Strictosamide promotes wound healing through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Nauclea officinalis, as a Chinese medicine in Hainan province, had the effect of treating lower limb ulcers, burn infections. In this paper, we studied the effect of Strictosamide (STR), the main bioactive compound in Nauclea officinals, on wound healing and explored its internal mechanism. Firstly, the wound healing potential of STR was evaluated in a rat model, demonstrating its ability to expedite wound healing, mitigate inflammatory infiltration, and enhance collagen deposition. Additionally, immunofluorescence analysis revealed that STR up-regulated the expression of CD31 and PCNA. Subsequently, target prediction, protein-protein interaction (PPI), gene ontology (GO), and pathway enrichment analyses were used to obtain potential targets, specific biological processes, and molecular mechanisms of STR for the potential treatment of wound healing. Furthermore, molecular docking was conducted to predict the binding affinity between STR and its associated targets. Additionally, in vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that STR could increase the expression of P-PI3K, P-AKT and P-mTOR by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In summary, this study provided a new explanation for the mechanism by which STR promotes wound healing through network pharmacology, suggesting that STR may be a new candidate for treating wound.

Strictosamide alleviates acute lung injury via regulating T helper 17 cells, regulatory T cells, and gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: Nauclea officinalis (Pierre ex Pit.) Merr. & Chun (Rubiaceae) is widely used to treat respiratory diseases in China. Strictosamide is its main active component and has significant anti-inflammatory activity. However, the effects and molecular mechanisms of strictosamide in the treatment of acute lung injury (ALI) remain largely unknown. PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the regulatory effects of strictosamide on T helper 17 cells (Th17 cells)/Regulatory T cells (Treg cells) and gut microbiota in ALI-affected mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The ALI model was induced using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intraperitoneal injection. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, the number of inflammatory cells in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF), the Wet/Dry (W/D) ratio, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were utilized as evaluation indices for the therapeutic efficacy of strictosamide on ALI. Flow cytometry (FCM), enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA), quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blotting were used to determine the regulation of strictosamide on the Th17/Treg cells and the STAT3/STAT5 signaling pathway. The analysis of gut microbiota was conducted using 16S rDNA sequencing. The verification of the relationship between the gut microbiome and immune function was conducted using Spearman analysis. RESULTS: Strictosamide attenuated inflammation on ALI induced by LPS, which reduced the levels of Th17-related factors interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17 and increased Treg-related factors IL-10 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-ß. In the spleens and whole blood, strictosamide reduced the proportion of Th17 cells and increased the proportion of Treg cells. Furthermore, strictosamide increased Forkhead/winged helix transcription factor 3 (Foxp3) and p-STAT5 protein expression while inhibiting Retinoid-related orphan nuclear receptors-γt (RORγt) and p-STAT3 expression. Moreover, strictosamide reshaped the diversity and structure of the gut microbiota, and influence the associations between immune parameters and gut microbiota in ALI mice. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the results of the current investigation showed that strictosamide has a therapeutic impact on LPS-induced ALI. The mechanism of action of this effect may be associated with the modulation of Th17 and Treg cells differentiation via the SATA signaling pathway, as well as the impact of the gut microbiota.

Research progress of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling pathway regulated retinal oxidative stress / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

Oxidative stress(OS)is a major reason for body damage. Studies have shown that a variety of factors, such as ischemia and hypoxia, excessive light and hyperglycemia can cause the increase of reactive oxygen species and free radicals in the retina, thus inducing OS, damaging retina and affecting the normal visual function. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(KEAP1)and nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(NRF2), which together constitute the main antioxidant stress signaling pathway in the body, play an antioxidant role by regulating retinal energy metabolism and cell proliferation, apoptosis and autophagy through various ways, so as to reduce retinal damage caused by OS. In this paper, the role and mechanism of the KEAP1-NRF2 signaling pathway regulation of OS in the retinal are briefly reviewed, aiming to provide ideas for subsequent research.

