BACKGROUND: Cleistocalyx operculatus is a dried alsbastrum of myrtle. It is reported that cleistocalyx operculatus extracts can improve cardiac contraction through inhibiting the activity of Na+/K+-ATPase, and decrease rate of contraction. Do cleistocalyx operculatus extracts have the biological activity of antioxidation?OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of cleistocalyx operculatus on oxidative injury of PC12 nerve cells induced by H2O2.DESIGN: Non-randomized controlled study.SETTING: State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology.MATERIALS: The experiment was conducted at New World Institute of Biotechnology, State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering of East China University of Science and Technology, from May to November 2002.Eight adult male Kunming mice were selected. PC12 nerve cells were supplied by Shanghai Cell Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.METHODS: Model of oxygenic injury of PC12 nerve cells was estabPC12 cells were cultured in 96-well plates. Cleistocalyx operculatus was diluted with RPMI1640 culture medium into five concentrations of 0.001,0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 g/L with 3 wells in each concentration; each well had 2×103 cells. Blank control group, or non-drug culture medium group, was set. Under the standard condition, cells were cultured for 48 hours and ascells were inoculated in 96-well plate with the density of 2×103 for 24-hour wall adhering, and then divided into normal control group (normal cell without H2O2 or cleistocalyx operculatus extracts), 0, 0.01, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 g/L cleistocalyx operculatus. Cells in all groups except normal control group were treated with 200 μmol/L H2O2 at 37℃ for 3 hours, then cleistocalyx operculatus of various concentrations was added and survival rate was asfree radicals: PC12 cells with oxygen-derived free radicals were treated in the same way as done for cell survival rate assay and measured with CDCFH staining method.fect of cleistocalyx operculatus extracts on intracellular and extracellular oxygen-derived free radicals in PC12 nerve cells induced by oxidative injury.operculatus could protect nerve cells; however, at 0.055-1.00 g/L the effect on cell growth did not significantly differ from that of blank control extracts had no protective effect on the injury of PC12 nerve cells induced by H2O2. At 1.00 g/L, it had strong plerosis for oxidative injury of PC12 and extracellular oxygen-derived free radicals in PC12 nerve cells was increased; however, at 0.01 g/L concentration of cleistocalyx operculatus extracts, the level was lower than that in model group.dation of membrane lipid of hepatic microsome, but also protect against oxcleistocalyx operculatus extracts is related to its concentration. At 1.00 g/L,it has great capacity of oxidation plerosis, and at 0.01 g/L it can decrease the level of oxygen-derived free radicals inside and outside cells.

Background:Accumulating evidence links colorectal cancer (CRC) with the gut microbiota.Fusobacterium nucleatum (F.nucleatum) has been revealed to be involved in the development of CRC, however, the mechanism of F.nucleatum in mediating colorectal tumorigenesis is still poorly understood.Aims:To investigate the effect and potential mechanism of F.nucleatum on CRC.Methods:Wild type C57BL/6 mice and APC(Min/+) mice characterized by multiple intestinal neoplasia were used in this animal study.After administered with F.nucleatum intragastrically and/or 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH, a carcinogen) subcutaneously, the aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and colonic tumor were counted at 8th and 20th week, respectively.Structural alteration of intestinal microbiota and mucosal immune factors were detected in wild type C57BL/6 mice receiving different interventions by using Roche 454 GS FLX pyrosequencing and Bio-Plex ProTM cytokine assay, respectively.Results:In DMH-treated wild type C57BL/6 mice or APC(Min/+) mice, number of ACF and colonic tumor in those administered with F.nucleatum were significantly higher than those without (P<0.05).F.nucleatum colonization significantly altered the lumen microbial structure, with decreased Cyanobacterium and increased Tenericutes and Verrucomicrobia (P all <0.05).Furthermore, F.nucleatum up-regulated expressions of tumor-related immune factors in colonic mucosa, such as IL-21, IL-22, IL-31 and CD40L (P<0.05).Conclusions:F.nucleatum colonization in intestine may prompt colonic tumorigenesis in mice via inducing intestinal dysbiosis and modulating tumor-related immune factors expression.

Exosome, a membranous vesicle with biological activity, not only transmits active substances between cells but also transfers information between cells to participate in cell communication. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which epithelial cells acquire migratory and invasive properties to become mesenchymal stem cells. EMT is essential for the development of a spectrum of diseases. Studies have shown that exosomes have dual effects on EMT to, on the one hand, promote EMT and tumor cell invasion and metastasis and accelerate angiogenesis and tumor growth; on the other hand, exosomes can suppress tumor cell invasion, inhibit fibrosis of the heart, liver and kidney, and improve myocardial infarction by inhibiting EMT. Exosomes modulate EMT-related signaling pathways by carrying EMT-related proteins or miRNA to exert their bi-directional regulatory effects.
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Exosomes ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; Neoplasms ; Signal Transduction

ObjectiveLipopolysaccharide （LPS）-induced zebrafish inflammation model was used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of different extracts from Lianggesan （LGS） and its component Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma. MethodDifferent polar fractions of LGS and Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma were obtained by the principle of similar miscibility. For toxicity observation， the zebrafish （3 day-post-fertilization） was exposed to different concentrations of extracts for 24， 48 and 72 h. The yolk sac of the zebrafish was microinjected with 0.5 g·L^-1 LPS to establish the inflammation model， and then the embryos were soaked with different concentrations of extracts to observe their survival status at 72 h and the aggregation of neutrophils in yolk sac at 12 h after treatment. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to analyze the yolk sac of the zebrafish microinjected with LPS. Quantitative Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was performed to further investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanisms of LGS and Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma. ResultThe toxicity of LGS and Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma was decreased with the increase of polarity， and the descending order was petroleum ether>ethyl acetate>n-butanol>water. Compared with model group， the extracts from different fractions of LGS and Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma prolonged the survival time of the zebrafish， and inhibited the recruitment and aggregation of neutrophils and decreased the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the yolk sac， among which the water fraction of LGS and the ethyl acetate fraction of Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma had the most significant effect （P<0.01）. In addition， compared with model group， the water fraction of LGS and the ethyl acetate fraction of Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma down-regulated the mRNA expression of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， and suppressed the expression of toll like receptor 4 （TLR4） and nuclear factor kappa-B （NF-κB） in LPS-stimulated zebrafish （P<0.01）. ConclusionThe extracts from different fractions of LGS and Glycyrrhiza Radix et Rhizoma exerted protective effects in LPS-induced zebrafish by inhibiting the TLR4 and NF-κB signaling pathways. Moreover， in zebrafish model， the method of administration by soaking was applicable to the high-throughput screening of anti-inflammatory Chinese medicine， which was suitable for the evaluation of anti-LPS activity of Chinese medicine and the different extracts.