[Historical evolution of Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction].

Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction, first seen in Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases, was composed of seven medicinal materials: Inulae Flos, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Ginseng Radix, Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens, Haematitum, Pinelliae Rhizoma and Jujubae Fructus. It was used to treat gastric fullness and hardness and belching due to the wrong treatment of typhoid fever and sweating. With detailed records and description in ancient medical books, Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction was widely adopted in clinical practice by physicians of later generations, which expanded its main therapeutic functions. By comprehensive collation of ancient and modern literature on Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction, this paper systematically explored the historical evolution of the prescription from the source, composition, dosage, processing, clinical application, function interpretation and decocting method. It was found that the composition and processing method of the prescription in the past dynasties were relatively consistent, and there was a gradual decrease in dosage in clinical application. In ancient times, Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction was mainly used to treat nausea, vomiting, hiccups, constipation, etc., while modern clinicians mainly used it for digestive diseases such as reflux esophagitis and gastritis. Through the analysis and textual research, the composition, dosage, processing, function evolution and decocting method of this prescription were determined, which provided reference for the research and development of compound preparations of Xuanfu Daizhe Decoction.

[An optimization method of weighted network module partition based on TCM theory of "monarch, minister, assistant and guide"].

The disease-gene-drug multi-level network constructed by network pharmacology can predict drug targets and has been widely used in the study of material basis and mechanism of action of Chinese medicinal prescriptions. However, most of the current studies have normalized the efficacies of Chinese herbal medicines in the compounds during the construction of the network. There is also a lack of in-depth exploration of the mechanism of synergy among multiple components. This study proposed a network module partition method based on group collaboration and the pharmacological network was weighed according to the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) theory of "monarch, minister, assistant and guide". Taking the Tanyu Tongzhi Prescription as an example, we constructed its pharmacological network for the treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. The group collaboration module in the network was identified and the network changes before and after the weighting were compared based on the network topology analysis to explore a new method to find the core nodes of the network as well as the core drugs that affected the efficacy of the compounds. The results showed that the module partition method based on group collaboration could be used to identify and partition group collaboration mo-dules in pharmacological networks of compounds. The proposed weighted network based on the TCM theory of "monarch, minister, assistant, and guide" could identify and partition the modules based on the characteristics of the pharmacological network. The identification and partition results of modules of Tanyu Tongzhi Prescription in the weighted network were superior to those in the unweighted network. The weighted closeness centrality(WCC) evaluation method was conducive to finding key nodes and relations in the network as compared with traditional methods, thereby providing a basis for analyzing the core components of drugs and extracting more accurate drug components and targets.

[Hotspots and trends of Ophiopogonis Radix based on CiteSpace knowledge map].

Ophiopogonis Radix is an important Yin-nourishing drug in traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), with the effects of nourishing Yin, promoting fluid production, clearing away heart-fire, and relieving restlessness. It is widely used in clinical practice due to its multiple chemical components and pharmacological effects. The technique "mapping knowledge domains" is an effective tool to quantitatively and objectively visualize the development frontiers and trends of certain disciplines. In this study, TCM research papers related to Ophiopogonis Radix were retrieved from Web of Science(WoS) and CNKI, and the research institutions, journals, and keywords involved were visualized and analyzed using the scientometric software CiteSpace. The co-occurrence network of related research on Ophiopogonis Radix was constructed, and the Ophiopogonis Radix-disease-target network was plotted using Cytoscape 3.8.2. The hot topics in Chinese and English papers were analyzed and the shortcomings in the research on Ophiopogonis Radix were summed up. Furthermore, the development trends were discussed. A total of 1 403 Chinese papers and 292 English papers were included in this study. The analysis of research institutions showed that Beijing University of Chinese Medicine and China Pharmaceutical University were the two research institutions with the largest numbers of papers published. The analysis of journals showed that Hebei Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Journal of Asian Natural Products Research were the two journals with the highest numbers of papers concerning Ophiopogonis Radix. The keyword analysis showed that the research contents of Chinese papers focused on the analysis of medication regularity and clinical observation trials, while the English papers focused on component analysis and pharmacological investigation. Data mining and apoptosis-based pharmacological mechanism might be the research trends in the future.

[Textual research principles and suggestions on function and indication of ancient classical formulas].

