Seed oil of Brucea javanica induces apoptosis through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in acute lymphocytic leukemia Jurkat cells.

Brucea javanica oil emulsion (BJOE) has been used to treat tumor in China for more than 40 years. However, its components and effectiveness in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and its mechanism of anti-cancer activity remain unknown. In the current study, high-performance liquid chromatography-evaporative light scattering detector (HPLC-ELSD) was used to analyze the components of BJOE. Then, the anti-leukemia effects of BJOE were examined both in vitro and in vivo using ALL Jurkat cells and the p388 mouse leukemia transplant model, respectively. The primary ALL leukemia cells were also used to confirm the anti-leukemia effects of BJOE. The apoptotic-related results indicated that BJOE induced apoptosis in Jurkat cells and were suggestive of intrinsic apoptotic induction. Moreover, BJOE inhibited Akt (protein kinase B) activation and upregulated its downstream targets p53 and FoxO1 (forkhead box gene, group O-1) to initiate apoptosis. The activation of GSK3ß was also involved. Our findings demonstrate that BJOE has anti-leukemia effects on ALL cells and can induce apoptosis in Jurkat cells through the phosphoinositide3-kinase (PI3K) /Akt signaling pathway.

Opening a Window on Attention: Adjuvant Therapies for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), most commonly known as Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative disease (UC), is a chronic and relapsing intestinal disease which cannot be cured completely. The prevalence of IBD in Europe and in North America has increased over the past 20 years. As most IBD patients are young at onset, their quality of life (QOL) can be influenced to varying degrees. Thus, current treatment goals are typically focused on preventing complications, including maintaining clinical remission and improving the QOL. Adjuvant therapies have been widely concerned as an effective treatment in alleviating IBD symptoms, including dietary intervention, traditional Chinese medicine, smoking, alcohol, and physical activities. This review focuses on different ancillary therapies for IBD treatments, in particular the mechanism of reducing inflammation based on the actual data from research studies. Moreover, comparing the latest data, this review also presented potential future prospect for adjuvant therapies.

Use of preoperative erythropoietin therapy to facilitate autologous blood donation in orthopedic surgery: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Autologous blood transfusion helps to avoid or reduce the need for allogenic blood transfusion in patients undergoing major surgery. We examined the value of erythropoietin therapy to support preoperative autologous blood donation (PABD) in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar databases were searched from October 26th, 1989 until September 30th, 2017. Primary outcomes were percentages of patients able to donate ≥4 units of blood for autologous transfusion, amount of allogeneic blood transfused, changes in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels from before PABD to immediately before surgery, and adverse events. RESULTS: Of 256 studies identified, 18 studies met the inclusion criteria with a total of 1914 patients (mean age 51-69 years), of whom 1153 were treated with erythropoietin. Erythropoietin was associated with a greater percentage of patients able to donate ≥4 units of blood for autologous use compared to controls (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 3.97 to 9.09, P < .001). Patients receiving preoperative erythropoietin had significantly less of a reduction in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels from before PABD to immediately before surgery compared with controls (hematocrit: mean differences = -1.438, 95% CI = -2.14 to -0.73, P < .001; hemoglobin: mean differences = -1.426, 95% CI = -1.78 to -1.07, P < .001). No significant differences were observed in the amount of allogenic blood transfused between patients receiving erythropoietin and controls (difference in means = -0.220, 95% CI = -0.536 to 0.097, P = .174). Patients who received erythropoietin were less likely to experience dizziness than controls, but the incidence of nausea or fatigue were similar between groups. CONCLUSION: Erythropoietin therapy during the PABD period results in less of a reduction in hematocrit and hemoglobin levels and an increase in the percentage of patients able to donate blood preoperatively.

The effects of particle density in moxa smoke on the ultrastructure of knee cartilage and expressions of TNF-α, IL-1b, BAX, and Bcl-2 mRNA in a rat model for osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of smokeless moxa and other means to reduce exposure are extensively investigated with regards to the health consequences of inhalation of moxa smoke, and clinical studies indicate that classical moxibustion is superior to smokeless moxa. This study aims to quantify the effects of particle density in moxa smoke on the clinical outcome with an established model, demonstrated to be effective for classical moxibustion. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of particle density in moxa smoke on the ultrastructure of knee cartilage and expression of cytokine, tissue necrosing factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1b), apoptosis regulator, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), and BAX in a rat model for inflammatory joint disease. METHODS: Fifty healthy experimental rats were randomly divided into five groups, including normal control, model control, and moxa exposure groups with low, medium, and high particle density, and n = 10/group. In addition, a knee osteoarthritis model was duplicated in the model control and moxa exposure groups. Finally, the ultrastructure of knee cartilage was observed using transmission electron microscopy, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of TNF-α, IL-1b, BAX, and Bcl-2 were determined with quantitative fluorescence methodology. RESULTS: In the model control and moxa exposure groups, knee cartilage indicated that histologic changes with the degree of injury were inversely proportional to moxa smoke density. The mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-1b, and BAX in synovial fluid, as an acute phase reactant, were similarly inversely related to moxa smoke density, but significantly increased. In contrast, Bcl-2, as an antiapoptotic, was substantially decreased in the model, while its levels were directly proportional to moxa smoke density. Besides, the ratio of Bcl-2/BAX mRNA was sharply decreased in the model group, but with levels proportional to moxa smoke density. CONCLUSIONS: A correlation was found between the particle density in moxa smoke and degree of injury to knee cartilage, favoring higher particle densities. This can be partially related to the suppression of the inflammatory effects of TNF-α, IL-1b, enhancement of the antiapoptotic effects of Bcl-2, and, nevertheless, suppression of the apoptotic effects of BAX. Finally, the protective effect of antiapoptotic is one of the key mechanisms for an ambient moxa smoking environment.

[Effects of guanxinping tablet containing serum on H2O2-induced apoptosis and NF-kappaB expressions in vascular endothelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Guanxinping Tablet (GT) containing serum on H2O2-induced apoptosis and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) expression in vascular endothelial cells (VECs). METHODS: Rabbits were randomly divided into the normal control group (treated with normal saline, 10 mL/kg), the verapamil group (0. 02 g/kg, 10 mL/kg), the small dose GT group (2; 8 g/kg, 10 mL/kg), the middle dose GT group (5.6 g/kg, 10 mL/kg), and the large dose GT group (11.2 g/kg, 10 mL/kg), 3 in each group. The medication was given to rabbits by gastrogavage for 3 successive days. The gastrogavage was performed twice on the last day with an interval of 2 h. One h after the last medication the peripheral blood was sampled from the vein of the ear edge. The blood was put for 1 h and centrifuged at 2 500 r/min for 30 min. The serum was extracted and deactivated at 56 degrees C for 30 min to prepare the drug containing serum. The apoptosis injury model was established using 100 micromol/L H2O2 induced VECs in the log phase growth. After modeling they were divided into 6 groups, 5 samples in each group, i. e., the normal group (10% vehicle serum culture solution), the model group (10% vehicle serum culture solution +100 micromol/L H2O2), the verapamil group (10% verapamil serum culture solution +100 micromol/L H2O2), the low dose GT group (10% low dose GT culture solution +100 micromol/L H2O2), the middle dose GT group (10% middle dose GT culture solution + 100 micromol/L H2O2), and the high dose GT group (10% high dose GT culture solution + 100 micromol/L H2O2). THE VEC apoptotic rate was detected using flow cytometry. The protein expression of NF-kappaB was detected using Western blot. RESULTS: The VEC apoptosis rate (9.00% +/- 1.18%) and the protein expression of NF-kappaB (0.39% +/- 0.06%) increased more in the model group than in the normal control group (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the VEC apoptosis rate of the verapamil group (6.00% +/- 0.18%), the large dose GT group (5.30% +/- 0.08%), and the middle dose GT group (6.83% +/- 0.51%) were obviously lower. The expression of NF-kappaB of each treatment group significantly decreased (the verapamil group: 0.28% +/- 0.03%; the small dose GT group: 0.33% +/- 0.03%; the middle dose GT group: 0.30% +/- 0.03%; the large dose GT group: 0.28% +/- 0.04%, P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: GT could fight against H2O2-induced VEC cell apoptosis. Its mechanism might be correlated with regulating the expression of NF-kappaB protein.

[Effects of collagen matrices by covalent incorporation of heparin and loading with huangqi injection (HI) on anagenetic blood vessel].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate effects of collagen matrices by covalent incorporation of heparin and loading with huangqi injection (HI) on anagenetic capillaries, we established the chick chorioallantois model. The collagen matrices by covalent incorporation of heparin and loading with HI were placed and then the eggs were continuously incubated for 3 days. The number of capillaries in the vicinity of samples, the hemoglobin content inside the samples, the dry weight and the macroscopic observation were evaluated. We found the heparinized matrices had comparable angiogenic effects. The number of capillaries, the hemoglobin content, the expression of CD34 increased remarkably (P < 0.01). So we concluded that HI might be considered as an alternative or addition agent to promote the acidification of capillaries.