[In vitro effect of total flavones of Fructus Chorspondiatis on expression of collagen type I and type III mRNA and protein of cultured rat cardiac fibroblasts].

This study aims to investigate the effect of total flavones of Fructus Chorspondiatis (TFFC) on the mRNA and protein expression of collagen type I and III of rat cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) induced by angiotensin II (Ang II), and explore its anti-myocardial fibrosis molecular mechanism. Neonatal rat CFs were prepared from Sprague-Dawley rats (1-3 d after birth). The expression of collagen type I and III mRNA and protein were measured by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The study showed that stimulation of neonatal rat CFs with 100 nmol.L-1 of Ang II for 72 h resulted in a significant increase of the expression of collagen type I and III mRNA and protein. The changes on the expression level were blocked by TFFC. The results demonstrated that TFFC can inhibit myocardial fibrosis induced by Ang II in rats, which is probably associated with the collagen type I and III mRNA and protein levels up-regulated by Ang II, and TFFC was shown to decrease the expression levels of collagen type I and III mRNA and protein.

(6-Oxido-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyrimidine-5-carboxylato-κO,O)(4-oxido-2-oxo-1,2-dihydropyrimidin-3-ium-5-carboxyl-ato-κO,O)bis(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')erbium(III) dihydrate.

The erbium(III) atom in the title compound, [Er(C(5)H(2)N(2)O(4))(C(5)H(3)N(2)O(4))(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)]·2H(2)O, is located on a twofold rotation axis and chelated by two 1,10-phenanthroline heterocycles as well as by a 2,4-dihydroxy-pyrimidine-5-car-box-yl-ate monoanion and a 2,4-dihydroxy-pyrimidine-5-car-box-yl-ate dianion in a square-anti-prismatic coordination geometry.

(µ-6-Oxido-4-oxo-1,2-dihydro-pyrimidine-5-carboxyl-ato-κO,O:O,N)bis-[aquabis-(4-oxido-2-oxo-1,2-dihydro-pyrimidin-3-ium-5-carboxyl-ato-κO,O)-(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')neodymium(III)] hexa-hydrate.

The water-coordinated neodymium(III) atom in the centrosymmetric title compound, [Nd(2)(C(5)H(2)N(2)O(4))(C(5)H(3)N(2)O(4))(4)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)(H(2)O)(2)]·6H(2)O is chelated by a 1,10-phenanthroline heterocycle and two 2,4-dihydroxy-pyrimidine-5-carboxyl-ate dianions. Two tris-chelated water-coordinated units are bridged by a 2,4-dihydroxy-pyrimidine-5-carboxyl-ate dianion, which is disordered about a center of inversion. The metal center has a monocapped square-anti-prismatic coordination.

Quercetin-mediated synthesis of graphene oxide-silver nanoparticle nanocomposites: a suitable alternative nanotherapy for neuroblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Graphene and graphene-related materials have gained substantial interest from both academia and industry for the development of unique nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are a valuable platform for the development of nanocomposites, permitting the combination of nanomaterials with different physical and chemical properties to generate novel materials with improved and effective functionalities in a single platform. Therefore, this study was conducted to synthesize a graphene oxide-silver nanoparticle (GO-AgNPs) nanocomposite using the biomolecule quercetin and evaluate the potential cytotoxicity and mechanism of GO-AgNPs in human neuroblastoma cancer cells (SH-SY5Y). METHODS: The synthesized GO-AgNPs were characterized using various analytical techniques. The potential toxicities of GO-AgNPs were evaluated using a series of biochemical and cellular assays. The expression of apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes was measured by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Further, apoptosis was confirmed by caspase-9/3 activity and a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay, and GO-AgNPs-induced autophagy was also confirmed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The prepared GO-AgNPs exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity toward SH-SY5Y cells than GO. GO-AgNPs induced significant cytotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells by the loss of cell viability, inhibition of cell proliferation, increased leakage of lactate dehydrogenase, decreased level of mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced numbers of mitochondria, enhanced level of reactive oxygen species generation, increased expression of pro-apoptotic genes, and decreased expression of anti-apoptotic genes. GO-AgNPs induced caspase-9/3-dependent apoptosis via DNA fragmentation. Finally, GO-AgNPs induced accumulation of autophagosomes and autophagic vacuoles. CONCLUSION: In this study, we developed an environmentally friendly, facile, dependable, and simple method for the synthesis of GO-AgNPs nanocomposites using quercetin. The synthesized GO-AgNPs exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity compared with that of GO at very low concentrations. This study not only elucidates the potential cytotoxicity against neuroblastoma cancer cells, but also reveals the molecular mechanism of toxicity.