Promising Cytotoxic butenolides from the Soybean endophytic fungus Aspergillus terreus: a combined molecular docking and in-vitro studies.

AIM: This study aimed to use one strain many compounds approach (OSMAC) to investigate the cytotoxic potential of Aspergillus terreus associated with soybean versus several cancer cell lines, by means of in-silico and in vitro approaches. METHODS AND RESULTS: Fermentation of the isolated strain was done on five media. The derived extracts were investigated for their inhibitory activities against three human cancer cell lines; mammary gland breast cancer (MCF-7), colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) using MTT Assay. The fungal mycelia fermented in Modified Potato Dextrose Broth (MPDB) was the most cytotoxic extract against HepG2, MCF-7, and Caco-2 cell lines with IC50 4.2 ± 0.13, 5.9 ± 0.013 and 7.3 ± 0.004 µg mL-1, respectively. MPDB extract was scaled up resulting in the isolation of six metabolites; three fatty acids (1, 2, and 4), one sterol (3) and two butenolides (5 and 6) by column chromatography. The isolated compounds (1-6) were screened through a molecular docking approach for their binding aptitude to various active sites. butyrolactone-I (5) revealed a significant interaction within the CDK2 active site, while aspulvinone E (6) showed promising binding affinity to FLT3 and EGFR active sites that was confirmed by in vitro CDK2, FLT3 and EGFR inhibitory activity. Finally, the in vitro cytotoxic activities of butyrolactone-I (5) and aspulvinone E (6) revealed the antiproliferative activity of butyrolactone-I (5), against HepG2 cell line (IC50 = 17.85 ± 0.32 µM). CONCLUSION: Molecular docking analysis and in vitro assays suggested the CDK2/A2 inhibitory potential of butyrolactone-I (5) in addition to the promising interaction abilities of aspulvinone E (6) with EGFR and FLT3 active sites as a possible mechanism of their biological activities.

CDK6-PI3K signaling axis is an efficient target for attenuating ABCB1/P-gp mediated multi-drug resistance (MDR) in cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Multidrug resistance (MDR) mediated by ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 1 (ABCB1/P-gp) is a major cause of cancer chemotherapy failure, but the regulation mechanisms are largely unknown. METHODS: Based on single gene knockout, we studied the regulation of CDK6-PI3K axis on ABCB1-mediated MDR in human cancer cells. CRISPR/Cas9 technique was performed in KB-C2 cells to knockout cdk6 or cdk4 gene. Western blot, RT-PCR and transcriptome analysis were performed to investigate target gene deletion and expression of critical signaling factors. The effect of cdk4 or cdk6 deficiency on cell apoptosis and the cell cycle was analyzed using flow cytometry. In vivo studies were performed to study the sensitivity of KB-C2 tumors to doxorubicin, tumor growth and metastasis. RESULTS: Deficiency of cdk6 led to remarkable downregulation of ABCB1 expression and reversal of ABCB1-mediated MDR. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that CDK6 knockout regulated a series of signaling factors, among them, PI3K 110α and 110ß, KRAS and MAPK10 were downregulated, and FOS-promoting cell autophagy and CXCL1-regulating multiple factors were upregulated. Notably, PI3K 110α/110ß deficiency in-return downregulated CDK6 and the CDK6-PI3K axis synergizes in regulating ABCB1 expression, which strengthened the regulation of ABCB1 over single regulation by either CDK6 or PI3K 110α/110ß. High frequency of alternative splicing (AS) of premature ABCB1 mRNA induced by CDK6, CDK4 or PI3K 110α/110ß level change was confirmed to alter the ABCB1 level, among them 10 common skipped exon (SE) events were found. In vivo experiments demonstrated that loss of cdk6 remarkably increased the sensitivity of KB-C2 tumors to doxorubicin by increasing drug accumulation of the tumors, resulting in remarkable inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis, as well as KB-C2 survival in the nude mice. CONCLUSIONS: CDK6-PI3K as a new target signaling axis to reverse ABCB1-mediated MDR is reported for the first time in cancers. Pathways leading to inhibition of cancer cell proliferation were revealed to be accompanied by CDK6 deficiency.

Cholesterol promotes EGFR-TKIs resistance in NSCLC by inducing EGFR/Src/Erk/SP1 signaling-mediated ERRα re-expression.

