MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Reveals the Effect of Acetyl-L-Carnitine on the Lipid Profile of Buffalo Oocytes and Cumulus Cells During In Vitro Maturation.

Lipids in cumulus-oocyte complexes are important actors in molecular signalling pathways and are influenced by maturation conditions. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is a carrier involved in fatty acid transport and is a promoter of β-oxidation. Although the embryonic development potential of oocytes can be improved when ALC is added to the maturation medium, the effects of ALC on the lipid content and composition of oocytes and cumulus cells remain unknown.

Role of BCL2L10 in regulating buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocyte maturation.

It has been reported that BCL2L10 is abundantly and specifically expressed in adult human and mouse oocytes and played a very important role in oocytes maturation and early embryonic development. This study is to investigate the expression pattern of BCL2L10 in buffalo ovaries and its effect on the in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes, so as to dissect mechanism of oocytes maturation and provide theoretical guidance for improvement of the in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes. The results showed that BCL2L10 gene was enriched in ovary and the expression of BCL2L10 was oocyte specific and up-regulated during oocyte maturation.

Arsenic and selenium toxicity and their interactive effects in humans.

Arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) are unusual metalloids as they both induce and cure cancer. They both cause carcinogenesis, pathology, cytotoxicity, and genotoxicity in humans, with reactive oxygen species playing an important role. While As induces adverse effects by decreasing DNA methylation and affecting protein 53 expression, Se induces adverse effects by modifying thioredoxin reductase.

The antiangiogenic activity of Kushecarpin D, a novel flavonoid isolated from Sophora flavescens Ait.

Aims: Kushecarpin D (KD) is a novel flavonoid isolated from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Kushen (the dried root of Sophora flavescens Ait). As part of our continuous effort to explore Chinese traditional medicinal herbs and to identify novel natural anticancer products, the antiangiogenic properties of KD were examined in vitro using a human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (ECV304).

Main Methods: The SRB and Trypan Blue exclusion assays were used to evaluate the effect of KD on cell proliferation.

A novel flavonoid isolated from Sophora flavescens exhibited anti-angiogenesis activity, decreased VEGF expression and caused G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in vitro.

Kushen, the dried root of Sophora flavescens Ait, is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Kushen alkaloids have been developed in China as anticancer drugs, and more potent antitumor activities have been identified in kushen flavonoids than in kushen alkaloids. In this study, the anti-angiogenic properties of (2S)-7,2',4'-triihydroxy-5-methoxy-8-dimethylallyl flavanone (Compound 1, a novel flavonoid isolated from Kushen), were examined using the human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (ECV304) in vitro.