The molecular mechanism of baicalein repressing progression of gastric cancer mediating miR-7/FAK/AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Baicalein (BAI) has a significant anti-cancerous function in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC). Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a key regulatory molecule in integrin and growth factor receptor mediated signaling. MicroRNA-7 (miR-7), has been considered as a potential tumor suppressor in a variety of cancers. However, the possible mechanisms by which BAI inhibiting progression of gastric cancer mediating miR-7/FAK/AKT signaling pathway remain unclear. PURPOSE: To investigate the molecular mechanism and effects of BAI inhibiting progression of gastric cancer mediating miR-7/FAK/AKT signaling pathway. METHODS: Gastric cancer cell lines with FAK knockdown and overexpression were constructed by lentivirus transfection. After BAI treatment, the effects of FAK protein on proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells were detected by MTT, EdU, colony formation, wound healing, transwell and Matrigel tube formation assays. In vivo experiment was performed by xenograft model. Immunofluorescence and western blot assay were used to detect the effects of FAK protein on the expression levels of EMT markers and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway related proteins. qRT-PCR and luciferase reporter assay were used to clarify the targeting relationship between miR-7 and FAK. RESULTS: BAI can regulate FAK to affect proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis of gastric cancer cells through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. qRT-PCR showed BAI can upregulated the expression of miR-7 and luciferase reporter assay showed the targeting relationship between miR-7 and FAK. Additionally, miR-7 mediates cell proliferation, metastasis and angiogenesis by directly targeting FAK 3'UTR to inhibit FAK expression. CONCLUSION: BAI repressing progression of gastric cancer mediating miR-7/FAK/AKT signaling pathway.

[Comparative study on anti-depressant effect of Zhizichi Decoction and its solid fermentation product on CUMS rats].

Chronic unpredicted mild stress(CUMS) combined with isolated feeding was used to induce depressed rat model. The anti-depressant effects of Zhizichi Decoction(ZZCD) and its solid fermented product(ZZC) were analyzed by behavioral test and comparison of pathological tissues of hippocampus and liver, metabolic characteristics of intestinal flora, and relative abundance of species. The results showed that ZZC could increase sucrose preference, shorten the immobility time in the forced swim test and tail suspension test(P<0.05), and repair damaged hippocampus and liver tissues, and the effect was superior to that of ZZCD. The results of Biolog ECO plates showed that the average well color development(AWCD) of intestinal flora in the model group significantly decreased and the metabolic levels of sugar and amino acids were reduced, while the AWCD of the treatment groups increased. The metabolic levels of the two carbon sources were improved in the ZZC group, while only sugar metabolic level was elevated in the ZZCD group. Metagenomic analysis of intestinal flora showed that the ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes was 3.87 in the control group, 21.77 in the model group, 5.91 in the ZZC group, and 18.48 in the ZZCD group. Lactobacillus increased by 3.28 times, and Prevotella and Bacteroidetes decreased by 75.59% and 76.39%, respectively in the model group as compared with that in the control group. Lactobacillus decreased by 31.13%, and Prevotella and Bacteroidetes increased by more than three times in the ZZC group as compared with that in the model group, while the corresponding changes in the ZZCD group were not significant. ZZC could improve depression-like beha-viors by regulating the structure of intestinal flora and metabolic functions and repairing damaged hippocampus and liver tissues in depressed rats, showing an anti-depressant effect superior to that of ZZCD. This study is expected to provide a basis for the development of new anti-depressant food products.

[Analysis of chemical constituents of Ginseng-Douchi compound fermentation products based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS].

In this experiment, ultra high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used to analyze and identify chemical constituents of Ginseng-Douchi(GD) compound fermentation, and explore the conversion rules of ginsenosides and soybean isoflavones after compound fermentation. Waters Acquity UPLC BEH C_(18) column(2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.7 µm) was adopted, with 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution(A)-0.1% formic acid acetonitrile solution(B) as mobile phase for gradient elution; electrospray ion source(ESI) was used to collect data in positive and negative ion modes; according to the exact mass number, the secondary spectrum comparison of the database and the existing literature reports, Peakview 2.0/masterview 1.0 software was used to determine the common ion structure formula. Finally, a total of 133 chemical constituents were analyzed and identified from the GD. Ginseng saponins and isoflavone glycosides were significantly converted after fermentation. Among them, peak areas of prototype ginsenosides Rk_3, Rh_1, Rh_2, Rh_3, daidzin, glycitin and genistin decreased significantly; whereas peak areas of se-condary ginsenoside Rb_1, Rb_2, Rk_1, glycitein, genistein and daidzein increased significantly. In this experiment, liquid-mass spectrometry technique was used to investigate the conversion of active ingredients of GD compound fermented products after co-fermentation, so as to provide a scientific basis for elucidating pharmacodynamics material basis and quality control.

