OBJECTIVETo study, at the cytological level, the basic concept of Chinese medicine that "the Kidney (Shen) controls the bone".

METHODSKaempferol was isolated form Rhizoma Drynariae (Gu Sui Bu, GSB) and at several concentrations was incubated with opossum kidney (OK) cells, osteoblasts (MC3T3 E1) and human fibroblasts (HF) at cell concentrations of 2×10(4)/mL. Opossum kidney cell-conditioned culture media with kaempferol at 70 nmol/L (70kaeOKM) and without kaempferol (0OKM) were used to stimulate MC3T3 E1 and HF proliferation. The bone morphological protein receptors I and II (BMPR I and II) in OK cells were identified by immune-fluorescence staining and Western blot analysis.

RESULTSKaempferol was found to increase OK cell growth (P<0.05), but alone did not promote MC3T3 E1 or HF cell proliferation. However, although OKM by itself increased MC3T3 E1 growth by 198% (P<0.01), the 70kaeOKM further increased the growth of these cells by an additional 127% (P<0.01). It indicates that the kidney cell generates a previously unknown osteoblast growth factor (OGF) and kaempferol increases kidney cell secretion of OGF. Neither of these media had any significant effect on HF growth. Kaempferol also was found to increase the level of the BMPR II in OK cells.

CONCLUSIONSThis lends strong support to the original idea that the Kidney has a significant influence over bone-formation, as suggested by some long-standing Chinese medical beliefs, kaempferol may also serve to stimulate kidney repair and indirectly stimulate bone formation.

3T3 Cells ; Animals ; Cell Line ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; secretion ; Kaempferols ; pharmacology ; Kidney Tubules ; physiology ; secretion ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Opossums ; Osteoblasts ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the influence of the endothelial cells on the scar-derived fibroblasts in the hypertropic scar tissue.

METHODSThe endothelial cell from the human umbilical vein was cultured and its supernatant was then collected. Thereafter, it was mixed with the pre-cultured scar-derived fibroblasts from the hypertropic scar tissue. The fibroblasts were analyzed with a flow cytometer in a MTT-assay method to evaluate the cell proliferation and its division cycle.

RESULTSThe endothelial cells were significantly increasing the scar-derived fibroblast proliferation (P < 0.05), compared with the control. The proportion of the fibroblasts in the S-stage of cell cycle was also quite high.

CONCLUSIONThe endothelial cells may secrete some active products, which may enhance the proliferation of the scar-derived fibroblasts and stimulate the fibroblasts into the S-stage of cell generation cycle.

Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; Cell Line ; Cells, Cultured ; Cicatrix, Hypertrophic ; pathology ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Endothelium, Vascular ; chemistry ; cytology ; Fibroblasts ; drug effects ; pathology ; Humans

In this study, we aimed to investigate the influences of conditioned medium from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) on cancer stem cell phenotype of human hepatoma cells. HUVEC and human hepatoma cells (MHCC97H) were cultured, respectively, and then the MHCC97H cells were co-cultured with conditioned medium from HUVEC (EC-CM) with Transwell system. Anti-cancer drug sensitivity, colony-formation, migration/invasion ability, expression of cancer stem cell marker and sphere formation were performed to determine the cancer stem cell phenotype in MHCC97H cells. We found that MHCC97H cells co-cultured with EC-CM exhibited significantly higher colony-formation ability and lower sensitivity of anti-cancer drugs 5-FU and Cis. Transwell assay showed that treatment with EC-CM obviously increased migration and invasion of MHCC97H cells. Moreover, increased sphere forming capability and expression of CD133 in MHCC97H cells were observed after co-cultured with EC-CM. These results suggested that EC-CM could promote cancer stem cell phenotype of hepatoma cells.
Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Coculture Techniques ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Fluorouracil ; pharmacology ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; chemistry ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; cytology ; Phenotype

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated pulmonary interstitial macrophages (PIM) in vitro.

METHODSPIM were isolated and cultured in the presence or absence of LPS, CCK-8, proglumide (the antagonist of CCK receptors) and vehicle. The expression of membrane CD14 (mCD14) protein was assayed by flow cytometry and soluble CD14 (sCD14) in the supernatant was analyzed semi-quantitatively by Western blot. TNF-alpha in the supernatant was detected with ELISA.

RESULTSCCK-8, at concentrations of 10(-7) mol/L and 10(-6) mol/L, significantly inhibited the expression of mCD14. Release of sCD14 and TNF-alpha in the supernatant was up-regulated by LPS (1 microg/ml) but reduced by CCK-8. The effect of CCK-8 was inhibited by proglumide.

