Geraniin inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis through inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in human colorectal cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Geraniin, a polyphenolic component isolated from Phyllanthus amarus, has been reported to possess diverse biological activities, including antitumor, antiinflammatory, antihyperglycemic, antihypertensive, and antioxidant. However, the role and underlying mechanisms of geraniin in colorectal cancer still remain unclear. In the present study, we found that geraniin notably inhibited cell proliferation and clonogenic formation of colorectal cancer cell SW480 and HT-29 in a dose-dependent manner by Cell Counting Kit 8, EdU, and colony formation assays, respectively. Additionally, geraniin remarkably induced apoptosis of SW480 and HT-29 cells in a dose-dependent way by Hoechst 33342 staining, flow cytometric analysis, and TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assays and increased the expressions of Bax, caspase-3, and caspase-9, while decreased the level of Bcl-2. Besides, wound healing, transwell migration, and invasion assays demonstrated that geraniin obviously inhibited the migration and invasion of SW480 and HT-29 cells. Moreover, it also inhibited the levels of phospho (p)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p-Akt. Furthermore, in-vivo animal study revealed that geraniin had the significant inhibitory effects on tumor growth and promoted cancer cell apoptosis remarkably, which further confirmed the antitumor effect of geraniin. Taken together, the present study exhibited the positive role of geraniin in inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis through suppression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway in colorectal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, which might provide new insights in searching for new drug candidates of anticolorectal cancer.

Association between dietary sodium intake and blood pressure variability in Chinese patients with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The association between dietary sodium intake and blood pressure variability (BPV) in hypertensive patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to demonstrate whether dietary sodium intake is a predictor of elevated BPV in Chinese patients with hypertension. METHODS: A total of 235 patients with essential hypertension were enrolled in the Department of Cardiology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital in 2018 to 2019, all of whom underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. BPV was calculated as the standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), variation independent of mean (VIM) of blood pressure measurements, respectively, and divided into diurnal systolic BPV (SBPV), diurnal diastolic BPV (DBPV), nocturnal SBPV, and nocturnal DBPV. 24-h urine samples were collected to measure 24-h urine sodium excretion, which represents dietary sodium intake. The relationship between dietary sodium intake and BPV was analyzed by using Spearman correlations and multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Nocturnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM, and nocturnal DBPV-SD in the high urine sodium excretion group were significantly higher than those in the medium and low urine sodium excretion groups, whereas diurnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM, diurnal DBPV-SD, CV, VIM, and nocturnal DBPV-CV, VIM were not. Using the Spearman correlation analysis, we found a linear correlation between 24-h urine sodium excretion and nocturnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM (SD, r = 0.22, P = 0.001; CV, r = 0.17, P = 0.009; VIM, r = 0.16, P = 0.020), nocturnal DBPV-SD (r = 0.21, P = 0.001), respectively. After further adjusting for confounding factors by multiple linear regression, the positive correlations remained between 24-h urine sodium excretion and nocturnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM (SD, ß = 0.224, P < 0.001; CV, ß = 0.211, P = 0.001; VIM, ß = 0.213, P = 0.001), nocturnal DBPV (SD, ß = 0.215, P = 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Dietary sodium intake is associated with nocturnal SBPV in Chinese patients with hypertension.

[Diagnostic Values of Procalcitonin, C-reactive Protein and Interleukin-6 in Hematological Diseases with Bacterial Infection].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic values of procalcitonin(PCT), C-reactive protein(CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients suffered from hematological diseases with bacterial infection, and to provide further evidence for clinical application. METHODS: A total of 3631 blood cultures, serum levels of PCT and CRP and IL-6 (n=1587) from the inpatients from 2014-01-02 to 2018-01-27 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into positive (n=208) and negative blood culture (n=3423) groups. Positive blood culture group were redivided into gram-positive (n=34) and gram-negative (n=174) subgroups. The values CRP, PCT and IL-6 were compared respectively in these groups. The data were analyzed by using R 3.4.4 language. RESULTS: The medians of PCT values in positive and negative blood culture groups were 0.41(0.04-103.34) µg/L and 0.20(0.02-200) µg/L(P<0.001) respectively. The medians of CRP values in positive and negative blood culture groups were 9.49(0.1-370) mg/dl and 5.42(0-370) mg/dl (P<0.001) respectively. The medians of IL-6 values in positive and negative blood culture groups were 186.1(2.0-5000, n=91) pg/ml and 52.65(1.5-5000, n=1496) pg/ml (P<0.001). The medians of PCT values in gram-positive and gram-negative groups were 0.20(0.05-93.83) µg/L and 0.58(0.04-103.34) µg/L (P=0.006) respectively. The medians of CRP value in gram-positive and gram-negative groups were 9.19(0.1-35.3)mg/dL and 9.49(0.1-370) mg/dl (P=0.300) respectively. The medians of IL-6 values in gram-positive and gram-negative groups were 83.01(5.61-1500, n=12) pg/ml and 208(2.0-5000, n=79) pg/ml (P=0.357). CONCLUSION: The PCT, CRP and IL-6 levels were significantly higher in the positive blood culture group than those in the negative blood culture group, so provide the effective early diagnostic markers for blood culture. PCT levels in gram-positive group were significantly higher than that in gram-negative groups, contributing to distinguish between the 2 groups.