Baicalein Inhibits Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation and Migration through a FAK Interaction via AKT/mTOR Signaling.

Gastric cancer is a common malignancy worldwide and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. However, very little is known about the underlying mechanism in human gastric cancer cells. Baicalein (BAI), a widely used Chinese herbal medicine, has shown anticancer effects on many types of human cancer cell lines. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying BAI action on gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration. The results showed that BAI can expressively inhibit cell proliferation, colony-forming ability and migration ability in a dose-dependent manner, while in the meantime inducing cell apoptosis. Additionally, we found that BAI can suppress FAK and the phosphorylation of PI3K, AKT and mTOR in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, BAI significantly inhibited tumor growth in a xenograft model. Also, BAI can inhibit the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells and the expression of the pathway by downregulating the expression of FAK. In short, we demonstrated that BAI inhibited gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration through FAK interaction via downregulation in AKT/mTOR signaling, which signifies that BAI may be a latent therapeutic factor for the treatment of gastric cancer patients and that FAK might be a hopeful therapy target for the disease.

The efficacy of ginger for the treatment of migraine: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.

INTRODUCTION: The efficacy of ginger for migraine remains controversial. We conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of ginger versus placebo on treatment in migraine patients. METHODS: We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and Cochrane library databases through September 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of ginger versus placebo on treatment efficacy in migraine patients. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect model. RESULTS: Three RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with control group in migraine patients, ginger treatment is associated with substantially improved pain free at 2 h (RR = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.04-3.09; P = 0.04) and reduced pain scores at 2 h (MD = -1.27; 95% CI = -1.46 to -1.07; P < 0.00001), but reveals no obvious impact on treatment response (RR = 2.04; 95% CI = 0.35-11.94; P = 0.43) or total adverse events (RR = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.46-1.41; P = 0.44). The incidence of nausea and vomiting is obviously lower in ginger group than that in control group. CONCLUSIONS: Ginger is safe and effective in treating migraine patients with pain outcomes assessed at 2 h.

Efficacy and Prognostic Factors of Combined Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Patients With Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

Purpose Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a clinical emergency with an increased incidence of occurrence in recent years. Hyperbaric oxygen has been widely used in the clinical treatment of sudden hearing loss. However, prognostic factors related to its curative effects are still not clear, which hinders its clinical application. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and prognostic factors of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) plus drug therapies in the treatment of sudden hearing loss. Method Patients with sudden hearing loss who were treated with hyperbaric oxygen from April to October 2017 were retrospectively included. Clinical information was collected, including pure-tone audiometry data before and after hyperbaric oxygen treatment, age, gender, hearing curve classification, concomitant symptoms, history of diseases (diabetes and hypertension), history of hormone therapy, start time of hyperbaric oxygen treatment, and total number of hyperbaric oxygen treatments. The prognostic factors were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Sixty-four patients with sudden hearing loss were enrolled, including 7 cases of low-frequency loss, 4 cases of high-frequency loss, 32 cases of flat loss, and 21 cases of complete hearing loss. After HBOT, there were 16 cases (25%) of complete recovery, 15 cases (23.43%) of partial recovery, 7 cases (10.93%) of slight improvement, and 26 cases (40.63%) of no improvement. The total effective rate was 59.37%. Twelve of 21 cases (57.14%) of complete hearing loss showed recovery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the start time of HBOT ≤ 7 days from disease onset was independently associated with hearing recovery ( OR = 27.763, 95% CI [4.209, 183.115], p = .001). Conclusion Combined HBOT can improve the hearing impairment of sudden hearing loss. The early HBOT showed the most promising therapeutic effects, especially among patients with complete hearing loss.

The efficacy and safety of medical leech therapy for osteoarthritis of the knee: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: It is controversial on whether medical leech therapy is effective in improving pain and functional outcome in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Therefore, we perform a meta-analysis from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the efficacy and safety of medical leech therapy in patients with knee OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched for literature up to January 2018. RCTs involving medical leech therapy in patients with knee OA were included. Two independent reviewers performed independent data abstraction. The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. A fixed or random effects model was adopted for meta-analysis. All meta-analyses were performed by using STATA 12.0. RESULTS: Four RCTs with 264 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The current meta-analysis showed that there were significant differences in terms of visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and WOMAC scores at 1 week, 4weeks and 7 weeks compared with control groups. However, leech therapy was associated with a significantly higher incidence of adverse events. The overall evidence quality is moderate, which means that further research is likely to significantly change confidence in the effect estimate but may change the estimate. CONCLUSION: Medical leech therapy was associated with a significantly improved outcome in pain relief and functional recovery in patients with symptomatic knee OA. However, given the inherent limitations in the included studies, this conclusion should be interpreted cautiously.

Polysaccharides from Citrus grandis L. Osbeck suppress inflammation and relieve chronic pharyngitis.

Chronic pharyngitis, a common inflammation of the pharyngeal mucosa, is often caused by bacteria, viruses, alcohol abuse, overuse of the voice and cigarettes. This study aimed to explore the effects of polysaccharides of Citrus grandis L. Osbeck (PCG) in relieving chronic pharyngitis and illustrate the underlying mechanisms. Polysaccharides were obtained from PCG by column chromatographic extraction. Six clinical symptom scores, such as the severity of itchy throat, hoarseness, pain, odynophagia, cough and otalgia were evaluated in chronic pharyngitis patients after the oral intake of PCG. The effects of polysaccharides on chronic pharyngitis were investigated in ammonia-stimulated rabbits through pathology analysis. The levels of inflammatory markers in the peripheral blood T cells were analyzed by ELISA. The total and phosphorylated levels of ERK1/2, JNK and p38 were assessed by Western blot. Protein amount of IKKα and p65, IKKα/ß activity and p65 activity were evaluated by Western blot and luciferase assay. The clinical studies presented that PCG significantly relieved the six symptoms of chronic pharyngitis patients. Pathology analysis of chronic pharyngitis animals showed that the PCG treatment groups showed a significant decrease in the number of pathologic cells and the reduction of pathologic cells was dose-dependent (p < 0.01). ELISA analysis showed that PCG significantly inhibited the αCD3-induced increase of IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, Western blot and luciferase assay suggested that the phosphorylation of IKKα/ß in peripheral blood T cells was inhibited by the administration of PCG. These results indicate that polysaccharides exhibit anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the phosphorylation of IKKs, subsequently suppressing the NF-κB pathway activation and decreasing the expression of inflammatory mediators.

[Analysis and evaluation of chemically induced artificial agarwood].

In this study,the content of ethanol extraction of agarwood were performed following the method of Chinese Pharmacopoeia(ChP 2015 edition). The chromatographic fingerprints were established by GC-MS. Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）(version 2012) was employed to calculate the similarity of each chromatogram of agarwood. The ratios of sum peak area in the range of 170-270 min and 0-100 min of individual chromatogram were calculated using square peaks to normalization. AMDIS and RI were employed to identify the common and different peaks. Correlation coefficient P(corr) combined with Variable important in projection(VIP) value was employed to screen the different representative components based on OPLS-DA analysis. Grey related degree and TOPSIS were used to evaluate the quality of artificial agarwoods. The results showed that more than 10.0% of the ethanol extract content was found in 15 batches of artificial agarwoods among the total 18. The similarity of 18 batches artificial agarwoods was 0.439-0.779. The peak area ratios of two intervals were in the range of 0.307-13.254. The 9 common components and 8 different components were identified. Meanwhile, 2% salicylic acid is the best inducer based on grey related degree and TOPSIS. Grey related degree and TOPSIS can be used to evaluate the quality of artificial agarwoods rapidly. These results provide a reference data to evaluate the qualityof artificial agarwood.

Research on Techniques of Multifeatures Extraction for Tongue Image and Its Application in Retrieval.

