var. Extracts Exert Antitumor Effects on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Multiple Myeloma by Inhibiting STAT3 Signaling.

Background: var. is an herb that possesses various ethnopharmacological applications. Herein, our current study focuses on the antitumor effect of a combination of physalins, which are regarded as the most representative secondary metabolites from calyces of var.

Development and application of a rapid HPLC method for simultaneous determination of hyperoside, isoquercitrin and eleutheroside E in L. and .

L. and have been used for hundreds of years to treat hypertension in China. In previous research, there was not a suitable quality control of method for the formulas of L.

Toxin-Antitoxin MazEF-dr Mediates Cell Death in Response to DNA Damage Stress.

Here we identified a functional MazEF-dr system in the exceptionally stress-resistant bacterium . We showed that overexpression of the toxin MazF-dr inhibited the growth of . The toxic effect of MazF-dr was due to its sequence-specific endoribonuclease activity on RNAs containing a consensus 5'ACA3', and it could be neutralized by MazE-dr.

Expression of mTOR in Primary Pterygium and its Correlation with α-Smooth Muscle Actin.

Purpose: Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine protein kinase that has been shown to affect many cellular functions, such as cell growth, proliferation, and metabolism. However, there has been minimal focus on the expression of mTOR in pterygium. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of mTOR and the correlation between the levels of mTOR and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA, a marker of transdifferentiation) in pterygium.

Serum metabolomics analysis reveals that obvious cardioprotective effects of low dose Sini decoction against isoproterenol-induced myocardial injury in rats.

Background: Sini decoction (SND) is used for cardiovascular disease over thousands of years in China. However, it is still lacking of dose-response relationship of SND in cardiovascular disease at the metabolic level.

Purpose: The present study is designed to explore the cardioprotective effects of different dosages of SND pretreatment on the isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial injury and elucidate the mechanism underlying this protective effect.

Biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles by the extreme bacterium and an evaluation of their antibacterial properties.

is an extreme bacterium known for its high resistance to stresses including radiation and oxidants. The ability of to reduce Au(III) and biosynthesize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) was investigated in aqueous solution by ultraviolet and visible (UV/Vis) absorption spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). efficiently synthesized AuNPs from 1 mM Au(III) solution in 8 h.

Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry evaluation of the pharmacokinetics of a diacid metabolite of norcantharidin loaded in folic acid-targeted liposomes in mice.

A previous study has reported diacid metabolite (DM) as the stable form of norcantharidin (NCTD), which is almost 100% metabolized to DM-NCTD. However, the unreliable pharmacokinetic characteristics of DM-NCTD could result in low bioavailability, hindering the clinical use of DM-NCTD in the treatment of diseases. A liposomal drug delivery system could overcome the shortcomings of DM-NCTD by improving the relative bioavailability (Fr), reducing drug toxicity, and increasing the therapeutic efficacy.

Evaluation of the change in sphingolipids in the human multiple myeloma cell line U266 and gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 treated with arsenic trioxide.

Arsenic trioxide (As2O3) has been found to display anticancer activity against many types of tumors and has been developed into an anticancer drug in clinical treatments. Sphingolipids are membrane lipids that participate in many signal transduction pathways. In this paper, the changes in sphingolipids of the human multiple myeloma cell line U266 and the gastric cancer cell line MGC-803 treated with arsenic trioxide were investigated using an HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method.

Effect of glycyrrhizic acid on rhein renal penetration: a microdialysis study in rats.

1. Rhein (RH), a primary active component isolated from rhubarb, is effective in protecting against the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) progression. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA), an active constituent of liquorice, is also considered to be a protective agent against DN.

β, β-Dimethylacrylshikonin induces mitochondria-dependent apoptosis of human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro via p38 pathway activation.

Aim: β, β-Dimethylacrylshikonin (DMAS) is an anticancer compound extracted from the roots of Lithospermum erythrorhizon. In the present study, we investigated the effects of DMAS on human lung adenocarcinoma cells in vitro and explored the mechanisms of its anti-cancer action.

Methods: Human lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells were tested.

Activation of JNK/p38 pathway is responsible for α-methyl-n-butylshikonin induced mitochondria-dependent apoptosis in SW620 human colorectal cancer cells.

α-Methyl-n-butylshikonin (MBS), one of the active components in the root extracts of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, posses antitumor activity. In this study, we assess the molecular mechanisms of MBS in causing apoptosis of SW620 cells. MBS reduced the cell viability of SW620 cells in a dose-and time-dependent manner and induced cell apoptosis.

Induction of quinone reductase (QR) by withanolides isolated from Physalis angulata L. var. villosa Bonati (Solanaceae).

In the present study, the EtOAc extract of the persistent calyx of Physalis angulata L. var. villosa Bonati (PA) was tested for its potential quinone reductase (QR) inducing activity with glutathione (GSH) as the substrate using an UPLC-ESI-MS method.

Pressurized CEC coupled with QTOF-MS for urinary metabolomics.

Pressurized CEC (pCEC) coupled with ESI-QTOF-MS using a sheathless interface was applied for metabolomics to develop an alternative analytical method for metabolic profiling of complex biofluid samples such as urine. The hyphenated system was investigated with mixed standards and pooled urine samples to evaluate its precision, repeatability, linearity, sensitivity, and selectivity. The applied voltage, mobile phase, and gradient elution were optimized and applied for the analysis of urinary metabolites.

