Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activities of Crude Polysaccharide Extracts from Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum (Agaricomycetes), by Ultrasonic-Circulating Extraction.

We recently proposed, and successfully applied, a novel and efficient technique-ultrasonic-circulating extraction (UCE) integrating superfine pulverization-to extract and prepare antioxidant crude polysaccharides other natural active substances from Ganoderma lucidum. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities and active ingredients in the powder from UCE (UCEP) through comparison with powder from hot water extraction (HWEP). The DPPH radical, ABTS radical, superoxide anion, total antioxidant activity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay results showed that the UCEP exhibited stronger (P < 0.01) in vitro antioxidant activity than the HWEP. The hepatoprotective activity of the extracts was evaluated against CCl4-induced oxidative damage in the liver. Measurements of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde in rat liver; measurements of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and lactate dehydrogenase in rat blood; and Western blotting for antioxidant proteins of transforming growth factor-ß1, heme-oxygenase 1, and glutathione per-oxidase showed that the UCEP had antioxidant activity in vivo either similar to or slightly stronger than (P < 0.1) the HWEP. Further analysis of the active ingredients revealed that the UCEP and HWEP have similar mean yield and total triterpenoid content, but the former has significantly higher (P < 0.05) mean yield and total polysaccharide content than the latter. Our results suggest that the UCEP displays stronger antioxidant activities because of the larger amount of total polysaccharides; the UCEP may be able to be used as an antioxidant and liver protectant.

Serum tumor-associated autoantibodies as diagnostic biomarkers for lung cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We performed a comprehensive review and meta-analysis to evaluate the diagnostic values of serum single and multiplex tumor-associated autoantibodies (TAAbs) in patients with lung cancer (LC). METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for relevant studies investigating serum TAAbs for the diagnosis of LC. The primary outcomes included sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the test. RESULTS: The systematic review and meta-analysis included 31 articles with single autoantibody and 39 with multiplex autoantibodies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was the most common detection method. For the diagnosis of patients with all stages and early-stage LC, different single or combinations of TAAbs demonstrated different diagnostic values. Although individual TAAbs showed low diagnostic sensitivity, the combination of multiplex autoantibodies offered relatively high sensitivity. For the meta-analysis of a same panel of autoantibodies in patients at all stages of LC, the pooled results of the panel of 6 TAAbs (p53, NY-ESO-1, CAGE, GBU4-5, Annexin 1 and SOX2) were: sensitivity 38% (95% CI 0.35-0.40), specificity 89% (95% CI 0.86-0.91), diagnostic accuracy 65.9% (range 62.5-81.8%), AUC 0.52 (0.48-0.57), while the summary estimates of 7 TAAbs (p53, CAGE, NY-ESO-1, GBU4-5, SOX2, MAGE A4 and Hu-D) were: sensitivity 47% (95% CI 0.34-0.60), specificity 90% (95% CI 0.89-0.92), diagnostic accuracy 78.4% (range 67.5-88.8%), AUC 0.90 (0.87-0.93). For the meta-analysis of the same panel of autoantibodies in patients at early-stage of LC, the sensitivities of both panels of 7 TAAbs and 6 TAAbs were 40% and 29.7%, while their specificities were 91% and 87%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Serum single or combinations of multiplex autoantibodies can be used as a tool for the diagnosis of LC patients at all stages or early-stage, but the combination of multiplex autoantibodies shows a higher detection capacity; the diagnostic value of the panel of 7 TAAbs is higher than the panel of 6 TAAbs, which may be used as potential biomarkers for the early detection of LC.

