Agapetesheana, a new species of A.ser.Longifiles (Ericaceae) from Yunnan, China

Agapetesheana Y. H. Tong & J. D. Ya (Ericaceae), a new species from Lüchun Xian, Yunnan Province, China is described and illustrated. This new species is assigned to Agapetessect.Agapetesser.Longifiles Airy Shaw. It is closest to A.inopinata Airy Shaw and A.oblonga Craib, but differs in having bead-like tubers, leaf blade with a wholly serrulate margin, subulate and much longer calyx lobes, much larger corollas that are carmine, green at the apex and maroon on angles, and longer stamens without spurs on the back.

[Polysaccharide from Phellinus igniarius alleviates oxidative stress and hepatic fibrosis in Schistosoma japonicum-infected mice]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the role of polysaccharide from Phellinus igniarius (PPI) in the improvement of oxidative stress, hepatic granuloma and hepatic fibrosis in Schistosoma japonicum-iniected in mice.

METHODS

The mouse model of schistosomiasis was established by S. japonicum cercariae infection via the abdomen. Balb/c mice were randomly assigned into 5 groups, including the healthy control group (Group A), infection control group (Group B), PPI treatment group (Group C), praziquantel treatment group (Group D) and PPI-praziquantel combination group (Group E), of 10 mice in each group. Each mouse in groups B, C, D and E was infected with (30 ± 2) S. japonicum cercariae. Then, mice in groups D and E were given praziquantel by gavage at a dose of 500 mg/kg for successive two days on day 42 post-infection, while mice in groups C and E were given PPI by gavage at a dose of 400 mg/kg for successive 30 days on day 42 post-infection. Histopathological changes of hepatic tissues were observed using hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hyaluronic acid (HA), laminin (LN) were determined, while the activities of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), glutathione reductase (GSH-R) and glutathione (GSH) were detected in Mouse liver homogenates. The expression of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was quantified in hepatic tissues using immunohistochemistry, and the Nrf2 and Gsta4 gene expression was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay.

RESULTS

Untreated mice presented typical pathological changes of schistosomal hepatic disorders, while PPI treatment effectively alleviated hepatic egg granulomas and collagen deposition. S. japonicum infection resulted in aggravation of hepatic lipid peroxidation, induction of oxidative stress, elevated serum MDA level and a reduction in the activity of GSH and antioxidant enzymes activities in mice. As compared to infected but untreated mice, PPI treatment suppressed hepatic lipid peroxidation, increased the GSH activity and restored the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In addition, PPI treatment inhibited the TGF-β signaling pathway and up-regulated the Nrf2 and Gsta4 gene expression.

CONCLUSIONS

PPI plays a critical role in the treatment of schistosomiasis-induced hepatic fibrosis. It may improve oxidative stress damages through up-regulating Nrf2 and Gsta4 gene expression, thereby suppressing the development of hepatic egg granulomas and hepatic fibrosis.

Chinese guidelines for treatment of adult primary immune thrombocytopenia

Primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a bleeding disorder commonly encountered in clinical practice. The International Working Group (IWG) on ITP has published several landmark papers on terminology, definitions, outcome criteria, bleeding assessment, diagnosis, and management of ITP. The Chinese consensus reports for diagnosis and management of adult ITP have been updated to the 4th edition. Based on current consensus positions and new emerging clinical evidence, the thrombosis and hemostasis group of the Chinese Society of Hematology issued Chinese guidelines for management of adult ITP, which aim to provide evidence-based recommendations for clinical decision making.

[Determination of six active ingredients in different parts of Belamcanda chinensis and Iris tectorum and their anti-inflammatory activity]

In order to explore the anti-inflammatory activity and active ingredient basis from the leaves of the Belamcanda chinensis and Iris tectorum, we established an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of six anti-inflammatory active ingredient contents in the root of the B. chinensis and I. tectorum as well as their leaves with different dry methods, and the anti-inflammatory effects of the extract were studied by the mouse ear swelling experiment. The HPLC analysis was performed on an Agilent WondaSil© C₁₈-WR(4.6 mm×250 mm，5 μm)，with isocratic elution of acetonitrile-0.1% ortho-phosphoric acid solution at a flow rate of 1. 0 mL·min⁻¹ and the detection was carried out at 265 nm. The chemical compositions of the B. chinensis and I. tectorum are similar but the contents of them are obviously different. Both rhizome and leaf extract of B. chinensis and I. tectorum had inhibitory effects on inflamed mice induced by dimethylbenzene and had anti-inflammatory effects by animal experiment, which could lay the material and active foundation for the development of the non-medicinal parts of the B. chinensis and I. tectorum.