Indication and functions is an important key information in the research and development of the ancient classical formulas, which directly affects the clinical positioning of the compound formulas and their reasonable, effective and safe use after marke-ting. It is also the embodiment of the ultimate vitality of ancient classical formulas. Due to the particularity of ancient classical formulas, it is of great significance to accurately define and describe the functions and indications of classical formulas to exert their unqiue advantages. Based on the analysis of the provenances, classification of clinical indications, and functions of 100 prescriptions in the Catalogue of Ancient Classical Formulas(First Batch), this paper summarized the incompleteness, irregularity and inconsistency in the original text, the differences in terminology between ancient and modern times, and the evolution of the meanings of prescriptions in different dynasties. In addition, under the guidance of the general principle of textual researh on ancient classical formulas, which is to inherit the essence, make the past serve the present, link up the past and the present, and bulid consensus, this paper proposed the following ideas: respecting the original meanings and provenances of ancient classical formulas, taking full consideration of the development and evolution, serving the current clinical application and health needs, accurately linking up the ancient and modern terminologies, standardizing the expression of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) terminology, highlighting the characteristics of TCM, attaching importance to the textual research principles and suggestions of post-marketing evidence-based and clinical positioning research, so as to determine the the functions and indications of the ancient classical formulas in a scientific, standardized and reasonable way and better guide the clinical application of the classical formulas.

A novel antisense long non-coding RNA SATB2-AS1 overexpresses in osteosarcoma and increases cell proliferation and growth.

The knowledge regarding the importance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a new class of genes, is very sparse in osteosarcoma. In the present study, we describe the expression profile of lncRNAs in osteosarcomas compared with paired adjacent non-cancerous tissue (n = 7) using microarray analysis. A total of 25,733 lncRNAs were identified in osteosarcoma; 1995 lncRNAs were consistently upregulated and 2226 lncRNAs were consistently under-regulated in all samples analyzed (≥2.0-fold, p < 0.05). We have validated three over-regulated and three under-regulated lncRNAs in patient samples (n = 7). The antisense transcript of SATB2 protein (SATB2-AS1) was identified as one of the upregulated lncRNAs. The SATB2-AS1 is a 3197-bp lncRNA on chromosome 2. This is the first report, where we have documented the increased expression of SATB2-AS1 in osteosarcoma patients and in human osteosarcoma cancer cell lines (U2OS, HOS, MG63). SATB2-AS1 expression was significantly higher in the metastatic tumors compared to non-metastatic tumors. In vitro gain and loss of function approaches demonstrated that SATB2-AS1 regulates cell cycle, cell proliferation, and cell growth. In addition, SATB2-AS1 affects the translational expression of SATB2 gene. Our data demonstrate that an antisense non-coding RNA regulates the expression of its sense gene, and increases the cell growth, therefore pointing the pivotal functions of SATB2-AS1 in osteosarcoma.

Anticancer Activity Studies of Ruthenium(II) Complex Toward Human Osteosarcoma HOS Cells.

A new Ru(II) complex [Ru(dmp)2(NMIP)](ClO4)2 (dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline, NMIP = 2'-(2″-nitro-3″,4″-methylenedioxyphenyl)imidazo[4',5'-f][1,10]-phenanthroline) was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ESI-MS and (1)H NMR. The cytotoxic activity of the complex against MG-63, U2OS, HOS, and MC3T3-e1 cell lines was investigated by MTT method. The complex shows moderate cytotoxicity toward HOS (IC50 = 35.6 ± 2.6 µM) and MC3T3-e1 (IC50 = 41.6 ± 2.8 µM) cell lines. The morphological studies show that the complex can induce apoptosis in HOS cells and cause an increase of reactive oxygen species levels and a decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential. The cell cycle distribution demonstrates that the complex inhibits the cell growth at S phase. Additionally, the antitumor activity in vivo reveals that the complex can induce a decrease in tumor weight.

Medication Rule Analysis of the Diagnosis and Treatment Programs of Chinese Medicine for the Prevention and Treatment of COVID-19 in China.

