Ligand Regulation Strategy to Modulate ROS Nature in a Rhodamine-Iridium(III) Hybrid System for Phototherapy.

The efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) is highly dependent on the photosensitizer features. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by photosensitizers is proven to be associated with immunotherapy by triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD) as well. In this work, we establish a rhodamine-iridium(III) hybrid model functioning as a photosensitizer to comprehensively understand its performance and potential applications in photodynamic immunotherapy. Especially, the correlation between the ROS generation efficiency and the energy level of the Ir(III)-based excited state (T1'), modulated by the cyclometalating (C∧N) ligand, is systematically investigated and correlated. We prove that in addition to the direct population of the rhodamine triplet state (T1) formed through the intersystem crossing process with the assistance of a heavy Ir(III) metal center, the fine-tuned T1' state could act as a relay to provide an additional pathway for promoting the cascade energy transfer process that leads to enhanced ROS generation ability. Moreover, type I ROS can be effectively produced by introducing sulfur-containing thiophene units in C∧N ligands, providing a stronger M1 macrophage-activation efficiency under hypoxia to evoke in vivo antitumor immunity. Overall, our work provides a fundamental guideline for the molecular design and exploration of advanced transition-metal-based photosensitizers for biomedical applications.

Antioxidant and antitumor activities of water extracts from the root of Actinidia kolomikta.

The genus of Actinidia is widely distributed throughout the Asian continent. Specific Actinidia species have been used as health foods and medical products for cancer treatment. Actinidia kolomikta is a species of wild plant that grows in the northern part of Indochina. However, few studies on its bioactivity have been reported. In this study, the polysaccharide and polyphenol contents, the SOD-like activity and the DPPH radical-scavenging activity of water extracts from the root of Actinidia kolomikta produced under different extraction temperatures were investigated. Furthermore, the water extraction-ethanol precipitate (WE-EP) fraction and the water extraction-ethanol supernatant (WE-ES) fraction were used to test the anti-proliferative action on DLD-1 colon cancer cells. Extracts produced using the 100°C extraction procedure revealed higher extraction yields and antioxidant activities than extracts produced using the 40°C extraction procedure. The WE-EP and WE-ES fractions exhibited anti-proliferative effects on the DLD-1 cells. Moreover, the WE-ES polyphenol-enriched fraction possessed more potent anti-proliferative effects on the DLD-1 cells by inducing apoptosis compared to the WE-EP polysaccharide fraction. Medicinal plant extracts are generally considered to be relatively non-toxic at low doses and are not thought to cause major side effects compared to those observed with drugs. Wild A. kolomikta may provide an alternative to currently employed cancer therapies, and may be used as a natural health food with antioxidant actions.

Antitumor effect of extracts from moutan cortex on DLD-1 human colon cancer cells in vitro.

Moutan cortex, the root bark of Paeonia suffruticosa Andrews (Paeoniaceae), is a traditional Chinese medicine widely used for the treatment of various diseases. In the present study, we examined the antiproliferative effect and apoptosis-inducing activity of paeonol and the crude total glycosides (CTG) extracted from moutan cortex against DLD-1 human colon cancer cells in vitro. Cell viability was measured using the WST-8 assay. Apoptosis was detected by Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining and flow cytometry. Paeonol and the CTG significantly reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The induction of apoptosis in DLD-1 cells was characterized by morphological changes and an increased percentage of hypodiploid cells. After treatment for 48 h with paeonol (400 µg/ml) or CTG (200 µg/ml), the ratio of apoptotic cells reached 34.79 and 48.12%, respectively. The findings obtained indicate that paeonol and the CTG extracted from moutan cortex have a significant growth-inhibitory effect on human colon cancer cells. This effect may be related to the induction of apoptosis.

Clinical observation on treatment of depression by electro-acupuncture combined with Paroxetine.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of Paroxetine combined with electro-acupuncture (EA) in treating depression. METHODS: Forty-two patients with depression were randomly assigned to the observation group (22 patients) treated with EA combined with Paroxetine, and the control group (20 patients) treated with Paroxetine alone, and the therapeutic course for both groups was 6 weeks. The therapeutic efficacy and adverse reactions were evaluated with scores by Hamilton depression scale (HAMD) and treatment emergent symptoms scale (TESS), respectively. RESULTS: HAMD scores determined at the end of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 6th week of the treatment course were significantly lower in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.05). The significant improvement rate evaluated at the end of the 6-week treatment was remarkably higher in the observation group than that in the control group (72.7% vs 40.0%). No significant difference of TESS scores was found between the two groups. CONCLUSION: EA combined with Paroxetine has better clinical efficacy than that of Paroxetine alone, with milder adverse reaction and quicker initiation of effect.