Coencapsulation of Gemcitabine and Thymoquinone in Citrem-Phosphatidylcholine Hexosome Nanocarriers Improves In Vitro Cellular Uptake in Breast Cancer Cells.

Lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoassemblies (LLCNs) are internally self-assembled (ISA)-somes formed by amphiphilic molecules in a mixture comprising a lipid, stabilizer, and/or surfactant and aqueous media/dispersant. LLCNs are unique nanoassemblies with versatile applications in a wide range of biomedical functions. However, they comprise a nanosystem that is yet to be fully explored for targeted systemic treatment of breast cancer. In this study, LLCNs proposed for gemcitabine and thymoquinone (Gem-TQ) co-delivery were prepared from soy phosphatidylcholine (SPC), phytantriol (PHYT), or glycerol monostearate (MYVR) in optimized ratios containing a component of citric and fatty acid ester-based emulsifier (Grinsted citrem) or a triblock copolymer, Pluronic F127 (F127). Hydrodynamic particle sizes determined were below 400 nm (ranged between 96 and 365 nm), and the series of nanoformulations displayed negative surface charge. Nonlamellar phases identified by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) profiles comprise the hexagonal, cubic, and micellar phases. In addition, high entrapment efficiency that accounted for 98.3 ± 0.1% of Gem and 99.5 ± 0.1% of TQ encapsulated was demonstrated by the coloaded nanocarrier system, SPC/citrem/Gem-TQ hexosomes. Low cytotoxicity of SPC-citrem hexosomes was demonstrated in MCF10A cells consistent with hemo- and biocompatibility observed in zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos for up to 96 h postfertilization (hpf). SPC/citrem/Gem-TQ hexosomes demonstrated IC50 of 24.7 ± 4.2 µM in MCF7 breast cancer cells following a 24 h treatment period with the moderately synergistic interaction between Gem and TQ retained (CI = 0.84). Taken together, biocompatible SPC/citrem/Gem-TQ hexosomes can be further developed as a multifunctional therapeutic nanodelivery approach, plausible for targeting breast cancer cells by incorporation of targeting ligands.

Pretreatment with Bifidobacterium longum BAA2573 ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis by modulating gut microbiota.

Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic lifelong inflammatory disease. Probiotics such as Bifidobacterium longum are considered to be beneficial to the recovery of intestinal inflammation by interaction with gut microbiota. Our goals were to define the effect of the exclusive use of BAA2573 on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, including improvement of symptoms, alleviation of histopathological damage, and modulation of gut microbiota. Methods: In the present study, we pretreated C57BL/6J mice with Bifidobacterium longum BAA2573, one of the main components in an over-the-counter (OTC) probiotic mixture BIFOTO capsule, before modeling with DSS. 16S rDNA sequencing and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based non-targeted metabolomic profiling were performed with the collected feces. Results: We found that pretreatment of Bifidobacterium longum BAA2573 given by gavage significantly improved symptoms and histopathological damage in DSS-induced colitis mice. After the BAA2573 intervention, 57 genera and 39 metabolites were significantly altered. Pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that starch and sucrose metabolism, vitamin B6 metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism may contribute to ameliorating colitis. Moreover, we revealed that the gut microbiome and metabolites were interrelated in the BAA2573 intervention group, while Alistipes was the core genus. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the impact of BAA2573 on the gut microbiota and reveals a possible novel adjuvant therapy for IBD patients.

Particulate matter may have a limited influence on maternal vitamin D levels.

