Knockdown of ACC1 promotes migration of esophageal cancer cell / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the effect of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) knockdown on the migration of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) KYSE-450 cell and underlying mechanism. Methods: Lentiviral transfection was conducted to establish sh-NC control cell and ACC1 knocking down cell (sh-ACC1). Human siRNA HSP27 and control were transfected by Lipo2000 to get si-HSP27 and si-NC. The selective acetyltransferase P300/CBP inhibitor C646 was used to inhibit histone acetylation and DMSO was used as vehicle control. Transwell assay was performed to detect cell migration. The expression of HSP27 mRNA was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and the expressions of ACC1, H3K9ac, HSP27 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins E-cadherin and Vimentin were detected by western blot. Results: The expression level of ACC1 in sh-NC group was higher than that in sh-ACC1 group (P<0.01). The number of cell migration in sh-NC group was (159.00±24.38), lower than (361.80±26.81) in sh-ACC1 group (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of E-cadherin and Vimentin in sh-NC group were statistically significant compared with sh-AAC1 group (P<0.05). The migrated cell number in sh-NC+ si-NC group was (189.20±16.02), lower than (371.60±38.40) in sh-ACC1+ si-NC group (P<0.01). The migrated cell number in sh-NC+ si-NC group was higher than that in sh-NC+ si-HSP27 group (152.40±24.30, P<0.01), and the migrated cell number in sh-ACC1+ si-NC group was higher than that in sh-ACC1+ si-HSP27 group (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of E-cadherin and Vimentin in sh-NC+ si-NC group were significantly different from those in sh-ACC1+ si-NC and sh-NC+ si-HSP27 groups (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of E-cadherin and Vimentin in sh-ACC1+ si-NC group were significantly different from those in sh-ACC1+ si-HSP27 group (P<0.01). After 24 h treatment with C646 at 20 μmmo/L, the migrated cell number in sh-NC+ DMSO group was (190.80±11.95), lower than (395.80±17.10) in sh-ACC1+ DMSO group (P<0.01). The migrated cell number in sh-NC+ DMSO group was lower than that in sh-NC+ C646 group (256.20±23.32, P<0.01). The migrated cell number in sh-ACC1+ DMSO group was higher than that in sh-ACC1+ C646 group (87.80±11.23, P<0.01). The protein expressions of H3K9ac, HSP27, E-cadherin and Vimentin in sh-NC+ DMSO group were significantly different from those in sh-ACC1+ DMSO group and sh-NC+ C646 group (P<0.01). The protein expression levels of H3K9ac, HSP27, E-cadherin and Vimentin in sh-ACC1+ DMSO group were significantly different from those in sh-ACC1+ C646 group (P<0.01). Conclusion: Knockdown of ACC1 promotes the migration of KYSE-450 cell by up-regulating HSP27 and increasing histone acetylation.

Research on the mechanism of hypoxia promoting the migration of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells / 中国应用生理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the mechanism that hypoxia promotes the migration of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Methods: A549 cells were cultured and cells that knockdown of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (ACC1) were obtained by transfection with lentivirus, and cells that knockdown of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins-1 (SREBP-1) were obtained by treated with si-RNA. A549 cells were treated with hypoxia combined with hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) inhibitor PX-478 (25 μmol); Hypoxia combined with linoleic acid (LA) (20 μmol) treated A549 cells with ACC1 knockdown, and A549 cells with SREBP-1 knockdown were treated by hypoxia. Transwell migration assay was used to detect cell migration. Western blot was conducted to detect HIF-1α, ACC1 and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) related proteins, Vimentin, E-Cadherin and SREBP-1; Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was performed to detect the changes of ACC1 and SREBP-1 mRNA in A549 cells after hypoxia and HIF-1α inhibitor PX-478 (25 μmol) treatment. Each experiment was repeated three times. Results: Compared with the normoxic control group, hypoxia promoted the migration of A549 cells (P＜0.01), and up-regulated the expressions of ACC1, HIF-1α (all P＜0.01) and SREBP-1 (P＜0.05). PX-478 (25 μmol) inhibited the migration of A549 cells induced by hypoxia and down-regulated the expression of SREBP-1 (all P＜0.05). ACC1 mRNA and SREBP-1 mRNA levels were increased after hypoxia treatment of A549 cells (all P＜0.05). The levels of ACC1 mRNA and SREBP-1 mRNA were decreased after A549 cells treated with hypoxia combined with PX-478 (25 μmol) for 24 h (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). Knockdown of SREBP-1 in A549 cells was obtained by transfection with si-RNA. Transwell migration assay showed the number of cell migration in si-SREBP-1 group was less than that in normoxia control group (P＜0.01). The si-SREBP-1 group and the si-NC group were treated with hypoxia. Compared with the control group, the number of cell migration in the si-SREBP-1 group was decreased (P＜0.01), however, the difference was not statistically significant compared with the normoxia si-SREBP-1 group (P＞0.05). Western blot showed that the expression of ACC1 in the si-SREBP-1 group was lower than that in the control group (P＜0.01). Compared with the control group, the expression of ACC1 was decreased after si-SREBP-1 group treated with hypoxia (P＜0.01). Knockdown of ACC1 inhibited the migration of A549 cells (P＜0.05). After knockdown of ACC1, the migration number of A549 cells under normoxia and 5% O2 conditions had no significant difference (P＞0.05). Application of LA under hypoxia condition rescued ACC1-knockdown induced inhibitory effect on hypoxia-promoted A549 cell migration (P＜0.05). Conclusion: Hypoxia promotes migration of lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells by regulating fatty acid metabolism through HIF-1α/SREBP-1/ACC1 pathway.

