Preparation, stability, and in vitro transport of soybean protein-based diosgenin nanoemulsions

Soybean protein isolate (SPI)-stabilized nanoemulsions (NEs) were formulated to encapsulate diosgenin (DIO) to enhance its water solubility and bioavailability. The influence of DIO concentrations on NEs' properties was investigated, and their environmental stability and cell permeability were also assessed. Results demonstrated that DIO significantly affected all the physicochemical properties of NEs. NEs with 1.0 mg/mL of DIO exhibited smaller droplet size (209 nm), lower polydispersity index (0.17), and higher stability coefficient (95.8 %). Furthermore, DIO-SPI NEs displayed better stability under appropriate pH (<4 or > 5), NaCl concentrations (≤0.3 M), temperatures (≤60 °C), and freeze-thaw cycles (≤2), as well as storage at 4 °C. Moreover, encapsulating DIO in NEs reduced its toxicity towards cells and enhanced its transport efficiency, which reached 3.16 ∼ 4.87 × 10-6. These findings highlight the potential of SPI-based NEs as a promising carrier for the efficient delivery of DIO.

Meta analysis on relationship between distributions of C282Y and H63D alleles and genotypes and hepatocellular carcinoma

According to the results of retrieving PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, this study summarized distributions of two commonly mutated alleles (C282Y and H63D) and genotypes in HFE gene, and considered odds ratios (ORs) as well as its 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) as effective variables of the included study itself and after summarizing. In terms of allele, compared with individual carrying wild type (WT) allele, individual carrying C282Y allele was more likely to suffer from liver cancer, with OR and P value of 1.58 (95% CI 1.10-2.27) and 0.01, respectively; no significantly increased risk of liver cancer was found in individual carrying H63D allele, with OR and P value of 1.12 (95% CI 0.89-1.47) and 0.35, respectively. From a perspective of genotype, in comparison with individual carrying WT/WT genotype, risk of individual carried with C282Y/C282Y homozygote genotype suffering from liver cancer increased significantly, with OR and P value of 5.10 (95% CI 2.58-10.09) and less than 0.00001, respectively. Furthermore, OR and P value of individual carrying C282Y/WT heterozygous genotype were 1.28 (95% CI 1.01-1.63) and 0.04 severally; and individual carried with H63D/H63D homozygote genotype was found without obviously increased liver cancer risk, with OR and P value of 1.04 (95% CI 0.63-1.71) and 0.89. Moreover, OR and P value of individual carrying H63D/H63D homozygote genotype or H63D/WT heterozygous genotype were 1.19 (95% CI 0.99-1.37) and 0.07, respectively. Meta analysis revealed that individual carrying C282Y/C282Y homozygote genotype had 5.10 times of liver cancer risk than individual carrying WT/WT genotype, while no significantly increased liver cancer risk was found in individual carrying H63D/H63D homozygote genotype or carrying C282Y/WT and H63D/WT heterozygous genotype.

Knockdown of EGFR inhibits growth and invasion of gastric cancer cells

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an oncogenic trans-membranous receptor, which is overexpressed in multiple human cancers. However, the role of EGFR in gastric cancer (GC) is still elusive. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression and molecular mechanisms of EGFR in GC cells. Forty cases of GC and the corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCT) were collected, and the expression of EGFR was assessed using immunohistochemistry in biopsy samples. Furthermore, EGFR signaling was blocked by constructed recombinant small hairpin RNA lentiviral vector (Lv-shRAGE) used to transfect into human GC SGC-7901 cells. The expression of AKT, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and matrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9) was detected by real-time PCR and western blotting assays. Cell proliferative activities and invasive capability were, respectively, determined by MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) and Transwell assays. Cell apoptosis and cycle distribution were analyzed by flow cytometry. EGFR was found highly expressed in cancer tissues compared with the ANCT and correlated with lymph node metastases. Knockdown of EGFR reduced cell proliferation and invasion of GC with decreased expression of AKT, PCNA and MMP-9 and induced cell apoptosis and cycle arrest. Upregulation of EGFR expression is associated with lymph node metastases of GC, and blockade of EGFR signaling suppresses growth and invasion of GC cells through AKT pathway, suggesting that EGFR may represent a potential therapeutic target for this aggressive malignancy.