Evidence for an association between the amount of particulate matter (PM) in the atmosphere and vitamin D status of pregnant women is limited. We aimed to examine the independent association between PM and maternal levels of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) during the second trimester and to explore possible modifications to the association by meteorological factors. 27,768 pregnant women presenting for prenatal examination who were tested for serum 25OHD concentration during the second trimester between January 1, 2016, and December 31, 2020, were included in this retrospective analysis. Exposure to PM was evaluated based on daily average PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and PM with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 10 µm (PM10). Corresponding meteorological data for daily average atmospheric temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, sunshine duration, and wind speed were collected. The maximum cumulative effects of PM2.5 occurred at lag 45 days, and the maximum cumulative effects of PM10 occurred at lag 60 days. In crude models, 45-day moving daily average PM2.5 concentrations were negatively associated with 25OHD levels (ß, - 0.20; 95% CI - 0.21 to - 0.19), as were 60-day moving daily average PM10 concentrations (ß, - 0.14; 95% CI - 0.15 to - 0.14). After adjusting for temporal and meteorological factors, the effect values were drastically reduced (adjusted ß of PM2.5, - 0.032; 95% CI - 0.046 to - 0.018; adjusted ß of PM10, - 0.039; 95% CI - 0.049 to - 0.028). Our study showed there was a small, independent, negative association between PM in the atmosphere and maternal serum 25OHD levels during the second trimester of pregnancy after adjusting for temporal and/or meteorological factors, which indicates that PM may have a limited influence on maternal serum 25OHD levels. Besides taking vitamin D supplements, pregnant women should keep participating in outdoor activities while taking PM protection measures to improve their vitamin D levels when PM levels are high in winter and spring.

Aqueous extract of Scrophularia ningpoensis improves insulin sensitivity through AMPK-mediated inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome.

BACKGROUND: Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. is a commonly used medicinal plant in China for the treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM), but its mechanism of action remains poorly described. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) accounts for > 90% of all DM cases and is characterized by insulin resistance. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the insulin sensitivity can be improved by treatment with aqueous extract of S. ningpoensis (AESN) and further explore its mechanism(s) of activity. METHODS: Primary mouse hepatocytes and human HepG2 hepatocytes were used to investigate the effects of AESN on cell viability, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation and glucose output under normal culture conditions. To mimic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in vitro, hepatocytes were exposed to high glucose (HG), and the influences of AESN on AMPK phosphorylation, NLRP3 inflammation activation, insulin signaling, lipid accumulation and glucose output were investigated. Increasing doses of AESN (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day) were administered by gavage to db/db mice for 8 weeks, and then biochemical analysis and histopathological examinations were performed. RESULTS: AESN significantly activated AMPK and inhibited glucose output in hepatocytes, but did not impact cell viability under normal culture conditions. Moreover, in HG-treated hepatocytes, AESN protected against aberrant AMPK activity, NLRP3 inflammasome activation, insulin signaling, and lipid accumulation. AMPK inhibition abolished the regulatory effects of AESN on the NLRP3 inflammasome, insulin signaling, lipid accumulation, and glucose output of hepatocytes following HG exposure. Furthermore, AESN administration reduced blood glucose and serum insulin levels, improved lipid profiles and insulin resistance, and corrected the aberrant AMPK activity and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in liver tissues. CONCLUSION: AESN improves insulin sensitivity via AMPK-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition.

Discovery of immunosuppressive Lupane-type Triterpenoids from Hypericum longistylum.

The phytochemistry study of Hypericum longistylum afforded one new degraded lupane-type triterpenoid, triterhyper A (1), and seven known congeners (2-8). The structures of those natural products were identified by extensive spectroscopic techniques and single crystal diffraction tests. Notably, triterhyper A (1) possessing an unusual 28-nor-lupane skeleton. More significantly, compounds 1-3 exhibited potential inhibitory effects on murine splenocytes proliferation stimulated by anti-CD3/anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), with IC50 values ranging from (4.56 ± 0.45) µM to (18.34 ± 2.34) µM, highlighting that those isolates as potential lead compounds in the development of immunosuppressive drugs for autoimmune disease treatment.

Treatment of knee osteoarthritis with acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have demonstrated that acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) effectively treats knee osteoarthritis (KOA), with few side effects. However, few systematic reviews have offered evidence-based support. Here we conducted a meta-analysis on the combination of acupuncture with CHM in treating KOA. METHODS: Databases including CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane library were systematically searched for articles on the treatment of KOA by acupuncture combined with CHM from the establishment of the database to May 2021. Three researchers independently searched, screened, extracted, and included articles that met the inclusion standards. The primary outcome measure was overall response rate (ORR), and the secondary outcome measures included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, and Lysholm score. ORR was a binary variable, while other indicators were continuous variables. The quality of literature was assessed with a modified Jadad scale. The RevMan 5.3 software provided by the Cochrane Collaboration was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-three randomized controlled trials involving 3,954 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that ORR [odds ratio (OR) =5.41; 95% confidence interval (CI): (4.38, 6.68); P<0.00001], VAS score [mean difference (MD) =-1.86; 95% CI: (-2.44, -1.29); P<0.00001], WOMAC score [MD =-13.05; 95% CI: (-21.70, -4.41); P=0.003], and Lysholm score [MD =10.47; 95% CI: (5.21, 15.72); P<0.0001] in the combination group were significantly superior to those in the control group. DISCUSSION: Compared with acupuncture alone or CHM/Western drug alone, acupuncture combined with CHM can effectively alleviate knee pain, improve knee function, and increase the quality of life. Thus, this combination can be used as a conservative treatment for KOA. However, due to the small number of high-quality articles and possible biases in our analysis, our conclusions need to be further verified in more and higher-quality studies.

