Bioinformatics and expressional analysis of WRKY transcription factor family in Baphicacanthus cusia / 药学学报

WRKY, a class of conserved transcription factors in plants, plays important roles in plant growth, development and secondary metabolism. In the present study, 65 WRKY members were identified from de novo transcriptome sequencing data of three different tissues (root, stems and leaves) of Baphicacanthus cusia. BcWRKY proteins contained from 221 to 706 amino acids and the isoelectric point is from 4.68 to 9.68. Molecular weights range from 25 711.8 to 75 475 Da. The main secondary structures of BcWRKYs protein are random coil. A subcellular localization prediction indicated that the putative BcWRKY proteins were enriched in the nuclear region. Phylogenetic analysis showed that BcWRKYs could be categorized into three groups and five subgroups (Group IIa, Group IIb, Group IIc, Group IId and Group IIe) in Group II. Structural analysis found that all BcWRKY proteins contained a highly conserved motif WRKYGQK. Finally, the transcriptional profiles of ten BcWRKY genes highly expressed in root, stem and leaf tissues under abscisic acid (ABA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), or salicylic acid (SA) treatment were systematically investigated using qRT-PCR analysis. Results showed that a total of ten BcWRKY genes were differentially expressed in response to ABA, MeJA, and SA treatment. This work would be provided a basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of WRKY transcription factors in the biosynthesis of indole alkaloids in B. cusia.

Progress in research on hyperuricemia cell model / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

High uric acid models are divided into animal models and cell models. Model construction is very important for hyperuricemia researching and drug screening. High uric acid animal model is mature, but there is a large gap between animals and humans, and animal models still have shortcomings. The cell model research cycle is short and the operation is simple. Meanwhile it is a model closer to human hyperuricemia, but it is rarely reported. This article briefly lists the cells commonly used in the construction of high uric acid models, outlines the construction methods of high uric acid cell models according to the two modeling principles of increasing uric acid synthesis and reducing uric acid excretion, and provides references for the development of hyperuricemia related research.

