Phase separation phenomena and thermodynamics of octylphenol polyoxyethylene ether in micellar solutions: Effect of high concentration of inorganic salts and linear correlation

Dan Ni Li,Jing Huang,Zhao Hua Ren,Rui Sheng,Zheng Bo Qian,Bei Bei Li,Xiao Feng Quan,Ye Xi Zhang,Jun Ru Wang,Huan Tian 한국공업화학회 2021 Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Vol.99 No.-

The phase separationphenomena or cloud points (CP) behaviorof nonionic octylphenol polyoxyethylene etherwith oxyethylene glycol ether unit of 15 (OP-15) were investigated in aqueous micellar solutions containinghigh concentrations of inorganic salts including NaCl, KCl, MgCl2, CaCl2, BaCl2, AlCl3, FeCl3, Na2SO4and Na2SiO3. The change in CP induced by salts and its mechanism are discussed theoretically. In aqueous solutionscontaining high concentration of salt, for thefirst time the linear relationship between CP and saltconcentrationiswellestablishedtocharacterizethedepressionofCP.Basedonpseudophaseseparationmodel,thermodynamic parameters are estimated and adopted to further describe the phase separation process andthe interactions between OP-15 molecules or the OP-15/water interactions. Thermodynamic parametersincluding standard Gibbs energy change (DG0CP), enthalpy change (DH0CP) and entropy change (DS0CP)indicate that the additions of different salts result in the change in entropy-driven nonspontaneousprocess of phase separation. These data, which are from the compensation temperatures and the changeof molar heat capacity, also prove that different ions induce the change in the interactions betweensurfactant molecules or the surfactant–water interaction and thus affect the depression of CP. Thesefindings help with understanding the effect of inorganic salts, especially the high concentration of salt, onCP of nonionic surfactant and then broadening the application of nonionic surfactant based on CP such asthe extraction of biomaterials in biological samples derived from animals or plants, etc.

Ginsenoside Rg5 overcomes chemotherapeutic multidrug resistance mediated by ABCB1 transporter: in vitro and in vivo study

Feng, Sen-Ling,Luo, Hai-Bin,Cai, Liang,Zhang, Jie,Wang, Dan,Chen, Ying-Jiang,Zhan, Huan-Xing,Jiang, Zhi-Hong,Xie, Ying The Korean Society of Ginseng 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.2

Background: Multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapy drugs remains a major challenge in clinical cancer treatment. Here we investigated whether and how ginsenoside Rg5 overcomes the MDR mediated by ABCB1 transporter in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Cytotoxicity and colon formation as well as the intracellular accumulation of ABCB1 substrates were carried out in MDR cancer cells A2780/T and A549/T for evaluating the reversal effects of Rg5. The expressions of ABCB1 and Nrf2/AKT pathway were determined by Western blotting. An A549/T cell xenograft model was established to investigate the MDR reversal activity of Rg5 in vivo. Results: Rg5 significantly reversed ABCB1-mediated MDR by increasing the intracellular accumulation of ABCB1 substrates without altering protein expression of ABCB1. Moreover, Rg5 activated ABCB1 ATPase and reduced verapamil-stimulated ATPase activity, suggesting a high affinity of Rg5 to ABCB1 binding site which was further demonstrated by molecular docking analysis. In addition, co-treatment of Rg5 and docetaxel (TXT) suppressed the expression of Nrf2 and phosphorylation of AKT, indicating that sensitizing effect of Rg5 associated with AKT/Nrf2 pathway. In nude mice bearing A549/T tumor, Rg5 and TXT treatment significantly suppressed the growth of drug-resistant tumors without increase in toxicity when compared to TXT given alone at same dose. Conclusion: Therefore, combination therapy of Rg5 and chemotherapy drugs is a strategy for the adjuvant chemotherapy, which encourages further pharmacokinetic and clinical studies.

