β-Elemene induces apoptosis and autophagy in colorectal cancer cells through regulating the ROS/AMPK/mTOR pathway / 中国天然药物

β-Elemene is an effective anti-cancer ingredient extracted from the genus Curcuma (Zingiberaceae familiy). In the present study, we demonstrated that β-elemene inhibited the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. In addition, β-elemene induced nuclear chromatin condensation and cell membrane phosphatidylserine eversion, decreased cell mitochondrial membrane potential, and promoted the cleavage of caspase-3, caspase-9 and PARP proteins, indicating apoptosis in colorectal cancer cells. At the same time, β-elemene induced autophagy response, and the treated cells showed autophagic vesicle bilayer membrane structure, which was accompanied by up-regulation of the expression of LC3B and SQSTM1. Furthermore, β-elemene increased ROS levels in colorectal cancer cells, promoted phosphorylation of AMPK protein, and inhibited mTOR protein phosphorylation. In the experiments in vivo, β-elemene inhibited the tumor size and induced apoptosis and autophagy in nude mice. In summary, β-elemene inhibited the occurrence and development of colon cancer xenografts in nude mice, and significantly induced apoptosis and autophagy in colorectal cancer cells in vitro. These effects were associated with regulation of the ROS/AMPK/mTOR signaling. We offered a molecular basis for the development of β-elemene as a promising anti-tumor drug candidate for colorectal cancer.

Prediction of Antiviral and Anti-inflammatory Mechanisms of Major Compounds from Flowers of Trollius Chinensis Based on Molecular Docking Technology / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To predict the antiviral and anti-inflammatory mechanisms of major compounds from the flowers of Trollius chinensis, namely, vitexin, orientin, 2"-O-β-L-galactopyranosylvitexin, 2"-O-β-L-galactopyranosylorientin, veratric acid, and trolline, by using the molecular docking technique. Methods Discovery Studio 2.5 software and Chinese Medicine Chemistry Database were employed for docking between the ligands including 6 compounds and the proteins including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and neuraminidase (NA). The docking results and interactions of their functional domains were obtained by simulation analysis. Results Vitexin, orientin, 2"-O-β-L-galactopyranosylvitexin, veratric acid, and trolline were applied to one or more TLR, whereas 2"-O-β-L-galactopyranosylorientin could interact with neither of the proteins investigated. Flavonoids, namely vitexin, orientin, 2"-O-β-L-galactopyranosylvitexin and 2"-O-β-L-galactopyranosylorientin were applied to NA, whereas veratric acid and trolline could not interact with NA. Conclusion Five out of the 6 compounds have influence on the signaling pathways mediated by TLRs, and TLR3, 4, and 7 are their potential targets for antivirus and anti-inflammation. Four flavonoids can affect the activity of influenza virus by interacting with NA. This study can provide a basis for the investigation of the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effective compounds of the flowers of Trollius chinensis and the further development.

The difference expression and diagnostic value of RPL5 in papillary thyroid carcinoma of children and adults / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To study the difference expression and diagnostic value of ribosomal protein L5 (RPL5) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) of children and adults.@*Methods@#Realtime-PCR was performed to detect the expression of RPL5 in 22 PTC tissues and 13 pericarcinous tissues. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Youden's index were used to evaluate the diagnostic value of RPL5 in PTC of children and adults.@*Results@#The expression of RPL5 in PTC tissues was higher than in pericarcinous tissues. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.820 (P=0.001), and Youden′s index was 0.568. The expression of RPL5 in PTC of adults was higher than children (P<0.05). The AUC and Youden's index were respectively 0.721 (P=0.069) and 0.414 in children, whereas being respectively 0.896 (P=0.0005) and 0.709 in adults. RPL5 in diagnosis of PTC of adults was better than CK19, Galectin-3 and TPO, which are commonly used for the pathologic diagnosis of PTC.@*Conclusion@#The expression of RPL5 in PTC is higher than pericarcinous tissues, and its expression in PTC of adults is higher than children. Furthermore, PTC is a potential indicator for diagnosis of PTC.

Pharmacodynamic study on insomnia-curing effects of Shuangxia Decoction in Drosophila melanogaster / 中国天然药物

The present study aimed to establish a pharmacodynamic method using the pySolo software to explore the influence of freeze-dried powders of Shuangxia Decoction (SXD) on the sleep of normal Drosophila melanogaster and the Drosophila melanogaster whose sleep was divested by light. The dose-effect and the time-effect relationships of SXD on sleep were examined. The effect-onset concentration of SXD was 0.25%, the plateau appeared at the concentration of 2.5% and the total sleep time showed a downtrend when the concentration was greater than 2.5%. The sleep time was the longest on the fourth day after SXD was given. The fruit fly sleep deprivation model was repeated by light stimulation at night. The middle dosage group (2.5%) had the best insomnia-curing effect. In conclusion, using the pySolo software, an approach for the pharmacodynamics study was established with Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to determine the insomnia-curing effects of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Our results demonstrated the reliability of this method. The freeze-dried powders of SXD could effectively improve the sleep quality of Drosophila melanogaster.

A Pharmacodynamical Study on the Improvement of Senile Drosophilas with Fragmented Sleep with the Administration of Shuang Xia Decoction / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study aimed at unfolding the therapeutic effects of freeze-dried powder separated from Shuang Xia decoction (SXD) on female senile drosophila melanogaster with fragmented sleep.Taking drosophilas as the model organisms,the locomotor activity was monitored using the autonomic monitoring software to explore the regulation of fragmented sleep in senile drosophilas by the treatment of SXD.As a result,it was found that the optimum concentration of SXD was 2.50％,while the desirable therapeutic duration was 4 days.In comparison with the control group,35-day-old virgin drosophilas'sleep was prolonged in the SXD group and the positive control group.The positive drug mainly affected their sleep in the daytime,while SXD impacted their sleep at night featuring the prolonged fragmented sleep.In conclusion,it was demonstrated that the freeze-dried powder of SXD effectively alleviated intermittent insomnia in the female senile drosophilas.Compared with positive drug,SXD also mitigated intermittent insomnia at night without significant changes in the sleep of the drosophilas in the daytime.Above all,SXD was beneficial in the regulation of sleep-wake rhythm in the drosophilas.

Upper Limb Movement Deficiency in Children with Autism and Related Factors / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective To explore the deficiency of upper limb movement in children with autism and its related factors. Methods 30 au-tism children aged 7-13 years old, and 30 healthy children aged 7-8 years from February to May, 2014 were enrolled. Their range of motion, comprehensive strength and cooperation, endurance, and muscular tension were tested. Results All the indexes of autism children lagged be-hind the healthy children (P0.05). The endurance of boys was better than girls (P=0.020), and there was no difference in other aspects between them (P>0.05). The type of autism for more upper limb movement cor-related with obstruction of Jianjing acupoint (GB21) (r=0.515, P=0.013), and was significantly different with the type of less limb move-ment (χ2=8.533, P=0.003). Conclusion Compared with healthy children, the joint motion is relatively flexible, but lack of strength, and with poor persistence and unbalance development between left and right upper limbs. Motor rehabilitation should be conducted according to their movement features and the condition of meridian.

[Synthesis, identification of artificial antigen of catalpol and preliminary study of immunogenicity].

The method of monoclonal antibody-based immunoassay has a great importance in the study of quality control of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and detection of trace components in vivo animals. Synthesis of small molecule artificial antigen is the prerequisite for the establishment of this method. In present study, catalpol-BSA was synthesized by sodium periodate oxidation method. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry ( MALDI-TOF-MS) and molecular exclusion chromatography showed that catalpol was successfully conjugated with BSA. The mice could specifically produce anti-catalpol antibodies with titer up to 1:8000. The artificial antigen of catalpol was successfully synthesized.

Structure and antibacterial property of a new diterpenoid from Euphorbia helioscopia / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to isolate and evaluate the antibacterial activity of the compounds from the whole plant of Euphorbia helioscopia L.. Various chromatographic techniques were used to isolate and purify the compound. The structure of the compound was elucidated on basis of spectral data ((1)H NMR, (13)C NMR, (1)H-(1)H COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, IR, and HR-ESI-MS). A new jatrophone-type diterpenoid (14α,15β-diacetoxy-3β-benzoyloxy-7β-nicotinoyloxy-9-oxo-jatropha-5E,11E-diene), named euphoheliosnoid E (1), was isolated from the whole plant of E. helioscopia L. Compound 1 showed significant anti-microbial activity against oral pathogens.

Preparation and characterization of fucoidan-chitosan nanospheres by the sonification method.