Mori Folium Improves Glucose and Lipid Metabolism Disorders in Rats with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus by Regulating PI3K/Akt/PPARα/CPT-1 Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Mori Folium extract on the glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in the liver of rats with type 2 diabetes mellitus （T2DM） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor α/carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 （PI3K/Akt/PPARα/CPT-1） signaling pathway. MethodThe T2DM model was induced by the high-fat diet combined with the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin （STZ）. The model rats were randomly divided into a model group， a metformin （0.2 g·kg-1） group， and a Mori Folium water extract （4.0 g·kg-1） group according to blood glucose and body weight. In the 8-week administration， fasting blood glucose was measured at the same time every week. The histomorphological and fat changes in the rat liver were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and oil red O staining. The levels of total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， and aspartate aminotransferase （AST） in the serum were measured by biochemical methods. Western blot （WB） was used to quantitatively detect the protein expression of p-PI3K，PI3K，p-Akt，Akt，PPARα，and CPT-1 in the rat liver. ResultAfter 8-week administration， the blood glucose of rats was higher in the model group than that in the control group （P<0.01）， and lower in the Mori Folium water extract group than that in the model group （P<0.01）. The results of HE staining showed that the liver tissue structure of the control group was complete， and the hepatocytes were arranged radially around the central vein， while the hepatocyte injury in the model group was obvious. Compared with the model group， the Mori Folium water extract group showed improved vacuolar degeneration and no lesions such as small bile duct hyperplasia. Oil red O staining showed that there was no obvious steatosis and necrosis in the hepatocytes of rats in the control group， and no lipid droplets in the hepatocytes were observed， while the model group showed increased lipid droplets. Mori Folium significantly reduced the lipid droplets in the liver. Biochemical analysis showed that the levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， and ALT in the model group were significantly higher than those in control group （P<0.01）. The levels of TC， TG， LDL-C， AST， and ALT in the Mori Folium water extract group were significantly lower than those in the model group （P<0.05，P<0.01）. WB showed that the protein expression of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， PPARα， and CPT-1 in the model group were lower than those in the control group （P<0.01）. Mori Folium water extract could increase the protein expression of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， PPARα， and CPT-1 （P<0.05 or P<0.01）. ConclusionThe hypoglycemic mechanism of Mori Folium water extract may be related to the regulation of the PI3K/Akt/PPARα/CPT-1 signaling pathway.

