[Research achievements on biological activities of calycosin].

Calycosin, which is a kind of typical phytoestrogen, can bind with estrogen receptor and produce estrogen-like effects. Calycosin were reported to have antioxidant, anti-osteoporosis, anti-tumor and immunomodulating activities. This review covers biological activities and its mechanism of calycosin. It will provide a useful reference for clinical research and rational utilization of monomericompound.

Exogenous IFN-beta regulates the RANKL-c-Fos-IFN-beta signaling pathway in the collagen antibody-induced arthritis model.

BACKGROUND: Although a variety of drugs have been used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), none of them are able to cure the disease. Interferon ß (IFN-ß) has pleiotropic effects on RA, but whether it can be used to treat RA remains globally controversial. Thus, in this study we tested the effects of IFN-ß on RA patients and on collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA) model mice. METHODS: The cytokine and auto-antibody expression profiles in the serum and synovial fluid (SF) from RA patients were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared with the results from osteoarthritis (OA) patients. Exogenous IFN-ß was administered to RA patients and CAIA model mice, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated. Endogenous IFN-ß expression in the joint bones of CAIA model mice was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effects of exogenous IFN-ß on CAIA model mice were assessed using a clinical scoring system, hematoxylin eosin and safranin-O with fast green counterstain histology, molybdenum target X-ray, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining. The RANKL-RANK signaling pathway was analyzed using qRT-PCR. The RAW 264.7 cell line was differentiated into osteoclasts with RANKL stimulation and then treated with exogenous IFN-ß. RESULTS: The expression of inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-17, MMP-3, and RANKL) and auto-antibodies (CII antibodies, RF-IgM, and anti-CCP/GPI) were significantly higher in RA compared with OA patients. After IFN-ß intervention, some clinical symptoms in RA patients were partially alleviated, and the expression of IFN-γ, IL-17, MMP-3, and OPG) returned to normal levels. In the CAIA model, the expression of endogenous IFN-ß in the joint bones was decreased. After IFN-ß administration, the arthritis scores were decreased; synovial inflammation, cartilage, and bone destruction were clearly attenuated; and the expression of c-Fos and NFATc1 were reduced, while RANKL and TRAF6 expression was unchanged. In addition, exogenous IFN-ß directly inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. CONCLUSIONS: Exogenous IFN-ß administration immunomodulates CAIA, may reduce joint inflammation and, perhaps more importantly, bone destruction by inhibiting the RANKL-c-Fos signaling pathway. Exogenous IFN-ß intervention should be selectively used on RA patients because it may only be useful for RA patients with low endogenous IFN-ß expression.

Nutrient removal in tropical subsurface flow constructed wetlands under batch and continuous flow conditions.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the influence of batch versus continuous flow on the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (TP) in tropical subsurface flow constructed wetlands (SSF CW). The quantitative role of the higher aquatic plants in nutrient removal in these two operational modes was also investigated. Results indicated no significant difference (p > 0.05) in COD removal between batch and continuous flow modes for either the planted or unplanted treatments. Furthermore, the batch-loaded planted wetlands showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher ammonium removal efficiencies (95.2%) compared with the continuously fed systems (80.4%), most probably because the drain and fill batch mode presented systematically more oxidized environmental conditions. With respect to TP removal, for both planted and unplanted beds, there was significant enhancement (p < 0.05) in batch flow operation (69.6% for planted beds; 39.1% for unplanted beds) as compared to continuous flow operation (46.8% for planted beds; 25.5% for unplanted beds). In addition, at a 4-day hydraulic retention time (HRT), the presence of plants significantly enhanced both ammonia oxidation and TP removal in both batch and continuous modes of operation as compared to that for unplanted beds. An estimation of the quantitative role of aeration from drain and fill operation at a 4-day HRT, as compared to rhizosphere aeration by the higher aquatic plant, indicated that drain and fill operation might account for only less than half of the higher aquatic plant's quantitative contribution of oxygen (1.55 g O2 per m2 per day for batch flow versus 1.13 g O2 per m2 per day for continuous flow).

