<i>Dendrobiumnaungmungense</i> ( Orchidaceae , Dendrobieae ), a new species from Kachin State, Myanmar

Liu, Qiang,Zhou, Shi-Shun,Jin, Xiao-Hua,Pan, Bo,Maung, Kyaw Win,Zyaw, Myint,Li, Ren,Quan, Rui-Chang,Tan, Yun-Hong Pensoft Publishers 2018 PhytoKeys Vol.94 No.-

<P>Abstract</P><P><I>Dendrobiumnaungmungense</I>, a new species from Naungmung, Kachin State, North Myanmar, is described and illustrated. It is morphologically similar to <I>D.ciliatilabellum</I> and <I>D.vexabile</I>, but the epichile is oblong with three long-ciliate laminae and the column wing has significant denticulation. A preliminary risk-of-extinction assessment shows that the new species should be regarded as Critically Endangered (CR) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.</P>

Preparation of minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K from American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848

Liu, Chun-Ying,Zhou, Rui-Xin,Sun, Chang-Kai,Jin, Ying-Hua,Yu, Hong-Shan,Zhang, Tian-Yang,Xu, Long-Quan,Jin, Feng-Xie The Korean Society of Ginseng 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Minor ginsenosides, those having low content in ginseng, have higher pharmacological activities. To obtain minor ginsenosides, the biotransformation of American ginseng protopanaxadiol (PPD)-ginsenoside was studied using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848. Methods: DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used in enzyme purification, thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in enzyme hydrolysis and kinetics; crude enzyme was used in minor ginsenoside preparation from PPD-ginsenoside; the products were separated with silica-gel-column, and recognized by HPLC and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). Results: The enzyme molecular weight was 75 kDa; the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed the C-20 position 20-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb1, then the C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc with the pathway $Rb1{\rightarrow}Rd{\rightarrow}F2{\rightarrow}C-K$. However, the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed C-3 position 3-O-${\beta}$-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb2 and Rc, finally hydrolyzed 20-O-L-Ara with the pathway $Rb2{\rightarrow}C-O{\rightarrow}C-Y{\rightarrow}C-K$, and $Rc{\rightarrow}C-Mc1{\rightarrow}C-Mc{\rightarrow}C-K$. According to enzyme kinetics, $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ of Michaelis-Menten equation, the enzyme reaction velocities on ginsenosides were Rb1 > Rb2 > Rc > Rd. However, the pure enzyme yield was only 3.1%, so crude enzyme was used for minor ginsenoside preparation. When the crude enzyme was reacted in 3% American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside (containing Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) at $45^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0 for 18 h, the main products were minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K; average molar yields were 43.7% for C-Mc from Rc, 42.4% for C-Y from Rb2, and 69.5% for F2 and C-K from Rb1 and Rd. Conclusion: Four monomer minor ginsenosides were successfully produced (at low-cost) from the PPD-ginsenosides using crude enzyme.

Skyrmion dynamics in multiferroic insulators

Liu, Ye-Hua,Li, You-Quan,Han, Jung Hoon American Physical Society 2013 Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials Vol.87 No.10

THE LONG-TERM HEMISPHERIC VARIATION OF POLAR FACULAE

Deng, Lin-Hua,Qu, Zhong-Quan,Liu, Ting,Huang, Wen-Juan The Korean Astronomical Society 2011 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.44 No.6

In this paper, the long-term hemispheric variation of the polar faculae is investigated. It is found that, (1) both the N-S asymmetry and N-S asynchrony of the polar faculae exhibit a long-term persistence, which suggests that they should not be regarded as a stochastic phenomenon; (2) both the N-S asynchrony and N-S asymmetry of the polar faculae are functions of the latitude, implying that the N-S asynchrony of the polar faculae is related to the N-S asymmetry of the polar faculae; (3) from a long-term view, the dominant hemisphere of the polar faculae seems to have close connection with the phase-leading hemisphere of the polar faculae.

Significance of Caveolin-1 Regulators in Pancreatic Cancer

Chen, Tao,Liu, Liang,Xu, Hua-Xiang,Wang, Wen-Quan,Wu, Chun-Tao,Yao, Wan-Tong,Yu, Xian-Jun Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.8

Caveolin-1 is a scaffold protein on the cell membrane. As the main component of caveolae, caveolin-1 is involved in many biological processes that include substance uptake and transmembrane signaling. Many of these processes and thus caveolin-1 contribute to cell transformation, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. Of particular interest are the dual rolesof tumor suppressor and oncogene that caveolin-1 appear to play in different malignancies, including pancreatic cancer. Therefore, analyzing caveolin-1 regulators and understanding their mechanisms of actionis key to identifying novel diagnostic and therapeutic tools for pancreatic cancer. This review details the mechanisms of action of caveolin-1 regulators and the potential significance for pancreatic cancer treatment.

