[Effects of dihydromyricetin on the migration and invasion of human gastric cancer MKN45 cells and its mechanism].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of dihydromyricetin (DHM) on the migration and invasion of human gastric cancer MKN45 cells and its mechanism and provide experimental basis for the prevention and treatment of gastric cancer with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). METHODS: MKN45 cells were pre-treated with DHM (0,10,20,30,40,50 µmol/L) for 24 and 48 hours respectively. Cell viability treated with different concentrations of DHM was detected by Cell Counting kit (CCK-8) assay, cell migration was measured by wound healing assay, and cell invasion was tested by Transwell assay. Cells were pre-treated with DHM or co-treated with c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway inhibitor SP600125, then, the levels of migration- and invasion-related proteins were tested by Western blot. RESULTS: DHM concentration-dependently inhibited cell migration and invasion and downregulated matrix metalloprotein -2 (MMP-2) and phosphorylated JNK (pJNK) expression in MKN45 cells, followed by upregulation of E-cadherin and downregulation of Vimentin. Co-treatment with DHM and JNK inhibitor SP600125 further suppressed MMP-2 expression and cell invasion in MKN45 cells, suggesting that DHM inhibited MKN45 cells metastasis through JNK/MMP-2 pathway. CONCLUSION: DHM can inhibit cell migration and invasion in human gastric cancer MKN45 cells through downregulating MMP-2 expression via JNK signaling pathway and reverse epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), implying that DHM could have the potential to serve as an anti-metastatic agent for treating gastric cancer.

[Effects of Shiquanyuzhentang on immunologic function of H22 tumor-bearing mouse].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Shiquanyuzhentang (Traditional Chinese Medicine) on the immunologic function of tu-mor-bearing mice and its mechanism of antitumor. METHODS: Thirty SPF grade male Kunming mice transplanted with H22 hepatocellular carci-noma were divided into three groups randomly:model group,positive control group and Shiquanyuzhentang group(n=10). Another 10 mice were selected as normal control group. Normal control group and model group received normal saline and distilled water supplementation by 10 mL/kg everyday. Positive control group and Shiquanyuzhentang group received Shengyi(80 mg/ml)and Shiquanyuzhentang decoction at the doses of 8 g/kg and 18 g/kg respectively everyday. After 14 days of continuous administration, the mice were killed and the thymus, spleen index, tumor inhibition rate,peripheral blood leukocytes,lymphocyte content,cell percentage of T cell subsets CD3, CD4, CD8,interleukin 2 (IL-2)in serum,tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interferon ß(IFN-ß) content,lymphocyte proliferation ability and NK cell were measured. RESULTS: Compared with normal control group, the weight of mice and thymus and spleen index of the Shiquanyuzhentang group were increased significantly(P<0.05);leukocyte and lymphocyte CD3、CD4、CD8 and TNF-α were increased greatly(P<0. 05),IL-2 and IFN-ß were de-creased significantly(P<0.05). Compared with model group,thymus and spleen index of Shiquanyuzhentang group were increased significant-ly(P<0.05);leukocyte and lymphocyte CD3、CD4、IL-2、IFN-ß and TNF-α of Shiquanyuzhentang group were increased significantly(P<0. 05),CD8 content was decreased significantly(P<0.05);NK cell and lymphocyte proliferation were increased significantly(P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Shiquanyuzhentang can promote the growth of immune organs in mice bearing H22, enhance immune function and is beneficial to the recovery of tumor body.

[Three new records of medical plant in Hubei, China].

In order to have a better understanding of the species diversity of medical plants in Enshi, Hubei of China, extensive field investigations and specimen collections were conducted in Enshi and adjacent regions. Based on field observations of plants in their living habitats and comparative morphological studies on specimens in herbarium of Hubei minzu University and other available herbaria as well, three new records of medical plants in Hubei, Scutellaria yunnanensis, Alangium faberi var. heterophyllum, and Drymaria diandra, were reported in this paper.