Sinomenine Hydrochloride Promotes TSHR-Dependent Redifferentiation in Papillary Thyroid Cancer.

Radioactive iodine (RAI) plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). The curative effects of RAI therapy are not only related to radiosensitivity but also closely related to the accumulation of radionuclides in the lesion in PTC. Sinomenine hydrochloride (SH) can suppress tumor growth and increase radiosensitivity in several tumor cells, including PTC. The aim of this research was to investigate the therapeutic potential of SH on PTC cell redifferentiation. In this study, we treated BCPAP and TPC-1 cells with SH and tested the expression of thyroid differentiation-related genes. RAI uptake caused by SH-pretreatment was also evaluated. The results indicate that 4 mM SH significantly inhibited proliferation and increased the expression of the thyroid iodine-handling gene compared with the control group (p < 0.005), including the sodium/iodide symporter (NIS). Furthermore, SH also upregulated the membrane localization of NIS and RAI uptake. We further verified that upregulation of NIS was associated with the activation of the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR)/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling pathway. In conclusion, SH can inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis, promote redifferentiation, and then increase the efficacy of RAI therapy in PTC cells. Thus, our results suggest that SH could be useful as an adjuvant therapy in combination with RAI therapy in PTC.

Eutrophication and nutrient limitation in the aquatic zones around Huainan coal mine subsidence areas, Anhui, China.

The eutrophication of three small lakes in the aquatic zones at the Huainan coal mine subsidence areas, designated as east site (ES), central site (CS), and west site (WS), were studied. Nutrient content, species, and nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) ratios were obtained through water quality analyses. Nutrient limitation was evaluated by nutrient enrichment bioassays (NEBs) in the autumn of 2012 and spring of 2013. Average annual concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) were 0.05, 0.08, and 0.10 mg/L, and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were 0.77, 1.95, and 2.06 mg/L in the water column at CS, ES, and WS, respectively. All of the three lakes exhibited 'meso-eutrophic' states and the TN:TP ratio ranged from 25:1 to 74:1 with variability between seasons and sites. NEBs verified that primary productivity in the lakes at ES and WS were mainly limited by P, while N limitation or N and P co-limitation was present in the aquatic zones at CS due to unavailable dissolved inorganic nitrogen. In the studied lakes, the blue-green algae, which comprised 70% of all identified species, was the predominant taxa, while the micro-zooplankton taxa was dominant, indicating a typical trophic structure of eutrophic lakes.

[Impact of regional water chemistry on the phosphorus isothermal adsorption of the sediments in three subsidence waters of the Huainan Mine areas].

Three research sites of subsidence waters, including Panji (PJ), Guqiao (GQ) and Xieqiao (XQ) located in the Huainan "Panxie" Mine Area have been selected to address their phosphorus (P) adsorption behavior in the sediments considering the site-specific regional water chemistry. The P isothermal adsorption was measured in pure water and four different types of ion solutions, prepared through additions of sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and a mixture of sodium bicarbonate and calcium chloride (NaHCO3 + CaCI2). The first four settings were studied to analyze the individual impact of each solution on P adsorption while the last one was to study their combined effect. In general, Ca2 + could enhance P adsorption on sediment surfaces while weakly alkaline conditions caused by bicarbonates were unfavorable for its adsorption. As a comprehensive effect, the positive effect of the former was greater than the negative effect of the latter. The zero equilibrium phosphorus concentrations (EPC) in the three sites were 0. 059, 0. 032 and 0. 040 mg.L-1, respectively, showing trends of P releasing to the overlying water column. The site of PJ showed greater P releasing potential than those at the GQ and XQ sites, probably due to its higher nutrient level. Overall, P releasing risks in the researched sediments are weaker than those in eutrophic lakes, while they are very similar to lakes with lower trophic levels, because of their unique sedimentary environments from inundated agricultural soils.

[Nutrient spatiotemporal distribution and eutrophication process in subsidence waters of Huainan and Huaibei mining areas, China].

A total of eight mining subsidence waters, including five sites in Huainan "Panxie" Mining Areas (PXS-1, PXS-2, PXS-3, PXS-4, and PXS-5) and three sites in Huaibei "Zhu-Yang huang" Mining Areas (HBDH, HBZH, HBNH), were selected to study the nutrient temporal and spatial distribution and trophic states. Among the sites, three sites (PXS-1, PXS-3, and HBDH) showed higher nutrient level and could be classified into moderate eutrophication, whereas the other five were in moderate nutrient level and mild eutrophication. Overall, the nutrient level of Huainan mining subsidence waters was higher than that of Huaibei mining subsidence waters. All the test samples in the two mining areas had a higher ratio of nitrogen to phosphorus (N:P), being 25-117 in Huainan and 17-157 in Huaibei, and with a seasonal variety, the lowest in growth season. The dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) in total phosphorous (TP) occupied a small percentage, being averagely 15.4% and 18.4% in Huainan and Huaibei mining areas, respectively. Nitrate was the main specie of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), with the ratio of nitrate to DIN being 74% and 89% in Huainan and Huaibei mining areas, respectively. Relative to the waters age, human activities could be one of the main factors responsible for the high nutrient level and the faster eutrophication process of these waters.