[Changes of Neutrophil CD64 in Patients with Hematological Mali-gnancies Combined with Bacterial Infections]

OBJECTIVE

To explore the changes of CD64 on surface of neutrophils in patients with hematological malignancies combined with bacterial infections.

METHODS

Ninety-seven patients with hematological tumor admitted in our hospital from August 2014 to February 2016 were selected and divided into 2 groups: infection group(50 cases) and noninfection group(47 cases) according to their symptoms, physical sings and blood culture results for microbiologic detection. The CD46 index on surface of neutrophils, serum C- reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil count (NC) and procalcitonin (PCT) level were detected by flow cytometry. After treatment of infection patients, the CD46 index, CRP, PCT and NC were detected again.

RESULTS

Before antibacterial treatment of patients, the CD64 index in infection group was significantly higher than that in noninfection group, the CRP, PCT and NC levels in infection group also were higher than those in noninfection group; after antibacterial treatment, the CD64 index, CRP, PCT and NC levels in infection group decresed.

CONCLUSION

The CD64 index in hematologic malignancy patients complicated with bacterial infections significantly increased, after antibacterial treatment these indexes decreases, confirming the value of CD64 in the diagnosis of bacterial infections for patients with hematologic malignancies.

[Significance of Plasma HMGB1, IFN-γ, IL-4 and TLR4 Expression on CD4+T Cell Surface in Patients with Immune Thrombocytopenia]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of plasma HMGB1, IFN-γ, IL-4 and CD4⁺T cell surface TLR4 expression on the immune thrombocytopenia(ITP).

METHODS

Twenty-five patients diagnosed as ITP in our hospital from October 2014 to October 2015, and 20 healthy persons as controls were selected. The ELISA was used to detect the plasma levels of HMGB1, IFN-γ and IL-4 in 2 groups; the flow cytometry was used to detect the expression level of TLR4 on the surface of CD4⁺ cells. The relatienship between different parameters was analyzed.

RESULTS

Before treatment, the plasma HMGB1 level in ITP group was significantly higher than that in control group (t=4.259, P<0.01), while after treatment it significantly decreased and close to level in control group (t=1.267, P>0.05). The plasma IFN-γ level detected in ITP group before and after treatment was not significantly different from level in control group (P>0.05), while the IL-4 level in ITP group before treatment was significantly lower than that in control grup (t=2.107, P<0.05), but the IL-4 level in ITP group after treatment was significantly higher than that in control group (t=2.107, P<0.05). The plasma IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio in ITP group before treatment was significantly higher than that in control group (t=5.436, P<0.01), but it obviously decreased and was slightly lower than that in control group after treatment. The expression level of TLR4 in ITP group before and after treatment was all significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.01). The HMGB1 level in ITP group was directly proportional to the CD3⁺ content (r=0.824, P<0.01), however it not significantly related with CD4⁺ content (r=0.074, P>0.05), but than the HMGB1 level in ITP group was directly proportional to CD8⁺ content (r=0.844, P<0.01) and to IL-4 content (r=0.784, P<0.01), and was inversely proportional to IFN-γ level(r=-0.814,P<0.01),and also was inversely proportional to IFN-γ /IL-4 ratio(r=-0.887,P<0.01),and directly proportional to TLR4 expression level(r=0.772,P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The HMGB1 and TLR4 expression levels in ITP patients are higher, and clinical therapy can relieve the disease by targetly control in HMGB1 and TLR4 expression.

An unusual transition from point-like to fibrillar crystals in injection-molded polyethylene articles induced by lightly cross-linking and melt penetration

Recently, an unusual transition from point-like to fibrillar crystals has been realized by lightly cross-linking structure and melt penetration.

Suppressing phase coarsening in immiscible polymer blends using nano-silica particles located at the interface

Coalescence suppressing effect of nanoparticles at the interface of polymer blends.

[Role of CD8(+)T cells and their secreted cytokines in the pathogenesis of aplastic anemia]

Aplastic anemia(AA) is mostly considered as an immune-mediated bone marrow failure syndrome, characterized by pancytopenia and bone marrow hypoplasia. The pathogenesis of AA is complicated, until now it is not fully understood. Further study on the pathological mechanism will be helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of AA. CD8(+) T cells and their secreted cytokines play important roles in the abnormal immunity during the process of AA. Thus, this review focuses on the role of CD8(+) T cells and their secreted cytokines in the pathogenesis of AA.