Tongue diagnosis is one of the important methods in the Chinese traditional medicine. Doctors can judge the disease's situation by observing patient's tongue color and texture. This paper presents a novel approach to extract color and texture features of tongue images. First, we use improved GLA (Generalized Lloyd Algorithm) to extract the main color of tongue image. Considering that the color feature cannot fully express tongue image information, the paper analyzes tongue edge's texture features and proposes an algorithm to extract them. Then, we integrate the two features in retrieval by different weight. Experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the detection rate of lesion in tongue image relative to single feature retrieval.

Profiling elements in Puerh tea from Yunnan province, China.

Puerh tea, as the most representative Chinese dark tea, has attracted global interest in recent years. Profiling the levels of metal elements in Puerh tea is very important since its presence is related to human health. In this study, 41 elements in 98 Puerh tea samples from Yunnan province, China including Puerh raw tea and Puerh ripe tea were evaluated by microwave digestion combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry . The content of toxic elements, essential elements and rare earth elements of Puerh tea from different regions was discussed in detail. The concentrations of Ba, Cr, As, Pb, Bi, Fe, Zn, V, Mn, Be, Ag and Tl showed significant differences (p < 0.05) by ANOVA analysis. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used to describe the relationship of Puerh tea from different regions. This study provided a comprehensive database for Puerh tea quality control and intake risk assessment.

Facile Fabrication of Near-Infrared-Responsive and Chitosan-Functionalized Cu2 Se Nanoparticles for Cancer Photothermal Therapy.

Photothermal therapy has attracted much interest for use in cancer treatment in recent years. In this study, Cu2 Se nanoparticles as a novel photothermal agent modified by chitosan (CS-Cu2 SeNPs) were successfully synthesized through a facile route at room temperature. The as-synthesized CS-Cu2 SeNPs exhibited good water solubility and significant stability. CS-Cu2 SeNPs can efficiently convert near-infrared (NIR) light into heat and exhibit excellent thermostability. In vitro experiments showed that CS-Cu2 SeNPs had selective cellular uptake between cancer and normal cells and expressed clear anticancer activity on A375 and HeLa human cancer cells. In addition, the anticancer activity was increased to about 400 % by combination with a laser at 808 nm, which acted through induction of apoptosis with the involvement of intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. CS-Cu2 SeNPs irradiated with a laser effectively triggered the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction that promoted cell apoptosis. Therefore, the developed CS-Cu2 SeNPs could be used as a novel phototherapeutic agent for the photothermal therapy of human cancers.

Prophylactic Vancomycin Drops Reduce the Severity of Early Bacterial Keratitis in Keratoprosthesis.

BACKGROUND: Artificial cornea transplantation, keratoprosthesis, improves vision for patients at high risk of failure with human cadaveric cornea. However, post-operative infection can cause visual loss and implant extrusion in 3.2-17% of eyes. Long-term vancomycin drops are recommended following keratoprosthesis to prevent bacterial keratitis. Evidence, though, in support of this practice is poor. We investigated whether prophylactic vancomycin drops prevented bacterial keratitis in an animal keratoprosthesis model. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-three rabbits were assigned either to a prophylactic group (n = 13) that received vancomycin 1.4% drops 5 times/day from keratoprosthesis implantation to sacrifice, or a non-prophylactic group (n = 10) that received no drops. All rabbits had Staphylococcus aureus inoculation into the cornea at 7-12 days post-implantation and were sacrificed at predetermined time-points. Prophylactic and non-prophylactic groups were compared with slit-lamp photography (SLP), anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and histology, immunohistochemistry and bacterial quantification of excised corneas. Corneal vancomycin pharmacokinetics were studied in 8 additional rabbits. RESULTS: On day 1 post-inoculation, the median SLP score and mean±SEM AS-OCT corneal thickness (CT) were greater in the non-prophylactic than the prophylactic group (11 vs. 1, p = 0.049 and 486.9±61.2 vs. 327.4±37.1 µm, p = 0.029 respectively). On days 2 and 4, SLP scores and CT were not significantly different. Immunohistochemistry showed a greater CD11b+ve/non-CD11b+ve cell ratio in the non-prophylactic group (1.45 vs. 0.71) on day 2. Bacterial counts were not significantly different between the two groups. Corneal vancomycin concentration (2.835±0.383 µg/ml) exceeded minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for Staphylococcus aureus only after 16 days of vancomycin drops. Two of 3 rabbits still developed infection despite bacterial inoculation after 16 days of prophylactic drops. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic vancomycin drops provided short-term benefit, but did not prevent infection. Achieving MIC in the cornea was not sufficient to prevent Staphylococcus aureus keratitis. Patients should continue to be counselled regarding the risk of infection following keratoprosthesis.

High-efficiency removal of phytic acid in soy meal using two-stage temperature-induced Aspergillus oryzae solid-state fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Phytic acid of soy meal (SM) could influence protein and important mineral digestion of monogastric animals. Aspergillus oryzae (ATCC 9362) solid-state fermentation was applied to degrade phytic acid in SM. Two-stage temperature fermentation protocol was investigated to increase the degradation rate. The first stage was to maximize phytase production and the second stage was to realize the maximum enzymatic degradation. RESULTS: In the first stage, a combination of 41% moisture, a temperature of 37 °C and inoculum size of 1.7 mL in 5 g substrate (dry matter basis) favored maximum phytase production, yielding phytase activity of 58.7 U, optimized via central composite design. By the end of second-stage fermentation, 57% phytic acid was degraded from SM fermented at 50 °C, compared with 39% of that fermented at 37 °C. The nutritional profile of fermented SM was also studied. Oligosaccharides were totally removed after fermentation and 67% of total non-reducing polysaccharides were decreased. Protein content increased by 9.5%. CONCLUSION: Two-stage temperature protocol achieved better phytic acid degradation during A. oryzae solid state fermentation. The fermented SM has lower antinutritional factors (phytic acid, oligosaccharides and non-reducing polysaccharides) and higher nutritional value for animal feed.

Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by TTF1 from extract of herbal medicine.

AIM: To study the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by 5,2,4´-trihydroxy-6,7,5´-trimethoxyflavone (TTF1) isolated from an extract of herbal medicine Sorbaria sorbifolia. METHODS: Angiogenic activity was assayed using the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) method. Microvessel density (MVD) was determined by staining tissue sections immunohistochemically for CD34 using the Weidner capillary counting method. The mRNA and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), vascular endothelialgrowth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2, Flk-1/KDR), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: The TTF1 inhibition rates for CAM were 30.8%, 38.2% and 47.5% with treatment concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 µg/embryo × 5 d, respectively. The inhibitory rates for tumor size were 43.8%, 49.4% and 59.6% at TTF1 treatment concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 µmol/kg, respectively. The average MVD was 14.2, 11.2 and 8.5 at treatment concentrations of 5 µmol/kg, 10 µmol/kg and 20 µmol/kg TTF1, respectively. The mRNA and protein levels of VEGF, KDR, bFGF, COX-2 and HIF-1α in mice treated with TTF1 were significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: TTF1 can inhibit tumor angiogenesis, and the mechanism may be associated with the down-regulation of VEGF, KDR, bFGF, HIF-1α and COX-2.

[Effects of polydatin on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of three different doses of polydatin (PD) on pulmonary interstitial fibrosis in rats induced by bleomycin. METHOD: One hundred and twenty-nine healthy Sprague-Dawley rats three months old, were randomly divided into six groups. Group A: normal control group; group B: model group treated with bleomycin (pretreatment with saline 1 mL x kg(-1) intraperitoneally before bleomycin); group C: PD 10 mg x kg(-1) (pretreatment with PD 10 mg x kg(-1) intraperitoneally before bleomycin); group D: PD 20 mg x kg(-1) (pretreatment with PD 20 mg x kg(-1) intraperitoneally before bleomycin); group E: PD 40 mg x kg(-1) (pretreatment with PD 40 mg x kg(-1) intraperitoneally before bleomycin), group F: dexamethason (DXM) treated group (pretreatment with saline 1 mL x kg(-1) intraperitoneally before bleomycin and then with DXM 1 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1)). At day 3, 7, 14, 28 after injection of bleomycin, eight rats in each group were randomly chosen to be killed. The right lungs of dead rats were removed and appropriately processed for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain, histologically observed under light microscope. The hydroxyproline content and the PLA2 activity in pulmonary homogenate were measured with alkaline hydrolysis assay and acid modified microtitrimetic method. The levels of leukotriene C4 (LTC4), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULT: At day 3, 7, 14, 28 after intratracheal instillation of bleomycin in rats of group B, the PLA2 activity in lung homogenate and the levels of its metabolic products PGE2, LTC4 as well as TGF-beta1 in BALF increased significantly compared with those in group A (P < 0.01). And lung hydroxyproline concentration began to grow up markedly at day 7 compared with those in group A (P < 0.05), reaching its maximum at day 28. Compared with group B, three different doses of PD and DXM significantly reduced the activity of the PLA2 and hydroxyproline concentration in lung homogenate as well as the levels of PGE2, LTC4, TGF-beta1 in BALF at various periods (P < 0.05). There was statistically significant difference between three different doses of PD groups (P < 0.05). And the group E (PD 40 mg x kg(-1)) was lower than group D (PD 20 mg x kg(-1)), group D was lower than group C (PD 10 mg x kg(-1)) (respectively, P < 0.01). Group E and DXM group were no significant difference. However, all these observation parameters were higher than the normal level (compared with group A, P < 0.01). Histological studies revealed that it was showed less inflammation and a lower degree of fibrosis in the lungs treated with PD than bleomycin model group. CONCLUSION: PD has the protective effect on pulmonary interstitial fibrosis. However, it can't completely block the process of pulmonary fibrosis.

