Discovery of new triterpenoids from Leptopus clarkei and their antiproliferative activity on cancer cells.

Two new triterpenoids (1-2), along with six known analogues (3-8) were obtained from the dried whole plant of Leptopus clarkei. Compound 1 is a 3,4-seco-lupane-type triterpenoid, and compound 2 is a phenylpropanoid-conjugated pentacyclic triterpenoid possessing trans-p-coumaroyl unit attached to oleanane-type skeleton. This is the first report on chemical investigation of the L. clarkei, and the triterpenoid derivatives were found in this plant for the first time. The structures of the new compounds were unequivocally elucidated by HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR data. Additionally, the isolated compounds were evaluated for theircytotoxicities against four cancer cell lines including HepG2, MCF-7, A549 and HeLa. Notably, compound 2 exhibited the most significant antiproliferative activity with IC50 less than 20 µM for four cancer lines.

Chemical constituents from the seeds of Cullen corylifolium and their inhibitory activity on diacylglycerol acyltransferase.

A large number of extracts of medicinal plants or natural products shows beneficial to combat obesity. In the present work, a new flavonoid named (2S,1″R,2″R)-4'-hydroxy-7-methoxy-6-(1,2,3-trihydroxy-3-methyl-butyl)-flavanone (1), along with seven known compounds (2-8) were isolated from the seeds of Cullen corylifolium. Their structures, including the absolute configurations, were determined by the analysis of comprehensive spectroscopic data and computational calculation methods. All isolates were evaluated for their diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) inhibitory activity. Compounds 1-4 exhibited different level of DGAT1 inhibitory activity with IC50 values ranging from 28.2 ± 1.1 to 127.3 ± 1.9 µM. In addition, 45 flavonoids which be evaluated for DGAT inhibitory activity were summarised and potential structure-activity relationships were discussed.

A Comparison of the Antioxidant Effects Between Hydrogen Gas Inhalation and Vitamin C Supplementation in Response to a 60-Min Treadmill Exercise in Rat Gastrocnemius Muscle.

The reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during exercise act as a double-edged sword because they may cause oxidative damage but also play a role in the signaling pathways. A supplementation of exogenous antioxidants can reduce the total amount of ROS during exercise while it may also affect the ROS' role in the signaling pathways of mitochondrial biogenesis. It has been suggested that hydrogen gas, as an antioxidant, can selectively scavenge hydroxyl radicals but does not affect superoxide anion's signal transduction. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 1-h hydrogen gas inhalation 30min prior to a treadmill exercise on the key biomarkers of mitochondrial biogenesis and related signaling pathways, and the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes, with those of vitamin C, in the rat skeletal muscle. Eighty-one 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned to three interventions (exercise-only, exercise+4%H2, and exercise+vitamin C at 500mg/kg weight, with 27 rats under each intervention), and sampled at pre-, immediately post and 4h post a 60-min treadmill exercise at speed of 27m/min and flat inclination, with nine rats in each sub-group. Expression of mitochondrial biogenetic markers and related signaling molecules in gastrocnemius muscle, and concentrations of oxidative stress markers in serum were measured. Two-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis analyses showed that both hydrogen inhalation and vitamin C supplementation significantly reduced serum levels of MDA immediately after exercise and AGEs 4h after exercise. The pre-exercise supplement of vitamin C significantly reduced mitochondrial complex IV concentrations and PGC-1α, NRF-1, TFAM gene expression levels compared to the pre-exercise group, but the hydrogen gas intervention did not result in a reduction in these measurements. Unlike vitamin C, hydrogen inhalation did not blunt post-exercise mitochondrial biogenetic signals, but resulted in an increase in complex IV concentration, activation of PGC-1α, and TFAM and NRF-2 gene transcription, and up-regulation of PGC-1α protein expression. The findings indicated that hydrogen gas inhalation could play the role as an effective antioxidant in response to the exercise, whilst it did not significantly affect mitochondrial biogenesis. The dose-response relationship and antioxidant effects in different types of exercise for hydrogen inhalation require further investigation.

