Cryptotanshinone May Induce Ferroptosis of Human Liver Cancer HepG2 Cells / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To observe the effect of cryptotanshinone on the ferroptosis of human liver cancer HepG2 cells. Methods The viability of the HepG2 cells cultured

Antiasthmatic effects of different tonifying kidney-Yin formulas and their effects on airway remodeling in chronic asthma / 中国中药杂志

Both of Zuogui Wan(ZGW) and Liuwei Dihuang Wan(LWDHW) contain ingredients of Sanbufang(SBF), which have been proven to have antiasthmatic effects. In order to study the antiasthmatic effects of the three tonifying kidney-Yin formulas and their mechanisms, BALB/c mice were randomly divided into 5 groups. Chronic asthma was induced by ovalbumin. Mice in treated groups were respectively given 49.0 g•kg⁻¹ZGW, 35.0 g•kg⁻¹LWDHW and 22.4 g•kg⁻¹SBF by gavage. Those in normal and model group were given normal saline. After treatment, sneeze and nose scratching times of mice were observed. Histological lung sections were prepared to determine the basement membrane thickness(BMT), smooth muscle thickness(SMT), collagen area(CA) and numbers of goblet cells(GCN). Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to determine the expression levels of MMP-9, TGF-β1, Smad2, Smad3 and Smad7. The results showed that sneeze and nose scratching times of ZGW group were significantly lower than those of SBF group. Its inhibition degree on airway remodeling was significantly higher than SBF group. Sneeze and nose scratching times of LWDHW group were significantly lower than SBF group. Its CA and GCN were significantly lower than SBF group. Regarding the four airway remodeling related factors, MMP-9, TGF-β1, Smad2 and Smad3 of ZGW group were significantly lower than those of SBF group, and its Smad7 was significantly higher than SBF. Smad7 of LWDHW group was significantly higher than SBF. There was no significant difference in MMP-9 between model group and SBF group. The results indicate that there are significant differences in the antiasthma effect of these tonifying kidney-Yin formulas. The regulatory effects of ZGW and LWDHW on MMP-9 and Smad7 may be correlated with the differences in the inhibitory effect of airway remodeling of the three formulas.

Effect of Yupingfeng granule on cytokines of allergic rhinitis induced by OVA in rats / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the effects of Yupingfeng granule (YPF) on immune factors of the rats with allergic rhinitis (AR) induced by ovalbumin(OVA). OVA 0.3 mg, Al(OH)3 30 mg and saline 1 mL were mixed and intraperitoneally injected for the initial immunization, 4% OVA 200 μg (50 μL) was given to the nose on the 15th day for the second immunization to establish the allergic rhinitis model. Sixty male SD rats were randomly divided into allergic rhinitis(AR) model group, Yupingfeng granule three dose (2.7,1.35,0.68 g•kg⁻¹) groups, control drug Biyankang (0.4 g•kg⁻¹) and normal control group. After 14 days, efforts were made to collect blood from abdominal aorta, and take nasopharynx tissues and fasten them into 10% formaldehyde for a pathological examination. The levels of HIS, IgE, IL-4 and TNF-α in serum were examined by radioimmunoassay, and nasal mucosa tissues were examined by HE staining. According to the results, the levels of HIS, IgE, IL-4 and TNF-α in serum of Yupingfeng granule groups were significantly lower than that of AR model group (P<0.05, P<0.01). Nasal mucosa tissues showed slight morphological changes and inflammatory cell infiltration, with unobvious necrosis. Yupingfeng granule can improve the pathological changes of nasal mucosa tissues, and reduce the production and release of immune factors during allergic rhinitis (AR) process in vivo by OVA, which may be the important curative mechanism of allergic rhinitis.

Transforming growth factor beta alleviates acute graft-versus-host-disease after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in murine model / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was purposed to investigate the effects and mechanism of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) on acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (allo-BMT). The recipients were male BABL/c mice, while the donors were male C57BL/6 mice. The murine model of aGVHD had been established by allo-BMT with donor derived T cells. Experiment was divided into four groups: control group, radiation control group, transplantation control group and TGF-beta treated group. Mice in TGF-beta treated group were daily subcutaneously injected TGF-beta1 (1 microg/kg) in two days before transplantation until seven days after it. The results showed that the survival time of mice in TGF-beta treated group was significantly longer than that in transplantation control group, and the aGVHD pathological changes in TGF-beta treated group were milder than that in transplantation control group. At seven days after transplantation, the level of IL-2 in TGF-beta treated group was significantly higher than that in control group, but significantly lower than that in transplantation control group. The level of IL-10 in TGF-beta treated group was significantly higher than that in transplantation control group, but the level of IL-10 in transplantation control group was significantly lower than that in other groups. It is concluded that TGF-beta may alleviate or suppress lethal aGVHD, and elevate the survival rate after allo-BMT in murine model. Accommodating of the Th1 and Th2 cytokine levels is the possible mechanism of TGF-beta preventing lethal aGVHD.

Diagnostic significance of NK cell activity in the patients with hemophagocytic syndrome / 中国实验血液学杂志

This study was aimed to explore the level of NK cell activity in the patients with secondary hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) and its significance for early diagnosis of this disease. 16 suspected HPS patients and 25 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The activity of NK cells in peripheral blood was detected by a released LDH assay. The activity level of NK cells in peripheral blood from patients who were finally diagnosed as HPS was compared with healthy subjects. The results showed that 8 out of 16 suspected HPS patients were finally diagnosed as secondary HPS. The activity of NK cells in peripheral blood of these 8 patients was obviously lower than that in healthy subjects with statistical significance (p<0.001), and showed abnormal in the early stage of this disease. It is concluded that the detection of NK cell activity may play an important role in earlier diagnosis of secondary hemophagocytic syndrome.