Improvement of Poly(γ-glutamic acid) Biosynthesis and Quantitative Metabolic Flux Analysis of a Two-stage Strategy for Agitation Speed Control in the Culture of Bacillus subtilis NX-2

Dan Zhang,Zongqi Xu,Hong Xu,Xiaohai Feng,Sha Li,Heng Cai,Yan Wei,Pingkai Ouyang 한국생물공학회 2011 Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering Vol.16 No.6

In this study, the production of poly(γ-glutamic acid) by Bacillus subtilis NX-2 (PGA) at different agitation speeds was investigated. Based on the analysis of specific cell growth rate (μ) and specific PGA formation rate (q_p),a two-stage strategy for agitation speed control was proposed. During the first 24 h, an agitation speed of 600rpm was used to maintain a high μ for better cell growth,which then reduced to 400 rpm after 24 h to maintain a high qp to enhance PGA production. Using this method, the maximum concentration of PGA reached 40.5 ± 0.91 g/L and the PGA productivity was 0.56 ± 0.012 g/L/h, which was 17.7 and 9.8% higher, respectively, than the best results obtained when a constant agitation speed was used. The flux distributions and the related enzymes of 2-oxoglutarate could be affected by this two-stage strategy for agitation speed. The activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase and glutamate dehydrogenase at the key node of 2-oxoglutarate increased, and more flux distribution was directed to glutamate. The flux distribution from extracellular to intracellular glutamate also increased and improved PGA production as the glutamate uptake rates increased using the agitation-shift control method.

Chitosan-chelated zinc modulates cecal microbiota and attenuates inflammatory response in weaned rats challenged with Escherichia coli

Dan Feng,Minyang Zhang,Shiyi Tian,Jing Wang,Weiyun Zhu 한국미생물학회 2020 The journal of microbiology Vol.58 No.9

Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection is very common among young growing animals, and zinc supplementation is often used to alleviate inflammation induced by this disease. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate whether chitosan- chelated zinc (CS-Zn) supplementation could attenuate gut injury induced by E. coli challenge and to explore how CSZn modulates cecal microbiota and alleviates intestinal inflammation in weaned rats challenged with E. coli. 36 weaned rats (55.65 ± 2.18 g of BW, n = 12) were divided into three treatment groups consisting of unchallenged rats fed a basal diet (Control) and two groups of rats challenged with E. coli and fed a basal diet or a diet containing 640 mg/kg CS-Zn (E. coli + CS-Zn, containing 50 mg/kg Zn) for a 14-day experiment. On days 10 to 12, each rat was given 4 ml of E. coli solution with a total bacteria count of 1010 CFU by oral gavage daily or normal saline of equal dosage. CS-Zn supplementation mitigated intestinal morphology impairment (e.g. higher crypt depth and lower macroscopic damage index) induced by E. coli challenge (P < 0.05), and alleviated the increase of Myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity after E. coli challenge (P < 0.05). 16S rRNA sequencing analyses revealed that E. coli challenge significantly increased the abundance of Verrucomicrobia and E. coli (P < 0.05). However, CS-Zn supplementation increased the abundance of Lactobacillus and decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Desulfovibrio and E. coli (P < 0.05). The concentrations of butyrate in the cecal digesta, which decreased due to the challenge, were higher in the E. coli + CS-Zn group (P < 0.05). In addition, CS-Zn supplementation significantly prevented the elevation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 concentration and upregulated the level of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 in cecal mucosa induced by E. coli infection (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these results indicate that CS-Zn produces beneficial effects in alleviating gut mucosal injury of E. coli challenged rats by enhancing the intestinal morphology and modulating cecal bacterial composition, as well as attenuating inflammatory response.

Suppressive Effect of Sinomenine Combined with 5-Fluorouracil on Colon Carcinoma Cell Growth

Zhang, Ji-Xiang,Yang, Zi-Rong,Wu, Dan-Dan,Song, Jia,Guo, Xu-Feng,Wang, Jing,Dong, Wei-Guo Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.16

It is reported that sinomenine (SIN) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) both are effective for colon cancer, but their cooperative suppressive effects and toxicity remain to be clarified in detail. This study aimed to determine suppressive effects and toxicity of sinomenine (SIN) plus 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on LoVo colon carcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. CCK-8, Hoechst 33258 staining and an annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis kit were used to detect suppressive effects. Western blotting was applied to investigate the essential mechanism underlying SIN and 5-FU-induced apoptosis. SIN or 5-FU or both were injected into nude mice, and then suppressive effects and side effects were observed. SIN plus 5-FU apparently inhibited the proliferation of LoVo cells and induced apoptosis. Moreover the united effects were stronger than individually (p<0.05). The results of annexin V-FITC/PI staining and Hoechst 33258 staining showed that the percentage of apoptotic cells induced by SIN and 5-FU combined or alone was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Expression of Bax and Bcl-2 was up-regulated and down-regulated respectively. SIN or 5-FU significantly inhibited effects on the volume of tumour xenografts and their combined suppressive effects were stronger (p<0.05). No obvious side effects were observed. It was apparent that the united effects of SIN and 5-FU on the growth of colorectal carcinoma LoVo cells in vitro and in vivo were superior to those using them individually, and it did not markedly increase the side effects of chemotherapy.

