14-Deoxygarcinol, a polyisoprenylated benzophenone from Garcinia cambogia, ameliorates inflammatory responses in adipose tissue via suppressing NLRP 3 inflammasome / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Interleukin (IL)-1β, one of the principal inflammatory cytokines mainly secreted by mono?cytes and macrophages, is produced by cleavage of the inactive pro-IL-1βprecursor by caspase-1 via the NLRP3 inflam?masome complex. The fruits of Garcinia cambogia (Clusiaceae) are widely developed as health products for anti-obese purpose. 14-deoxygarcinol (DOG) is a polyisoprenylated benzophenone from the fruits of G. cambogia, which showed potent anti-inflammatory effect in our previous study. The objective of this study was to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of DOG and its roles in alleviating adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. METHODS The anti-inflammatory effect of DOG was evaluated on LPS plus nigericin-induced THP-1 macrophages. The expression of NLRP3 inflammasome complex proteins was analyzed by Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining and co-immu?noprecipitation. The pro-inflammatory cytokines levels were determined by ELISA kits. RESULTS DOG increased the expression of Sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) deacetylase and enhanced its deacetylating activity to suppress the NLRP3 inflamma?some activation and IL-1βsecretion in THP-1 macrophages. Moreover, DOG attenuated macrophage conditioned medium-induced inflammatory responses in adipocytes and blocked THP-1 macrophages migration towards 3T3-L1 adipocytes. CONCLUSION DOG attenuated the inflammatory crosstalk between macrophages and adipocytes through SIRT2-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition, which might be used for the treatment of adipose tissue inflammation-related metabolic disorders.

Nagilactone E increases PD-L1 expression through activation of c-Jun in lung cancer cells / 中国天然药物

Nagilactone E (NLE), a natural product with anticancer activities, is isolated from Podocarpus nagi. In this study, we reported that NLE increased programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expressions at both protein and mRNA levels in human lung cancer cells, and enhanced its localization on the cell membrane. Mechanistically, NLE increased the phosphorylation and expression of c-Jun, and promoted the localization of c-Jun in the nucleus, while silencing of c-Jun by small interfering RNA (siRNA) reduced NLE-induced PD-L1. Further study showed that NLE activated the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK), the upstream of c-Jun, and its inhibitor SP600125 reversed the NLE-increased PD-L1. Moreover, NLE-induced PD-L1 increased the binding intensity of PD-1 on the cell surface. In summary, NLE upregulates the expression of PD-L1 in lung cancer cells through the activation of JNK-c-Jun axis, which has the potential to combine with the PD-1/PD-L1 antibody therapies in lung cancer.

Anticancer carbazole alkaloids and coumarins from Clausena plants: A review / 中国天然药物

Pharmaceutical research has focused on the discovery and development of anticancer drugs. Clinical application of chemotherapy drugs is limited due to their severe side effects. In this regard, new naturally occurring anticancer drugs have gained increasing attention because of their potential effectiveness and safety. Fruits and vegetables are promising sources of anticancer remedy. Clausena (family Rutaceae) is a genus of flowering plants and includes several kinds of edible fruits and vegetables. Phytochemical and pharmacological studies show that carbazole alkaloids and coumarins from Clausena plants exhibit anticancer activity. This review summarizes research progresses made in the anticancer properties of plants belonging to Clausena; in particular, compounds with direct cytotoxicity, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis induction, and immune potentiation effects are discussed. This review reveals the potential use of plants from Clausena in preventing and treating cancer and provides a basis for development of relevant therapeutic agents.

Effect of pretreatment on topochemical and ultrastructural changes of lignocellulose plant cell walls: a review / 生物工程学报

Deconstruction of lignocellulosic plant cell walls to fermentable sugars by biochemical means is impeded by several poorly understood ultrastructural and chemical barriers. Pretreatment is an essential step by altering the morphological and compositional characteristics of biomass to enhance the sugar release during enzymatic hydrolysis. Therefore, getting insight into this field is necessary to improve the conversion of biomass into biofuels. In this review, we highlight our recent understanding on the impact of various promising pretreatments on biomass, with emphasis on the topochemical and ultrastructural changes of plant cell walls that are related to the reduction of recalcitrance and the consequence of saccharification. It will lend support to the scientific research and development with respect to biomass conversion.

Phenotypic variation in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans / 中华口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the colony variation in Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) from rough to smooth and recognize its different morphology during laboratory translations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Primary strains isolated from subgingival plaque of two juvenile periodontitis patients were repeatedly subcultured on agar plates and broth; for broth culture, every generation was translated in broth and on solid medium separately to observe the corresponding morphologies of Aa grow in broth.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three smooth strains of Aa from the broth culture were obtained. The process was about 7-8 generations: colonies changed from a small and adherence phenotype to a bigger and sediment ones and finally the culture supernatant became turbid; the corresponding morphologies grow on agar exhibiting an adherent, small rough colony phenotype which had a star-shaped internal structure converted gradually to a kind of bigger, opaque, nonadherent, smooth phenotype, then the colony extended out from the margin of the colony and finally converted to a flat, almost parent morphology and the same time the star-like inner structure converted to a simpler and smaller type and finally disappeared. We could not get completely smooth variants of Aa from agar.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The variation in colony morphology of Aa from rough to smooth is a process, in which the colony was gradually wetter and bigger and at the same time gradually lost the inner structure. During this process three colony morphologies at least can be seen, including rough, opaque smooth and almost translucent smooth.</p>

Molecular Identification of Isolate of Lactarius deliciosus by ITS Analysis / 微生物学通报

In this study,the rDNA ITS sequence of isolate of Lactarius deliciosus(L.)Gray was sequenced.Molecular identification was accomplished using phylogenetic tree analysis of 22 Lactarius nrDNA-ITS nucleotide sequence including the 2 new and 20 GenBank sequence.