OBJECTIVES: To summarize the measures and rules of Chinese medicine (CM) and provide reference for clinical application in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). METHODS: The data source was from CM COVID-19 prevention and treatment programs on government websites and official media websites of the different provinces and cities. The search lasted from December 8, 2019 to March 10, 2020. Main variables were medication frequency and combinations of medicines. Cluster analysis and complex network analysis were used by prevention and treatment stage and by area. RESULTS: Among 27 CM diagnosis and treatment plans, 203 therapeutic prescriptions were enrolled, of which the top 4 herbs were: Radix glycyrrhizae, Semen armeniacae amarum, Herba ephedrae, and Herba agastachis, respectively. The core combinations were Herba ephedrae and Semen armeniacae amarum. Forty-eight preventive formulae were identified. Ten herbs, including Radix Astragali seu hedysari, Radix glycyrrhizae, Radix saposhnikoviae, Flos lonicerae, etc. were most frequently used. The core prescription of CM compatibility was Radix astragali seu hedysari, Radix glycyrrhizae, and Radix saposhnikoviae, which is the main component of Yu Ping Feng San. There were 45 prevention and treatment prescriptions in East China; the most used CM was Radix glycyrrhizae, Herba agastachis, Pericarpium citri reticulatae, and Gypsum fibrosum. Fifty prescriptions were identified in North China. According to CM analyses, Herba agastachis, Semen armeniacae amarum, Herba ephedrae, and Poria were most frequently used. CONCLUSIONS: CM for COVID-19 prevention mainly focuses on improving human immunity; for treatment, prescription focuses on clearing the lungs and removing dampness. Prescriptions vary with regions, perhaps due to climatic and environmental differences, which help clinicians to quickly make CM plans and treat patients according to clinical status, further minimizing resource wastage.

Anticancer mechanism studies of iridium(III) complexes inhibiting osteosarcoma HOS cells proliferation.

Three iridium (III) polypyridine complexes [Ir(bzq)2(maip)](PF6) (Ir1，bzq = benzo[h]quinoline, maip = 3-aminophenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), [Ir(bzq)2(apip)](PF6) (Ir2, apip = 2-aminophenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) and [Ir(bzq)2(paip)](PF6) (Ir3, paip = 4-aminophenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline) were synthesized and characterized. The cytotoxic activities of the three complexes against human osteosarcoma HOS, U2OS, MG63 and normal LO2 cells were evaluated by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method. The results showed that Ir1-3 exhibited moderate antitumor activity against HOS with IC50 of 21.8 ± 0. 4 µM,10.5 ± 1.8 µM and 7.4 ± 0.4 µM, respectively. We found that Ir1-3 can effectively inhibit HOS cells growth and blocked the cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase. Further studies revealed that complexes can increase intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and Ca2+, which accompanied by mitochondria-mediated intrinsic apoptosis pathway. In addition, autophagy was also investigated. Taken together, the complexes induce HOS apoptosis through a ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction pathway and inhibition of the PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase)/AKT (protein kinase B)/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) signaling pathway. This study provides useful help for understanding the anticancer mechanism of iridium (III) complexes toward osteosarcoma treatment.

A Case Series of Olfactory Dysfunction in Imported COVID-19 Patients: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study.

Objective: The scientific community knows little about the long-term influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on olfactory dysfunction (OD). With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing worldwide, the risk of imported cases remains high. In China, it is necessary to understand OD in imported cases. Methods: A prospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 11 self-reported patients with COVID-19 and OD from Xi'an No. 8 Hospital were followed between August 19, 2021, and December 12, 2021. Demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory and radiological findings, and treatment outcomes were analyzed at admission. We surveyed the patients via telephone for recurrence and sequelae at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Results: Eleven patients with OD were enrolled; of these, 54.5% (6/11) had hyposmia and 45.5% (5/11) had anosmia. 63.6% (7/11) reported OD before or on the day of admission as their initial symptom; of these, 42.9% (3/7) described OD as the only symptom. All patients in the study received combined treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and 72.7% (8/11) had partially or fully recovered at discharge. In terms of OD recovery at the 12-month follow-up, 45.5% (5/11) reported at least one sequela, 81.8% (9/11) had recovered completely, 18.2% (2/11) had recovered partially, and there were no recurrent cases. Conclusions: Our data revealed that OD frequently presented as the initial or even the only symptom among imported cases. Most OD improvements occurred in the first 2 weeks after onset, and patients with COVID-19 and OD had favorable treatment outcomes during long-term follow-up. A better understanding of the pathogenesis and appropriate treatment of OD is needed to guide clinicians in the care of these patients.

Analysis of the Role and Regulatory Mechanism of hsa-miR-504 in Cervical Cancer Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas Database.