Preparation and in vitro evaluation of prostate cancer exosomes containing melittin / 中国药理学通报

Aim To prepare prostate cancer exosomes containing melittin and observe their uptake by prostate cancer cells. Methods Cells treated with starvation for different time were screened for exosome extraction. Exosomes from PC-3 cells were extracted by ultracentrifugation, and the extracted particles were examined by transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analyzer(NTA), and Western blot. Melittin exosome system was prepared by repeated freeze-thaw method, incubation at room temperature as well as electroporation, and the size of encapsulation efficiency was measured by centrifugation. A high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)method was applied to assay the content of melittin exosomes(exo-mel). Fluorescence inverted microscopy was employed to evaluate the uptake of melittin exosomes by PC-3 cells, DU145 cells as well as LNCaP cells. Results The results of starvation treatment showed that 24 h starvation treatment was the optimal time point. TEM results showed that the exosomes were round or oval in shape with a distinct membranous structure, and the diameter was around 100 nm. The reagent protein concentration for NTA analysis of exosomes was 0.222 g·L-1. The results of Western blot for the marker proteins of exosomes showed that Alix and CD63 were positively expressed, which indicated that the exosomes could be obtained by starvation culture of PC-3 cells and ultracentrifugation. The results of entrapment efficiency showed that the entrapment efficiency of electroporation method was 17.51% ± 2.39%, that of repeated freeze-thaw method was 11.46% ± 1.02%, and that of room temperature incubation method was 3.93% ± 2.44%. The encapsulation efficiency of electroporation was the highest with significant difference(P<0.05). The uptake assay showed that PC-3 cells could efficiently take up exo-mel in a time-dependent manner, and DU145 cells and LNCaP cells also could take up exo-mel over time. Conclusions Exosomes can be accessed by starvation treatment and high-speed centrifugation, and the prostate cancer melittin exosome system prepared by electroporation method could be taken up by prostate cancer cells.

Serum metabolomics study of Psoraleae Fructus in improving learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Psoraleae Fructus in improving the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice by serum metabolomics, screen the differential metabolites of Psoraleae Fructus on APP/PS1 mice, and reveal its influence on the metabolic pathway of APP/PS1 mice. Thirty 3-month-old APP/PS1 mice were randomly divided into a model group and a Psoraleae Fructus extract group, and another 15 C57BL/6 mice of the same age were assigned to the blank group. The learning and memory ability of mice was evaluated by the Morris water maze and novel object recognition tests, and metabolomics was used to analyze the metabolites in mouse serum. The results of the Morris water maze test showed that Psoraleae Fructus shortened the escape latency of APP/PS1 mice(P<0.01), and increased the number of platform crossing and residence time in the target quadrant(P<0.01). The results of the novel object recognition test showed that Psoraleae Fructus could improve the novel object recognition index of APP/PS1 mice(P<0.01). Eighteen differential metabolites in serum were screened out by metabolomics, among which the levels of arachidonic acid, tryptophan, and glycerophospholipid decreased after drug administration, while the levels of glutamyltyrosine increased after drug administration. The metabolic pathways involved included arachidonic acid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism, and glycerolipid metabolism. Therefore, Psoraleae Fructus can improve the learning and memory ability of APP/PS1 mice, and its mechanism may be related to the effects in promoting energy metabolism, reducing oxidative damage, protecting central nervous system, reducing neuroinflammation, and reducing Aβ deposition. This study is expected to provide references for Psoraleae Fructus in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease(AD) and further explain the mechanism of Psoraleae Fructus in the treatment of AD.

