Autophagy is an evolutionarily well-conserved cellular homeostasis program that responds to various cellular stresses and degrades unnecessary or harmful intracellular materials in lysosomes. Accumulating evidence has shown that autophagy dysfunction often results in various human pathophysiological conditions, including metabolic disorders, cancers, and neurodegenerative diseases. The discovery of an autophagy machinery protein network has revealed underlying molecular mechanisms of autophagy, and advances in the understanding of its regulatory mechanism have provided novel therapeutic targets for treating human diseases. Recently, reports have emerged on the involvement of autophagy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Although the role of autophagy in cancer therapy is controversial, the beneficial use of the induction of autophagic cell death in OSCC has drawn significant attention. In this review, the types of autophagy, mechanism of autophagosome biogenesis, and modulating molecules and therapeutic candidates affecting the induction of autophagic cell death in OSCC are briefly described.

Dyslipidemia, defined as elevated triglyceride (TG), total- and LDL-C, and/or decreased HDL-C levels, is considered a principal risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) family has been considered a key player in the prevention of dyslipidemia. The LDLR family consists of cytoplasmic membrane proteins and plays an important role not only in ligand–receptor binding and uptake, but also in various cell signaling pathways. Emerging reports state that various functional ingredients dynamically modulate the function of the LDLR family. For instance, oats stimulated the LDLR function in vivo, resulting in decreased body weight and improved serum lipid profiles. The stimulation of LRP6 by functional ingredients in vitro activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, subsequently suppressing the intracellular TG via inhibition of SREBP1, PPARγ, and C/EBPα. Furthermore, the extract of Cistanchetubulosa enhanced the expression of the mRNA of VLDLR, followed by a reduction in the serum cholesterol level. In addition, fermented soy milk diminished TG and total cholesterol levels while increasing HDL-C levels via activation of LRP1. To summarize, modulating the function of the LDLR family by diverse functional ingredients may be a potent therapeutic remedy for the treatment of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular diseases.

Perception of sweet compounds is important for animals to detect external carbohydrate source of calories and plays a crucial role in feeding behavior of animals. Recent progress in molecular genetic studies provides evidence for a candidate receptor (heterodimers with taste receptor type 1 member 2 and 3: T1R2/T1R3), and major downstream transduction molecules required for sweet taste signaling. Several studies demonstrated that the sweet taste signal can be modulated by a satiety hormone, leptin, through its receptors expressed in a subset of sweet-sensitive taste cells. Increase of internal energy storage in the adipose tissue leads to increase in the plasma leptin level which can reduce activities of sweet-sensitive cells. In human, thus, diurnal variation of plasma leptin level parallels variation of taste recognition thresholds for sweet compounds. This leptin modulation of sweet taste sensitivity may influence individuals' preference, ingestive behavior, and absorption of nutrients, thereby plays important roles in regulation of energy homeostasis.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been known to inf1uence cell fate through apoptotic or necrotic cell death. Here, we investigated the role of nitric oxide on the growth and viability of immortalized human salivary gland (HSG) cells 띠 vitro. Treatrnent of HSG with a NO donor, S-nitroso-N-acetyl-DL-penκi1lamine (SNAP), significantly diminished the growth rate of HSG in a concentration dependent manner. However, this retardation of cell비ar growth rate was not corresponded to the apoptotic cell death of HSG cells, because there were no characteristic apopto디c features such as condensation of nuclear chromatin, nuclear fragmentation, and the apoptotic peak of propidium iodide (PI)-stained nuclei by flow cytome띠. 까ùs implies that HSG cells are resistant to NO-mediated 다π。to:잉city. 1n SNAP treated HSG cells, cell cycle analysis revealed that the number of G2/M phase increased markedly, according to while the percentage of cells in GO/Gl and S phases was not significantly affected. Otherwise, high concentrations of SNAP increased both P1 and annexin V positive cells. 1nterestingly, preincubation of HSG cells with iron chelator, deferoxamine (DFO), significantly diminished NO cytotoxicity more than when HSG cells are only incubated with SNAP which su잃.ests the role of iron homeostasis in NO-mediated cell death of HSG cells. 1n addi디。n ， treatrnent of HSG cells with SNAP specifically cleaved iron regulatory protein-2 (IRP2) while not affecting 1RP1. Collectively, the mπent results s멍gest that NO has a potential to control HSG cell growth through cell cycle arresting at G2/M phase. 1n addi디on ， intracellular iron homeostasis nùght play an important role in regulating cell survival of HSG cells

지구상의 모든 생명체들은 자신의 생존과 종의 영속성을 보장하기 위해 우호적이지 않은 환경 변화에 대응하기 위한 효과적인 전략을 발전시켜왔다. 그 결과, 생명체들은 환경요인들의 변화에도 불구하고 체내 생리적 환경의 역동적인 평형, 즉 항상성(homeostasis)을 유지해 나간다. 스트레스는 항상성을 위협하는 정서적 그리고 물리적 반응이다. 스트레스는 일시적일 뿐만 아니라 거의 영구적인 영향을 개체에 줄 수 있는데, 특히 출생전 스트레스는 유전 코드의 변

피부장벽을 포함한 표피층은 인체의 조직 가운데에서도 가장 역동적인 기관이다. 다시 말해서 끊임없이 새로운 표피세포의 형성, 분화 및 탈각과정이 반복되면서 표피항상성(epidermal homeostasis)을 유지한다. 표피항상성은 피부기능 가운데 가장 주요한 기능인 permeability barrier homeostasis의 확립으로 연결된다. Permeability barrier homeostasis는 각질층에서 이루어지며 이를 형성하고 유지하기 위해 매우 정교하게 조절되어야 한다. 표피항상성을 조절하는 핵심 조절인자로서 nuclear hormone receptor (NHR)가 중심에 있음이 최근 다양한 연구를 통해 입증되었다. 이들은 각질세포 특이적인 단백질, 즉, involucrin, loricrin 및 trans-glutaminase 1 (TG 1) 등의 발현을 유전자 수준에서 조절할 뿐 아니라 표피 지질성분의 생합성을 증가시키는 등 피부장벽을 구성하는 brick 및 mortar의 생성과 유지에 핵심적 역할을 하는 것으로 알려졌다. NHR 가운데 peroxisome proliferator activator receptor (PPAR)와 liver X receptor (LXR)의 activator/ligands가 리놀레인산 등 지방산, leukotriene, prostanoid 및 oxygenated sterol 등이 지질대사과정에서 형성된 지질 종류인 까닭에 liposensor로도 알려지고 있다. 따라서 liposensor들을 비롯한 PPAR과 LXR activator/ligands들은 피부장벽기능이 저해된 아토피성 피부를 포함하여 건조피부를 관리하는 epidermotherapy의 수단으로서 잠재적 가능성이 있다고 생각된다.