A monomer purified from Paris polyphylla (PP-22) triggers S and G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma SCC-15 by activating the p38/cdc25/cdc2 and caspase 8/caspase 3 pathways.

Recent studies have shown that the aqueous, ethanolic extracts and a monomer compound of Paris polyphylla exhibit anticancer activity toward several types of cancer cell lines, but the anticancer activity of (3ß,17α,25R)-spirost-5-ene-3,17-diol 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 â†’ 2)-ß-D-glucopyranoside, a monomer isolated from P. polyphylla (PP), named PP-22, has not been reported previously. In this study, we investigated the effect of PP-22 on human tongue squamous cell carcinoma SCC-15 cells in vitro. MTT assays showed that PP-22 inhibited the growth of SCC-15 cells and had no obvious inhibitory effects on human liver L02 cells. Flow cytometry assays showed that the percentages of apoptotic cells were increased. In addition, cleaved caspase-8, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) could be detected by Western blotting. Flow cytometry also showed that PP-22 triggered S and G2/M phases arrest in SCC-15 cells, and on the other hand, the expression of cyclin A, cyclin E2, cyclin B1, phospho-cell division cycle2 (p-cdc2)(Tyr15), p-Wee1, Myt1, and p53 was upregulated. Moreover, p-p38 levels increased, p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) levels decreased, and cdc25B expression was inhibited. Furthermore, the p38/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor SB203580 reversed the increase of the expression level of p38, p-cdc2 (Tyr15), cleaved caspase 3, cleaved PARP, p-p53, and p53 and reversed the decrease in cdc25B expression. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that PP-22 activated p38, inhibited cdc25B, increased p-cdc2 (Tyr15), and triggered S and G2/M phase arrest, as well as activated p53 through the p38-p53 pathway, inhibited the MAPK/ERK pathway, activated the caspase 8/caspase 3 pathway, and triggered the extrinsic apoptotic pathway in SCC-15 cells.

Impact of low versus conventional doses of chemotherapy during transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization on serum fibrosis indicators and survival of liver cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the impact of low- vs conventional-dose chemotherapy via transcatheter arterial chemo-embolization (TACE) on serum fibrosis indicators and treatment efficacy of hepatocellular cancer patients (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were assigned to TACE in Group A (with low-dose chemotherapy) or Group B (conventional-dose chemotherapy). Four serum fibrosis related indicators, hyaluronic acid(HA), human pro-collagen type-III (hPC-III), laminin (LN), and collagen type-IV(IV-C) before TACE were compared with the values 7 days after TACE. The response rate and survival time were also compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Fifty patients with HCC were enrolled in this study, including 25 in Group A and 25 in Group B. No significant differences were detected between the two groups in the four indicators before TACE. After TACE, the value of the four serum indicators increased significantly in Group B. However, no significant differences regarding these four indicators were found in Group A after TACE. Significant differences were demonstrated between the two groups after TACE, but median survival time and 1 or 2 year overall survival rates did not differ (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Low-, compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy exerts the same impact on the variation of fibrosis related indicators and has no influence on median survival time and survival rate after TACE in HCC patients.

[Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on growth and essential oil of Atractylodes lancea].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae on cultivated Atractylodes lancea. METHOD: Pot experiment of A. lancea, with (code as AM) or without (code as CK) Glomus mosseae (GM) was conducted 5 times respectively, then the biomass, essential oil, and soil nutrition, soil organism, soil microbial were detected after A. lancea were harvested. RESULT: (1) Mycorrhizal dependency of A. lancea was 245%, and height of individuals, numbers of leaves, leaf area, biomass of A. lancea were all higher in AM than in CK (P < 0.05). (2) GC-MS analysis with cluster analysis and principal components analysis showed that there were no differences in essential oil of A. lancea between AM and CK. (T3) Total N, available N, available P and available K in AM soil were all lower than in CK soil. (4) GC-MS analysis showed organic matters changed differenly in AM soil and CK soil, components 5,6 in AM soil were higher than that in CK soil, but component 9, 10, 11 were lower in AM soil than that in CK soil. (5) Biolog detect showed AWCD of AM soil microbe were higher than that of CK soil throughout the incubation, and AWCD of the former was 0.66, and the later was 0.46 after 192 h incubation. and t-test showed, Shannon seven indices and McIntosh'seven indices were same both at 72 h and 192 h, and diversity indices of Shannon and McIntosh were also same at 72 h, but AM soil microbe were higher than CK soil microbe at 168 h (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: AM could promote nutrition uptake, improve the function diversity and activity of microbe in rhizosphere of A. lancea, influence the composition of the organic matter, that lead the growth of A. lancea, but not to the quality.

[Intravascular administration of pingyangmycin lipiodol emulsion for Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome: clinical analysis of 7 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To define the arteriographic features of Klippel-Trenaunay sydrome (KTS) and explore the feasibility of the treatment with intravascular administration of pingyangmycin lipiodol emulsion (PLE). METHODS: Seven patients with KTS underwent arteriography followed by therapy with PLE administration (containing pingyangmycin 8-16 mg and lipiodol 4-6 ml) into the trunk of the arteries of all impaired extremities. The therapeutic effect and postoperative complications were observed. RESULTS: Arteriography revealed abundant small branches of the runoff arteries, showing sinusoid changes of varied sizes in 5 cases by staining of the soft tissue. During the 3 to 30-month follow-up, swelling of the extremities was obviously improved in 5 cases after PLE therapy, which failed to produce obvious effect in 1 case and recurrence was detected in another. The major complications included paresthesia of the limbs, serum transaminase disorder and local skin necrosis. CONCLUSION: Arteriography can detect the lesions of the arteries and soft tissues in the affected extremity of patients with KTS, intravascular administration of PLE was effective to alleviate the hypertrophy of the limbs.