Antiangiogenic effect of crocin on breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231.

BACKGROUND: Crocin is the major chemical constituent of the Chinese herb saffron. A number of studies have indicated that crocin induces an antitumor effect by inhibiting proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of tumor cells. However, the effect of crocin on tumor angiogenesis remains unknown. METHODS: The effects of prolonged crocin exposure on breast cancer cell MDA-MB-231, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and mice were examined. RESULTS: Crocin had a profound effect on the morphology and proliferation rate of MDA-MB-231 and HUVECs. Furthermore, crocin induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner. This confirms that crocin induces the inhibition of HUVECs. Furthermore, the expression of CD34 in tumor tissues decreased after crocin treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Crocin has an anti-angiogenesis effect that may be correlated to the decreased expression of CD34. Crocin is likely to be involved in the regulation of molecules in the angiogenesis pathway.

Docking of CDK1 with antibiotic drugs revealed novel therapeutic value in breast ductal cancer in situ.

The aim of our research is to identify potential genes associated with Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) through microarrays. The microarray dataset GS54665 were downloaded from the GEO(Gene Expression Omnibus) database. Dysregulated genes were screened and their associations with DCIS was analyzed by comprehensive bioinformatics tools. A total of 649 differential expression genes were identified between normal and DCIS samples, including 224 up-regulated genes and 425 down-regulated genes. Biological process annotation and pathway enrichment analysis identified several DCIS-related signaling pathways. Finally, PPI network was constructed with String website in order to get the hub codes involved in Ductal carcinoma in situ. We thus concluded that Five genes: CDK1, CCNB2, MAD2L1, PPARG, ACACB were finally identified to participate in the regulation and serve as potential diagnosis signatures in in Ductal carcinoma in situ. Finally, complmentarity between CDK1 and three drugs, Aminophenazone, Pomalidomide and the Rosoxacin, implies novel pharmacological value of those drugs in breast cancer.

Predication of Fhhh potential in PTA wastewater treatment.

Ebis is the intelligent environmental biotechnological informatics software developed for judging the effectiveness of the microorganism strain in the industrial wastewater treatment system(IWTS) at the optimal status. The parameter, as the objective function for the judgment, is the minimum reactor volume(Vmin) calculated by Ebis for microorganism required in wastewater treatment. The rationality and the universality of Ebis were demonstrated in the domestic sewage treatment system(DSTS) with the data published in USA and China at first,then Fhhh strain's potential for treating the purified terephthalic acid(PTA) was proved. It suggests that Ebis would be useful and universal for predicating the technique effectiveness in both DSTS and IWTS.