Effect of orbital decompression on choroidal thickness in patients with thyroid associated ophthalmopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the effect of orbital decompression on the central macular choroidal thickness(CMCT)in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy(TAO).METHOD: Prospective clinical studies. A total of 29 TAO patients(42 eyes)treated in our department from January 2021 to January 2022 were analyzed, and they were divided into 20 cases(30 eyes)in the moderate and severe group and 9 cases(12 eyes)in the extremely severe group. Both groups of patients received orbital decompression, and the changes of CMCT, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, exophthalmos, and clinical activity score(CAS)at 3 and 6mo before and after surgery were compared between the two groups.RESULTS: All patients completed follow-up. The CMCT, exophthalmos, intraocular pressure, and CAS of the extremely severe group at 3 and 6mo were 355.13±15.59 and 339.61±13.17μm, 19.33±2.23 and 17.83±1.70mm, 18.86±3.05 and 18.09±1.37mmHg, 3.75±0.87 and 2.42±1.00 points, respectively. The moderate and severe group was 325.00±10.48 and 321.04±11.34μm, 16.07±1.74 and 15.6±1.98mm, 16.65±2.04 and 16.03±2.3mmHg, 1.50±0.51 and 1.43±0.50 points, and there was differences with those before operation(extremely severe group: 396.46±17.61μm, 22.00±2.3mm, 21.85±2.82mmHg, 5.33±1.44 points; moderate and severe group: 335.77±11.60μm, 19.07±1.84mm, 18.89±3.06mmHg, 1.63±0.49 points; all P&#x003C;0.001). The best corrected visual acuity(LogMAR)before surgery was 0.64±0.22 in the extremely severe group, and 0.43±0.20 and 0.34±0.15 at 3 and 6mo after operation, respectively, which were different from those before surgery(all P&#x003C;0.001)CONCLUSION: Orbital decompression can effectively reduce CMCT, intraocular pressure and exophthalmos in TAO patients, relieve orbital vein stasis, and effectively improve vision and reduce mobility in patients with extremely severe disease.

Effects of low-energy red light on choroidal thickness and spherical equivalent and axial length in myopic children / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To systematically evaluate the effects of low-energy red light on choroidal thickness(ChT), spherical equivalent(SE), and axial length(AL)in myopic children.METHODS: A total of 8 databases, including Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang Database, VIP Database and China Biomedical Literature Database, were electronically retrieved to collect the clinical randomized controlled trial(RCT)of low-energy red light in myopia, with red light intervention as an experimental group and glasses as a control group. The retrieval time limit is from the establishment of the database to January 2023. According to the recommendation of the Cochrane Handbook, literature quality and risk of bias were evaluated. Revman5.4 software was used for Meta-analysis.RESULTS: Totally 8 RCT about red-light treatment with myopia were included. The sample size for ChT analysis contained 407 eyes in the red-light group and 425 eyes in the control group; SE analysis included 490 eyes in the red-light group and 518 eyes in the control group; sample size for AL analysis were 518 eyes in the red-light group and 539 eyes in the control group. The differences in ChT, SE and AL between the groups were statistically significant(ChT: WMD=37.81, 95%CI: 21.55～54.07, P&#x003C;0.001; SE: WMD=0.58, 95%CI: 0.46～0.71, P&#x003C;0.001; AL: WMD=-0.31, 95%CI: -0.39～-0.24, P&#x003C;0.001).CONCLUSION: Specific red light can promote the increase of ChT while inhibit SE and AL. However, its long-term efficacy and side effects remain unclear. The above conclusions need to be further clarified by more RCT with large samples.

DiffDomain enables identification of structurally reorganized topologically associating domains

Topologically associating domains (TADs) are critical structural units in three-dimensional genome organization of mammalian genome. Dynamic reorganizations of TADs between health and disease states are associated with transcription and other essential genome functions. However, computational methods that can identify reorganized TADs are still in the early stages of development. Here, we present DiffDomain, an algorithm leveraging high-dimensional random matrix theory to identify structurally reorganized TADs using chromatin contact maps. Method comparison using multiple real Hi-C datasets reveals that DiffDomain outperforms alternative methods for FPRs, TPRs, and identifying a new subtype of reorganized TADs. The robustness of DiffDomain and its biological applications are demonstrated by applying on Hi-C data from different cell types and disease states. Identified reorganized TADs are associated with structural variations and changes in CTCF binding sites and other epigenomic changes. By applying to a single-cell Hi-C data from mouse neuronal development, DiffDomain can identify reorganized TADs between cell types with reasonable reproducibility using pseudo-bulk Hi-C data from as few as 100 cells per condition. Moreover, DiffDomain reveals that TADs have clear differential cell-to-population variability and heterogeneous cell-to-cell variability. Therefore, DiffDomain is a statistically sound method for better comparative analysis of TADs using both Hi-C and single-cell Hi-C data.

Angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with versus without diabetes mellitus after revascularization with BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent.

INTRODUCTION: Drug-eluting stents (DES) significantly improved angiographic and clinical outcomes compared with bare-metal stents in patients with diabetes. The clinical effects of BioMime sirolimus-eluting stent (SES) in patients with diabetes have not been evaluated. Therefore, we compared the efficacy of BioMime DES in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with versus without diabetes. METHODS: This prospective analytical study compared angiographic in-segment late loss and clinical effectiveness of BioMime SES stents in treating patients with (patients: 77 and lesions: 83) versus without (patients: 154 and lesions: 162) diabetes. The purpose of this study was the comparison of angiographic in-segment late loss at 12 months. Major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) were also monitored as secondary outcomes 24 months after the index procedure. RESULTS: Of 231 patients enrolled in the study, the mean age was 63.3 years and 153 patients were male. Angiographic follow-up rate was 84.8% (patients: 196) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) follow-up rate was 67.9% (patients: 157) at 12 months. Diabetic patients were comparable to nondiabetic patients for 12-month in-segment late loss (0.01 ± 0.31 mm for the nondiabetes group versus 0.04 ± 0.11 mm for the diabetes group; P = 0.158; P < 0.05). At 24 months, MACEs, including death, myocardial infarction and ischemic-driven target lesion revascularization were not statistically different between the two treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: BioMime SES stents in treating patients with diabetes were comparable in reducing angiographic restenosis at 12 months and MACEs at 24 months compared to nondiabetic patients with CAD.

Relationship between the high sensitivity C-reactive protein and anxiety levels in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular-related diseases and hypertension / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To analyze the relationship between the high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and anxiety levels in patients hospitalized with cardiovascular-related diseases and hypertension.Methods:A total of 221 patients hospitalized with cardiovascular-related diseases in the Fuwai Hospital were selected by a voluntary sampling method from September to December 2021. Participants were divided into hypertensive and non-hypertensive groups ( n=119 and n=102) based on the diagnosis of hypertension in their inpatient medical records. Anxiety levels were assessed using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and the levels of serum hs-CRP were estimated by automatic immunoanalyzer. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between hs-CRP and anxiety. Results:In the hypertensive group, the risk of anxiety in patients with abnormal hs-CRP (>3 mg/L) was 4.239 times (95% CI: 1.569-11.748, P=0.005) higher than those in normal hs-CRP (≤3 mg/L). In turn, compared with patients without anxiety, those with anxiety had 3.878 times greater probability of experiencing abnormal hs-CRP (95% CI: 1.495-10.062, P=0.005), while those with mild anxiety and moderate to severe anxiety had 4.525 times (95% CI: 1.392-14.714, P=0.012) and 3.286 times (95% CI: 0.911-11.357, P=0.070) greater odds of experiencing abnormal hs-CRP, respectively. No similar significant association was seen in the non-hypertensive group. Conclusion:There is an interrelationship between elevated hs-CRP and anxiety in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular-related diseases and hypertension.

