Complete ¹H-NMR and <SUP>13</SUP>C-NMR spectral assignment of five malonyl ginsenosides from the fresh flower buds of Panax ginseng

Yu-Shuai Wang,Yin-Ping Jin,Wei Gao,Sheng-Yuan Xiao,Yu-Wei Zhang,Pei-He Zheng,Jia Wang,Jun-Xia Liu,Cheng-He Sun,Ying-Ping Wang 고려인삼학회 2016 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.40 No.3

Background: Ginsenosides are the major effective ingredients responsible for the pharmacological effects of ginseng. Malonyl ginsenosides are natural ginsenosides that contain a malonyl group attached to a glucose unit of the corresponding neutral ginsenosides. Methods: Medium-pressure liquid chromatography and semipreparative high-performance liquid chromatography were used to isolate purified compounds and their structures determined by extensive one-dimensional- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. Results: A new saponin, namely malonyl-ginsenoside Re, was isolated from the fresh flower buds of Panax ginseng, along with malonyl-ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd. Some assignments for previously published ¹H- and <SUP>13</SUP>C-NMR spectra were found to be inaccurate. Conclusion: This study reports the complete NMR assignment of malonyl-ginsenoside Re, Rb₁, Rb₂, Rc, and Rd for the first time.

Liposomal honokiol, a potent anti-angiogenesis agent, in combination with radiotherapy produces a synergistic antitumor efficacy without increasing toxicity

Jia Hu,Li Liu,Xiang Chen,Ping Chen,Guang-li Yang,Wen-li Hou,Ming-hai Tang,Fan Zhang,Xian-huo Wang,Xia Zhao,Yu-quan Wei,Li-juan Chen 생화학분자생물학회 2008 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.40 No.6

Honokiol is an active compound purified from magnolia that has been shown to induce cell differentiation, apoptosis, and anti-angiogenesis effects, as well as an enhancement in tumor growth delay in combination with chemotherapeutic agents in several mouse xenograft models. Our goal was to investigate the radiosensitization effect of honokiol on lung carcinoma. The radiosensitization effect of liposomal honokiol in Lewis lung carcinoma cells (LL/2) was analyzed using an in vitro clonogenic survival assay. For an in vivo study, Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice were treated with either liposomal honokiol at 25 mg/kg or 5 Gy of single tumor radiation, or a combination of both over 12 days of treatment. The tumor growth delay and the survival time were evaluated. In addition, histological analysis of tumor sections was performed to examine changes by detecting the microvessel density and apoptosis in tumor tissues. In the clonogenic survival assay, LL/2 cells treated with IC50 Lipo-HNK for 24 h showed a radiation enhancement ratio of 1.9. After 12 days of combination treatment, the tumor volume decreased 78% and produced an anti-tumor activity 1.3-fold greater than a predicted additive effect of honokiol and radiation alone. This combination treatment also caused an 8.7 day delay in tumor growth. The cell cycle distribution and histological analysis demonstrated that liposomal honokiol has an anti-tumor effect via inducing apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis. Liposomal honokiol can enhance tumor cell radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo, indicating that radiotherapy combined with liposomal honokiol can lead to greater anti-tumor efficacy. Honokiol is an active compound purified from magnolia that has been shown to induce cell differentiation, apoptosis, and anti-angiogenesis effects, as well as an enhancement in tumor growth delay in combination with chemotherapeutic agents in several mouse xenograft models. Our goal was to investigate the radiosensitization effect of honokiol on lung carcinoma. The radiosensitization effect of liposomal honokiol in Lewis lung carcinoma cells (LL/2) was analyzed using an in vitro clonogenic survival assay. For an in vivo study, Lewis lung carcinoma-bearing C57BL/6 mice were treated with either liposomal honokiol at 25 mg/kg or 5 Gy of single tumor radiation, or a combination of both over 12 days of treatment. The tumor growth delay and the survival time were evaluated. In addition, histological analysis of tumor sections was performed to examine changes by detecting the microvessel density and apoptosis in tumor tissues. In the clonogenic survival assay, LL/2 cells treated with IC50 Lipo-HNK for 24 h showed a radiation enhancement ratio of 1.9. After 12 days of combination treatment, the tumor volume decreased 78% and produced an anti-tumor activity 1.3-fold greater than a predicted additive effect of honokiol and radiation alone. This combination treatment also caused an 8.7 day delay in tumor growth. The cell cycle distribution and histological analysis demonstrated that liposomal honokiol has an anti-tumor effect via inducing apoptosis and inhibiting angiogenesis. Liposomal honokiol can enhance tumor cell radiosensitivity in vitro and in vivo, indicating that radiotherapy combined with liposomal honokiol can lead to greater anti-tumor efficacy.

