Short-term and long-term effect of nutrition intervention in the Linxian Dysplasia Nutrition Intervention Trial and the reason for disappearance of the intervention effect: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the short-term and long-term effects of a nutrition intervention in using 37 years of follow-up data. METHODS: The Linxian Dysplasia Population Nutrition Intervention Trial was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with 7 years of intervention and 30 years of follow-up. The Cox proportional hazard model was used for analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted in age and sex subgroups, and the 30 years of follow-up were divided into two 15-year early and late periods. RESULTS: The results at 37 years did not indicate any effects on mortality from cancers or other diseases. In the first 15 years, the intervention decreased the overall risk of gastric cancer deaths in all participants (hazard ratio [HR], 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-1.00) and in the subgroup participants younger than 55 years (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.96). In addition, in the group younger than 55 years (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.35-0.96), the intervention decreased the risk of death from other diseases; and, in the group aged 55 years and older (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58-0.98), the intervention reduced the risk of death from heart disease. There were no significant results in the later 15 years, which indicated the disappearance of the intervention effect. Comparing demographic characteristics between those who died during the two periods, the participants who died later included more women, had a higher education level, had a lower smoking rate, were younger, and also more had a mild degree of esophageal dysplasia, representing a better lifestyle and health condition. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term follow-up indicated no effect of nutrition on deaths in a population with esophageal squamous dysplasia, further supporting the significance of continuous nutritional intervention for cancer protection. The pattern of protective effect of a nutrition intervention on gastric cancer in patients with esophageal squamous dysplasia was similar to that in the general population. Participants who died in the later period had more protective factors than those who died in the earlier period, contributing to the obvious effect of the intervention in early stage disease.

Association between type of drinking water and upper gastrointestinal cancer incidence in the Linxian General Population.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the association between drinking water source and risk of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer, including esophageal cancer (EC) and gastric cancer (GC), in the Linxian General Population Nutrition Intervention Trial (NIT) cohort. METHODS: In this study, we used data from the Linxian NIT cohort, which included 29,584 healthy adults aged 40 to 69 years. Subjects were enrolled in April 1986 and followed up until March 2016. Tap water drinking status and demographic characteristics were collected at baseline. Subjects who drank tap water were treated as the exposed group. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: A total of 5,463 cases of UGI cancer were identified during the 30-year follow-up period. After adjusting for multiple factors, the incidence rate of UGI cancer in participants who drank tap water was significantly lower compared with individuals in the control (HR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86-0.97). A similar association was observed between tap water drinking and EC incidence (HR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82-0.97). The association between drinking tap water and risk of UGI cancer and EC incidence did not vary across the subgroup by age and gender (All Pinteraction > 0.05). For EC incidence, an interaction effect was observed for riboflavin/niacin supplements and drinking water source (Pinteraction = 0.03). No association was observed between drinking water source and GC incidence. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective cohort study in Linxian, participants who drank tap water had a lower risk of EC incidence. As a source of drinking water, use of tap water may reduce the risk of EC by avoiding exposure to nitrate/nitrite. Measures should be taken to improve the quality of drinking water in high-incidence areas of EC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT00342654, 21/06/2006), and the trial name is Nutrition Intervention Trials in Linxian Follow-up Study.

Combined risk factors and risk of upper gastrointestinal cancer mortality in the Linxian general population.

We aimed to explore the association of combined risk factors with risk of death from upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cardia carcinoma (GCC) and gastric noncardia carcinoma (GNCC) in the Linxian Nutrition Intervention Trial (NIT) cohort. The NIT cohort included 29 584 healthy adults. A combined risk score (CRS) was calculated using a point system method based on 10 risk factors collected at baseline, including gender, smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index, family history of UGI cancer, drinking tap water, tooth loss and consumption of fresh fruit, eggs and meat. Possible score ranged from 0 to 31, and higher score indicated as poorer health status. Subjects were divided into three groups by the CRS (<12 points, 12 to 20 points and >20 points). The group of CRS <12 points was considered as the reference. During the 30-year follow-up, we identified 4553 UGI cancer deaths. Compared to subjects with a CRS <12 points, the adjusted HRs for CRS of 12 to 20 points and >20 points were 1.69 (95% CI: 1.56-1.83) and 3.06 (95% CI: 2.82-3.33) for UGI cancer mortality, respectively (Ptrend < .001). Comparable associations were also observed for ESCC, GCC and GNCC mortality. Results remained similar across different age groups (Pinteraction > .05). All HRs observed in the second half follow-up period were stronger than that observed in the first half follow-up period. Our study indicated that higher CRS was associated with increased risk of UGI cancer mortality. Appropriate measures should be taken to reduce unhealthy lifestyles.