Meta-analysis of the effect of different concentrations of atropine inhibiting spherical equivalent degree and axial length of myopia in children / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To systematically evaluate the effects of 0.01%, 0.025% and 0.05% ophthalmic atropine on the change of spherical equivalent(SE)degree and axial length(AL)of myopic children. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, Wanfang Database, VIP and CBM were searched for all publications related to 0.01%, 0.025% and 0.05% atropine to control myopia simultaneously. The publication time is from the database construction to May 2022. The Cochrane handbook was used to evaluate the risk of bias and quality of the included literature, STATA12.0 was used to detect publication bias and Revman5.4 software was used for Meta-analysis. RESULTS: A total of 6 literatures(1 239 eyes)were included, with 5 randomized controlled trials and 1 case-control study. Meta-analysis results showed that 0.025% atropine had better inhibitory effect on SE and AL than 0.01% atropine(SE: WMD=-0.15, 95%CI: -0.23--0.06, P&#x003C;0.001; AL: WMD=0.07, 95%CI: 0.03-0.10, P&#x003C;0.001). The inhibitory effect of 0.05% atropine on SE and AL was better than 0.01% atropine(SE: WMD=-0.35, 95%CI: -0.44--0.26, P&#x003C;0.001; AL: WMD=0.16, 95%CI: 0.12-0.20, P&#x003C;0.001). The inhibitory effect of 0.05% atropine on SE and AL increase was better than 0.025% atropine(SE: WMD=-0.20, 95%CI: -0.28--0.11, P&#x003C;0.001; AL: WMD=0.09, 95%CI: 0.06-0.12, P&#x003C;0.001). CONCLUSION: The concentration of 0.05% atropine is superior to 0.01% and 0.025% atropine in the control of SE and AL. However, the side effects of long-term use remain to be observed.

Individual mortality risk predictive system of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure based on a random survival forest model.

BACKGROUND: The basis of individualized treatment should be individualized mortality risk predictive information. The present study aimed to develop an online individual mortality risk predictive tool for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients based on a random survival forest (RSF) algorithm. METHODS: The current study retrospectively enrolled ACLF patients from the Department of Infectious Diseases of The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, and Jiangmen Central Hospital. Two hundred seventy-six consecutive ACLF patients were included in the present study as a model cohort (n = 276). Then the current study constructed a validation cohort by drawing patients from the model dataset based on the resampling method (n = 276). The RSF algorithm was used to develop an individual prognostic model for ACLF patients. The Brier score was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of prognostic models. The weighted mean rank estimation method was used to compare the differences between the areas under the time-dependent ROC curves (AUROCs) of prognostic models. RESULTS: Multivariate Cox regression identified hepatic encephalopathy (HE), age, serum sodium level, acute kidney injury (AKI), red cell distribution width (RDW), and international normalization index (INR) as independent risk factors for ACLF patients. A simplified RSF model was developed based on these previous risk factors. The AUROCs for predicting 3-, 6-, and 12-month mortality were 0.916, 0.916, and 0.905 for the RSF model and 0.872, 0.866, and 0.848 for the Cox model in the model cohort, respectively. The Brier scores were 0.119, 0.119, and 0.128 for the RSF model and 0.138, 0.146, and 0.156 for the Cox model, respectively. The nonparametric comparison suggested that the RSF model was superior to the Cox model for predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients. CONCLUSIONS: The current study developed a novel online individual mortality risk predictive tool that could predict individual mortality risk predictive curves for individual patients. Additionally, the current online individual mortality risk predictive tool could further provide predicted mortality percentages and 95% confidence intervals at user-defined time points.

