Angelica sinensis polysaccharide suppresses the Wnt/ß-catenin-mediated malignant biological behaviors of breast cancer cells via the miR-3187-3p/PCDH10 axis.

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in women. Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) is one of the main components extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Angelica sinensis. Research has shown that ASP affects the progression of various cancers by regulating miRNA expression. This study aimed to explore the specific molecular mechanism by which ASP regulates BC progression through miR-3187-3p. After the overexpression or knockdown of miR-3187-3p and PDCH10 in BC cells, the proliferation, migration, invasion, and phenotype of BC cells were evaluated after ASP treatment. Bioinformatics software was used to predict the target genes of miR-3187-3p, and luciferase gene reporter experiments reconfirmed the targeted binding relationship. Subcutaneous tumor formation experiments were conducted in nude mice after the injection of BC cells. Western blot and Ki-67 immunostaining were performed on the tumor tissues. The results indicate that ASP can significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of BC cells. ASP can inhibit the expression of miR-3187-3p in BC cells and upregulate the expression of PDCH10 by inhibiting miR-3187-3p. A regulatory relationship exists between miR-3187-3p and PDCH10. ASP can inhibit the expression of ß-catenin and phosphorylated glycogen synthase kinase-3ß (p-GSK-3ß) proteins through miR-3187-3p/PDCH10 and prevent the occurrence of malignant biological behavior in BC. Overall, this study revealed the potential mechanism by which ASP inhibits the BC process. ASP mediates the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway by affecting the miR-3187-3p/PDCH10 molecular axis, thereby inhibiting the proliferation, migration, invasion, and other malignant biological behaviors of BC cells.

Performance Testing and Rapid Solidification Behavior of Stainless Steel Powders Prepared by Gas Atomization.

Gas atomization is a widely used method to produce the raw powder materials for additive manufacturing (AM) usage. After the metal alloy is melted to fusion, gas atomization involves two relatively independent processes: liquid breakup and droplet solidification. In this paper, the solidification behavior of powder during solidification is analyzed by testing the powder's properties and observing microstructure of a martensitic stainless steel (FeCrNiBSiNb). The powder prepared by gas atomization has high sphericity and smooth surface, and the yield of qualified fine powder is 35%. The powder has typical rapid solidification structure. Collision between powders not only promotes nucleation, but also produces more satellite powder. The segregation of elements in powder is smaller as the result of high cooling rate which can reaches 4.2 × 105 K/s in average. Overall, the powder prepared by gas atomization is found to have good comprehensive properties, desired microstructure, and accurate chemical component, and it is suitable for various additive manufacturing techniques.

Protective effect of polysaccharides from Radix Hedysari on gastric ulcers induced by acetic acid in rats.

The dry root of Hedysarum polybotrys Hand.-Mazz., commonly known as "Hong Qi", has a variety of health benefits. The present study was undertaken to explore the anti-gastric ulcer potential effect of Hedysarum polysaccharides (HPS; HPS-50, HPS-80), the principal active fraction of Radix Hedysari (RH). The anti-gastric ulcer effects of HPS were evaluated using an animal model of ulcerative lesions induced by acetic acid. The effects of antioxidant factors, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and mucosal blood flow regulatory factor levels in the gastric tissue homogenate of rats were analyzed for the bioactivities of HPS. The results showed that, compared with the acetic acid-induced ulcerated group, the ulcer inhibition rate of HPS-treated rats was significantly increased. The pathological findings suggested that mucosal regeneration, cell migration, and inflammatory cell infiltration were decreased, and collagen fibers were significantly reduced. Extensive granulation tissue proliferation indicated the healing stage was initiated, suggesting a good prognosis. The oxidative stress status of the gastric ulcer rats was improved, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased, and the levels of PGE-2 and NO were increased (P < 0.05). HPS-80-H may be a promising ingredient for incorporation into functional foods or nutritional supplements for the prevention of gastric ulcers.

Calycosin stimulates the osteogenic differentiation of rat calvarial osteoblasts by activating the IGF1R/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Calycosin has been reported to have a strong osteogenic activity and a positive correlation with anti-osteoporosis effects. However, its precise mechanism of action remains unclear. Since insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) signaling and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) signaling have been shown to play a pivotal role in regulating osteogenesis, we hypothesized that the osteogenic activity of calycosin is mediated by these signaling pathways. Rat calvarial osteoblasts (ROBs) were cultured in osteogenic medium containing calycosin with or without GSK1904529A (GSK) or LY294002 (LY) (inhibitors of IGF1R and PI3K, respectively). The effects on cell proliferation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, calcified nodules, mRNA or protein expression of osteogenic genes [alkaline phosphatase (Alpl), collagen type I (Col1a1), runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), Osterix, and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (Bmp2)], and phosphorylation of IGF1R and Akt were examined. The present results showed that calycosin enhanced cell proliferation, ALP activity and Alizarin Red-S staining in a dose-dependent manner in the range of 10-8 -10-6 M, while an inhibitory effect was observed at 10-5 M. Treatment at the optimal concentration (10-6 M, a physiologically achievable concentration) increased mRNA levels of osteogenic genes and phosphorylation of IGF1R and Akt. Furthermore, treatment with GSK or LY partly reversed the effects of calycosin on ROBs, as indicated by the decreases in calycosin-induced ALP activity, calcified nodules and osteogenic gene expression. These results suggest that the osteogenic effect of calycosin partly involves the IGF1R/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.