METTL16 promotes cell proliferation by up-regulating cyclin D1 expression in gastric cancer.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a well-known modification of RNA. However, as a key m6A methyltransferase, METTL16 has not been thoroughly studied in gastric cancer (GC). Here, the biological role of METTL16 in GC and its underlying mechanism was studied. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of METTL16 and relationship between METTL16 level and prognosis of GC was analysed. CCK8, colony formation assay, EdU assay and xenograft mouse model were used to study the effect of METTL16. Regulatory mechanism of METTL16 in the progression of GC was studied through flow cytometry analysis, RNA degradation assay, methyltransferase inhibition assay, RT-qPCR and Western blotting. METTL16 was highly expressed in GC cells and tissues and was associated with prognosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that METTL16 promoted proliferation of GC cells and tumour growth. Furthermore, down-regulation of METTL16 inhibited proliferation by G1/S blocking. Significantly, we identified cyclin D1 as a downstream effector of METTL16. Knock-down METTL16 decreased the overall level of m6A and the stability of cyclin D1 mRNA in GC cells. Meanwhile, inhibition of methyltransferase activity reduced the level of cyclin D1. METTL16-mediated m6A methylation promotes proliferation of GC cells through enhancing cyclin D1 expression.

Lapatinib antagonizes multidrug resistance-associated protein 1-mediated multidrug resistance by inhibiting its transport function.

Lapatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used in the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer overexpressing human epidermal receptor 2 (HER2). Lapatinib can modulate the function of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters (ABCB1 and ABCG2), which are the major mechanism responsible for multidrug resistance (MDR) in cancer. In this study, we investigated the effect of lapatinib on multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1 [ABCC1]), MRP2 (ABCC2), MRP4 (ABCC4) and lung relative resistance protein (LRP) drug efflux pumps. We demonstrated that lapatinib could enhance the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic agents in MRP1-overexpressing cells in vitro and in vivo, but no effect in MRP2-, MPR4- and LRP-overexpressing cells. Furthermore, lapatinib significantly increased the accumulation of rhodamine 123 (Rho123) and doxorubicin (DOX) in MRP1-overexpressing cells. However, lapatinib did not alter the protein or mRNA expression levels of MRP1. Further studies showed that the level of phosphorylation of AKT and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) were not altered at the indicated concentrations of lapatinib. In conclusion, lapatinib enhanced the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic agents in MRP1-overexpressing cells by inhibiting MRP1 transport function without altering the level of AKT or ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These findings will encourage the clinical research of lapatinib combined with conventional chemotherapeutic drugs in MRP1-overexpressing cancer patients.

Nilotinib enhances the efficacy of conventional chemotherapeutic drugs in CD34⁺CD38⁻ stem cells and ABC transporter overexpressing leukemia cells.