Deep lateral wall combined with medial wall orbital decompression for thyroid associated ophthalmopathy / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To explore the clinical effect and safety of deep lateral wall combined with medial wall orbital decompression in the treatment of thyroid associated ophthalmopathy(TAO).<p>METHODS: Totally 17 patients with TAO in our department from January 2019 to May 2020 were included. All patients underwent deep lateral wall combined with medial wall orbital decompression under general anesthesia, the visual acuity, recovery of exposure keratitis, exophthalmos, intraocular pressure and complications were compared before and after operation.<p>RESULTS: Eight patients(9 eyes)with TAO and dysthyroid optic neuropathy(DON)were included in the study. The best corrected visual acuity averaged 0.78±0.15 preoperatively and 0.36±0.12 1mo postoperatively, which was statistically significant(<i>P</i><0.01)compared with the preoperative visual acuity, 0.38±0.12 at 6mo after surgery, which was not statistically different from that at 1mo after surgery(<i>P</i>=0.594). The mean preoperative proptosis was 23.75±2.55mm and the mean postoperative proptosis was 14.85±1.53mm at 1mo, which was statistically significant compared with the preoperative proptosis(<i>P</i><0.01), proptosis was on average 14.60±1.64mm at 6mo after surgery and remained generally stable(<i>P</i>=0.658)from 1mo before surgery. The intraocular pressure of the patients was 25.56±3.23mmHg preoperatively and 18.42±2.35mmHg 1mo postoperatively, which was statistically significant compared with the preoperative value(<i>P</i><0.01), and the intraocular pressure of the patients was reduced to 15.82±2.57mmHg at the 6mo postoperative follow-up, which was statistically significant compared with the intraocular pressure of the patients 1mo postoperatively(<i>P</i><0.01). There were 6 eyes of 6 patients with exposure keratitis preoperatively, 4 eyes improved and 2 eyes were cured in the 1mo postoperative, and all 6 eyes were cured 6mo postoperatively. Postoperatively, the diplopia of the patients all decreased to various degrees, and there were some patients whose diplopia symptoms continued to improve 6mo thereafter without other serious complications.<p>CONCLUSION: Deep lateral wall combined with medial wall orbital decompression can effectively improve the proptosis and also have a good effect on severe complications such as DON and exposure keratitis with few complications, so deep lateral wall combined with medial wall orbital decompression is an effective surgical procedure in the treatment of severe TAO.

Individual mortality risk predictive system of patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure based on a random survival forest model / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The basis of individualized treatment should be individualized mortality risk predictive information. The present study aimed to develop an online individual mortality risk predictive tool for acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients based on a random survival forest (RSF) algorithm.@*METHODS@#The current study retrospectively enrolled ACLF patients from the Department of Infectious Diseases of The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University, and Jiangmen Central Hospital. Two hundred seventy-six consecutive ACLF patients were included in the present study as a model cohort (n = 276). Then the current study constructed a validation cohort by drawing patients from the model dataset based on the resampling method (n = 276). The RSF algorithm was used to develop an individual prognostic model for ACLF patients. The Brier score was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of prognostic models. The weighted mean rank estimation method was used to compare the differences between the areas under the time-dependent ROC curves (AUROCs) of prognostic models.@*RESULTS@#Multivariate Cox regression identified hepatic encephalopathy (HE), age, serum sodium level, acute kidney injury (AKI), red cell distribution width (RDW), and international normalization index (INR) as independent risk factors for ACLF patients. A simplified RSF model was developed based on these previous risk factors. The AUROCs for predicting 3-, 6-, and 12-month mortality were 0.916, 0.916, and 0.905 for the RSF model and 0.872, 0.866, and 0.848 for the Cox model in the model cohort, respectively. The Brier scores were 0.119, 0.119, and 0.128 for the RSF model and 0.138, 0.146, and 0.156 for the Cox model, respectively. The nonparametric comparison suggested that the RSF model was superior to the Cox model for predicting the prognosis of ACLF patients.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The current study developed a novel online individual mortality risk predictive tool that could predict individual mortality risk predictive curves for individual patients. Additionally, the current online individual mortality risk predictive tool could further provide predicted mortality percentages and 95% confidence intervals at user-defined time points.

