The incomplete degradation of tumour cells by macrophages (Mϕ) is a contributing factor to tumour progression and metastasis, and the degradation function of Mϕ is mediated through phagosomes and lysosomes. In our preliminary experiments, we found that overactivation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) reduced the ability of Mϕ to degrade engulfed tumour cells. Above this, we screened out liquiritin from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, which can significantly inhibit NOX2 activity and inhibit tumours, to elucidate that suppressing NOX2 can enhance the ability of Mϕ to degrade tumour cells. We found that the tumour environment could activate the NOX2 activity in Mϕ phagosomes, causing Mϕ to produce excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), thus prohibiting the formation of phagolysosomes before degradation. Conversely, inhibiting NOX2 in Mϕ by liquiritin can reduce ROS and promote phagosome-lysosome fusion, therefore improving the enzymatic degradation of tumour cells after phagocytosis, and subsequently promote T cell activity by presenting antigens. We further confirmed that liquiritin down-regulated the expression of the NOX2 specific membrane component protein gp91 phox, blocking its binding to the NOX2 cytoplasmic component proteins p67 phox and p47 phox, thereby inhibiting the activity of NOX2. This study elucidates the specific mechanism by which Mϕ cannot degrade tumour cells after phagocytosis, and indicates that liquiritin can promote the ability of Mϕ to degrade tumour cells by suppressing NOX2.

Objective:To investigate the status of dyadic coping among patients with lung cancer and their spouses, and explore the related factors of dyadic coping.Methods:A convenience sample of 227 patients with lung cancer and their spouses were selected. The measurements of socio-demographic questionnaire, Dyadic Coping inventory (DCI), the Quality of Relationship index (QRI) and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess the general information, dyadic coping, relationship satisfaction and resilience, respectively.Results:The DCI score of patients were (3.13±0.89) points; the DCI score of spouses were (3.03±0.93) points; the scores of DCI were significant correlated between patients and their spouses ( r values were 0.248-0.632, P<0.01). The relationship satisfaction ( β values were 0.421, 0.474, P<0.01) and resilience ( β values were 0.374, 0.211, P<0.01) were the significant predictor of dyadic coping. Meanwhile, partner effects for patients′ resilience ( β value was 0.193, P<0.05) and spouse′ relationship satisfaction ( β value was 0.237, P<0.01) were also significant. Conclusions:Moderate dyadic coping were occurred among patients with lung cancer and their spouses. Relationship satisfaction and resilience were the mainly predictors for dyadic coping. To improve relationship satisfaction and enhance resilience might be an effective approach to promote positively dyadic coping.