The Relationship between RUNX3 Expression, Nursing Strategies and Nutritional Status in Elderly Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between nutritional status and expression of RUNX3 in gastric cancer cells and to investigate the effects of nursing strategies on the nutritional status of elderly patients with advanced gastric cancer. METHODS: Forty-eight elderly patients admitted at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University with advanced gastric cancer and 30 healthy controls were selected as subjects from 2014-15. The correlation between RNX3 gene expression and nutritional status of the gastric cancer patients was investigated. The patients with advanced gastric cancer who had low expression of RUNX3 gene were treated with holistic nursing while routine nursing was taken for those patients who had normal or high expression of RUNX3 gene. The nutritional statuses of these patients were evaluated after 3 months of nursing. After a follow-up of 1 year, the influence of different nursing methods on the survival time was evaluated. RESULTS: Compared with normal gastric tissue, the expression of RUNX3 gene and protein in tissues of advanced gastric cancer were significantly decreased (P<0.01). Compared with patients with normal or high expressions of RUNX3, the nutritional statuses of advanced gastric cancer patients with low expressions of RUNX3 were lower (P<0.01). The nutritional statuses of patients with low expressions of RUNX3 were notably improved after holistic nursing, becoming equivalent to those with normal or high expression of RUNX3 who received routine nursing (P>0.05). The survival time of patients with low expression of RUNX3 who received holistic nursing were similar to patients with normal or high expression of RUNX3 who received routine nursing (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: RUNX3 is correlated with the occurrence and development of advanced gastric cancer. The low nutritional status of elderly advanced gastric cancer patients with low expressions of RUNX3 can be significantly enhanced by holistic nursing, thereby prolonging survival time.

Effect of encapsulated carvacrol on the incidence of necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens.

There is an urgent need to control necrotic enteritis (NE) caused by Clostridium perfringens in chickens when antibiotics are withdrawn from feed. Carvacrol has strong antimicrobial activity and its delivery to the animal intestine can be significantly enhanced after encapsulation. The present study has investigated the potential of encapsulated carvacrol in controlling NE. In general, micro-encapsulation of carvacrol in an alginate-whey protein matrix showed no adverse effect on its antimicrobial activity towards C. perfringens in either Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth or a simulated gastrointestinal model. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of both encapsulated and un-encapsulated carvacrol were approximately 200 µl/l against C. perfringens in BHI. In a broiler infection model with C. perfringens, the diets supplemented with encapsulated carvacrol at the dose of either 250 or 650 µg/g significantly reduced NE in the chicken intestine, which was close to the degree of lesions observed in bacitracin/salinomycin treated birds. Supplementation with either bacitracin/salinomycin or encapsulated carvacrol showed no significant impact on intestinal burden of Lactobacillus. However, the treatment with bacitracin/salinomycin or the low dose of encapsulated carvacrol reduced the level of C. perfringens in the ileum of birds at 35 days of age. These results suggest that our encapsulated carvacrol can be used to combat NE disease in chickens.

Effect of REAu on Silver Staining Results and Their UV-Vis Absorption Spectra.

La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy particles and gold nanoparticles were prepared. Effects of La-Au, Ce-Au, Nd-Au, Sm-Au, Eu-Au, Gd-Au and Dy-Au particles on silver staining results were studied, respectively, and UV-Vis absorption spectra of La-Au, Ce-Au, Nd-Au, Sm-Au, Eu-Au, Gd-Au and Dy-Au particles were studied. Times and colors of sports with La-Au, Ce-Au, Nd-Au, Sm-Au, Eu-Au, Gd-Au, Dy-Au particles are longer and darker than that of with gold nanoparticles, respectively. The time of sport with Nd-Au particles is as long as 30 min, which is 2.7 times as long as with gold nanoparticles. Although amount of gold nanoparticles reduced 80%, the color of sport with Nd-Au particles is darker than that of with gold nanoparticles. In 200.00-800.00 nm, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy particles and gold nanoparticles has one absorption peak, respectively, and λ(max) is 275, 277, 276, 276, 278, 277, 278 and 521 nm, respectively. La-Au, Ce-Au, Nd-Au, Sm-Au, Eu-Au, Gd-Au, Dy-Au particles have two absorption peaks, respectively, λ(max)(RE) and λ(max) are 276 and 522 nm, 276 and 522 nm, 276 and 523 nm, 276 and 523 nm, 276 and 522 nm, 276 and 522 nm, 276 and 523 nm, respectively. λ(max) of Au nanoparticles and La particles occurs red moving respectively, and λ(max) of Ce, Eu, Gd and Dy particles occurs blue moving, respectively, and λ(max) of Nd and Sm particles is constant respectively. Rare earths particles and gold nanoparticles may have interaction, respectively.