BACKGROUND: The use of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) brings remarkable benefits for the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC harboring EGFR mutations. Unfortunately, acquired resistance seems to be inevitable and limits the application of EGFR-TKIs in clinical practice. This study reported a common molecular mechanism sustaining resistance and potential treatment options to overcome EGFR-TKIs resistance. METHODS: EGFR-TKIs resistant NSCLC cells were established and confirmed by MTT assay. Cholesterol content was detected and the promotional function of cholesterol on NSCLC growth was determined in vivo. Then, we identified ERRα expression as the downstream factor of cholesterol-mediated drug resistance. To dissect the regulatory mechanism, we conducted experiments, including immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. RESULTS: Long-term exposure to EGFR-TKIs generate drug resistance with the characteristic of cholesterol accumulation in lipid rafts, which promotes EGFR and Src to interact and lead EGFR/Src/Erk signaling reactivation-mediated SP1 nuclear translocation and ERRα re-expression. Further investigation identifies ERRα as a target gene of SP1. Functionally, re-expression of ERRα sustains cell proliferation by regulating ROS detoxification process. Lovastatin, a drug used to decrease cholesterol level, and XCT790, an inverse agonist of ERRα, overcome gefitinib and osimertinib resistance both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that cholesterol/EGFR/Src/Erk/SP1 axis-induced ERRα re-expression promotes survival of gefitinib and osimertinib-resistant cancer cells. Besides, we demonstrate the potential of lowing cholesterol and downregulation of ERRα as effective adjuvant treatment of NSCLC.

Microfluidics applications for high-throughput single cell sequencing.

The inherent heterogeneity of individual cells in cell populations plays significant roles in disease development and progression, which is critical for disease diagnosis and treatment. Substantial evidences show that the majority of traditional gene profiling methods mask the difference of individual cells. Single cell sequencing can provide data to characterize the inherent heterogeneity of individual cells, and reveal complex and rare cell populations. Different microfluidic technologies have emerged for single cell researches and become the frontiers and hot topics over the past decade. In this review article, we introduce the processes of single cell sequencing, and review the principles of microfluidics for single cell analysis. Also, we discuss the common high-throughput single cell sequencing technologies along with their advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, microfluidics applications in single cell sequencing technology for the diagnosis of cancers and immune system diseases are briefly illustrated.

Preparation, characterization and in vitro-in vivo evaluation of bortezomib supermolecular aggregation nanovehicles.

BACKGROUNDS: Intolerable toxicity and unsatisfactory therapeutic effects are still big problems retarding the use of chemotherapy against cancer. Nano-drug delivery system promised a lot in increasing the patients' compliance and therapeutic efficacy. As a unique nano-carrier, supermolecular aggregation nanovehicle has attracted increasing interests due to the following advantages: announcing drug loading efficacy, pronouncing in vivo performance and simplified production process. METHODS: In this study, the supermolecular aggregation nanovehicle of bortezomib (BTZ) was prepared to treat breast cancer. RESULTS: Although many supermolecular nanovehicles are inclined to disintegrate due to the weak intermolecular interactions among the components, the BTZ supermolecules are satisfying stable. To shed light on the reasons behind this, the forces driving the formation of the nanovehicles were detailed investigated. In other words, the interactions among BTZ and other two components were studied to characterize the nanovehicles and ensure its stability. CONCLUSIONS: Due to the promising tumor targeting ability of the BTZ nanovehicles, the supermolecule displayed promising tumor curing effects and negligible systemic toxicity.

The remediation effects of working memory training in schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms.

Introduction: Negative symptoms, particularly amotivation and anhedonia, are important predictors of poor functional outcome in patients with schizophrenia. There has been interest in the efficacy and mechanism of non-pharmacological interventions to alleviate these symptoms. The present study aimed to examine the remediation effect of working memory (WM) training in patients with schizophrenia with prominent negative symptoms.Methods: Thirty-one schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms were recruited and assigned to either a WM training group or a treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group. The WM training group underwent 20 sessions of training using the dual n-back task over one month. A functional neuroimaging paradigm of the Affective Incentive Delay (AID) task was administered before and after the training intervention to evaluate the remediation effect of the intervention.Results: Our results showed that the WM training group demonstrated significant improvement in the WM training task and inattention symptoms. Compared with the TAU group, increased brain activations were observed at the right insula and the right frontal sub-gyral after WM training in the training group.Conclusions: These findings support the efficacy of WM training in ameliorating hedonic dysfunction in schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms.

[Application of Intermediate Mesoderm-like Cells in Kidney Regeneration].

