Here, we designed to examine the anti-inflammatory effects on RAW264.7 cells and the immunosuppressive effects by evaluating interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in Jurkat T cells using a MeOH extract of Panax notoginseng roots. The results showed that the MeOH extract inhibited the synthesis of nitric oxide (NO) in a dose-dependent manner (IC₅₀ value of 7.08 µg/mL) and displayed effects on T cell activation at a concentration of 400 µg/mL. In efforts to identify the potent compounds, bioactivity-guided fractionation of the MeOH extract and chemical investigation of its active CH₂Cl₂-, EtOAc-, and butanol-soluble fractions led to the successful isolation and identification of eleven compounds, including two polyacetylenes (1, 2), a steroid saponin (3), seven dammarane-type ginsenosides (4 – 10), and an oleanane-type ginsenoside (11). Among them, compound 11 was isolated from this plant for the first time. Compound 2 exhibited potent inhibitory effects on NO synthesis and an immunosuppressive effect with IC₅₀ values of 2.28 and 65.57 µM, respectively.
Ginsenosides ; Interleukin-2 ; Nitric Oxide ; Panax notoginseng ; Panax ; Plants ; Polyacetylenes ; Saponins ; T-Lymphocytes

Polyynes, such as facarindiol (FAD) and oplopandiol (OPD), are responsible for anticancer activities of Oplopanax elatus (O. elatus). A novel approach to pharmacokinetics determination of the two natural polyynes in rats was developed and validated using a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method. Biosamples were prepared by liquid-liquid extraction using ethyl acetate/n-hexane (V : V = 9 : 1) and the analytes were eluted on an Agilent ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18 threaded column (4.6 mm × 50 mm, 1.8 μm) with the mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.1% aqueous formic acid at a flow-rate of 0.5 mL·min(-1) within a total run time of 11 min. All analytes were simultaneously monitored in a single-quadrupole mass spectrometer in the selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode using electrospray source in positive mode. The method was demonstrated to be rapid, sensitive, and reliable, and it was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of the two polyynes in rat plasma after oral administration of polyynes extract of O. elatus.
Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Diynes ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Fatty Alcohols ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Male ; Naphthols ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Oplopanax ; chemistry ; Polyynes ; administration & dosage ; pharmacokinetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization ; methods

This study aimed to investigate the synergistic effect of lidamycin (LDM) and rituximab on human B cell lymphoma Ramos cells. Cell proliferation was measured using MTS assay, cell apoptosis was analyzed by Annexin V-FITC/PI assay, the expression of apoptosis related proteins was analyzed by Western blotting, and the in vivo lymphoma inhibition was verified using BALB/c mice inoculated via tail vein using Ramos cells which stably expressed pEGFP-N1 plasmid. The results showed that, after the pretreatment with rituximab for 48 h, rituximab and LDM showed significantly synergistic effects on cell proliferation. Cells in combined treatment group had a higher apoptosis rate than that in LDM treatment group. Compared with the LDM treatment group, the expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Cleaved caspase-3, Cleaved caspase-7, Cleaved caspase-9 and Cleaved PARP in combined treatment groups increased, and expression of cIAP-2 and Bcl-2 decreased. The result of in vivo experiment showed that, in the combined treatment group, the survival time of BALB/c mice was significantly longer than the mice in control group and LDM treatment group, and the degree of tumor accumulation and metastasis to lymph nodes and spleen was lower.
Aminoglycosides ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Caspase 7 ; metabolism ; Caspase 9 ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Drug Synergism ; Enediynes ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins ; metabolism ; Lymphoma, B-Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases ; metabolism ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Rituximab ; pharmacology

This study is to optimize the preparation process of fusion protein Fv-LDP which was expressed in the form of inclusion body and consisted of lidamycin apoprotein LDP and single-chain Fv antibody (scFv) directed against type IV collagenase. The preparation and the dissolution of inclusion body, the immobilized metal affinity chromatography of the target protein and the renaturization by stepwise dialysis were optimized by single-factor analysis or orthogonal design. In addition, the refolded fusion protein Fv-LDP was refined by Sephadex G-75 chromatography followed by fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS)-based saturation binding assay to measure its antigen-binding activity. After optimization of the process, the purity of fusion protein Fv-LDP existed in the inclusion body was 63.9% and the corresponding solubility was 95.7%; Under denaturing conditions, the purity of fusion protein Fv-LDP was more than 95% after the purification process. The percentage of monomeric fusion protein Fv-LDP was 60% after the refolding process, while it was further refined to 85% which was 5.6-fold higher than that of the initial refolding condition. The refined fusion protein Fv-LDP could bind to human lung adenocarcinoma PAa cells and human hepatoma BEL-7402 cells with the dissociation constants (Kd) of 0.176 micromol x L(-1) and 0.904 micromol x L(-1), respectively. The preparation process of fusion protein Fv-LDP has been successfully optimized, which provides the experimental basis for the production and future development of fusion protein Fv-LDP, and might serve as a relatively practical system for the preparation of other scFv-based proteins expressed in the form of inclusion body.
Adenocarcinoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Aminoglycosides ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Apoproteins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Collagenases ; immunology ; Enediynes ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Escherichia coli ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Humans ; Inclusion Bodies ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Protein Binding ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Single-Chain Antibodies ; chemistry ; metabolism