[Metabonomics study of lung cancer cells based on liquid l chromatography-mass spectrometry].

The metabolic profiles of the polar metabolites and the non-polar metabolites in lung tumor cell lines H358, A549, HCC827, H1299, Calu-3, Calu-l, PC-9 and normal cell line MRC-5 were analyzed separately using high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-Q-TOF/MS). Partial least square discriminant analysis ( PLS-DA) was used to process the metabolic data. The results showed that the metabolites of the lung cancer cell lines and normal cell line have significant differences.

Determination and pharmacokinetic study of the diacid metabolite of norcantharidin in beagle plasma by use of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Because norcantharidin (NCTD) is unstable and subject to ring opening and hydrolysis, the diacid metabolite of norcantharidin (DM-NCTD) is the stable form of NCTD found in normal saline solution. Conversion of NCTD to DM-NCTD is almost 100%, making it possible to determine and investigate the pharmacokinetics of DM-NCTD converted from NCTD. In this paper, a sensitive, simple and selective liquid chromatographic-tandem mass spectrometric method was developed and validated for determination of DM-NCTD in beagle plasma.

Induction of quinone reductase (QR) by withanolides isolated from Physalis pubescens L. (Solanaceae).

In the present study, it was demonstrated that the dichloromethane extract of Physalis pubescens L. (DEPP) had weak potential quinone reductase (QR) inducing activity, but an UPLC-ESI-MS method with glutathione (GSH) as the substrate revealed that the DEPP had electrophiles (with an α,β-unsaturated ketone moiety). These electrophiles could induce quinone reductase (QR) activity, which might be attributed to the modification of the highly reactive cysteine residues in Keap1.

[Mechanism of platycodin D-induced apoptosis in A549 human lung cancer cells].

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of platycodin D showing the inhibitory effect on proliferation and induced apoptosis of humane long cancer cells A549.

Method: Humane long cancer cells A549 were cultured in vitro, with the final PD concentration of 5-20 micromol x L(-1). PD's inhibitory effect on cell proliferation was examined by MTT assay.

Quinone reductase (QR) inducers from Andrographis paniculata and identification of molecular target of andrographolide.

In the present study, it was demonstrated that the petroleum extract of Andrographis paniculata (AP) had quinone reductase (QR) inducing activity, which might be attributed to the modification of key cysteine residues in Keap1 by Michael addition acceptors (MAAs) in it. To screen MAAs in AP, glutathione (GSH) was employed, and a LC/MS/MS method was implied. Three compounds, andrographoside, andrographolide, 14-deoxy-14,15-dehydroandrographolide were revealed could well conjugated with GSH.

[Mechanisms of (2-methyl-n-butyl) shikonin induced apoptosis of gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells].

This study is to investigate the effect of (2-methyl-n-butyl) shikonin (MBS) on inducing apoptosis of human gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 and the role of ERK1/2 signal pathway in the apoptosis. MTT assay was used to detect SGC-7901 cell proliferation. DNA condensation was measured by DAPI stain.

β,β-Dimethylacrylshikonin induces mitochondria dependent apoptosis through ERK pathway in human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells.

β,β-Dimethylacrylshikonin, one of the active components in the root extracts of Lithospermum erythrorhizon, posses antitumor activity. In this study, we discussed the molecular mechanisms of β,β-dimethylacrylshikonin in the apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells. β,β-Dimethylacrylshikonin reduced the cell viability of SGC-7901 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner and induced cell apoptosis.

Cryptotanshinone induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of multidrug resistant human chronic myeloid leukemia cells by inhibiting the activity of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E.

Cryptotanshinone (CPT), a diterpene quinone isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza, is recently reported to have obvious anticancer activities against diverse cancer cells. However, the effect and regulatory mechanism of CPT remain unclear in human chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells. In this study, we investigated the antiproliferative activity of CPT on the multidrug resistant CML cells K562/ADM.

Physalins with anti-inflammatory activity are present in Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii and can function as Michael reaction acceptors.

Michael reaction acceptors (MRAs) are a class of active molecules that are directly or indirectly involved in various cellular processes, including the regulation of many signaling pathways. In this study, the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) assay was used to demonstrate that the dichloromethane extract of Physalis alkekengi var. franchetii (DCEP) possesses anti-inflammatory activity that might be attributed to the modification of key cysteine residues in IKKβ by the MRAs in DCEP.

Proteomic analysis of membrane proteins from a radioresistant and moderate thermophilic bacterium Deinococcus geothermalis.

Deinococcus geothermalis is a radioresistant and moderate thermophilic bacterium. Little was known about the membrane or membrane associated proteins of this bacterium. This study established the membrane subproteome profile of D.

[Biological effects and toxicology studies of melamine and its derivative cyanuric acid].

Melamine (Tripolycyanamide) and its derivatives have recently become a public concern on food safety. To better understand melamine and its major derivative cyanuric acid.literature on their chemical properties, metabolism, biological effects, relevant toxicology studies, and the detection methods is reviewed.

Nystatin interferes with the effects of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine on sphingolipid metabolism in human FL cells.

Previously we have shown that an alkylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) can induce receptor clustering and the activation of a downstream signal molecule NF-kappaB, and that the receptor clustering is associated with changes in sphingolipids metabolism. On the other hand, the polyene antibiotic nystatin can block MNNG-induced receptor clustering. In this study, using a lipidomic approach, we further evaluated whether nystatin influenced the effects of MNNG on sphingolipids metabolism.