To investigate the method of RNA isolation from human embryonic tissues and the factors influencing the quality of RNA, the RNA from human embryonic tissues obtained with drug-induced labor or non-drug induced labor were isolated by using grind with liquid nitrogen or homogenizer without liquid nitrogen. The results showed that the positive rates of RNA integrity in grind with liquid nitrogen group and in homogenizer without liquid nitrogen group were 68.42% and 29.79% respectively, and there was significant difference between these two groups; however, there was no statistic difference in positive rate of RNA integrity, OD(260)/OD(280) ratio and beta-actin gene expression level between the drug-induced labor group and non-drug induced labor group. It is concluded that pulverize of tissue in liquid nitrogen remains the integrity of RNA isolated and may be applied for RNA isolation from human embryonic tissues. The quality of RNA is not affected by different methods of induction of maternal labor.
Embryo, Mammalian ; metabolism ; Freezing ; Humans ; Nitrogen ; pharmacology ; RNA ; isolation & purification ; RNA Stability ; drug effects

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of licorice on the proliferation of intestinal crypt stem cell line IEC-6 and the expression of p53.

METHODSInduced by difluoro-methylornithine (DFMO), polyamine-depleted IEC-6 cells under growth inhibition were used as the pathological cell model in this study. Cells were divided into four groups, i. e., the control group, the DFMO-treated group, the high dose licorice group, and the low dose licorice group. The control group consisted of IEC-6 cells cultured in normal condition. The other three groups were all treated with 5 mmol/L DFMO. The high dose and low dose licorice groups were supplemented with 40 and 80 microg/mL licorice granule respectively. All the groups were cultured for 6 successive days. The cell number and viability were determined using flow cytometry. The level of p53 protein was detected by Western blot. The p53 mRNA levels and stability were detected using fluorescent quantitative Real-time PCR.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the cell growth of the DFMO group was obviously inhibited on the 4th day (P < 0.05). The cell number increased more obviously in the low dose licorice and the high dose licorice groups in a dose-dependent way on the 6th day when compared with the DFMO group (P < 0.05). When compared with the control group, significantly elevated expression levels of p53 protein and mRNA in cells of the DFMO group were detected after 6-day treatment (P < 0.05). When compared with the DFMO group, the expression levels of p53 protein and mRNA were significantly down-regulated in the low dose licorice and the high dose licorice groups (P < 0.05). The degradation of p53 mRNA was the fastest in the control group, while the degradation speed of cells in the DFMO group was the slowest.

CONCLUSIONOne of mechanisms for protective and healing effects of licorice on the intestinal mucosa was possibly through down-regulating the stability of p53 mRNA, lowering the expression of p53, thus promoting the proliferation of the intestinal crypt stem cells.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Glycyrrhiza ; Intestines ; cytology ; metabolism ; RNA Stability ; drug effects ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Rats ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo clarify the effect of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) (30 nm in diameter) on the interleukin 8 (IL-8) gene expression in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and its regulatory mechanism.

METHODSBEAS-2B cells were used in the study. The MTT assay was employed to evaluate the damage to BEAS-2B cells by ZnO-NPs. RT-PCR and ELISA were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-8 in the BEAS-2B cells exposed to ZnO-NPs. The IL-8 mRNA decay assay was used to determine the effect of ZnO-NPs on IL-8 mRNA stability.

RESULTSExposure to ZnO-NPs significantly increased the level of IL-8 mRNA in BEAS-2B cells and the level of IL-8 protein in supernatant medium. The transcription inhibitor significantly reduced the mRNA expression of IL-8 induced by ZnO-NPs. ZnO-NPs significantly delayed IL-8 mRNA degradation in the BEAS-2B cells that were pretreated with actinomycin D for terminating IL-8 mRNA synthesis.

CONCLUSIONZnO-NPs can increase the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-8 and IL-8 mRNA stability in BEAS-2B cells.

Bronchi ; cytology ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Epithelial Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Interleukin-8 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Nanoparticles ; RNA Stability ; drug effects ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Zinc Oxide ; adverse effects