Our previous report showed that polyacetylene compound, 1-Heptadecene-11, 13-diyne-8, 9, 10-triol (PA) from the root of Cirsium japonicum var. ussuriense has anti-inflammatory activity. In this study we investigated the role of the PA as inhibitor of caspase-1, which converts prointerleukin-1beta (proIL-1beta) to active IL-1beta and is activated by inflammasome involved in the inflammatory process. We tested the effect of PA on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1beta in murine macrophage cell line, RAW264.7. PA inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-1beta production by macrophages at a dose dependent manner. PA also suppressed the activation of caspase-1. The mRNA level of ASC (apoptosis-associated spec-like protein containing a CARD), an important adaptor protein of inflammasome, was decreased in the PA treated group. Therefore our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory effect of PA is due to inhibit the caspase-1 activation.
Cell Line ; Cirsium ; Cytokines ; Macrophages ; Polyacetylenes ; RNA, Messenger

This study is to investigate the inhibitory effect of lidamycin (LDM) and its combination with methotrexate (MTX) on lung metastasis of fibrosarcoma by bioluminescence imaging in athymic mice. A stable luciferase transfected HT-1080 cell line was constructed and the capability to establish experimental lung metastasis in athymic mice was confirmed. The optical imaging system was applied to evaluate the formation of lung metastasis in vivo. In addition, metastatic nodules were counted for the evaluation of inhibition rates. As shown, the fluorescent intensity of luciferase-transfected HT-1080 cells was colinear with the cell population and the minimal detected cell population was 100 cells/well. Optical imaging showed that the fluorescent intensity of treated group was apparently lower than that of the control. The inhibition rates of lung metastasis by LDM alone at 0.025 mg x kg(-1) and 0.05 mg x kg(-1) were 53.9% and 75.9%, respectively, while that of MTX alone at 0.5 mg x kg(-1) was 70.2%. The combination of LDM at 0.025 mg x kg(-1) and MTX at 0.5 mg x kg(-1) showed an inhibition rate of 88.7%. The coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) was 0.82. The results herein demonstrated that LDM alone had strong anti-metastasis effect on human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 and the inhibition efficacy is strengthened when combined with MTX.
Aminoglycosides ; administration & dosage ; Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Drug Synergism ; Enediynes ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Fibrosarcoma ; pathology ; Humans ; Luminescent Measurements ; Lung ; pathology ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; pathology ; secondary ; Methotrexate ; administration & dosage ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Random Allocation ; Transfection ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

This study is to investigate inhibitory effects of lidamycin (LDM) on the proliferation of HERG K+ channel highly expressing cancer cells and its synergy with anticancer drugs. MTT assay was used to examine the inhibitory effects of lidamycin combined with various anticancer drugs on the proliferation of human lung cancer A549 cells, human colon cancer HT-29 cells and herg-stably-transfected A549 cells. Using the xenograft model of subcutaneously transplanted HT-29 in nude mice, inhibitory effect was appraised in vivo. The coefficient of drug interaction (CDI) was used to evaluate the synergistic effect of drug combination. LDM significantly inhibited the proliferation ofA549 cells and HT-29 cells with IC50 values of 2.14 and 4.64 ng mL(-1), respectively. The efficacy in HT-29 cells with high HERG potassium expression level is less potent than that in A549 cells with low expression level. In terms of IC50 values, LDM suppressed the growth of herg-stably-transfected A549 cells less potently than pCDNA3.1-stably-transfected A549 cells. There existed synergistic effects in the combinations of fluorouracil (5-FU) and LDM, doxorubicin (DOX) and LDM, or hydroxycamptothecine (HCPT) and LDM. CDI values of the combinations of 5-FU and LDM were more than 0.75. CDI values of LDM and DOX were more than 0.70, but some CDI values of LDM and HCPT were less than 0.70. As for the CDI values, synergistic effects of the combination of LDM and HCPT were the most potent of the three groups. There is no relationship between the inhibitory effect of the growth of cancer cells by 5-FU and HERG potassium expression level. HERG expression level negatively correlated with inhibitory effect on the proliferation of cancer cells by DOX. HERG expression levels and chemosensitivity were positively correlated for HCPT. In the model of subcutaneously xenograft transplanted HT-29 in vivo, LDM and/or HCPT effectively inhibited the growth of HT-29 in nude mice, and the optimum CDI of the combination of LDM and HCPT was less than 1. HERG expression level negatively correlates the chemosensitivity of cancer cells to LDM. There exist synergistic effects in vitro and in vivo in the combination of LDM and HCPT, which inhibitory effects of the proliferation of cancer cells positively modulated by HERG potassium expression level. HERG K+ channel may become a target of combined therapy for choosing anticancer drugs.
Aminoglycosides ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; administration & dosage ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; pharmacology ; Camptothecin ; administration & dosage ; analogs & derivatives ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Doxorubicin ; administration & dosage ; Drug Synergism ; ERG1 Potassium Channel ; Enediynes ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; Ether-A-Go-Go Potassium Channels ; metabolism ; Fluorouracil ; administration & dosage ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

