OBJECTIVETo study the anti-cancer effect of matrine (Mat) on U937 cell line and its possible molecular mechanism.

METHODThe cells were cultured in medium containing either 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, or 0.5 g x L(-1) of Mat. The morphological alteration was observed by inverted microscopy and electron microscopy. Cell proliferation was analyzed by Try pan blue staining and MTT. The method of Western Blot was used to detect phosphorylation activity of MAPK.

RESULTMatrine had a significant inhibitory effect on proliferation of U937 cell line at the concentration of 0.2 g x L(-1). Treated with matrine of 0.2 g x L(-1) for 48 h, U937 cells became smaller and appeared more round than previously. The number of U937 cells showing apoptosis increased with elevation of the concentration of the matrine. Matrine had an ability of inhibiting the activity of ERK and increasing the activities of p38 and JNK to some degree in U937 cells.

CONCLUSIONMatrine can inhibit the proliferation of U937 cell line in vitro and induce its apoptosis possibly through inhibiting the activity of ERK and increasing the activities of p38 and JNK in U937 cells.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; U937 Cells

OBJECTIVEThe objective of this paper was to study the change of P38MAPK and Fas in the apoptosis of THP-1 cells induced by allicin.

METHODThe proliferation inhibition rates of THP-1 cells after various treatments were examined by MTT assay. Apoptosis rate was determined with Annexin V- FITC/PI double staining by flow cytometry. The expression and distribution change of the phosphorylation p38MAPK (P-p38MAPK) were detected by immunohistochemical staining. The changes of P-p38 MAPK and Fas proteins were detected by Western blot.

RESULTThe proliferations of leukemia cell line THP-1 are inhibited by allicin. MTT assay showed that allicin can inhibit the proliferation of the THP-1 cell, and the inhibition was dependent on both dose and time. The IC50 of 72 hours was 12.8 mg x L(-1). Apoptosis rate detected by Annexin V-FITC/PI was proportional to the concentration of the allicin. After the immunohistochemical staining test, the P-p38MAPK was located in the cell nucleus and plasma, showing deep brown, when adding allicin to THP-1 cell. Western blot test showed that the P-p38MAPK proteins expression was proportional to the concentration of Allicin and was also dose dependent. The levels of P-p38MAPK in negative control group, 1/2 IC50 of 72 hours group and IC50 of 72 hours group were 0.259 8 +/- 0.013 2, 0.61 2 +/- 0.008 3 and 0.505 6 +/- 0.005 5 respectively, and the levels of Fas proteins were 0.287 4 +/- 0.008 9, 0.426 8 +/- 0.007 9 and 0.597 1 +/- 0.010 9 respectively. The difference was statistically significant when compared with the negative control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONAllicin can significantly induce THP-1 cells apoptosis, and its mechanism may be related to the activation of P38MAPK/Fas.

Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Phosphorylation ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Sulfinic Acids ; pharmacology ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the genetic characteristics of patients with thalassemia gene in Ningbo City.Methods Totally 313 patients with thalassemia gene diagnosed during March 2015 to April 2016 in Ningbo First Hospital were included in the study.The results of routine blood test,hemoglobin electrophoresis and gene test,as well as the gender and origin distribution of patients with thalassemia gene were analyzed.Results Of the 313 patients who carried the thalassemia gene,there were 289 females and 24 males with a median age of 29 years,ranging from 1 d to 57 years after birth.And of the 313 patients,75 carried the α-thalassemia gene,230 β-thalassemia and 8 composite thalassemia.The average value of hemoglobin was around 100 g/L and the average value of erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was less than 80 ft.Abnormal hemoglobin was usually found in α-thalassemia.81.74％ (188/230) of β-thalassemia had abnormal hemoglobin electrophoresis.Most of the patients were women who were diagnosed of anemia in routine prenatal examination.The number of patients,who came from Ningbo City or one of whose grandparents came from Ningbo City,was closed to 50％.Among 20 α-thalassemia patients coming from Ningbo City,genotype of--sea was the commonest genotype,accounted for 70.00％ (14/20).Among 82 β3-thalassemia patients coming from Ningbo,genotype of IVS-Ⅱ-654 was commonest genotype,accounted for 54.88％ (45/82).Genotypes of 2 composite thalassemia coming from Ningbo City were αcs compound IVS-Ⅱ-654 and-α3.7 compound CD41-42.Conclusions In Ningbo City,the incidence of thalassemia in women in Ningbo is higher than that in men.The morbidity of β-thalassemia genotype is apparently higher than that of α-thalassemia,and genotype of IVS-Ⅱ-654 in β3-thalassemia patients is the commonest genotype.