Efficacy of radiotherapy for the treatment of cystic echinococcosis in naturally infected sheep.

BACKGROUND: Radiotherapy is commonly used to treat cancers. To date, there has been no study focusing on the effects of radiotherapy on hydatid disease in large animals. In this study, we aim to investigate the efficiency and safety of radiotherapy for treating hydatid disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus in naturally infected sheep. METHODS: Ultrasound was used to screen naturally infected sheep in an echinococcosis endemic area in Xinjiang, China. A computer tomography (CT) scan confirmed the presence of hydatid cysts. Twenty sheep naturally infected with E. granulosus in the liver and/or lungs were randomly assigned into four groups receiving no irradiation, or X-ray irradiation of low (30 Gy), medium (45 Gy), and high dose (60 Gy), respectively. After three months of radiotherapy, a CT scan was performed to measure the changes in the cysts. The hepatic parasite cysts and host tissues were collected for histology and gene expression analysis. RESULTS: In the animals subject to irradiation, no significant differences were observed in their appetite, daily activities, and weight before and after radiotherapy. Severe calcification was noticed in the cysts subject to a high dose of radiation compared with the groups subject to low and medium doses. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that irradiation contributed to the damage of the cyst structure and nucleus in the germinal layers. Quantitative PCR demonstrated that expression of TPX and HSP70 significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The expression of the EPC1 decreased in the medium- and high-dose groups compared with the low-dose group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the expression of radiation-related apoptosis genes caspase-3 and Gadd45 decreased with an increase in the irradiation dose. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy is an option with satisfactory efficiency and safety for treating cystic echinococcosis in sheep with partial response or stable disease at month 3. In future, inhibition of cystic activity using radiotherapy may serve as a new regimen for treating hydatid disease.

Effect of EBI3 on radiation-induced immunosuppression of cervical cancer HeLa cells by regulating Treg cells through PD-1/PD-L1 pathway.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of EBI3 on radiation-induced immunosuppression of cervical cancer HeLa cells by regulating Treg cells through PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway. A total of 43 adult female Wistar rats were selected and injected with HeLa cells in the caudal vein to construct a rat model of cervical cancer. All model rats were randomly divided into the radiotherapy group ( n = 31) and the control group ( n = 12). The immunophenotype of Treg cells was detected by the flow cytometry. The protein expressions of EBI3, PD-1, and PD-L1 in cervical cancer tissues were tested by the streptavidin-peroxidase method. HeLa cells in the logarithmic growth phase were divided into four groups: the blank, the negative control group, the EBI3 mimics group, and the EBI3 inhibitors group. Western blotting was used to detect PD-1 and PD-L1 protein expressions. MTT assay was performed to measure the proliferation of Treg cells. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle and apoptosis, and CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio in each group. Compared with before and 1 week after radiotherapy, the percentages of CD4+T cells and CD8+T cells were significantly decreased in the radiotherapy group at 1 month after radiotherapy. Furthermore, down-regulation of EBI3 and up-regulation of PD-1 and PD-L1 were observed in cervical cancer tissues at 1 month after radiotherapy. In comparison to the blank and negative control groups, increased expression of EBI3 and decreased expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1 were found in the EBI3 mimics group. However, the EBI3 inhibitors group had a lower expression of EBI3 and higher expressions of PD-1 and PD-L1 than those in the blank and negative control groups. The EBI3 mimics group showed an increase in the optical density value (0.43 ± 0.05), while a decrease in the optical density value (0.31 ± 0.02) was found in the EBI3 inhibitors group. Moreover, compared with the blank and negative control groups, the apoptosis rates of Treg/CD4+T/CD8+T cells were decreased in the EBI3 mimics group, but the EBI3 inhibitors group exhibited an increase in apoptosis rate. In conclusion, over-expression of EBI3 could reduce the apoptosis of Treg/CD4+T/CD8+T cells and prevent radiation-induced immunosuppression of cervical cancer HeLa cells by inhibiting the activation of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway.

[Phenols from the rhizomes of Arachniodes exilis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Arachniodes exilis. METHODS: The methanolic extract was isolated and purified by silica gel, C18 reverse phase silica gel and Sepadex LH-20 gel column chromatography. The chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of the physicochemical properties and spectral data. RESULTS: Eight phenolic compounds were obtained and identified as aspidin-BB (I), 4-methyl-2-butyl-3,5-dihydroxyphenol (II ), eriodictyol (III), epicatechin (IV), procyanidin B2 (V), miscathoside (VI), eriodictyol-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranuronide (VII), luteolin-4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranuronide (VIII), respectively. CONCLUSION: Compounds II-VIII are obtained from this plant for the first time.