Objective To induce adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) to differentiate into intermediate mesoderm (IM)-like cells in vitro,with IM-like cells for recellularizing kidney scaffolds,and then to obtain a tissue-engineering kidney with renal structures and functions through co-culture.Methods After inguinal fat pads of Wistar rats were surgically harvested,the primary ADSCs were isolated,induced,and cultured for stem cell identification. ADSCs were inducted to differentiate into IM-like cells by adding glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor (CHIR99021) and fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) at different stages. Seven days later,the IM-like cells were identified. The induced IM-like cells and well-prepared kidney decellularized scaffolds were co-cultured for 10 days to obtain recellularized tissue-engineered kidneys and their differentiation was identified.Results The ADSCs harvested had osteogenic and adipogenic abilities and could express the stem cell surface markers. After 7 days of in vitro induction,the positive expressions of odd-skipped related 1 and paired-box 2 were observed in IM-like cells by immunofluorescence technique. After 10 days of co-culture with kidney decellularized scaffolds,the positive expressions of Wilms'tumor 1,GATA-binding protein-3,and E-cadherin were observed by immunofluorescence technique.Conclusion ADSCs can be induced into IM-like cells,and renal cell differentiation can be observed through combining the induced IM-like cells with kidney decellularized scaffolds.

CuS Nanodot-Loaded Thermosensitive Hydrogel for Anticancer Photothermal Therapy.

The purpose of this research is to establish an injectable hydrogel encapsulating copper sulfide (CuS) nanodots for photothermal therapy against cancer. The CuS nanodots were prepared by one-pot synthesis, and the thermosensitive Pluronic F127 was used as the hydrogel matrix. The CuS nanodots and the hydrogel were characterized by morphous, particle size, serum stability, photothermal performance upon repeated 808 nm laser irradiation, and rheology features. The effects of the CuS nanodots and the hydrogel were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively in 4T1 mouse breast cancer cells. The retention, photothermal efficacy, therapeutic effects, and systemic toxicity of the hydrogel were assessed in tumor bearing mouse model. The CuS nanodots with a diameter of about 8 nm exhibited satisfying serum stability, photoheat conversion ability, and repeated laser exposure stability. The hydrogel encapsulation did not negatively influence the above features of the photothermal agent. The nanodot-loaded hydrogel shows a phase transition at body temperature and, as a result, a long retention in vivo. The photothermal-agent-embedded hydrogel played a promising photothermal therapeutic effect in the tumor bearing mouse model with low systemic toxicity after peritumoral administration.

Comparison of chemical profiles between the root and aerial parts from three Bupleurum species based on a UHPLC-QTOF-MS metabolomics approach.

BACKGROUND: Bupleuri Radix (Chaihu) represents one of the most successful and widely used herbal medicines in Asia for the treatment of many diseases such as inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases over the past 2000 years. In the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Chaihu is recorded as the dried roots of Bupleurum chinense DC. and B. scorzonerifolium Willd. (Umbelliferae). However, the widespread demand for the herb has tended to far outstrip the supply. Whether the aerial parts, which account for 70 ~ 85% of the dry weights of Bupleurum species, could be used as an alternative for the root has become an important scientific issue for the sustainable utilization of Bupleurum species. On the other hand, in some areas including the southeast of China as well as in Spain, the aerial parts of Bupleurum species have already been used in the folk medications. Therefore, to clarify whether the root and aerial parts of Bupleurum species are "equivalent" in the types and quantities of chemical constituents which subsequently influence their biological activities and therapeutic effects is of great importance for both the rational and sustainable use of this herb. METHODS: In the present study, the chemical profiles between the root and aerial parts of Bupleurum species from different species and collected from various locations were analyzed and compared by the ultra-high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole/time of flight-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS). RESULTS: A total of 56 peaks were identified in the root and/or aerial parts from different batches of Bupleurum species, by comparison of references standards or with those reported in the literature. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted for displaying the differentiating clustering between these two parts. CONCLUSION: The results disclosed the distinct variations between them, which indicated that the aerial parts could not be used as an alternative of root from a chemodiversity perspective. The differentiating markers resulted from the PCA analysis could also be utilized for the differentiation between them. Further validation of their biological differences is anticipated in the future study.

Structure Identification and In Vitro Anticancer Activity of Lathyrol-3-phenylacetate-5,15-diacetate.