A National Study of Survival Trends and Conditional Survival in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: Analysis of the National Population-Based Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Registry

Jia-Wei Lv,Xiao-Dan Huang,Yu-Pei Chen,Guan-Qun Zhou,Ling-Long Tang,Yan-Ping Mao,Wen-Fei Li,Ai-Hua Lin,Jun Ma,Ying Sun 대한암학회 2018 Cancer Research and Treatment Vol.50 No.2

Purpose Conditional survival (CS) provides important information on survival for a period of time after diagnosis. Currently, information on CS patterns of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is lacking. We aimed to analyze survival rate over time and estimate CS for NPC patients using a national population-based registry. Materials and Methods Patients diagnosed with NPC between 1973 and 2007 with at least 5-year follow-up were identified from the Surveillance Epidemiology End Results registry. Traditional survival rates and crude CS estimates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Risk-adjusted survival curves were plotted from the proportional hazards model using the correct group prognosis method. Results For 7,713 patients analyzed, adjusted baseline 5-year overall survival improved significantly from 36.0% in patients diagnosed in 1973-1979, 41.7% in 1980-1989, 46.6% in 1990- 1999, to 54.7% in 2000-2007 (p < 0.01). CS analysis demonstrated that for every additional year survived, adjusted probability of surviving the next 5 years increased from 66.7% (localized), 54.0% (regional), and 35.3% (distant) at the time of diagnosis, to 83.7% (localized), 75.0% (regional), and 62.2% (distant) for patients who had survived 5 years. Adjusted 5-year CS differed among age, sex, tumor histology, ethnicity, and stage subgroups initially, but converged with time. Conclusion Treatment outcomes of NPC patients have greatly improved over the decades. Increases in CS become more prominent in patients with distant disease than in those with localized or regional disease as patients survive longer. CS provides more dynamic prognostic information for patients who have survived a period of time after diagnosis.

Functional Roles of the Aromatic Residues in the Stabilization of the [Fe4S4]Cluster in the Iro Protein from Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans

( Jia Zeng ),( Qing Liu ),( Xiao Jian Zhang ),( Hong Yu Mo ),( Yi Ping Wang ),( Qian Chen ),( Yuan Dong Liu ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2010 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.20 No.2

Effects of Ginsenosides Rg1 on Osteoblasts Cultured with Ti Particles

( Yu Lin ),( Yin Sheng Wu ),( Jia Cheng He ),( Yun Mei Huang ),( Yan Ping Lin ) 한국응용약물학회 2012 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.20 No.1

The aim of this study was to explore the role and effect of ginsenosides Rg1 on osteoblasts cultured with Ti particles. Osteoblasts from neonatal rats were cultured with particles and different doses of Rg1, the main active ingredient in ginsenosides Rg1. We found that the COX-2, PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL -6 concentrations in the medium of cells cultured with Ti particles significantly increased as compared with that of the control cells (p<0.05 or p<0.01). In addition, cells cultured with Ti particles alone exhibited the highest concentrations of these molecules. The PGE2, TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6 levels in the medium of cells cultured with Rg1 were in between those of the control cells and the cells cultured with Ti particles alone. The IL-1ra level in the group cultured with Ti and medium-dose Rg1 was the highest followed by the cells cultured with Ti and high-dose Rg1 and those cultured with Ti and low-dose Rg1 (p<0.05). In conclusion, ginsenosides can reduce the levels of inflammatory cytokines produced by osteoblasts on induction with Ti particles and can prevent prosthesis loosening.

