OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the proteasome inhibitor, gliotoxin, combined with the endoplasmic reticulum stress inducer, tunicamycin, could enhance the apoptotic death of tumor cells. METHODS: MTT assay was used to detect the cytotoxicity. The combined drug index (CDI) was used to evaluate the synergistic effect. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the apoptosis rate. The protein expression level was detected by Western blot. RESULTS: The IC50 of gliotoxin and tunicamycin is (1.44±0.23) and (26.14±6.14) μmol·L-1, respectively. In the effective concentration, gliotoxin combined with tunicamycin could significantly inhibit cell proliferation and induce typical apoptotic morphological changes. The combination was synergistic according to the result of MTT assay. As measured by flow cytometry, the combination remarkably increased the apoptosis rates of HT-1080 cells, especially for 0.2 μmol·L-1 gliotoxin combined with tunicamycin, the apoptosis rate was up to 66.6% and CDI was 0.649. The expression changes of apoptosis-related proteins such as caspase-8, caspase-3, PARP and NF-kB were detected when treated with the combination. CONCLUSION: Gliotoxin can improve the chemosensitivity of fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells to tunicamycin and enhance the apoptosis of tumor cells induced by tunicamycin. Thus, our study may provide a new drug combination to antitumor therapy.

This study was aimed to observe the effect ofZi-Bu Pi-Yin Recipe (ZBPYR) on the mRNA expressions of NMDA receptor subunits NR1, NR2A, NR2B in different brain regions of spleen-yin deficiency Alzheimer's Disease (AD) model rats. The levels of NR1, NR2A, NR2B mRNA expressions were detected by using RT-PCR method. The results showed that the levels of NR1, NR2A, NR2B mRNA expressions of AD group and spleen-yin deficiency AD group decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The levels of NR1, NR2A, NR2B mRNA expressions of ZBPYR treatment group increased significantly (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the expression levels of NMDAR mRNA in different brain regions of the ZBPYR treatment group increased significantly, which indicated that ZBPYR may up-regulate the protein expressions of NMDAR by increasing the expression levels of NMDAR mRNA, thereby to play the anti-dementia effect.

To provide accurate information on geographic distribution of crude drug Sailonggu in the plateau, we identified zokor species (Eospalax spp.) in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau using molecular methods. Based on the mitochondrial cytochrome B (cytb) gene sequences, we then extracted haplotypes from these sequences and reconstructed phylogenetic trees for the haplotypes using both maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods. Based on the trees, the species of each sample were determined. Five hundred and three samples from 35 populations were sequenced and their whole cytb sequences (1140 bp) were obtained. From these sequences 150 haplotypes were detected, in which, 126 were Eospalax baileyi, 20 were E. cansus, and 4 were E. smithi of the 35 populations, 28 were E. baileyi type, 5 were E. cansus type, and the remaining 2 were mixed of E. baileyi + E. cansus (DT2) and E. baileyi + E. smithi (ZN3). The results showed that, the regions around the Qinghai lake and near the upper stream of Yellow River started at Guide could be viewed as the producing area of authentic Sailonggu, and also, the cytb gene is a powerful molecular marker to determine the species of zokors as well as for the authentication of geographic distribution of Sailonggu.
Animals ; Bone and Bones ; metabolism ; Haplotypes ; Medicine, Tibetan Traditional ; Phylogeny ; Rodentia ; classification ; genetics

This study was aimed to observe the changes of dendritic spine density in different regions of brain among spleen-yindeficiency dementia (SYDD) model rats, in order to investigate the effects ofZi-Bu Pi-Yin Recipe (ZBPYR) on dendritic spines. Spleen-yindeficiency (SYD) rats were modeled by classical method. And incubatedβ-Amyloid 1-40 (Aβ1-40) was injected into the hippocampus of each rat to make SYDD model, which received the administration of ZBPYR. Golgi staining was used to stain dendritic spine in different regions of brain in rat model for the observation of the amount and shape. The results showed that dendritic spine density in different regions of hippocampus and cortex in SYDD group was reduced than that of the SYD group. Compared with the dementia group and the SYDD group, the dendritic spine density in different regions of hippocampus and cortex of the SYDD + ZBPYR group was increased. Compared with the blank control group, the dendritic spine density in different regions of hippocampus and cortex in rats from the dementia group was reduced. It was concluded that there were different degrees of reducing in the dendritic spine density of different brain regions in SYDD group. ZBPYR improved the learning and memory impairment, which might be related to the maintenance of dendritic spine density in different brain regions.

The method was established for determination of geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid, pinoresinoldiglucoside, which are three kinds of constituents of Eucommia ulmoides absorbed into the blood components. LC-MS/MS technique was applied to determine the blood components of the bloodstream after administration of E. ulmoides extract. At the same time, HPLC was used for detection of the ingredients content of the blood sample from 23 batches of E. ulmoides. The results showed that geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid and pinoresinoldiglucoside are prototype into the blood in rats after oral administration of E. ulmoides extract, The linear range of geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid and pinoresinoldiglucoside was good, and the average recoveries geniposidic acid, chlorogenic acid and pinoresinoldiglucoside were 98.69%, 100.8% and 98.39%, respectively. The method is simple and feasible with good reproducibility.
Animals ; Chlorogenic Acid ; blood ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Eucommiaceae ; chemistry ; Glycosides ; blood ; Iridoid Glucosides ; blood ; Lignans ; blood ; Male ; Plasma ; chemistry ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

