银杏内酯B对慢性炎症血管生成的抑制作用

目的研究银杏内酯B对慢性炎症血管生成的作用及部分作用机制。方法比色法测定小鼠慢性肉芽肿气囊模型血管生成指数，组织形态学方法检测气囊病理变化；放射免疫方法测定白介素-1β(IL-1β)含量；L929生物测定法测定肿瘤坏死因子(TNF-α)含量；RT-PCR法检测IL-1β和TNF-α mRNA的表达。结果银杏内酯B可显著抑制模型小鼠的血管指数，与病理观察结果相符；银杏内酯B可显著抑制模型小鼠血清中IL-1和TNF-α的分泌；能显著抑制PMA诱导的U937细胞IL-1β和TNF-α的分泌及其mRNA的表达。结论银杏内酯B能抑制小鼠慢性炎症性血管生成模型的血管生成，能抑制促血管生成细胞因子IL-1β和TNF-α的转录及表达，这可能是其抑制慢性炎症血管生成的机制之一。     

细脚拟青霉总多糖对人外周血单核细胞TNF-α水平及增殖活性的影响

目的提取分离细脚拟青霉总多糖 (PtPs) ,探讨其对人外周血单核细胞 (PBMC)的调节作用。方法采用水提醇沉淀法提取PtPs成分 ;用不同浓度的PtPs单独或协同脂多糖 (LPS)在体外刺激PBMC ,酶联免疫法测定TNF α的水平 ,溴化四唑蓝法测定增殖活性。结果所得PtPs制品的纯度为 76 .1% ;适当剂量的PtPs (10 0～ 5 0 0 μg/ml)能够单独或协同LPS提高PBMC对TNF α的分泌 ;还可剂量依赖性地促进PBMC的增殖活性。结论PtPs对体外培养的PBMC具有激活作用 ,可能是发挥免疫药理作用的主要活性成分。     

1α,25-二羟维生素D_3对患者PBMC分泌的IFN-α和IL-10水平的影响

目 的 探 讨 １α，２５－二羟 维生 素 Ｄ_３（１α，２５－（ＯＨ ）２Ｄ ）对 系 统性 红斑 狼 疮（ＳＬＥ）患 者 外周 血 单个 核 ３细 胞（ＰＢＭ Ｃ）分 泌的 白细 胞 介素 （ＩＬ）－１０ 和 干扰 素 （ＩＦＮ ）－α水平 的 影响 。方法 ２０ 例 ＳＬＥ 患 者和 １０ 名健 康 志愿者 ＰＢＭ Ｃ 的提 取 采 用 Ｆｉｃｏｌ密 度 梯 度 离 心 法 ，ＳＬＥ 组 和 对 照 组 在 不 加 或 加 入 １α，２５－（Ｏ Ｈ ）２Ｄ３ 的 情 况 下 孵 育 ７２ ｈ收 集培 养 上清 ，上 清液 ＩＬ－１０ 和 ＩＦＮ－α水平 检 测采 用酶 联 免疫 吸附 试 验（ＥＬＩＳＡ ）。结 果 与 正常 对 照组 相比 ，ＳＬＥ组 ＰＢＭ Ｃ 中 ＩＬ－１０ 和 ＩＦＮ－α水 平 明 显 增高 （Ｐ＜０．０１）。０．０１ ｍ ｏｌ／Ｌ １α，２５－（Ｏ Ｈ ）２Ｄ３ 的 加 入 明 显 抑 制 了 ＳＬＥ 组ＰＢＭ Ｃ 中 ＩＦＮ －α的 产 生 （Ｐ＜０．０１），增 加 了 ＳＬＥ 组 ＰＢＭ Ｃ 中 ＩＬ－１０ 的 产 生 （Ｐ＜０．０１），但 对 正 常 对 照 组 ＩＦＮ －α和ＩＬ－１０ 水平 无明 显 影响 。结 论 １α，２５－（ＯＨ ）２Ｄ 可 能 抑制 体外 培 养的 ＳＬＥ 患 者 ＰＢＭ Ｃ ＩＦＮ －α的产 生     

Differential effects of cadmium administration on peripheral blood granulocytes in rats

Infiltration of circulatory inflammatory cells is a common histopathological finding in target organs following cadmium administration, but there is paucity of data concerning their activity. In this study, the effects of sublethal (1 mg/kg) cadmium on peripheral blood polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells were examined 48 h following administration in rats, when tissue (liver and lung) infiltration of these cells was observed. Cadmium administration resulted in systemic inflammatory cytokine and acute phase response with an increase in circulatory neutrophil numbers and cells that express CD11b molecules. Rise in basic aspects of oxidative activity including intracellular myeloperoxidase (MPO), reactive oxygen (nitroblue tetrazolium/NBT cytochemical assay) and nitrogen (Griess assay) species production was observed in PMNs from cadmium-administered rats. A decrease in levels of mRNA for IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 was noted, but production of these cytokines was affected differentially. Described effects of cadmium on PMNs add further to the understanding of inflammatory potential of this environmental contaminant.     

