ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of ethanol extracts of Lepidium meyenii Walp (LMEE) from two different areas in Xinjiang on the maturation of mouse macrophages (RAW264. 7 cells) and dendritic cells (DCs). Methods Ethanol extracts of LMEE from Tashikuergan County (Ta xian) and A La gou of Xinjiang were prepared and named as LMEE-T and LMEE-A, respectively. RAW264. 7 cells and bone marrow-derived DCs from C57BL/6 mice were treated with different concentrations of LMEE-T/A. The viability of RAW264. 7 cells was analyzed by MTT assay. Expression of costimulatory molecules and MHCⅠ on the surface of RAW264. 7 cells and DCs was detected by flow cytometry. Secretion of cytokines and the release of nitrogen oxide (NO) were measured by ELISA and Griess method, respectively. Results LMEE-T/A had no significant influence on the viability of RAW264. 7 cells when the concentration was lower than 1 mg/ml. Treating RAW264. 7 cells with LMEE-T/A promoted surface molecule expression, cytokine secretion and NO release through TLR4 signaling pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, LMEE-T was more potent than LMEE-A. LMEE-T/A at the concentration of 0. 4 mg/ml promoted the expression of DC surface molecules and the secretion of cytokines. Infrared and ultraviolet spectra showed that LMEE-A and LMEE-T contained polysaccharides, macaenes, macamides and flavanols. Compared with LMEE-A, LMEE-T contained more benzene ring compounds but less polysaccharides. Conclusion Both LMEE-T and LMEE-A could activate RAW264. 7 cells and promote the maturation of DCs. The differences between their effects might be related to the differences in their contents.
ABSTRACT
In recent years, molecular biologists have achieved great advance in micro RNA [miRNA] and gene investigation about the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma [MM]. Existing research data of the transcription factors [TFs] and miRNAs is disperse and unorganized, which prevents researchers from investigating the mechanism and analyze regulatory pathways of MM systematically. In our research, regulatory interactions among miRNAs, TFs, host genes and target genes were imported to construct regulatory networks at three levels, including the abnormally expressed network and the related network as well as the global network. The abnormally expressed network was primary investigated cause it was an experimentally validated topological network, and it systematically explained the regulatory mechanism of MM. Its outstanding significance lies in that if we correct each abnormally expressed gene and miRNA to normal expression level by transcriptional control adjustment, thus the whole genetic expression network will return to normal state, and MM may not relapse. Additionally, analyses and comparisons to upstream as well as downstream of abnormally expressed miRNAs and genes in three networks highlighted some important regulators and key signaling pathways. For example, STAT3 and hsa-miR-125b, PIAS3 and hsa-miR-21 respectively formed self adaptation feedback regulations. The current research proposed a novel perspective to systematically explained the regulatory mechanism of MM and may contribute to further research and therapy of carcinomas