Berberine suppresses in vitro migration of human aortic smooth muscle cells through the inhibitions of MMP-2/9, u-PA, AP-1, and NF-κB

( Su Jian Liu ),( Cai Xia Yin ),( Ming Chao Ding ),( Shao You Xia ),( Qin Min Shen ),( Ji Dong Wu ) 생화학분자생물학회(구 한국생화학분자생물학회) 2014 BMB Reports Vol.47 No.7

Berberine, a type of isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Chinese medicinal herbs, has been reported to have various pharmacological activities. Studies have demonstrated that berberine has beneficial effects on vascular remodeling and alleviates restenosis after vascular injury. However, its mechanism of action on vascular smooth muscle cell migration is not fully understood. We therefore investigated the effect of berberine on human aortic smooth muscle cell (HASMC) migration. Boyden chamber assay was performed to show that berberine inhibited HASMC migration dose- dependently. Real-time PCR and Western blotting analyses showed that levels of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA) were reduced by berberine at both the mRNA and protein levels. Western blotting assay further confirmed that activities of c-Fos, c-Jun, and NF-κB were significantly attenuated. These results suggest that berberine effectively inhibited HASMC migration, possibly by down-regulating MMP-2, MMP-9, and u-PA; and interrupting AP-1 and NF-κB mediated signaling pathways. [BMB Reports 2014; 47(7): 388-392]

Eliminating the Third Harmonic Effect for Six Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators in One Phase Open Mode

Jian Liu,Gui-jie Yang,Yong Li,Hong-wei Gao,Jian-yong Su 전력전자학회 2014 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.14 No.1

To insure stable operation and eliminate twice torque ripple, a topology for a six phase permanent magnet synchronous generator (SP-PMSG) with a neutral point connected together was analyzed in this paper. By adopting an extended transformation matrix, the mathematic model of the space vector control was established. The voltage and torque equations were deduced while considering the third harmonic flux and inductance. In addition, the suppression third harmonic method and the closed loop control strategy were proposed. A comparison analysis indicates that the cooper loss minimum method and the current magnitude minimum method can meet different application requirements. The voltage compensation amount for each of the methods was deduced which also takes into account the third harmonic effect. A simulation and experimental result comparison validates the consistency through theoretical derivation. It can be seen that all of the two control strategies can meet the requirements of post-fault.

5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine Induces Hepatoma Cell Apoptosis via Enhancing Methionine Adenosyltransferase 1A Expression and Inducing S-Adenosylmethionine Production

Liu, Wei-Jun,Ren, Jian-Guo,Li, Ting,Yu, Guo-Zheng,Zhang, Jin,Li, Chang-Sheng,Liu, Zhi-Su,Liu, Quan-Yan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.11

In hepatocellular cancer (HCC), lack of response to chemotherapy and radiation treatment can be caused by a loss of epigenetic modifications of cancer cells. Methionine adenosyltransferase 1A is inactivated in HCC and may be stimulated by an epigenetic change involving promoter hypermethylation. Therefore, drugs releasing epigenetic repression have been proposed to reverse this process. We studied the effect of the demethylating reagent 5-aza-2'-deoxycitidine (5-Aza-CdR) on MAT1A gene expression, DNA methylation and S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) production in the HCC cell line Huh7. We found that MAT1A mRNA and protein expression were activated in Huh7 cells with the treatment of 5-Aza-CdR; the status of promoter hypermethylation was reversed. At the same time, MAT2A mRNA and protein expression was significantly reduced in Huh7 cells treated with 5-Aza-CdR, while SAMe production was significantly induced. However, 5-Aza-CdR showed no effects on MAT2A methylation. Furthermore, 5-Aza-CdR inhibited the growth of Huh7 cells and induced apoptosis and through down-regulation of Bcl-2, up-regulation of Bax and caspase-3. Our observations suggest that 5-Aza-CdR exerts its anti-tumor effects in Huh7 cells through an epigenetic change involving increased expression of the methionine adenosyltransferase 1A gene and induction of S-adenosylmethionine production.

Eliminating the Third Harmonic Effect for Six Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generators in One Phase Open Mode

Liu, Jian,Yang, Gui-Jie,Li, Yong,Gao, Hong-Wei,Su, Jian-Yong The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2014 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.14 No.1

To insure stable operation and eliminate twice torque ripple, a topology for a six phase permanent magnet synchronous generator (SP-PMSG) with a neutral point connected together was analyzed in this paper. By adopting an extended transformation matrix, the mathematic model of the space vector control was established. The voltage and torque equations were deduced while considering the third harmonic flux and inductance. In addition, the suppression third harmonic method and the closed loop control strategy were proposed. A comparison analysis indicates that the cooper loss minimum method and the current magnitude minimum method can meet different application requirements. The voltage compensation amount for each of the methods was deduced which also takes into account the third harmonic effect. A simulation and experimental result comparison validates the consistency through theoretical derivation. It can be seen that all of the two control strategies can meet the requirements of post-fault.