Phenylpropanoid-conjugated pentacyclic triterpenoids from the whole plants of Leptopus lolonum induced cell apoptosis via MAPK and Akt pathways in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Our present and previous phytochemical investigations on Leptopus lolonum have resulted in the isolation of almost 30 phenylpropanoid-conjugated pentacyclic triterpenoids (PCPTs). During the continuous study on PCPTs, this kind of triterpenoid ester is considered as a natural product with low toxicity because of it's widely distribution in natural plants and edible fruits including kiwi fruit, durian, jujube, pawpaw, apple and pear. In the present work, we report the isolation, structural elucidation and cytotoxic evaluation of four new PCPTs (1-4) which obtained from L. lolonum. In addition, the possible biosynthesis pathway for 28-norlupane triterpenoid and potent effect of phenylpropanoid moiety for increasing the cytotxic effect of triterpenoids were also discussed. Among these compounds, compound 1 exhibited the highest cytotoxic effect on HepG2 cells with IC50 value of 11.87 µM. Further flow cytometry and western blot analysis demonstrated that 1 caused G1 cell cycle arrest by up-regulated the expression of phosphorylated p53 protein in HepG2 cells and induced cell apoptosis via MAPK and Akt pathways. These results emphasized the potential of PCPTs as lead compounds for developing anti-cancer drugs.

New phenylpropanoid-conjugated pentacyclic triterpenoids from the whole plants of Leptopus lolonum with their antiproliferative activities on cancer cells.

Most of Euphorbiaceae plants are considered as folk medicinal plants because of their various pharmacological effects. However, there are eight Leptopus genus plants which belong to Euphorbiaceae have never be investigated. Thus, four Leptopus genus plants were collected to study their chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. In the present work, the cytotoxicities of the extracts of four Leptopus genus plants were evaluated before phytochemical experiments. And nine new phenylpropanoid-conjugated pentacyclic triterpenoids, along with twenty-two known compounds were isolated from the whole plants of Leptopus lolonum. The structures of these new compounds were unequivocally elucidated by HRESIMS and 1D/2D NMR data. All triterpenoids were screened for their cytotoxicities against four cancer cell lines including HepG2, MCF-7, A549 and HeLa. Among these isolates, the triterpenoid with a phenylpropanoid unit showed increasing cytotoxicity on cancer cells, which suggested the importance of the phenylpropanoid moiety.

Long-Term Warming in Alaska Enlarges the Diazotrophic Community in Deep Soils.

Tundra ecosystems are typically carbon (C) rich but nitrogen (N) limited. Since biological N2 fixation is the major source of biologically available N, the soil N2-fixing (i.e., diazotrophic) community serves as an essential N supplier to the tundra ecosystem. Recent climate warming has induced deeper permafrost thaw and adversely affected C sequestration, which is modulated by N availability. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the responses of diazotrophic communities to warming across the depths of tundra soils. Herein, we carried out one of the deepest sequencing efforts of nitrogenase gene (nifH) to investigate how 5 years of experimental winter warming affects Alaskan soil diazotrophic community composition and abundance spanning both the organic and mineral layers. Although soil depth had a stronger influence on diazotrophic community composition than warming, warming significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced diazotrophic abundance by 86.3% and aboveground plant biomass by 25.2%. Diazotrophic composition in the middle and lower organic layers, detected by nifH sequencing and a microarray-based tool (GeoChip), was markedly altered, with an increase of α-diversity. Changes in diazotrophic abundance and composition significantly correlated with soil moisture, soil thaw duration, and plant biomass, as shown by structural equation modeling analyses. Therefore, more abundant diazotrophic communities induced by warming may potentially serve as an important mechanism for supplementing biologically available N in this tundra ecosystem.IMPORTANCE With the likelihood that changes in global climate will adversely affect the soil C reservoir in the northern circumpolar permafrost zone, an understanding of the potential role of diazotrophic communities in enhancing biological N2 fixation, which constrains both plant production and microbial decomposition in tundra soils, is important in elucidating the responses of soil microbial communities to global climate change. A recent study showed that the composition of the diazotrophic community in a tundra soil exhibited no change under a short-term (1.5-year) winter warming experiment. However, it remains crucial to examine whether the lack of diazotrophic community responses to warming is persistent over a longer time period as a possibly important mechanism in stabilizing tundra soil C. Through a detailed characterization of the effects of winter warming on diazotrophic communities, we showed that a long-term (5-year) winter warming substantially enhanced diazotrophic abundance and altered community composition, though soil depth had a stronger influence on diazotrophic community composition than warming. These changes were best explained by changes in soil moisture, soil thaw duration, and plant biomass. These results provide crucial insights into the potential factors that may impact future C and N availability in tundra regions.