Incomplete chemotherapeutic eradication of leukemic CD34⁺CD38⁻ stem cells is likely to result in disease relapse. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of nilotinib on eradicating leukemia stem cells and enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. Our results showed that ABCB1 and ABCG2 were preferentially expressed in leukemic CD34⁺CD38⁻ cells. Nilotinib significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin and mitoxantrone in CD34⁺CD38⁻ cells and led to increased apoptosis. Moreover, nilotinib strongly reversed multidrug resistance and increased the intracellular accumulation of rhodamine 123 in primary leukemic blasts overexpressing ABCB1 and/or ABCG2. Studies with ABC transporter-overexpressing carcinoma cell models confirmed that nilotinib effectively reversed ABCB1- and ABCG2-mediated drug resistance, while showed no significant reversal effect on ABCC1- and ABCC4-mediated drug resistance. Results from cytotoxicity assays showed that CD34⁺CD38⁻ cells exhibited moderate resistance (2.41-fold) to nilotinib, compared with parental K562 cells. Furthermore, nilotinib was less effective in blocking the phosphorylation of Bcr-Abl and CrkL (a substrate of Bcr-Abl kinase) in CD34⁺CD38⁻ cells. Taken together, these data suggest that nilotinib particularly targets CD34⁺CD38⁻ stem cells and MDR leukemia cells, and effectively enhances the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs by blocking the efflux function of ABC transporters.

[Effect analysis of multimode analgesia of parecoxib sodium during laparoscopic cholecystectomy].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of parecoxib sodium multimode analgesia on postoperative analgesia in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). METHODS: A prospective, double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled study was conducted on 80 patients undergoing elective LC at Department of Endoscopic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College from March 2011 to June 2011. They were randomized to receive either 40 mg parecoxib infusion 30 min preoperative and at 12, 24, 36, 48 h post-operation (treatment group). And 2 ml normal saline infusion was administered similarly as a placebo (control group). All patients received ropivacaine infusion at port sites at the end of LC. The degree of postoperative pain was assessed with visual analog scale (VAS) at 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48 h post-operation respectively. The consumption of pethidine in the first 24 h post-operation was also recorded. RESULTS: The VAS pain scores at each timepoint were significantly lower in the treatment group than those in the control group (1 h: 1.0 ± 0.6 vs 1.8 ± 0.6, t = -1.650, P = 0.000;2 h: 1.3 ± 0.6 vs 1.9 ± 0.7, t = -4.302, P = 0.000; 4 h: 1.6 ± 0.7 vs 2.7 ± 1.2, t = -4.752, P = 0.000;8 h: 2.5 ± 1.4 vs 5.0 ± 1.8, t = -6.835, P = 0.000; 12 h: 2.2 ± 1.1 vs 3.3 ± 1.5, t = -3.902, P = 0.000; 24 h: 1.6 ± 0.8 vs 2.5 ± 1.4, t = -3.649, P = 0.000; 36 h: 1.2 ± 0.6 vs 2.2 ± 0.8, t = -6.390, P = 0.000; 48 h: 1.0 ± 0.5 vs 1.5 ± 0.6, t = -3.710, P = 0.000). And the amount of pethidine used in the first 24h after LC was also less in the treatment group (150 vs 950 mg, χ(2) = 16.200, P = 0.000). CONCLUSION: The infusion multimode analgesia of parecoxib sodium 40 mg provides significant effect of postoperative pain relief after laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Th17 helper cell and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 involvement in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: We investigated the involvement of Th17 cells and T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain 3 (TIM-3) in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) in comparison to healthy subjects. MATERIALS AND SUBJECTS: Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 29 healthy subjects and 29 GBS patients. TREATMENT: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and CD4(+) T cells were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 mAbs, in the absence or presence of anti-TIM-3 mAb. METHODS: mRNA levels of TIM-3 and the transcription factor retinoic acid-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) were determined by RT-PCR and were expressed relative to ß-actin mRNA (housekeeping gene). Serum IFN-γ and IL-17 levels were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: Compared to controls, relative TIM-3 mRNA levels were lower in both stimulated and unstimulated PBMCs from GBS patients. Unstimulated GBS CD4(+) T cells and GBS CD4+ T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 and CD28 mAbs had higher relative RORγt mRNA expression compared to controls. GBS CD4(+) T cells secreted significantly more IFN-γ and IL-17 in the presence of anti-TIM-3 mAb. GBS patients had (1) higher numbers of Th17, but not Th1 or Th2 cells in peripheral blood and (2) higher serum concentrations of IFN-γ and IL-17 compared to controls. CONCLUSION: TIM-3 may inhibit Th17 cell activation, thereby modulating their cytokine secretion patterns. Th17 cell differentiation, IL-17 levels, and TIM-3 regulation may be involved in the pathogenesis of GBS.