Anti-tumor and Phenotypic Regulation Effect of Matrine on Dendritic Cells through Regulating TLRs Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of matrine on antigen presentation of dendritic cells (DCs), and to explore the pharmacological mechanism of matrine on anti-tumor effect.@*METHODS@#Different concentrations (0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 µ g/mL) of matrine were co-cultured with DCs, the harvested DCs were co-cultured with antigens of Lewis lung cancer (LLC) cells, and then DCs and T cells were co-cultured to produce DCs-activated killer (DAK) cells, which have significant tumor-killing activity. The expression of cytokines, mRNA and protein of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in DCs were detected by enzyme linked immunosobent assay, polymerase chain reaction and Western blot, respectively. And the killing effect of DAK were measured by MTT assay.@*RESULTS@#Matrine significantly increased the mRNA expression of TLR7, TLR8, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF-6) and I κ B kinase (IKK), as well as the protein expression of TLR7 and TLR8, and up-regulated the levels of interleukin-12 (IL-12), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), meanwhile, it also increased the expressions of MHC-II, CD54, CD80 and CD86 in DCs. DCs-activated effector T cells had significant tumor-killing activity. When the concentration of matrine was more than 4 µg/mL, all indices had significant difference (P<0.01 or P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Matrine plays an anti-tumor role by regulating TLRs signal transduction pathway, promoting the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and enhancing immune function.

Russian Characteristic Medicinal Plant Resources Based on DNA Barcode Technology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To investigate the distribution status of medicinal plants in the wild areas of Russian Caucasus and Altai, and clarify the types and efficacy information of medicinal plants in the area, so as to dig deep into new resources and new functions of medicinal plants in the countries along the Belt and Road. Method::Medicinal plants in the wild were searched and collected to make waxy specimens, and sent back to the country to extract the total DNA of the leaves of the leaves. Internal Transcribed Spacer(ITS)sequence universal primers were used for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)amplification. The PCR products were sent for the two-way sequencing, and the sequencing results are spliced by software according to National Center for Biotechnology Information(NCBI). The same ITS sequence of the highest similarity species obtained by database BLAST was analyzed by DNAman software to identify the ITS sequence of the species and the ITS sequence of the same species. The MEGA 7 software was used as the phylogenetic tree, and the Kimura-2 parameter genetic distance was used to construct the neighbor joining(NJ) phylogenetic tree by the neighbor-joining method. The confidence of each branch of the development tree was tested by the bootstrap test method. A total of 2 000 cycles were performed, and the results were identified based on the clustering results. On this basis, the key medicinal plants in the Russian Caucasus and Altay wild areas were summarized and analyzed. Result::After BLAST alignment in NCBI database, the ITS sequences of each specimen were clustered with the login sequences on the NCBI database, which were separated from the outer group. The species classification of the specimens to be identified was determined by combining the characteristics of the specimens. A total of 51 plants were identified from the specimens collected in the field, covering 44 genera of 17 families, and 29 plants had clear efficacy records. The National Drug List of the Russian Federation and the Chinese Pharmacopoeia were retrieved to summarize commonly used medicinal plants in China and conclude that 20 kinds of Chinese and Russian common medicinal materials have different medicinal effects in local areas. This study has a reference significance for expanding the scope and clinical experience of traditional Chinese medicines, and provides a basis for strengthened local species conservation, development and utilization of wild medicinal plant resources.

Research and Development of New Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Experienced Prescriptions of Prestigious Chinese Physicians / 中国实验方剂学杂志

The experienced prescriptions of famous prestigious Chinese physicians are effective prescriptions developed by prestigious Chinese doctors during their long-time clinical practice, which reflect the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) understanding of the disease development regularity and core pathogenesis. These experienced prescriptions provide valuable experience for medication and prescription regularities, and represent the highest level of TCM treatment and the major sources of new drug research, development and technology innovation. It is of great significance to inherit academic thoughts and clinical experiences of prestigious Chinese physicians, explore and summarize experienced prescriptions, and develop new Chinese drugs. The researches of new drugs based on experienced prescriptions are the major direction encouraged by the government, with the maximum amount of new TCM drug applications but a low approval rate in recent years. The main reason for the low number of approved new TCM drug applications is that researchers know less about evaluation concepts and relevant techniques, leading to problems in research and development strategy. To facilitate a smooth advance of the new drug research and development and take full advantage of the experienced prescriptions, in this paper, we focus on the problems about new drug development of experienced prescriptions, lay emphasis on the new TCM drug research and development concepts of clinical value, history of human application and whole-process quality control, and deeply and systematically analyze concerns in such links as pharmacy, pharmacodynamics, toxicology and clinic application. The purpose of this article is to provide the reference in solving actual problems, the reliable basis of further researches on experienced prescriptions, and the important guarantee for developing more safe, effective and high-quality controllable drugs to meets clinical requirements, so as to achieve the strategy of a healthy China.

Anxiolytic Effect of Chanmu Anshen Granule and Its Bioactive Mechanism / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To assess the anxiolytic effect of Chaimu Anshen granules (CMASG) and investigate its bioactive mechanism. Method:ICR mice were randomly divided into normal group, diazepam group(0.002 g·kg-1),Jieyu Anshen granules group(0.001 4 g·kg-1), high, medium, and low-dose (0.001 98,0.000 99,0.000 495 g·kg-1)Chaimu Anshen granule groups, with 20 mice in each group. To detect the anxiolytic effect of CMASG, mice were intragastrically administered for 4 weeks in the morning, and light-dark box transition test and open field test were performed once the other day. After the behavior tests, blood samples were collected. Six mice of each group were perfused with formalin through heart, and then the brains were fixed for immunohistochemistry test. Hippocampus of the other mice in each group were collected and stored in liquid nitrogen. The content of γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)and glutamic acid(Glu)in hippocampus and blood samples were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the ratio of GABA/Glu was calculated. The expression of GABAα1 receptor was evaluated by the immunohistochemistry method. To test the hypnosis effect of CMASG, mice were administered intragastrically for 7 days. The sub-threshold dose of pentobarbital sodium in the sleep experiment was tested. Result:Compared with normal group, the light-dark box transitions test demonstrated that low-dose and medium-dose CMASG groups significantly prolonged the duration in light box(PPPPPPPPPPα1 receptor protein in hippocampus showed that the medium-dose CMASG significantly increased the expression of GABAα1 protein. The sub-threshold dose of pentobarbital sodium on sleep experiments confirmed that the medium-dose CMASG significantly increased the rate of sleep in mice. Conclusion:CMASG showed an anxiolytic effect, and its bioactive mechanism was related with the increase of GABA content, and the decrease of Glu content in hippocampus. Furthermore, it increased the expression of GABAα1 protein in hippocampus. The changes in content of GABA and Glu in peripheral blood were positively correlated with the changes in hippocampal tissues, which provided reference for clinical diagnosis. CMASG also exhibited an effect in improvement of sleep.

Hypoglycemic Mechanism of Ziya Biti Tablet Based on LC-MS Metabolomics Technique / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To observe the hypoglycemic effect of Uygur medicine Ziya Biti tablet on the type 2 diabetic rats, and analyze the hypoglycemic mechanism based on metabolomic techniques. Method: According to the results of clinical research about different origins of Ziya Biti tablet, the optimal composition was screened out; type 2 diabetic rats were taken as an experimental object in the pharmacodynamic experiments;the control group and model group were given the same dose of normal saline, Ziya Biti bablet group was given 300 mg·kg-1, the metformin group was given 300 mg·kg-1 metformin hydrochloride. The fasting blood and weight changes of the experimental group after the treatment were recorded and compared with normal group; ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap/electrostatic field orbit trap combined-type high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-LTQ/Orbitrap MS) technology was used to conduct the metabolomics analysis on the rat serum, and principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) on different groups of rat serum metabolites were performed to identify potential biomarkers. Result:Compared with the model group, the rats in the Uygur medicine Ziya Biti tablet showed a healthy states, and the blood glucose were decreased(PPPConclusion:The experimental results showed that Uygur medicine Ziya Biti tablet can reduce the blood glucose of type 2 diabetic rats and allivate general physiological characteristics. The mechanism of action may be related to the improvement of amino acid metabolism and lipid metabolism.

Effect of Canna edulis Type 3 Resistant Starch in Reducing Body Weight, Serum Lipid and Acute Toxicity / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To evaluate effect of Canna edulis type 3 resistant starch(RS3) on weight loss and lipid reduction in obese hyperlipidemia mice and acute toxicity in mice. Method: KKAy mice were fed with high-fat diet for 20 weeks to establish a hyperlipidemia model and then randomly divided into model group,positive group (4 mg·kg-1), high-dose resistant starch group and low-dose resistant starch group (2,1 g·kg-1).Mice in normal group were fed with standard diet. The medication groups received corresponding drugs by gavage. Normal group and high-fat model group were given equal volume of deionized water. After 8 weeks,mice were put to death. The levels of total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C),low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C),aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum of mice were measured,and weigh fat mass,fat/body ratio,body fat rate and Lee's index were calculated accurately. The pathological changes of liver and adipose tissue were observed byhematoxylin-eosin (HE). The acute toxicity of RS3 to mice was evaluated by limit test. The mice were continuously observed for 14 days, and the toxicity of mice was recorded. Result: The indicators of high-dose RS3 group were significantly reduced,such as body weight,fat mass,body fat rate,fat/body ratio,Lee's index,and serum TC,TG,LDL-C,AST,ALT levels(P-1 was administered,no toxic reaction and death occurred in the animals. Conclusion: RS3-type Canna Edulis Resistant Starch has a good effect in reducing body weight and serum lipid,with a better effect in the high-dose group and no toxicity. And the commonly used clinical dose is safe and reliable.