The mutation and reduction of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been suggested as factors in the carcinogenesis. However, whether the depletion of mtDNA induces multidrug resistance in cancer cells has not been fully investigated. To elucidate the association of cellular mtDNA content and drug resistance, we generated HCT-8 colon cancer cells which revealed a marked decrease in cellular mtDNA and ATP content, concomitant with a lack of mRNAs encoded by mtDNA. The mtDNA-depleted cells showed a decreased sensitivity and accumulation of anti-cancer drugs, suggesting that mtDNA depletion could develop multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype in HCT-8 cells. We found that the expression level of MDR1 mRNA and its translated product P-glycoprotein was increased in the mtDNA- depleted cells, indicating that the decrease of sensitivity and accumulation of anti-cancer drug in the mtDNA-depleted cells might be due to a substantial increase in the expression of P-glycoprotein. Furthermore, increased expression of MDR1 mRNA and P-glycoprotein was due to an increase of mRNA stability rather than transcriptional activation. Taken together, these results indicate that mtDNA depletion can induce an increased P-glycoprotein expression via an increase of mRNA stability and suggest that the mtDNA depletion in cancer cells plays an important role in the induction of MDR phenotype.
Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Mitochondrial/*metabolism ; Doxorubicin/pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects ; Humans ; P-Glycoprotein/*genetics/metabolism ; Paclitaxel/pharmacology ; Promoter Regions, Genetic/genetics ; *RNA Stability/drug effects ; RNA, Messenger/genetics/metabolism ; Up-Regulation/drug effects/*genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the molecular mechanism of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), one of effective ingredient of brucine, in inducing non-small cell lung cancer cell apoptosis.

METHODCOX-2 promoter, transcription factor deletion mutants and COX-2 mRNA 3'-UTR-containing report plasmids were transfected with Renillia to non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell, in order to detect the activity of report gene luciferase and minimum cis-acting element of COX-2 promoter inhibited by brucine. The influence of brucine on IkappaB phosphorylation and the nuclear translocation of p65 were detected by immunoblotting assay.

RESULTBrucine significantly suppressed LPS-induced COX-2 promoter activation, but revealed minor impact on COX-2 mRNA stability. NF-kappaB in the vicinity of COX-2 promoter-262 was an important cis-acting element of brucine for inhibiting the activity of COX-2 promoter. Brucine was found to inhibit the phosphorylation of IkappaBalpha as well as the nuclear translocation of p65.

CONCLUSIONBrucine can improve A549 cells apoptosis by inhibiting the activity of NF-kappaB and the subsequent COX-2 gene expression.

Biological Transport ; drug effects ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; Humans ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; drug effects ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; drug effects ; genetics ; RNA Stability ; drug effects ; Strychnine ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology

Hu protein R (HuR) binds to the AU-rich element (ARE) in the 3'UTR to stabilize TNF-alpha mRNA. Here, we identified chemical inhibitors of the interaction between HuR and the ARE of TNF-alpha mRNA using RNA electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay (EMSA) and filter binding assay. Of 179 chemicals screened, we identified three with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) below 10 micrometer. The IC(50) of quercetin, b-40, and b-41 were 1.4, 0.38, and 6.21 micrometer, respectively, for binding of HuR protein to TNF-alpha mRNA. Quercetin and b-40 did not inhibit binding of tristetraprolin to the ARE of TNF-alpha mRNA. When LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells were treated with quercetin and b-40, we observed decreased stability of TNF-alpha mRNA and decreased levels of secreted TNF-alpha. From these results, we could find inhibitors for the TNF-alpha mRNA stability, which might be used advantageously for both the study for post-transcriptional regulation and the discovery of new anti-inflammation drugs.
*3' Untranslated Regions ; Animals ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/*pharmacology ; Antigens, Surface/metabolism ; Antioxidants/pharmacology ; Cell Line ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical ; Mice ; Protein Binding/drug effects ; Quercetin/*pharmacology ; RNA Stability/*drug effects ; RNA-Binding Proteins/*antagonists & inhibitors/metabolism ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/*biosynthesis

Angiotensin II (Ang II), which is an important mediator of both vascular responsiveness and growth, has been shown to induce vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hypertrophy via the activation of a complex series of intracellular signaling events. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) has recently been shown to protect against Ang II-induced hypertension. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Hsp70 can protect VSMC from Ang II-induced hypertrophy. We treated VSMCs with Ang II to induce hypertrophy and to activate MAPK signaling pathway. We observed that the augmentation of Hsp70 expression inhibited Ang II-stimulated VSMC hypertrophy. This inhibitory effect of Hsp70 appears to be partly due to extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) inactivation, which in turn, may possibly result from the accumulation of MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1).
Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rats ; RNA, Small Interfering/pharmacology ; Protein-Tyrosine-Phosphatase/metabolism/physiology ; Phosphoprotein Phosphatase/metabolism/physiology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/*cytology/*drug effects ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3/antagonists & inhibitors ; Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1/antagonists & inhibitors ; Male ; MAP Kinase Kinase 2/metabolism ; MAP Kinase Kinase 1/metabolism ; Immediate-Early Proteins/metabolism/physiology ; Hypertrophy ; HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/antagonists & inhibitors/*pharmacology ; Flavonoids/pharmacology ; Enzyme Stability/drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Cell Cycle Proteins/metabolism/physiology ; Aorta/drug effects/pathology ; Animals ; Angiotensin II/*pharmacology