Anticancer and anti-angiogenic activities of extract from Actinidia eriantha Benth root.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The roots of Actinidia eriantha Benth (AER) are commonly used traditional folk medicine for the treatment of gastric carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and breast carcinoma. Besides, the anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory effects of AER polysaccharides on tumor-bearing mice have been reported previously. AIM OF THE STUDY: This work was carried out to investigate the anticancer and anti-angiogenic activities of AER. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The growth inhibitory effects of ethanol extracts from the leaves (EEL), stems (EES) and roots (EER) of A. eriantha on human gastric carcinoma SGC7901 cells, human nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE2 cells, human breast carcinoma MCF7 cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated by MTT assay. The ethyl acetate fraction from EER (EA-EER) was further investigated for the anticancer activity against SGC7901 cells and the anti-angiogenic activity in HUVECs in vitro. The apoptosis in SGC7901 cells and HUVECs was confirmed by DAPI nuclear staining and flow cytometry analysis, the effect on cellular DNA fragmentation was detected in SGC7901 cells. And the cell cycle-arresting activity in HUVECs was determined by flow cytometry. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of EA-EER on cell migration in HUVECs was observed by both wound-healing and Transwell migration assays. RT-PCR and Western-blotting were performed to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, including Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 in SGC7901 cells, as well as VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 in HUVECs. Furthermore, the in vivo anti-angiogenic activity of EA-EER was evaluated by using chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Ultimately, the chemical components in EA-EER were isolated and purified by repeated column chromatography followed by structure characterization using 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. RESULTS: Compared with EEL and EES, EER displayed the strongest growth inhibitory effect on SGC7901 cells, CNE2 cells and HUVECs. Among the EER fractions, EA-EER exhibited the most potent growth inhibitory activity against SGC7901 cells, CNE2 cells and HUVECs. Moreover, EA-EER induced obvious apoptosis in SGC7901 and HUVECs, and significantly inhibited the proliferation of HUVECs via blockade of cell cycle G1 to S progression. Furthermore, EA-EER suppressed the expression of Bcl-2 and improved the expression Bax and caspase-3 in SGC7901 cells. EA-EER not only inhibited migration of HUVECs, but also down-regulated the expression of VEGF-A and VEGFR-2 in HUVECs. In vivo, EA-EER exposure reduced the formation of blood vessels in chick embryos. A bio-guided isolation of EA-EER led to the isolation of three compounds for the first time, namely (6R, 7E, 9S)-6, 9-hydroxy-megastigman-4, 7-dien-3-one-9-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, Oleanolic acid-23-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, 3ß, 23, 24-trihydroxyl-12-oleanen-28-oic acid. CONCLUSION: The present research demonstrated that the significant anticancer and anti-angiogenic effects of AER, providing the supportive evidence for its traditional use in the treatment for cancer. It was suggested that AER could be use as a potential source of cancer therapeutic drug.

Prognostic Value of Pleural Lavage Cytology in Patients with Lung Cancer Resection: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Pleural lavage cytology (PLC) is considered as a possible tool for assessing prognosis of lung cancer patients. We aimed to comprehensively review the prognosis value of PLC in patients undergoing surgical resection. METHODS: We searched 4 electronic databases for relevant studies comparing positive PLC and negative PLC. The primary outcomes included survival rate and recurrence rate at maximum follow-up. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 28 studies, with a total of 20,714 patients. For the overall survival rate of all stages, the results demonstrated that positive pre-resection, post-resection and pooled PLC were associated with unfavorable survival: hazard ratio (HR) 2.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.48-3.37), 2.70 (1.90-3.83), and 2.89 (2.52-3.31), respectively. For the stage I survival rate, the combined results also suggested that positive pre-resection, post-resection and pooled PLC were associated with unfavorable survival: HR 3.29 (95% CI 2.55-4.25), 4.85 (2.31-10.20), and 3.16 (2.53-3.94), respectively. Furthermore, a meta-analysis of 14 studies included 14,279 patients showed that positive pre-resection, post-resection and pooled PLC were associated with an increased risk of overall recurrence: risk ratio (RR) 2.45 (95% CI 1.91-3.15), 2.37 (1.11-5.09), and 2.37 (95% CI 2.00-2.80), respectively. Positive PLC was also associated with a high pleural recurrence (RR 4.77; 95% CI 3.13-7.26) or distant recurrence (RR 2.33; 95% CI 1.65-3.29). CONCLUSIONS: Both positive pre- resection and post-resection PLC are associated with not only higher tumor recurrence but also unfavorable survival outcomes in patients with lung cancer resection. This technique can therefore act as a strong prognostic factor for tumor recurrence and adverse survival rates.

Hepatoprotective effect of ganoderma triterpenoids against oxidative damage induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide in human hepatic HepG2 cells.

CONTEXT: Ganoderma triterpenoids (GTs) have been recognised as an important bioactive ingredient in Ganoderma Lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst. (Polyporaceae), widely used for treating and preventing chronic hepatopathy of various etiologies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to better understand the hepatoprotective effect of GTs and to enhance their use in food supplement pharmaceutical and medical industries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HepG2 cells were pretreated in the presence or absence of GTs (50, 100 and 200 µg/ml) for 4 h, then exposed with 60 µmol/L of t-BHP for an additional 4 h. The cell viability was evaluated by MTT method. ALT, AST and LDH production in culture medium and intracellular MDA, GSH and SOD levels were determined. Moreover, the total triterpenoid content and chemical constituents in GTs were detected by ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC/Q-TOF-MS, respectively. RESULTS: GTs (50, 100 and 200 µg/ml) significantly increased the relative cell viability by 4.66, 7.78 and 13.46%, respectively, and reduced the level of ALT by 11.44%, 33.41% and 51.24%, AST by 10.05%, 15.63% and 33.64%, and LDH by 16.03%, 23.4% and 24.07% in culture medium, respectively. GTs could also remarkably decrease the level of MDA and increase the content of GSH and SOD in HepG2 cells. Furthermore, the total triterpenoid content in GTs was 438 mg GAAEs/g GTs. And 16 triterpenoids in GTs were identified or tentatively characterised. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Our results showed that GTs had potent cytoprotective effect against oxidative damage induced by t-BHP in HepG2 cells, thus suggesting their potential use as liver protectant.

