Structure and bioactivity of triterpenoids from the stems of Schisandra sphenanthera

Cheng-Qin Liang,Rong-Hua Luo,Ju-Ming Yan,Yan Li,Xiao-Nian Li,Yi-Ming Shi,Shan-Zhai Shang,Zhong-Hua Gao,Liu-Meng Yang,Yong-Tang Zheng,Wei-Lie Xiao,Hong-Bin Zhang,Han Dong Sun 대한약학회 2014 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.37 No.2

Two new triterpenoids, schisphendilactoneA and B (1 and 2), together with three known triterpenoids,were isolated from the stems of Schisandra sphenanthera. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods,and the absolute configuration of 1 was determined bysingle-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 2 showedmoderate inhibitory activity against SW480 cancer cellline, and compound 5 exhibited promising anti-HIV-1activity with EC50 value of 0.52 lg ml-1 and therapeuticindex value of 117.12.

Fenofibrate Increases Radiosensitivity in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Inducing G2/M Arrest and Apoptosis

Liu, Jia,Ge, Yang-Yang,Zhu, Hong-Cheng,Yang, Xi,Cai, Jing,Zhang, Chi,Lu, Jing,Zhan, Liang-Liang,Qin, Qin,Yang, Yan,Yang, Yue-Hua,Zhang, Hao,Chen, Xiao-Chen,Liu, Zhe-Ming,Ma, Jian-Xin,Cheng, Hong-Yan,S Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.16

Radiation therapy is an important treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, how to promote radiation sensitivity in HNSCC remains a challenge. This study aimed to investigate the radiosensitizing effects of fenofibrate on HNSCC and explore the underlying mechanisms. HNSCC cell lines CNE-2 and KB were subjected to ionizing radiation (IR), in the presence or absence of fenofibrate treatment. Cell growth and survival, apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated. In addition, CNE-2 cells were xenografted into nude mice and subjected to IR and/or fenofibrate treatment. The expression of cyclinB and CDK1 was detected by Western blotting. Our results showed that fenofibrate efficiently radiosensitized HNSCC cells and xenografts in mice, and induced apoptosis and G2/M arrest via reducing the activity of the CDK1/cyclinB1 kinase complex. These data suggest that fenofibrate could be a promising radiosensitizer for HNSCC radiotherapy.

Adjuvant Radiotherapy after Breast Conserving Treatment for Breast Cancer:A Dosimetric Comparison between Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy and Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy

Liu, Zhe-Ming,Ge, Xiao-Lin,Chen, Jia-Yan,Wang, Pei-Pei,Zhang, Chi,Yang, Xi,Zhu, Hong-Cheng,Liu, Jia,Qin, Qin,Xu, Li-Ping,Lu, Jing,Zhan, Liang-Liang,Cheng, Hong-Yan,Sun, Xin-Chen Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.8

Background: Radiotherapy is an important treatment of choice for breast cancer patients after breast-conserving surgery, and we compare the feasibility of using dual arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT2), single arc volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT1) and Multi-beam Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (M-IMRT) on patients after breast-conserving surgery. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients with breast cancer (half right-sided and half left-sided) treated by conservative lumpectomy and requiring whole breast radiotherapy with tumor bed boost were planned with three different radiotherapy techniques: 1) VMAT1; 2) VMAT2; 3) M-IMRT. The distributions for the planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OARs) were compared. Dosimetries for all the techniques were compared. Results: All three techniques satisfied the dose constraint well. VMAT2 showed no obvious difference in the homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) of the PTV with respect to M-IMRT and VMAT1. VMAT2 clearly improved the treatment efficiency and can also decrease the mean dose and V5Gy of the contralateral lung. The mean dose and maximum dose of the spinal cord and contralateral breast were lower for VMAT2 than the other two techniques. The very low dose distribution (V1Gy) of the contralateral breast also showed great reduction in VMAT2 compared with the other two techniques. For the ipsilateral lung of right-sided breast cancer, the mean dose was decreased significantly in VMAT2 compared with VMAT1 and M-IMRT. The V20Gy and V30Gy of the ipsilateral lung of the left-sided breast cancer for VMAT2 showed obvious reduction compared with the other two techniques. The heart statistics of VMAT2 also decreased considerably compared to VMAT1 and M-IMRT. Conclusions: Compared to the other two techniques, the dual arc volumetric modulated arc therapy technique reduced radiation dose exposure to the organs at risk and maintained a reasonable target dose distribution.