Abstract 878: Tanshinone-1 kills multidrug resistant tumor cells via reducing phospho-705-Stat3, potentiated by inhibiting secondary activation of signaling networks

One of the severest hurdles in cancer treatment is multidrug resistance (MDR), resulting from overexpression of drug transporters and/or deregulation of cellular signaling transduction. Persistent efforts have been made to find new agents and strategies to overcome MDR. MDR involves almost all clinically-used anticancer drugs with natural origins. In this study, however, we found that the natural product tanshinone-1 could circumvent MDR via reducing phospho-705-Stat3, potentiated by inhibiting secondary activation of signaling networks. Tanshinone-1 is a bioactive ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine that exhibits diverse biologic properties, including anticancer properties. Tanshinone-1 displayed equipotent or even more potent cytotoxicity in three MDR tumor cell lines than in their corresponding parental cell lines. Tanshinone-1 induced apoptosis of the MDR cells by activating the intrinsic apoptotic pathway via disturbing mitochondria membrane potential and eliciting the cleavage of caspase-9 and caspase-3. The killing of MDR cells by tanshinone-1 was independent of drug transporters, but correlated tightly with its decreasing phospho-705-Stat3, highly possibly via activating certain phosphatase(s). The expression of the target genes of Stat3 including Mcl-1, cyclin D1, cIAP-2 and c-myc, was downregulated by the treatment with tanshinone-1. Knockdown of stat3 expression with specific small interfering RNA led to reduced sensitivity of the tested MDR cells to tanshinone-1. Treatment with Na3VO4, a pan inhibitor of phosphatases, completely reversed tanshinone-1-induced decrease of phospho-705-Stat3 and significantly lowered its cytotoxicity. Knockdown of phosphatase SHP-2 or PTP1B prevented reduction of phospho-705-Stat3 and induction of cell apoptosis driven by tanshinone-1. Further investigation revealed that tanshinone-1 activated signaling networks involving Akt, p38 and Erk pathways, possibly secondary to its reducing phospho-705-Stat3. Notably, simultaneous suppression of those pathways enhanced the cytotoxic effect of tanshinone-1 against the tested MDR cells. Cotreatment of the PI3K inhibitor PI103, the p38 inhibitor SB203580 and/or the MEK inhibitor AZD6244 with tanshinone-1 potentiated its apoptotic induction. However, PI103 and SB580203 appeared to show more potent synergism than AZD6244 when combined with tanshinone-1. Together, this study presents tanshinone-1 as an MDR-overcoming natural product, and more importantly, from our results, a therapeutic strategy of targeting signaling network(s) may evolve for MDR cancer therapy.

Citation Format: Lei Xu, Jian-Ming Feng, Jia-Xin Li, Jin-Mei Zhu, Shan-Shan Song, Lin-Jiang Tong, Yi Chen, Fu-Lin Lian, Dong-Hai Lin, Jian Ding, Ze-Hong Miao. Tanshinone-1 kills multidrug resistant tumor cells via reducing phospho-705-Stat3, potentiated by inhibiting secondary activation of signaling networks. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 878. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-878

Characterization of the conversion between CD133+ and CD133- cells in colon cancer SW620 cell line

The state of cancer stem cells (CSC) under reversible fluctuations, which has been revealed in breast cancer cells most recently, suggests that subpopulations with distinct phenotypes and functions within cancer cells can undergo inter-conversion. To investigate the possibility in colon cancer cells, we employed CD133 as the CSC marker, and characterized CD133 expression pattern and the biological features of the CD133 (+) and CD133 (-) subsets. Flow cytometry revealed that CD133 was bimodally expressed in SW620 cells among eight colon cancer cell lines. The CD133 (+) clonal SW620 cells displayed a differential gene expression profile, higher cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), enhanced tumorigenesis and resistance to 5-fluorouracil. The conversion in term of the CD133 phenotype of the sorted cells was observed in vitro and in vivo. The fraction of the CD133 (+) cells decreased from 99% to 80% in the sorted CD133 (+) population while rising from 5 to 10% in the sorted CD133 (-) population during the first 20-day cultivation and then stayed almost unchanged. A fraction (about 20%) of the CD133 (+) clonal cells lost their CD133 marker while about 10% of the CD133 (-) clonal cells acquired the CD133 marker. 5-Azacytidine enhanced the fraction of the CD133 (+) cells in both of the CD133 (+) and CD133 (-) clonal cells. Our data demonstrate that CD133 expression is dynamic and reversible, and reveal the inter-conversion between the CD133 (+) and the CD133 (-) SW620 cells, suggesting that the CD133 phenotype of SW620 cell population is retained by the conversion between the two cell subsets.