Natural products from the genus Euphorbia show attention-attracting activities, such as anticancer activity. In this article, classical isolation and structure identification were used in a study on Caper Euphorbia Seed. Subsequently, MTT and wound healing assays, flow cytometry, western blotting, Hoechst 33258 staining and fluorescence microscopy examination were applied to investigate the anticancer activity of the obtained compounds. In a result, lathyrol-3-phenyl- acetate-5,15-diacetate (deoxy Euphorbia factor L1, DEFL1) was isolated from Caper Euphorbia Seed. Moreover, the NMR signals were totally assigned. DEFL1 showed potent inhibition against lung cancer A549 cells, with an IC50 value of 17.51 ± 0.85 µM. Furthermore, DEFL1 suppressed wound healing of A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Mechanically, DEFL1 induced apoptosis, with involvement of an increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS), decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), release of cytochrome c, activity raise of caspase-9 and 3. Characteristic features of apoptosis were observed by fluorescence microscopy. In summary, DEFL1 inhibited growth and induced apoptosis in lung cancer A549 cells via a mitochondrial pathway.

[LC/MS/MS Analysis of the Metabolites of Lathyrane Diterpenoids in Caco-2 Cells].

Objective: To identify the metabolites of euphorbetin L1,euphorbetin L2,euphorbetin L8 and 6( 17),12( E)-lathyrol-5,15-diacetate-3-phenylacetate in Caco-2 cells by LC/MS/MS. Methods: Caco-2 cells were cultured with 100 µg/mol lathyrane diterpenoid for 3,6,12 h,respectively. Then the samples were collected,purified and identified by LC/MS/MS. Results: The major metabolites of euphorbetin L1 were two methylated products which were obtained after hydrolysis of the ester. The major metabolites of euphorbetin L2,euphorbetin L8 and 6( 17),12( E)-lathyrol-5,15-diacetate-3-phenylacetate were hydrolysis products of the ester. Conclusion: The main metabolic pathway of euphorbetin L1 is methylation and hydrolysis of the ester. The main metabolic pathway of euphorbetin L2,euphorbetin L8 and 6( 17),12( E)-lathyrol-5,15-diacetate-3-phenylacetate is hydrolysis of the ester. LC/MS/MS can identify the metabolites of euphorbetin L1,euphorbetin L2,euphorbetin L8 and 6( 17),12( E)-lathyrol-5,15-diacetate-3-phenylacetate in Caco-2 cells quickly and sensitively.

Combinational Treatment of Curcumin and Quercetin against Gastric Cancer MGC-803 Cells in Vitro.

Gastric cancer remains a major health problem worldwide. Natural products, with stronger antitumor activity and fewer side effects, are potential candidates for pharmaceutical development as anticancer agents. In this study, quercetin and curcumin were chosen for testing and were applied separately and in combination to human gastric cancer MGC-803 cells. The MTT assay was used to evaluate cell growth inhibition. Annexin V-FITC/PI was carried out to measure apoptosis rate. Flow cytometry was performed to analyze mitochondrial membrane potential levels. Western blots were applied to detect expression of cytochrome c, total and phosphorylated ERK and AKT. Combined treatment with curcumin and quercetin resulted in significant inhibition of cell proliferation, accompanied by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), release of cytochrome c and decreased phosphorylation of AKT and ERK. These results indicate that the combination of curcumin and quercetin induces apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway. Notably, effect of combined treatment with curcumin and quercetin on gastric cancer MGC-803 cells is stronger than that of individual treatment, indicating that curcumin and quercetin combinations have potential as anti-gastric cancer drugs for further development.

[Metabolites Identification for Alkaloids from Nelumbinis Plumula in Caco-2 Cells by LC/MS/MS].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the metabolites of norcoclaurine,liensinine, isoliensinine and neferine in Caco-2 cells by LC/ MS/MS. METHODS: After Caco-2 cells were treated with norcoclaurine, liensinine, isoliensinine or neferine for 3, 6 and 12 h, samples were collected, purified and then analyzed by LC/MS/MS. The structures of the metabolites were elucidated by molecular masses, retention times, MS and MS/MS spectra comparing with those of the parent drug. RESULTS: The procedure identified that the major metabolites of norcoclaurine were methylnorcoclaurine and norcoclaurine-glucuronide, the major metabolite of liensinine was demethyl-liensinine, the major metabolite of isoliensinine was demethyl-isoliensinine, the major metabolites of neferine were liensinine, isoliensinine and their further demethylation products. CONCLUSION: LC/MS/MS is simple, rapid and sensitive for the metabolites identification. Methylation, demethylation and glucuronidation are main metabolic pathways of alkaloids from Nelumbinis Plumula in Caco-2 cells.