Fucoidan was chosen a substitute for alginate in chitosan-based polyelectrolytes or polyiones because it is negatively charged and possesses pharmacological properties. The fucoidan-chitosan nanospheres were prepared by the sonification method, and different formulation variables were investigated to get regular and round microspheres. Single factor and orthogonal experiments were carried out in this process, and nanospheres were finally prepared successfully. Stability tests revealed that some of the spheres were stable over one week. Combined with the drug loading/release profiles when using bovine serum albumin and capecitabine as model drugs for peptide and small molecule drug respectively, it can be concluded that the nanospheres may have potential applications in drug delivery.

Comparative Analysis of Promoting Effects on NRK-49F Cells Proliferation by Different Sections of Velvet Antler Water Extracts / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study was aimed to explore differential effects of various sections of the velvet antler on promoting cell proliferation in vitro. The NRK-49F cell line from rat kidney fibroblasts was used as the cell model. The cell proliferation rates of the water extracts from the upper, middle and lower section of fresh velvet antler were measured by the MTT method. BCA method was used in the detection of protein concentration. The SDS-PAGE method was used in the analysis of difference composition of the sample protein. The results showed that soluble protein content of the upper, middle and lower section were 17.89, 16.04 and 6.89 mg·mL-1, respectively. From the top to the base, the soluble protein content of velvet antler was decreased. After 24 h treatment, when the protein concentration of the upper and middle section samples of the velvet antler were 800 μg·mL-1 and 600 μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which were 66.76% and 64.36%, respectively. And when the lower section sample of the velvet antler was 1 000 μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which was 58.87%. After 48 h treatment, when the upper and middle section samples of the velvet antler were 800μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which were 219.56% and 215.86%, respectively. And when the lower section sample of the velvet antler was 1 000 μg·mL-1, the cell proliferation promoting rates reached the maximum, which was 169.20%. The velvet antler on the proliferation of cells was much better than the 10% fetal bovine serum. The figure of SDS-PAGE showed the slight difference in the protein composition of three part of the velvet antler. It was concluded that all samples had promoting effects on cell proliferation with concentration-depen-dent, and the main protein in different part of the velvet antler had minor differences.

D ifferent cytotoxic effects of hydroxycamptothecin on human lung cancer cells and human embryo lung fibroblast cells / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Toinvestigatethedifferenceofcytotoxiceffectsofhydroxycamptothecin(HCPT)onhuman lungcancercelsA549andhumanembryolungfibroblastcelsMRC-5.METHODS A549celsandMRC-5celswere treated with HCPT 20-200 μmol·L-1 for 24,48 and 72 h,or pulse treated with HCPT 50-400 μmol·L-1 for 24 h along with 5 d release.cellsurvival was detected by MTT assay.Morphological changes for both types of cells were observed under an inverted phase-contrast microscope.cellcycle and apoptosis in both cells treated with HCPT 50 μmol·L-1 for 48 h weredeterminedbyflowcytometry.RESULTS HCPT20-200μmol·L-1inhibitedthesurvivalofbothcelsinaconcen-tration-dependent manner and more cytotoxicity was observed in A549 cells for 48 h.The concentration-effect correlation coefficient(r)of HCPT in A549 and MRC-5 cells for 48 h was 0.898 (P=0.015)and 0.996 (P=2.56E-5)respectively. The inhibition rates were significantly different between A549 and MRC-5 cells with treatment of HCPT 20,50,80,1 00, 1 60 and 200 μmol·L-1 for 48 h (P<0.05).The IC50 of HCPT on A549 and MRC-5 cells was (24.00 ±0.69)μmol·L-1 and (1 23.63 ±3.89)μmol·L-1 respectively,indicating that A549 cells were 5-fold more sensitive to HCPT than MRC-5 cells at 48 h.After exposure to HCPT 50 μmol·L-1 for 48 h,some A549 cells were rounded up and shrank dramatical y, and some cells underwent membrane blebbing or lysing while MRC-5 cells had no obvious changes.cellcycle and apop-tosis analysis showed that A549 cells were arrested at both S and G2/M phases and apoptosis occurred but MRC-5 cells were just arrested at S phase.In the recovery growth curve,the growth of A549 cells was inhibited to a larger extent than MRC-5 cells and the growth retardation stil existed for 24 h in both cells.The survival of MRC-5 cells was faster than that ofA549cels,althoughtherewasnocompleterecoveryineithercel.CONCLUSION A549celsaremoresensitiveto HCPT than MRC-5 cells due to the fact that HCPT induces cellcycle arrest at both S and G2/M phases and apoptosis in A549 cells,but only triggers S phase arrest in the MRC-5 cells.