The Biological Actions of Dehydroepiandrosterone Involves Multiple Receptors

Dehydroepiandrosterone has been thought to have physiological functions other than as an androgen precursor. The previous studies performed have demonstrated a number of biological effects in rodents, such as amelioration of disease in diabetic, chemical carcinogenesis, and obesity models. To date, activation of the peroxisome proliferators activated receptor alpha, pregnane X receptor, and estrogen receptor by DHEA and its metabolites have been demonstrated. Several membrane-associated receptors have also been elucidated leading to additional mechanisms by which DHEA may exert its biological effects. This review will provide an overview of the receptor multiplicity involved in the biological activity of this sterol.     

HIF1α-siRNA and gemcitabine combination-based GE-11 peptide antibody-targeted nanomedicine for enhanced therapeutic efficacy in pancreatic cancers

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers across the world with an average 5-year survival rate of less than <6%. In this study, gemcitabine (GEM) and HIF1α-siRNA loaded GE-11 peptide conjugated liposome was successfully prepared and evaluated for its antitumor efficacy in pancreatic cancer cells. The GE11 increased the targeting specificity of liposome carrier and increased the intracellular concentrations in the cancer cells. Furthermore, synergistic combination of GEM and HIF1a-siRNA exhibited remarkable improvement in the declining of cancer cell proliferations. siRNA could effectively decrease the expression of HIF1a gene in the cancer cells. Importantly, GE-11 peptide-conjugated GEM/siRNA-loaded liposomes (GE-GML/siRNA) increased the total amount of apoptosis cells with higher proportion of cells in late apoptosis phase. GE-GML induced remarkable apoptosis of cancer cells and induced chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation which are considered to be typical features of apoptosis and cell death. GE-GML/siRNA showed a significant reduction in the tumour burden suggesting the superior anticancer efficacy of this formulation. GE-GML/siRNA showed four-fold reduction in tumour compared to control and two-fold reduction compared to GE-GML, respectively. Overall, present work lays foundation for the combination of GEM and HIF1a-siRNA loaded in a targeted nanocarrier system as a unique therapeutic option in pancreatic cancer treatment.     

Connective Tissue News

The editor welcomes for publication short news items of interest to readers of this journal, and especially details of forthcoming symposia and conferences concerned with subjects pertinent to the field.     

The Aldo-Keto Reductase Superfamily and its Role in Drug Metabolism and Detoxification

The aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily comprises enzymes that catalyze redox transformations involved in biosynthesis, intermediary metabolism, and detoxification. Substrates of AKRs include glucose, steroids, glycosylation end-products, lipid peroxidation products, and environmental pollutants. These proteins adopt a (β /α )₈ barrel structural motif interrupted by a number of extraneous loops and helixes that vary between proteins and bring structural identity to individual families. The human AKR family differs from the rodent families. Due to their broad substrate specificity, AKRs play an important role in the phase II detoxification of a large number of pharmaceuticals, drugs, and xenobiotics.     

Development of drug-in-adhesive transdermal patch for α-asarone and in vivo pharmacokinetics and efficacy evaluation

A transdermal drug delivery system has been reported that can increase the bioavailability, reduce the administration duration, and maintain the concentration of drug in blood. In the present study, drug-in-adhesive transdermal patches of α-asarone using Eudragit E100 as pressure-sensitive adhesives and oleic acid plus isopropyl myristate as penetration co-enhancers were developed. In vitro permeation, in vivo pharmacokinetics in rabbits, and efficacy in asthmatic rats were evaluated. The results showed that co-enhancers could induce a synergistic effect on α-asarone permeability. In vivo study suggested that the patch can keep a relatively certain blood level of drug within 10–30?h in rabbits. Furthermore, the patch with the size of 4?cm² containing drug 3?mg/cm² showed a noticeable treating effect on asthmatic rats which is equivalent to the effect of dexamethasone, while avoiding the side-effect induced by the corticorsteroid. This suggests that the drug-in-adhesive transdermal patch is a promising delivery system containing α-asarone to be used for asthma treatment.