The effect of pleural abrasion on the treatment of primary spontaneous pneumothorax: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Pleural abrasion has been widely used to control the recurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP). However, controversy still exists regarding the advantages and disadvantages of pleural abrasion compared with other interventions in preventing the recurrence of PSP. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched up to December 15, 2014 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the effects of pleural abrasion with those of other interventions in the treatment of PSP. The study outcomes included the PSP recurrence rate and the occurrence rate of adverse effects. RESULTS: Mechanical pleural abrasion and apical pleurectomy after thoracoscopic stapled bullectomy exhibited similarly persistent postoperative air leak occurrence rates (p = 0.978) and 1-year PSP recurrence rates (p = 0.821), whereas pleural abrasion led to reduced residual chest pain and discomfort (p = 0.001) and a smaller rate of hemothorax (p = 0.036) than did apical pleurectomy. However, the addition of minocycline pleurodesis to pleural abrasion did not reduce the pneumothorax recurrence rate compared with apical pleurectomy (3.8% for both procedures) but was associated with fewer complications. There was no statistical difference in the pneumothorax recurrence rate between mechanical pleural abrasion and chemical pleurodesis with minocycline on either an intention-to-treat basis (4 of 42 versus 0 of 42, p = 0.12; Fisher exact test) or after exclusions (2 of 40 versus 0 of 42, p = 0.24; Fisher exact test). Pleural abrasion plus minocycline pleurodesis also did not reduce the pneumothorax recurrence rate compared with pleural abrasion alone (p = 0.055). Moreover, pleural abrasion plus minocycline pleurodesis was associated with more intense acute chest pain. The postoperative overall recurrence rate in patients who underwent staple line coverage with absorbable cellulose mesh and fibrin glue was similar to that with mechanical abrasion after thoracoscopic bullectomy (13.8% vs. 14.2%, respectively; p = 0.555), but staple line coverage resulted in less postoperative residual pain than mechanical abrasion (0.4% vs.3.2%; p<0.0001). Pleural abrasion after thoracoscopic wedge resection did not decrease the recurrence of pneumothorax compared with wedge resection alone (p = 0.791), but the intraoperative bleeding and postoperative pleural drainage rates were higher when pleural abrasion was performed. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to resulting in the same pneumothorax recurrence rate, thoracoscopic pleural abrasion with or without minocycline pleurodesis is safer than apical pleurectomy in the treatment of PSP. However, minocycline pleurodesis with or without pleural abrasion is not any more effective than pleural abrasion alone. Moreover, additional mechanical abrasion is not safer than additional staple line coverage with absorbable cellulose mesh and fibrin glue after thoracoscopic bullectomy because of increased postoperative pain. Additionally, pleural abrasion after thoracoscopic wedge resection should not be recommended for routine application due to the greater incidence of adverse effects than wedge resection alone. However, further large-scale, well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm the best procedure.

Chemical composition, antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and a pro-apoptotic effect in SGC-7901 of the essential oil from Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roem. leaves.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Leaves of Toona sinensis (A. Juss.) Roem. (TSL), a popular vegetable in China, have anti-inflammatory, antidoting, and worm-killing effects and are used in folk medicine for the treatment of enteritis, dysentery, carbuncles, boils, and especially abdominal tumors. Our aim was to investigate the in vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and anticancer property of the essential oil from TSL (TSL-EO), especially the pro-apoptotic effect in SGC-7901. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TSL-EO obtained by hydrodistillation was analyzed by GC/MS and was tested in vitro against twenty clinically isolated strains of Staphylococcus aureus (SA 1-20), which were either methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and two standard strains viz. ATCC 25923 and ATCC 43300. The anticancer activity of TSL-EO was evaluated in vitro against HepG2, SGC7901, and HT29 through MTT assay. Moreover, the apoptosis-inducing activity of TSL-EO in SGC7901 cells was determined by Hoechst 33324 staining and flow cytometry methods. Also, the apoptosis-related proteins viz. Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase-3 were detected by western-blotting. RESULTS: GC-MS analysis showed that TSL-EO contained a high amount of sesquiterpenes (84.64%), including copaene (8.27%), ß-caryophyllene (10.16%), caryophyllene (13.18%) and ß-eudesmene (5.06%). TSL-EO inhibited the growth of both MSSA and MRSA, with the lowest MIC values of 0.125 and 1mg/ml, respectively. Treatment with TSL-EO for 24h could significantly suppress the viability of three different cancer cell lines (P<0.05). Furthermore, the apoptosis-inducing activity of TSL-EO in SGC7901 cells increased in a dose-dependent manner, potentially resulting from the up-regulated expression of Bax, caspase-3 and down-regulated expression of Bcl-2. CONCLUSIONS: TSL-EO possessed antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and significant cytotoxicity against cancer cells and particularly prominent pro-apoptotic activity in SGC7901 cells. These bioactivities were probably due to the high content of sesquiterpenes. Our results suggested that TSL-EO possessed potential health benefits and could serve as a promising natural food addictive.