Chemical profile analysis and comparison of two versions of the classic TCM formula Danggui Buxue Tang by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn.

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula primarily used to treat symptoms associated with menopause in women. Usually, DBT is composed of one portion of Radix Angelicae Sinensis (RAS) and five portions of Radix Astragali (RA). Clinically, Radix Hedysari (RH) is sometimes used by TCM physicians to replace RA in DBT. In order to verity whether the chemical constituents of the DBT1 (RA:RAS = 5:1, w/w) and DBT2 (RH:RAS = 5:1, w/w) share similarities the chemical profiles of the two DBTs crude extracts and urine samples were analyzed and compared with the aid of HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn, which determines the total ion chromatogram (TIC) and multi-stage mass spectra (MSn). Then, the DBT1 and DBT2 were identified and compared on the basis of the TIC and the MSn. In the first experiment (with crude extracts), 69 compounds (C1-C69) were identified from the DBT1; 46 compounds (c1-c46) were identified from the DBT2. In the second experiment(with urine samples), 44 compounds (M1-M44) were identified from the urine samples of rats that had been administered DBT1, and 34 compounds (m1-m34) were identified from the urine samples of rats that had been administered DBT2. Identification and comparison of the chemical compositions were carried out between the DBT1 and DBT2 of the crude extracts and urine samples respectively. Our results showed that the two crude extracts of the DBTs have quite different chemical profiles. The reasons for their differences were that the special astragalosides in DBT1 and the isoflavonoid glycosides formed the malonic acid esters undergo single esterification and acetyl esters undergo acetylation in DBT1. In contrast, the urine from DBT1-treated rats strongly resembled that of DBT2-treated rats. These metabolites originate mainly from formononetin, calycosin and their related glycosides, and they were formed mainly by the metabolic process of reduction, deglycosylation, demethylation, hydrogenation and sulfation. The HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn method was successfully applied for the rapid chemical profiles evaluation of two DBTs and their related urine samples.

Disrupted topological organization of the default mode network in mild cognitive impairment with subsyndromal depression: A graph theoretical analysis.

AIMS: Subsyndromal depression (SSD) is common in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, the neural mechanisms underlying MCI with SSD (MCID) are unclear. The default mode network (DMN) is associated with cognitive processes and depressive symptoms. Therefore, we aimed to explore the topological organization of the DMN in patients with MCID. METHODS: Forty-two MCID patients, 34 MCI patients without SSD (MCIND), and 36 matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. The resting-state functional connectivity of the DMN of the participants was analyzed using a graph theoretical approach. Correlation analyses of network topological metrics, depressive symptoms, and cognitive function were conducted. Moreover, support vector machine (SVM) models were constructed based on topological metrics to distinguish MCID from MCIND. Finally, we used 10 repeats of 5-fold cross-validation for performance verification. RESULTS: We found that the global efficiency and nodal efficiency of the left anterior medial prefrontal cortex (aMPFC) of the MCID group were significantly lower than the MCIND group. Moreover, small-worldness and global efficiency were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms in MCID, and the nodal efficiency of the left lateral temporal cortex and left aMPFC was positively correlated with cognitive function in MCID. In cross-validation, the SVM model had an accuracy of 0.83 [95% CI 0.79-0.87], a sensitivity of 0.88 [95% CI 0.86-0.90], a specificity of 0.75 [95% CI 0.72-0.78] and an area under the curve of 0.88 [95% CI 0.85-0.91]. CONCLUSIONS: The coexistence of MCI and SSD was associated with the greatest disrupted topological organization of the DMN. The network topological metrics could identify MCID and serve as biomarkers of different clinical phenotypic presentations of MCI.

Natural products reverse cancer multidrug resistance.

Cancer stands as a prominent global cause of death. One of the key reasons why clinical tumor chemotherapy fails is multidrug resistance (MDR). In recent decades, accumulated studies have shown how Natural Product-Derived Compounds can reverse tumor MDR. Discovering novel potential modulators to reduce tumor MDR by Natural Product-Derived Compounds has become a popular research area across the globe. Numerous studies mainly focus on natural products including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, polyphenols and coumarins for their MDR modulatory activity. Natural products reverse MDR by regulating signaling pathways or the relevant expressed protein or gene. Here we perform a deep review of the previous achievements, recent advances in the development of natural products as a treatment for MDR. This review aims to provide some insights for the study of multidrug resistance of natural products.

m6A modification of lncRNA PHKA1-AS1 enhances Actinin Alpha 4 stability and promotes non-small cell lung cancer metastasis.

