Quercetin Limits Tumor Immune Escape through PDK1/CD47 Axis in Melanoma.

Quercetin (3,3[Formula: see text],4[Formula: see text],5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) is a bioactive plant-derived flavonoid, abundant in fruits and vegetables, that can effectively inhibit the growth of many types of tumors without toxicity. Nevertheless, the effect of quercetin on melanoma immunology has yet to be determined. This study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of the antitumor immunity action of quercetin in melanoma through both in vivo and in vitro methods. Our research revealed that quercetin has the ability to boost antitumor immunity by modulating the tumor immune microenvironment through increasing the percentages of M1 macrophages, CD8[Formula: see text] T lymphocytes, and CD4[Formula: see text] T lymphocytes and promoting the secretion of IL-2 and IFN-[Formula: see text] from CD8[Formula: see text] T cells, consequently suppressing the growth of melanoma. Furthermore, we revealed that quercetin can inhibit cell proliferation and migration of B16 cells in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, down-regulating PDK1 can inhibit the mRNA and protein expression levels of CD47. In the rescue experiment, we overexpressed PDK1 and found that the protein and mRNA expression levels of CD47 increased correspondingly, while the addition of quercetin reversed this effect. Moreover, quercetin could stimulate the proliferation and enhance the function of CD8[Formula: see text] T cells. Therefore, our results identified a novel mechanism through which CD47 is regulated by quercetin to promote phagocytosis, and elucidated the regulation of quercetin on macrophages and CD8[Formula: see text] T cells in the tumor immune microenvironment. The use of quercetin as a therapeutic drug holds potential benefits for immunotherapy, enhancing the efficacy of existing treatments for melanoma.

Net anthropogenic phosphorus inputs (NAPI) index application in Mainland China.

This study provides a new understanding on sources of P, which may serve as a foundation for further exploration of anthropogenic effects on P input. Estimation of net anthropogenic phosphorus input (NAPI) was based on an inventory of phosphorus (P) fertilizer use, consumption of human food and animal feed, seeding phosphorus and non-food phosphorus net flux. Across Mainland China, NAPI had an upward trend from 1981 to 2009, which reflects development trend of the population and economic. NAPI for years 1981, 1990, 2000 and 2009 are 190 kg P km(-2)yr(-1) (1.8 kg P per person yr(-1)), 295 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) (2.5 kg P per person yr(-1)), 415 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) (3.1 kg P per person yr(-1)) and 465 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) (3.4 kg P per person yr(-1)), respectively. On a geographical basis, NAPI per unit area is lower in northwest Mainland China than in southeast Mainland China with the largest NAPI of 3101 kg P km(-2) yr(-1) in Shanghai, while NAPI per person is in reverse with the largest NAPI 7.7 kg P per person yr(-1) in Tibet. P input of fertilizer is the largest source of NAPI, accounting for 57.35-83.73% (109-390 kg P km(-2) yr(-1)) of the total NAPI, followed by non-food P and P in human food and animal feed. Year 2000 was a critical point where P changed almost from net input to output. Grain production rate per unit mass of fertilizer showed an obvious downward trend. The primary factor in relation to the change in NAPI is total population.

The antidepressant effect of secoisolariciresinol, a lignan-type phytoestrogen constituent of flaxseed, on ovariectomized mice.

Secoisolariciresinol (SECO) is a natural lignan-type phytoestrogen constituent mainly found in flaxseed. It can be metabolized in vivo to mammalian lignans of enterodiol and enterolactone, which have been proven to be effective in relieving menopausal syndrome. Depression is one of the most common symptoms of menopausal syndrome, and is currently treated with estrogen replacement and antidepressant therapy. However, due to the serious side-effects of such agents, there are urgent needs for safer and more tolerable treatments. In this paper, using two classical depression models, the forced swimming test and the tail suspension test, we report the antidepressant effect of SECO on ovariectomized (OVX) mice by intragastric administration for 14 consecutive days at doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg. The results showed that SECO (10 mg/kg) treatment could significantly reduce the duration of immobility of OVX mice in these two models compared with the control group (OVX mice + vehicle), which was similar to the positive control imipramine. In addition, SECO treatment could substantially increase brain monoamine (norepinephrine and dopamine) levels in OVX mice. The present studies showed that SECO can reverse depressive-like behavior and exhibit monoamine-enhancing effects.

[A randomized controlled trial study of pulmonary rehabilitation with respiratory physiology as the guide on prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation with respiratory physiology as guide in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODS: Sixty patients of severe and very severe COPD as categorized by global proposed diagnostic criteria for COPD (GOLD, 2006) were enrolled for study. They were randomly divided into three groups, and with 20 patients in each group. The patients in group A were given pulmonary rehabilitation guided by respiratory physiology thrice a day, 15 minutes each time for 8 weeks. The patients in group B were given pulmonary rehabilitation with pursed lip respiration thrice a day, 15 minutes per time for 8 weeks. The patients in group C were given no pulmonary rehabilitation. Six minute-walk-distance (6MWD), medical research council (MRC) dyspnea scale, activities of daily living (ADL), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), and quality of life (QOL) were determined before and after respective pulmonary rehabilitation course. RESULTS: (1) There were 3, 5, 5 patients in group A, group B, group C dropped off in the course of rehabilitation respectively. (2) The patients' MRC grade after pulmonary rehabilitation in group A and group B decreased compared with that before pulmonary rehabilitation (both P<0.01), but the difference was not significant between two groups (P>0.05). (3) 6MWD, ADL, MEP, MIP of patients in group A and group B increased after pulmonary rehabilitation compared with that before pulmonary rehabilitation, and 6MWD, ADL, MEP, MIP of patients in group A were increased after pulmonary rehabilitation more than those in group B (P<0.05 or P<0.01). (4)The patients' body status, shortness of breath, social activity, home chores in group A and group B, and uneasiness in group A after pulmonary rehabilitation were improved more than those before pulmonary rehabilitation (P<0.05 or P<0.01), but the difference in state of mind, headache, appetite was not markedly different before and after pulmonary rehabilitation in two groups (all P>0.05). The difference in QOL was not marked between group A and group B after pulmonary rehabilitation (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: (1) The pulmonary rehabilitation with pursed lip respiration and the pulmonary rehabilitation with the guide of respiratory physiology ameliorates dyspnea, improves ADL, QOL, exercise tolerance, function of respiratory muscle in the severe and very severe COPD patients remarkably. (2) The effect of the pulmonary rehabilitation with the guide of respiratory physiology is better than that of the pulmonary rehabilitation with pursed lip respiration, and it can be considered as a more effective pulmonary rehabilitation method for the patients with severe and very severe COPD.

[Isolation and identification of minor bioactive saponins from the leaves of Panax notoginseng].

The minor bioactive saponins of the total saponin from the leaves of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen. were separated and purified by column chromatographies on silica gel and thin layer gel. Four compounds were identified as: ginsenoside C-K (I) [20 (S) -protopanaxadiol 20-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], ginsenoside-Rh1 (II) [20 (S) -protopanaxatriol-6-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside], ginsenoside-Mc (III) [20 (S)-protopanaxadiol 20-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl (1 --> 6) -D-glucopyranoside] and notoginsenoside-Fe (IV) [20(S) -protopanaxadiol-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosido-20-O-alpha-L-arabinofuranosyl(1 --> 6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside]. Compound I was isolated from the leaves of Panax notoginseng for the first time.