Regulation of Ca(2+)-entry in pancreatic α-cell line by transient receptor potential melastatin 4 plays a vital role in glucagon release

Elevation in the intracellular Ca(2+) concentration stimulates glucagon secretion from pancreatic α-cells. The Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 channel (TRPM4) is critical for Ca(2+) signaling. However, its role in glucagon secreting α-cells has not been investigated. We identified TRPM4 gene expression and protein in the αTC1-6 cell line using RT-PCR and immunocytochemistry. Furthermore, we performed a detailed biophysical characterization of the channel using the patch-clamp technique to confirm that currents typical for TRPM4 were present in αTC1-6 cells. To investigate TRPM4 function, we generated a stable knockdown clone using shRNA and a lentiviral vector. Inhibition of TRPM4 significantly reduced the responses to different agonists during Ca(2+) imaging analysis with Fura-2AM. The reduction in the magnitude of Ca(2+) signals resulted in decreased glucagon secretion. These results suggested that depolarization by TRPM4 may play an important role in controlling glucagon secretion from α-cells and perhaps glucose homeostasis.

Increased accumulation of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α with reduced transcriptional activity mediates the antitumor effect of triptolide

Background

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), a critical transcription factor to reduced O₂ availability, has been demonstrated to be extensively involved in tumor survival, aggressive progression, drug resistance and angiogenesis. Thus it has been considered as a potential anticancer target. Triptolide is the main principle responsible for the biological activities of the Traditional Chinese Medicine tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. Triptolide possesses great chemotherapy potential for cancer with its broad-spectrum anticancer, antiangiogenesis, and drug-resistance circumvention activities. Numerous biological molecules inhibited by triptolide have been viewed as its possible targets. However, the anticancer action mechanisms of triptolide remains to be further investigated. Here we used human ovarian SKOV-3 cancer cells as a model to probe the effect of triptolide on HIF-1α.

Results

Triptolide was observed to inhibit the proliferation of SKOV-3 cells, and meanwhile, to enhance the accumulation of HIF-1α protein in SKOV-3, A549 and DU145 cells under different conditions. Triptolide did not change the kinetics or nuclear localization of HIF-1α protein or the 26 S proteasome activity in SKOV-3 cells. However, triptolide was found to increase the levels of HIF-1α mRNA. Unexpectedly, the HIF-1α protein induced by triptolide appeared to lose its transcriptional activity, as evidenced by the decreased mRNA levels of its target genes including VEGF, BNIP3 and CAIX. The results were further strengthened by the lowered secretion of VEGF protein, the reduced sprout outgrowth from the rat aorta rings and the inhibitory expression of the hypoxia responsive element-driven luciferase reporter gene. Moreover, the silencing of HIF-1α partially prevented the cytotoxicity and apoptosis triggered by triptolide.

Conclusions

The potent induction of HIF-1α protein involved in its cytotoxicity, together with the suppression of HIF-1 transcriptional activity, indicates the great therapeutic potential of triptolide as an anticancer drug. Meanwhile, our data further stress the possibility that HIF-1α functions in an unresolved nature or condition.

TRPM4 impacts on Ca2+ signals during agonist-induced insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells

TRPM4 is a Ca(2+)-activated non-selective cation (CAN) channel that functions in cell depolarization, which is important for Ca(2+) influx and insulin secretion in pancreatic beta-cells. We investigated TRPM4 expression and function in the beta-cell lines HIT-T15 (hamster), RINm5F (rat), beta-TC3 (mouse), MIN-6 (mouse) and the alpha-cell line INR1G9 (hamster). By RT-PCR, we identified TRPM4 transcripts in alpha- and beta-cells. Patch-clamp recordings with increasing Ca(2+) concentrations resulted in a dose-dependent activation of TRPM4 with the greatest depolarizing currents recorded from hamster-derived cells. Further, Ca(2+) imaging experiments revealed that inhibition of TRPM4 by a dominant-negative effect significantly decreased the magnitude of the Ca(2+) signals generated by agonist stimulation compared to control cells. The decrease in the [Ca(2+)](i) resulted in reduced insulin secretion. Our data suggest that depolarizing currents generated by TRPM4 are an important component in the control of intracellular Ca(2+) signals necessary for insulin secretion and perhaps glucagon from alpha-cells.