Preparation of minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K from American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848

Chun-Ying Liu,Rui-Xin Zhou,Chang-Kai Sun,Ying-Hua Jin,Hong-Shan Yu,Tian-Yang Zhang,Long-Quan Xu,Feng-Xie Jin 고려인삼학회 2015 Journal of Ginseng Research Vol.39 No.3

Background: Minor ginsenosides, those having low content in ginseng, have higher pharmacological activities. To obtain minor ginsenosides, the biotransformation of American ginseng protopanaxadiol (PPD)-ginsenoside was studied using special ginsenosidase type-I from Aspergillus niger g.848. Methods: DEAE (diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used in enzyme purification, thin-layer chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in enzyme hydrolysis and kinetics; crude enzyme was used in minor ginsenoside preparation from PPD-ginsenoside; the products were separated with silica-gel-column, and recognized by HPLC and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance). Results: The enzyme molecular weight was 75 kDa; the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed the C-20 position 20- O-b-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb1, then the C-3 position 3-O-b-D-Glc with the pathway Rb1/Rd/F2/C-K. However, the enzyme firstly hydrolyzed C-3 position 3-O-b-D-Glc of ginsenoside Rb2 and Rc, finally hydrolyzed 20-O-L-Ara with the pathway Rb2/C-O/C-Y/C-K, and Rc/C-Mc1/C-Mc/C-K. According to enzyme kinetics, Km and Vmax of MichaeliseMenten equation, the enzyme reaction velocities on ginsenosides were Rb1 > Rb2 > Rc > Rd. However, the pure enzyme yield was only 3.1%, so crude enzyme was used for minor ginsenoside preparation. When the crude enzyme was reacted in 3% American ginseng PPD-ginsenoside (containing Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) at 45C and pH 5.0 for 18 h, the main products were minor ginsenosides C-Mc, C-Y, F2, and C-K; average molar yields were 43.7% for CMc from Rc, 42.4% for C-Y from Rb2, and 69.5% for F2 and C-K from Rb1 and Rd. Conclusion: Four monomer minor ginsenosides were successfully produced (at low-cost) from the PPDginsenosides using crude enzyme.

Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 as a Prognostic Factor in Gastric Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Zhang, Qiong-Wen,Liu, Lei,Chen, Ru,Wei, Yu-Quan,Li, Ping,Shi, Hua-Shan,Zhao, Yu-Wei Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.6

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is associated with disruption of basement membranes of blood vessels and promotion of metastasis through the lymphatics. However, its prognostic value for survival in patients with gastric cancer remains controversial. Method: We therefore conducted a meta-analysis of the published literature in order to clarify the impact of MMP-9. Clinical studies were selected for further analysis if they provided an independent assessment of MMP-9 in gastric cancer and reported analysis of survival data according to MMP-9 expression. Results: A total of 11 studies, covering 1700 patients, were included for meta-analysis. A summary hazard ratio (HR) of all studies and sub-group hazard ratios were calculated. The combined HR suggested that a positive MMP-9 expression had an impact on overall survival: 1.25 (95% confidence interval 1.11-1.40) in all eligible studies; 1.13 (1.06-1.20) in 8 studies detecting MMP-9 by immunohistochemistry; 1.36 (1.12-1.65) in 7 studies from Asia. Only one study for DFS showed a significant impact on disease free survival (HR 1.73, 95%CI 1.27-2.34). Conclusions: Our findings suggested that MMP-9 protein expression might be a factor for a poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. However, the association was rather weak, so that more prospective studies should further explore the prognostic impact of MMP-9 mRNA and correlations between MMP-9 and clinicopathological characteristics.

Prognostic Role of MicroRNA-21 in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: a Meta-analysis

Ma, Xue-Lei,Liu, Lei,Liu, Xiao-Xiao,Li, Yun,Deng, Lei,Xiao, Zhi-Lan,Liu, Yan-Tong,Shi, Hua-Shan,Wei, Yu-Quan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.5

Introduction: Many studies have reported that microRNA-21 (miR-21) mihght predict the survival outcome in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) but the opposite opinion has also been expressed. The aim of this study was to summarize the evidence for a prognostic role of miR-21. Materials and Methods: All the eligible studies was searched by Medline and EMBASE and patients' clinical characteristics and survival outcome were extracted. Then a meta-analysis was performed to clarify the prognostic role of the miR-21 expression in different subgroups. Results: A total of 8 eligible articles were yielded covering survival outcomes or clinical characteristics. The combined hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for overall survival (OS) was 2.19 [0.76, 6.30], while the combined HR (95% CI) of Asian group for OS had a significant result, 5.49 [2.46, 12.27]. The combined HR (95% CI) for recurrence free survival or disease free survival (RFS/DFS) was 2.31 [1.52, 3.49]. Odds ratios (ORs) showed that the miR-21 expression was associated with lymph node status and histological type. Conclusion: miR-21 expression could predict the prognostic outcome of NSCLC in Asians, despite some deficiencies in the study data.

IL-13 R110Q, a Naturally Occurring IL-13 Polymorphism, Confers Enhanced Functional Activity in Cultured Human Bronchial Smooth Muscle Cells

Ya-fang He,Li Hua,Yi-xiao Bao,Quan-hua Liu,Yi Chu,Ding-zhu Fang 대한천식알레르기학회 2013 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.5 No.6

Purpose: Interleukin (IL)-13, a Th2-type cytokine, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma through its direct effects on airway smoothmuscles. A naturally occurring IL-13 polymorphism, R110Q, is strongly associated with increased total serum IgE levels and asthma. In the presentstudy, we aimed to determine whether the IL-13 R110Q variant would display different biochemical properties or altered functions in comparisonwith wild-type (WT) IL-13 in cultured human bronchial smooth muscle cells (hBSMCs). Methods: Culture supernatants and cell proteins were collectedfrom cultured hBSMCs that were treated with 50 ng/mL IL-13 or IL-13 R110Q for 24 h. Eotaxin released into hBSMC culture medium was determinedby ELISA. The expression levels of the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) α-chain, smooth muscle-specific actin alpha chain (α-SMA), smoothmuscle myosin heavy chain (SmMHC), and calreticulin in the cells were measured on Western blots. Results: Compared with WT IL-13, treatmentwith the IL-13 R110Q variant resulted in a significant increase in eotaxin release as well as significant, although modest, increases in the expressionlevels of α-SMA, SmMHC, calreticulin, and FcεRI α-chain. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggenst that the IL-13 R110Q variantmay enhance enhanced functional activities in hBSMCs.

Taguchi Approach for Anti-heat Stress Prescription Compatibility in Mice Spleen Lymphocytes In Vitro

Xiao-yu Zhu,Gui-lin Cheng,Feng-hua Liu,Jin Yu,Yu-jie Wang,Tong-quan Yu,Jian-qin Xu,Ming Wang 대한약학회 2011 Archives of Pharmacal Research Vol.34 No.7

Heat stress (HS) may induce immunosuppression as well as inhibit the proliferation of lymphocytes. This study evaluated the effects on immune function of our prescription on splenic lymphocytes under HS as well as its compatibility. The effects of four herbal extracts from Agastache rugosa, Atractylodes lancea, Cortex Phellodendri, and Gypsum Fibrosum on heat treated splenic lymphocytes were investigated and the compatibility of the prescription was also explored by using the Taguchi method. This study revealed changes in proliferation by traditional Chinese medicines of splenic lymphocytes after HS. Proliferation in the HS group was significantly lower than the control group. Under HS, the effects of higher concentrations of Agastache rugosa (100 and 200 μg/mL), Atractylodes lancea (100 and 200 μg/mL), Cortex Phellodendri (50 and 100 μg/mL) and Gypsum Fibrosum (100 and 200 μg/mL) caused a significant increase on ConA/LPS-induced proliferation of lymphocytes than lower concentrations. We, therefore, conclude that the prescription of traditional Chinese medicines may recover splenic lymphocytes from the immunosuppression induced by HS. The Taguchi design, which allows rapid and high efficiency for the selection of the best conditions for our prescription on HS-treated splenic lymphocytes, demonstrated that Agastache rugosa (200 μg/mL), Atractylodes lancea (200 μg/mL), Cortex Phellodendri (100 μg/mL) and Gypsum Fibrosum (100 μg/mL)were the optimal conditions for the prescription. The validation experiment confirmed that our composition in optimum extraction conditions enhanced effects on ConA or LPS-stimulated lymphocytes under HS. The results showed that the Taguchi optimization approach is a suitable method for optimization of the composition of prescription.