Examination of Combined Treatment of Ginsenoside Rg3 and 5-Fluorouracil in Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells.

Chemotherapy is a commonly used strategy for advanced lung cancer patients. However, its clinical application is restrained due to its toxicity and drug resistance. Ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) has a strong anticancer influence on colon cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and other malignant tumors. However, it is still unclear whether Rg3 can cooperate with 5-FU to inhibit the tumor growth and angiogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). This study examined the combined treatment of Rg3 and 5-FU in LUAD. It was revealed that the combined treatment could notably enhance the suppression on proliferative, invasive, and migratory abilities and angiogenesis in LUAD cells A549 and SPC-A-1. On the other hand, we also discovered that Rg3 or 5-FU could suppress the activity of the NF-κB signaling pathway and downregulate VEGFA expression in LUAD cells. Collectively, this study suggested that Rg3 combined chemotherapy may perform a more powerful drug efficiency in LUAD cells.

Ginsenoside Rg3 and sorafenib combination therapy relieves the hepatocellular carcinomaprogression through regulating the HK2-mediated glycolysis and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common pathological type of primary hepatic carcinoma. This study investigated the effects of ginsenoside Rg3 (Rg3) and sorafenib (SFN) combination therapy on HCC progression. The HCC-related data were obtained from TCGA database, and the data of HK2 mRNA, clinicopathological features, and survival outcomes were extracted using R Programming 4.0. The human hepatoma cell lines HepG2 and Bel7404 were used. Cell viability was tested using the MTT assay. Glucose consumption and lactate levels of HCC cells were detected using the corresponding kits. Western blotting was used to determine the protein expression of HK2, PI3K, and Akt. HK2 was overexpressed in patients with HCC. Compared with patients with overexpressed HK2, those with low levels of HK2 achieved a longer survival time. In addition, the Rg3 and SFN combination therapy significantly reduced cell viability, glucose consumption, lactate levels, and protein expression of HK2, PI3K, and Akt in HCC cells. Additionally, the Rg3 and SFN combination therapy exhibited a better effect than the single drug group. Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway or exogenous lactate intervention reversed the effects of Rg3 and SFN combination therapy in HCC cells. In conclusion, Rg3 has a synergistic effect on the sensitivity of HepG2 and Bel7404 hepatoma cells to SFN, which is related to HK2-mediated glycolysis and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

"Yiqi Huayu, Wenyang Lishui" Prescription (YHWLP) Improves the Symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Induced Chronic Pulmonary Heart Disease by Inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK Signaling Pathway.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pulmonary heart disease (CPHD) is a common type of heart disease. In China, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the main causes of CPHD. At present, there is no specific therapy for COPD-induced CPHD, so it is of great importance to identify a new therapy for CPHD. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of "Yiqi Huayu, Wenyang Lishui" prescription (YHWLP) on CPHD symptoms. METHODS: Eighty patients with COPD-induced CPHD were randomly divided into the control group and the YHWLP group, both involving treatment for 3 months. Both groups were treated with Western medicine, and the YHWLP group was also treated with YHWLP. The changes (relative to baseline) in the symptoms, pulmonary arterial pressure, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen (Fbg), D-dimer (D-D), and ratio of phosphorylated (p)-myosin-binding subunit (MBS)/total (t)-MBS in peripheral blood (which indirectly indicates the activation/inhibition of RhoA/ROCK signaling) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: YHWLP plus Western medicine was superior to Western medicine alone at reducing symptoms, pulmonary arterial pressure, PT, aPTT, Fbg, D-D, and p-MBS/t-MBS. CONCLUSION: YHWLP can relieve CPHD by inhibiting the RhoA/ROCK signaling pathway, which means YHWLP is a potential treatment for CPHD.

Nanotoxic Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Normal HEK-293 Cells in Comparison to Cancerous HeLa Cell Line.

PURPOSE: Biomimetic approaches for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) had created a substantial impression among the research community that focuses on nano-bio interactions. In this study, an eco-friendly method using Rhizophora apiculata aqueous leaf extract as a reductant-rich hydrosol was followed to synthesize AgNPs and test its cytotoxicity. METHODS: To optimise the parameters for the synthesis of AgNPs, central composite design based on response surface methodology was used. The particles synthesized at a nano-scale were characterized in our previously published report. The present report further characterizes the nanoparticles by X-ray diffraction, SEM and TEM at varying sites and magnifications. The characterized AgNPs were tested for their cytotoxic effects on HEK-293 and HeLa cells. RESULTS: The cytotoxicity on the cell lines was dose-dependent. At a concentration of 2.5 µL/mL of the AgNPs-containing hydrosol, 100% inhibition of HEK-293 cells and 75% inhibition of the HeLa cells were observed. The IC50 value for AgNPs on HEK-293 was 0.622 µL/mL (12.135 ng), whereas, for HeLa cells, it was 1.98 µL/mL (38.629 ng). CONCLUSION: The nanoparticles were three-fold toxic towards the HEK-293 cells in comparison to the HeLa cells. Therefore, the therapeutic index is low for R. apiculata derived AgNPs on HeLa cells when tested in comparison with the HEK-293 cells. The nanotoxicity profile of the synthesized AgNPs seems more prominent than the nanotherapeutic index. According to our knowledge, this is the first-ever report on the optimization of synthesis of AgNPs using response surface methodology and identifying the therapeutic index of mangrove leaf-derived AgNPs.

Synthesis, optimization and characterization of silver nanoparticles using the catkin extract of Piper longum for bactericidal effect against food-borne pathogens via conventional and mathematical approaches.

Inspired with an increasing environmental awareness, we performed an eco-friendly amenable process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using the catkins of Piper longum as an alternative approach with the existing methods of using plant extracts. The fabrication of nanoparticles occurred within 10 min. This was initially observed by colour change of the solution. UV-visible spectroscopic studies (UV-Vis) were performed for further confirmation. The analysis elucidated that the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was specifically corresponding to AgNPs. Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR) studies indicated that polyphenols could possibly be the encapsulating agents. The size and shape of the nanoparticles was analysed using Transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The nanoparticles were predominant spheres ranging between 10 and 42 nm at two different scales. The formation of elemental silver was confirmed further by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). GC-MS analysis was used to identify the possible encapsulates on the nanoparticles. The antibacterial effect of the biosynthesized AgNPs was tested against two gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus), and five gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhi) bacteria. Outcomes of the study suggest that these pathogens were susceptible to the AgNPs. This is the first ever international report on correlating the antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles using mathematical modelling with a conventional antimicrobial assay. The results indicate that nanoparticles of silver synthesized using catkin extract of P. longum can be exploited towards the development of potential antibacterial agents.

Increased Plasma Level of miR-210 as a Potential Diagnostic Marker for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Induced Pulmonary Hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a commonly observed complication of chronic obstructive pulmo-nary disease (COPD) which may lead to poor prognosis of the disease. The present study aims to explore the roles of circulating miR-210 for the early diagnosis of COPD included PH. METHODS: We included 80 patients with COPD including PH, 80 patients with COPD but without PH, and 80 healthy subjects as the study population. The plasma of each patient was collected, and the expressions of miR-210 in different groups were compared by RT-qPCR method. The diagnostic value of miR-210 was evaluated by ROC curve, and the correlation between the plasma level of miR-210 and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) as well as pulmonary function index forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were also analyzed. RESULTS: MiR-210 was significantly increased in plasma of COPD patients with PH compared with the COPD patients without PH. The results of ROC analysis showed that miR-210 is a sensitive biomarker to distinguish COPD + PH patients from the COPD patients. Moreover, the expression level of miR-210 in the plasma was positively correlated with the SPAP and negatively correlated with the FEV1 and FVC of the COPD + PH patients. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-210 was up-regulated in plasma of patients with COPD included PH, and miR-210 may serve as an early diagnostic marker for the disease.

Ginsenoside Rg3 Combined with Oxaliplatin Inhibits the Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells via Downregulating PCNA and Cyclin D1.

The present study aims to investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg3 combined with oxaliplatin on the proliferation and apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and the related mechanism. In this study, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was applied to examine the proliferation rate of hepatocellular carcinoma cell SMMC-7721 with different treatment. Flow cytometry was performed to examine apoptosis rate of hepatocellular carcinoma cells with different treatment. Immunofluorescence and Western blot methods were used to evaluate the expressions of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and cyclin D1 in different groups. We found that ginsenoside Rg3, oxaliplatin or ginsenoside Rg3 + oxaliplatin significantly suppressed the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of SMMC-7721. Meanwhile, ginsenoside Rg3, oxaliplatin or ginsenoside Rg3 + oxaliplatin also significantly inhibited the expressions of PCNA and cyclin D1. Moreover, compared with ginsenoside Rg3 group and oxaliplatin group, the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 + oxaliplatin was more remarkable. Taken together, cells treated with oxaliplatin+ ginsenoside enhanced the anti-tumor effect and may inhibit the proliferation and promoted apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating the expression of PCNA and cyclin D1.

Toxic effects of magnetic nanoparticles on normal cells and organs.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are promising candidates for drug delivery and treatment of various disorders. Toxicity evaluation is a critical point in the development of nanoformulations and therefore, draws considerable attention. Formulations involving individual or combinatorial nanoparticle suspensions might be used for targeted delivery and treatment. This might be a evaluated further for safety related issues considering future medications based on MNPs. Nanoparticle distribution in the body is dependent on its surface characteristics. Size, dose and routes of nanoparticle entry have to be taken into consideration for future assays.