Microbial Functional Gene Diversity Predicts Groundwater Contamination and Ecosystem Functioning.

Contamination from anthropogenic activities has significantly impacted Earth's biosphere. However, knowledge about how environmental contamination affects the biodiversity of groundwater microbiomes and ecosystem functioning remains very limited. Here, we used a comprehensive functional gene array to analyze groundwater microbiomes from 69 wells at the Oak Ridge Field Research Center (Oak Ridge, TN), representing a wide pH range and uranium, nitrate, and other contaminants. We hypothesized that the functional diversity of groundwater microbiomes would decrease as environmental contamination (e.g., uranium or nitrate) increased or at low or high pH, while some specific populations capable of utilizing or resistant to those contaminants would increase, and thus, such key microbial functional genes and/or populations could be used to predict groundwater contamination and ecosystem functioning. Our results indicated that functional richness/diversity decreased as uranium (but not nitrate) increased in groundwater. In addition, about 5.9% of specific key functional populations targeted by a comprehensive functional gene array (GeoChip 5) increased significantly (P < 0.05) as uranium or nitrate increased, and their changes could be used to successfully predict uranium and nitrate contamination and ecosystem functioning. This study indicates great potential for using microbial functional genes to predict environmental contamination and ecosystem functioning.IMPORTANCE Disentangling the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is an important but poorly understood topic in ecology. Predicting ecosystem functioning on the basis of biodiversity is even more difficult, particularly with microbial biomarkers. As an exploratory effort, this study used key microbial functional genes as biomarkers to provide predictive understanding of environmental contamination and ecosystem functioning. The results indicated that the overall functional gene richness/diversity decreased as uranium increased in groundwater, while specific key microbial guilds increased significantly as uranium or nitrate increased. These key microbial functional genes could be used to successfully predict environmental contamination and ecosystem functioning. This study represents a significant advance in using functional gene markers to predict the spatial distribution of environmental contaminants and ecosystem functioning toward predictive microbial ecology, which is an ultimate goal of microbial ecology.

Leucine-derived cyanoglucosides from the aerial parts of Sorbaria sorbifolia (L.) A. Braun.

Six new cyanoglucosides, 2S-cardiospermin-5-benzoate (1), 2R-cardiospermin-5-p-hydroxybenzoate (2), 2S-cardiospermin-5-cis-p-coumarate (3), isocardiospermin-5-p-hydroxybenzoate (4), sutherlandin-5-p-hydroxybenzoate (5), and sutherlandin-5-cis-p-coumarate (6), together with 17 known compounds were isolated from Sorbaria sorbifolia. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and ECD experiments. The biosynthetic relationship of 1-9 was also discussed. The cyanoglucosides (1-9) and 15 exhibited moderate inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production of RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Four new sesqui-lignans isolated from Acanthopanax senticosus and their diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) inhibitory activity.