Higher rate of skin rash in a phase II trial with weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel and cisplatin combination in Chinese breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this sub-study is to explore the incidence of skin rash among advanced breast cancer(ABC) patients in a phase II trial treated with weekly nab-paclitaxel and cisplatin combination. METHODS: Nab-paclitaxel(125 mg/m2) was administered on days 1, 8, 15, followed by cisplatin(75 mg/m2) on day 1 every 28 day cycle until disease progression, intolerable toxicities or the maximum of 6 cycles. Patients who received at least one injection of the study drug were included in this analysis of the incidence of skin rash among Chinese patients. Toxicity was graded using the CTCAE4.0 criteria. Statistical analysis was carried out by using SPSS 16.0 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, IL). RESULTS: Seventy three patients were enrolled and eligible for analysis. A total of 384 cycles were administered at the time of this analysis. Rash was presented in 27 patients (37.0%). The most common sites involved were face (14/27), neck (14/27), limbs (18/27) and frictional parts of the trunk (10/27). Macular and papular rash with pruritus commonly occurred 2 (95% CI: 1-7) days after the first day of chemotherapy. Only one patient developed Grade 3 skin toxicity with generalized erythroderma and disfigurement of the face requiring dose reduction. The rash gradually regressed 2 (95% CI: 1-10) days after antihistamines used, but pigmentation remained in 13/27 cases. The incidence rate of skin rash was significantly higher than what has been described for western patients (approximate 4%, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: A higher rate of maculo-papular rash occurred in Chinese breast cancer patients treated with weekly nab-paclitaxel compared to western patients. The albumin component of nab-paclitaxel might be the cause of the skin disorder. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01149798.

Phenols and flavonoids from the aerial part of Euphorbia hirta / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To investigate the chemical constituents of the aerial part of Euphorbia hirta Linn.@*METHODS@#The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by various chromatographic techniques, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis.@*RESULTS@#Nine compounds were isolated and identified as scopoletin (1), scoparone (2), isoscopoletin (3), quercetin (4), isorhamnetin (5), pinocembrin (6), kaempferol (7), luteolin (8), gallic acid (9).@*CONCLUSION@#Among them compounds 1-3, 5-8 were found from this plant for the first time.

Risk factors for postoperative seromas in Chinese breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Seroma formation is one of the most common complications after breast cancer surgery. Various risk factors have been evaluated for their associations with the development of seromas in Western populations. However, similar data are not available in Chinese series. Therefore, we sought to investigate the potential risk factors for Chinese breast cancer patients. METHODS: A prospective study of female breast cancer patients undergoing surgery was carried out in Cancer Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Univariate analyses were performed by chi-square test or Student's t test or Mann-Whitney test and multivariate analyses by stepwise Logistic regression. The logistic model included age (years), total serum protein concentration (g/L), drainage volume on postoperative day 3 (POD 3; ml) and time to daily drainage volume not more than 30 ml (TTV30; days). RESULTS: A total of 158 patients with breast cancer were studied. The mean age at diagnosis was (52.14 ± 10.77) years (range 25 - 92). During the follow-up period, 24 (15.2%) patients developed seromas. Calculated as continuous variables in the stepwise Logistic regression, age (OR = 1.090, 95%CI 1.028 - 1.155, P = 0.004), total serum protein concentration (OR = 0.886, 95%CI 0.791 - 0.992, P = 0.036), drainage volume on POD3 (OR = 1.013, 95%CI 1.002 - 1.023, P = 0.017) and TTV30 (OR = 1.273, 95%CI 1.039 - 1.561, P = 0.020) were independent risk factors for seroma formation. Additionally, significant difference in daily drainage volume was substantiated in the analysis by seroma formation (P = 0.034) rather than by type of surgery (P = 0.713). CONCLUSIONS: Although the pathogenesis of seroma remains controversial, such risk factors as age, nutritional status, drainage volume on POD3 and TTV30 should be considered for prediction and prevention of seroma formation in Chinese breast cancer patients.