OBJECTIVE:To study the inhibitory effects and mechanism of lutein on nasopharyngeal carcinoma C666-1 cells. METHODS:C666-1 cells were stimulated by lutein at different concentrations [0(blank control),20,40,80,160 mg/L] for dif-ferent time(0,12,24,48 h). The proliferation rate of cells was determined by CCK-8 assay,and apoptotic rate of cells was deter-mined by TUNEL method;Western blot was adopted to determine the phosphorylation of S6K and S6 proteins of AMPK and mTOR pathway. RESULTS:Compared with blank control group,proliferation rate of C666-1 cells was significantly reduced after treated with lutein(80,160 mg/L)for 48 h and lutein(160 mg/L)for 12,24,48 h(P<0.05). After treated with lutein(80,160 mg/L)for 48 h and lutein(160 mg/L)for 24,48 h,cell apoptosis was significantly increased(P<0.05). Lutein(80,160 mg/L) could promote intracellular AMPK phosphorylation,and inhibits mTOR pathway S6K,S6 protein phosphorylation after 48 h treat-ment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Lutein can inhibit nasopharyngeal carcinoma C666-1 cell proliferation and induce nasopharyn-geal carcinoma cell apoptosis and inhibit S6K,S6 protein phosphorylation through promoting AMPK phosphorylation.

BackgroundRecent studies showed that diabetic retinal neuropathy is an earlier and more dangerous complication and neurotrophin has a protective effect on retina.ObjectiveThe present study was to observe the changes of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF),its receptor TrkB,signal pathway protein phosphatized extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and c-fos in the retina after injection of BDNF into the vitreous in STZ induced Wistar diabetic rats.MethodsWistar rats aged 9 weeks-old were randomly divided into BDNF injection group,diabetes mellitus (DM) control group and normal control group and 20 rats for each group.STZ was intraperitoneally injected in the rats of BDNF injection group and DM control group to create the experimental DM.BDNF was intravitreously injected in the rats of BDNF group 2 weeks after administration of STZ in three-day interval for 5 times,and BSS containing O.1％ bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used at the same way in the DM control group and normal control group.The retina was isolated for hybridization in situ for BDNF,and TrkB,p-ERK1/2 and c-fos.Levels in retina were detected using sandwich method ELISA.ResultsThe number of BDNF positive cells and the gray scale were lower obviously in the rat retina of DM control group than those of BDNF injection group and normal control group,showing significant differences among the 3 groups ( F =102.36,92.55 ;P＜0.05 ).ELISA assay showed that TrkB,p-ERK1/2 and c-fos values in retina were statistically significantly different among the 3 groups ( F =92.54,95.46,94.84,P＜0.05 ).The TrkB level in retina was statistically reduced,but the p-ERK1/2 and c-fos levels in retina were increased statistically in DM control group compared with BDNF injection group and normal control group( P＜0.05 ).No statistical difference was found in TrkB,p-ERK1/2 and c-fos values between the BDNF injection group and normal control group(P＞0.05).ConclusionsThe injection of BDNF into the vitreous cavity can protect retina from downregulating BDNF and TrkB levels and up-regulating the p-ERK1/2 and c-fos protein levels in the early stage of DM.

Based on previous results of 16S rDNA sequence homologuous and results of physic-biochemical indexes and morphological characteristics in the present work, bacterial strain ge15 isolated from roots of ginseng plants was identified as Stenotrophomonas rhizophila. Confronting incubation results showed that, strain ge15 inhibited the growth of Alternaria panax, Phytophthora cactorum, and Cylindrocapon destructans significantly, and the width of inhibition zone was 13.3, 24.0, 12.0 mm, respectively. Further results showed that the emergence rate and seedling survive rate of ge15 treatment was significantly higher than those of the control, and which was similar to pesticide carbendazol treatment. The ge15 strain has good application potential in ginseng diseases control without contamination.
Alternaria ; growth & development ; physiology ; Antibiosis ; Biological Control Agents ; Hypocreales ; growth & development ; physiology ; Panax ; growth & development ; microbiology ; Phytophthora ; growth & development ; physiology ; Plant Diseases ; microbiology ; Plant Roots ; growth & development ; microbiology ; Seedlings ; growth & development ; microbiology ; Stenotrophomonas ; classification ; cytology ; isolation & purification ; physiology