Effect of BCR-ABL downstream pathway inhibitors on human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells and BEZ235 reversing of imatinib resistance / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore the effects of BCR-ABL downstream pathway inhibitors, such as RAF inhibitor SB590885, JAK inhibitor AZD1480, PI3K-mTOR double target inhibitor BEZ235 on chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells, and the effect of BEZ235 on the proliferation, apoptosis of CML cells and the sensitivity of imatinib in vitro.Methods:K562 cells were treated with different concentrations of the drugs. MTS method was applied to detect the proliferation inhibition rate of K562 cells, and 50% inhibitory concentration (IC 50) of all drugs for 48 h was calculated. The cell apoptosis rate was tested by using flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining. The cell cycle was tested by using flow cytometry with PI staining. K562 cells, imatinib-resistant and T315I-mutant human CML KBM7R cells and imatinib-resistant CML primary cells of patients were treated with different concentrations of the drugs. MTS method was used to test the proliferation inhibition of cells, and IC 50 of all drugs for 48 h was evaluated. KBM7R cells or primary cells of CML patients were treated with 1.0 μmol/L BEZ235, 1.0 μmol/L imatinib or the combination of both, respectively. Flow cytometry with PI staining was used to detect the cell cycle of KBM7R cells. Flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining was used to detect the cell apoptosis rate in CML primary cells. The expressions of p-AKT, cleaved Caspase-3 and Cyclin D1 proteins were detected by using Western blot. Results:SB590885, AZD1480 and BEZ235 could inhibit the proliferation of K562 cells, and the IC 50 after the treatment of K562 cells for 48 h was (11.49±3.14), (4.83±1.26) and (0.37±0.21) μmol/L, respectively. SB590885, AZD1480 and BEZ235 could promote the apoptosis of K562 cells. The cell apoptosis rates were increased compared with the control group without drug treatment (all P < 0.01). SB590885 and BEZ235 induced G 0/G 1 block (both P < 0.05). AZD1480 induced G 2/M block ( P < 0.05). BEZ235 could inhibit the proliferation of K562 cells, KBM7R cells and CML primary cells, and their IC 50 for 48 h was (0.37±0.21), (0.43±0.27) and (0.49±0.24) μmol/L, respectively. Compared with imatinib alone, the different concentrations of imatinib combined with 0.2 μmol/L BEZ235 could increase the proliferation inhibition of K562 cells, KBM7R cells and CML primary cells, and could reduce the IC 50 of imatinib. After the treatment of imatinib alone and combination with BEZ235 for 48 h, the imatinib IC 50 of K562 cells was (0.14±0.05) and (0.09± 0.04) μmol/L ( t = 1.531, P = 0.249), the imatinib IC 50 of KBM7R cells was (3.93±2.29) and (0.44±0.22) μmol/L ( t = 2.837, P = 0.047), the imatinib IC 50 of the primary cells was (3.12±1.53) and (0.39±0.23) μmol/L ( t = 3.925, P = 0.042). The cell apoptotic rate of the primary cells was (4.9±1.4)%, (13.1±3.2)%, (8.8±2.0)% and (40.6±6.0)%, respectively in the control group without drug treatment, 1.0 μmol/L BEZ235, 1.0 μmol/L imatinib and the combination of 1.0 μmol/L BEZ235 and 1.0 μmol/L imatinib after the treatment of 24 h ( F = 71.031, P < 0.01). Compared with imatinib alone, the expressions of p-AKT and Cyclin D1 proteins were decreased, and the expression of cleaved Caspase-3 protein was increased after the treatment of KBM7R cells for 12 h in the combination group of both BEZ235 and imatinib. Conclusions:BCR-ABL downstream pathway inhibitors can effectively inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of K562 cells. BEZ235 can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of K562 cells, imatinib-resistant and T315I-mutant human KBM7R cells and imatinib-resistant CML primary cells of patients, which has a synergistic effect to imatinib.

Simultaneous Synthesis and Characterization of Biomass Multi-elements Self-doped Titanium Dioxide by Ultrasonic Irradiation / 分析化学

The biomass multi-elements self-doped TiO2was synthesized simultaneously by ultrasonic irradiation assisted sol-gel method, and characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis-DRS), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). The characterization results showed that,multiple elements, C, N, P, Cl and K, were doped in the composite TiO2. Compared with pure TiO2,the band gap of the composite catalyst was narrowed by 0.21 eV, and possessed more surface hydroxyl radical and active sites, lower recombination rate of photo-generated carriers, higher crystallinity and higher specific surface area. The photocatalytic ability of the composite catalyst was studied,using methylene blue (MB) as target pollutant. The experimental results showed that, under visible light irradiation,the degradation efficiency of methylene blue was up to 98% after photocatalytic reaction for two hours by the composite catalyst.

Salvianolic acid B increases recombinant adeno-associated virus transduction through redirecting trafficking pathways and stabilizing perinuclear accumulations / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To screen small molecule compounds from traditional Chinese medicine that can enhance recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) transduction. METHODS Recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) has been established as a powerful tool for in vivo gene transfer and achieved much promise in gene therapy applications. However, widespread clinical use has been limited by transduction efficiency.In the current study,we screened a panel of small molecule compound from traditional Chinese medicine focused on AAV intracellular trafficking process and found salvianolic acid B can significantly enhance rAAV2 transduction. RESULTS Salvianolic acid B caused a dose-depen-dent increase in rAAV2 transduction regardless of vector dose,genome architecture,and over a broad range of cell line from various cell type and species(HEK293,HeLa,HepG2,Huh-7,CHO-K1,LO-2). Salvianolic acid B treatment redirected rAAV2 particles toward large vesicles positive for late endosomal (Rab7)and lysosomal(LAMP1)markers.Furthermore,salvianolic acid B acted to increase accumulation of viral particles at the perinuclear region. CONCLUSION In summary, our results suggest that salvi-anolic acid B redirects rAAV2 toward more productive trafficking pathways and stabilizes perinuclear accumulations of vectors,facilitating productive nuclear trafficking.

The effect and mechanism of N-(Z)-9-octadecenyl-2-propanesulfonamide in treatment of insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic mice / 药学学报

This study was designed to investigate the therapeutic effect and mechanisms of action of novel compound N-(Z)-9-octadecenyl-2-propanesulfonamide (N15) on type 2 diabetes (T2DM). A mouse model of T2DM was established with multiple injection of streptozotocin (STZ) at a low dose. N15 at different doses (50, 100 and 200 mg·kg-1·d-1) and pioglitazone (6 mg·kg-1·d-1) were administrated orally for 6 weeks. The level of fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin (FIns) were measured in the course of the experiment for insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR). Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance test (IPITT) were determined in the treated mice. The expression of Akt, AMPK and Glut4 in liver were analyzed by Western blot. N15 was found to reduce the level of FBG, FIns and HOMA-IR (P P P P P > 0.05). These results suggested that the novel compound N15 can ameliorate insulin resistance and the potential mechanism may be associated with increased insulin signaling in liver and promotion of phosphatidyl inositol 3 phosphate phosphorylation.

Role of kallistatin in protecting hepatic stellate cells against oxidation through inhibition of oxidative stress and activation of Akt-eNOS signaling / 药学学报

The present study was aimed to investigate the role and mechanisms of kallistatin in protection against oxidative stress-induced hepatic stellate cell damage. The effects of kallistatin on the viability, the intracellular superoxide level and Akt, eNOS molecules were investigated in human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 and the incompletely activated primary rat hepatic stellate cells. Two different oxidative-stress related models, the hydrogen peroxide model and the iron-overload model were used in the experiments. The results show that kallistatin protected the hepatic stellate cells from oxidative damage and repaired the cell damage by oxidative stress. The main mechanism is antioxidant activity of kallistatin, which can remove the oxidized substances inside the cells. On the other way, kallistatin activates Akt and eNOS molecules to generate the antioxidant effect. Our results help to explore new anti-fibrotic targets.

Application in medicinal plants research by high-throughput metabolomics method / 药学实践杂志

High-throughput metabolomics have developed very rapidly in recent years and been widely used in medicinal plants research .At present ,high-throughput metabolomics mainly applied in the following areas ,quality control of medicinal plants by fingerprints ,metabolites difference comparison before and after genetic engineering ,monitoring metabolites change in different environment and gene function study .High-throughput metabolomics have a great future ,but still have some challen-ges ,such as the requirements for more sophisticated equipment and complexity of data integration .With the advancement of science and technology ,high-throughput metabolomics will be an irreplaceable tool for the research of medicinal plants .

Progress on germplasm resources of Baphicacanthus cusia (Nees) Bremek / 药学实践杂志

Baphicacanthus cusia ,widely distributed in the Southwest ,Southern and Eastern regions of China ,is an im-portant medicinal plant of Acanthaceae family .Indigo made from stem and leaf of Baphicacanthus cusia in Fujian has the best quality in China ,and is known as “Jian Indigo naturalis” ,which is the genuine medicinal of Fujian Province .The rhizoma of Baphicacanthus cusia could be used as medicine ,called“Nanbanlangen” ,which together with indigo were included in the“Chi-nese Pharmacopoeia” .Indigo and its original plant both contain indirubin ,which has anti-cancer activity .Indirubin is an active ingredient of Huangdai Pian and Danggui Longhui Wan ,two kinds of traditional Chinese medicine ,which have been successful-ly used in the treatment of malignancies such as chronic myelogenous leukemia .The international advances in the biological characteristics ,genetic diversity ,cultivation technology and molecular biology of Baphicacanthus cusia germplasm resources were summarized .The main problems in Baphicacanthus cusia germplasm resources research are indicated ,which could pro-vide references for the further study and application of Baphicacanthus cusia germplasm resources .

