Protection of Zuoguiwan Against Apoptosis of Follicles in Rats Injured by 60Co-γ Rays： Based on PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Zuoguiwan against 60Co-γ ray-induced premature aging of rats based on the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodSixty sexually mature female SD rats were irradiated with 60Co-γ rays （6.0 Gy， LD40） for 24 h at one time. Then they were randomized into model group， Bujiale group （0.18 g·kg-1·d-1）， Bujiale （0.09 g·kg-1·d-1） + high-dose Zuoguiwan group （23.625 g·kg-1·d-1）， high-dose Zuoguiwan group （23.625 g·kg-1·d-1）， medium-dose Zuoguiwan group （9.45 g·kg-1·d-1）， and low-dose Zuoguiwan group （4.725 g·kg-1·d-1）. The administration （once a day） lasted 21 days. Serum indexes ［follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and estradiol （E2）］ of rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and morphological changes of ovarian tissues were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining. The apoptosis rate of granulosa cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） and the protein expression of phosphorylated （p）-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in ovarian tissues by Western blot. ResultCompared with normal group， model group demonstrated increase in serum FSH （P<0.01）， decrease in E2 （P<0.05）， and reduction of follicles and luteum in early ovary （P<0.01）. Moreover， the elevation of apoptosis rate of granulosa cells （P<0.01）， down-regulation of p-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue， and increase in expression of Bax were also observed in the model group as compared with the normal group （P<0.01）. In comparison with the model group， the administration groups showed rise of the number of early ovarian follicles， decrease in the apoptosis rate of granulosa cells， increase in the expression of p-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， and Bcl-2， and down-regulation of Bax， particularly the Bujiale + high-dose Zuoguiwan group（P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionZuoguiwan protects radiation-damaged ovary by activating the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR protein in ovarian tissue， increasing Bcl-2， and inhibiting the expression of Bax.

Protection of Zuoguiwan Against Apoptosis of Follicles in Rats Injured by 60Co-γ Rays： Based on PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect of Zuoguiwan against 60Co-γ ray-induced premature aging of rats based on the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodSixty sexually mature female SD rats were irradiated with 60Co-γ rays （6.0 Gy， LD40） for 24 h at one time. Then they were randomized into model group， Bujiale group （0.18 g·kg-1·d-1）， Bujiale （0.09 g·kg-1·d-1） + high-dose Zuoguiwan group （23.625 g·kg-1·d-1）， high-dose Zuoguiwan group （23.625 g·kg-1·d-1）， medium-dose Zuoguiwan group （9.45 g·kg-1·d-1）， and low-dose Zuoguiwan group （4.725 g·kg-1·d-1）. The administration （once a day） lasted 21 days. Serum indexes ［follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and estradiol （E2）］ of rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）， and morphological changes of ovarian tissues were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin （HE） staining. The apoptosis rate of granulosa cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL） and the protein expression of phosphorylated （p）-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in ovarian tissues by Western blot. ResultCompared with normal group， model group demonstrated increase in serum FSH （P<0.01）， decrease in E2 （P<0.05）， and reduction of follicles and luteum in early ovary （P<0.01）. Moreover， the elevation of apoptosis rate of granulosa cells （P<0.01）， down-regulation of p-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue， and increase in expression of Bax were also observed in the model group as compared with the normal group （P<0.01）. In comparison with the model group， the administration groups showed rise of the number of early ovarian follicles， decrease in the apoptosis rate of granulosa cells， increase in the expression of p-PI3K， p-Akt， p-mTOR， and Bcl-2， and down-regulation of Bax， particularly the Bujiale + high-dose Zuoguiwan group（P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionZuoguiwan protects radiation-damaged ovary by activating the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR protein in ovarian tissue， increasing Bcl-2， and inhibiting the expression of Bax.

PTEN inactivation induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis by intranuclear translocation of ß-catenin and snail/slug in non-small cell lung carcinoma cells.

OBJECTIVE: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the key event in distant metastasis of diverse tumors including lung cancer. Recent evidence suggests the involvement of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in EMT phenotypes. However, the molecular mechanism of EMT induced by PTEN inactivation is not clear in lung cancer. We aimed to investigate the role of PTEN inactivation in acquisition of EMT in lung cancer cells. METHODS: We knocked out the PTEN in PTEN proficient lung cancer cells lines (A549 and NCI-H460) using CRISPR/Cas-9 system and observed the growth, EMT phenotypes, and EMT related molecules. We also explored the in vivo effect of PTEN inactivation on tumor cell growth and distant metastasis using nude mouse injection. RESULTS: PTEN knockout (KO) cells showed faster growth, migration and invasion than PTEN wild-type (WT) cells. When we injected the cells into nude mice, PTEN-KO cells showed faster growth and higher metastatic potential. In PTEN-KO cells, the levels of phosphorylated AKT (Ser-473 and Thr-308) were profoundly elevated and the expressions of phosphorylated GSK-3ß (Ser9, inactive form) increased, while that of ß-catenin decreased. Regarding the EMT markers, the expression of E-cadherin decreased but those of N-cadherin, vimentin and MMP-2 increased in the PTEN-KO cells. Especially, PTEN-KO cells showed the almost complete intra-nuclear shift of ß-catenin and no ß-catenin signal was observed in the cell membrane. Accordingly, PTEN-KO cells exhibited morphological changes such as loss of cell-to-cell contact, pseudopodia and the round shape, which are the typical phenotypes of EMT. Snail and Slug were also dominantly accumulated in the nucleus after PTEN inactivation. CONCLUSION: All these data consistently support that PTEN inactivation contributes to EMT by nuclear translocation of ß-catenin and Snail/Slug in lung cancer cells.

Correlation between the fear related to childbirth and the social support in pregnant women / 中国实用护理杂志

Objective To investigate correlation between the fear related to childbirth and the social support in pregnant women in order to provide evidence for clinical intervention. Methods A total of 351 pregnant women from 2 hospitals were recruited from July to December, 2014 in city of Guangzhou. They were investigated with the self- designed questionnaire of general conditions measurement, the childbirth Attitudes Questionnaires and the perceived Social Support Scale. Results The total scores of the fear related to childbirth and the social support in pregnant women were 32.29±6.25 and 46.59±7.13, respectively. Scores of the total scale and the factors of the fear related to childbirth and the social support were negatively correlated (r=-0.798--0.134,P < 0.05). Conclusions Negative correlation exists between the fear related to childbirth and the childbirth self-efficacy in pregnant women. To reduce the fear related to childbirth, their families should be encouraged to provide more support for pregnant women.