Panax ginseng is one of the most important traditional Chinese herbal medicine, soil borne diseases influenced the yield and quality severely. In our previous work, endophytic Bacillus subtilis ge25 strain was isolated from ginseng root, and which showed significant antagonistic activity against several most destructive ginseng phytopathogens. In the present work, crude protein and lipopeptid extracts were prepared from LB and Landy supernate by salting out, acid precipitation methods respectively. The antagonistic activity of crude extracts and stability to temperature and protease digestion were examined by ginseng phytopathogen Alternaria panax. Results showed that, the antagonistic activity of crude protein extracts from LB culture was complete and partially lost when treated by high temperature and proteinase K. However, crude lipopeptid from Landy culture showed significant stabile antagonistic activity to them. Acid-hydrolyzation and TLC-bioautography analysis showed, that the crude lipopeptide contained at least one cyclic lipopeptide. In consideration of the stability and perfect antagonistic activity of ge25, further researches will promote the biocontrol of ginseng diseases in the field.
Alternaria ; drug effects ; physiology ; Bacillus subtilis ; metabolism ; physiology ; Bacterial Proteins ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Endopeptidase K ; metabolism ; Endophytes ; metabolism ; physiology ; Fermentation ; Lipopeptides ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Panax ; microbiology ; Plant Roots ; microbiology ; Temperature

China ; epidemiology ; Epilepsy ; complications ; epidemiology ; mortality ; Humans

Alpha-glycerophosphate oxidase (alpha-GPO) from Enterococcus casseli flavus was successfully isolated and purified by using polyethylene glycol (PEG)/(NH4)2SO4 aqueous two-phase system (ATPS). The results showed that the chosen PEG/(NH4)2SO4 ATPS could be affected by PEG molecular weight, pH, concentration of PEG and (NH4)2SO4, and inorganic salt as well as additional amount of crude enzyme. After evaluating these influencing factors, the final optimum purification strategy was formed by 16.5% (m/m) PEG2000, 13.2% (m/m) (NH4)2SO4, pH 7.5 and 30% (m/m) additive crude enzyme, respectively. The NaCl was a negative influencing factor which would lead to lower purification fold and activity recovery. These conditions eventually resulted in the activity recovery of 89% (m/m), distribution coefficient of 1.2 and purification fold of 7.0.
Ammonium Sulfate ; chemistry ; Glycerolphosphate Dehydrogenase ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Weight ; Polyethylene Glycols ; chemistry ; Water

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of treating glioma in combination with drugs multiply by comparing the size of tumor and the survival time of different groups in rat glioma after targeted blood-brain barrier (BBB ) disruption by MRI-guided focused ultrasound.Methods The stereotaxis instruments and the 10 μl gas-tight syringes were used to inject gliosarcoma cells into the targeted area of the brain in 50 male Sprague-Dawley rats.The glioma-bearing rat model was established.Each rat received either:(1 )no treatment (control;n =8);(2)single liposomal doxorubicin (DOX;n = 10);(3)multiple DOX (n =10);(4)single Avastin (AVS)and DOX (n =10);(5)multiple AVS and DOX (n =10).The SonoVue microbubble ultrasonic contrast agent and DOX or AVS were injected into the tail vein respectively on day 12 after implantation.The tumor size was measured by MRI on pre-treatment,immediacy and once a week of post-treatment after targeted BBB disruption by focused ultrasound,and the life span in rat glioma was recorded.Results The mediam survival of different groups in rat glioma(The range of the life span 13-90 d):no treatment (7 d);single DOX (12 d);multiple DOX (1 5 d);single AVS + DOX (22 d), multiple AVS+ DOX (30 d).There was significant difference of the groups on mediam survival comparison (P < 0.01 ).The tumor growth pattern after post-treatment of different groups in rat glioma except control:single DOX was noticeable fast and multiple AVS+DOX was visibly delayed comparable to other groups,and finally the tumor size of multiple AVS + DOX even became small.Conclusions The microbubble blasting enhances the local tissue permeability and promotes the drug delivery of chemotherapy and anti-angiogenesis locally in glioma-bearing rats by MRI-guided focused ultrasound.Especially,the combination with drugs multiply has a synergism efficacy that may enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy,reduce tumor growth,and even become small of the tumor size,and increase survival time significantly after BBB disruption.