Objective: This study investigated the expression and clinical value of hsa-miR-504 in cervical cancer and its possible mechanism of regulating the progress of cervical cancer. Methods: The expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cervical cancer was analyzed on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The correlation between differentially expressed miRNAs and overall survival (OS) of cervical cancer patients was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method. The target genes regulated downstream by hsa-miR-504 were predicted by miRWalk 2.0 and analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) after differential screening. Univariate and multivariate Cox regressions were performed to screen the prognosis-related target genes. Results: There were 82 differentially expressed miRNAs between cervical cancer and noncancerous tissues in TCGA database (fold change >2, p < 0.05). Among them, nine miRNAs, including hsa-miR-504, were significantly correlated with OS in cervical cancer patients. Hsa-miR-504 was downregulated in cervical cancer, and low hsa-miR-504 expression was associated with poor prognosis. There were 2670 target genes of hsa-miR-504, and 240 target genes were further confirmed to be upregulated by TCGA database (fold change >2, p < 0.05). GO and KEGG showed that the upregulated target genes were mainly enriched in cell cycle, DNA replication, p53 signaling pathway, and so on. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that 21 target genes were associated with OS in cervical cancer patients (p < 0.05). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that five genes were independent prognostic factors in cervical cancer. Conclusion: The low expression of hsa-miR-504 was closely related to the occurrence and development of cervical cancer, and hsa-miR-504 might be a potential molecular marker for favorable prognosis in cervical cancer. Cell cycle, DNA replication, and p53 signaling pathway were important mechanisms of downregulated hsa-miR-504 involved in the occurrence and development of cervical cancer.

Antitumor activity studies of iridium (III) polypyridine complexes-loaded liposomes against gastric tumor cell in vitro.

Two iridium (III) polypyridine complexes [Ir(ppy)2(BIP)]PF6 (ppy = 2-phenylpyridine, BIP = 2-biphenyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline, Ir1), [Ir(piq)2(BIP)]PF6 (piq = 1-phenylisoquinoline, Ir2) and their liposomes Ir1lipo and Ir2lipo were synthesized and characterized. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to evaluate cytotoxic activity against several cancer cells (A549, HepG2, SGC-7901, Bel-7402, HeLa) and non-cancer cell (mouse embryonic fibroblast, NIH3T3). The results showed that Ir1lipo displays the high cytotoxicity toward SGC-7901 with IC50 value of 5.8 ± 0.2 µM, while the complexes have no cytotoxicity toward A549, HepG2, Bel-7402 and HeLa cells. The cell colony demonstrated that the iridium (III) complexes-loaded liposomes can inhibit cell proliferation, induce cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. Moreover, they also cause autophagy, induce a decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential and increase intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) content. These results suggest that the complexes encapsulated liposomes Ir1lipo and Ir2lipo inhibit the growth of SGC-7901 cells through a ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and activating the PI3K (phosphoinositide-3 kinase)/ AKT (protein kinase B) signaling pathways.

Clinical characteristics and treatment outcome of COVID-19 patients with stroke in China: A multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies mainly reported the clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) infections, but the research on clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of COVID-19 patients with stroke is still rare. METHODS: A multi-center retrospective study was conducted at 11 hospitals in 4 provinces of China, and COVID-19 patients with stroke were enrolled from February 24 to May 4, 2020. We analyzed epidemiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of cases as well as the laboratory test results, treatment regimens and outcomes, and the clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes were compared between severe and nonsevere patients, and by age group, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 27 patients [mean age: 66.41 (SD 12.1) years] were enrolled. Among them, 9 (33.3%) were severe patients and 18 (66.7%) were nonsevere patients; 17 (63.0%) were female; 19 (70.4%) were aged 60 years and above. The most common symptoms were fever [19 (70.4%)], fatigue [12 (44.4%)] and cough [11 (40.7%)], respectively. Abnormal laboratory findings of COVID-19 patients with stroke included high levels of C-reactive protein [19 (73.1%)], D-dimer [14 (58.3%)], blood glucose [14 (53.8%)], fibrinogen [13 (50.0%)], and decreased lymphocytes [12 (44.4%)]. Comparing to nonsevere cases with stroke, severe patients with stroke were likely to be older, susceptible to receiving oxygen inhalation, and had more complications (p < 0.05). In addition, there were significant differences in lymphocytes, neutrophils, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, creatine kinase between the severe cases and nonsevere cases (p < 0.05). The older patients had a decreased platelet count and elevated fibrinogen, compared with the younger (p < 0.05). All patients (100%) received antiviral treatment, 12 (44.4%) received antibiotics treatment, 26 (96.3%) received Traditional Chinese Medicine (Lung cleansing & detoxifying decoction), and oxygen inhalation was in 18 (66.7%). The median duration of hospitalization was 16 days. By May 4, 2020, a total of 26 (96.3%) patients were cured and discharged, and 1 (3.7%) patients died. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 patients with stroke had poor indicators of coagulation system, and severe and older patients might have a higher risk of complications and unfavorable coagulation system. However, the overall treatment outcome is favorable.