Anti-inflammatory effect of recombinant human kallistatin in ulcerative colitis of mice / 药学学报

This study was designed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of recombinant human kallistatin (Kal) on ulcerative colitis (UC) in the mouse model. Acute colitis was induced by administration of 4% dextran sodium suffate (DSS) to KM mice for 7 days. The mice were then randomized into 5 groups:model control, Kal 0.2 mg·kg-1·d-1, 1.0 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 2.0 mg·kg-1·d-1 group, salazosulfapyridine (SASP) group. Ten age-matched normal KM mouse were administered with saline in the normal control. The weight, colon length, inflammation factor (MPO/SOD/MDA) and TNF-α/IL-10 levels among the five groups of mice were determined. The results showed that histological index score and MPO/MDA/TNF-α levels of high-dose Kal treatment group and SASP group were significantly lower compared with the model group (PPα/IL-10 levels and has some antioxidant activity.

Risk and solutions to chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cell-based cancer immunotherapy / 药学学报

The potential of cancer immunotherapy has been demonstrated recently using the chimeric antigen receptors-engineered (CAR) T cells, in which B cell haematological malignancies was successfully treated in clinical trials. However, challenges remain in the translation of the potential benefits into therapy of other types of cancer with similar efficacy and safety. Excessive activation of genetically-modified T cells may cause severe toxicities, such as cytokine storm, on-target toxicities, and tumor lysis syndrome. Genomic integration of viral vectors may cause genetic toxicities due to insertional mutagenesis of important genes. Strategies to overcome these toxicities are proposed and discussed, including the use of suicide genes, combinatorial antigen recognition, on-switch, non-viral vector and other innovative gene therapy strategies, to enhance safety of this promising immunotherapy.

A Research Progress on the Biosynthetic Pathways of Indole Alkaloids / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

Indole alkaloid family has been the biggest so far among the various alkaloids,which contains pharmaceutical and effective constituents of various plants featuring diverse biological activities.Thanks to the development of metabonomics,to reveal the biosynthetic pathway of active components for the molecular mechanism of indole alkaloids and the regulation research of plant metabolism present a growing importance and significantly direct the researches of improving biological production.This paper reviewed the biosynthetic pathways of some indole alkaloids in accordance with the structure classification of indole alkaloids to lay a foundation for the further studies on the biosynthetic pathways of indole alkaloids and provide a reference for the biosynthetic pathways of other indole alkaloids.

Association of genetic polymorphisms of STAT4, the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 and chromosome 9p21.3 with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis in Minnan population / 中华风湿病学杂志

Objective A very high prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is observed in Minnan population in China.We aimed to explore the genetic characteristics of RA in Minnan population and genetic mechanisms of RA by studying the associations of three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT-4) (rs7574865),the cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA)-4 (rs3087243) and chromosome 9p21.3(rs1333049) with RA in Minnan population.Methods A case-control study of 119 RA patients and 125 normal controls from Quanzhou were enrolled.SNPs (rs7574865,rs3087243,rs1333049) were genotyped by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analyzed by SPSS 18.0.x2-test was applied to compare allele and genotype frequeneies betweeen cases and controlsLogistic regression models were used to analyze the SNPs.Results The results showed the genotype distributions of STAT4 genes were significantly different between case and control groups (P＜0.01).Compared with the GT heterozygous genotype,TT and GG homozygosity carriers had a lower risk (OR=0498 and 0.300,P=0.018 and P=0.002 respectively).There was not statistical difference in genotypes and allele in CTLA-4 (rs3087243) between RA patients and healthy controls (x2=4.083,P=0.130),but compared with the AG genotyoe,GG homozygosity carriers had a lower risk on basis of statistics (OR=0.580,P=0.04).There was not statistical difference in genotypes and allele in the chromosome 9p21.3 (rs1333049) (P＞0.05),but compared with the GG genotype carriers,CC and GC genotypes carriers had a lower risk on basis of statistics (OR=0.565,P=0.0495).Conclusion Chromosome 9p21.3 (rs1333049) and CTLA-4 rs3087243 G/A may not be associated with susceptibility to RA in Minnan popula-tions.This replication study confirmes that STAT4 rs7574865 G/T polymorphism is associated with susceptibility to RA in Minnan population.

