Exploring the Potential Mechanism of Costunolide-Induced MCF-7 Cells Apoptosis by Multi-Spectroscopy, Molecular Docking and Cell Experiments.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer with high morbidity and mortality in women. This study aimed to explore the potential mechanism of costunolide inducing MCF-7 cells apoptosis by multi-spectroscopy, molecular docking, and cell experiments. The results manifested that costunolide interacted with calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) in a spontaneous manner, and the minor groove as the preferential binding mode. Furthermore, costunolide inhibited cell proliferation and colony formation. Hoechst 33258 staining showed that cell apoptosis induced by costunolide might be related to DNA damage. The apoptosis mechanism relied on regulating the protein expression of Bax, Bcl-2, p53, Caspase-3 and the activation of p38MAPK and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways. This study will provide some experimental basis and potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer treatment.

Prognostic role of preoperative D-dimer, fibrinogen and platelet levels in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between cancer and coagulation has been intensively studied in recent years; however, the effects of coagulation factors on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have rarely been reported. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative D-dimer (DD), fibrinogen (FIB), platelets (PLT) and OSCC, as well as the prognostic value of DD, FIB and PLT in OSCC. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated a total of 202 patients with OSCC treated at Guanghua Hospital of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University. Baseline demographic and clinicopathological information as well as both preoperative and postoperative DD, FIB and PLT results were collected from each patient, and patients with primary OSCC were followed up for disease progression, death or the end of the study. The correlations between preoperative DD, FIB, PLT and other clinical features, as well as the therapeutic effect and PFS were analysed statistically, and postoperative DD and surgical parameters were also analysed. RESULTS: Preoperative DD was significantly correlated with T stage, N stage, clinical stage and relapse of OSCC (P = 0.000, 0.001, 0.000 and 0.000, respectively). Univariate Cox regression analyses showed that high preoperative DD predicted poor prognosis in patients with OSCC (HR = 2.1, P = 0.033), while FIB and PLT showed no prognostic values. Postoperative DD was significantly correlated with preoperative DD and surgical type but not the duration of surgery (P = 0.005, 0.001 and 0.244, respectively). CONCLUSION: In this study, we suggested that high preoperative DD level may serve as an indicator for synchronous neck dissection in patients with T1, 2 OSCC, and the elevated DD level might be the marker of disease progression in patient follow up.

Spectroscopy and molecular docking analysis reveal structural specificity of flavonoids in the inhibition of α-glucosidase activity.

The inhibition of α-glucosidase activity is a prospective approach to prevent postprandial hyperglycemia. As two flavonoids extracted from citrus fruits, eriocitrin and eriodictyol have similar structures and show multiple pharmacological activities. In order to investigate the effects of flavonoids structure on enzyme inhibition, spectroscopy and molecular docking analysis were used. Saccharomyces cerevisiae α-glucosidase (GH13) was used for studying the inhibitory mechanism by multi-spectroscopic analysis. Results indicated that they could quench the intrinsic fluorescence of α-glucosidase, the binding constants at 298 K were (7.02 ± 0.22) × 104 and (4.57 ± 0.16) × 104 L mol-1, respectively. The interaction between them with α-glucosidase were mainly driven by hydrophobic interaction, they induced conformational changes of α-glucosidase. The human α-glucosidase (C-terminal maltase-glucoamylase, GH31) was used in the molecular docking analysis to determine the interaction of eriocitrin and eriodictyol with the α-glucosidase. The results revealed that they could bind with α-glucosidase and might cause the decrease of α-glucosidase activity. The inhibitory effect of eriocitrin was stronger than that of eriodictyol, which might be due to the position and amount of hydroxyl groups. This work confirmed two novel α-glucosidase inhibitors and provided the structure-function relationship of flavonoids in inhibition of α-glucosidase activity.

[Characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under different land use types in Shanghai].

By the methods of field sampling and laboratory analysis, this paper studied the variations of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and SOC density under different land use types in Shanghai. Significant differences were observed in the test parameters among different land use types. The SOC density was the highest in paddy field (3.86 kg x m(-2)), followed by in upland (3.17 kg x m(-2)), forestland (3.15 kg x m(-2)), abandoned land (2.73 kg x m(-2)), urban lawn (2.65 kg x m(-2)), garden land (2.13 kg x m(-2)), and tidal flat (1.38 kg x m(-2)). The assessment on the effects of three types of land use change on the test parameters showed that the conversion of paddy field into upland resulted in a significant decrease of SOC and TN contents and SOC density; the abandonment of farmland was not an effective way in improving SOC storage in the Yangtze Delta region with abundant water and heat resources, high soil fertility, and high level of field management; while the 4-5 years conversion of paddy field into artificial forestland decreased the SOC and TN contents and SOC density, suggesting that in a short term, the soil carbon sequestration effect of the conversion from paddy field to forestland was at a low level, due to the limitation of vegetation productivity.

[Carbon storage and carbon fixation during the succession of natural vegetation in wetland ecosystem on east beach of Chongming Island].

Vegetation is an important biological factor in the ecological succession of wetland, and the main factor affecting the carbon storage and carbon fixation in wetland ecosystem. By the methods of field survey and lab analysis, this paper studied the carbon storage and carbon fixation during the succession of wetland vegetation on east beach of Chongming Island, and the results showed that there existed greater differences in the existing carbon storage and its allocation in wetland vegetation at its different succession stages. The existing carbon storage of the pioneer plant Scirpus mariqueter was much less than that of Phragmites australis, only accounted for about 13% of the latter. The underground rhizome of P. australis and the aboveground part of S. mariqueter were the main sites of existing carbon storage. P. australis at the later succession stage of wetland vegetation had a stronger capability of carbon fixation than S. mariqueter at the earlier succession stage of the vegetation, with the values being (1.63 +/- 0.39) kg x m(-2) x a(-1) and (0.63 +/- 0.28) kg x m(-2) x a(-1), respectively, suggesting that during the succession of S. mariqueter community to P. australis community, the carbon fixation capability of the wetland ecosystem became stronger.