Four new sesqui-lignans, (7R, 7'R, 7″S, 8S, 8'S, 8″S)-4',5″-dihydroxy-3,5,3',4″-tetramethoxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxy-4,8″-oxy-8,8'-sesquineo-lignan-7″,9″-diol (1), (7R, 7'R, 7″S, 8S, 8'S, 8″S)-4',3″-dihydroxy-3,5,3',5',4″-pentamethoxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxy-4,8″-oxy-8,8'-sesquineo-lignan-7″,9″-diol (2), (7R, 7'R, 7″S, 8S, 8'S, 8″S)-3',4″-dihydroxy-3,5,4',5″-tetramethoxy-7,9':7',9-diepoxy-4,8″-oxy-8,8'-sesquineo-lignan-7″,9″-diol (3) and acanthopanax A (7) together with three known compounds (4-6) were isolated from the EtOAc-soluble extract of Acanthopanax senticosus. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and physicochemical analyses. All the isolates were evaluated for in vitro inhibitory activity against DGAT1 and DGAT2. Among them, compounds 1-6 were found to exhibit selective inhibitory activity on DGAT1 with IC50 values ranging from 61.1 ± 1.3 to 97.7 ± 1.1 µM and compound 7 showed selective inhibition of DGAT2 with IC50 value 93.2 ± 1.2.

Effects of Morus root bark extract and active constituents on blood lipids in hyperlipidemia rats.

OBJECTIVE: Chinese crude drug Mori Cortex Radicis (the root cortex of Morus species) has been used as a folk medicine to treat hypertension, diabetes, as well as in expectorant, diuretic agents. This investigation aims to study the anti-hyperlipidemia effects of Mori Cortex Radicis (MCR) extracts in hyperlipidemic rat models and the potential therapeutic activities of compounds isolated from the extracts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of MCR on hypolipidemic parameters were investigated using Wistar rats induced by high-lipid emulsion. Sixty healthy Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: normal group, hyperlipidaemia model group, simvastatin, and high-, medium- and low-dose MCR extracts. After four weeks, body weight, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high and low-density lipoproteins (HDL, LDL), as well as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were measured. To further investigation, four major active compounds were isolated from extracts through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and their diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) inhibitory activity was evaluated. RESULTS: MCR dose-dependently reduced serum TC, TG, LDL-C, inhibited the activity of ALT, AST, and increased HDL-C. Furthermore, in vitro biochemistry tests revealed that four active isolates showed moderate inhibitory activity against DGAT1 with IC50 values ranging from 62.1 ± 1.2 to 99.3 ± 2.3 µM. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that MCR could effectively ameliorate hyperlipidaemia and inhibit DGAT1 that a key enzyme closely related to hyperlipidaemia and type 2 diabetes. It may provide a new pharmacological basis for treating hyperlipidaemia and related diseases using MCR.

The functional gene composition and metabolic potential of coral-associated microbial communities.

The phylogenetic diversity of coral-associated microbes has been extensively examined, but some contention remains regarding whether coral-associated microbial communities are species-specific or site-specific. It is suggested that corals may associate with microbes in terms of function, although little is known about the differences in coral-associated microbial functional gene composition and metabolic potential among coral species. Here, 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing and functional gene array (GeoChip 5.0) were used to assess coral-associated microbial communities. Our results indicate that both host species and environmental variables significantly correlate with shifts in the microbial community structure and functional potential. Functional genes related to key biogeochemical cycles including carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus cycling, metal homeostasis, organic remediation, antibiotic resistance and secondary metabolism were shown to significantly vary between and among the four study corals (Galaxea astreata, Porites lutea, Porites andrewsi and Pavona decussata). Genes specific for anammox were also detected for the first time in the coral holobiont and positively correlated with ammonium. This study reveals that variability in the functional potential of coral-associated microbial communities is largely driven by changes in environmental factors and further demonstrates the importance of linking environmental parameters with genomic data in complex environmental systems.

Two new lignans from Saururus chinensis and their DGAT inhibitory activity.