Structural and electrochemical investigation of crystallite size controlled zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4).

Zinc ferrite, ZnFe2O4(ZFO), is a promising electrode material for next generation Li-ion batteries because of its high theoretical capacity and low environmental impact. In this report, synthetic control of crystallite size from the nanometer to submicron scale enabled probing of the relationships between ZFO size and electrochemical behavior. A facile two-step coprecipitation and annealing preparation method was used to prepare ZFO with controlled sizes ranging ∼9 to >200 nm. Complementary synchrotron and electron microscopy techniques were used to characterize the series of materials. Increasing the annealing temperature increased crystallinity and decreased microstrain, while local structural ordering was maintained independent of crystallite size. Electrochemical characterization revealed that the smaller sized materials delivered higher capacities during initial lithiation. Larger sized particles exhibited a lack of distinct electrochemical signatures above 1.0 V, suggesting that the longer diffusion length associated with greater crystallite size causes the lithiation process to proceed via non discrete lithium insertion, cation migration, and conversion processes. Notably, larger particles exhibited enhanced electrochemical reversibility over 50 cycles, with capacity retention improving from <20% to >40% at C/2 cycling rate. This intriguing result was probed through x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of the cycled electrodes. XAS revealed that the larger crystallite size materials do not completely convert to Fe0during the first lithiation and that independent of size, delithiation results in the formation of nanocrystalline FeO and ZnO phases rather than ZnFe2O4. After 20 cycles, the larger crystallites showed reversibility between partially oxidized FeO in the charged state and Fe0in the discharged state, while the smaller crystallite size material was electrochemically inactive as Fe0. XPS analysis revealed more significant solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation on the cycled electrodes utilizing ZFO with smaller crystallite size. This finding suggests that excessive SEI buildup on the smaller sized, higher surface area ZFO particles contributes to their reduced electrochemical reversibility relative to the larger crystallite size materials.

[Optimization of polysaccharide extraction from Hippocampus by deep neural network and Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology].

In this paper, the extraction rate of crude polysaccharides and the yield of polysaccharides from Hippocampus served as test indicators. The comprehensive evaluation indicators were assigned by the R language combined with the entropy weight method. The Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology(BBD-RSM) and the deep neural network(DNN) were employed to screen the optimal parameters for the polysaccharide extraction from Hippocampus. These two modeling methods were compared and verified experimentally for the process optimization. This study provides a reference for the industrialization of effective component extraction from Chinese medicinals and achieves the effective combination of modern technology and traditional Chinese medicine.

Aconiti lateralis Radix Praeparata inhibits Alzheimer's disease by regulating the complex regulation network with the core of GRIN1 and MAPK1.

