The complete nucleotide sequence of chloroplast genome of Gentiana apiata (Gentianaceae), an endemic medicinal herb in China.

Gentiana apiata N. E. Brown (Gentianaceae) is a perennial herb plant and only grows in Qinba Mountains in China. Here, we first characterized the complete nucleotide sequence of chloroplast (cp) genome of G. apiata via Illumina next generation sequencing platform. The complete chloroplast genome of G. apiata was 144,274 bp in length, comprising of a large single copy (LSC) region of 77,353 bp, a small single copy (SSC) region of 17,009 bp, and two inverted repeat regions (IRs) of 24,956 bp. The cp genome contains 127 genes, including 82 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNA, eight rRNA genes, and two pseudogenes. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18 cp genome sequences showed that G. apiata closely related to congeneric species.

Adaptive immune cells are necessary for the enhanced therapeutic effect of sorafenib-loaded nanoparticles.

Sorafenib is a kinase inhibitor approved for the treatment of primary kidney cancer, advanced primary liver cancer, and radioactive iodine resistant advanced thyroid carcinoma. However, sorafenib usually causes serious side effects, which limit its antitumor effect. Nanoparticle based drug delivery systems have been widely used to enhance the therapeutic effects and reduce the side effects of this drug by the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Herein, to improve the therapeutic effect of sorafenib, we developed poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) based nanoparticles by a dialysis method for sorafenib encapsulation. After intravenous injection of the sorafenib loaded nanoparticles (NPsorafenib), the tumor growth of mice bearing B16-F10, MC38 and LLC tumor was significantly inhibited. Meanwhile, the dose of sorafenib was reduced to one ninth and the side effects on the hematopoietic system and immune system were abrogated. More importantly, the tumor growth inhibition effect of NPsorafenib was dramatically reduced in B16-F10 bearing Rag1-/- mice which are adaptive immune cell defective, indicating that the antitumor effects of NPsorafenib are dependent on the adaptive immune cells. These results emphasize the indispensable role of the adaptive immune system in nano-drug mediated antitumor effects and the adaptive immune system should be considered as an important factor for clinical applications.

Extracellular biosynthesis of copper sulfide nanoparticles by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 as a photothermal agent.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a minimally invasive and effective cancer treatment method and has a great potential for innovating the conventional chemotherapy approaches. Copper sulfide (CuS) exhibits photostability, low cost, and high absorption in near infrared region, and is recognized as an ideal candidate for PTT. However, CuS, as a photothermal agent, is usually synthesized with traditional chemical approaches, which require high temperature, additional stabilization and hydrophilic modification. Herein, we report, for the first time, the preparation of CuS nanoparticles as a photothermal agent by a dissimilatory metal reducing bacterium Shewanella. oneidensis MR-1. The prepared nanoparticles are homogenously shaped, hydrophilic, small-sized (∼5nm) and highly stable. Furthermore, the biosynthesized CuS nanoparticles display a high photothermal conversion efficiency of 27.2% because of their strong absorption at 1100nm. The CuS nanoparticles could be effectively used as a PTT agent under the irradiation of 1064nm. This work provides a simple, eco-friendly and cost-effective approach for fabricating PTT agents.

Neuroprotective effects of formononetin against NMDA-induced apoptosis in cortical neurons.

Formononetin (FMNT) is an isoflavone found in many herbs including Trifolium pratense L., Spatholobus suberectus Dunn., and Astragalus mongholicus Bunge. The purpose of this study is to investigate pharmacological properties of FMNT on neurotoxicity induced by N-methyl-D-asparate (NMDA) in primary-cultured cortical neurons. The cell viability was significantly decreased after exposure to NMDA (200 µM) for 40 min. Pretreatment of FMNT (10 µM) for 12 h significantly attenuated the cell loss induced by NMDA exposure. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that treatment of FMNT attenuated the number of apoptotic cells, especially the early phase apoptotic cells, induced by NMDA exposure. Western blot analysis showed that FMNT regulated the expression of apoptosis-related proteins by increasing the levels of Bcl-2 and pro-caspase-3 and decreasing the levels of Bax and caspase-3. These findings demonstrate that FMNT is capable of protecting neurons from NMDA-evoked excitotoxic injury and has a potential perspective to the clinical treatment for neurodegenerative disorders in central nervous system.