bodies) while lowbush cranberry treatment increased posterior mechanosensory neuron (PLM) aberrations, namely process branching. Chaga treatment both decreased ALM aberrations (i.e., extended outgrowths) and increased PLM aberrations (i.e., process branching and loops). These results support the large body of knowledge positing that there are multiple cellular strategies and mechanisms for promoting health with age. Importantly, these results also demonstrate that although an accumulation of abnormal neuron morphologies is associated with aging and decreased health, not all of these morphologies are detrimental to neuronal and organismal health.

Research paper thumbnail of A Nonpolar Blueberry Fraction Blunts NADPH Oxidase Activation in Neuronal Cells Exposed to Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2012

Inflammation and oxidative stress are key to the progressive neuronal degeneration common to chro... more Inflammation and oxidative stress are key to the progressive neuronal degeneration common to chronic pathologies, traumatic injuries, and aging processes in the CNS. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) orchestrates cellular stress by stimulating the production and release of neurotoxic mediators including reactive oxygen species (ROS). NADPH oxidases (NOX), ubiquitously expressed in all cells, have recently emerged as pivotal ROS sources in aging and disease. We demonstrated the presence of potent NOX inhibitors in wild Alaska bog blueberries partitioning discretely into a nonpolar fraction with minimal antioxidant capacity and largely devoid of polyphenols. Incubation of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells with nonpolar blueberry fractions obstructed the coalescing of lipid rafts into large domains disrupting NOX assembly therein and abolishing ROS production characteristic for TNF-αexposure. These findings illuminate nutrition-derived lipid raft modulati...

Research paper thumbnail of Reaction of naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with cyanide; A unique oxidative condensation product

Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 2005

Benzopyran derivatives R 0350 Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique O... more Benzopyran derivatives R 0350 Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique Oxidative Condensation Product.-Naphthalenedicarbaldehyde (I), used for fluorescence detection of amino acids and peptides, self-condenses to a yellow, crystalline product. The formation of (II) possibly proceeds via a facile cyanide-catalyzed air oxidation of (I) to either an acyl cyanide or methyl ester and benzoin condensation. Exclusion of air avoids the formation of (II).

Research paper thumbnail of Reaction of naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with cyanide; A unique oxidative condensation product

Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 2005

Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique Oxidative Condensation Product.... more Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique Oxidative Condensation Product. -Naphthalenedicarbaldehyde (I), used for fluorescence detection of amino acids and peptides, self-condenses to a yellow, crystalline product. The formation of (II) possibly proceeds via a facile cyanide-catalyzed air oxidation of (I) to either an acyl cyanide or methyl ester and benzoin condensation. Exclusion of air avoids the formation of (II). -(MCGILL, C. M.; SWEARINGEN, K. E.; DREW, K. L.; RASLEY, B. T.; GREEN*, T. K.; J. Heterocycl. Chem. 42 (2005) 4, 475-481; Dep. Chem. Biochem., Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; Eng.) -H. Hoennerscheid 41-140

Research paper thumbnail of The Role of the Microbiome in Cancer and the Development of Cancer Therapeutics

International journal of biopharmaceutical sciences, 2020

Cancer is caused by a compilation of hereditary and environmental factors. In the past decade, ne... more Cancer is caused by a compilation of hereditary and environmental factors. In the past decade, next-generation sequencing has revealed the extent to which the microbiome influences the maintenance of homeostasis and therefore the prevention of diseases such as cancer. Current research efforts explore the interaction between cancer and the microbiome, and the results are anticipated to transform how clinicians approach cancer treatment. There is a plausible transition from the use of human genetic biomarkers to microbiomic biomarkers for genomic diagnostics. Considering the expanding knowledge of the ways in which the microbiome can affect the development of cancer, clinicians treating cancer patients should be considerate of how the microbiome can influence the host-drug or microbiome-cancer interactions. Recognition of the importance of the microbiome within the field of oncology is pertinent to understanding and furthering cancer development and treatment.