Selective miRNA Expression Profile in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia K562 Cell-derived Exosomes

Feng, Dan-Qin,Huang, Bo,Li, Jing,Liu, Jing,Chen, Xi-Min,Xu, Yan-Mei,Chen, Xin,Zhang, Hai-Bin,Hu, Long-Hua,Wang, Xiao-Zhong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.12

Background: Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder of hematopoietic stem cell scarrying the Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome and an oncogenic BCR-ABL1 fusion gene. The tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) of BCR-ABL1 kinase is a treatment of choice for control of CML. Objective: Recent studies have demonstrated that miRNAs within exosomes from cancer cells play crucial roles in initiation and progression. This study was performed to assess miRNAs within exosomes of K562 cells. Methods: miRNA microarray analysis of K562 cells and K562 cell-derived exosomes was conducted with the 6th generation miRCURYTM LNA Array (v.16.0). Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were also carried out. GO terms and signaling pathways were categorized into 66 classes (including homophilic cell adhesion, negative regulation of apoptotic process, cell adhesion) and 26 signaling pathways (such as Wnt). Results: In exosomes, 49 miRNAs were up regulated as compared to K562 cells, and two of them were further confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. There are differentially expressed miRNAs between K562 cell derived-exosomes and K562 cells. Conclusion: Selectively expressed miRNAs in exosomes may promote the development of CML via effects on interactions (e.g. adhesion) of CML cells with their microenvironment.

Expression of Ang-2/Tie-2 and PI3K/AKT in Colorectal Cancer

Zhang, Ji-Hong,Wang, Li-Hua,Li, Xiang-Jun,Wang, Ai-Ping,Reng, Li-Qun,Xia, Feng-Guo,Yang, Zhi-Ping,Jiang, Jing,Wang, Xiao-Dan,Wen, Chun-Yang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.20

Purpose: To study the expression of angiogenin-2 (Ang-2) and its receptor Tie-2 in colorectal cancer and discuss the possible mechanisms behind this process. Materials and Methods: Using the streptavidin-peroxidase (SP) immunohistochemical method, paraffin sections from 100 colorectal cancer samples and 10 samples from tumor-adjacent normal tissue (> 2 cm from the edge of the gross tumor) were tested for protein expression of Ang-2, Tie-2, PI3K, and AKT. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blots were further used to measure expression of the 4 genes and proteins in 20 freshly-resected colorectal cancer samples and tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Results: In colorectal cancer tissues, the expression of the Ang-2, Tie-2, PI3K, and AKT genes and their proteins was significantly higher than in tumor-adjacent normal tissues. Protein expression in poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma was higher than that in well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. According to Duke's classification, the protein expression in Stages C and D was significantly higher than that in Stages A and B. In the group with lymphatic metastasis, the protein expression was higher than that without lymphatic metastasis. Conclusions: In colorectal cancer, the expression of the Ang-2, Tie-2, PI3K, and AKT genes and their proteins is markedly higher than those in tumor-adjacent normal tissues. No correlation was observed between protein expression and gender, location, or histologic type. Correlations did exist between protein expression and differentiation level, stage of Duke's classification, and lymphatic metastasis; in colorectal cancer tissues with lower differentiation levels, higher stages of Duke's classification, and lymphatic metastasis, the expression of all 4 proteins was higher. The study of their expression patterns and relationships with aggression and metastasis will provide a valuable experimental foundation for assessing prognosis and targeted therapy of colorectal cancer.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the GnRHR Gene Associated with Reproductive Traits of Japanese Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

He, Feng,Wen, Hai-Shen,Li, Ji-Fang,Yu, Da-Hui,Ma, Rui-Qin,Shi, Dan,Mu, Wei-Jie,Zhang, Yuan-Qing,Hu, Jian,Liu, Miao,Han, Wei-Guo,Zhang, Jia-Nan,Wang, Qing-Qing,Yuan, Yu-Ren,Liu, Qun Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2011 Animal Bioscience Vol.24 No.4