Effect and Mechanism of Mori Folium on Insulin Resistance in 3T3-L1 Cells / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To observe effect of Mori Folium-containing serum on glucose consumption and cell activity of fat cell line 3T3-L1 insulin resistance (IR) model, in order to screen out the optimal concentration of drug-containing serum, detect effect of Mori Folium on the content of inflammatory factors, and explore the possible mechanism. Method: 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in logarithmic growth phase were selected, and induced with 10 mg·L-1 insulin (Ins), 0.25 mmol·L-1 dexamethasone (DEX) and 0.5 mmol·L-1 3-isobutyl-methylxanthine(IBMX) for 48 h and then with 10 mg·L-1 Ins for 48 h. After the cells were differentiated into mature adipocytes, they were induced with 1 μmol·L-1 DEX for 96 h to establish IR model. Glucose content in the supernatant of cells was detected by glucose oxidase after serum containing Mori Folium cultured for 12,24,36, 72 h. Methyl-thiazdyl-tetrazolium(MTT) was used to detect the effect of serum containing Mori Folium on IR cells activity. The content of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Meanwhile, the effects of inflammatory factors on the expressions of insulin signaling pathway proteins insulin receptor (InsR), insulin receptor substrate (IRS), p-IRS1 and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) were determined by Western blot. Result: Serum containing Mori Folium could significantly increase the glucose consumption rate and cell activity of IR cells (Pα (PPPConclusion: Mori Folium can significantly improve IR status of 3T3-L1 cells, and its mechanism may be related to inhibiting TNF-α and promoting the expressions of insulin signaling pathway proteins.

Rapid characterization of constituents absorbed into blood after oral administration of steroidal saponins from Radix Ophiopogonis using UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS coupled with higher energy collision induced dissociation / 药学学报

The method of UHPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry coupled with higher energy collision dissociation (HCD) was established to rapidly analyze the constituents absorbed into blood after oral administration of steroidal saponins from Radix Ophiopogonis. A total of 31 constituents, including 13 furostanol steroidal saponins and 18 spirostanol steroidal saponins, were characterized based on the accurate mass measurements, fragmentation patterns, chromatographic retention times, and diagnostic product ions. Among them, 8 compounds were unambiguously identified by comparison with their corresponding standards. The results provide comprehensive insights and guidance for elucidation of material basis of Radix Ophiopogonis activity.

Exploration of property theory of Tibetan medicine / 中国中药杂志

Tibetan Herbal medicine has its own complete theory based on five sources doctrine. And the theories of "Liuwei", "Baxing" and "Shiqi Gongxiao" formed the basic core components of the property theory of Tibetan medicine. However, books and literature of Tibetan medicine have never been systematically expounded and discussed about it specially which thus will limit the further development of Tibetan medicine theory. In this thesis, we firstly introduced three basic core components of the property theory-the "Liu Wei", "Baxing", and "Shiqi Gongxiao" and their interactions as well. At the same time, the links and similarities between the theory of Tibetan medicine and Chinese medicine theory were compared. The job of the thesis done above is to lay the foundation for further systematic reveal and development of Tibetan medicine theory.

Analysis of multicomponent drug metabolism used in clinical pharmacy research of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Multicomponent drug metabolism can be defined as a research area that, rather than pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, is a concerted dynamic metabolic variation of one component in several other compounds circumstance with the interaction of transport protein and drug metabolizing enzymes, and the study of the dynamic course of multiple components must be simultaneously determined. By the use of multicomponent drug metabolism in the clinical pharmacy research of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it can become a useful tool with the integration of the overall dialectical method and the concrete molecular approach.