Research paper thumbnail of The cyanide catalyzed dimerization of 2,3 naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde: a unique oxidative condensation product and derivatives

2,3 Naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde (NDA), in the presence o f cyanide, is commonly used for the deri... more 2,3 Naphthalenedicarboxaldehyde (NDA), in the presence o f cyanide, is commonly used for the derivitization of amino acids and peptides to fluorescent 2-substituted 1cyanobenzo[f]isoindoles, providing high sensitivity in capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations. CE studies o f the neurotransmitters glutamate and aspartate have shown the formation o f a number of competitive side products. Although mentioned in the literature, these side products have not been characterized. The product, 15-hydroxybenzo[g]benzo [6,7]isochromeno[4,3c]isochromen-7(15H)-one (2), is reported here, as a dimerization o f NDA in the presence of cyanide and atmospheric oxygen. The structure is confirmed by IR, LRFAB-MS, IRMS, and NMR spectra. Possible mechanisms for the formation of 2, its air oxidation, and an alternative benzoin condensation product are discussed. 15-hydroxybenzo[g]benzo [6,7]isochromeno[4,3-c]isochromen-7(15H)-one (2) is easily converted to full acetals via reflux in an alcohol solvent in the presence of an acid catalyst. Oxidation by NaOCl (aq) yields 3-(3-chloro-l,4-dioxo-3,4-dihydro-1Hbenzo[g]isochromen-3-yl)-2-napthaldahyde (4) by capturing hypochlorite at the position a the enolate. Oxidation by pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) yields naptho[2 ,3-c]furan-1,3-dione (5) by multiple oxidations and the formation o f the anhydride. iv

Research paper thumbnail of Sphingolipids as Regulators of Neuro-Inflammation and NADPH Oxidase 2

NeuroMolecular Medicine, 2021

Neuro-inflammation accompanies numerous neurological disorders and conditions where it can be ass... more Neuro-inflammation accompanies numerous neurological disorders and conditions where it can be associated with a progressive neurodegenerative pathology. In a similar manner, alterations in sphingolipid metabolism often accompany or are causative features in degenerative neurological conditions. These include dementias, motor disorders, autoimmune conditions, inherited metabolic disorders, viral infection, traumatic brain and spinal cord injury, psychiatric conditions, and more. Sphingolipids are major regulators of cellular fate and function in addition to being important structural components of membranes. Their metabolism and signaling pathways can also be regulated by inflammatory mediators. Therefore, as certain sphingolipids exert distinct and opposing cellular roles, alterations in their metabolism can have major consequences. Recently, regulation of bioactive sphingolipids by neuro-inflammatory mediators has been shown to activate a neuronal NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) that can provoke damaging oxidation. Therefore, the sphingolipid-regulated neuronal NOX2 serves as a mechanistic link between neuro-inflammation and neurodegeneration. Moreover, therapeutics directed at sphingolipid metabolism or the sphingolipid-regulated NOX2 have the potential to alleviate neurodegeneration arising out of neuro-inflammation.

Research paper thumbnail of Therapeutic effect of Northern Labrador tea extracts for acute myeloid leukemia

Phytotherapy research : PTR, Jan 27, 2018

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy that is one of the more co... more Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy that is one of the more common pediatric malignancies in addition to occurring with high incidence in the aging population. Unfortunately, these patient groups are quite sensitive to toxicity from chemotherapy. Northern Labrador tea, or Rhododendron tomentosum Harmaja (a.k.a. Ledum palustre subsp. decumbens) or "tundra tea," is a noteworthy medicinal plant used by indigenous peoples in Alaska, Canada, and Greenland to treat a diversity of ailments. However, laboratory investigations of Northern Labrador tea, and other Labrador tea family members, as botanical sources for anticancer compounds have been limited. Utilizing an AML cell line in both in vitro and in vivo studies, as well as in vitro studies using primary human AML patient samples, this study demonstrated for the first time that Northern Labrador tea extracts can exert anti-AML activity and that this may be attributed to ursolic acid as a cons...