Comparing performance of Aphis glycines Matsumura fed on two novel hosts relative to Glycine max (L.) Merrill

Su-ji Wang,Bing Bai,Bo Gao,Jian Liu 한국응용곤충학회 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.22 No.3

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, is an important pest of soybean. During some years with occurrences of heavy aphid infestations in field, A. glycines can cause serious damage to soybeans. A. glycines has a heteroecious and holocyclic life cycle, with migration occurring between the primary and secondary hosts during each year. The primary hosts of A. glycines are Rhamnus spp., and the secondary hosts are soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merrill, and wild soybean species, Glycine soja Sieb & Zucc. In this study, A. glycines were fed on detached leaves and live plants of Trifolium repens L. and Metaplexis japonica (Thunb.) Makino, and their survival, development and reproduction were studied at five constant temperatures. These data were compared to those of controls fed on the known host plant G. max. When A. glycines were fed on detached leaves of T. repens and M. japonica, they showed vigorous development and reproduction. The novel and striking results were that: (1) A. glycines could not thrive on live plants of M. japonica, and only a few nymphs were deposited. (2) When A. glycines were fed on live plants of vegetative stage T. repens, adult longevity and fecundity were as long as 11.64 ± 1.17 days and as great as 12.92 ± 1.23 nymphs per adult, respectively. This work provides important evidence that M. japonica is not a host of A. glycines, but T. repens is probably an important host for this aphid.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the saponins in Panax notoginseng leaves using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography coupled with UV detector

Liu, Fang,Ma, Ni,He, Chengwei,Hu, Yuanjia,Li, Peng,Chen, Meiwan,Su, Huanxing,Wan, Jian-Bo The Korean Society of Ginseng 2018 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.42 No.2

Background: Panax notoginseng leaves (PNL) exhibit extensive activities, but few analytical methods have been established to exclusively determine the dammarane triterpene saponins in PNL. Methods: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) and HPLC-UV methods were developed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of ginsenosides in PNL, respectively. Results: Extraction conditions, including solvents and extraction methods, were optimized, which showed that ginsenosides Rc and Rb3, the main components of PNL, are transformed to notoginsenosides Fe and Fd, respectively, in the presence of water, by removing a glucose residue from position C-3 via possible enzymatic hydrolysis. A total of 57 saponins were identified in the methanolic extract of PNL by UPLC/Q-TOF MS. Among them, 19 components were unambiguously characterized by their reference substances. Additionally, seven saponins of PNL-ginsenosides Rb1, Rc, Rb2, and Rb3, and notoginsenosides Fc, Fe, and Fd-were quantified using the HPLC-UV method after extraction with methanol. The separation of analytes, particularly the separation of notoginsenoside Fc and ginsenoside Rc, was achieved on a Zorbax ODS C8 column at a temperature of $35^{\circ}C$. This developed HPLC-UV method provides an adequate linearity ($r^2$ > 0.999), repeatability (relative standard deviation, RSD < 2.98%), and inter- and intraday variations (RSD < 4.40%) with recovery (98.7-106.1%) of seven saponins concerned. This validated method was also conducted to determine seven components in 10 batches of PNL. Conclusion: These findings are beneficial to the quality control of PNL and its relevant products.

Calcination and sintering effects on the microstructure and dielectric properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramics

Peng Liu,Lei Cao,Jian-Ping Zhou,Ya-Juan Wang,Li-Na Su,Cheng Liu,Huai-Wu Zhang 한양대학교 세라믹연구소 2010 Journal of Ceramic Processing Research Vol.11 No.4

CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) ceramics were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction at various calcination and sintering temperatures. Depending on the relative dielectric constant (εr) at 1 kHz, the specimens can be categorized into three types:type A (εr < 5 × 104), type B (5 × 104 < εr < 105) and type C (εr > 105). The value of εr is closely related to the microstructure:type-A specimens show a morphology with large grains embedded in a small-grained matrix, type-B specimens present a network structure and type-C specimens display a core-shell structure. Different dielectric loss variation tendencies are observed in the type-A specimens, which can be well explained by impedance spectroscopy analysis and further confirmed by the EDX results. Also, the proper calcination and sintering temperature ranges needed to achieve good comprehensive properties are given.