Cancer is a disease with molecular heterogeneity that is closely related to gene mutations and epigenetic changes. The principal histological subtype of lung cancer is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is a kind of RNA that is without protein coding function, playing a critical role in the progression of cancer. In this research, the regulatory mechanisms of lncRNA phosphorylase kinase regulatory subunit alpha 1 antisense RNA 1 (PHKA1-AS1) in the progression of NSCLC were explored. The increased level of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification in NSCLC caused the high expression of PHKA1-AS1. Subsequently, high-expressed PHKA1-AS1 significantly facilitated the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells, and these effects could be reversed upon the inhibition of PHKA1-AS1 expression, both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, the target protein of PHKA1-AS1 was actinin alpha 4 (ACTN4), which is known as an oncogene. Herein, PHKA1-AS1 could enhance the protein stability of ACTN4 by inhibiting its ubiquitination degradation process, thus exerting the function of ACTN4 in promoting the progress of NSCLC. In conclusion, this research provided a theoretical basis for further exploring the potential mechanism of NSCLC metastasis and searching novel biomarkers related to the pathogenesis and progression of NSCLC.

Apoptosis sensitization by Euphorbia factor L1 in ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistant K562/ADR cells.

In this article, reversal activities of Euphorbia factor L1 (EFL1) against ABCB1-mediated multidrug resistance (MDR) and apoptosis sensitization in K562/ADR cells are reported. EFL1 decreased the IC50 values of anticancer agents in K562/ADR cells over-expressing ABCB1. However, EFL1 did not affect the IC50 values of anticancer agents in sensitive K562 cells. Additionally, EFL1 increased the intracellular accumulation of rhodamine 123 and doxorubicin in K562/ADR cells without affecting their accumulation in K562 cells. Furthermore, EFL1 sensitized the apoptosis triggered by vincristine in K562/ADR cells via mitochondrial pathway, as confirmed by Annexin V-FITC/PI detection and western blot. At the same time, EFL1 did not influence the apoptosis induced by vincristine in K562 cells. Western blot results showed that EFL1 did not affect the phosphorylation level of AKT and ERK in K562 and K562/ADR cells. Finally, EFL1 did not down-regulate protein expression of ABCB1.

Characterization of flavonoids in the ethomedicine Fordiae Cauliflorae Radix and its adulterant Millettiae Pulchrae Radix by HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn.

Fordiae Cauliflorae Radix (FC, the root of Fordia cauliflora Hemsl) and Millettiae Pulchrae Radix [MP, the root of Millettia pulchra (Benth.) Kurz var. laxior (Dunn) Z. Wei], which go under the same local name of "Daluosan", have long been used in Southern China for the treatment of stroke, paralysis, dementia in children, Alzheimer's disease and other diseases. The same local name and similar functions always confuse users. To further utilize these two ethnodrugs and identify them unambiguously, an HPLC-DAD-ESI-IT-TOF-MSn method was developed to separate and characterize the flavonoids in FC and MP. A total of 41 flavonoids were detected, of which six compounds were identified by comparing their retention time and MS data with those of the reference standards, and the others were tentatively identified based on their tandem mass spectrometry data obtained in the positive ion detection mode. Nineteen of these characterized compounds are reported from these two plants for the first time.

Activatable unsaturated liposomes increase lipid peroxide of cell membrane and inhibit tumor growth.

The cancer chemodynamic therapy based on the Fenton reaction has been attracting more and more attention. However, the performance of the Fenton reaction is restricted by the unsuitable physiological pH value and inadequate H2O2 content in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this study, we proposed a novel method of inducing lipid peroxide (LPO) of the cancer cell membrane, whose performance is not limited by the pH value and H2O2 in the TME. The activatable LPO-inducing liposomes were constructed by encapsulating Fe3+-containing compound ferric ammonium citrate (FC) in the unsaturated soybean phospholipids (SPC). It was found that the FC could be reduced by the overexpressed glutathione (GSH) in the TME and produce iron redox couple. The Fe3+/Fe2+ mediated the peroxidation of the unsaturated SPC and induced the LPO in the cancer cells. Finally, LPO accumulation led to cancer cell death and tumor growth inhibition. Furthermore, the activatable liposomes did not damage healthy tissues because of the low GSH content in normal tissues and the GSH-triggered activation of the nanocarrier. Together, our findings revealed that FC-SPC-lipo displayed excellent anti-tumor performance and its therapeutic effects are less influenced by the TME, compared with the traditional ferroptosis.