CONTEXT: Current medicine for Alzheimer's disease (AD) cannot effectively reverse or block nerve injury. Traditional Chinese Medicine practice and research imply Aconiti lateralis Radix Praeparata (Fuzi) may meet this goal. OBJECTIVE: Analysing the anti-AD effect of Fuzi and its potential molecular mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AD model cells were treated with Fuzi in 0-300 mg/mL for 24 h in 37 °C. The cell viability (CV) and length of cell projections (LCP) for each group were observed, analysed, and standardised using control as a baseline (CVs and LCPs). The Fuzi and AD relevant genes were identified basing on databases, and the molecular mechanism of Fuzi anti-AD was predicted by network analysis. RESULTS: Experiment results showed that Fuzi in 0.4 mg/mL boosted LCP (LCPs = 1.2533, p ≤ 0.05), and in 1.6-100 mg/mL increased CV (CVs from 1.1673 to 1.3321, p ≤ 0.05). Bioinformatics analysis found 17 Fuzi target genes (relevant scores ≥ 20), showing strong AD relevant signals (RMS_p ≤ 0.05, related scores ≥ 5), enriched in the pathways regulating axon growth, synaptic plasticity, cell survival, proliferation, apoptosis, and death (p ≤ 0.05). Especially, GRIN1 and MAPK1 interacted with APP protein and located in the key point of the "Alzheimer's disease" pathway. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that Fuzi may have therapeutic and prevention potential in AD, and GRIN1 and MAPK1 may be the core of the pathways of the Fuzi anti-AD process. Fuzi should be studied more extensively, especially for the prevention of AD.

Five new secondary metabolites from the fungus Phomopsis asparagi.

Five new compounds, including a pair of diphenylcyclopentenone enantiomers (±)-phomopsisin A (1), a sesquiterpenoid 15-hydroxylithocarin A (2), a new diketopiperazine alkaloid prenylcyclotryprostatin A (3) and 7-hydroxy-cis-L(-)-3,6-dibenzyl-2,5-dioxopiperazine (6), along with five known compounds were isolated from the fungus Phomopsis asparagi. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR), theoretical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation, modified Mosher's method, and X-ray crystallography. The racemates of (±)-phomopsisin A showed inhibition on α-glucosidase with IC50 of 30.07 ± 0.75 µM (positive control acarbose, 121 ± 2.7 µM).

Optimization of polysaccharide extraction from Hippocampus by deep neural network and Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology / 中国中药杂志

In this paper, the extraction rate of crude polysaccharides and the yield of polysaccharides from Hippocampus served as test indicators. The comprehensive evaluation indicators were assigned by the R language combined with the entropy weight method. The Box-Behnken design-response surface methodology(BBD-RSM) and the deep neural network(DNN) were employed to screen the optimal parameters for the polysaccharide extraction from Hippocampus. These two modeling methods were compared and verified experimentally for the process optimization. This study provides a reference for the industrialization of effective component extraction from Chinese medicinals and achieves the effective combination of modern technology and traditional Chinese medicine.

Aspulvinone O, a natural inhibitor of GOT1 suppresses pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells growth by interfering glutamine metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Distinctive from their normal counterparts, cancer cells exhibit unique metabolic dependencies on glutamine to fuel anabolic processes. Specifically, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells rely on an unconventional metabolic pathway catalyzed by aspartate transaminase 1 (GOT1) to rewire glutamine metabolism and support nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) production. Thus, the important role of GOT1 in energy metabolism and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) balance demonstrates that targeting GOT1 may serve as an important therapeutic target in PDAC. METHODS: To assay the binding affinity between Aspulvinone O (AO) and GOT1 proteins, the virtual docking, microscale thermophoresis (MST), cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) and drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) methods were employed. GOT1 was silenced in several PDAC cell lines. The level of OCR and ECR were assayed by seahorse. To evaluate the in vivo anti-tumor efficacy of AO, the xenograft model was built in CB17/scid mouse. RESULTS: Screening of an in-house natural compound library identified the AO as a novel inhibitor of GOT1 and repressed glutamine metabolism, which sensitizes PDAC cells to oxidative stress and suppresses cell proliferation. Virtual docking analysis suggested that AO could bind to the active site of GOT1 and form obvious hydrophobic interaction with Trp141 together with hydrogen bonds with Thr110 and Ser256. Further in vitro validation, including MST, CETSA and DARTS, further demonstrated the specific combining capacity of AO. We also show that the selective inhibition of GOT1 by AO significantly reduces proliferation of PDAC in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings identify AO as a potent bioactive inhibitor of GOT1 and a novel anti-tumour agent for PDAC therapy.

Functional characterization of squalene epoxidase and NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase in Dioscorea zingiberensis.

Dioscorea zingiberensis is a perennial medicinal herb rich in a variety of pharmaceutical steroidal saponins. Squalene epoxidase (SE) is the key enzyme in the biosynthesis pathways of triterpenoids and sterols, and catalyzes the epoxidation of squalene in coordination with NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR). In this study, we cloned DzSE and DzCPR gene sequences from D. zingiberensis leaves, encoding proteins with 514 and 692 amino acids, respectively. Recombinant proteins were successfully expressed in vitro, and enzymatic analysis indicated that, when SE and CPR were incubated with the substrates squalene and NADPH, 2,3-oxidosqualene was formed as the product. Subcellular localization revealed that both the DzSE and DzCPR proteins are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum. The changes in transcription of DzSE and DzCPR were similar in several tissues. DzSE expression was enhanced in a time-dependent manner after methyl jasmonate (MeJA) treatments, while DzCPR expression was not inducible.

Interpretation of Guidelines to Iodine Supplementation for Chinese Residents / 中国实用内科杂志

The article makes an interpretation of the key contents in the Guidelines to Iodine Supplementation for Chinese Residents published this year. Iodine is a key component of the thyroid hormone. Sufficient iodine intake is crucial for thyroid hormone synthesis and brain development of offspring. Universal salt iodization is the most effective strategy to compensate the iodine deficiency in daily food. For pregnant women, daily iodine requirements increase. Patients with autoimmune thyroiditis need to maintain adequate iodine status while the goiter patients should be distinguished whether it is caused by iodine deficiency or iodine excess. Iodine deficiency not only increases the prevalence of thyroid nodules but also increases the pathological types of anaplastic thyroid cancer and follicular thyroid cancer.

Insecticidal Activities and Chemical Composition of the Essential Oils of Ajania nitida and Ajania nematoloba from China.

In this work, we investigated insecticidal and repellent activities of the essential oils extracted from Ajania nitida and Ajania nematoloba against Tribolium castaneum and Lasioderma serricorne adults. The components of essential oils were analyzed by GC-MS. The main components of A. nitida oil were camphor (20.76%), thujone (18.64%), eucalyptol (13.42%), borneol (8.32%) and those of A. nematoloba oil were ß-pinene (34.72%), eucalyptol (24.97%) and verbenol (20.39%). The results showed that the two essential oils possessed insecticidal and repellent activities against two species of insects. A. nitida oil possessed contact and fumigant toxicity against T. castaneum (LD50 = 30.10 µg/adult and LC50 = 21.07 mg/L air) and L.serricorne (LD50 = 17.51 µg/adult and LC50 = 11.23 mg/L air). A.nematoloba oil showed contact and fumigant toxicity against T. castaneum (LD50 = 102.29µg/adult and LC50 = 69.45 mg/L air) and contact toxicity against L.serricorne (LD50 = 53.43 µg/adult), but no obvious fumigant effect was observed against L.serricorne. Both of essential oils possessed strong repellent activity against T. castaneum and certain repellent activity against L.serricorne. Especially, A. nematoloba oil showed the same level percentage repellency as DEET(the positve control) against T. castaneum. The results indicated that the essential oils of A. nitida and A. nematoloba had the potential to be developed as natural insecticides and repellents for the control of T. castaneum and L.serricorne.

Effective flocculation of Microcystis aeruginosa with simultaneous nutrient precipitation from hydrolyzed human urine.

Mechanical harvest of massive harmful algal blooms is an effective measure for bloom mitigation. Yet subsequent processing of the resulting water from algae water separation after the harvesting becomes a new problem since individual algal cells or small algal aggregates are still present in the water. Here, we proposed a novel approach for effectively flocculating the cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa with a removal efficiency of 97% in 6 h using hydrolyzed urine. Nitrogen and phosphorus were simultaneously reclaimed through struvite formation. The addition of Mg2+ promoted the flocculation efficiency and nutrient removal as well as the yield of struvite. Ca2+ could enhance the flocculation efficiency by forming calcium phosphate. During the flocculation process, no significant damage in algal cells was observed. This study provides a novel and sustainable potential for subsequent processing of the resulting water after algae water separation with simultaneous nutrient precipitation and reducing nutrient loads to wastewater treatment plants.

Effect of rivaroxaban on preventing deep vein thrombosis in aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures after hip replacement.