Two new lignans were isolated from Saururus chinensis, along with eight known compounds. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and physico-chemical analyses. All the isolates were evaluated for in vitro inhibitory activity against DGAT1 and DGAT2. Among them, compounds 2, 3, 5 and 7 were found to exhibit selective inhibitory activity on DGAT1 with IC50 values ranging from 44.3±1.5 to 87.5±1.3µM.

Effect of intestinal autochthonous probiotics isolated from the gut of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) on immune response and growth of A. japonicus.

The study isolated 224 bacteria from the intestine of Apostichopus japonicus, then selected and identified three of the bacteria (HS1, HS7, and HS10) which demonstrated amylase, lipase, and protease production capacity as candidate probiotics for sea cucumbers. The three potential probiotics showed no pathogenicity both in hemolytic assays on sheep blood agar plates and after immersing sea cucumbers in a suspension of the bacteria. To reveal the effects of these three potential probiotics on the innate immunity of sea cucumbers, total coelomocyte counts, respiratory burst activity, superoxide dismutase activity, lysozyme activity, acid phosphatase activity, and phagocytic activity by coelomocytes were examined after feeding with four different diets for up to 28 days. Also the specific growth rate and survival rate were investigated after a 60-day feeding trial. Sea cucumbers were fed with 4 diets: one control, three diets supplemented with 1 × 10(9) cell g(-1) of HS1, HS7, and HS10 for 28-60 days. Results showed that sea cucumbers fed diets containing HS1, HS7, and HS10 had led to an enhanced cellular and humoral immune response, notably higher total coelomocytes counts, respiratory burst activity, lysozyme activity, acid phosphatase activity, and phagocytic activity, as recorded during the four weeks of probiotics administration. On the other hand, the survival rate among dietary treatments ranged from 90.71 to 97.97% with significant improvement (P < 0.05) compared to that of the control; and the growth rate observed in the sea cucumbers fed HS1 and HS7 showed sharp increases after 60 days feeding. The present study confirmed the potential beneficial effects of Pseudoalteromonas elyakovii HS1, Shewanella japonica HS7, and Vibrio tasmaniensis HS10 as dietary probiotics in A. japonicus.

Determination of skimmin, scopolin and umbelliferone in Tibetan medicine Saussurea hieracioides by HPLC / 中国中药杂志

This study is aimed to establish a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for simultaneous determination of skimmin, scopolin and umbelliferone in Saussurea hieracioides. Samples were analyzed on a Wondasil C18-WR column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) with methanol (A) and water containing 0.1% phosphate (B) as mobile phases for gradient elution at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1). The detection wavelength and column temperature were set at 325 nm and 35 degrees C, respectively, and the sample size was 10 microL. The results showed that skimmin, scopolin and umbelliferone were simultaneously achieved within 40 min under the above conditions. A good linearity was observed in the range of 0.18-5.6 microg (r = 1.000 0), 0.060-1.8 microg (r = 0.999 9), 0.032-0.97 microg (r = 0.999 8) for skimmin, scopolin and umbelliferone, respectively, with the average recoveries of 99.16% (RSD = 0.41%), 100.3% (RSD = 0.79%), 102.2% (RSD = 0.87%). The method is simple, accurate and reproducible and can be used for the quality control of S. hieracioides.