FG020326 sensitized multidrug resistant cancer cells to docetaxel-mediated apoptosis via enhancement of caspases activation.

Apoptotic resistance is the main obstacle for treating cancer patients with chemotherapeutic drugs. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is often characterized by the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a 170-KD ATP-dependent drug efflux protein. Functional P-gp can confer resistance to activate caspase-8 and -3 dependent apoptosis induced by a range of different stimuli, including tumor necrosis and chemotherapeutic drugs such as docetaxel and vincristine. We demonstrated here that comparison of sensitive KB cells, P-gp positive (P-gp(+ve)) KBv200 cells were extremely resistant to apoptosis induced by docetaxel. FG020326, a pharmacological inhibitor of P-gp function, could enhance concentration-dependently the effect of docetaxel on cell apoptosis and sensitize caspase-8, -9 and -3 activation in P-gp overexpressing KBv200 cells, but not in KB cells. Therefore, the enhancement of caspase-8, -9 and -3 activation induced by docetaxel may be one of the key mechanisms of the reversal of P-gp mediated docetaxel resistance by FG020326.

The Association Between Family History of Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer and the Risk of Death from Upper Gastrointestinal Cancer-based on Linxian Dysplasia Nutrition Intervention Trial (NIT) Cohort.

Objective: Explore the influence of family history of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancer on UGI cancer death, based on the Linxian Dysplasia Nutrition Intervention Trial (NIT) cohort. Methods: Family history of UGI cancer was defined as at least one first-degree relative (parent, child, or sibling) had a history of esophageal or gastric cancer. Cancer death was carried out by ICD-10 code. Family history information was collected at baseline and cancer deaths were assessed at each annual follow-up. The COX proportional risk model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). We compared the positive family history group with the negative to determine the risk of family history on UGI cancer death. The effect of category of relatives, number of relatives with UGI cancer, and diagnosis age of relatives on the UGI death risk were further analyzed. Interaction and stratification analyses were done to see the subgroup effects. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted by exclusion of individuals who were followed up less than three years. We considered controlling of covariates including: gender, age (continuity), community, education level, number of siblings (continuity), BMI (continuity), smoking, alcohol use, fresh fruit intake, fresh vegetable intake, hot beverage intake, edible oil intake, meat intake, and moldy staple food intake. All food intake variables were converted into categorical variables. Results: From1985 to2015, we followed up total 3,318 individuals with 898 UGI cancer deaths (537 from ESCC, 77 from GNCC, and 284 from GCC). In a single factor analysis, family history of UGI cancer increased the risk of death of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by 27% (HR=1.270, 95%CI1.072-1.504). No associations were observed in gastric cardia carcinoma (GCC) and gastric non-cardia carcinoma (GNCC). After adjusting for multi-factor, a family history of UGI cancer risk of death increased by 31.9% from ESCC (HR=1.319,95%CI:1.110-1.567). Subgroup analysis of different types of relatives with UGI cancers, UGI cancers in the mother (HR=1.457,95%CI:1.200-1.768), brother (HR=1.522,95%CI:1.117-2.073), and sister (HR=1.999,95%CI:1.419-2.817) were independent risk factors for ESCC death, while the father was not. In addition, 2 relatives with UGI cancer (HR=1.495, 95%, CI:1.110-2.013) and ≥3 relatives with UGI cancer (HR=2.836, 95%CI:1.842-4.367) significantly increased the risk of ESCC death, and the trend test was statistically significant (P<0.001). Relatives' diagnostic age of 51-60 years (HR=1.322, 95%CI:1.046-1.672) and 41-50 years (HR=1.442, 95%CI:1.078-1.930) were the risk factors for ESCC death, with statistical significance in the trend test (P=0.010). No statistically significant result of the family history effect on the risk of death from GCC or GNCC was found. Sensitivity analysis of 80% of subjects, randomly selected, did not change the results. Conclusion: A family history of UGI cancer may predict the risk of death from ESCC but not from GCC or GNCC. UGI cancer in the mother may predict the risk of death from ESCC, but not father, which indicates gender differences. Gender and smoking are the interaction items with family history in a similar extent. In the subgroup, the risk of ESCC death is more distinct by family history in younger, female, and better-lifestyle individuals, which indicates the unique role of genetic factors.

TNAP-a potential cytokine in the cerebral inflammation in spastic cerebral palsy.

Objective: Several studies have shown the significance of neuroinflammation in the pathological progress of cerebral palsy (CP). However, the etiology of CP remains poorly understood. Spastic CP is the most common form of CP, comprising 80% of all cases. Therefore, identifying the specific factors may serve to understand the etiology of spastic CP. Our research aimed to find some relevant factors through protein profiling, screening, and validation to help understand the pathogenesis of cerebral palsy. Materials and methods: In the current study, related clinical parameters were assessed in 18 children with spastic CP along with 20 healthy individuals of the same age. Blood samples of the spastic CP children and controls were analyzed with proteomics profiling to detect differentially expressed proteins. On the other hand, after hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) was induced in the postnatal day 7 rat pups, behavioral tests were performed followed by detection of the differentially expressed markers and inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood and cerebral cortex of the CP model rats by Elisa and Western blot. Independent sample t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and the Pearson correlation were used for statistical analysis. Results: Through proteomic analysis, differentially expressed proteins were identified. Among them, tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP), the gene expression product of alkaline phosphatase (ALPL), was downregulated in spastic CP. In addition, significantly lower TNAP levels were found in the children with CP and model rats. In contrast, compared with the sham rats, the model rats demonstrated a significant increase in osteopontin and proinflammatory biomarkers in both the plasma and cerebral cortex on the ischemic side whereas serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D and IL-10 were significantly decreased. Moreover, serum TNAP level was positively correlated with serum CRP and IL-10 in model rats. Conclusion: These results suggest that TNAP is the potential molecule playing a specific and critical role in the neuroinflammation in spastic CP, which may provide a promising target for the diagnosis and treatment of spastic CP.

Structure identification of Euphorbia factor L3 and its induction of apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway.

In this article, we have focused on the structure identification of Euphorbia factor L3 belonging to the lathyrane diterpenoids isolated from Caper Euphorbia Seed. Its anticancer activity in vitro against lung cancer A549 cells was also investigated and the IC(50) values were 34.04 ± 3.99 µM. Furthermore, Euphorbia factor L3 could induce apoptosis in A549 cells via the mitochondrial pathway including loss of mitochondrial potential and release of cytochrome c.

Ailanthus Altissima-derived Ailanthone enhances Gastric Cancer Cell Apoptosis by Inducing the Repression of Base Excision Repair by Downregulating p23 Expression.

Chemotherapy plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment of GC, but currently available chemotherapeutic drugs are not ideal. The application of medicinal plants is an important direction for new drug discovery. Through drug screening of GC organoids, we determined that ailanthone has an anticancer effect on GC cells in vitro and in vivo. We also found that AIL can induce DNA damage and apoptosis in GC cells. Further transcriptome sequencing of PDX tissue indicated that AIL inhibited the expression of XRCC1, which plays an important role in DNA damage repair, and the results were also confirmed by western blotting. In addition, we found that AIL inhibited the expression of P23 and that inhibition of P23 decreased the expression of XRCC1, indicating that AIL can regulate XRCC1 via P23. The results of coimmunoprecipitation showed that AIL can inhibit the binding of P23 and XRCC1 to HSP90. These findings indicate that AIL can induce DNA damage and apoptosis in GC cells. Meanwhile, AIL can decrease XRCC1 activity by downregulating P23 expression to inhibit DNA damage repair. The present study sheds light on the potential application of new drugs isolated from natural medicinal plants for GC therapy.

A cell-based screen for anticancer activity of 13 pyrazolone derivatives.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Pyrazolone derivatives were reported to have a potent cytotoxicity against some tumor cells. In the present study, we evaluated the cytotoxic activity of a series of pyrazolone derivatives against four human tumor cell lines including HepG2, OVCAR3, KB, and multidrug resistance (MDR) KBv200 cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the structure-activity relationships of these compounds were discussed. METHODS: To analyze the antiproliferative potential of the synthesized compounds against several human tumor cell lines, the 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were determined by MTT assay. Besides, the KBv200 cell xenograft experimental model was established and the sensitivity to the pyrazolone compounds was compared between drug-sensitive parental KB cells and MDR KBv200 cells. RESULTS: Of 13 compounds screened, compound 9 presented remarkable anticancer effects, of which IC50 values were (3.24 ± 0.28), (2.58 ± 0.61), (3.81 ± 0.02), and (3.45 ± 0.03) µg/mL in HepG2, OVCAR3, KB and MDR KBv200 cells, respectively (P > 0.05). Furthermore, compound 9 effectively inhibited tumor growth of KBv200 cell xenografts in vivo, the inhibition ratio was 25.37%, 38.43%, and 47.50% for 1.5 mg/kg, 3 mg/kg, and 6 mg/kg of compound 9 groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compound 9 was the most promising antitumor agent in this study.

Polyoxometalate-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks with Conductive Polypyrrole for Supercapacitors.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high porosity could act as an ideal substitute for supercapacitors, but their poor electrical conductivities limit their electrochemical performances. In order to overcome this problem, conductive polypyrrole (PPy) has been introduced and a novel nanocomposite resulting from polyoxometalate (POM)-based MOFs (NENU-5) and PPy has been reported. It comprises the merits of POMs, MOFs, and PPy. Finally, the highly conductive PPy covering the surfaces of NENU-5 nanocrystallines can effectively improve the electron/ion transfer among NENU-5 nanocrystallines. The optimized NENU-5/PPy nanocomposite (the volume of Py is 0.15 mL) exhibits high specific capacitance (5147 mF·cm-2), larger than that of pristine NENU-5 (432 mF·cm-2). Furthermore, a symmetric supercapacitor device based on a NENU-5/PPy-0.15 nanocomposite possesses an excellent areal capacitance of 1879 mF·cm-2, which is far above other MOF-based supercapacitors.

Suppression of SMOC2 reduces bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis by inhibition of TGF-ß1/SMADs pathway.

Although the initiation and modulation of lung fibrosis has been widely investigated, the pathogenesis was not well understood. Secreted modular calcium-binding protein 2 (SMOC2) as the secreted protein acidic is enriched in cysteine (SPARC) family of matricellular proteins, which are important in regulating cell-matrix interactions. Here we aimed to calculate the effects and molecular mechanism of SMOC2 on the progression and severity of lung fibrosis in murine bleomycin (BLM)-induced mice. The pulmonary fibrosis was significantly induced by BLM in wild type (WT) C57BL6 mice, as evidenced by the lung sections histology and collagen accumulation using H&E and Masson Trichrome staining. Notably, SMOC2 knockout (SMOC2-/-) mice treated with BLM exhibited the decrease in inflammation accompanied by the reduction of neutrophils, macrophages and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF). In addition, the levels of inflammation-associated cytokines and chemokines induced by BLM were also decreased in BALF obtained from SMOC2-/- mice. Meanwhile, SMOC2-/- suppressed the progression of pulmonary fibrosis, as evidenced by the reduction in levels of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), p-SMAD2 and p-SMAD3 in lung tissue samples. Increasing expression of SMOC2 in TGF-ß1 treated cells were further observed in vitro. Of note, up regulation of SMOC2 activated-fibrosis development in MRC-5 cells, along with increase of α-SMA, p-SMAD2 and p-SMAD3 were determined. In contrast, SMOC2 knockdown reduced TGF-ß1-stimulated expressions of α-SMA, p-SMAD2 and p-SMAD3 in cells. The findings above suggested that SMOC2 knockout contributes to inhibit BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis.

[Study on fingerprints of the effective parts of fresh ginger by HPLC].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the fingerprints of the effective parts of Fresh Ginger for the quality control. METHOD: The fin-gerprints of the effective parts of Fresh Ginger were established by HPLC. The chromatographic separation was performed on a Inertsil ODS-3 column (100 mm x 2.1 mm, 3 microm). The mobile phase consisted of acetontrile and water with gradient elution, the flow-rate was 0.2 ml/min and the UV absorbance detection was at 230 nm and 190 nm - 400 nm. The column temperature was at 30 degrees C and the detection time was 100 min. RESULTS: Under the selected chromatographic conditions, a good fingerprint of the effective parts of Fresh Ginger were obtained. CONCLUSION: The quality of the effective parts of Fresh Ginger can he controlled effectively by HPLC fingerprint.

[Effects of grape seed proanthocyanidins on oxidative stress in primary rat hippocampal neurons].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) on the oxidative stress induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in primary rat hippocampal neurons. METHODS: Primary cultured hippocampal neurons injury model by H2O2 was established. Morphological changes of neuron cells were visualized. The viability of hippocampal neurons was detected by MTT. The contents of malonidaldelyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the cells were measured by chemochromatometry respectively. RESULTS: The cell activity decreased remarkably induced by 1 mmol/L H2O2 for 24 hours (P < 0.01), the levels of MDA and ROS were increased, and SOD, CAT, GSH-Px level were decreased in cells. GSP could reduce MDA and ROS level obviously, and increase SOD, CAT and GSH-Px level in cells. CONCLUSION: GSP has protective effect on hippocampal neurons injury induced by H2O2. The protective effect may be related to protecting cell membrane, increasing the activity of clearance enzyme of free radical and inhibiting lipid peroxidation.

Astemizole protects against human umbilical vein endothelial cell injury induced by hydrogen peroxide via the p53 signaling pathway.

Astemizole has gained attention as an antineoplastic drug that targets important ion channels. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of astemizole against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)­induced oxidative damage to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). HUVECs were pretreated with astemizole (0.5 and 1 µM) for 12 h, then exposed to H2O2 (200 µM) for 12 h. Cell viability was measured using the MTT assay. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH­Px), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic percentage were determined. Additionally, the protein expression of p53, p21Cip1/Waf1 and p16INK4a was measured by western blot analysis The results demonstrated that astemizole (0.5­1 µM) was able to significantly restore the viability of HUVECs under oxidative stress and scavenge intracellular ROS induced by H2O2. Astemizole also suppressed the production of lipid peroxides, such as MDA, and restored the activities of endogenous antioxidants, including SOD and GSH­Px, indicating that cell apoptosis may be inhibited. In addition, astemizole significantly increased p53, p21Cip1/Waf1 and p16INK4a protein expression. In conclusion, astemizole effectively protected endothelial cells against oxidative stress induced by H2O2, a function that may involve ROS/p53/p21Cip1/Waf1/ p16INK4a signaling pathways. The present study therefore served as a preliminary investigation into the ROS­protective effects of astemizole, and may pave the way for future studies into the development of this compound as a novel therapy for atherosclerosis.

Degradation of P-glycoprotein by pristimerin contributes to overcoming ABCB1-mediated chemotherapeutic drug resistance in vitro.

ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein, ABCB1/MDR1) is one of the major members of the ABC transporters linked to MDR in cancer cells. In this study, we observed that pristimerin, a natural triterpenoid, potently decreased P-gp in a dose-dependent manner in both drug-resistant KBv200 and stable transfected HEK293/ABCB1 cell lines. Moreover, pristimerin also inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in both cell lines. Intriguingly, reverse transcription-PCR, real-time PCR and protein turn-over assay revealed that the decrease of P-gp was independent of mRNA level but primarily owing to its protein stability. Furthermore, immunofluorescence study with anti-P-gp antibody showed that pristimerin disturbed the subcellular distribution of P-gp with decreased location in the plasma membrane. Taken together, these data suggest that subcellular distribution of P-gp and subsequent downregulation by pristimerin contribute to overcoming ABCB1-mediated chemotherapeutic drug resistance. Our findings suggested inducing the decrease of P-gp membrane protein could be a new promising alternative therapeutic strategy in ABCB1-mediated MDR.