Folic acid modified polyrotaxanes effectively transfer siRNA-CD47 to inhibit the proliferation of melanoma / 药学学报

To investigate the effect that folic acid-modified polyrotaxanes (FPP) transfered siRNA CD47 to inhibit melanoma proliferation, the expression of CD47 in clinical melanoma patients was tested by Western blot and RT-PCR, respectively. Physical performance of FPP (siRNA-CD47:CD47) nanoparticles was tested by Malvern particle size instrument and scanning electron microscope. The clone formation experiment demonstrated that FPP (CD47) nanoparticles inhibited the growth of clones. Invasion assay revealed that FPP (CD47) inhibited migration of B16F10 cells. Tumor bearing mice were used in the experiment to test the efficacy of FPP (CD47) treatment. Compared with the control group, high expression of CD47 was observed in the clinical melanoma patients. FPP (CD47) nanoparticle size at 80 nm exhibited a potential of 10 mV; compared with FPP (Con), fluorescence intensity was significantly reduced to 4.2% and B16F10 cell clone formation was decreased by 91% in the FPP (CD47) treatment. Tumor volume of tumor-burdened mice was decreased by 90% with FPP (CD47) treatment. FPP (CD47) lowered CD47 protein and mRNA expression in the tumor. This study suggests that FPP may transfer siRNA CD47 into the cancer cells to inhibit melanoma growth effectively.

Paeoniflorin increases beta-defensin expression and attenuates lesion in the colonic mucosa from mice with oxazolone-induced colitis / 药学学报

Previous studies have demonstrated that the Chinese medicine paeoniflorin, derived from the Ranunculaceae plant peony, peony, purple peony root, was able to have anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, anti-hypersusceptibility and anti-oxidation activity. In order to elucidate the pesticide effect and the mechanisms by which paeoniflorin exerts its effect of anti-inflammation and immunoregulation on oxazolone-induced colitic mice, disease activity index (DAI) and histological grading of colitis (HGC) were evaluated in animal model. Moreover, the expressions of HBD-2, IL-6 and IL-10 of mice with experimental colitis were observed with immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR in this study. Results showed that DAI and HGC of oxazolone control group was significantly higher than that of normal control group, and that paeoniflorin groups and 5-ASA group, compared with oxazolone control group, could alleviate the symptoms and histological damages of colitic mice (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The expression of HBD-2 and IL-6 cytokine on the colon of colitic mice was higher than that of normal control, paeoniflorin and 5-ASA groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), but the expression of IL-10 is lower than that of normal control, paeoniflorin and 5-ASA groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). The positive correlations were demonstrated between the expression of (HBD-2 and IL-6) and DAI (Pearson r = 0.728, Pearson r = 0.758, P < 0.01, respectively), (HBD-2 and IL-6) and HGC (Pearson r = 0.819, Pearson r = 0.825, P < 0.01, respectively), whereas, the negative correlations were demonstrated between the expression of IL-10 and DAI (Pearson r = -0.789, P < 0.01), IL-10 and HGC (Pearson r = -0.725, P < 0.01). It can be concluded that to some extent paeoniflorin effectively alleviate the symptoms of oxazolone-induced colitis through regulating the expression of HBD-2, IL-6 and IL-10.

Study on effects of Astragalus, Angelica and their combination on vascular endothelial cell proliferation in vitro / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effects of Astragalus membranaceus (AM), Angelica sinensis (AS) and their combination on human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation and cells cycle.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The effects were observed and studied by means of taking the cultured HUVECs as model to determine the cell proliferation with MTT method, cell cycle was analyzed with cytometry, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression with SABC method. The regulatory effects of AM, AS and their combination on the HUVEC proliferation promoting were observed and studied.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>AM and AS, used singly or in combination, could promote the growth of endothelial cells, increase the cell population in S phase, the effects showed more significant when used in combination (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). Meanwhile, VEGF expression in all the medicated group was up-regulated, but in the PBS control group, it showed only weak expression (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AM and AS have effect in promoting vascular endothelial cell proliferation and DNA synthesis, and showed synergistic effect when they were used in combination, suggesting that these two Chinese herbs could have certain effect on the genesis and development of neogenetic vascularization in ischemic myocardium.</p>