Miltirone induces cell death in hepatocellular carcinoma cell through GSDME-dependent pyroptosis

Pyroptosis is a form of programmed cell death, and recently described as a new molecular mechanism of chemotherapy drugs in the treatment of tumors. Miltirone, a derivative of phenanthrene-quinone isolated from the root of Bunge, has been shown to possess anti-cancer activities. Here, we found that miltirone inhibited the cell viability of either HepG2 or Hepa1-6 cells, and induced the proteolytic cleavage of gasdermin E (GSDME) in each hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line, with concomitant cleavage of caspase 3. Knocking out switched miltirone-induced cell death from pyroptosis to apoptosis. Additionally, the induction effects of miltirone on GSDME-dependent pyroptosis were attenuated by siRNA-mediated caspase three silencing and the specific caspase three inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK, respectively. Miltirone effectively elicited intracellular accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and suppressed phosphorylation of mitogen-activated and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK) and extracellular regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) for pyroptosis induction. Moreover, miltirone significantly inhibited tumor growth and induced pyroptosis in the Hepa1-6 mouse HCC syngeneic model. These results provide a new insight that miltirone is a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of HCC GSDME-dependent pyroptosis.

Preparation method of penicillin V postassium Beta-cyclodextrin inclusion

In order to conceal the unpleasant smell of pharmaceutical raw materials of penicillin V potassium, we use Beta-cyclodextrin [Beta-CD] as a drug carrier. The Penicillin V potassium Beta-CD inclusion complex was prepared by saturated aqueous solution method; the characterization of penicillin V potassium Beta-CD inclusion complex is determined by scanning electron microscopy, Differential Scanning Calorimeter [DSC] and X-ray Diffraction [XRD], the formation constants of the complexes were determined by UV spectrophotometry; based on the results obtained from the orthogonal experimental design, the optimum preparation process are summarized as follow: Beta-CD: Penicillin V potassium = 4: 1 [molar ratio], stirring temperature 50 centigrade, strirring time 12h, the encapsulation efficiency is 29.40%

Development of Unidirectional Negative Corona Discharge Ion Mobility Spectrometer for Detection of Explosives / 分析化学

Abstract Ion mobility spectrometry ( IMS) based explosives detectors is wieldy deployed at the check points of airport, etc, so the development of new ionization method to replace the radioactive 63 Ni ion source in IMS is highly demanded. In this study, a novel negative corona discharge was developed for ion mobility spectrometer for rapid detection of trace explosives, which was running in the unidirectional mode to efficiently remove nitrogen oxides and ozone produced from the discharge process. The diameter of target electrode was 3 mm, the distance between the needle and the target electrode was 2 mm, the discharge voltage was 2400 V and the flow rate of drift gas was 1200 mL/min. Under the optimized conditions, the dominant reactant ions was O-2(H2O)n and could be used to directly detect the common explosives, such as trinitrotoluene (TNT), ammonium nitrate (AN), nitroglycerin (NG), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX). The limit of detection of TNT was 200 pg/μL. These results indicated that negative corona discharge ionization source, with the advantanges of the high sensibility, simple structure and no radioactivity, could be used as a potential and promising ionization source for ion mobility spectrometry to detect explosives.

Teaching Practice about True-and-false Identification of Pini Pollen,Typhae Pollen and Lygodium japonicum / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To train the students’ability about true-and-false identification of pini pollen,typhae pollen and Lygo-dium japonicum. METHODS:Teachers firstly used flexible and diversifided teaching methods to train the learning interest of stu-dents,and then picture antithesis,classroom presentation and other methods were used to teach the distinctive features between the true and false traditional Chinese medicine in the characters of identification. RESULTS&CONCLUSIONS:There were obvious dif-ference among the colors,physicochmical poperties,microscopic characteristics and other aspects of 3 traditional Chinese medi-cines. According to the teaching,the students could not only distinguish the 3 traditional Chinese medicines accurately, but also could identify the true-and-false of them. picture antithesis and classroom presentation method are simple and vivid, and can be used for the training of students’ability about true-and-false identification.