Purification and biochemical function of Astragalus membtanaceus pathogenesis-related protein 10 / 中国中药杂志

Astragalus membranaceus pathogenesis-related protein 10 (AmPR-10) is largely expressed in case of environmental pressure and pathogen invasion. This study aims to explore the biochemical functions of AmPR-10. The dried root of Astragalus membranaceus was mechanically homogenized and extracted by Tris-HCl buffer to obtain its crude extract, which was then purified by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography to obtain electrophoretically pure AmPR-10. The nuclease activity of AmPR-10 was tested with different RNAs by detecting the absorption value at 260 nm. The results demonstrated potent nuclease activity toward yeast tRNA, yeast RNA, Poly (A) and Poly (C). The optimum reaction temperature was 50 °C and pH was 7-8. EDTA showed no effect on its activity, while Mg²⁺ exhibited potent activation effect on the activity, and Co²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺ manifested moderately inhibition of the activity. Since AmPR-10 had no sequence homology with other known nucleases, AmPR-10 was probably a novel nuclease. The inhibition kinetic data against papain was analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots, and the results showed that the inhibition of papain followed noncompetitive-type kinetics. AmPR-10 played an important role in Astragalus membranaceus defense mechanism against environmental pressure and pathogen invasion, which may be achieved by inhibiting cycteine enzymes activity.

Stimulation of endothelial non-neuronal muscarinic receptor attenuates the progression of atherosclerosis via inhibiting endothelial cells activation / 中国应用生理学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of non-neuronal muscarinic receptors (NNMR) stimulation on atherosclerosis and endothelial cells activation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Atherosclerosis model was established in ApoE-/- mice by a high fat diet for 7 weeks. During the experimental periods, animals were received a low (7 mg/kg/d) or a high (21 mg/kg/d) dose of arecoline by gavage. At the termination of the treatments, serum total cholesterol and NO levels were measured, and the aorta morphology was analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin staining. The gene expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and adhesion molecules in the thoracic aortas was determined by RT-PCR, and the MCP-1 protein expression and NF-κB activity were detected by Western blot analysis. NO production, MCP-1 secretion in cultured rat aortic endothelial cells (RAECs), and monocyte-endothelium adhesion assay were also performed after arecoline treatments.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Arecoline efficiently decreased atherosclerotic plaque areas, increased serum nitric oxide (NO) content, suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of MCP-1, and modulated the IκB-α degradation and P65 phosphorylation in the aortae of ApoE-/- mice. Furthermore, arecoline promoted NO production and suppressed MCP-1 secretion in cultured RAECs after ox-LDL exposure, and either atropine or NG-nitro-L-arginine methylester could abrogate these effects. Arecoline also significantly inhibited the adherence of U937 monocytes to the ox-LDL injured human umbilical vein endothelial cells, which could be abolished by atropine.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our results indicate that arecoline attenuates the progression of atherosclerosis and inhibits endothelial cells activation and adherence by stimulating endothelial NNMR. These effects, at least in part, are due to its modulation on NF-κB activity.</p>

Reversal effect of haloperidol on doxorubicin resistance and chloride channel inhibition in erythroleukemic cell K562/Dox / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the reversal effect of haloperidol (Hal) on doxorubicin (Dox) resistance and its inhibition effect on P-glycoprotein and swelling-activated chloride channel in Dox-resistant erythro-leukemic cell line K562/Dox.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Tumor cell proliferation was measured by LDH assay. mRNA expressions of P-glycoprotein (MDR1), glutathione S-transferase Pi (GSTpi) and MDR-associated protein (MRP) of K562/Dox treated with Hal were assayed by RT-PCR. Chloride-sensitive dye MQAE was loaded into K562/Dox cells and the intracellular fluorescence intensity was measured to evaluate the effect of Hal on chloride channel in swelling-activated K562/Dox cells. Coulter counter ZM and Channelyzer 256 were used to measure cell volume regulation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Hal significantly reversed Dox resistance in K562/Dox cells after 12.50, 6.25 and 3.12 micromol/L Hal treatment, the chemosensitivity to Dox increased by 8.61, 4.35 and 2.25 times respectively. After treatment with Hal 12.50 micromol/L, MDR1 and MRP mRNA expression were gradually down-regulated in a time-dependent manner on d1-d3, reducing to 76.3% and 64.6% of the control level on d3 (P < 0.05), while GSTpi mRNA expression decreased by 66.1% (P < 0.05) on d1-d2, and began to recover on d3. The swelling-activated chloride channel and cell regulatory volume decreased (RVD) in K562/Dox cells were also inhibited by Hal. Under hypotonic challenge the cellular fluorescence intensity which represented chloride concentration declined by (34.46 +/- 5.91)%. After adding 6.25 micromol/L and 18.75 micromol/L Hal, the hypotonic challenge only caused decrease in fluorescence intensity by (24.43 +/- 3.25)% and (16.63 +/- 4.98)% (P < 0.01). RVD in hypotonic condition was (84.95 +/- 5.69)%. RVD under hypotonic condition with 6.25 micromol/L and 18.75 micromol/L Hal were (51.12 +/- 6.01)% and (39.51 +/- 4.79)% respectively (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>A nontoxic concentration of haloperidol can significantly reverse drug resistance through a multi-pathway effect, including down-regulating mRNA expressions of MDR, GSTpi and MRP, inhibition of swelling-activated chloride channel and RVD in K562/Dox cells.</p>