Objective To investigate the expression and the effects of X-chromosome linked inhibi- tor of apoptosis (XIAP) associated factor 1 (XAF1) on apoptosis and cell proliferation in SMMC7721 hepatocellur carcinoma (HCC) cell line.Methods The expression of XAF1 mRNA and protein in hu- man SMMC7721 cell line were detected by semi-quantitative,RT-PCR and Western blot.Plasmid con- structs expressing sense and antisense XAF1 were generated and transfected into SMMC7721 cell line to establish stable transfectants.Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by MTT,flow cytometry and TUNEL.Results XAF1 mRNA and protein were detectable in SMMC7721 cell line but lower than that in normal liver cell.Stable expression of XAF1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and increased spontaneous apoptosis in SMMC7721 cell (P＜0.05).Over-expression of XAF1 in stable transfactants increased the sensitivity of SMMC7721 cell to chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-fluorouracial and hydroxycamptothecin.Conclusions Over-expression of XAF1 induces apoptosis and inhibits SMMC7721 cell growth.XAF1 may be a promising candidate for HCC gene therapy.

Parthenocarpy is an effective way for people to get seedless fruit, and to obtain the spicy parthenocarpic and parthenocarpic varieties is an effective method. The gene parthenocarpic plants have the advantage of genetic stability, high seed setting rate, high quality, no deformity fruit, seedless fruit, etc. This article reviews the parthenocarpy related genes and proteins to provide the references for genetic engineering.

To explore the growth and development and analyze the quality of the parthenocarpy fruit induced by exogenous hormones of Siraitia grosvenorii. the horizontal and vertical diameter, volume of the fruit were respectively measured by morphological and the content of endogenous hormones were determined by ELISA. The size and seed and content of mogrosides of mature fruit were determined. The results showed that the fruit of parthenocarpy was seedless and its growth and development is similar to the diploid fruit by hand pollination and triploid fruit by hand pollination or hormones. But the absolute value of horizontal and vertical diameter, volume of parthenocarpy fruit was less than those of fruit by hand pollination, while triploid was opposite. The content of IAA, ABA and ratio of ABA/GA was obviously wavy. At 0-30 d the content of IAA and ABA of parthenocarpy fruit first reduced then increased, content of IAA and GA parthenocarpy fruit was higher than that of fruit by hand pollination. Mogrosides of parthenocarpy fruit was close to pollination fruit. Hormones can induce S. grosvenorii parthenocarpy to get seedless fruit and the fruit shape and size and quality is close to normal diploid fruit by hand pollination and better than triploid fruit by hormone or hand pollination.
Cucurbitaceae ; chemistry ; drug effects ; genetics ; growth & development ; Diploidy ; Fruit ; chemistry ; genetics ; growth & development ; Plant Growth Regulators ; pharmacology

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of Sargentodoxa cuneata.

METHODSTo isolate compounds with chromatography technology and to elucidate their structures by spectral analysis.

RESULTSTen phenolics were isolated from Sargentodxa cuneata and their structures were determined as 1-O-(vanillic acid )-6-O-( 3", 5"-dimethoxy-galloyl)-beta-D-glycoside (I), (-)-epicatechin (II), phydroxyphenylethanol ferulate (III), chlorogenic acid (IV), methyl chlorogenate (V), apocynin (VI), vanillic acid (VII), protocatechuic acid (VIII), 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylethanol (IX), tyrosol (X).

CONCLUSIONCompound I is new compound, compound III-VI and VIII-X were isolated from Sargentodoxa cuneata for the first time.

Acetophenones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Chlorogenic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Hydroxybenzoates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnoliopsida ; chemistry ; Molecular Conformation ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Vanillic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

Ethylglucoside lactate, a novel Alpha-Hydroxy Acids Derivative, was synthesized by transesterification in non-aqueous phase using immobilized lipase as biocatalyst. Based on the studies of the factors effecting initial rate and conversion under atmospheric pressure (solvent, acyl donor, different immobilized lipase, substrate concentration, enzyme concentration and temperature), the results show that solvent-free medium using butyllactate as acyl donor is suitable to the ester synthesis. The reaction conditions have been optimized as the following: the amount of enzyme = 75 g/L, the ethylglucoside concentration = 0.4 mol/L, 70 degrees C, 200 r/min, 50 h, which the conversion was 71%. A 90% conversion and a 60.7 mmol.L-1.h-1 initial rate can be obtained under reduced pressure, which the conditions are enzyme 75 g/L, ethylglucoside 0.35 mol/L, 65 degrees C, 200 r/min and 40 h. The product purified by extraction and SIO2 chromatography was identified by infrared spectroscopy and 1H NMR.
Candida ; enzymology ; Enzymes, Immobilized ; metabolism ; Esters ; metabolism ; Glucosides ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Kinetics ; Lactates ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Lactic Acid ; metabolism ; Lipase ; metabolism ; Substrate Specificity ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo explore the changes of metabolites in brain after treatment by analysis on 1H-MRS examination of the hippocampus and prefrontal lobe in the healthy volunteers and the depression patients.

METHODSSeventy-five cases of mild and moderate depression were randomly divided into groups A, B and C, 25 cases in each group. The group A was treated with oral administration of Prozac capsule, 20 mg/d; the group B by electroacupuncture for 30-40 min and the needle was retained for 1 h, once each day, with main points Baihui (GV 20), Yin-tang (GV 29) and adjuvant acupoints selected; the group C by combination of the treatment methods in the groups A and B. They were treated for 6 weeks. Use PROBE-J sequence at the MRI system on Single Voxel of ROI of each lateral of hippocampus and frontal lobe in the depression patients of the 3 groups. Compare the differences of N-acetylasp artate/creatine (NAA/Cr) and choline/creatine (Cho/Cr) between the healthy volunteers and the patients before and after treatment.

RESULTSBefore treatment, NAA/Cr in the bilateral hippocampus decreased in the 3 groups as compared with the control group, and after treatment, NAA/Cr in the bilateral hippocampus of the group B and in the right hippocampus of the group C increased compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05), and NAA/Cr in the left hippocampus of the group C significantly increased as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.01). Before treatment, Cho/Cr in the bilateral prefrontal lobe in the 3 groups increased as compared with that in the control group (P < 0.05), after treatment, Cho/Cr in the bilateral prefrontal lobes of the groups A, B and C significantly decreased as compared with that before treatment (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONThere are differences in contents of metabolites in corresponding parts in bilateral frontal lobes and hippocampus between the depression patient and healthy person.

Adult ; Choline ; metabolism ; Creatine ; metabolism ; Depression ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Frontal Lobe ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study on clinical therapeutic effect and safety of electroacupuncture and Fluoxetine for treatment of mild or moderate depression with physical symptoms.

METHODSSeventy-five cases were randomly divided into a western medicine group (group A), an electroacupunctue group(group B) and an electroacupuncture plus medicine group (group C), 25 cases in each group. The group A were treated by oral Fluoxetine, 20 mg each day; the group B by electroacupuncture with Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (EX-HN 3) selected as main points; the group C by oral administration of Fluoxetine plus electroacupunctue. HAMD depression scale was used for assessment of clinical therapeutic effect and TESS adverse reaction scale was used for adverse reactions.

RESULTSThe clinical effective rate was 78.3% in the group A, 82.6% in the group B and 91.7% in the group C, with significant differences between group C and A, group C and B (P < 0.05). Groups B and C had significant therapeutic effects in improvement of physical symptoms, and the adverse reaction of Fluoxetine in the group C was less than that in the group A.

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture can significantly improve physical symptoms and relieve adverse reactions of Fluoxetine. Electroacupuncture combined with Fluoxetine has a better therapeutic effect on depression with mild or moderate physical symptoms, with less adverse reactions.

Adult ; Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation ; therapeutic use ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Depression ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Fluoxetine ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

Siraitia grosvenorii is a traditional Chinese medicine also as edible food. This study selected six candidate reference genes by real-time quantitative PCR, the expression stability of the candidate reference genes in the different samples was analyzed by using the software and methods of geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, Delta CT method and RefFinder, reference genes for S. grosvenorii were selected for the first time. The results showed that 18SrRNA expressed most stable in all samples, was the best reference gene in the genetic analysis. The study has a guiding role for the analysis of gene expression using qRT-PCR methods, providing a suitable reference genes to ensure the results in the study on differential expressed gene in synthesis and biological pathways, also other genes of S. grosvenorii.
Cucurbitaceae ; genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Reference Standards

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effects and mechanisms at different acupoint groups for treatment of the depression rat.

METHODSFifty Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a body acupoint group, a scalp acupoint group and a Fluoxetine hydrochloride group, 10 cases in each group. Depression rat model was established by using chronic unpredictable mild stress stimulation combined with lonely breeding for 21 days. EA (2 Hz, 1 mA, 20 min) was given at "Taichong" (LR 3), "Neiguan" (PC 6) and "Zusanli" (ST 36) in the body point group and "Baihui" (GV 20), "Yintang" (EX-HN 3), "Sishencong" (EX-HN 1) in the head point group, once daily, and Fluoxetine hydrochloride was given to the Fluoxetine hydrochloride group by intragastric administration, 2 mg/kg, once daily, for 21 days. Body weight of the rat was recorded, and the sucrose-intake test and forced swimming test were conducted one day before the experiment and on the 7th, 14th and 21st day of the experiment, and the open field test was conducted one day before the experiment and on the 21st day. p-CREB expression in the hippocampus of the rats were observed on the 22nd day.

RESULTSAs compared with the model group, in the head point group and the Fluoxetine group, the crossing and rearing movement times, the relative volume of sucrose-intake and p-CREB expression in the hippocampus increased significantly, and the duration of immovability in forced swimming test shortened significantly (P<0.05). The relative volume of sucrose-intake increased and the duration of immovability in forced swimming test in the body point group significantly shortened (P<0.05), but the crossing and rearing movement times and p-CREB expression in the hippocampus did not insignificantly increase (P>0.05), with no significant differences among the treatment groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONEA at the head acupoints can improve behavioral activities and increase positive neuron number of p-CREB in the hippocampus of the depression rat, and selection of acupoints is of important role in treatment of depression.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Body Weight ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein ; analysis ; Depression ; metabolism ; psychology ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Hippocampus ; chemistry ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Phosphorylation ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Swimming

20?10~9/L.The proteinuria decreased or disappeared.The antinuclear antibody decreased or became negative.The level of complement was increased.The following complications were ob- served:septicemia in 2 patients,cytomegalovirus infection in 2 patients,renal toxicity in 1 patient,acute left heart failure in 3 patients and cardiac arrhythmia in 3 patients.There was no transplantation related mortality. Conclusion APBSCT may improve the disease activity and the immunological markers in SLE.It is a valid therapy for refractory SLE,but the long-term effects need to be observed.