Circulating tumor cells as a new predictive and prognostic factor in patients with small cell lung cancer.

Background: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most malignant type of lung cancer characterized by rapid progression, early metastasis and recurrence. In recent years, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) were found to play an important role in tumor invasion, metastasis, recurrence and prognosis. Methods: CTCs were detected in 138 patients with newly diagnosed SCLC from January 2012 to December 2018. Nomogram prediction models were constructed based on prognostic factors screened by multivariate Cox regression analysis and the risk stratification of SCLC patients were performed on basis of nomogram points. A total of 108 patients from January 2012 to December 2016 were assigned to a training group, and 30 patients from January 2017 to December 2018 were included into the validation group for nomogram analysis. This study was approved by ethics committee of Guangzhou First People's Hospital and all subjects provided informed consent. Results: The number of CTCs was associated with age, lymph node metastasis (N), distant metastasis (M), TNM staging, and NSE. The high number of CTC predicted adverse prognosis, and the AUC of time-dependent ROC curve was all high than 0.5. In the training group, after multivariate COX regression screening, the factors in the median survival time (MST) and overall survival (OS) nomogram prediction models were age, TNM, CTC, NSE and treatment mode. The C-index of the nomograms in internal validation for MST and OS was 0.813 and in external validation for MST and OS were 0.885. The AUC of ROC curves for nomogram were high than 0.5. Finally, risk stratification could be effectively performed on the basis of nomogram points. Conclusions: CTC can be served as a predictive and prognostic factor for SCLC, and the nomogram models constructed by CTC and multiple clinical parameters can comprehensively predict the prognosis of SCLC patients and perform risk stratification.

MicroRNA-148b enhances the radiosensitivity of B-cell lymphoma cells by targeting Bcl-w to promote apoptosis.

Lymphoma is a malignant disease of the hematopoietic system that typically affects B cells. The up-regulation of miR-148b is associated with radiosensitization in B-cell lymphoma (BCL). This study aimed to explore the role of miR-148b in regulating the radiosensitivity of BCL cells and to investigate the underlying mechanism. miR-148b directly targeted Bcl-w, decreased the cell viability and colony formation, while promoted apoptosis, in irradiated BCL cells. These changes were accompanied by decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome C, increased levels of the cleaved caspase 9 and caspase 3, and increased expression of other proteins related to the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. These effects of miR-148b were effectively inhibited by Bcl-w. In addition, miR-148b inhibited the growth of tumors in nude mice implanted with xenografts of irradiated Raji cells. In patients with BCL, levels of miR-148b were downregulated, while levels of Bcl-w were upregulated; a significant negative correlation between levels of miR-148b and Bcl-w was confirmed. Taken together, these experiments showed that miR-148b promoted radiation-induced apoptosis in BCL cells by targeting anti-apoptotic Bcl-w. miR-148b might be used as a marker to predict the radiosensitivity of BCL.

Association of Overlapped and Un-overlapped Comorbidities with COVID-19 Severity and Treatment Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study from Nine Provinces in China.

OBJECTIVE: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. METHODS: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of the associations between comorbidities (cardiometabolic or non-cardiometabolic diseases), clinical severity, and treatment outcomes of COVID-19. RESULTS: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. CONCLUSION: Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.

Zein Particle-Stabilized Water-In-Water Emulsion as a Vehicle for Hydrophilic Bioactive Compound Loading of Riboflavin.