Study on the Preparation Technology of Angelica sinensis Powder and Screening for the Optimal Particle Size / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the preparation technology of Angelica sinensis powder and conduct screening for the op-timal particle size thereof. METHODS:With the contents of volatile oil and ferulic acid as the indexes,screening was conducted for the optimal drying temperature,dry welding time and particle size of the crude drug A. sinensis,and the stabilities of the A. si-nensis powder with different particle sizes which was packed by simulating that sold in the market were investigated. The verifica-tion tests on the preparation technology were conducted. RESULTS:The optimal conditions for preparing the crude drug A. sinensis were as follows as drying temperature of 60-70℃,drying for 4.5-5 hours and being crushed into moderate-sized powder;the stabil-ity of the moderate-sized powder which was packed by simulating that sold in the market was the best. In the verification tests on the preparation technology,the average content of the volatile oil was 0.46 ml/g,with RSD of 0.034%(n=3);the average con-tent of the ferulic acid was 0.123 μg/ml,with RSD of 0.026%(n=3). CONCLUSIONS:The optimized technology is stable and feasible,and the stability of the moderate-sized A. sinensis powder is the best.

The effect of Connexin43 downregulation on biological functions of HUVEC / 药学学报

Connexin43 has been shown to play a pivotal role in wound healing process. Wound repair is enhanced by acute downregulation of connexin43, by increasing proliferation and migration of keratinocyte and fibroblast. Angiogenesis is also a central feature of wound repair, but little is known about the effects of connexin43 modulation on functions of endothelial cells. We used connexin43 specific small interference RNA (siRNA) to reduce the expression of connexin43 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC), and investigated the effects of connexin43 downregulation on intercellular communication, viability, proliferation, migration and angiogenic activity of HUVEC. Treatment of siRNA markedly reduced the expression of connexin43 by -80% in HUVEC (P < 0.05), and decreased the intercellular communication by -65% (P < 0.05). The viability, proliferation, migration and angiogenic activity of HUVEC decreased significantly (P < 0.05), compared with that of the normal cells. The results suggest that temporally downregulation of connexin43 expression at early stage of wound to inhibit the abnormal angiogenesis characterized with leaky and inflamed blood vessels, maybe a prerequisite for coordinated normal healing process.

Targeting angiogenesis and vascular remodeling as a novel therapeutic approach to liver fibrosis / 药学学报

Development of liver fibrosis is closely associated with angiogenesis and abnormal vascular remodeling. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of angiogenesis and vascular remodeling in fibrogenesis, the results that inhibition of angiogenesis is effective in suppression of liver fibrosis demonstrate that therapies with several molecular targets against angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrosis might be beneficial for the treatment of cirrhosis. However, there is some evidence that inhibition of angiogenesis can even worsen fibrosis. This article outlines recent advances regarding the interplay between inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrogenesis in terms of cellular and molecular mechanisms, and suggests a requirement of greater understanding to intervene in these key processes, such as liver sinusoidal endothelial cell fenestration and impact distinct chemokine actions driving monocyte migration and differentiation, for therapeutic benefit in the future.

