This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of 5,2',4'-trihydroxy-6,7,5'-trimethoxy flavone nanoparticle (TTF1-NP) in the induction of apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG-2 cells. MTT assay, immunocytochemical staining and flow cytometry with Annexin V-FITC/PI were used to demonstrate inhibition of proliferation of HepG-2 cells and cell apoptosis. The inhibition was studied in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Western blot results showed that TTF1-NP down-regulated the signals of survivin, p-STAT3 and STAT3, but up-regulated the expression level of cleaved caspase-3. Taken together, our results showed that TTF1-NP induced HepG-2 cell apoptosis through inhibition of the STAT3 expression.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of 5,2',4'-trihydroxy-6,7,5'-trimethoxy flavone nanoparticle (TTF1-NP) on inducing apoptosis of implanted tumour cells in nude mice and the mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway. The implanted hepatoma model was established in nude mice, and used to test the drug TTF1-NP in five groups (vehicle, 5 μmol·kg^-1 TTF1-NP, 10 μmol·kg^-1 TTF1-NP, 20 μmol·kg^-1 TTF1-NP and adriamycin). The nude mice were killed after the treatment to determine the tumor growth inhibition rate (IR). Morphological changes of implanted tumor cells were observed by HE staining; apoptosis of tumor cells was detected by TUNEL; the protein expression of GRP78, p-JNK and caspase 12 were analyzed using immunocytochemistry staining and Western blotting. We tested the effects of TTF1-NP on implanted HepG-2 cell tumor growth in nude mice. TTF1-NP-treated mice showed volume of tumor smaller than that of the vehicle-treated mice. The tumor mass of the TTF1-NP-treated mice were significantly reduced than those of the vehicle-treated mice. In addition, the tumor growth rate of the TTF1-NP-treated mice was significantly lower than that of the vehicle-treated mice, and the tumor growth inhibition ratio of the TTF1-NP-treated mice was significantly higher than that of the vehicle-treated mice. TTF1-NP exhibited an inhibitory effect on implanted tumor cells in the model. The IR was 51.2%, 54.2%, 61.8% and 65.9%, respectively. In comparison with the vehicle group, the treated groups exhibited alteration in cell morphology and apoptosis of tumor cells, and expression of GRP78, p-JNK and caspase 12, which were observed by immunocytochemistry staining and Western blotting. Taken together, our results suggest that TTF1-NP induces apoptosis of implanted tumor cells in nude mice and the main mechanism is related to activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

The study was designed to test the role of 5,2',4'-trihydroxy-6,7,5'-trimethoxy flavone nanoparticle (TTF1-NP) on lipopoiysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response, and to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Inflammatory responses were induced in human hepato-cellular carcinoma HepG2 cells with LPS; Proliferation effect of TTF1-NP in LPS-stimulated HepG2 cells were detected by MTT assay; The expression of TLR4, AKT/mTOR signaling related proteins and IL-6 were detected by Western blot assay. The results showed that TTF1-NP inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells induced by LPS in a dose-dependent manner; TTF1-NP inhibited the expression of TLR4, the activation of AKT and mTOR, and expression of IL-6 in a dose-dependent manner; TTF1-NP inhibited the activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and TLR4 proteins leading to suppression of IL-6 expression in HepG2 cells stimulated by insulin. These results suggest that TTF1-NP inhibited inflammatory responses from LPS treatment with a potential mechanisms in the inhibition of AKT/mTOR pathway.

This study aimed to investigate apoptosis induction of ginsenoside compound K (ginsenoside CK) in human liver cancer SMMC-7721 cells and the involvement of TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway. MTT assay was used to detect cell viability following ginsenoside CK treatment in SMMC-7721 cells. Annexin V-FITC/PI assay was used to detect apoptosis. After ginsenoside CK, or TGF-β1/Smads pathway activator TGFβ1 and inhibitor LY2109761 treatment, the TGF-β1/Smads pathway proteins and apoptosis proteins were detected by Western blot. The results showed that ginsenoside CK inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Annexin V-FITC/PI showed that ginsenoside CK induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells. Meanwhile, ginsenoside CK inhibited the expression of Smad2/3, p-Smad2/3, Smad4, but promoted Smad7 expression, cleavage of caspase-3 and down-regulated Bcl-2/Bax. Compared with TGFβ1 treatment alone, levels of Smad2/3, p-Smad2/3, Smad4 and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax were down-regulated, whereas Smad7 or cleaved caspase-3 was up-regulated in the ginsenoside CK+TGF-β1 group. In addition, Smad2/3, p-Smad2/3 and Smad4 expression were decreased in LY2109761 group. Compared with LY2109761 group, cleaved caspase-3 expression and Bcl-2/Bax have no significant change in ginsenoside CK+LY2109761 group. Taken together, our results showed that ginsenoside CK induced apoptosis in SMMC-7721 cells, and such induction is related to inhibiting TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway.

PURPOSE: Chemotherapy targets all rapidly growing cells, not only cancer cells, and thus is often associated with unpleasant side effects. Therefore, examination of the chemosensitivity based on genotypes is needed in order to reduce the side effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various computational approaches have been proposed for predicting chemosensitivity based on gene expression profiles. A linear regression model can be used to predict the response of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic drugs, based on genomic features of the cells, and appropriate sample size for this method depends on the number of predictors. We used principal component analysis and identified a combined gene expression profile to reduce the number of predictors. RESULTS: The coefficients of determinanation (R²) of prediction models with combined gene expression and several independent gene expressions were similar. Corresponding F values, which represent model significances were improved by use of a combined gene expression profile, indicating that the use of a combined gene expression profile is helpful in predicting drug sensitivity. Even better, a prediction model can be used even with small samples because of the reduced number of predictors. CONCLUSION: Combined gene expression analysis is expected to contribute to more personalized management of breast cancer cases by enabling more effective targeting of existing therapies. This procedure for identifying a cell-type-specific gene expression profile can be extended to other chemotherapeutic treatments and many other heterogeneous cancer types.
Breast Neoplasms* ; Breast* ; Drug Therapy ; Gene Expression* ; Genotype ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Methods ; Principal Component Analysis ; Sample Size ; Transcriptome*

Objective To study the technology for purification of total alkaloids from Rhizoma Coptidis by maeroreticular adsorbent resin.Methods LD605,D101,DA201,NKA-9,and AB-8 types of macroreticular adsorbent resins werre used to separate and purify the total alkaloid from Rhizoma Coptidis.The yields and purities of the products were compared as indexes.Results AB-8 Type macroreticular adsorbent resin had optimum adsorption and elution parameters with its dynamic saturated adsorption ratio up to 1.23 mg/g.After eluted with 2 BV of distilled water and 2 BV 40% ethanol,the yields of total alkaloid was 85%,and content was 80%.Conclusion The AB-8 type macroreticular resin showsa better comprehensive adsorption property and can be used to separate and purify the total alkaloids from Rhizoma Coptidis.

2-cyano-3，12-dioxooleana-1，9 （11）-dien-28-oic acid （CDDO） is a compound synthesized by taking oleanolic acid， a natural triterpene， as a precursor or precursor， and transforming three modifiable functional groups in the molecule through a series of chemical structure modification. In order to improve its anti-tumor activity， CDDO derivatives are further synthesized. In this paper， the research results of anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of CDDO and its derivatives in recent years are summarized. It is found that CDDO and its derivatives have a wide range of anti-tumor effects， and can show significant anti-tumor effects on breast cancer， pancreatic cancer， lung cancer and ovarian cancer at low concentrations such as micromole or even nanomole， among which CDDO methyl ester compound （CDDO-Me） and CDDO imidazolidinone compound （CDDO-Im） have the most obvious effects. CDDO and its derivatives exert anti-tumor activity mainly by inducing tumor cell apoptosis， and regulating metabolic reprogramming and immune microenvironment. The involved pathways mainly include Janus protein tyrosine kinase （JAK）/ signal transduction and transcription activation protein 3（STAT3） signal pathway， nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 （NRF2） signal pathway， phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （also known as Akt）/mammalian rapamycin target protein （mTOR） signal pathway， Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway， nuclear factor κB signal pathway.

Cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs) exhibit two types of discharge activities: simple spike (SS) and complex spike (CS). Previous studies found that noradrenaline (NA) can inhibit CS and bidirectionally regulate SS, but the enhancement of NA on SS is overwhelmed by the strong inhibition of excitatory molecular layer interneurons. However, the mechanism underlying the effect of NA on SS discharge frequency is not clear. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the mechanism underlying the increasing effect of NA on SS firing of PC in mouse cerebellar cortex in vivo and in cerebellar slice by cell-attached and whole-cell recording technique and pharmacological methods. GABA_A receptor was blocked by 100 µmol/L picrotoxin in the whole process. In vivo results showed that NA significantly reduced the number of spikelets of spontaneous CS and enhanced the discharge frequency of SS, but did not affect the discharge frequency of CS. In vitro experiments showed that NA reduced the number of CS spikelets and after hyperpolarization potential (AHP) induced by electrical stimulation, and increased the discharge frequency of SS. NA also reduced the amplitude of excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) of parallel fiber (PF)-PC and significantly increased the paired-pulse ratio (PPR). Application of yohimbine, an antagonist of α2-adrenergic receptor (AR), completely eliminated the enhancing effect of NA on SS. The α2-AR agonist, UK14304, also increased the frequency of SS. The β-AR blocker, propranolol, did not affect the effects of NA on PC. These results suggest that in the absence of GABA_A receptors, NA could attenuate the synaptic transmission of climbing fiber (CF)-PC via activating α2-AR, inhibit CS activity and reduce AHP, thus enhancing the SS discharge frequency of PC. This result suggests that NA neurons of locus coeruleus can finely regulate PC signal output by regulating CF-PC synaptic transmission.
Action Potentials/physiology* ; Animals ; Cerebellar Cortex/metabolism* ; Cerebellum/metabolism* ; Mice ; Norepinephrine/pharmacology* ; Purkinje Cells/metabolism* ; Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-2/metabolism* ; Receptors, GABA-A/metabolism*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) five coding region sequence polymorphisms encompassing positions nt3954-4506, nt5218-5974, nt7942-8711, nt10296-10653, and nt14496-14867 in Chinese Han population of Yanbian area, Jilin province.

METHODSPolymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing method were used to detect the haplotype distribution of mtDNA coding region in 200 unrelated Chinese Han individuals.

RESULTSOne hundred and ten haplotypes were observed in the 200 individuals. The gene diversity was 0.9879 and the random match probability was 0.0171. Compared with the Anderson's sequence,81 nucleotide variants were obtained,of which 66 were previously registered in MITOMAP,and 15 were novel.

CONCLUSIONThe obtained data suggest that these sequence polymorphisms are valuable genetic markers for personal identification when added to mtDAN control region investigation, and thus could be used as basic data for the forensic application in Chinese Han population.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; ethnology ; genetics ; Base Sequence ; China ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; Genetics, Population ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Open Reading Frames ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

This study is to investigate therapeutic effect of astaxanthin on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Rats were divided into control group, ulcer control group, and astaxanthin (5, 10, and 25 mg x kg(-1)) groups at random, 8 rats in each group. After administered for 10 days consecutively, all the rats were sacrificed. The area of ulcer and the levels of MDA, SOD, CAT and GSH-Px in gastric mucosa were measured. Compared with ulcer control group, in astaxanthin (5, 10, and 25 mg x kg(-1)) groups, the area of ulcer was decreased significantly. Level of MDA decreased while activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px increased (P < 0.05). Astaxanthin has good therapeutic effect on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Eliminating free radical and improving local blood circulation of the ulcer may be the mechanism of action.
Acetic Acid ; Animals ; Anti-Ulcer Agents ; therapeutic use ; Antioxidants ; therapeutic use ; Catalase ; metabolism ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; metabolism ; Male ; Malondialdehyde ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stomach Ulcer ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Superoxide Dismutase ; metabolism ; Xanthophylls ; therapeutic use