Vitamins and flavonoids are two kinds of essential trace bioactives which are prone to photodegradation during food processing and storage. In this study, a particle-stabilized water-in-water (W/W) emulsion system composed of soy protein isolate (SPI) and guar gum (GG) was applied in loading riboflavin. Based on the significant binding affinity differences of SPI (Ka = 1.11 × 105 L mol-1) and GG (Ka = 9.00 × 103 L mol-1) to riboflavin, this hydrophilic and light-sensitive bioactive compound was loaded in SPI-rich droplets. Confocal images indicated that a stable microstructure of SPI-rich droplets suspended in GG-rich continuous phase was successfully constructed by manipulating the proportion of the two polymeric components and using zein-based particles (ZPs) as stabilizers. These negatively charged particles modified by pectin with a hydrodynamic diameter of 533 ± 5.7 nm were able to adsorb at the SPI/GG interface and subsequently stabilized the SPI-in-GG emulsion. Fluorescence spectra of riboflavin suggested that the formation of such W/W emulsion could effectively delay the photodegradation of riboflavin during an 8 h ultraviolet irradiation, and its color was maintained to a maximum extent. Therefore, this structured W/W emulsion could be a desired architecture for delivering light-sensitive cargo.

Protein-binding, cytotoxicity in vitro and cell cycle arrest of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes.

The cytotoxic activity of two Ru(II) complexes against A549, BEL-7402, HeLa, PC-12, SGC-7901 and SiHa cell lines was investigated by MTT method. Complexes 1 and 2 show moderate cytotoxicity toward BEL-7402 cells with an IC50 value of 53.9 ± 3.4 and 39.3 ± 2.1 µM. The effects of the complexes inducing apoptosis, cellular uptake, reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial membrane potential in BEL-7402 cells have been studied by fluorescence microscopy. The percentages of apoptotic and necrotic cells and cell cycle arrest were studied by flow cytometry. The BSA-binding behaviors were investigated by UV/visible and fluorescent spectra.

[Metformin Influences the Effect of Adipocytes on Leukemia Cell Chemoresistance through Regulation of Adipogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of metformin on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte's differentiation and consequently observe the anti-proliferative effects of metformin-treated adipocytes on leukemia cells. METHODS: Different concentrations of metformin were added in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes to induce maturation, the matured adipocytes were detected by oil red O staining and quantified by absorbance value (OD). Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression level of the key adipogenic genes PPARγ, C/EBPα and FABP4(ap2). The adipocytes were co-cultured with GFP+-THP-1 cells, 1 µg/ml of cytarabine(Ara-C) was added and incubated for 48 hours, the flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate of GFP+-THP-1 cells. Adipocyte supernatant was collected and mixed with equal volume of tumor lysat medium (RPMI 1640) at 1:1 to culture tumor cells. The leukemia cell proliferation activity was detected by CCK-8; after 48 hours of adding 1 µg/ml Ara-C, the protective effect on chemotherapy was assayed by using cytometer. RESULTS: The metformin lowered the OD value, and the expression levels of both adipogenic genes C/EBPα and FABP4 were lower than those of controls, while the expression level of PPARγ mRNA was not significantly changed, the apoptosis rate of leukemia cells co-caltured with metformin-treated adipocytes was higher than that of co-cultured cells without metformin treatment. The adipocytes promoted the leukimia cell proliferation and protected leukemia cells from chemotherapy, which could be abrogated by metformin. CONCLUSION: The metformin can inhibit the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes, and can regulate the protective effect of adipocytes on the apoptosis, proliferation and chemotherapy of leukemia cells.

[Comparison of Adipogenesis and Adipocyte Functions of 3T3-L1 Cells and Human Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the adipogenesis and the adipocyte function between 3T3-L1 cells and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in vitro. METHODS: By density gradient centrifugation and adherent culture, the MSCs were isolated from human bone marrow and purified. The cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope. After the induction of adipogenic differentiation, the differentiation level was detected by oil red O staining and OD values. The expression of PPARγ, FABP4 and C/EBPα mRNA was detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Adipocytes and THP-1 cells were co-cultured by adding 1 µg/ml cytarabine. The ability of chemotherapy resistance was measured after 48 h. RESULTS: The Oil Red O staining and measuring the absorbance showed that the lipid content in 3T3-L1 cells group was more than that in MSCs group, and the OD value was higher than that in MSCs group (P < 0.05). The results of qRT-PCR showed that the relative expression of PPARγ, FABP4 and C/EBPα mRNA of 3T3-L1-derived adipocytes was higher than that of human bone marrow MSCs-derived adipocytes (P < 0.05). Coculture experiments showed that the number of viable THP-1 cells in the group containing adipocytes was more than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The difference between 3T3-L1 cell group and MSC group was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The ability of adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells is higher than that of human bone marrow MSCs in vitro. Adipocytes can protect THP-1 cell line against cytarabine, and the effect of adipocytes from 3T3-L1 cell group is greater than that from the human bone marrow MSC group.