Preparation, Characterization, and In Vivo Evaluation of Mitoxantrone- loaded, Folate-conjugated Albumin Nanoparticles

Liang-ke Zhang,Shi-xiang Hou,Jing-qin Zhang,Wen-jing Hu,Cheng-yuan Wang 대한약학회 2010 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.33 No.8

Folic acid was covalently conjugated to bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSANP) to target the nanoparticles to SKOV3 cells expressing folate receptors. Mitoxantrone was incorporated into the folate-conjugated albumin nanoparticles, and the final nanoparticle size was 68 nm, as measured by a laser light scattering particle analyzer. The cytotoxic activity of mitoxantrone-loaded, folate-conjugated albumin nanoparticles (MTO-BSANP-folate), which was quantitated by 3H-thymidine incorporation, was higher than mitoxantrone-loaded BSANP (MTO-BSANP) and MTO solution, and could be inhibited by free folic acid. MTO-BSANPfolate may be endocytosed via the folate receptor on the surface of SKOV3 cells. MTO-BSANPfolate also inhibited tumor growth better than the MTO-BSANP and MTO solution in vivo. These results indicate that folate-conjugated BSANP may have therapeutic potential as a vector for anticancer drugs in cancer chemotherapy.

Transcriptome sequencing provides insights into the metabolic pathways of patchouli alcohol and pogostone in Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth

Cheng Peng,Yang He,Cao Deng,Liang Xiong,Shishang Qin 한국유전학회 2016 Genes & Genomics Vol.38 No.11

Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth. is an important medicinal plant; however, its molecular biology remains largely unexplored. Here, we report the results of whole transcriptome-wide analyses of P. cablin using nextgeneration sequencing technology. In the present study, we generated 108,996 unigenes using RNA sequencing data. Among these unigenes, 65,536 were annotated in the NR database. There were 40,670 intact open reading frames (ORFs), which accounted for 69 % of the 58,820 predicted ORFs, demonstrating that our assembled transcriptome was of high quality. Gene expression levels in the leaf and stem were quantified, and 18,481 unigenes (17 %) were determined to be significantly differentially expressed. The patchouli alcohol (PA) and pogostone (PO) metabolic pathway of P. cablin was also reconstructed, and among the 17 putative homologs to PA and PO biosynthesis-related genes, seven were significantly upregulated in the stems, and three genes were significantly upregulated in the leaves. The correlation between the essential oil contents of P. cablin and the potentially pivotal genes for PA and PO production were identified. Considering that the contents of PA and PO in leaves and stems are markedly different in the same plant and we did not detect any pattern in the expression levels of candidate genes between leaves and stems, we speculate that after the biosynthesis, more PA probably accumulates in the leaves, and more PO in the stems of P. cablin. The transcriptome of P. cabin will facilitate further researches on the molecular system biology of the Pogostemon genus, as well as the in-depth studyies of PA and PO biosynthesis and its potential applications for genetic engineering.

GPH1 is involved in glycerol accumulation in the three-dimensional networks of the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora

Qin-Yi Wu,Yue-Yan Zhu,Cheng-Gang Zou,Ying-Qian Kang,Lian-Ming Liang 한국미생물학회 2016 The journal of microbiology Vol.54 No.11

Turgor is very important for the invasive growth of fungal pathogens. Glycerol, a highly osmotic solvent, is considered to play an important role in turgor generation. The nematophagous fungus Arthrobotrys oligospora mainly lives as a saprophyte. In the presence of nematodes, A. oligospora enters the parasitic stage by forming three-dimensional networks (traps) to capture nematodes. In A. oligospora, we found that glycerol accumulated during nematode-induced trap formation. We demonstrated that deleting gph1, which encodes glycogen phosphorylase, decreased the glycerol content, compared with that of a wild-type strain. Although the number of traps induced by nematodes was not affected in the Δgph1 mutant, the capture rate was lower. Meanwhile, deleting gph1 also affected the growth rate and conidiation capacity of the fungus. These results indicate that glycerol derived from GPH1 is essential for the full virulence of A. oligospora against nematodes.

Efficient photocatalytic removal of aqueous Cr(VI) by N-F-Al tri-doped TiO2

Shu Qin Wang,Yixiao Xie,Wei Liang Cheng,Jian Gao 한국화학공학회 2017 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.34 No.9

As chromium is a common heavy metal contaminant in water, we have prepared N-F-Al tri-doped TiO2 catalyst for Cr(VI) removal under visible light. The sample was prepared via a sol-gel method and was characterized by XRD, BET, UV-vis DRS, XPS and SEM techniques. In the photocatalytic experiments, effects of Al/Ti ratio, F/Ti ratio, calcination temperature and different dopants were investigated. The optimum Al/Ti molar ratio, F/Ti ratio and calcination temperature proved to be 0.01, 0.1 and 500 oC, respectively, which is in accordance with the characterization analysis. Catalysts prepared under this condition showed a high photoactivity for Cr(VI) removal in water.