CONCLUSIONCCK-8 negatively modulated several functions of LPS-stimulated PIM through CCK receptors. This may be one of the mechanisms for CCK-8 to alleviate inflammation in lung tissue during endotoxemia.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; Female ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; biosynthesis ; Lipopolysaccharides ; pharmacology ; Macrophages, Alveolar ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sincalide ; pharmacology ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; drug effects ; secretion

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of total saponins of Panax ginseng (TSPG) on the expression of granulocytemacrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) from human endothelial cells and monocytes and the relationship between TSPG and human granulocytopoiesis and monocytopoiesis modulation.

METHODSAdopting the hematopoietic progenitor cells culture in vitro, hematopoietic growth factor biological assay, immunocytochemistry and nucleic acid in situ hybridization, the GM-CSF expression in the endothelial cells and monocytes were detected.

RESULTSThe conditioned cultural media of endothelial and monocytes induced and prepared by TSPG, could significantly promote the proliferation and differentiation of human colony forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM), and enhance the protein and mRNA expression of GM-CSF in endothelial cells and monocytes.

CONCLUSIONTSPG could possibly through direct or indirect route, promote hematopoietic, induce endothelial cells and monocytes in the microenvironment to synthetize and secrete GM-CSF, so as to further promote the proliferation and differentiation of human CFU-GM.

Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Endothelial Cells ; metabolism ; Ginsenosides ; pharmacology ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Hematopoiesis ; drug effects ; Humans ; Monocytes ; metabolism ; Panax ; chemistry ; Saponins ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of prostaglandins E2 (PGE2) in enhancing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in a rat macrophage cell line and the effect of the media from PGE2-inuced rat macrophages on angiogenetic ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro.

METHODSWestern blotting and qPCR were employed to investigate the expressions of VEGF protein and mRNAs in rat macrophage cell line NR8383 stimulated by PGE2 in the presence or absence of EP2 receptor inhibitor (AH6809) and EP4 receptor inhibitor (AH23848). Conditioned supernatants were obtained from different NR8383 subsets to stimulate HUVECs, and the tube formation ability and migration of the HUVECs were assessed with Transwell assay.

RESULTSPGE2 stimulation significantly enhanced the expression of VEGF protein and mRNAs in NR8383 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The supernatants from NR8383 cells stimulated by PGE2 significantly enhanced tube formation ability of HUVECs (P<0.05) and promoted the cell migration. Such effects of PGE2 were blocked by the application of AH6809 and AH23848.

CONCLUSIONPGE2 can dose-dependently increase VEGF expression in NR8383 cells, and the supernatants derived from PGE2-stimulated NR8383 cells can induce HUVEC migration and accelerate the growth of tube like structures. PGE2 are essential to corpus luteum formation by stimulating macrophages to induce angiogenesis through EP2/EP4.

Animals ; Cell Line ; Cell Movement ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; pharmacology ; Dinoprostone ; pharmacology ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Humans ; Macrophages ; chemistry ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; RNA, Messenger ; Rats ; Receptors, Prostaglandin E, EP2 Subtype ; metabolism ; Receptors, Prostaglandin E, EP4 Subtype ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Xanthones ; pharmacology

The paper aimed to study the residue decline dynamic and standards for safety utilization of carbendazim in roots, stems, leaves of Anoectochilus roxburghii and in growth media. Samples extracted with methanol were purified by liquid-liquid extraction and analysed by HPLC. The results showed that average rate of recovery was 82.9% - 95.7% and RSD were 2.0% - 6.3% with add of carbendazim in respectively diverse concentration, which meets inspection requirement of pesticide residue. Two kinds of dosages of carbendazim were treated, varying from recommended dosage (1.0 kg x hm(-2)) to 1.5 times recommended dosage (1.5 kg x hm(-2)). Results of two years test showed that the half-life period of carbendazim were 7.01 - 8.51 d in the growth media of A. roxburghii, 3.58 - 4.27 d in stems and 3.50 - 3.91 d in leaves, 4.93 - 5.71 d in roots. Providing max recommended residue of carbendazim in the cultivation of A. roxburghii is 0.5 mg x kg(-1), sprayed 4 times a year with the dosage of 1.0 kg x hm(-2), 28 days is proposed for the safety interval of the last pesticide application's and harvest's date.
Benzimidazoles ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Carbamates ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Fungicides, Industrial ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Liquid-Liquid Extraction ; Orchidaceae ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Pesticide Residues ; analysis ; metabolism ; Plant Leaves ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Plant Roots ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Plant Stems ; drug effects ; metabolism

