One-step growth of Cu-doped carbon dots in amino-modified carbon nanotube-modified electrodes for sensitive electrochemical detection of BPA.

Copper-doped carbon dots and aminated carbon nanotubes (Cu-CDs/NH2-CNTs) nanocomposites were synthesized by a one-step growth method, and the composites were characterized for their performance. An electrochemical sensor for sensitive detection of bisphenol A (BPA) was developed for using Cu-CDs/NH2-CNTs nanocomposites modified with glassy carbon electrodes (GCE). The sensor exhibited an excellent electrochemical response to BPA in 0.2 M PBS (pH 7.0) under optimally selected conditions. The linear range of the sensor for BPA detection was 0.5-160 µM, and the detection limit (S/N = 3) was 0.13 µM. Moreover, the sensor has good interference immunity, stability and reproducibility. In addition, the feasibility of the practical application of the sensor was demonstrated by the detection of BPA in bottled drinking water and Liu Yang River water.

Evolutionarily conserved IL-22 participates in gut mucosal barrier through its receptors IL-22BP, IL-10R2 and IL-22RA1 during bacterial infection in teleost.

IL-22 is a critical cytokine of epithelial mucosal barrier. In humans, IL-22 signals through a heteroduplex receptor consisting of IL-22R and IL-10Rß. In fish, IL-22 and its receptors homologues have been cloned in a number of species, however, no studies have been reported how the receptors are involved in IL-22 transduction. For this purpose, in this study we identified IL-22 and its soluble receptor IL-22BP and transmembrane receptors IL-22RA1 and IL-10R2 in Carassius cuvieri × Carassius auratus red var. (named WR-IL-22, WR-IL-22BP, WR-IL10R2 and WR-IL22RA1, respectively). WR-IL-22, WR-IL-22BP, WR-IL10R2 and WR-IL22RA1 were relatively conserved in the evolutionary process, sharing the same conserved domains as their higher vertebrate homologues. When the fish were infected with the Aeromonas hydrophila, the expression of WR-IL-22, WR-IL-22BP, WR-IL10R2 and WR-IL22RA1 were significantly induced in the gut. The co-IP assay showed that WR-IL-22 not only interacted with WR-IL-22BP, but also with WR-IL10R2 and WR-IL22RA1. When introduced in vivo, WR-IL-22 activated the JAK1-STAT3 axis and protected the gut mucosa from A. hydrophila infection. However, overexpression of WR-IL-22BP or knockdown of transmembrane receptors WR-IL10R2 and WR-IL22RA1 significantly inhibited the activation of WR-IL-22-mediated JAK1-STAT3 axis and promoted bacterial colonization in the gut. These results provided new insights into the role of IL-22 and its receptors in the gut mucosa barrier and immune response in teleost.

Thymol Isolated from Thymus vulgaris L. Inhibits Colorectal Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis by Suppressing the Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly occurring cancers and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, there is currently no safe and effective treatment for this condition. Thymol is a phenolic compound that is recognized as safe for use in food as well as medical and cosmetic fields. Increasing evidence has indicated that thymol exerts prominent antitumor effects in a variety of cancers, including CRC. However, how thymol elicits these effects on CRC and the associated underlying mechanisms remains unclear. METHODS: HCT116 and Lovo cells were treated with different concentrations of thymol. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell migration and invasion assays were used to evaluate cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, respectively. Cell apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were measured by flow cytometry. RT-qPCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of related genes and their protein products. RESULTS: In this study, we tested the antitumor activity of thymol extracted from a Chinese medicinal herb, Thymus vulgaris L. We show that thymol treatment in vitro inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in CRC. Furthermore, in vivo treatment with 75 and 150 mg/kg thymol led to a significant decrease in tumor volume. Thymol administration induced CRC cell apoptosis through activation of the BAX/Bcl-2 signaling pathway. In addition, thymol suppressed CRC cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, and metastasis via inhibiting the activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway, both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: Thymol may prevent CRC progression through inhibition of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of CRC.

Baicalein suppresses the proliferation and invasiveness of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting Snail­induced epithelial­mesenchymal transition.

Scutellaria baicalensis (S. baicalensis) is a plant that is widely used for medicinal purposes. Baicalein, one of the primary bioactive compounds found in S. baicalensis, is thought to possess antitumor activity, although the specific mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the ability of baicalein to disrupt the proliferation and metastatic potential of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells; a rapid and sensitive ultra­high performance liquid chromatography­tandem mass spectrometric method was employed for the identification of baicalein in an S. baicalensis aqueous extract and in rat plasma. To investigate the effects of baicalein, Cell Counting Kit­8 (CCK­8), western blotting, wound­healing and Transwell assays were performed. The data indicated that baicalein was absorbed into the blood and was able to effectively disrupt the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of CRC cells in a dose­ and time­dependent manner. Baicalein treatment was also revealed to decrease the expression of epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT)­promoting factors including vimentin, Twist1, and Snail, but to upregulate the expression of E­cadherin in CRC cells. The expression levels of cell cycle inhibitory proteins p53 and p21 also increased following baicalein treatment. In addition, Snail­induced vimentin and Twist1 upregulation, as well as E­cadherin downregulation, were reversed following treatment with baicalein. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that baicalein may suppress EMT, at least in part, by decreasing Snail activity.

Enhanced antitumoral efficacy and immune response following conditionally replicative adenovirus containing constitutive HSF1 delivery to rodent tumors.

BACKGROUND: Oncolytic adenoviruses are promising as anticancer agents but have limited clinical responses. Our previous study showed that heat shock transcription factor 1 (HSF1) overexpression could increase the anti-tumor efficacy of E1B55kD deleted oncolytic adenovirus through increasing the viral burst. Due to the important roles of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in eliciting innate and adaptive immunity, we reasoned that besides increasing the viral burst, HSF1 may also play a role in increasing tumor specific immune response. METHODS: In the present study, intra-dermal murine models of melanoma (B16) and colorectal carcinoma (CT26) were treated with E1B55kD deleted oncolytic adenovirus Adel55 or Adel55 incorporated with cHSF1, HSF1i, HSP70, or HSP90 by intra-tumoral injection. Tumors were surgically excised 72 h post injection and animals were analyzed for tumor resistance and survival rate. RESULTS: Approximately 95% of animals in the Adel55-cHSF1 treated group showed sustained resistance upon re-challenge with autologous tumor cells, but not in PBS, Adel55, or Adel55-HSF1i treated groups. Only 50-65% animals in the Adel55-HSP70 and Adel55-HSP90 treated group showed tumor resistance. Tumor resistance was associated with development of tumor type specific cellular immune responses. Adel55-cHSF1 treatment also showed higher efficacy in diminishing progression of the secondary tumor focus than Adel55-HSP70 or Adel55-HSP90 treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Besides by increasing its burst in tumor cells, cHSF1 could also augment the potential of E1B55kD deleted oncolytic adenovirus by increasing the tumor-specific immune response, which is beneficial to prevent tumor recurrence. cHSF1 is a better gene for neoadjuvant immunotherapy than other heat shock protein genes.