Active compounds of Caodoukou () inhibit the migration, invasion and metastasis of human pancreatic cancer cells by targeting phosphoinosmde-3-kinase/ protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To detect the effects of active compounds of Caodoukou () (ACAK) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer, and explain the possible molecular mechanism of ACAK interacting with these processes. METHODS: Cell counting kit-8 method, cell scratch repair experiment, Transwell migration and invasion experiment, immunohistochemistry, western blot assay and real-time polymerase chain reaction experiment were used to evaluate the effect of ACAK on the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. The levels of active molecules involved in the phosphoinosmde-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal transduction were detected by Western blot assay. In addition, the function of ACAK was evaluated by xenotransplantation tumor model in nude mice. RESULTS: The inhibitory effect of ACAK on the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells showed certain time-dose dependence. The results of scratch repair test, Transwell test, Western blotting and real time polymerase chain reaction assay showed that ACAK could inhibit the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells . In addition, the regulatory effect of ACAK on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is partly attributed to PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. The experimental results showed that ACAK regulated the development of pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS: ACAK can partly inhibit the activity of EMT and matrix metallopeptidases by down-regulating the downstream proteins of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signal pathway, thus inhibiting the ability of migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer.

The Morphometric Study of Bony Tissue in the Rat Experiment of Bone Union Enhanced by the Red Rice / 浙江中医药大学学报

[Objective] To investigate the curative effect of the red rice in treating the experimental fractures in the rats.[Methods] 64 Wistar rats suffered with single fracture in the forearm were randomized into two groups,one red rice group and the other normal saline control group.On the twenty-first day and 42 day after operation,the qualitation and morphometric observation of the bone tissue were performed.[Results] After the treatment of the red rice,the bony union of the fractured bone in the rats was obviously accelerated.The morphometric index of the bony tissue was higher than the control group with the statistical significance.The remodeling of the bony callus,the emergence of the lamellar bone and recanalization of the medullary cavity could all be enhanced by the use of the red rice.The mineralized bony callus area,the osteoblast index and the matrical calcification were obviously higher than those of the control group.[Conclusions] The growth of bony callus,the index of the osteoblast,the metrical calcification and the remodeling of the bony callus could all be enhanced by the red rice and therefore the bone union could be accelerated.