[miRNA-101 inhibits the expression of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 in androgen-independent prostate cancer LNCaP cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of miRNA-101 on the expression of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EXH2) in human androgen-independent prostated cancer LNCaP cells. METHODS: We divided LNCaP cells into a blank control, a negative control, and a miRNA-l01 transfection group, constructed the vector by transfecting synthetic miRNA-101 mimics into the LNCaP cells, and evaluated the efficiency of transfection by fluorescence microscopy. Then we determined the expression level of EZH2 mRNA by qRT-PCR in the three groups of cells and that of the EZH2 protein in the negative control and transfection groups by Western blot. RESULTS: Green fluorescence signals were observed in over 70% of the LNCaP cells in the transfection group after 24 hours of transfection. At 72 hours, the expression of miRNA-101 was significantly upregulated in the transfected cells (P < 0.01), that of EZH2 mRNA was remarkably lower in the transfection group (0.01 ± 0.10) than in the blank control (0.95 ± 0.40) and negative control (0.86 ± 0.30) groups (both P < 0.01), and that of the EZH2 protein was increased in the negative control but decreased in the transfection group with the extension of culture time. CONCLUSION: miRNA-101, with its inhibitory effect on the expression of EZH2 in LNCaP cells, is a potential biotherapeutic for prostate cancer.

[Identification of Cortex Phellodendri by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and principal component analysis].

Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was used to collect infrared spectra of Cortex Phellodendri from six different regions. Original spectra were preprocessed by carrying out appropriate baseline correction and five-points smoothing, and the averaged spectra of Cortex Phellodendri from the six origins were analyzed. As a result, the averaged spectra looked quite similar. The normalized spectra were selected to construct principal component analysis model in the range of fingerprint region 1800 - 500 cm(-1), and according to the model, the first three principal components accounted for 98% of the variance information in the fingerprint region, and each sample was able to form distinct cluster in the principal component space, then the identification of Cortex Phellodendri from the six regions was basically achieved; besides, to some extent, the sparse density of the samples distribution reflected the genetic relationship. The loading factors of the model were analyzed, and the results indicated that the differences between Cortex Phellodendri samples mostly depended on the contents of protein, carbohydrates, lipids, alkaloids, sterols, obaculactone, oba-cunone, and obacunonlc acid. On the whole, combined with principal component analysis, FTIR provides an effective way to evaluate the herbal Cortex Phellodendri rapidly and nondestructively, which also reflects the content difference of material composition.