Targeting angiogenesis and vascular remodeling as a novel therapeutic approach to liver fibrosis / 药学学报

Development of liver fibrosis is closely associated with angiogenesis and abnormal vascular remodeling. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of angiogenesis and vascular remodeling in fibrogenesis, the results that inhibition of angiogenesis is effective in suppression of liver fibrosis demonstrate that therapies with several molecular targets against angiogenesis, inflammation and fibrosis might be beneficial for the treatment of cirrhosis. However, there is some evidence that inhibition of angiogenesis can even worsen fibrosis. This article outlines recent advances regarding the interplay between inflammation, angiogenesis and fibrogenesis in terms of cellular and molecular mechanisms, and suggests a requirement of greater understanding to intervene in these key processes, such as liver sinusoidal endothelial cell fenestration and impact distinct chemokine actions driving monocyte migration and differentiation, for therapeutic benefit in the future.

The effect of Connexin43 downregulation on biological functions of HUVEC / 药学学报

Connexin43 has been shown to play a pivotal role in wound healing process. Wound repair is enhanced by acute downregulation of connexin43, by increasing proliferation and migration of keratinocyte and fibroblast. Angiogenesis is also a central feature of wound repair, but little is known about the effects of connexin43 modulation on functions of endothelial cells. We used connexin43 specific small interference RNA (siRNA) to reduce the expression of connexin43 in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC), and investigated the effects of connexin43 downregulation on intercellular communication, viability, proliferation, migration and angiogenic activity of HUVEC. Treatment of siRNA markedly reduced the expression of connexin43 by -80% in HUVEC (P < 0.05), and decreased the intercellular communication by -65% (P < 0.05). The viability, proliferation, migration and angiogenic activity of HUVEC decreased significantly (P < 0.05), compared with that of the normal cells. The results suggest that temporally downregulation of connexin43 expression at early stage of wound to inhibit the abnormal angiogenesis characterized with leaky and inflamed blood vessels, maybe a prerequisite for coordinated normal healing process.

Ribozyme riboswitch based gene expression regulation systems for gene therapy applications: progress and challenges / 药学学报

Robust and efficient control of therapeutic gene expression is needed for timing and dosing of gene therapy drugs in clinical applications. Ribozyme riboswitch provides a promising building block for ligand-controlled gene-regulatory system, based on its property that exhibits tunable gene regulation, design modularity, and target specificity. Ribozyme riboswitch can be used in various gene delivery vectors. In recent years, there have been breakthroughs in extending ribozyme riboswitch's application from gene-expression control to cellular function and fate control. High throughput screening platforms were established, that allow not only rapid optimization of ribozyme riboswitch in a microbial host, but also straightforward transfer of selected devices exhibiting desired activities to mammalian cell lines in a predictable manner. Mathematical models were employed successfully to explore the performance of ribozyme riboswitch quantitively and its rational design predictably. However, to progress toward gene therapy relevant applications, both precision rational design of regulatory circuits and the biocompatibility of regulatory ligand are still of crucial importance.

Experimental study on inhibitory effect of wogonin on proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the inhibitory effect of wogonin on the growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells MDA-MB-23, and observe its effect on the adhesion, migration and invasion of MDA-MB-23 cells, in order to further study its molecular mechanism.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>MTT assay was used to detect the effect of wogonin on MDA-MB-23 cell growth. Ki-67 assay was adopted to test the effect of wogonin on cell proliferation. Scratch test, adherence test and invasion chamber assay were taken to detect the effect on the migration and invasion abilities of MDA-MB-231 cells. Proliferation and metastasis-related proteins and relevant signaling pathways were detected by Western blotting.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Wogonin could remarkably inhibit the growth and proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cells, significantly inhibit migration, adhesion and invasion abilities of breast cancer cells at a low concentration, and effectively inhibit the expression of Survivin, Bcl-2, ICAM-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 proteins of MDA-MB-231 cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Wogonin could notably inhibit growth and proliferation of breast cancer cells, and inhibit migration, adhesion and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells. Its invasive and adhesive effects on MDA-MB-231 cells may be related to the decrease in ICAM-1, MMP-2, MMP-9 expressions.</p>