[Influence of electroacupuncture and moxibustion and their treated mouse serum on the proliferation of the cultured splenetic CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells of tumor-bearing mice].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) and moxibustion of "Dazhui" (GV 14) on the proliferation levels of the splenetic CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) of H22 tumor-bearing mice in vitro. METHODS: Forty eight Balb/c mice were randomized into control, model, moxibustion and EA groups, with 12 cases in each. H22 tumor-bearing model was set up by hypodermic injection of H22 tumor cells (0.2 ml, 1 x 10(7) cells/ml). EA (2 Hz, 2 mA) was applied to "Dazhui" (GV 14) and left "Huantiao" (GB 30) for 20 min, and moxibustion was applied to "Dazhui" (GV 14) 2 moxa-cones every time. The treatment was given from the 2nd day on after innoculation of tumor cells, once every other day, 6 times altogether. After the treatment, the mice were killed by peeling off the eyeball and blood samples were collected to be separated into serum. Then, Tregs of the spleen tissues of Balb/c mice in different groups were isolated by using megnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) system to be cultured independently, and co-cultured with EA-treated serum and moxibustion-treated serum separately in culture fluid for 96 h, added with 3H-tritiate thymidine (TdR) in the culture-fluid 12 h before the end of culture, followed by collecting the cells and detecting their proliferation levels (count per minute, cpm) by using a lipid scintillation device. RESULTS: The proliferation level of Tregs in model group was elevated significantly compared to normal control group (P < 0.05), while in comparison with model group, those of Tregs of EA and moxibustion groups decreased considerably (P < 0.01). After separate application of the diluted acupuncture-treated serum and moxibustion-treated serum at 1 : 1 and 1 : 8 (not 1 : 16 and 1 : 32) to the cultured Tregs, their proliferation levels (cpm) in EA and moxibustion groups were obviously upregulated in comparison to those of normal control group (P < 0.05), and the cpm in EA group was significantly higher than that in model group (P < 0.05), suggesting a different action mechanism between acupuncture-moxibustion treatment and serum stimulation. CONCLUSION: EA of "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Huantiao" (GB 30) and moxibustion of "Dazhui" (GV 14) can effectively downregulate the proliferation level of the cultured splenetic Tregs of the tumor bearing mice. EA-treated serum and moxibustion-treated serum diluted at 1 : 1 and 1 : 8 can evidently upregulate the proliferation level of Tregs in vitro.

Active Chinese mistletoe lectin-55 enhances colon cancer surveillance through regulating innate and adaptive immune responses.

AIM: To investigate the potential role of active Chinese mistletoe lectin-55 (ACML-55) in tumor immune surveillance. METHODS: In this study, an experimental model was established by hypodermic inoculating the colon cancer cell line CT26 (5 x 10(5) cells) into BALB/c mice. The experimental treatment was orally administered with ACML-55 or PBS, followed by the inoculation of colon cancer cell line CT26. Intracellular cytokine staining was used to detect IFN-gamma production by tumor antigen specific CD8+ T cells. FACS analysis was employed to profile composition and activation of CD4+, CD8+, gammadelta T and NK cells. RESULTS: Our results showed, compared to PBS treated mice, ACML-55 treatment significantly delayed colon cancer development in colon cancer-bearing Balb/c mice in vivo. Treatment with ACML-55 enhanced both Ag specific activation and proliferation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and increased the number of tumor Ag specific CD8+ T cells. It was more important to increase the frequency of tumor Ag specific IFN-gamma producing-CD8+ T cells. Interestingly, ACML-55 treatment also showed increased cell number of NK, and gammadeltaT cells, indicating the role of ACML-55 in activation of innate lymphocytes. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that ACML-55 therapy can enhance function in immune surveillance in colon cancer-bearing mice through regulating both innate and adaptive immune responses.