Substrate-Immersed Solvothermal Synthesis of Ordered SiO2/Ag Arrays as Catalytic SERS Substrates

Chang Liu,Qianqian Su,Li Li,Jie Sun,Jian Dong,Weiping Qian 성균관대학교(자연과학캠퍼스) 성균나노과학기술원 2018 NANO Vol.13 No.5

In this work, we designed a simple substrate-immersed solvothermal route for the one-step synthesis of novel ordered SiO2/Ag arrays, employing SiO2 colloidal crystals as templates and alcohol as reducing agent. The Ag nanoparticles were uniformly deposited in situ onto SiO2 colloidal crystals, which exhibited high surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) activity and uniform SERS intensity. It was found that ordered SiO2/Ag arrays could rapidly scavenge the absorbed-Nile blue A (NBA) molecules from the surfaces with the assistance of H2O2, while the SERS signals of NBA decreased sharply and almost completely disappeared within four minutes. This can be attributed to the superior catalytic activity of Ag nanoparticles. After five times of re-immersion and re-absorbing process of NBA, the substrates could still keep ~74.8% SERS intensity versus the original. The high activity and durability of the as-prepared SiO2/Ag SERS substrate endow them as a promising candidate for trace detection.

Studies on seismic performance of the new section steel beam-wall connection joint

Weicheng Su,Jian Liu,Changjiang Liu,Chiyu Luo,Weihua Ye,Yaojun Deng 국제구조공학회 2023 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.88 No.5

This paper introduces a new hybrid structural connection joint that combines shear walls with section steel beams, fundamentally resolving the construction complexity issue of requiring pre-embedded connectors in the connection between shear walls and steel beams. Initially, a quasi-static loading scheme with load-deformation dual control was employed to conduct low-cycle repeated loading experiments on five new connection joints. Data was acquired using displacement and strain gauges to compare the energy dissipation coefficients of each specimen. The destruction process of the new connection joints was meticulously observed and recorded, delineating it into three stages. Hysteresis curves and skeleton curves of the joint specimens were plotted based on experimental results, summarizing the energy dissipation performance of the joints. It's noteworthy that the addition of shear walls led to an approximate 17% increase in the energy dissipation coefficient. The energy dissipation coefficients of dog-bone-shaped connection joints with shear walls and cover plates reached 2.043 and 2.059, respectively, exhibiting the most comprehensive hysteresis curves. Additionally, the impact of laminated steel plates covering composite concrete floors on the stiffness of semi-rigid joint ends under excessive stretching should not be disregarded. A comparison with finite element analysis results yielded an error of merely 2.2%, offering substantial evidence for the wide-ranging application prospects of this innovative joint in seismic performance.

Growth, Clonability, and Radiation Resistance of Esophageal Carcinoma-derived Stem-like Cells

Li, Jian-Cheng,Liu, Di,Yang, Yan,Wang, Xiao-Ying,Pan, Ding-Long,Qiu, Zi-Dan,Su, Ying,Pan, Jian-Ji Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.8

Objective: To separate/enrich tumor stem-like cells from the human esophageal carcinoma cell line OE-19 by using serum-free suspension culture and to identify their biological characteristics and radiation resistance. Methods: OE-19 cells were cultivated using adherent and suspension culture methods. The tumor stem-like phenotype of CD44 expression was detected using flow cytometry. We examined growth characteristics, cloning capacity in soft agar, and radiation resistance of 2 groups of cells. Results: Suspended cells in serum-free medium formed spheres that were enriched for CD44 expression. CD44 was expressed in 62.5% of suspended cells, but only in 11.7% of adherent cells. The suspended cells had greater capacity for proliferation and colony formation in soft agar than the adherent cells. When the suspended and adherent cells were irradiated at 5 Gy, 10 Gy, or 15 Gy, the proportion of CD44+ suspended cells strongly and weakly positive for CD44 was 77.8%, 66.5%, 57.5%; and 21.7%, 31.6%, 41.4%, respectively. In contrast, the proportion of CD44+ adherent cells strongly positive for CD44 was 18.9%, 14.%, and 9.95%, respectively. When the irradiation dose was increased to 30 Gy, the survival of the suspended and adherent cells was significantly reduced, and viable CD44+ cells were not detected. Conclusion: Suspended cell spheres generated from OE-19 esophageal carcinoma cells in serum-free stem medium are enriched in tumor stem-like cells. CD44 may be a marker for these cells.