Profiles of Bacillus spp. Isolated from the Rhizosphere of Suaeda glauca and Their Potential to Promote Plant Growth and Suppress Fungal Phytopathogens

( Ping Lu ),( Ke Jiang ),( Ya-qiao Hao ),( Wan-ying Chu ),( Yu-dong Xu ),( Jia-yao Yang ),( Jia-le Chen ),( Guo-hong Zeng ),( Zhou-hang Gu ),( Hong-xin Zhao ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2021 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.31 No.9

Members of the genus Bacillus are known to play an important role in promoting plant growth and protecting plants against phytopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, 21 isolates of Bacillus spp. were obtained from the root micro-ecosystem of Suaeda glauca. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that the isolates belong to the species Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus aryabhattai and Brevibacterium frigoritolerans. One of the interesting findings of this study is that the four strains B1, B5, B16 and B21 are dominant in rhizosphere soil. Based on gyrA, gyrB, and rpoB gene analyses, B1, B5, and B21 were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens and B16 was identified as B. velezensis. Estimation of antifungal activity showed that the isolate B1 had a significant inhibitory effect on Fusarium verticillioides, B5 and B16 on Colletotrichum capsici (syd.) Butl, and B21 on Rhizoctonia cerealis van der Hoeven. The four strains grew well in medium with 1-10% NaCl, a pH value of 5-8, and promoted the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results indicate that these strains may be promising agents for the biocontrol and promotion of plant growth and further study of the relevant bacteria will provide a useful reference for the development of microbial resources.

Soluble Expression and Purification of the Catalytic Domain of Human Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 2 in Escherichia coli

( Jia Wei ),( Xiao Dan Cao ),( Sheng Min Zhou ),( Chao Chen ),( Hai Jun Yu ),( Yao Zhou ),( Ping Wang ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2015 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.25 No.8

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in angiogenesis through binding to its specific receptors, which mainly occurs to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2), a kinase insert domain-containing receptor. Therefore, the disruption of VEGFR-2 signaling provides a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer by inhibiting abnormal or tumorinduced angiogenesis. To explore this potential, we expressed the catalytic domain of VEGFR- 2 (VEGFR-2-CD) as a soluble active kinase in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was purified and the VEGFR-2-CD activity was investigated. The obtained VEGFR-2-CD showed autophosphorylation activity and phosphate transfer activity comparable to the commercial enzyme. Furthermore, the IC50 value of known VEGFR-2 inhibitor was determined using the purified VEGFR-2-CD. These results indicated a possibility for functional and economical VEGFR-2-CD expression in E. coli to use for inhibitor screening.

Professionals’ experiences and attitudes toward use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in hospice palliative inpatient care units: A multicenter survey in Taiwan

Yu-Jia Lin,Hsiao-Ting Chang,Ming-Hwai Lin,Ru-Yih Chen,Ping-Jen Chen,Wen-Yuan Lin,Jyh-Gang Hsieh,Ying-Wei Wang,Chung-Chieh Hu,Yi-Sheng Liou,Tai-Yuan Chiu,Chun-Yi Tu,Yi-Jen Wang,Bo-Ren Cheng,Tzeng-Ji Ch 한국한의학연구원 2021 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.10 No.2

Background: Medical staff may have difficulties in using conventional medicine to manage symptoms among terminally ill patients, including adverse effects of the treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is regarded as a complementary or alternative medicine, and has been increasingly used in the field of palliative medicine in recent years. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of and attitudes toward using TCM among palliative care professionals, and to provide preliminary information about its use in palliative care. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in eight inpatient hospice wards in Taiwan between December 2014 and February 2016. The questionnaire was self-administered, and was analyzed with descriptive statistics including Pearson’s Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 251 palliative care professionals responded to the questionnaire, of whom 89.7% and 88.9% believed that the use of TCM could improve the physical symptoms and quality of life in terminally ill patients, respectively. Overall, 59.8%, of respondents suggested that TCM had rare side effects, and 58.2% were worried that TCM could affect the liver and kidney function of patients. In total, 89.7% and 88.0% of professionals agreed there were no suitable clinical practice guidelines and educational programs, respectively, for TCM use in palliative care. Conclusions: Most of the respondents agreed there was insufficient knowledge, skills-training, and continuing education on the use of TCM in terminally ill patients in Taiwan. These results show that to address patient safety considerations, guidelines about use of TCM in palliative care should be established.