Combined detections of interleukin 27, interferon-γ, and adenosine deaminase in pleural effusion for diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies reported interleukin-27 (IL-27), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), or adenosine deaminase (ADA) alone plays a helpful role in diagnosing tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE). The present study aims at comparing the diagnostic accuracy of pleural IL-27, IFN-γ, and ADA, and investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the combination of IL-27, IFN-γ, or/and ADA for differentiating TPE from pleural effusions with the other etiologies. METHODS: The concentrations of IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA were simultaneously determined in pleural fluids and sera from 40 patients with TPE; 26 with malignant pleural effusion, seven with infectious pleural effusion, and eight with transudative pleural effusion by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric method. The corresponding biochemical indexs were also simultaneously determined. RESULTS: The concentrations of pleural IL-27 and IFN-γ in the tuberculous group were significantly higher than those in the malignant, infectious, and transudative groups. The concentrations of ADA in TPE were significantly higher than those in MPE or transudative effusions, while much lower than those in infectious effusions. Among these three biomarkers, IL-27 was the most effective for TPE diagnosis, with the cut off value of 900.8 ng/L. IL-27 had a high sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 97.6% for differential diagnosis of TPE from non-TPEs. Combinations of IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA measurements further increased the sensitivity or specificity up to 100%. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to non-TPEs, IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA all simultaneously increased in TPE; and among these three rapid detection methods, IL-27 appeared to be the best for distinguishing tuberculous from non-TPEs, especially from MPE. Combinations of the three markers (IL-27, IFN-γ and ADA) yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity. These findings suggest that the applications of a new biomarker, IL-27, alone or with IFN-γ and ADA, may contribute to more efficient diagnosis strategies in the management of tuberculous pleurisy.

Inhibitory effects of morinda officinalis extract on bone loss in ovariectomized rats.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the protective effects of ethanol extract from the root of Morinda Officinalis (RMO) on ovariectomy-induced bone loss. Administration of RMO extract increased trabecular bone mineral content and bone mineral density of tibia, improved the levels of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca) and OPG, decreased the levels of DPD/Cr, TRAP, ACTH and corticosterone, but did not reverse the levels of ALP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 in serum of ovariectomized rats. These findings demonstrated that RMO extract reduced bone loss in ovariectomized rats, probably via the inhibition of bone resorption, but was not involved with bone formation. Anthraquinones and polysaccharides from Morinda officinals could be responsible for their antiosteoporotic activity, and the action mechanism of these constituents needs to be further studied. Therefore, RMO has the potential to develop a clinically useful antiosteoporotic agent.

Expression of soluble triggering receptor expression on myeloid cells-1 in pleural effusion.

BACKGROUND: Triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cells (TREM) proteins are a family of cell surface receptors expressed broadly by cells of the myeloid lineage. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of soluble TREM-1 (sTREM-1) in pleural effusions, and to determine the effects of pneumonia on pleural sTREM-1 concentrations. METHODS: Pleural fluid was collected from 109 patients who presented to the respiratory institute (35 with malignant pleural effusion, 31 with tuberculous pleural effusion, 21 with bacterial pleural effusion, and 22 with transudate). The concentrations of sTREM-1, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) were determined in effusion and serum samples by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: The concentrations of sTREM-1 in bacterial pleural effusion were significantly higher than those in malignant, tuberculous, and transudative groups (all P < 0.001). An sTREM-1 cutoff value of 768.1 ng/L had a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 93%. Pleural sTREM-1 levels were positively correlated with levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta. Patients with complicating bacterial pneumonia did not have elevated concentration of sTREM-1 in pleural effusion when compared with patients without pneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: Determination of pleural sTREM-1 may improve the ability of clinicians to differentiate pleural effusion patients of bacterial origin from those with other etiologies. The occurrence of bacterial pneumonia did not affect pleural sTREM-1 concentrations.