Combination analysis of new drug discovery with "Xiaohe Silian" method and traditional Chinese medicine clinical pharmacy / 中国中药杂志

With the kernel of efficacy, "Xiaohe Silian" was a pattern and method for new drug discovery which was constituted with "metabolism-efficacy, toxicity-efficacy, quality-efficacy and structure-efficacy". Its connotation was in keeping with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinical pharmacy. This paper systematically summarized the research method of new drug discovery practice process for TCM. To avoid western drug like in TCM new drug discovery, we carried out combination analysis with TCM clinical pharmacy. The correlation analysis between basic elements of "Xiaohe Silian(n) and TCM clinical pharmacy was studied to guarantee this method could integrate closely with TCM clinic from all angles. Hence, this method aimed to provide a new method for TCM new drug discovery on the basis of TCM clinical pharmacy with insisting on holistic view of multicomponent study, kinetic view of metabolic process when the curative effect occurred and molecular material view of quality control and structure-activity exposition.

Expression of activin A in tissue and serum of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The aim of this study was to explore the expression of activin A in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its clinical significance.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used for detecting the expression of tissue activin A in sixty-four patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for detecting the serum activin A in the patients before and after surgery. The relationship between expression of activin A in the esophageal cancer tissue with clinicopathological features and its influence on prognosis were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive expression rate of activin A in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma was 82.8% (53/64), and that of normal esophageal epithelium was 6.7% (2/30), showing a very significant difference between them (P < 0.001). Expression of activin A was correlated with both lymph node metastasis and invasion depth of the tumor (all P < 0.05), and the expression of activin A was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis (r = 0.321, P < 0.05) and invasion depth of the tumor (r = 0.417, P < 0.05). The serum activin A of the patients before and after surgery was (911 ± 276) pg/ml and (667 ± 236) pg/ml, respectively, showing a significant difference (P = 0.005). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that expression of activin A and lymph node metastasis were independent influencing factors for prognosis in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Activin A may play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and it has an important reference value in the estimation of diagnosis and prognosis for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.</p>

Effect of Shensu Yin on the expression of toll-like receptors and the downstream signaling components on RAW 264.7 cells / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the influences of Shensu Yin to RAW 264.7 on the expression of TLR3, TLR4 and the factors of the downstream in RAW 264. 7 cells.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>RAW 264.7 cell line was stimulated with Lipopolysaccharide and POLY I: C, respectively, and treated with the drug serum of Shensuyin simultaneously. 24 hours later, collected the supernatant and measured the inflammatory factors TNF-alpha and IFN-beta, extracted mRNA and measured the expression of TLR3, TLR4 and other correlated indexes of the downstream, analyzed and evaluated Shensu Yin's substance basis of pharmacodynamic actions.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Shensu Yin drug serum depressed the expression of TLR4, MyD88, TRAF-6, TRAM and TRIF mRNA, as a result, it decreased the amount of TNF-alpha and IFN-beta.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Depressing the expression of TLR3, MyD88, TRAM and TRIF mRNA may be the elementary basis of Shensu Yin to play heat-clearing and detoxicating effect.</p>

Effect of 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde on activity of COX and PGE2 release in cerebral microvascular endothelial cells stimulated by IL-1 / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde (isolated from fraction A of Guizhi Tang) on activity of COX and PGE2 release in rat cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (rCMEC) stimulated by IL-1.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>rCMEC were cultured, and identified by immunohistochemistry for von Willebrand factor (VIII factor, a marker for all endothelial cells) in cytoplasm of the cells. Different concentrations of 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde were added respectively and incubated for 3 hours, then stimulated for another 12 hours by IL-1. Activities of COX-1 and COX-2 in rCMEC, and production of PGE2 in the conditioned media were measured by ELISA.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Positive immunostaining for VIII factor was present diffusely in the cytoplasm of > 90% rCMEC. After being exposed to 30 ng x mL(-1) IL, the activity of COX-2 in rCMEC and the production of PGE2 in conditioned media were higher than those of control group, while there was no difference on activity of COX-1 in the two groups. 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde could down-regulate them in concentration-dependently, and significant differences on the activity of COX-2 and amount of PGE2 were showed in 200 microg x mL(-1) concentration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>2-methoxycinnamaldehyde can affect the PGE2 release in rCMEC induced by IL-1, which might be related with its inhibition on the activity of COX-2.</p>