A Retrospective Study of the Effect of Spinopelvic Parameters on Fatty Infiltration in Paraspinal Muscles in Patients With Lumbar Spondylolisthesis

Jia-Chen Yang,Jia-Yu Chen,Yin Ding,Yong-Jie Yin,Zhi-Ping Huang,Xiu-Hua Wu,Zu-Cheng Huang,Yi-Kai Li,Qing-An Zhu 대한척추신경외과학회 2024 Neurospine Vol.21 No.1

Objective: The effect on fat infiltration (FI) of paraspinal muscles in degenerative lumbar spinal diseases has been demonstrated except for spinopelvic parameters. The present study is to identify the effect of spinopelvic parameters on FI of paraspinal muscle (PSM) and psoas major muscle (PMM) in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis. Methods: A single-center, retrospective cross-sectional study of 160 patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) and lumbar stenosis (LSS) who had lateral full-spine x-ray and lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging was conducted. PSM and PMM FIs were defined as the ratio of fat to its muscle cross-sectional area. The FIs were compared among patients with different pelvic tilt (PT) and pelvic incidence (PI), respectively. Results: The PSM FI correlated significantly with pelvic parameters in DLS patients, but not in LSS patients. The PSM FI in pelvic retroversion (PT > 25°) was 0.54 ± 0.13, which was significantly higher in DLS patients than in normal pelvis (0.41 ± 0.14) and pelvic anteversion (PT < 5°) (0.34 ± 0.12). The PSM FI of DLS patients with large PI ( > 60°) was 0.50 ± 0.13, which was higher than those with small ( < 45°) and normal PI (0.37 ± 0.11 and 0.36 ± 0.13). However, the PSM FI of LSS patients didn’t change significantly with PT or PI. Moreover, the PMM FI was about 0.10–0.15, which was significantly lower than the PSM FI, and changed with PT and PI in a similar way of PSM FI with much less in magnitude. Conclusion: FI of the PSMs increased with greater pelvic retroversion or larger pelvic incidence in DLS patients, but not in LSS patients.

Mechanism and Analysis of Laccase-mediated Coloration of Silk Fabrics

Weini Jia,Qiang Wang,Xuerong Fan,Aixue Dong,Yuanyuan Yu,Ping Wang 한국섬유공학회 2018 Fibers and polymers Vol.19 No.4

Laccase provides a mild and eco-friendly alternative for the dyeing of fabrics. In this study, laccase-mediated catalytic oxidation was employed in coloration of silk fabrics, and the color was then assessed. The surfaces of silk fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Their thermal and crystallization properties were also investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and Xray diffraction (XRD). The textile softness was evaluated by the bending rigidity (B). In addition, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) spectroscopy were employed to analyze hydrolysate of silk fabrics obtained from hydrolysis with hydrochloric acid solution. The results demonstrated that a stable reddish-yellow layer was formed on the surface of silk fabrics by the laccase-mediated coupling of phenol hydroxyl side chains in the silk polypeptide. Moreover, the SEM and AFM observations showed that the surface of colored silk fiber was slick. ATR-FTIR and XPS results demonstrated differences in the C, N, O contents and the functional groups of the uncolored and colored silk fabrics. The DSC, TG, and XRD indicated that the thermal properties of silk fabrics were not affected by laccase and the coupling reaction mainly occurred in the amorphous region. The DMF extraction test further illustrated that covalent bonds were formed between tyrosine residues constituent of silk peptides. Finally, HPLC and UV-VIS results showed that new substances were formed as a result of conjugation between benzene rings.