Proteasome-dependent degradation of Chk1 kinase induced by the topoisomerase II inhibitor R16 contributes to its anticancer activity

The novel naphthalimide derivative R16 has been demonstrated to exhibit potent in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity by inhibiting topoisomerase II (Top2). R16 induces G(2) arrest via an ATM-activated Chk2-executed pathway, accompanied by reducing Chk1. In this study, R16 was demonstrated to trigger time and concentration-dependent Chk1 reduction which was unrelated to the mRNA level and HSP90-involved degradation. Pretreatment of HCT116 cells with the proteasome inhibitors MG132 or lactacystin prevented Chk1 decline induced by R16, accompanied by significant accumulation of ubiquitinated Chk1 protein, indicating the involvement of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Meanwhile, R16 also resulted in loss of Chk1 function. By site-specifically mutating the phosphorylation sites of Chk1 protein at Ser317 or at Ser345, we further demonstrated that R16-triggered Chk1 reduction was associated with its apoptotic induction and cell killing. In conclusion, the data reveal that the novel Top2 inhibitor R16 induces degradation of Chk1 via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, impairing the function of Chk1 and thus contributing to the anticancer activity of R16.

Thymocytes express the golli products of the myelin basic protein gene and levels of expression are stage dependent

The golli products of the myelin basic protein gene have been shown to be expressed in mouse thymus and brain. The full repertoire of thymic cell types expressing golli products has not yet been determined, although immunoreactivity has been found in some macrophages. We have analyzed the cellular expression of golli mRNAs and proteins in the thymus. The results showed that MTS5(+) cortical/MTS10(+) medullary epithelial cells and NLDC145(+) dendritic cells did not express golli, while some macrophages did exhibit strong immunoreactivity. GOLLI: mRNAs were not detected in macrophages by in situ hybridization. Thymocytes expressed significant levels of golli mRNAs and proteins by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Interestingly, golli immunoreactivity varied with thymocyte stage of differentiation. For example, CD4(-)CD8(-) (double-negative) thymocytes expressed relatively high levels of golli. Upon further differentiation into CD4(-)CD8(-) (double-positive) thymocytes, golli protein expression declined dramatically. When thymocytes developed into CD8(-) or CD4(+) (single-positive) thymocytes, golli protein expression increased again, but it never achieved the levels found in double-negative thymocytes. Thus, the altered levels of expression of golli proteins in developing thymocytes correlated with the transitions from double-negative to double-positive and double-positive to single-positive stages. The lack of significant golli expression in thymic stromal cells may offer an alternative explanation for the mechanism of inefficient negative selection of those autoreactive thymocytes with specificity for myelin basic proteins.

Preliminary study on HA coating percutaneously implanted in bone

A comparative investigation on the possibility of hydroxyapatite (HA) coating and pure Ti column to form biological sealing with skin tissue was completed in this study. HA coating and pure Ti column were percutaneously implanted in the tibia of rabbits. Compared with titanium (Ti) implant, HA coating forms epithelial sealing with skin tissue at 6 weeks postoperatively, while the Ti implant may loosen from the implanted site and be lost. The Ti column loosing rate at this time was 50%. However, once the Ti implant becomes fixed with the bone tissue, it can form epithelial sealing with skin tissue just like the HA coating, at 8 weeks postoperatively. At 8 weeks postoperatively, the epithelial sealing is not destroyed in spite of the fact that the HA coating is biodegraded. Our results show that the HA coating can become fixed with the bone faster than the Ti, which is beneficial for epithelial sealing formation. The main role of HA coating for epithelial sealing is beneficial for sealing at the initial period after it is implanted.

[Morphological evidence for thymocytes apoptosis outside the thymus]

In vitro thymus explants culture designed in this paper can mimic the thymic microenvironment as it were in vivo. Theoretically, thymus explants are cut off free from blood stream. So if some developing or developed thymocytes had the inclination to migrate into the periphery, they would only be accumulated in the blood vessels within thymus explants. After 3-day's culture, under transmission electron microscope we observed the migrating thymocytes accumulated in the blood vessels of C57BL/6 mice thymus explants, and these thymocytes were occurring apoptosis at different stage. To our knowledge, this findings offers the first morphological evidence that thymocytes do not necessarily die inside the thymus in situ, and that having acquired the death signals thymocytes can migrate into the blood stream and die quickly outside the thymus. But this is not to say that we deny the intrathymic death hypothesis. On the contrary, we found the number of thymocytes occurring in situ apoptosis on the surfaces of stromal cells is far more than that of migrating into the blood vessels. So, our proposal is that there are two sites for thymocytes apoptosis, some die inside the thymus and the others die outside the thymus.