The effects of 6-gingerol on proliferation, differentiation, and maturation of osteoblast-like MG-63 cells

We investigated whether 6-gingerol affects the maturation and proliferation of osteoblast-like MG63 cells in vitro. Osteoblast-like MG63 cells were treated with 6-gingerol under control conditions, and experimental inflammation was induced by tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Expression of different osteogenic markers and cytokines was analyzed by real-time PCR, Western blotting, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzyme activity and biomineralization as markers for differentiation were measured. Treatment with 6-gingerol resulted in insignificant effects on the proliferation rate. 6-Gingerol induced the differentiation of osteoblast-like cells with increased transcription levels of osteogenic markers, upregulated ALP enzyme activity, and enhanced mineralized nodule formation. Stimulation with TNF-α led to enhanced interleukin-6 and nuclear factor-κB expression and downregulated markers of osteoblastic differentiation. 6-Gingerol reduced the degree of inflammation in TNF-α-treated MG-63 cells. In conclusion, 6-gingerol stimulated osteoblast differentiation in normal physiological and inflammatory settings, and therefore, 6-gingerol represents a promising agent for treating osteoporosis or bone inflammation.

Therapeutic mechanism of treating SMMC-7721 liver cancer cells with magnetic fluid hyperthermia using Fe2O3 nanoparticles

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of treating SMMC-7721 liver cancer cells with magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) using Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Hepatocarcinoma SMMC-7721 cells cultured in vitro were treated with ferrofluid containing Fe2O3 nanoparticles and irradiated with an alternating radio frequency magnetic field. The influence of the treatment on the cells was examined by inverted microscopy, MTT and flow cytometry. To study the therapeutic mechanism of the Fe2O3 MFH, Hsp70, Bax, Bcl-2 and p53 were detected by immunocytochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). It was shown that Fe2O3 MFH could cause cellular necrosis, induce cellular apoptosis, and significantly inhibit cellular growth, all of which appeared to be dependent on the concentration of the Fe2O3 nanoparticles. Immunocytochemistry results showed that MFH could induce high expression of Hsp70 and Bax, decrease the expression of mutant p53, and had little effect on Bcl-2. RT-PCR indicated that Hsp70 expression was high in the early stage of MFH (<24 h) and became low or absent after 24 h of MFH treatment. It can be concluded that Fe2O3 MFH significantly inhibited the proliferation of in vitro cultured liver cancer cells (SMMC-7721), induced cell apoptosis and arrested the cell cycle at the G2/M phase. Fe2O3 MFH can induce high Hsp70 expression at an early stage, enhance the expression of Bax, and decrease the expression of mutant p53, which promotes the apoptosis of tumor cells.

A School Outbreak of Shigella sonnei Infection in China: Clinical Features, Antibiotic Susceptibility and Molecular Epidemiology.

Objective: To describe the clinical features of infection, and the antibiotic susceptibility of epidemic strains, and investigate plasmid maps and integrons of the isolates from an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection at an elementary school in southwest China. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: An elementary school and five hospitals in Chengdu in southwest China. Results: There were 1,134 students in the school. 937 (82.6%) students had signs and symptoms. Of the 568 (60.6%, 568/937) hospitalized students, 93.3% 86.8%, 72.4%, and 28.9% of the hospitalized patients had diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting, respectively. S. sonnei strains were isolated from the stool samples of 36.0% (337/937) students. All of the outbreak isolates had the same high-level antimicrobial resistance and plasmid profiles, which were different from that of sporadic strains. All the outbreak S. sonnei isolates were positive for the integrin gene and contained class 2 integron; however, two outbreak isolates contained class 1 and class 2 integrons. Conclusions: Diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain were the three most common clinical manifestations observed in patients infected with S. sonnei. High-level antibiotic resistance was observed among Shigella species.