This paper is to report the study of the metabolism of lidamycin in vitro including in plasma and microsomes to guide clinical therapy. Lidamycin was quantified by detecting its active ingredient using HPLC-MS/MS. The metabolic stability of lidamycin in rat, Beagle dog, monkey and human plasma and liver microsomes, and its inhibition to cytochrome P450 isoforms in human liver microsomes were studied. Results showed that lidamycin was metabolized in the four species of plasma, and the sequence of metabolic rates in plasma were in rat > in dog > in human > in monkey. But among the four species of liver microsomes, lidamycin was metabolized only in monkey liver microsomes. There was almost no inhibition to cytochrome P450 isoforms at the concentrations of between 0.0005 and 10 ng x mL(-1). Therefore, the property of lidamycin metabolism in human is similar with that in dog, and metabolism of other drugs would not be decreased by cytochrome P450 as used along with lidamycin in clinic.
Aminoglycosides ; blood ; metabolism ; Animals ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; blood ; metabolism ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cytochrome P-450 CYP1A2 ; metabolism ; Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System ; metabolism ; Dogs ; Enediynes ; blood ; metabolism ; Enzyme Activation ; Humans ; Macaca ; Microsomes, Liver ; metabolism ; Rats ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry

OBJECTIVELidamycin (LDM) can be dissociated to an apoprotein (LDP) and an active enediyne chromophore (AE). The detached AE can reassemble with its LDP-containing fusion protein to endow the latter with potent antitumor activity. However, the reassembly of AE with LDP is affected by several factors. Our aim was to optimize the assembly efficiency of the AE with a LDP-containing fusion protein and investigate the influence of several factors on the assembly efficacy.

METHODSA method based on RP-HPLC was developed to analyze the assembly rate, and an orthogonal experimental design L(9) (3(4)) was used to investigate the effects of temperature, assembly time, pH and molecular ratio of LDP-containing fusion protein to AE on the assembly rate. Furthermore, the determined optimum conditions for the assembly rate of the LDP-containing fusion protein with AE were applied and evaluated.

RESULTSA calibration curve based on the LDM micromolar concentration against the peak-area of AE by HPLC was obtained. The order in which individual factors in the orthogonal experiment affected the assembly rate were temperature>time>pH>molar ratio of AE to protein and all were statistically significant (P<0.01). The optimal assembly conditions were temperature at 10°C, time of 12 h, pH 7.0, and the molar ratio of AE: protein of 5:1. The assembly rate of AE with a LDP-containing fusion protein was improved by 23% after condition optimization.

CONCLUSIONThe assembly rate of chromophore of lidamycin with its LDP-containing fusion protein was improved after condition optimization by orthogonal design, and the optimal conditions described herein should prove useful for the development of this type of LDP-containing fusion protein.

Aminoglycosides ; administration & dosage ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Antibiotics, Antineoplastic ; administration & dosage ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Apoproteins ; chemistry ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drug Design ; Enediynes ; administration & dosage ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Recombinant Fusion Proteins ; chemistry ; Single-Chain Antibodies ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo establish an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of panaxynol and panaxydol from the fibrous root of Panax ginseng.

METHODThe analysis was performed on Elite C18 column (4.6 mm x 150 mm, 5 microm) with mobile phase gradient of CH3CN-water at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength was 230 nm, and the detection temperature was ambient.

RESULTThe linear range were 0.70-3.50 microg (r = 0.9995) for panaxynol, and 0.64-3.20 microg (r = 0.9999) for panaxydol. The average recoveries were 99.1% (RSD 1.7%) and 99.3% (RSD 1.2%), respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe HPLC method is simple, rapid and reproducible, which can be used for the quality control of the fibrous root of P. ginseng.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Diynes ; analysis ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; Fatty Alcohols ; analysis ; Panax ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry