Asperpyrone F, a new dimeric naphtho--pyrone from the edible fungus .

A new dimeric naphtho--pyrone, asperpyrone F (), along with six known ones, asperpyrones B () and C (), fonsecinones A () and B (), aurasperones A () and E (), have been isolated from the solid culture of the edible fungus The structures of were determined mainly by NMR and MS experiments. The absolute configuration of compound was assigned via the circular dichroism (CD) data analysis. Compounds showed modest antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities.

Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin induce apoptosis in human glioma cells via ROS and Ca2+‑mediated mitochondrial pathway.

Human glioma is the most common type of primary brain tumor and one of the most invasive and aggressive tumors, which, even with treatments including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, often relapses and exhibits resistance to conventional treatment methods. Developing novel strategies to control human glioma is, therefore, an important research focus. The present study investigated the mechanism of apoptosis induction in U251 human glioma cells by capsaicin (Cap) and dihydrocapsaicin (DHC), the major pungent ingredients of red chili pepper, using the Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, transmission electron microscopy analysis, flow cytometry analysis, laser scanning confocal microscope analysis and immunohistochemical staining.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is dispensable for IgE-mediated cutaneous reaction in vivo.

Mast cells play a critical role in allergic reactions. The cross-linking of FcεRI-bound IgE with multivalent antigen initiates a cascade of signaling events leading to mast cell activation. It has been well-recognized that cross linking of FcεRI mediates tyrosine phosphorylation.

Pu-erh tea powder preventive effects on cisplatin-induced liver oxidative damage in Wistar rats.

Background: Chemotherapy is one of the major means for control of malignancies, with cisplatin (CDDP) as one of the main agents, widely used for the treatment of various malignant solid tumors. However, prevention of hepatotoxicity from cisplatin is one of the urgent issues in cancer chemotherapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of pu-erh tea on hepatotoxicity through body weight and tissue antioxidant parameters like, liver coefficient, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), malondialdehyde(MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, and light microscopic evaluation by histological findings.

study on the feasibility of magnetic stent hyperthermia for the treatment of cardiovascular restenosis.

Thermal treatment or hyperthermia has received considerable attention in recent years due to its high efficiency, safety and relatively few side-effects. In this study, we investigated whether it was possible to utilize targeted thermal or instent thermal treatments for the treatment of restenosis following percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) through magnetic stent hyperthermia (MSH). A 316L stainless steel stent and rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were used in the present study, in which the inductive heating characteristics of the stent under alternative magnetic field (AMF) exposure, as well as the effect of MSH on the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression of the rabbit VSMCs, were evaluated.

Antitumor effect and immune response induced by local hyperthermia in B16 murine melanoma: Effect of thermal dose.

This study aimed at investigating the antitumor effect and immune response induced by local high-temperature hyperthermia at different thermal doses in B16 murine melanoma. The screened optimal thermal dose (50°C, 15 min) which was demonstrated to be the most effective in immune response activation was applied to the treatment of lung metastasis. The optimal thermal dose was determined by evaluating the tumor volume change, survival period of tumor-bearing mice, and immune indices including interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-γ and TNF-α mRNA expression in the spleen of mice subjected to local hyperthermia at various thermal doses.

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia induced by radiofrequency capacitive field for the treatment of transplanted subcutaneous tumors in rats.

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) induced by a magnetic field has become a new heating technology for the treatment of malignant tumors due to its ability to heat the tumor tissue precisely and properly, and due to its significant therapeutic effects. In this study, MFH induced by radiofrequency capacitive field (RCF) for the treatment of transplanted subcutaneous tumors in rats, was investigated. A total of 50 rats bearing subcutaneous tumors were randomly divided into five groups, including i) a pseudo-treatment (PT) control group, ii) magnetic fluid (MF) group, iii) pure hyperthermia (PH) group, iv) magnetic fluid hyperthermia 1 (MFH1) group, and v) magnetic fluid hyperthermia 2 (MFH2) group.

Liquiritigenin attenuates the learning and memory deficits in an amyloid protein precursor transgenic mouse model and the underlying mechanisms.

The present paper is to examine whether liquiritigenin is able to attenuate the Alzheimer's-like learning and memory deficits in a transgenic (Tg) mouse model that over-expresses amyloid protein precursor (APP), and explores the underlying mechanisms. Consistent with our previous observations, we found that treatment with liquiritigenin improved the behavioral performance of Tg mice and it attenuated the protein expression of oligomeric form of amyloid β-peptide (Aβ). Furthermore, treatment with liquiritigenin inhibited astrocytosis in the hippocampus, and it may through its inhibitory activities on Notch-2, an important molecular regulating neural proliferation and differentiation.

Regulator of calcineurin 1 (Rcan1) is required for the development of pulmonary eosinophilia in allergic inflammation in mice.

The presence of eosinophils in the lung is often regarded as a defining feature of asthma. On allergen stimulation, numbers of eosinophils and their progenitors are increased in both the bone marrow and lungs. Eosinophil progenitors provide an ongoing supply of mature eosinophils.

Feasibility study of high-temperature thermoseed inductive hyperthermia in melanoma treatment.

Current treatment modalities for melanoma do not offer satisfactory efficacy. We have developed a new, minimally invasive hyperthermia technology based on radio-frequency hyperthermia. Herein, we investigated the feasibility of using a nickel-copper thermoseed for inductive hyperthermia at a relatively high temperature (46-55 ˚C).

Apoptotic effects of Tian-Long compound on endometrial adenocarcinoma cells in vitro.

The Tian-Long (TL) compound is a water-soluble extract of six Chinese medicinal herbs. To explore its antitumor properties and the mechanism for activity in gynecological malignancies, the present studies were carried out using Ishikawa cells derived from uterine endometrial adenocarcinoma. Morphologically, cell death and decrease in the number of viable cells were observed in the presence of the TL compound.

The early growth response factor-1 contributes to interleukin-13 production by mast cells in response to stem cell factor stimulation.

Stem cell factor (SCF) is not only critical for mast cell development, but also an important mast cell functional regulator. However, roles of transcription factors involved in SCF-induced effects remain incompletely defined. Early growth response factor-1 (Egr-1) is a member of zinc-finger transcription factor family.

[Experimental study of Solanum nigrum on inhibiting angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane].

Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of Solanum nigrum on angiogenesis.

Method: We examined the effects of S. nigrum on angiogenesis in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model.

Inductive heat property of Fe3O4/polymer composite nanoparticles in an ac magnetic field for localized hyperthermia.

The magnetite (Fe(3)O(4)) nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation of Fe(3+) and Fe(2+) with an aqueous NaOH solution. The Fe(3)O(4)/polyaniline (PANI) magnetic composite nanoparticles with a core-shell structure with a diameter of 30-50 nm were prepared via an in situ polymerization of aniline in an aqueous solution containing the Fe(3)O(4) magnetic fluid. The inductive heat property of Fe(3)O(4)/PANI composite nanoparticles in an alternating current (ac) magnetic field was investigated.

[Diffraction enhanced imaging of condylar cartilage of osteoarthritic rats].

Objective: To observe the images of early lesions of condylar cartilage of osteoarthritic rats in synchrotron radiation diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI).

Methods: The animal model of temporomandibular joint osteoarthrosis was established in rat following the method of partial resection of the joint disc. The changes of osteoarthritic condylar cartilage in different pathological stages were observed by DEI and compared with those in situ histopathological sections.

The early growth response factor-1 is involved in stem cell factor (SCF)-induced interleukin 13 production by mast cells, but is dispensable for SCF-dependent mast cell growth.

The stem cell factor (SCF) plays a central role in the regulation of mast cell function and growth. However, roles of transcription factors involved in these processes remain incompletely defined. The early growth response factor-1 (Egr-1) is a member of the zinc finger transcription factor family.

[Review about mechanisms of anti-cancer of Solanum nigrum].

This paper gave a brief introduction of the effect of Solanum nigrum on anti-cancer. The experimental results showed that the total alkaloid isolated from S. nigrum interfered structure and function of tumor cell membrane, disturbed the synthesis of DNA and RNA, changed the cell cycle distribution, so that total alkaloids could play in inhibabition to tumor cells, while the glycoprotein (150 x 10(3)) isolated from S.

[Development of measurement and control technologies for hyperthermia treatments of tumors with AC magnetic field].

Hyperthermia therapy with AC magnetic field heating magnetic nanoparticles is a new kind of treatment method. The paper reviews the research progresses about AC magnetic heating setups for hyperthermia therapy measurements of magnetic field temperature control, and so on.

[A method of showing thermal effect of iron oxide nanoparticles in alternating magnetic field].

Background & Objective: Ferromagnet has thermal effect in alternating magnetic field (AMF). Magnetically mediating hyperthermia is to localize magnetic substance within tumor tissue under AMF to promote the targeting ability and heat distribution of hyperthermia. This study was to develop a new method of showing the thermal effect of iron oxide Fe3O4 nanoparticles in AMF in vitro.

Mutations of p53 gene exons 4-8 in human esophageal cancer.

Aim: To characterize the tumor suppressor gene p53 mutations in exon 4, esophageal cancer and adjacent non-cancerous tissues.

Methods: We performed p53 (exons 4-8) gene mutation analysis on 24 surgically resected human esophageal cancer specimens by PCR, single-strand conformation polymorphism, and DNA sequencing.

Results: p53 gene mutations were detected in 9 of 22 (40.

[Preparation of magnetoliposomes and its in vivo behavior on ICR mice].

Aim: To prepare magnetoliposome (MLP) containing dextran-encapsulated magnetite (Fe3O4), and to examine its physicochemical properties and its in vivo behavior on ICR mice.

Methods: Reverse phase evaporation method was used to formulate MLP and the Fe2+ concentration was measured by o-phenanthroline method. Then the basic properties of MLP and in vivo distribution were studied with the aid of 3H isotope as biomarker.