Research paper thumbnail of Extracts of Devil's Club ( Oplopanax horridus ) Exert Therapeutic Efficacy in Experimental Models of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Phytotherapy Research, 2014

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of hematological malignancies defined by expanded clonal ... more Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of hematological malignancies defined by expanded clonal populations of immature progenitors (blasts) of myeloid phenotype in blood and bone marrow. Given a typical poor prognostic outlook, there is great need for novel agents with anti-AML activity. Devil’s club (Oplopanax horridus) is one of the most significant medicinal plants used among the indigenous people of Southeast Alaska and the coastal Pacific Northwest, with different linguistic groups utilizing various parts of the plant to treat many different conditions including cancer. Studies identifying medically relevant components in Devil’s club are limited. For this research study, samples were extracted in 70% ethanol before in vitro analysis, to assess effects on AML cell line viability as well as to study regulation of tyrosine phosphorylation and cysteine oxidation. The root extract displayed better in vitro anti-AML efficacy in addition to a noted anti-tyrosine kinase activity independent of an antioxidant effect. In vivo therapeutic studies using an immunocompetent murine model of AML further demonstrated that Devil’s club root extract improved the murine survival while decreasing immunosuppressive regulatory T cells and improving CD8+ T-cell functionality. This study defines for the first time an anti-AML efficacy for extracts of Devil’s club.

Research paper thumbnail of Biologically relevant secondary metabolites of Vaccinium uliginosum: Bioassay-directed natural products identification of anti-neuroinflammatory agents in the Alaska bog blueberry

Dietary blueberry supplementation has demonstrated numerous health benefits including improved le... more Dietary blueberry supplementation has demonstrated numerous health benefits including improved learning and memory in aging and neurodegenerative models, neuroprotection from ischemic events, anti-diabetic properties, and modulation of multiple inflammatory cascades. Despite previous research on antioxidant components prevalent in blueberries, no adequate explanation for a molecular mechanism for the benefits of blueberry supplementation has been proposed. Vaccinium uliginosum, the Alaska bog blueberry, possesses higher concentrations of antioxidant components than commercial varietals, and exhibits a greater oxygen radical scavenging capacity, making it an excellent candidate for the identification of biologically relevant secondary metabolites. An approach of bioassay-directed natural products identification was utilized to identify compounds in the Alaska bog blueberry responsible for the inhibition of both a magnesium-dependent neutral sphingomyelinase and NADPH oxidase in TNFa-induced SH-SY5Y human neuroblastomas. Five relevant metabolites were identified: P-sitosterol (1), ursolic acid (2), 3-0-(4-hydroxyphenylcarboxylic acid) 4-0-(P-Dglucopyranosyl) gallic acid (3), malic acid (4), and 2,3-dihydroxybutane-l,2,3,4tetracarboxylic acid (5). Neither compounds 3 or 5 had been previously described as a natural product in the literature. The identification of these compounds in the Alaska bog blueberry provides new explanations as to the benefits of blueberry consumption and offers new avenues of research for nutraceutical treatment of neuroinflammation. V 1.3.1.4 Protection in Alzheimer's models: Involvement of MAPK, CREB, AChE, and GSH..

Research paper thumbnail of Alaskan Botanicals Influence Neuronal Aging

Research paper thumbnail of Lowbush cranberry acts through DAF-16/FOXO signaling to promote increased lifespan and axon branching in aging posterior touch receptor neurons

GeroScience, Apr 1, 2018

Medicinal berries are appreciated for their health benefits, in traditional ecological knowledge ... more Medicinal berries are appreciated for their health benefits, in traditional ecological knowledge and nutrition science. Determining the cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of berry supplementation may contribute to our understanding of aging. Here, we report that lowbush cranberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) treatment causes marked nuclear localization of the central aging-related transcription factor DAF-16/FOXO in aged Caenorhabditis elegans. Further, functional DAF-16 is required for the lifespan extension, improved mechanosensation, and posterior touch receptor neuron morphological changes induced by lowbush cranberry treatments. DAF-16 is not observed in nuceli nor required for lifespan extension in lifespan-extending Alaskan blueberry treatments and, while DAF-16 is not visibly induced into the nucleus in lifespan-extending Alaskan chaga treatments, it is required for chaga-induced lifespan extension. These findings underscore the importance of DAF-16 in the aging of whole ...