Escherichia coli AFP111 is a spontaneous mutant with mutations in the glucose specific phosphotransferase system (ptsG) in NZN111 (delta pflAB deltaldhA). In AFP111, conversion of xylose to succinic acid generates 1.67 molecule of ATP per xylose. However, the strain needs 2.67 molecule ATP for xylose metabolism. Therefore, AFP111 cannot use xylose due to insufficient ATP under anaerobic condition. Through an atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) jet, we got a mutant strain named DC111 that could use xylose under anaerobic condition in M9 medium to produce succinic acid. After 72 h, DC111 consumed 10.52 g/L xylose to produce 6.46 g/L succinic acid, and the yield was 0.78 mol/mol. Furthermore, the reaction catalyzed by the ATP-generating PEP-carboxykinase (PCK) was enhanced. The specific activity of PCK was 19.33-fold higher in DC111 than that in AFP111, which made the strain have enough ATP to converse xylose to succinic acid.
Atmosphere ; Escherichia coli ; genetics ; metabolism ; Fermentation ; Industrial Microbiology ; Metabolic Engineering ; Mutation ; Plasma Gases ; pharmacology ; Succinic Acid ; metabolism ; Temperature ; Xylose ; metabolism

AIM:To investigate the activity of NF-?B in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with Graves disease (GD) and the significance in immunopathogenesis of GD.METHODS:Peripheral blood was collected from 22 untreated GD,20 treated GD with tapazole more than 1 year,and 25 healthy volunteers. PBMCs were isolated from the blood by histopaque-1077 density-gradient centrifugation. The activity of NF-?B in PBMCs was analyzed using gel electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The contents of IL-1?,IL-6 and TNF-? were tested by radioimmunoassay.RESULTS:The activity of NF-?B in PBMCs of untreated GD group was increased remarkably,compared with that in the treated group and control (P

Objective To investigate clinical features and therapeutic protocols of vulvovaginal-gingival syndrome(VVGS). Methods Clinical data were collected from 11 female patients with VVGS and analyzed. Results Among the 11 patients, the mean and median ages at a definite diagnosis of VVGS were both 46 years, and the average disease duration was 4 years. Painful erosive erythema was found on the vaginal vestibule in 7 patients, on the gingiva in 10, as well as on the bilateral buccal mucosa in 5. Additionally, 8 and 4 patients reported dyspareunia and vaginal hemorrhage, respectively. Seven patients were treated with low-dose oral methylprednisolone combined with hydroxychloroquine or colchicine, and the other 4 were treated with oral hydroxychloroquine alone. Furthermore, all of the 11 patients applied topical tacrolimus 0.1%ointment. Finally, 8 patients were cured or markedly improved. No obvious adverse reactions were observed in any of the patients. Conclusions VVGS mostly occurs in middle-aged women, with the vaginal vestibule and gingiva as predilection sites of painful erythema and dyspareunia as common symptoms. Patients have good responses to methylprednisolone combined with hydroxychloroquine, and hydroxychloroquine alone also shows good efficacy in patients with mild VVGS. Tacrolimus 0.1%ointment can be one of drugs for topical maintenance treatment of VVGS.