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of age-related dementia. The neuropathological hallmarks of AD include extracellular deposition of amyloid-beta peptides and neurofibrillary tangles that lead to intracellular hyperphosphorylated tau in the brain. Soluble amyloid-beta oligomers are the primary pathogenic factor leading to cognitive impairment in AD. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are able to self-renew and give rise to multiple neural cell lineages in both developing and adult central nervous systems. To explore the relationship between AD-related pathology and the behaviors of NSCs that enable neuroregeneration, a number of studies have used animal and in vitro models to investigate the role of amyloid-beta on NSCs derived from various brain regions at different developmental stages. However, the Abeta effects on NSCs remain poorly understood because of conflicting results. To investigate the effects of amyloid-beta oligomers on human NSCs, we established amyloid precursor protein Swedish mutant-expressing cells and identified cell-derived amyloid-beta oligomers in the culture media. Human NSCs were isolated from an aborted fetal telencephalon at 13 weeks of gestation and expanded in culture as neurospheres. Human NSCs exposure to cell-derived amyloid-beta oligomers decreased dividing potential resulting from senescence through telomere attrition, impaired neurogenesis and promoted gliogenesis, and attenuated mobility. These amyloid-beta oligomers modulated the proliferation, differentiation and migration patterns of human NSCs via a glycogen synthase kinase-3beta-mediated signaling pathway. These findings contribute to the development of human NSC-based therapy for AD by elucidating the effects of Abeta oligomers on human NSCs.
Amyloid beta-Peptides/*pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Cell Aging ; Cell Movement ; Cell Proliferation ; Culture Media, Conditioned/chemistry/pharmacology ; Fetus/cytology ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3/*metabolism ; HEK293 Cells ; Humans ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neural Stem Cells/*drug effects/metabolism/physiology ; Signal Transduction ; Telomere Shortening

To investigate the effect of arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in different courses of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), VEGF level was measured with ELISA in the cultural supernatants of bone marrow mononuclear cells from CML patients. The results showed that supernatants of cultured bone marrow cells from 35 CML patients (20 chronic, 8 accelerated and 7 blast crisis phases) contained significantly higher VEGF levels (649.16 +/- 382.20 pg/ml, 560.27 +/- 409.14 pg/ml and 587.18 +/- 415.28 pg/ml, respectively) than that in 15 normal control samples (152.16 +/- 150.09 pg/ml; P < 0.01), but no significant differences were found in VEGF levels among different phases of CML. The bone marrow cells treated with As(2)O(3) (5 x 10(-6)mol/L) for 72 hours resulted in significant reduction of VEGF levels (down to 396.66 +/- 257.47 pg/ml, 363.42 +/- 239.85 pg/ml and 407.47 +/- 219.38 pg/ml, respectively) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, abnormal high expression of VEGF plays a role in the pathogenetic course of CML and it is probably an additional anticancer mechanism for As(2)O(3) to inhibit VEGF expression of leukemic cells.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Arsenicals ; pharmacology ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; Child ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; Down-Regulation ; drug effects ; Endothelial Growth Factors ; metabolism ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive ; blood ; pathology ; Lymphokines ; metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oxides ; pharmacology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors

OBJECTIVETo test the effect of bifunctional molecule IL2-GMCSF in promoting the activation of dendritic cells (DCs) cultured in tumor conditioned medium.

METHODSWe prepared a tumor conditioned medium using mouse melanoma cell line B16F10 supplemented with IL2-GMCSF, GM-CSF, IL-2, or the combination of the latter two. After culturing mouse DC cell line DC2.4 in the conditioned medium for 24 h, the DCs were examined for phagocytosis, proliferation, maturation phenotype, cytokine secretion, and signal pathway activation.

RESULTSDC2.4 cells displayed characteristics of immature DCs. After cell culture in the conditioned medium, the cells showed enhanced phagocytosis but significantly suppressed cell proliferation activity. Culture in the conditioned medium also promoted DC cell maturation and secretion of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), but inhibited IL-12 secretion. Supplementation of the conditioned medium with IL2-GMCSF promoted phagocytosis, proliferation, maturation, and cytokine (including both IL-12 and MDC) secretion of DC2.4 cells. Compared with GM-CSF, IL2-GMCSF induced a higher level of NF-κB signal pathway activation but suppressed STAT3 activation.

CONCLUSIONCompared with GM-CSF, IL2-GMCSF can better promote DC activation in the context of tumor-induced immune suppression, and thus shows potentials in anti-tumor therapy.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; Chemokine CCL22 ; metabolism ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; chemistry ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; pharmacology ; Immune Tolerance ; Interleukin-12 ; metabolism ; Interleukin-2 ; pharmacology ; Melanoma, Experimental ; pathology ; Mice ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Phagocytosis ; STAT3 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction