A Hybrid Eukaryotic-Prokaryotic Nanoplatform with Photothermal Modality for Enhanced Antitumor Vaccination.

Cytomembrane-derived nanoplatforms are an effective biomimetic strategy in cancer therapy. To improve their functionality and expandability for enhanced vaccination, a eukaryotic-prokaryotic vesicle (EPV) nanoplatform is designed and constructed by fusing melanoma cytomembrane vesicles (CMVs) and attenuated Salmonella outer membrane vesicles (OMVs). Inheriting the virtues of the parent components, the EPV integrates melanoma antigens with natural adjuvants for robust immunotherapy and can be readily functionalized with complementary therapeutics. In vivo prophylactic testing reveals that the EPV nanoformulation can be utilized as a prevention vaccine to stimulate the immune system and trigger the antitumor immune response, combating tumorigenesis. In the melanoma model, the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)-indocyanine green (ICG) moiety (PI)-implanted EPV (PI@EPV) in conjunction with localized photothermal therapy with durable immune inhibition shows synergetic antitumor effects as a therapeutic vaccine. The eukaryotic-prokaryotic fusion strategy provides new perspectives for the design of tumor-immunogenic, self-adjuvanting, and expandable vaccine platforms.

Izalpinin from fruits of Alpinia oxyphylla with antagonistic activity against the rat bladder contractility.

BACKGROUND: Alpinia oxyphylla (Zingiberaceae), an herbaceous perennial plant, its capsular fruit is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of different urinary incontinence symptoms including frequency, urgency and nocturia. These symptoms are similar to the overactive bladder syndrome. In our lab, we found that the 95% ethanol extract of the capsular fruits exhibited significant anti-muscarinic activity. Some constituents in capsular fruits including flavonoids (e.g., izalpinin and tectochrysin), diarylheptanoids (e.g., yakuchinone A and yakuchinone B) and sesquiterpenes (e.g., nootkatone), are regarded as representative chemicals with putative pharmacological activities. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antagonistic actions of izalpinin on carbachol-induced contraction of the rat detrusor muscle. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro inhibition of rat detrusor contractile response to carbachol was used to study the functional activity of izalpinin. The isolated detrusor strips of rats were mounted in organ baths containing oxygenated Krebs' solution. The cumulative consecutive concentration-response curves to carbachol-evoked contractions in strips of rat bladder were obtained. RESULTS: Carbachol induced concentration-dependent contractions of isolated rat bladder detrusor strips. The vehicle DMSO had no impact on the contraction response. The contraction effects were concentration-dependently antagonized by izalpinin, with a mean EC50 value of 0.35 µM. The corresponding cumulative agonist concentration-response curves shifted right-ward. CONCLUSIONS: Izalpinin exhibits inhibitory role of muscarinic receptor-related detrusor contractile activity, and it may be a promising lead compound to treat overactive bladder.

Protective effects of echinocystic acid isolated from Gleditsia sinensis Lam. against acute myocardial ischemia.

Echinocystic acid (EA), a pentacyclic triterpene, was isolated and identified from the fruits of Gleditsia sinensis Lam. The protective effects of EA were evaluated in rat models with acute myocardial ischemia induced by isoproterenol and vasopressin. In the electrocardiogram of anesthetized rats, EA prevented the ST-segment depression induced by isoproterenol or vasopressin in a dose-dependently manner. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of Bcl-2 was analyzed by RT-PCR. EA shows an elevation of Bcl-2 mRNA level in infarcted tissue induced by isoproterenol in rats. These results demonstrated for the first time EA has a cardioprotective effect and may be a natural drug.