Expression, purification and induction of apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by salvia miltiorrhiza lectin in vitro / 医学研究生学报

Objective　The active protein of traditional Chinese medicine has anti-tumor effect, and salvia miltiorrhiza is an important anti-tumor traditional Chinese medicine. Here, the effect of Salvia miltiorrhiza lectin protein (SMLP) on the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells was studied.　Methods　SMLP expressed and purified from prokaryotic cells was used to treat the gastric cancer cells SGC-7901. The experiment was divided into the control group (untreated) and the SMLP treatment group (final concentration of 10 μmol / L of SMLP was treated for 24 h). Real-time RT-PCR and Western blot were used to detect the changes of apoptosis gene expression. Flow cytometry and Hoechst staining were applied to detect the apoptotic status. Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 activity assay kits were used to detect the apoptotic level.　Results　The result of RT-PCR showed that the mRNA level of Bax in the SMLP treatment group was significantly higher than in the control group (1.00±0.12 vs 0.67±0.10）(P<0.05). After treatment with SMLP to gastric cancer cells, the activity and expression level of cleaved Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were increased significantly compared with the control group (P<0.05). The cell nucleus in the control group was bigger and rounder, with smooth surface and uniform staining, whilst in the SMLP-treated group, the cell nucleus became deeper with pyknosis, representing typical morphological characteristics of apoptosis. The early apoptosis level in the control group was 6.55%, and the SMLP treatment group reached 10.18%, showing an increase in the level of apoptosis.　Conclusion　SMLP expressed and purified in vitro can promote the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells, which is of great significance for further revealing the function of plant lectin and investigating the anti-tumor effect on the protein of traditional Chinese medicine.

Trichostatin A inhibits the proliferation of gastric cancer cells through the promotion of autophagy via p-Akt/p-mTOR pathway / 医学研究生学报

Objective　Trihostatin A (TSA) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor of oxime salts, which has certain anti-tumor activity. This article mainly investigates the molecular mechanism of TSA inhibiting cell proliferation through p-AKT/p-mTOR pathway in gastric cancer cells.　Methods　Gastric cancer cell line-SGC-7901 were treated with TSA of different concentrations, and the inhibition rate of TSA on the cells was detected by MTT assay. The cells were divided into control group (without any treatment), TSA-treated group (200ng/ml TSA), p-AKT covering group (200 ng/mL TSA+8 μg/mL SC79) and autophagy inhibition group (5 mmol/mL 3-methyladenine+200 ng/mL TSA). The protein expression distribution of Lc3 in control and TSA group were detected by cell immunofluorescence staining. The relative expression levels of p-AKT, p-mTOR and autophagy related proteins Lc3 and P62 in control group, TSA group and p-AKT covering group were detected by Western blot. The proliferation of cells in control group, TSA group, p-AKT covering group and autophagy inhibition group were measured by EdU and cell count assay.　Results　After 24h of treatment, Lc3 in TSA group formed a large number of granular aggregates in the cytoplasm, and the fluorescence distribution changed from the initial diffuse to dense. The TSA group showed a significant reduction in green fluorescence compared with the control group in the EdU experiment. The expression levels of p-AKT in the control group, TSA group and the autophagy inhibition group were 1.78±0.19, 0.92±0.03 and 1.71±0.19, respectively, and Lc3 were 0.21±0.01, 0.79±0.06 and 0.55±0.10, respectively. Compared with the control group, the relative expression level of p-AKT in the TSA group all decreased, while the expression level of Lc3 increased (P <0.05). p-mTOR in the three groups was 0.80±0.16, 0.45±0.04 and 0.98±0.16, respectively. Compared with the control group, the relative expression level of p-mTOR in the TSA group all decreased (P <0.05). P62 in the three groups was 1.17±0.15, 0.48±0.08 and 0.77±0.10, respectively. Compared with the control group, the relative expression level of P62 in the TSA group all decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the TSA group, p-AKT, p-mTOR and P62 expression in the p-AKT covering group increased (P<0.05), while Lc3 expression decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the inhibition effect of cell growth curve was the most obvious in the TSA group, while the cell growth curve of p-AKT covering group and autophagy inhibition group showed a partial recovery compared with the TSA group.　Conclusion　TSA can promote autophagy by inhibiting p-AKt/p-mTOR pathway, thus inhibiting the proliferation of gastric cancer cells.