Effects of electroacupuncture on IGF-1 in the ischemic cortex after cerebral ischemia / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of electroacupuncture (EA) on affected and healthy limbs and on the regulation of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) mRNA and proteins in the cerebral cortex early after focal ischemic.Methods A model of focal cerebral ischemia was established in 54 SD rats using the suture occlusion method.They were then randomly divided into an affected limb therapy group (ALTG,n =18),an unaffected limb therapy group (UALTG,n =18),and a control group (CG,n =18).Each group had a 7-day subgroup,a 14-day subgroup and a 21-day subgroup with 6 rats in each.Rats in the experimental groups received EA beginning 24h after the occlusion.Rats in each subgroup were sacrificed in a random order on the 7th,14th and 21st days and the ischemic cerebral cortexes were quickly dissected.The specimens were frozen in liquid nitrogen before being analysed for IGF-1 mRNA expression by RT-PCR and for IGF-1 protein by Western blotting.Results ①After occlusion,IGF-1 protein levels in the ischemic cortexes of the CG declined from the 7th through the 21st day.Rats in the ALTG had significantly higher levels compared with the CG at all time points.The UALTG had the highest values on the 14th day,but was lower than the ALTG and higher than the CG at the 21st day.②IGF-1 mRNA levels in the ischemic cortexes of the UALTG declined from the 7th through the 21st day.At day 7 the results of the UALTG were 6.8 times higher than the CG,and the ALTG was 3.0 times higher.At day 14 levels in the UALTG were significantly lower than those in the ALTG.At that point the results of the UALTG rats were 3.3 times higher than those of the CG and the ALTG was 5.7 times higher.On day 21 levels in both the UALTG and ALTG were significantly lower than in the CG.Conclusions EA intervention at an early stage of focal cerebral ischemia can improve the expression of IGF-1 mRNA and protein levels in the ischemic cortex.Treating the unaffected limb can evoke more IGF-1 mRNA expression earlier and with relatively longer duration,and generate relatively longer protein increases.EA administered to the unaffected limb was more effective in the early stage of stroke.

Dose-dependent effects of nicotine on proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells and the antagonistic action of vitamin C.

A range of biological and molecular effects caused by nicotine are considered to effect bone metabolism. Vitamin C functions as a biological antioxidant. This study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of nicotine on human bone marrow stromal cells and whether Vitamin C supplementation show the antagonism action to high concentration nicotine. We used CCK-8, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity assay, Von Kossa staining, real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot to evaluate the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation. The results indicated that the proliferation of BMSCs increased at the concentration of 50, 100 ng/ml, got inhibited at 1,000 ng/ml. When Vitamin C was added, the OD for proliferation increased. For ALP staining, we found that BMSCs treated with 50 and 100 ng/ml nicotine showed a higher activity compared with the control, and decreased at the 1,000 ng/ml. Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) expression and the calcium depositions decreased at 100 and 1,000 ng/ml nicotine, while the addition of Vitamin C reversed the down regulation. By real-time PCR, we detected that the mRNA expression of collagen type I (COL-I) and ALP were also increased in 50 and 100 ng/ml nicotine groups (P < 0.05), while reduced at 1,000 ng/ml (P < 0.05). When it came to osteocalcin (OCN), the changes were similar. Taken all together, it is found that nicotine has a two-phase effect on human BMSCs, showing that low level of nicotine could promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation while the high level display the opposite effect. Vitamin C could antagonize the inhibitory effect of higher concentration of nicotine partly.

Antitumor and anti-angiogenesis effects of thymoquinone on osteosarcoma through the NF-κB pathway.

Thymoquinone (TQ), the predominant bioactive constituent derived from the medicinal spice Nigella sativa (also known as black cumin), has been applied for medical purposes for more than 2,000 years. Recent studies reported that thymoquinone exhibited inhibitory effects on the cell proliferation of several cancer cell lines. This study was performed to investigate the antitumor and anti-angiogenic effects of thymoquinone on osteosarcoma in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that thymoquinone induced a higher percentage of growth inhibition and apoptosis in the human osteosarcoma cell line SaOS-2 compared to that of control, and thymoquinone significantly blocked human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation in a dose-dependent manner. To investigate the possible mechanisms involved in these events, we performed electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and western blot analysis, and found that thymoquinone significantly downregulated NF-κB DNA-binding activity, XIAP, survivin and VEGF in SaOS-2 cells. Moreover, the expression of cleaved caspase-3 and Smac were upregulated in SaOS-2 cells after treatment with thymoquinone. In addition to these in vitro results, we also found that thymoquinone inhibits tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth through suppressing NF-κB and its regulated molecules. Collectively, our results demonstrate that thymoquinone effectively inhibits tumor growth and angiogenesis both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, inhibition of NF-κB and downstream effector molecules is a possible underlying mechanism of the antitumor and anti-angiogenic activity of thymoquinone in osteosarcoma.

Effects of dietary fish oil on the depletion of carcinogenic PAH-DNA adduct levels in the liver of B6C3F1 mouse.

Many carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their metabolites can bind covalently to DNA. Carcinogen-DNA adducts may lead to mutations in critical genes, eventually leading to cancer. In this study we report that fish oil (FO) blocks the formation of DNA adducts by detoxification of PAHs. B6C3F1 male mice were fed a FO or corn oil (CO) diet for 30 days. The animals were then treated with seven carcinogenic PAHs including benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) with one of two doses via a single intraperitoneal injection. Animals were terminated at 1, 3, or 7 d after treatment. The levels of DNA adducts were analyzed by the (32)P-postlabeling assay. Our results showed that the levels of total hepatic DNA adducts were significantly decreased in FO groups compared to CO groups with an exception of low PAH dose at 3 d (P = 0.067). Total adduct levels in the high dose PAH groups were 41.36±6.48 (Mean±SEM) and 78.72±8.03 in 10(9) nucleotides (P = 0.011), respectively, for the FO and CO groups at 7 d. Animals treated with the low dose (2.5 fold lower) PAHs displayed similar trends. Total adduct levels were 12.21±2.33 in the FO group and 24.07±1.99 in the CO group, P = 0.008. BPDE-dG adduct values at 7 d after treatment of high dose PAHs were 32.34±1.94 (CO group) and 21.82±3.37 (FO group) in 10(9) nucleotides with P value being 0.035. Low dose groups showed similar trends for BPDE-dG adduct in the two diet groups. FO significantly enhanced gene expression of Cyp1a1 in both the high and low dose PAH groups. Gstt1 at low dose of PAHs showed high levels in FO compared to CO groups with P values being 0.014. Histological observations indicated that FO played a hepatoprotective role during the early stages. Our results suggest that FO has a potential to be developed as a cancer chemopreventive agent.

[Identification of tea from different regions using X-ray fluorescence].

The existence of fake tea from non-origin seriously impacts on the credibility of the famous tea. A method was developed to identify tea from difference regions on the basis of the fact that the content of heavy metals in different origin tea is varied by using X-ray fluorescence technique and pattern recognition technique. Samples from different origins were grouped respectively, and their X-ray fluorescence spectra were acquired, and then the principal components of these spectral data were calculated, and the average of the principal components of each group was used as the center of each group. The Mahalanobis distance value between a sample and the center of a group were calculated, when the Mahalanobis distance value reached minimum, the sample was classed to current group, and in this way, a sample was identified. A Niton 792 portable X-ray spectrometer was used to class 120 tea samples from Anji, Jinhua, Hangzhou and Taizhou, in zhejiang province of China. It was found that the spectra between 3 and 13 KeV and the first 4 principal components give enough information for the identification of tea from different regions,and the rate of error was 4.2%.

[The clinical study on the adjunctive effects of aqueous extract from coptis root for the treatment of chronic periodontitis].

PURPOSE: To make a therapeutic membrane with aqueous extract from coptis root and explore its adjunctive effects for treating chronic periodontitis. METHODS: Drug membrane from coptis root aqueous extract was developed; 4 teeth in 30 patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis were randomly divided into four groups: coptis root membrane, iodine glycerin, single drug membrane and blank control group. All parameters including plaque index (PI), probing depth (PD), attachment loss (AL) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were measured at baseline, 4 and 7 weeks after treatment. Analysis of variance and chi-square test were carried out for analysis. RESULTS: In all four groups, there were significant differences of PD, AL, BOP between baseline and 4,7 weeks after treatment (P<0.05), the treatment effect of coptis root membrane was significantly superior to that of other three groups (P<0.05). Moreover, all the parameters improved continuously. CONCLUSION: Use of coptis root membrane as an adjunctive method after scaling can significantly improve the treatment effect of periodontitis.