Diabetic Neuropathies ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Phytotherapy

Adult ; Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Lineage ; Embryo, Mammalian ; cytology ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Humans ; Pluripotent Stem Cells ; cytology ; Regeneration ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; Tissue Engineering ; methods

Celastrol is a type of quinone methyl triterpene isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Tripterygium wilfordii, with pharmacological activities, like anti-inflammatory, immunosuppression and anti-tumor. This study focused on the effects of celastrol on adhesion, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. The migration inhibition of lung cancer cells induced by celastrol was detected by the scratch test. The invasion inhibition of lung cancer cells induced by celastrol was measured by the transwell experiment. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the effect of different concentrations of celastrol in integrin family and Akt signaling pathway in lung cancer cells. The results showed that celastrol inhibited adhesion, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells and expressions of integrins β3, β4, αv and phosphorylated Akt, GSK-3β, c-Raf, PDK1 in Akt signal pathway in a dose-dependent manner. Therefore, the study implies that Celastrol could inhibit the metastasis of lung cancer cells by suppressing Akt signaling pathway and expression of integrins.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Integrins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Triterpenes ; pharmacology

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Male

Hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF) plays a key role in the adaptation of tumour cells under hypoxic circumstance,there are some advances in the literatures regarding HIF as an important target for anticancer agents and gene therapy.In this review,the molecular mechanism and clinical significance of compounds targeting on hypoxia- inducing factor was summarized.

Objective To detect the changes in serum concentrations of angiogenic factors in patients with unstable angina pectoris.Methods A total of 57 patients with unstable angina pectoris were eligible for study and divided into diabetes group (n =23) and non-diabetes group (n =34).Exclusion criteria included complicated diseases,symptomatic peripheral vascular diseases,renal or liver diseases,cerebral embolism and evidence of ongoing infection.Another 36 age-matched healthy subjects from medical examination center were enrolled as control group.Serum samples were collected,and serum concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF),angiopoietin-1,angiopoietin-2,angiogenin,angiostatin,basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) were measured by using cytokine array technology.The data were analyzed by independent-samples t test with the SPSS 13.0statistic software package.Results Compared with the control group,the serum concentrations of VEGF and angiopoietin-2 were significantly increased in patients with unstable angina pectoris (both P ＜ 0.01).Whereas,no significant differences in serum concentrations of angiogenin,angiopoietin-1,angiostatin,bFGF,and PDGF-BB were detected between control group and patient groups.There were no significant differences in serum concentrations of above all 7 biomarkers between diabetes group and non-diabetes group.Conclusions Serum concentrations of VEGF and angiopoietin-2 were increased in patients with unstable angina pectoris,and diabetes didn' t affect the increases in serum concentrations of VEGF and angiopoietin2 caused by unstable angina pectoris.

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of total flavones of Epimedium leptorrhizum (YYH-C) on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats.

METHODOvariectomized female rats were randomly divided into the model group, YYH-C lower, middle and high dose (0.7, 1.4, 2.8 g x kg(-1)) groups, the positive drug Bujiale (0.15 mg x kg(-1)) group, and the sham group. The rats were orally ad-ministrated with drugs for three months. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), procollagen I N-terminal peptide (PINP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), calcium (Ca) and phosphrous (P) in serum were detected. Femur bones and vertebrae bones of left side were collected to determined bone metrological indexes, including bone mineral density (BMD), bone Ca, and bone ash weight/dry weight percentage. Femur bones of right side were collected to for a morphological observation of bone.

RESULTCompared with the sham group, the model group showed significantly higher PTH and ALP content but obviously lower PINP and Ca content. The three YYH-C 3 groups could resist the decrease of PINP. Specifically, low and middle dose groups could remarkably inhibit the increase of PTH, and the high dose group could increase the Ca content in serum, but without significant effect on the rise in ALP. There was no significant difference in P content in serum in each group. BMD, ash weight/dry weight percentage, Ca and P content of the model group were significantly lower than those in the sham group. The high dose YYH-C group could significantly increase BMD. All of the three YYH-C groups could notably increase ash weight/dry weight percentage and Ca, P content in femur bones and vertebrae bones. YYH-C could significantly increase average thickness, area, area percentage of bony trabeculae, cortical bone area percentage of femoral shaft and the number of osteoblasts on the surface of bony trabeculae, and decrease the number of osteoclasts.

CONCLUSIONYYH-C can effectively control the bone mass loss of rats with ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis, prevent the changes in bone microstructure, and inhibit bone absorption, so as to resist high turn-over osteoporosis after ovariectomy. [Key words] total flavones of Epimedium leptorrhizum; ovariectomized rat; osteoporosis

Alkaline Phosphatase ; metabolism ; Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Epimedium ; chemistry ; Female ; Flavones ; administration & dosage ; Humans ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Ovariectomy ; Parathyroid Hormone ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Brain Neoplasms ; complications ; Humans ; Hypothalamic Diseases ; etiology ; Syndrome

AIM: To investigate the effects of nitric oxide(NO) and caspase-3 on dopamine-induced apoptosis in PC12 cells. METHODS: Flow cytometric assay was used to quantify the apoptotic cells. The morphological of apoptotic cells was evaluated by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling(TUNEL). Nitrite was quantified by Griess reaction. Inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS) mRNA was identified by semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). Caspase-3 activity was determined by fluorescent spectrofluorometer. RESULTS: Dopamine induced PC12 cells apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner (0.15-0.60 mmol/L), with positive TUNEL staining. During the development of apoptosis, the expression of iNOS mRNA and the levels of NO increased markedly, so did caspase-3 activity(P