[Effect of C21 steroidal glycoside of Cynanchum auriculatum on liver and kidney fibrosis through TLR4 pathway].

The liver and kidney fibrosis model was established by thioacetamide(TAA) and unilateral ureteral obstruction(UUO) in SD rats. The rats were randomly divided into three groups: model group, low and high-dose groups of C21 steroidal glycosides of Cynanchum auriculatum. Another blank control group was set. Four weeks later, serum was taken to detect the biochemical indexes of liver and kidney function. Urine protein and urine creatinine were detected by kits. Liver and kidney tissue samples were stained with HE and Masson staining, and hydroxyproline content was detected. Western blot was used to detect expressions of fibrotic proteins, inflammatory factors and TLR4 signaling pathways, so as to observe the preventive and therapeutic effects of C21 steroidal glycosides from C. auriculatum on hepatic and renal fibrosis and explore its molecular mechanism. Four weeks later, serum biochemical results showed that liver and kidney functions were seriously damaged, and pathological sections showed that inflammatory cell infiltration, decrease of parenchymal cells, and increase of interstitial fibrosis in liver and kidney tissues. The results showed that low and high doses(150, 300 mg·kg~(-1)) of C21 steroidal glycosides could significantly reduce the collagen deposition and the pathological changes of liver and kidney fibrosis compared with the model group. At the same time, we found that the expression levels of TLR4 and MyD88 signaling pathway proteins were significantly increased in the liver and kidney tissues of the model group, and a large number of NF-κB signaling pathway proteins migrated into the nucleus. On the contrary, the expression levels of TLR4, MyD88 signaling pathway proteins and the nuclear migration of NF-κB were significantly inhibited in the low and high dose groups of C21 steroidal glycosides from C. auriculatum. Therefore, it was speculated that the mechanism of C21 steroidal glycoside for preventive and therapeutic effect on hepatic and renal fibrosis was related to inhibit TLR4/MYD88/NF-κB inflammatory pathway, thus preventing hepatic and renal fibrosis.

In vitro biological screening of the stem of Desmodium elegans.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the medicinal importance of the stem of Desmodium elegans, methanolic extract, and its different solvent fractions were evaluated for brine shrimp lethality, insecticidal and phytotoxicity, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. METHODS: The methanolic extract and its solvent fractions were tested for cytotoxic, phytotoxic, insecticidal, antifungal, and antibacterial effects using our previous published protocols. RESULTS: The methanolic, DCM, ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions exhibited insecticidal effect against Callosobruchus analis and Rhyzopertha dominic. The methanolic extract, n-hexane, DCM ethyl acetate and n-butanol showed 75, 85, 85, 65 and 5% phytotoxicity at the tested concentration of 500 µg/mL respectively. The solvent fractions (DCM and ethyl acetate) were effective against F. solani (10% and 20% inhibition respectively). All the tested samples were devoid of cytotoxic and antibacterial effects. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that this plant can be practiced for control of weeds and insects.

Effects and possible anti-tumor immunity of electrochemotherapy with bleomycin on human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice.

AIM: To evaluate the anti-tumor effects and possible involvement of anti-tumor immunity of electrochemotherapy (ECT) employing electroporation and bleomycin in human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice, and to establish the experimental basis for clinical application of ECT. METHODS: Forty nude mice, inoculated subcutaneously human colon cancer cell line LoVo for 3 wk, were allocated randomly into four groups: B+E+ (ECT), B+E- (administration of bleomycin alone), B-E+ (administration of electric pulses alone), and B-E- (no treatment). Tumor volumes were measured daily. The animals were killed on the 7th d, the weights of xenografts were measured, and histologies of tumors were evaluated. Cytotoxicity of spleen natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells was then assessed by lactic dehydrogenase release assay. RESULTS: The mean tumor volume of group B+E+ was statistically different from the other three groups after the treatment (F = 36.80, P<0.01). There was one case of complete response, seven cases of partial response (PR) in group B+E+, one case of PR in group B+E- and group B-E+ respectively, and no response was observed in group B-E-. The difference of response between group B+E+ and the other three groups was statistically significant (chi2 = 25.67, P<0.01). Histologically, extensive necrosis of tumor cells with considerable vascular damage and inflammatory cells infiltration were observed in group B+E+. There was no statistical difference between the cytotoxicity of NK and LAK cells in the four treatment groups. CONCLUSION: ECT significantly enhances the chemosensitivity and effects of chemotherapy in human colon cancer xenografts in nude mice, and could be a kind of novel treatment modality for human colon cancer. The generation of T-cell-dependent, tumor-specific immunity might be involved in the process of ECT.