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) gene is expressed at the anterior pituitary gland and plays a key role in gonad development. This study aimed to investigate molecular genetic characteristics of the GnRHR gene and elucidate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of GnRHR gene on sex steroid level in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). We used polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and sequencing of the GnRHR gene in 75 individuals. We identified three SNPs in the GnRHR gene: P1 locus (C759A and C830T) in the coding region of exon2 which were both linked together and P2 locus (G984T) in the coding region of exon3, which added a new transcript factor (ADR1) and a new methylation site (CG). Only C830T of P1 leads to amino acid changes Thr266Ile. Statistical analysis showed that P1 was significantly associated with $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) level (p<0.01) and gonadosomatic index (GSI) (p<0.05). Individuals with genotype BB of P1 had significantly higher serum $E_2$ levels (p<0.01) and GSI (p<0.05) than those of genotype AA or AB. Another SNP, P2, synonymous mutation, was significantly associated with GSI (p<0.05). Individuals with genotype AB of P2 had significantly higher GSI (p<0.05) than that of genotype AA. In addition, there was a significant association between one diplotype based on three SNPs and reproductive traits. The genetic effects for both serum $E_2$ level and GSI of diplotype D4 were super diplotypes (p<0.05). These results suggest that the SNPs in Japanese Flounder GnRHR are associated with $E_2$ level and GSI.

Hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical properties of KMn8O16 nanorods for lithium-ion battery applications.

Zheng, Hao,Zhang, Qing,Kim, Seung-Joo,Jiang, Xueya,Dan, Meiyu,Gao, Hong,Li, Shengbiao,Wang, Shiquan,Feng, Chuanqi American Scientific Publishers 2013 Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Vol.13 No.4

<P>KMn8O16 nanorods were prepared through a facile hydrothermal method by using KMnO4 and MnSO4 as reactants. The KMn8O16 samples synthesized at different temperatures (100-160 degrees C) were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and its electrochemical properties were tested by galvanostatic charge/discharge system. The effect of reaction temperature on the morphology and electrochemical properties was investigated. As electrode materials for the lithium ion battery cycled between 1.5 and 4.2 V, the KMn8O16 nanorods synthesized at 160 degrees C show the highest reversible discharge capacity (160.1 mA h/g even after 50 cycles at current density of 50 mA/g) and the best cycling stability. These results indicate that the KMn8O16 nanorods could be a promising cathode material for lithium ion batteries.</P>

Ginsenoside Rg5 overcomes chemotherapeutic multidrug resistance mediated by ABCB1 transporter: in vitro and in vivo study

Sen-Ling Feng,Hai-Bin Luo,Liang Cai,Jie Zhang,Dan Wang,Ying-Jiang Chen,Huan-Xing Zhan,Zhi-Hong Jiang,Ying Xie 고려인삼학회 2020 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.44 No.2

Background: Multidrug resistance (MDR) to chemotherapy drugs remains a major challenge in clinicalcancer treatment. Here we investigated whether and how ginsenoside Rg5 overcomes the MDR mediatedby ABCB1 transporter in vitro and in vivo. Methods: Cytotoxicity and colon formation as well as the intracellular accumulation of ABCB1 substrateswere carried out in MDR cancer cells A2780/T and A549/T for evaluating the reversal effects of Rg5. Theexpressions of ABCB1 and Nrf2/AKT pathway were determined by Western blotting. An A549/T cellxenograft model was established to investigate the MDR reversal activity of Rg5 in vivo. Results: Rg5 significantly reversed ABCB1-mediated MDR by increasing the intracellular accumulation ofABCB1 substrates without altering protein expression of ABCB1. Moreover, Rg5 activated ABCB1 ATPaseand reduced verapamil-stimulated ATPase activity, suggesting a high affinity of Rg5 to ABCB1 bindingsite which was further demonstrated by molecular docking analysis. In addition, co-treatment of Rg5 anddocetaxel (TXT) suppressed the expression of Nrf2 and phosphorylation of AKT, indicating that sensitizingeffect of Rg5 associated with AKT/Nrf2 pathway. In nude mice bearing A549/T tumor, Rg5 and TXTtreatment significantly suppressed the growth of drug-resistant tumors without increase in toxicitywhen compared to TXT given alone at same dose. Conclusion: Therefore, combination therapy of Rg5 and chemotherapy drugs is a strategy for the adjuvantchemotherapy, which encourages further pharmacokinetic and clinical studies.