Research paper thumbnail of Corrigendum: Mechanosensory Neuron Aging: Differential Trajectories with Lifespan-Extending Alaskan Berry and Fungal Treatments in Caenorhabditis elegans

Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Mechanosensory Neuron Aging: Differential Trajectories with Lifespan-Extending Alaskan Berry and Fungal Treatments in Caenorhabditis elegans

Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2016

Many nutritional interventions that increase lifespan are also proposed to postpone age-related d... more Many nutritional interventions that increase lifespan are also proposed to postpone age-related declines in motor and cognitive function. Potential sources of anti-aging compounds are the plants and fungi that have adapted to extreme environments. We studied the effects of four commonly consumed and culturally relevant Interior Alaska berry and fungus species (bog blueberry, lowbush cranberry, crowberry, and chaga) on the decline in overall health and neuron function and changes in touch receptor neuron morphology associated with aging. We observed increased wild-type Caenorhabditis elegans lifespan and improved markers of healthspan upon treatment with Alaskan blueberry, lowbush cranberry, and chaga extracts. Interestingly, although all three treatments increased lifespan, they differentially affected the development of aberrant morphologies in touch receptor neurons. Blueberry treatments decreased anterior mechanosensory neuron (ALM) aberrations (i.e., extended outgrowths and abnormal cell bodies) while lowbush cranberry treatment increased posterior mechanosensory neuron (PLM) aberrations, namely process branching. Chaga treatment both decreased ALM aberrations (i.e., extended outgrowths) and increased PLM aberrations (i.e., process branching and loops). These results support the large body of knowledge positing that there are multiple cellular strategies and mechanisms for promoting health with age. Importantly, these results also demonstrate that although an accumulation of abnormal neuron morphologies is associated with aging and decreased health, not all of these morphologies are detrimental to neuronal and organismal health.

Research paper thumbnail of A Nonpolar Blueberry Fraction Blunts NADPH Oxidase Activation in Neuronal Cells Exposed to Tumor Necrosis Factor-α

Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2012

Inflammation and oxidative stress are key to the progressive neuronal degeneration common to chro... more Inflammation and oxidative stress are key to the progressive neuronal degeneration common to chronic pathologies, traumatic injuries, and aging processes in the CNS. The proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) orchestrates cellular stress by stimulating the production and release of neurotoxic mediators including reactive oxygen species (ROS). NADPH oxidases (NOX), ubiquitously expressed in all cells, have recently emerged as pivotal ROS sources in aging and disease. We demonstrated the presence of potent NOX inhibitors in wild Alaska bog blueberries partitioning discretely into a nonpolar fraction with minimal antioxidant capacity and largely devoid of polyphenols. Incubation of SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells with nonpolar blueberry fractions obstructed the coalescing of lipid rafts into large domains disrupting NOX assembly therein and abolishing ROS production characteristic for TNF-αexposure. These findings illuminate nutrition-derived lipid raft modulati...

Research paper thumbnail of Reaction of naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with cyanide; A unique oxidative condensation product

Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 2005

Benzopyran derivatives R 0350 Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique O... more Benzopyran derivatives R 0350 Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique Oxidative Condensation Product.-Naphthalenedicarbaldehyde (I), used for fluorescence detection of amino acids and peptides, self-condenses to a yellow, crystalline product. The formation of (II) possibly proceeds via a facile cyanide-catalyzed air oxidation of (I) to either an acyl cyanide or methyl ester and benzoin condensation. Exclusion of air avoids the formation of (II).

Research paper thumbnail of Reaction of naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with cyanide; A unique oxidative condensation product

Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 2005

Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique Oxidative Condensation Product.... more Reaction of Naphthalene-2,3-dicarbaldehyde with Cyanide; a Unique Oxidative Condensation Product. -Naphthalenedicarbaldehyde (I), used for fluorescence detection of amino acids and peptides, self-condenses to a yellow, crystalline product. The formation of (II) possibly proceeds via a facile cyanide-catalyzed air oxidation of (I) to either an acyl cyanide or methyl ester and benzoin condensation. Exclusion of air avoids the formation of (II). -(MCGILL, C. M.; SWEARINGEN, K. E.; DREW, K. L.; RASLEY, B. T.; GREEN*, T. K.; J. Heterocycl. Chem. 42 (2005) 4, 475-481; Dep. Chem. Biochem., Univ. Alaska, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA; Eng.) -H. Hoennerscheid 41-140