[Inhibition of Sorbaria sorbifolia on proliferarion of hepatoma HepG-2 cell line].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibition of Sorbaria sorbifolia on proliferation hepatoma HepG-2 cells, and to explore the antineoplastic mechanism of Sorbaria sorbifolia. METHODS: MTT assay was used to examine the effect of Sorbaria sorbifolia on the proliferation of HepG-2 cell and flow cytometry was used for the cell cycle distribution. Apoptosis of HepG-2 cell was investigated further by means of inverted microscope, HE staining, transmission electron microscopy and expression of apoptosis-associated gene bcl-2 and p53 were determined by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: Sorbaria sorbifolia inhibited the proliferation of HepG-2 cell and the effects were in a time-and-concentration dependent manner. Sorbaria sorbifolia could also induce apoptosis, the G2/M phase was arrested and the ratio of apoptosis was significantly difference with that of control group, respectively. The expressions of apoptosis-associated gene bcl-2 and p53 had changed significantly, respectively. CONCLUSION: Sorbaria sorbifolia inhibits proliferation of HepG-2 cells via induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest.

Investigation of antibacterial activity of rosemary essential oil against Propionibacterium acnes with atomic force microscopy.

In the present study, the antibacterial activity of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L. Labiatae) essential oil against Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) was observed with atomic force microscopy (AFM). The MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) value of rosemary essential oil against P.acnes was 0.56 mg/mL. Significant changes in morphology and size of P. acnes were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) in response to essential oil treatment. The essential oil first attached to the surface of P. acnes at low concentration, the width and height of the bacterial body became larger, whereas the length did not change considerably. With increasing concentration of the essential oil, the bacterial bodies were severely damaged. The length, width and height were all reduced, when the concentration was increased up to 64xMIC, the length, width and height were reduced by 42.56%, 92.00% and 41.58%, respectively. Furthermore, treated bacteria lost their native shape, the cell wall desquamated, and the cytoplasm leaked out of the bacterial body, finally leading to bacterial death. With the increasing time at MIC, the bacteria length was reduced at 8 h, the width and height gradually became smaller, the shape of the cell became distorted, and finally led to cell wall damage and bacterial death at 8 h. In conclusion, the AFM investigation of morphology and size of P. ACNES treated with rosemary essential oil represents a powerful technique, which can generally be applied to reveal the biological changing mechanisms of bacteria induced by antibacterial agents at the nanometer level.

Antimicrobial activity of clove and rosemary essential oils alone and in combination.

In the present study, the antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from clove (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. et Perry) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) was tested alone and in combination. The compositions of the oils were analysed by GC/MS. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against three Gram-positive bacteria, three Gram-negative bacteria and two fungi were determined for the essential oils and their mixtures. Furthermore, time-kill dynamic processes of clove and rosemary essential oils against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were tested. Both essential oils possessed significant antimicrobial effects against all microorganisms tested. The MICs of clove oil ranged from 0.062% to 0.500% (v/v), while the MICs of rosemary oil ranged from 0.125% to 1.000% (v/v). The antimicrobial activity of combinations of the two essential oils indicated their additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects against individual microorganism tests. The time-kill curves of clove and rosemary essential oils towards three strains showed clearly bactericidal and fungicidal processes of (1)/(2) x MIC, MIC, MBC and 2 x MIC.