Enhanced photoactivity of N-doped TiO2 for Cr(VI) removal: Influencing factors and mechanism

Shu Qin Wang,Wen Bo Liu,Peng Fu,Wei Liang Cheng 한국화학공학회 2017 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.34 No.5

To further enhance the photoactivity of virgin TiO2, we prepared N-doped TiO2 (N-TiO2) by sol-gel method and used it to remove Cr(VI) ions from water under visible light. The catalysts were characterized by TEM, XRD, BET and UV-vis techniques. Better crystalline structure, larger specific surface area and decreased band-gap width were obtained after the insertion of N atoms into TiO2 lattice. Several influencing factors were also investigated. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) increases with the decrease of initial Cr(VI) concentration or the increase of catalyst dosage. Addition of glucose or some inorganic ions (Mg2+, Al3+) can promote the photoreduction process by improving the quantum efficiency. The kinetics and mechanism were discussed as well.

Study on the mechanism of desulfurization and denitrification catalyzed by TiO2 in the combustion with biomass and coal

Shu Qin Wang,Ming-Zhu Liu,Li-Li Sun,Wei Liang Cheng 한국화학공학회 2017 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.34 No.6

The effects of Ca/S molar ratio, catalyst type, catalyst dosage, temperature on desulfurization and denitrification efficiency were investigated in the coal-powder combustion with corn cobs as biomass. The thermal characteristics of Shanxi coal and corn cob blends with V-TiO2 were evaluated by thermogravimetric analyzer. The catalytic mechanisms of V-TiO2 on combustion, desulfurization and denitrification were discussed, suggesting that the mechanisms are in good agreement with the experimental data. The results show that the control parameters of the ideal desulfurization and denitrification efficiency should follow that the dosage of V-TiO2 catalyst is 8% with a Ca/S ratio of 2.3 at a treatment temperature 850 oC. Meanwhile, the combustion efficiency could be effectively improved with the mixture of corn cob and V-TiO2. The thermal characteristics of coal char and corn cob char blends with V-TiO2 were evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis and derivative thermogravimetry methods to discuss the heterogeneous NO reduction mechanisms. The results show that the biomass chars were more active than coal chars in reducing NO, and the specific surface area of the chars was increased with V-TiO2, which indicates that V-TiO2 exhibits significant influence on catalytic combustion, desulfurization and denitrification.

β3GnT8 Regulates Laryngeal Carcinoma Cell Proliferation Via Targeting MMPs/TIMPs and TGF-β1

Hua, Dong,Qin, Fang,Shen, Li,Jiang, Zhi,Zou, Shi-Tao,Xu, Lan,Cheng, Zhi-Hong,Wu, Shi-Liang Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Previous evidence showed ${\beta}1$, 3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase 8 (${\beta}3GnT8$), which can extend polylactosamine on N-glycans, to be highly expressed in some cancer cell lines and tissues, indicating roles in tumorigenesis. However, so far, the function of ${\beta}3GnT8$ in laryngeal carcinoma has not been characterized. To test any contribution, Hep-2 cells were stably transfected with sense or interference vectors to establish cell lines that overexpressed or were deficient in ${\beta}3GnT8$. Here we showed that cell proliferation was increased in ${\beta}3GnT8$ overexpressed cells but decreased in ${\beta}3GnT8$ knockdown cells using MTT. Furthermore, we demonstrated that change in ${\beta}3GnT8$ expression had significant effects on tumor growth in nude mice.We further provided data suggesting that overexpression of ${\beta}3GnT8$ enhanced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) at both the mRNA and protein levels, associated with shedding of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase TIMP-2. In addition, it caused increased production of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-${\beta}1$), whereas ${\beta}3GnT8$ gene knockdown caused the reverse effect. The results may indicate a novel mechanism by which effects of ${\beta}3GnT8$ in regulating cellular proliferation are mediated, at least in partvia targeting MMPs/TIMPs and TGF-${\beta}1$ in laryngeal carcinoma Hep-2 cells. The finding may lay a foundation for further investigations into the ${\beta}3GnT8$ as a potential target for therapy of laryngeal carcinoma.