Metformin attenuates multiple myeloma cell proliferation and encourages apoptosis by suppressing METTL3-mediated m6A methylation of THRAP3, RBM25, and USP4.

Based on the results of epidemiological and preclinical studies, metformin can improve the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors. Studies have confirmed that metformin inhibits multiple myeloma (MM) cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis. Nevertheless, the specific mechanism remains to be elucidated. MM cells were intervened with different doses of metformin to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were employed to assess the expression of METTL3, METTL14, WTAP, FTO, and ALKBH5 after metformin intervention. The microarray dataset GSE29023 was retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and calculated using the R language (limma package) to authenticate differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery (David) was applied for GO annotation analysis of DEGs. Subsequently, the string database and Cytoscape software were applied to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) and DEM hub gene networks. Bioinformatics analysis and MeRIP were applied to predict and test METTL3-mediated m6A levels on mRNA of THRAP3, RBM25, and USP4 in METTL3 knocked-down cells. Then rescue experiments were performed to explore effects of METTL3 and THRAP3, RBM25, or USP4 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. The effect on MM cell xenograft tumor growth was observed by injection of metformin or/and overexpression of METTL3 in in vivo experiments. Metformin decreased cell proliferation and encouraged cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Global m6A modification was elevated in MM cells compared to normal cells, which was counteracted by metformin treatment. Furthermore, THRAP3, RBM25, and USP4 were identified as possible candidate genes for metformin treatment by GSE29023 data mining. METTL3 interference impaired m6A modification on mRNA of THRAP3, RBM25, and USP4 as well as expression levels. The mRNA stability and expression of THRAP3, RBM25, and USP4 was decreased after metformin treatment, which was reversed by METTL3 overexpression. THRAP3, RBM25 or USP4 knockdown reversed the assistance of METTL3 overexpression on the malignant behavior of MM cells. Finally, upregulation of METTL3 was shown to exert facilitative effects on xenograft tumor growth by blocking metformin injection. The present study demonstrates that metformin can repress the expression of THRAP3, RBM25, and USP4 by inhibiting METTL3-mediated m6A modification, which in turn hamper cell proliferation and promotes cell apoptosis.Abbreviations: multiple myeloma (MM), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), differentially expressed genes (DEGs), database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery (David), protein-protein interaction (PPI), epithelial­mesenchymal transition (EMT), methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3), methyltransferase like 14 (METTL14), wilms tumor 1-associated protein (WTAP), methyltransferase like 16 (METTL16), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), non-small lung cancer (NSCLC), glioma stem cells (GSCs), normal bone marrow-derived plasma cells (nPCs), false discovery rate (FDR), biological process (BP), optical density (OD), horseradish peroxidase (HRP), M6A RNA immunoprecipitation assay (MeRIP).

Isolation and purification of orientin and vitexin from Trollius chinensis Bunge by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

Orientin and vitexin are the two main bioactive compounds in Trollius chinensis Bunge. In this study, a rapid method was established for the isolation and purification of orientin and vitexin from T. chinensis Bunge using high-speed counter-current chromatography in one step, with a solvent system of ethyl acetate-ethanol-water (4:1:5, v/v/v). A total of 9.8 mg orientin and 2.1 mg vitexin were obtained from 100 mg of the ethyl acetate extract, with purities of 99.2% and 96.0%, respectively. Their structures were identified by UV, MS and NMR. The method was efficient and convenient, which could be used for the preparative separation of orientin and vitexin from T. chinensis Bunge.

Volatile components of Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum using three different extraction methods combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Volatile components from Rhizoma Alpiniae Officinarum were respectively extracted by three methods including hydrodistillation, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and diethyl ether extraction. A total of 40 (hydrodistillation), 32 (HS-SPME) and 37 (diethyl ether extraction) compounds were respectively identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and 22 compounds were overlapped, including α-farnesene, γ-muurolene, 2,6-dimethyl-6-(4-methyl-3-pentenyl)bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene, eucalyptol and cadina-1(10), 4-diene and so forth, varying in relative contents. HS-SPME is fast, sample saving and solvent-free and it also can achieve similar profiles as those from hydrodistillation and solvent extraction. Therefore, it can be the priority for extracting volatile components from medicinal plants.

Preparative separation and purification of deoxyschizandrin from Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

A high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) method was successfully developed for the preparative separation and purification of deoxyschizandrin from Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus in one step. The purity of deoxyschizandrin was 98.5%, and the structure was identified by MS, UV and NMR. This method was simple, fast, convenient and appropriate to prepare pure compound as reference substances for related research on Schisandrae Sphenantherae Fructus.

Preparative isolation and purification of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin from Radix Eupatorii Chinensis by high-speed counter-current chromatography.

An efficient method for the isolation and purification of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin from Radix Eupatorii Chinensis by high speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) was established in this paper. The ether extracts of Radix Eupatorii Chinensis were purified by HSCCC with a solvent system of hexyl hydride-ethyl acetate-methanol-water (1:2:1:2, v/v/v/v). The upper phase was used as the stationary phase and the lower phase as the mobile phase. About 8.4 mg of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin was obtained from 200 mg of ether extracts from Radix Eupatorii Chinensis in one-step HSCCC separation, with the purity of 96.71%, as determined by HPLC. After methanol-water recrystallization, the purity of 12,13-dihydroxyeuparin reached 99.83%. Such a simple and effective method was fairly useful to prepare pure compound as reference substances for related study on Radix Eupatorii Chinensis.

Simultaneous determination of 12, 13-dihydroxyeuparin and glycyrrhizic acid in Yanyanfang mixture by high performance liquid chromatography.

A reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was established for the simultaneous determination of 12, 13-dihydroxyeuparin and glycyrrhizic acid in Yanyanfang mixture. A Grace Apollo C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 µm) was used as the stationary phase and the mobile phase was composed of acetonitrile and aqueous phosphoric acid (0.2%, v/v). Gradient elution was carried out at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and the column temperature was 30 °C. An ultraviolet (UV) detector was used with a selected wavelength of 240 nm. Calibration curves were linear within the concentration range of 4.6-45.75 µg/mL for 12, 13-dihydroxyeuparin (r>0.9999) and 106.9-1068.9 µg/mL for glycyrrhizic acid (r>0.9999), respectively. Recoveries were 102.18% for 12, 13-dihydroxyeuparin and 101.17% for glycyrrhizic acid. The method developed could be applied to the simultaneous determination of 12, 13-dihydroxyeuparin and glycyrrhizic acid in Yanyanfang mixture.