The present study estimates the effect of rivaroxaban on preventing deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures after hip replacement. Our study consisted of 236 aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures, which were divided into the rivaroxaban and control groups. Reaction time (R time), clot formation time (K time), α angle (α), maximum amplitude (MA), clot elasticity (G) and coagulation index (CI), prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were measured. DVT was diagnosed by color duplex Doppler ultrasound (CDDU). The risk factors of DVT were analysed by logistic regression analysis. Compared with the control group, in the rivaroxaban group, R time and K time were extended and α, MA and G decreased 1 day before operation. One day after operation, the rivaroxaban group had less PT and APPT and lower incidence of DVT than the control group. In the two groups, preoperative and postoperative PT and APPT significantly differed. Body mass index (BMI) ≥25, abnormal coagulation indicators, use of cemented femoral hip prosthesis, high haemoglobin content and non-ankle pump exercise after operation were the risk factors for DVT. Rivaroxaban could prevent DVT in aged diabetics with femoral neck fractures after hip replacement.

Jatrorrhizine hydrochloride attenuates hyperlipidemia in a high-fat diet-induced obesity mouse model.

Jatrorrhizine hydrochloride (JH) is an active component of the traditional Chinese herb Coptis chinensis, which has been used to prevent and treat metabolic disorders. Hyperlipidemia is one of the principal factors underlying numerous metabolic diseases, including diabetes and obesity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the lipid lowering effects of JH treatment in vivo in an obesity mouse model. JH-treated hyperlipidemic mice exhibited a reduction in body weight, as well as improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. In addition, JH­treated hyperlipidemic mice exhibited reduced serum triglyceride, total cholesterol and low­density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, as well as increased high­density lipoprotein cholesterol levels compared with untreated mice fed a high­fat diet. Notably, JH treatment ameliorated the pathophysiological changes observed in the livers of hyperlipidemic mice. At the molecular level, JH downregulated the hepatic mRNA expression levels of SREBP­1c and FAS, and induced PPAR­α and CPT1A mRNA expression in hyperlipidemic mice. These findings suggest that JH ameliorates hyperlipidemia via the suppression of lipogenesis and the enhancement of lipid oxidation in the liver.

Prophylactic administration of all-trans retinoic acid alleviates inflammation in rats with collagen-induced arthritis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of prophylactic administration of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) in relieving inflammation in a rat model of collagen-induced arthritis (CIA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Female Wistar rats (6 to 8 weeks old) were randomly divided into normal control group, solvent control group, and prophylactic ATRA treatment (0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg/kg) groups. All the rats except for those in normal control group were subjected to subcutaneous injection of type II collagen and incomplete Freund adjuvant in the tails to induce CIA, followed by injection on the following day with saline, corn oil or different doses of ATRA 3 times a week. The arthritis index (AI) scores, histological scores, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-17A, and IL-10, and expressions of proteases related with cartilage damage were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On the 15th day after the primary immunization, the AI scores increased significantly in all but the normal control groups; the scores increased progressively in all the 3 ATRA groups but remained lower than that in the solvent control group, which was stable over time. The rats in the 3 ATRA groups showed obvious pathologies in the knee and ankle joints, but the semi-quantitative scores of pathology damage showed no significance among them. Compared with those in solvent control group, the serum IL-17A and TNF-α levels decreased, serum IL-10 level increased, and the expressions of ADAMT-4 and MMP-3 proteins decreased significantly in the knees in the 3 ATRA groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ATRA can reduce the production of TNF-α and IL-17A and increase the production of IL-10 to alleviate the inflammation in rats with CIA. ATRA may delay the progression of RA by correcting the imbalance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg.</p>

Cryptotanshinone inhibits lung tumorigenesis and induces apoptosis in cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Cryptotanshinone is one of the compounds extracted from the root of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. Unlike other tanshinones, only a small number of studies have focused on cryptotanshinone for medical treatment. In the present study, the A549 lung cancer cell line and xenograft models of human lung tumors were used to assess the anti-cancer effect of cryptotanshinone. The effect of cryptotanshinone on human lung cancer, including growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis factors, were identified in vitro, and inhibition of tumor formation, improvement of body condition as well as pathological apoptotic effects were detected in vivo. These results suggested that cryptotanshinone is a potential drug for the treatment and prevention of human lung cancer.