Isoliquiritigenin Inhibits Ovarian Cancer Metastasis by Reversing Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a prominent role in cancer metastasis. Isoliquiritigenin (ISL), one of the flavonoids in licorice, has been shown to exhibit anticancer activities in many cancer types through various mechanisms. However, it is unknown whether ISL impacts the EMT process. Here, we show that ISL is able to suppress mesenchymal features of ovarian cancer SKOV3 and OVCAR5 cells, evidenced by an apparent morphological change from a mesenchymal to an epithelial phenotype and reduced levels of mesenchymal markers accompanied by the gain of E-cadherin expression. The suppression of EMT is also supported by the observed decrease in cell migration and in vitro invasion upon ISL treatment. Moreover, we show that ISL effectively blocks the intraperitoneal xenograft development of the SKOV3 cell line and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. These data suggest that ISL inhibits intraperitoneal ovary tumor development through the suppression of EMT, indicating that ISL may be an effective therapeutic agent against ovarian cancer.

Anti-inflammatory effects of 81 chinese herb extracts and their correlation with the characteristics of traditional chinese medicine.

Inducible nitrogen oxide synthase (iNOS) is the primary contributor of the overproduction of nitric oxide and its inhibitors have been actively sought as effective anti-inflammatory agents. In this study, we prepared 70% ethanol extracts from 81 Chinese herbs. These extracts were subsequently evaluated for their effect on nitrogen oxide (NO) production and cell growth in LPS/IFNγ-costimulated and unstimulated murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells by Griess reaction and MTT assay. Extracts of Daphne genkwa Sieb.et Zucc, Caesalpinia sappan L., Iles pubescens Hook.et Arn, Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl, Zingiber officinale Rosc, Inula japonica Thunb., and Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort markedly inhibited NO production (inhibition > 90% at 100 µg/mL). Among active extracts (inhibition > 50% at 100 µg/mL), Rubia cordifolia L., Glycyrrhiza glabra L., Iles pubescens Hook.et Arn, Nigella glandulifera Freyn et Sint, Pueraria lobata (Willd.) Ohwi, and Scutellaria barbata D. Don displayed no cytotoxicity to unstimulated RAW246.7 cells while increasing the growth of LPS/IFNγ-costimulated cells. By analyzing the correlation between their activities and their Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) characteristics, herbs with pungent flavor displayed potent anti-inflammatory capability. Our study provides a series of potential anti-inflammatory herbs and suggests that herbs with pungent flavor are candidates of effective anti-inflammatory agents.

Alterations in TH- and ChAT-immunoreactive neurons in the DMV and gastric dysmotility in an LPS-induced PD rat model.

To study movement disorder in Parkinson's disease (PD), an animal model of PD can be created by injecting lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the substantia nigra of rats. In addition to body movement disorders, patients with PD often experience gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction, such as gastroparesis. However, the underlying mechanism of these disorders remains unclear. The dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMV) is a well-known visceral nucleus that regulates GI function. The present study investigated alterations in DMV neurons and gastric motility in rats with LPS-induced PD (LPS-PD rats). Gastric motility was recorded using a strain gauge force transducer in vivo. The distributions of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)- and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons in the DMV were determined using immunofluorescence and confocal laser microscopy. Our results indicated that in LPS-PD rats, the number of neurons in the substantia nigra, including neurons with TH immunoreactivity, was markedly reduced, although glial cell proliferation was clearly observed. However, enhanced TH immunoreactivity and decreased ChAT immunoreactivity were found in the DMV. Furthermore, weakened gastric motility was recorded in anesthetized LPS-PD rats. In conclusion, rats with LPS-induced PD exhibited gastric dysmotility with an alteration in DMV neurons. This PD model may be used to study autonomic nervous system disorders that are often observed in patients with early-stage PD.