P2X7 receptor involved in antitumor activity of atractylenolide I in human cervical cancer cells.

Atractylenolide I (Atr-I) was found to sensitize a variety of human cancer cells in previous studies. Purinergic P2X7R plays important role in different cancers. However, whether Atr-I could generate antitumor activity in human cervical cancer cells and P2X7R get involved in this effect remain unclear. In this study, Hela (HPV 18 +) and SiHa (HPV 16 +) cells were treated with different doses of Atr-I. The results indicated that agonist and antagonist of P2X7 receptors, BzATP and JNJ-47965567 (JNJ), could suppress the proliferation of Hela and SiHa cells. Atr-I demonstrated a considerable antitumor effect in both human cervical cancer cells in vitro. Atr-I combined with P2X7R agonist, BzATP, restored Atr-I-induced growth inhibition in Hela cells but not in SiHa cells. However, the combinatorial treatment of P2X7R antagonist JNJ and Atr-I has an additive effect on cell growth inhibition in SiHa cells rather than in Hela cells. It implied that P2X7R would get involved in the anti-human cervical cancer cells effect of Atr-I.

MALAT1-related signaling pathways in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent solid malignancies worldwide. There is a great need of accelerating the development and diagnosis of CRC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) as transcribed RNA molecules play an important role in every level of gene expression. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 (MALAT1) is a highly conserved nucleus-restricted lncRNA that regulates genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. High expression of MALAT1 is closely related to numerous human cancers. It is generally believed that MALAT1 expression is associated with CRC cell proliferation, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. MALAT1 by targeting multiple signaling pathways and microRNAs (miRNAs) plays a pivotal role in CRC pathogenesis. Therefore, MALAT1 can be a potent gene for cancer prediction and diagnosis. In this review, we will demonstrate signaling pathways associated with MALAT1 in CRC.

Does probiotics work for bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis.

The different Lactobacillus strains of probiotics have been applied to the treatment and prevention of bacterial vaginosis and vulvovaginal candidiasis. The experimental data demonstrated that it works well via reducing the number of harmful bacteria, maintaining the acidic microenvironment, inhibiting the immune response, and so on, to restore the vaginal microecology. However, the clinical data indicated that it is not sufficient to support the use of probiotics in the intervention of vulvovaginal candidiasis rather than bacterial vaginosis. Hunting for novel probiotic strains and uncovering the precise mechanism of probiotics, especially with the new concept gut-vagina axis, to maintain the homeostasis of vaginal microbiota should be a great challenge in the future.

Effect of a short-term vitamin E supplementation on oxidative stress in infertile PCOS women under ovulation induction: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin E, which is critically important in the whole process of reproduction, can antagonize the oxidative stress caused by the oxygen free radicals and antioxidant imbalance and regulate normal physiological function of the reproductive system. The effect of short-term supplementation of vitamin E on outcomes of infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) when they underwent ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate (CC) and human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) remains unknown. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort clinical trial from October 2015 to April 2017. A total of 321 PCOS cases underwent ovulation induction with CC and HMG. Patients in group A (n = 110) did not receive vitamin E while patients in group B (n = 105) and group C (n = 106) received oral treatment of vitamin E at 100 mg/day during follicular phase and luteal phase, respectively. RESULTS: It was observed no significant differences of ovulation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, and ongoing pregnancy rate among the three groups. It was interesting that dosage of HMG were significant lower in group B compared with those in group A and group C (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A short-term supplementation of vitamin E can improve oxidative stress, and reduce exogenous HMG dosage to lower the economic cost with a similar pregnancy rate in the ovulation induction cycle. However, the supplementation does not alter the pregnancy rate in the ovulation induction cycle. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR-OOC-14005389, 2014.

Tyrosine nitrations impaired intracellular trafficking of FSHR to the cell surface and FSH-induced Akt-FoxO3a signaling in human granulosa cells.

Many infertile women suffered from poor ovarian response, and increased reactive oxygen species with age might mediate the poor ovarian response to FSH. In this study, we collected follicular fluids and isolated granulosa cells from female patients. Increased levels of peroxynitrite, tyrosine nitrations of FSH receptor (FSHR) and apoptosis were obviously detectable with decreased FSHR protein expressions in granulosa cells of the poor ovarian responders. In KGN (a human ovarian granulosa cell line) cells, exogenous peroxynitrite could sequester FSHR in the cytoplasm, and these dislocated FSHR might suffer from proteasome-mediated degradations. Here, we identified four peroxynitrite-mediated nitrated tyrosine residues of FSHR. Site-directed mutagenesis of FSHR revealed that Y626 was pivotal for intracellular trafficking of FSHR to the cell surface. Akt-induced inactivation of FoxO3a was required for the repression of FSH on granulosa cell apoptosis. However, peroxynitrite impaired FSH-induced Akt-FoxO3a signaling, while FSHR-Y626A mutant took similar effects. In addition, FoxO3a knockdown indeed impaired FSH-mediated cell survival, while FoxO3a-S253A mutant reversed that significantly.

Mononuclear and three-dimensional metal complexes based on a multidentate hydrazone ligand.

A potentially pentadentate hydrazone ligand, N'-[1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazide (HL), was prepared from the condensation reaction of nicotinohydrazide and acetylpyrazine. Reactions of HL with MnCl2, Mn(CH3COO)2 and Cd(CH3COO)2 afforded three metal complexes, namely dichlorido{N'-[1-(pyrazin-2-yl-κN(1))ethylidene]nicotinohydrazide-κ(2)N',O}manganese(II), [MnCl2(C12H11N5O)], (I), bis{N'-[1-(pyrazin-2-yl-κN(1))ethylidene]nicotinohydrazidato-κ(2)N',O]manganese(II), [Mn(C12H10N5O)2], (II), and poly[[(acetato-κ(2)O,O'){µ3-N'-[1-(pyrazin-2-yl-κ(2)N(1):N(4))ethylidene]nicotinohydrazidato-κ(3)N',O:N(1)}cadmium(II)] chloroform disolvate], {[Cd(C12H10N5O)(CH3COO)]·2CHCl3}n, (III), respectively. Complex (I) has a mononuclear structure, the Mn(II) centre adopting a distorted square-pyramidal coordination. Complex (II) also has a mononuclear structure, with the Mn(II) centre occupying a special position (C2 symmetry) and adopting a distorted octahedral coordination environment, which is defined by two O atoms and four N atoms from two N'-[1-(pyrazin-2-yl)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazidate (L(-)) ligands related via a crystallographic twofold axis. Complex (III) features a unique three-dimensional network with rectangular channels, and the L(-) ligand also serves as a counter-anion. The coordination geometry of the Cd(II) centre is pentagonal bipyramidal. This study demonstrates that HL, which can act as either a neutral or a mono-anionic ligand, is useful in the construction of interesting metal-organic compounds.

Synthesis, crystal structures, and antibacterial evaluation of metal complexes based on functionalized 2-phenylquinoline derivatives.

A series of dinuclear paddle-wheel like transition metal complexes based on 2-phenylquinoline-4-carboxylic derivative L have been synthesized and characterized by IR, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction single crystal analysis. The biological activities of L and its complexes were evaluated as assayed antibacterial activities, including Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. The results indicated that these complexes showed better antibacterial activities than the free ligand or metal salts alone. Among them, the Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes with IC50 of 0.57 µg/mL and 0.51 µg/mL, respectively, showed excellent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus.