Eriocalyxin B ameliorates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by suppressing Th1 and Th17 cells.

Eriocalyxin B (EriB), a diterpenoid isolated from Isodon eriocalyx, was previously reported to have antitumor effects via multiple pathways, and these pathways are related to immune responses. In this study, we demonstrated that EriB was efficacious in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model for multiple sclerosis. Treatment with EriB led to amelioration of EAE, which correlated with reduced spinal cord inflammation and demyelination. EriB treatment abolished encephalitogenic T-cell responses to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in an adoptive transfer EAE model. The underlying mechanism of EriB-induced effects involved inhibition of T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cell differentiation through Janus Kinase/Signal Transducer and Activator Of Transcription and Nuclear factor-κB signaling pathways as well as elevation of reactive oxygen species. These findings indicate that EriB exerts potent antiinflammatory effects through selective modulation of pathogenic Th1 and Th17 cells by targeting critical signaling pathways. The study provides insights into the role of EriB as a unique therapeutic agent for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.

[Lipid Composition of Different Breeds of Milk Fat Globules by Confocal Raman Microscopy].

Different breeds of cows affect the form of fat exist in dairy products and the final functionality, which depended mainly on the composition of the milk fat globules(MFG). However, the relationship between the composition and breeds has not been illuminated. In our study, differences in the lipid content and fatty acid composition of native bovine, buffalo and yak MFG were investigated by confocal Raman spectroscopy. The research offers the possibility of acquisition and analysis of the Raman signal without disruption of the structure of fat globule. The results showed that yak MFG had a higher ratio of band intensities at 2 885/2 850 cm(-1), indicating yak MFG tend to have a triglyceride core in a fluid state with a milk fat globule membrane in a crystalline state. The buffalo and yak MFG had a higher level of unsaturation compared to bovine MFG, shown by a higher ratio of band intensities at 1 655/1 744 cm(-1). The results indicate that small MFG of buffalo is more unsaturated than yak, while the large MFG of buffalo is less unsaturated than the yak. Thus, selective use of cream with yak MFG would allow a harder and more costly churning process but lead to a softer butter. Buffalo milk which contains larger MFG is more suitable for cream and MFG membrane separation.

Dissection of mechanisms of Chinese medicinal formula Realgar-Indigo naturalis as an effective treatment for promyelocytic leukemia.

To enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce adverse effects, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescribe a combination of plant species/minerals, called formulae, based on clinical experience. Nearly 100,000 formulae have been recorded, but the working mechanisms of most remain unknown. In trying to address the possible beneficial effects of formulae with current biomedical approaches, we use Realgar-Indigo naturalis formula (RIF), which has been proven to be very effective in treating human acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) as a model. The main components of RIF are realgar, Indigo naturalis, and Salvia miltiorrhiza, with tetraarsenic tetrasulfide (A), indirubin (I), and tanshinone IIA (T) as major active ingredients, respectively. Here, we report that the ATI combination yields synergy in the treatment of a murine APL model in vivo and in the induction of APL cell differentiation in vitro. ATI causes intensified ubiquitination/degradation of promyelocytic leukemia (PML)-retinoic acid receptor alpha (RARalpha) oncoprotein, stronger reprogramming of myeloid differentiation regulators, and enhanced G(1)/G(0) arrest in APL cells through hitting multiple targets compared with the effects of mono- or biagents. Furthermore, ATI intensifies the expression of Aquaglyceroporin 9 and facilitates the transportation of A into APL cells, which in turn enhances A-mediated PML-RARalpha degradation and therapeutic efficacy. Our data also indicate A as the principal component of the formula, whereas T and I serve as adjuvant ingredients. We therefore suggest that dissecting the mode of action of clinically effective formulae at the molecular, cellular, and organism levels may be a good strategy in exploring the value of traditional medicine.

[The investigation of JAK2 V617F point mutation in myeloproliferative disorders by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction in combination with sequence analysis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the JAK2 V617F point mutation in myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) and explore the clinical significance. METHODS: We used Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) in combination with sequence analysis to detect the mutation in genomic DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 20 chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients, 23 polycythaemia vera (PV), 40 essential thrombocythaemia (ET), 8 idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF), 3 hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). RESULTS: JAK2 V617F was found in 38 (51.4%) of 74 BCR/ABL-negative MPD including 16 PV, 18 ET, 3 IMF and 1 HES patients. All positive samples and 10 negative samples identified by AS-PCR were confirmed by sequence analysis. Mutation-positive patients with ET had significantly increased hemoglobin, hematocrit, and neutrophil proportion than those without the mutation. CONCLUSION: JAK2 V617F mutation is the key molecular genetics feature of BCR/ABL-negative MPD. Detection of JAK2 V617F mutation will bring about a major impact to the diagnosis, classification and treatment of MPD.

[ZAP-70 expression in 24 patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia].

To explore the ZAP-70 expression in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and its relationship with other prognostic factors, the expressions of ZAP-70 protein and CD38 in bone marrow or peripheral blood of 24 patients with B-CLL were determined by four-color flow cytometry. The results showed that ZAP-70 was positively expressed in 37.5% of all B-CLL patients, 20% (3/15) patients in Binet A stage, and 66.7% in Binet B + C. The expression of ZAP-70 had significant difference between Binet A and Binet B + C (P < 0.05). CD38 was expressed in 29.1% of B-CLL patients and 3 out of these cases were in stage A, 2 out of 3 cases in stage A co-expressed CD38 and ZAP-70. The expression of CD38 had no significant difference between Binet A and Binet B + C stage (P > 0.05). ZAP-70+ and CD38+ were both expressed in 83.3% of B-CLL patients (P < 0.05). It is concluded that ZAP-70 protein can be routinely measured by flow cytometry in the laboratory. High expression of ZAP-70 is correlated with other prognostic factors such as clinic stage, chromosome abnormalities and CD38 in B-CLL.

[Application of a four antibody (cMPO/cCD79aalpha/cCD3/CD45) combination to the diagnosis of acute leukemia expressing cross-lineage antigens].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the diagnostic value of intracellular antibody combination in acute leukemia (AL) expressing cross-lineage cell-surface antigens. METHODS: Flow cytometric immunophenotyping using intracellular antibody combination (cMPO/cCD79alpha/cCD3/CD45) was performed additionally in 60 patients who expressed cross-lineage antigens from 269 previously untreated adult AL. RESULTS: Fifty-four of 269 previously untreated adult AL patients who expressed only one kind of intracellular antigen were diagnosed as cross-lineage AL, the percentage of cross-lineage AL in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), B-ALL and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was 28.6%, 43.6% and 13.4%, respectively. The positive rate of CD7, CD19, CD5 and CD20 in cross-lineage AML was 65.4%, 15.4%, 11.5%, and 7.7%, respectively. The positive rate of CD13, CD33 and CD15 in cross-lineage ALL was 89.3%, 21.4% and 3.6%, respectively. Six (2.3%) patients expressed two-lineage intracellular antigens were diagnosed as biphenotypic AL: 2 of T/B type and 4 B/M (B/myeloid) type. CONCLUSION: Intracellular antibodies possess lineage specificity and four-color combination flow cytometric immunophenotyping can provide fast and multi-parameter data. To ensure accuracy of the results, CD45/SSC gating and normal cells as internal reference should be used in the immunophenotyping of abnormal cells.

[Four-color flow cytometric immunophenotypic features of blasts in myelodysplastic syndromes].

This study was aimed at exploring the immunophenotypic features of blasts in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Four-color flow cytometry using conventional and secondary gating strategies was used to immunophenotype blasts and the CD34 positive cells in bone marrow nucleated cells of 29 patients with MDS. The results showed: (1) with progression of MDS from RA/RAS, RAEB to RAEB-T, the proportion of CD34(+) cells were gradually increased from 8.0%, 46.4% to 76.8% (P < 0.05); (2) using CD45 vs SSC gating strategy, with the transformation of RA/RAS, RAEB to RAEB-T, the expression of HLA-DR, CD13, CD33, CD117 were also gradually increased (P < 0.05), and the expression of CD15 was gradually decreased (P < 0.05); (3) using CD45 vs CD34 gating strategy, the expression of HLA-DR, CD13, CD33, CD117 on blasts were higher by secondary gating method than those by conventional gating (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the expression of above-mentioned antigens on CD34(+) cells among different MDS subtypes. It is concluded that conventional gating method can reflect MDS progression from RA/RAS, RAEB to RAEB-T, and secondary gating strategy may accurately reflect the biological features of blasts in MDS. Abnormal expression of CD34 is related to the immaturity level and heterogeneity of blast cells, which is beneficial to the diagnosis of clinically suspected MDS incapable of diagnosing with morphology and cytogenetics.