The antitussive activity assay for the root extraction of Disporum cantoniense was carried out with coughing mice induced by ammonia liquor. The results showed that the ethanol and water extractions of D. cantoniense possess strong antitussive activity, and the high dose of the former was better than positive control, and then the constituents of the ethanol extraction were separated and purified by various modern chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified by physico-chemical properties and spectroscopic data. As a result, eight compounds were isolated and identified as stigmast-4-en-3-one(1), (22E, 24R)-ergosta-5, 7, 22-trien-3beta-ol(2), obtucarbamate A(3), obtucarbamate B(4), neotigogenin(5), azo-2, 2'-bis[Z-(2,3-dihydroxy-4-methyl-5-methoxy) phenyl ethylene] (6),dimethyl {[carbonylbis (azanediyl)] bis( 2-methyl-5, 1-phenylene) j dicarbamate (7) , and quercetin-3-O-pB-D-glucopyranoside(8). All compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time, and the result of bioactivity-directed isolation showed that compounds 3, 4, and 6 had obvious effect on antitussive activity, and compound 6 had the same level as positive control.
Animals ; Antitussive Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Ethanol ; chemistry ; Female ; Liliaceae ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice

Objective To analyze the alterations of serum protein fingerprint in patients with hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy(HDCP),screen serum biomarker and establish a diagnostic model of HDCP.Methods Surface-enhanced laser desorption lionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS)technology was used to analyze serum including 25 cases of HDCP patients and 30 cases of age-,gravity-and parity-matched healthy term pregnant women on IMAC3-Cu proteinchip before delivery. Biomarker Wizard and Biomarker Pattern software was used to detect protein peaks significantly different between HDCP and controls,and establish a primary diagnostic model of HDCP.This model was further evaluated by blind test using other 16 parts of serum protein fingerprint.Results Ten protein peaks were significantly different at the molecular range of 2000-50 000(P

The DNA fragment was cloned from the cDNA that was synthesized using the RNA from Chinese white poplar and verified by sequencing This cDNA clone ,designated PtoCesA1, was 3215 bp long with an opening reading frame of 2934bp extending from nucleotides 52~2985.Comprision of the nucleotide sequence of PtoCesA1 with PtrCesA1 showed 97% identity.For construction of the PtoCesA1 binary expression vector, the BamHI site was made by synonymy mutation, the full length PtoCesA1 cDNA was subcloned into pBI121 between the BamHI site and XbaI site. The PtoCesA1 binary vector,containing PtoCesA1,was verified by digestion and PCR.

Objective To study the feasibility of defining the internal gross tumor volume (IGTV) of hepatocellular carcinoma applying the enhanced four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) images with deformable registration technology.Methods Ten HCC patients who accepted radiation therapy were selected in this study.The 4DCT in free breathing,non-enhanced 3DCT and arterial phase enhanced 3DCT in end inspiration breath holding associated with active breathing coordinator were acquired sequentially.4DCT were sorted into ten series CT images according to breath phase,and named CT00,CT10..…CT90.Gross tumor volume (GTV) were contoured on different CT series and the IGTV1 was merged by ten phases GTVs of 4DCT.The GTV of enhanced 3DCT was registered to different CT series of 4DCT and the IGTVDR was obtained by merging the GTVs after deformable registration.The target volumes differences were compared by paired t-test.Results The edge of tumor was difficult to define on 4DCT and non-enhanced 3DCT images.The enhanced 3DCT image showed clearer tumor edge,and the GTV increased by mean 37.99％ compared to GTV on 4DCT different series images and non-enhanced 3DCT image (P =0.002).The GTV after deformable registration on 4DCT different phase images increased by mean 36.34％ (P =0.011),which were similar to GTV on enhanced 3DCT image (P =0.632).The IGTVDR increased by 19.91％ (P =0.017),compared to IGTV1.Conclusions The contrast-enhanced 4DCT image which was obtained by combining enhanced 3DCT and 4DCT images with deformable registration technology could raise the position precision of the HCC IGTV effectively.

Objective To investigate the diagnostic value of texture analysis derived from conventional MR imaging in differentiating benign and malignant breast lesions. Methods Thirty-six patients with malignant breast lesion and 33 patients with benign breast lesion were retrospectively analyzed in our study. All patients underwent conventional MR imaging including axial T1WI, T2WI, and contrast-enhanced T1WI before surgery. Texture features were calculated from manually drawn ROIs by using MaZda software. The feature selection methods included mutual information (MI), Fishers coefficient, classification error probability combined with average correlation coefficients (POE + ACC) and the combination of the above three methods(FPM). These methods were used to identify the most significant texture features in discriminating benign breast lesion from malignant breast lesion. The statistical methods including raw data analysis (RDA), principal component analysis (PCA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and nonlinear discriminant analysis (NDA) were used to distinguish malignant breast lesion from benign breast lesion. The results were shown by misclassification rate. Results In the three kinds of sequences, the texture features for differentiating malignant breast lesion and benign breast lesion were mainly from T2WI which had the lowest misclassification rate 4.35%(3/69). The misclassification rates of the feature selection methods were similar in MI, Fisher coefficient and POE+ACC (15.94%to 56.52%for MI;17.39%to 56.52%for Fisher coefficient and 17.39%to 56.52%for POE+ACC). However, the misclassification rate of the combination of the three methods (4.35%to 53.62%for FPM) was lower than that of any other kind of method. In the statistical methods, NDA (4.35% to 27.54%) had lower misclassification rate than RDA (33.33% to 56.52%), PCA (33.33% to 53.62%) and LDA (15.94% to 44.93%). Conclusion Texture analysis of conventional MR imaging can provide reliably objective basis for differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions.