The tuberous roots of Aconitum carmichaeli are largely used in traditional Chinese medicine and widely grown in Jiangyou, Sichuan, China. During the growth process, this medicinal plant releases a large amount of allelochemicals into soil, which retard the growth and development of near and late crops. Therefore, a pure culture experiment was thus carried out by seed soaking to study the allelopathic effects of extracts from tuberous roots of A. carmichaeli (ETR) on the seed germination and young seedling growth of Lolium perenne, Trifolium repens, and Medicago sativa, the late pasture grasses after cultivation of A. carmichaeli. The results showed that three pasture grasses varied significantly in seed germination and young seedling growth in response to ETR concentrations. Seed germination of M. sativa was stimulated by low ERT concentration (0.01 x g(-1)), while all of pasture grass seeds germinated poorly in solution with 1.00 g x L(-1). Seed soaking with 1.00 g x L(-1) also inhibited significantly the growth of pasture young seedlings, with M. sativa showing the highest seedling height reduction of 42.05% in seeding height, followed by T. repens (40.21%) and L. perenne with about 11%. Cultivation of L. perenne could thus be beneficial to increase whole land productivity in A. carmichaeli-pasture grass cropping systems. In addition, hydrolysis of protein, starch, and inositol phosphates was blocked and free amino acids, soluble sugars and phosphorus were decreased in seeds by seed soaking with ETR, which could be one of the reason for the inhibition of seed germination. There was a significant reduction in root vigor, nitrate reductase, and chlorophyll after the seed treatment with ETR, indicating the suppression of nutrient uptake, nitrate assimilation, and photosynthesis by allelopathic chemicals in ETR, which could lead to the slow growth rate of pasture grass seedlings.
Aconitum ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Allelopathy ; China ; Pheromones ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Poaceae ; drug effects ; growth & development

Escherichia coli ; classification ; Escherichia coli Infections ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; Germany ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Pandemics

Objective: To investigate arsenic trioxide (As 2O 3) -target interactions at the level of nuclear matrix (NM) in chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line K562 by proteomics. Methods: DNA fragmentation analysis was used for As 2O 3 induced apoptosis of K562 cells. The nuclear matrix proteins were analyzed by high-resolution two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and computer-assisted image analysis. Results: While more than 200 protein spots were shared among the nuclear matrices, about 18 distinct spots were found characteristic of As 2O 3 treated cells. Onset of mass mange apoptosis, and the profiling of nuclear matrix proteins had been alternated and it was a more sensitive indicator than nucleosomal DNA fragmentation against As 2O 3 treatment. Conclusion: As 2O 3 induced apoptosis in K562 cells in a dose-time-dependent manner. As 2O 3 might be clinically useful in treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and the changes of nuclear matrix proteins in the treated cells can be used as a useful indicator for the treatment.

Alkanes ; toxicity ; Animals ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Micronucleus Tests ; Mutagenicity Tests ; Mutagens ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Teratogens

Objective To identify mutations site and clinical characteristics of a familial hypercholesterolemia(FH) proband diagnosed clinically through DNA sequencing and family analysis in the proband and his family members of 3 generations.Methods Blood samples and clinical data of the kindred of total 29 from 3 generations members were collected.Proband had a physical examination electrocar-diogrom and vascular ultrasound.The proband and his family members took routine clinical exams,and genomic DNA was isolated.The promoter region and the 18 exons of low density liporotein receptor(LDLR) gene were screened by Touch down polymerase chain reaction -single strand conformation polymorphism(PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing.The result of sequencing were matched gene sequence published in the BLAST database.Results 1.Increased intima-media thickness and plaque were detected in the common carotid artery,right subclavian artery of the proband.Aortic valve regurgitation was found by echocardiography.2.No mutation R3500Q of ApoB100 was observed.3.Two heterozygous mutations in exon 10 and 13 of LDLR gene (W462X and A606T) were identified.The proband and 5 members of paternal relatives showed W462X heterozygosis mutation in exon 10 of LDLR gene which introduced the change from tryptophone to a new stop codon.The proband's mother and grandmother harboured A606T heterozygous mutation in exon 13 of LDLR gene due to a single base pair substitution of G for A in the codon for residue 1 879.Conclusions Disease causing mutations of proband are W462X and A606T compound heterozygosis mutation in exon 10 and 13 of LDLR gene inherited from mother and father.Proband shows homozyous phenotype though the genotype analysis indicates heterozygous mutations.

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of sophoridine against bone cancer pain in bone cancer pain model rats induced by W256 tumor cells and its mechanism.

METHODThe rat model of bone cancer pain was reproduced by injecting W256 tumor cells into the rat marrow cavity. Ten days after the model establishment, 36 rats were selected and randomly divided into the model control group and the sophoridine treated group. At the same time, other 10 rats with sham-operation were selected to be the normal control group. Since the 15th day after the operation, rats in the treated group had been given sophoridine (25 mg x kg(-1)) for 10 days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency of each group were measured before and after the treatment. After the last treatment, the radiological and histopathological observation shall be conducted for sick legs of all rats. The expressions of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in tumor tissues were detected by mmunohistochemistry.

RESULTSophoridine could significantly increase the mechanical withdrawal threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), significantly relief the bone injury caused by W256 tumor cells (P < 0.05), and notably down-regulate the COX-2 and VEGF expressions in tumor tissues (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSSophoridine has the effect in relieving pain and inhibiting tumor progression in bone cancer pain rats induced by W256 tumor cells. Its mechanism may be related to the down-regulated expressions of COX-2 and VEGF.

Alkaloids ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Animals ; Bone Neoplasms ; complications ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Hyperalgesia ; complications ; drug therapy ; Pain ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Quinolizines ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; metabolism

Actins ; metabolism ; Adenocarcinoma, Clear Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Adult ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Desmin ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Endometrial Stromal Tumors ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hysterectomy ; Leiomyoma, Epithelioid ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Melanoma-Specific Antigens ; metabolism ; Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Receptors, Progesterone ; metabolism ; Uterine Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Vimentin ; metabolism

Objective:To clone and express the Staphylococcus aureus Efb(extracellular fibrinogen-binding protein) protein in Escherichia coli, to purify the expression product and prepare its functional antibody and to detect the functions of Efb protein for further studies on S.aureus infection.Methods: Efb gene was amplified by PCR using S.aureus NCTC-8325 genome DNA as template and cloned into the recombinant expression vectors pET28a. E.coli BL21(DE3) with the plasmid was induced with IPTG for protein production. The protein was purified by Ni~(2+) affinity chromatography. The function of Efb protein was determined by complement activity assay and inhibition ELISA.The polyclonal antibodies were prepared by immunizing the animals. Results: The purified recombinant Efb was obtained, which could inhibit the CH50 and AH50 effectively. The functional poly-antibodies of Efb were prepared.Conclusion:Efb could inhibit the classical pathway and alternative pathway of complement activation, and the antibodies against to Efb could block the inhibition of the classical pathway of complement activation induced by Efb.

The treatment and signaling pathway regulation effects of kidney- tonifying traditional Chinese medicine on osteoporosis have been widely studied, but without a systematic summary currently. This review comprehensively collected and analyzed the traditional Chinese medicine on the treatment and signaling pathway regulation of osteoporosis in recent ten years, such as Epimedium, Drynariae Rhizoma, Cnidium, Eucommia, Psoralen and Dipsacus. Based on the existing findings, we concluded the following conclusions: (1) kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine treats osteoporosis mainly through BMP-Smads, Wnt/β-catenin, MAPK, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote osteoblast bone formation and through OPG/RANKL/RANK, estrogen, CTSK signaling pathway to inhibit osteo?clasts of bone resorption. ① Epimedium, Drynariae Rhizoma, Cnidium and Psoralen up-regulate the key proteins and genes of BMP-Smads and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways to promote bone formation.② Epimedium, Drynariae Rhizoma, Cnidium, Eucommia, Psoralen, Dipsacusinhibit the bone resorption by mediating the OPG/RANKL/RANK signaling pathway. (2) Kidney-tonifying traditional Chinese medicine prevent and treat osteoporosis through a variety of ways: Icariin, Naringin, Osthol, Psoralen can regulate BMP-Smads, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway to promote bone formation, but also activate OPG/RANKL/RANK, CTSK and other signaling pathway to inhibit bone resorption. (3) The crosstalk of the signaling pathways and the animal experiments of the traditional Chinese medicine on the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis as well as their multi-target mechanism and comprehensive regulation need further clarification.