AIM: To study the effects of artemisunate on anoikis resistance in human breast cancer cells. METHODS: After breast cancer MCF-7 cells were treated with artemisunate, the growth of anchorage independence of breast cancer MCF-7 cells was examined in soft agar colony formation, and apoptosis of breast cancer were evaluated by terminal deoxynucleatidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling (TUNEL) and DNA ladder. RESULTS: Artemisunate significantly inhibited the growth of anchorage independence of breast cancer MCF-7 cells in soft agar colon formation in a dose-dependent manner. Artemisunate induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells was conformed by DNA ladder and TUNEL assay, which was in a time-and dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Artemisunate inhibits the growth of anchorage independence of breast cancer MCF-7 cells, which is related to anoikis.

Animals ; Diestrus ; drug effects ; Female ; Hyperprolactinemia ; physiopathology ; Panax ; Prolactin ; blood ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Saponins ; pharmacology

China ; Haplopappus ; Humans ; Phytotherapy ; Sesquiterpenes

AIM: To analyze the effect of human amniotic homogenate extract on corneal neovascularization after corneal alkali burn in the process of pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and the effect of corneal neovascularization.METHODS: Totally 32 patients with corneal alkali burn were selected from June 2015 to June 2016 in Foshan,and were randomly divided into Group A and Group B,with a total of 37 eyes.Group A of 17 cases,with a total of 19 eyes,were treated with 40mg/L human amniotic homogenate extract;Group B (n=15),and 18 eyes,treated with 3g/L prednisolone eye drops.In the treatment of 1,4,7,14,21 and 28d at different time points,we observed the growth of corneal neovascularization,and detected the expression of PEDF and VEGF during angiogenesis.RESULTS: Group A of patients in the use of human amniotic homogenate extract after the treatment,the expression level of PEDF was significantly higher than that in Group B(P=0.001),after 28d treatment,the expression level of PEDF reached 0.721±0.314.While patients in Group B the expression level of PEDF was only 0.538±0.253.Two groups had significant difference between the expression level of PEDF (P<0.05).The expression level of VEGF in Group A was lower than in Group B at different time points in the test.After the treatment of 28d patients in the Group A,the expression level of VEGF was 0.152±0.020,in Group B the expression level of VEGF was0.302±0.031.Two groups of patients with VEGF expression level between the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).The patients number in Group A with corneal neovascularization was significantly lower than that in Group B,the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Human amniotic homogenate extract can increase the expression of PEDF in corneal neovascularization after corneal alkali burn,inhibit the expression of VEGF and the proliferation of corneal neovascularization.

Objective:To investigate the expression of MMP-1 and MMP-8 in periodontal tissues in rats with periodontitis at different stages of inflammation with varied severity. Methods:Periodontitis was induced by silk ligature. P.gingivalis(Pg) or Pg with F.nu were used to induce the varied severity of periodontitis in 40 rats. 14 and 28 days after periodontitis induction the animals were sacrificed, periodontal tissues were immunohistochemically stained by antibody of MMP-1 and MMP-8 respectively. Results:MMP-1 and MMP-8 were both strongly positive in gingival epithelia cells and fibroblasts in periodontal ligament in rats with periodontitis.Higher expression of MMP-1 and MMP-8 was observed at 14 d than at 28 d(P0.05). Conclusion:The expression of MMP-1 and MMP-8 varies in different stage of periodontitis. MMP-1 and MMP-8 may play an important role in development of periodontitis.

Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of lamivudine in preventing liver injury induced by anti-tuberculosis drugs in hepatitis B virus(HBV)carriers.Methods One hundred and ten HBV carriers treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs were randomly divided into lamivudine group and control group.Patients in both groups were treated with conventional anti-tuberculosis drugs (isoniazid,rifampicin,pyrazinamide,streptomycin or ethambutol)for 6-8 months.However, patients in lamivudine group were treated with lamivudine 100 mg orally dairy concomitantly.Before and after treatment,the clinical manifestation,liver function and serum HBV DNA level of patients were evaluated.Statistical analysis was performed using t test and x~2 test.Results During 6-8 months of treatment,the incidence rate of liver injury was 9.1% in lamivudine group,while it was 38.2% in control group(P0.05).Conclusion Lamivudine is effective and safe in reducing liver injury induced by anti-tuberculosis drugs in HBV carriers.

MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are a class of small RNA molecules which play a pivotal role in the regulation of genes involved in diverse processes.Recently,many viral-encoded miRNAs have been discovered,which suggests that viruses also use this fundamental mode of gene regulation.Although the functions of most viral- encoded miRNAs are unknown,some of them are involved in evading CTL,mediating latent infection,apoptosis suppression,etc.Uncovering the role of viral miRNAs in the pathopoiesis offers an immense opportunity not only to develope effective antiviral therapies,but also to identifying novel molecular targets for developing antiviral reagents.Therefore,recent progress on vmiRNAs was reviewed.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a newly identified class of non-protein-coding small RNAs that play important roles in multiple biological processes. Recent evidence indicates that the expression of many miRNAs is both temporally and spatially regulated by RNA editing, differential processing and tissue-specific enhancers, and the potential for ultimately designing molecular medicines based on the modulation of miRNAs seems good. A better understanding of the mechanism which regulates miRNAs is very helpful to reveal the pathogenesis of some diseases, discover novel molecular targets for treatment by interference, and develop an effective gene therapy. Therefore, the latest progress in the mechanism regulating miRNAs is summarized.

A 29-year-old woman was admitted to the Department of Rheumatology,Peking Union Medical College Hospital due to intermittent rashes,fever and headache.Palpable purpura were symmetrically distributed on the extremities and trunk.Other manifestations included headache with nausea and vomiting.Elevated white blood cell (WBC) count,platelet (PLT) count,erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein were the main laboratory findings.Antinuclear antibodies and antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies were negative.Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) revealed high intracranial pressure,while routine cytology and biochemical tests of CSF were normal.Head MRI scan and PET-CT did not detect remarkable findings.A diagnosis of systemic vasculitis was confirmed by the biopsy of skin lesion which showed inflammatory infiltration of the muscular vessel wall.Combination therapy of corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide lead to a rapid improvement in clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters.The patient was in stable remission till 6 month follow-up.

To study the potential effect of Dioscorea nipponica(DN) in intervening peripheral system of rats based on metabolomic analysis. The identification of the potential intervention targets of DN in peripheral system may facilitate its safe application and therapeutic potential exploitation. Totally 20 male SD rats were randomly divided into the blank group and the DN-treated groups, with 10 rates in each group. The DN-treated group was orally administrated with DN extracts once a day for 5 days, with the dose of 80 mg x kg(-1) (equivalent to 15 g crude drug in human), and the blank group was given equal volume of saline once a day for 5 days. Heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney tissues and serum samples were collected from each rat 24 h later after the last administration. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight-mass spectrometry based metabolomics was used to investigate the effect of DN in intervening peripheral system of rats. After the treatment with DN, 5 modulated metabolites in heart tissue, 6 in liver tissue, 5 in spleen tissue, 3 in lung tissue, 5 in kidney tissue and 6 in serum sample were identified and considered as the potential intervention targets of DN. Effect of DN in regulating some endogenous metabolites was beneficial for protecting peripheral system, while that in other endogenous metabolites produced potential toxicity to peripheral system. The metabolomic analysis revealed the coexistence of protective and toxic effects of DN on peripheral system, which may be a practical guidance for its safe application and beneficial to the expansion of its application scope.
Animals ; Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Heart ; drug effects ; Kidney ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Liver ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Lung ; chemistry ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Metabolomics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spleen ; drug effects ; metabolism