[Optimization of extraction process for tannins from Geranium orientali-tibeticum by supercritical CO2 method].

In order to optimize extraction process conditions of tannins from Geranium orientali-tibeticum by supercritical CO2, the content of tannins was determined by phosphomolybdium tungsten acid-casein reaction, with extraction pressure, extraction temper- ature and extraction time as factors, the content of tannins from extract of G. orientali-tibeticum as index, technology conditions were optimized by orthogonal test. Optimum technology conditions were as follows: extraction pressure was 25 MPa, extraction temperature was 50 °C, extracted 1.5 h. The content of tannins in extract was 12.91 mg x g(-1), extract rate was 3.67%. The method established could be used for assay the contents of tannin in G. orientali-tibeticum. The circulated extraction was an effective extraction process that was stable and feasible, and that provides a way of the extraction process conditions of tannin from G. orientali-tibeticum.

Melatonin mediates protective effects on inflammatory response induced by interleukin-1 beta in human mesenchymal stem cells.

Joint diseases like osteoarthritis usually are accompanied with inflammatory processes, in which pro-inflammatory cytokines mediate the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and compromise survival of subchondral osteoblasts. Melatonin is capable of manipulating bone formation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The aim of this work was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of melatonin on MSC proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in the absence or presence of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), which was used to induce inflammation. Our data showed that melatonin improved cell viability and reduced ROS generation in MSCs in a dose-dependent manner. When exposed to 10 ng/mL IL-1ß, various concentrations of melatonin resulted in significant reduction of ROS by 34.9% averagely. Luzindole as a melatonin receptor antagonist reversed the anti-oxidant effect of melatonin in MSCs with co-exposure to IL-1ß. Real-time RT-PCR data suggested that melatonin treatment up-regulated the expression of CuZnSOD and MnSOD, while down-regulated the expression of Bax. To investigate the effect of melatonin on osteogenesis, MSCs were cultured in osteogenic differentiation medium supplemented with IL-1ß, melatonin, or luzindole. After exposed to IL-1ß for 21 days, 1 µm melatonin treatment significantly increased the levels of type I collagen, ALP, and osteocalcin, and 100 µm melatonin treatment yielded the highest level of osteopontin. Our study demonstrated that melatonin maintained MSC survival and promoted osteogenic differentiation in inflammatory environment induced by IL-1ß, suggesting melatonin treatment could be a promising method for bone regenerative engineering in future studies.

Effects of Ficus hirta Vahl. (Wuzhimaotao) extracts on growth inhibition of HeLa cells.

Ficus hirta Vahl. (Wuzhimaotao) is widely used as a folk medicine by Hakka people in southern China. In order to ascertain if any major fraction can be attributed to have pronounced anticancer effect, extracts of Wuzhimaotao on cytotoxic and apoptosis of HeLa cell lines were evaluated. HeLa cells were cultured and incubated with different concentrations of crude aqueous extracts (CAE), ethyl acetate extracts (EAE), and butyl alcohol extracts (BAE). It showed CAE, EAE, and BAE decreased cell viability on HeLa cells as a dose-dependent manner, and induced a sub-G1 peak in flow cytometry histogram of treated cells compared to the control. Apoptotic cell death is involved in CAE, EAE, and BAE toxicity, with EAE having a significant decrease in G1 population. An over all analysis of results showed that Wuzhimaotao extracts exert antiproliferative action and growth inhibition on HeLa cells through apoptosis induction which indicates its anticancer properties and deserves further investigation.