Increased expression of Ki-67 is a poor prognostic marker for colorectal cancer patients: a meta analysis.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic value of Ki-67 expression in colorectal cancer patients was controversial. Therefore, this meta analysis was conducted to ascertain the prognostic value of Ki-67 expression in colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: The electronic databases, including EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Knowledge database, were searched from January 1970 to July 2017. The pooled hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to evaluate the prognostic value of Ki-67 expression for colorectal cancer patients. RESULTS: Totally 34 eligible studies and 6180 colorectal cancer patients were included in the present meta analysis. The pooled hazard ratios were 1.54(95% CI 1.17-2.02, P = 0.005) for overall survival and 1.43(1.12-1.83, P = 0.008) for disease free survival in univariate analysis. After adjustment of other prognostic factors, the pooled HR was 1.50(95% CI 1.02-2.22, P = 0.03) for overall survival in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The present meta analysis demonstrated that high Ki-67 expression is significantly correlated with poor overall survival and disease free survival, indicating that high Ki-67 expression may serve as a valuable predictive method for poor prognosis of colorectal cancer patients.

Experimental study of photodynamic therapy using a new photosensitizer BF01 for human liver cancer / 药学学报

We study here in vitro cytotoxicity, in vivo tumor inhibition and the mechanism on photodynamic therapy (PDT) of photosensitizer BF01 using human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line BEL-7402. CCK-8 method was used to detect the inhibition rate and IC50 in BEL-7402 cells on the same laser intensity with varying concentrations (0, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, 6.4 μmol·L-1) of photosensitizer BF01. Cell death mode of BEL-7402 was detected by flow cytometry, with apoptotic characteristics observed by DAPI staining, and the subcellular localization of reactive oxygen was observed using photodynamic detection and confocal microscopy. The cell model of human liver cancer in nude mice was established, tumor growth curve was drawn, and the therapeutic effect of BF01 was determined. The animal experimentation was approved by East China University of Science and Technology Ethics Committee. The results indicated that BF01 PDT treatment can clearly inhibit BEL-7402 tumor cell proliferation, with the killing rate of 86% at the concentration of 6.4 μmol·L-1 of BF01, and half lethal concentration IC50 value of 2.46 μmol·L-1. DAPI stained nuclei shows the characteristics of advanced stage apoptosis, whereas reactive oxygen species level in the mitochondria increased with increasing drug concentration. In vivo experiments showed that photosensitizer BF01 mediated photodynamic therapy of liver cancer cells and inhibited tumor growth in mice. Therefore, the new BF01 photosensitizer has a potential for development into future clinic application.

Situation analysis of mental disorders in females with systemic lupus erythematosus / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To study the influences of mental disorders on female systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and analyze the factors. Methods We used symptom check list -90 (SCL-90) as a basis for judging mental disorders disease activity. Disease activity, social support and depreciation - discrimination were used as possible influencing factors. Social support and discomfort – discrimination were possible influencing factors. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression model was used to analyze the influencing factors of mental disorders. Results The total score of SCL-90 of patients with female SLE was significantly higher than that of norm models ［(136.39±48.66) vs (129.96±38.76)］ (P<0.05), in 289 SLE patients, the number of patients with mental disorders was 128 (44.3%). High monthly income(OR=0.770, 95% CI:0.604-0.981, P=0.034) was a protective factor for mental disorders. High disease activity (OR=1.792, 95% CI:1.023-3.138, P=0.042)and high discomfort–discrimination (OR=1.100, 95% CI:1.035-1.169, P=0.002)were risk factors for mental disorders. Conclusions Female SLE patients have a higher risk of mental disorders than the general population. And eliminating self-depreciation, reducing social discrimination, active employment, increasing monthly income, standardizing treatment and reducing disease activity may effectively alleviate mental disorders in SLE patients.