Antimicrobial properties, antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity of ethanol-soluble acidic components from Ganoderma atrum.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of ethanol-soluble acidic components (ESAC) from Ganoderma atrum as a novel source against bacteria and oxidation in food industry. The qualitative analysis of ESAC was based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and eight ganoderic acids were identified in ESAC. Its total phenolic content of ESAC was 75.80±5.67 mg/g. ESAC exhibited antimicrobial activity against all of the tested bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus subsp. Aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Proteusbacillus vulgaris), and exerted antioxidant activities by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, total reducing power and ß-carotene bleaching assays. Moreover, ESAC (at concentrations of 0-100 µg/mL) did not show any cytotoxic effects in RAW264.7 murine macrophage cells. Our findings suggested that ESAC has the potential as a novel natural source for food industry, ganoderic acids and phenolic compounds may be related to its antimicrobial properties as well as antioxidant activities.

[Effect of PEG stress on plantlets of Chrysanthemum morifolium induced by endophytic botrytis sp. (C1) and Chaetomium globosum (C4)].

The effect of the endophytic fungi Botrytis sp. (C1) or Chaetomium globosum (C4) on the drought resistance of Chrysanthemum morifolium was studied. Ch. morifolium plantlets were inoculated with C1, C4 and cultured in the pots for 60 days, then the plantlets were stressed by 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% PEG6000 respectively in order to simulate different drought conditions. Biomass, the activities of SOD, POD, PAL, the contents of MDA and soluble protein of each group were determined. The results showed that endophytic fungi groups grew better than the control (without inoculation endophytic fungi). With the increasing of the concentration of PEG6000, the biomass of Ch. morifolium of each groups decreased, while the biomass of fungi groups was significantly higher than that of control, moreover C4 group higher than C1 group. With the concentration of PEG increasing, the content of MDA of each group increased too, while POD activity and soluble protein content of all treatments increased at first and then decreased. SOD activity and PAL activity of the control were increased with the increase of PEG concentration, but SOD activity of the two fungi groups were stable. After been stressed by different concentrations of PEG, MDA content of two fungi groups were always lower than the control, while SOD activity, POD activity, PAL activity and soluble protein content were higher. In conclusion, endophytic fungi can increase the drought resistance of Ch. morifolium.

[The effect of different endophytic fungi on Chrysanthemum morifolium output and quality].

OBJECTIVE: To enhance the flowers yield of Chrysanthemum morifolium by endophytic fungi. METHODS: Endophytic fungi (Chaetomium globosum strain C4 and Botrytis sp. strain C1) were inoculated to the plantlets which were planted in the pots. The output of the flowers was measured, the total flavonoids and essential oil contents of the flowers were determined. RESULTS: Compared to that of the control, fresh and dry outputs of the fungi C4 group increased 24.81%, 7.59%, fresh and dry outputs of the fungi C1 group increased 17.08%, 6.87%. Total flavonoids content of the fungi C4 group was higher than that of the control remarkably, fungi C4, C1 groups flowers total flavonoids content increased 31.79%, 8.55% compared to that of the control. Essential oil content of the fungi C4, C1 groups increased 13.21%, 18.19% respectively. The content percentage of various essential oil components of the fungi C4, C1 groups increased 10.42%, 8.90% compared to that of the control respectively. There were differences among the content percentage of various essential oil components of fungi C4, C1 treated group and the control's. CONCLUSION: The two fungi could build the symbiosis relation with the Chrysnthemum morifolium, which may cause them to enhance the output and quality finally.