Anti-cancer effects of traditional Korean wild vegetables in complementary and alternative medicine

This research study explored the anti-cancer effects of natural materials in South Korea. Although South Korea has a long history of traditional medicine, many natural materials of South Korea have not yet been introduced to the rest of the world because of language barriers and inconsistent study conditions. In the past 3 years, 56 papers introducing 56 natural materials, which have anti-cancer effects, have been published by scientists in South Korea. Further, these studies have introduced five kinds of natural materials presented in research papers that were written in Korean and are therefore virtually unknown overseas. The anti-cancer effects were confirmed by 2–3 cancer markers in the majority of the studies, with the most common targets being breast cancer cells and gastric cancer cells. These cancers have the greatest incidence in South Korea. The natural materials studied not only exhibit anti-cancer activity but also display anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative stress, and anti-diabetic activities. They have not yet been used for the direct treatment of disease but have potential as medicinal materials for alternative and complementary medicine for the treatment of many modern diseases. Many natural materials of South Korea are already known all over the world, and with this study, we hope to further future research to learn more about these natural medicines.     

Immunocompetent truncated E2 glycoprotein of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) expressed in Nicotiana tabacum plants: a candidate antigen for new generation of veterinary vaccines

The bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is the etiological agent responsible for a wide spectrum of clinical diseases in cattle. The glycoprotein E2 is the major envelope protein of this virus and the strongest inductor of the immune response. There are several available commercial vaccines against bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), which show irregular performances. Here, we report the use of tobacco plants as an alternative productive platform for the expression of the truncated version of E2 glycoprotein (tE2) from the BVDV. The tE2 sequence, lacking the transmembrane domain, was cloned into the pK7WG2 Agrobacterium binary vector. The construct also carried the 2S2 Arabidopsis thaliana signal for directing the protein into the plant secretory pathway, the Kozak sequence, an hexa-histidine tag to facilitate protein purification and the KDEL endoplasmic reticulum retention signal. The resulting plasmid (pK-2S2-tE2-His-KDEL) was introduced into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA101 by electroporation. The transformed A. tumefaciens was then used to express tE2 in leaves of Nicotiana tabacum plants. Western blot and ELISA using specific monoclonal antibodies confirmed the presence of the recombinant tE2 protein in plant extracts. An estimated amount of 20 μg of tE2 per gram of fresh leaves was regularly obtained with this plant system. Injection of guinea pigs with plant extracts containing 20 μg of rtE2 induced the production of BVDV specific antibodies at equal or higher levels than those induced by whole virus vaccines. This is the first report of the production of an immunocompetent tE2 in N. tabacum plants, having the advantage to be free of any eventual animal contaminant.     

中国菰米对高脂膳食诱导大鼠胰岛素抵抗机制的研究

目的探讨中国菰米对高脂膳食诱导的胰岛素抵抗大鼠的影响及其作用机制。方法 44只雄性SD大鼠按胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR)随机分为阴性对照、模型、米面和菰米4组,以对应的饲料连续喂养8 w,测定各组大鼠空腹血糖(FBG)、胰岛素(FINS)以及游离脂肪酸(FFA)水平,并计算HOMA-IR;采用RT-PCR或Western blotting法检测大鼠肝脏组织中蛋白酪氨酸磷酸酶-1B(PTP-1B)和胰岛素受体底物-2(IRS-2)mRNA或蛋白的表达。结果模型组大鼠HOMA-IR值及血清FFA显著高于阴性对照组;米面组与模型组HOMA-IR值及血清FFA无显著性差异;菰米组大鼠血清FBG、FINS和FFA浓度及HOMA-IR值显著低于米面组和模型组。菰米组大鼠肝组织中PTP-1B基因和蛋白的表达均明显低于模型组和米面组,而IRS-2 mRNA的表达明显升高。结论菰米具有降低胰岛素抵抗大鼠血糖、胰岛素及FFA水平,并通过抑制PTP-1B的相对表达,进而促进IRS-2的磷酸化,增强胰岛素信号的转导作用,可改善机体胰岛素的敏感性。     

Sost downregulation and local Wnt signaling are required for the osteogenic response to mechanical loading

Sclerostin, the Wnt signaling antagonist encoded by the Sost gene, is secreted by osteocytes and inhibits bone formation by osteoblasts. Mechanical stimulation reduces sclerostin expression, suggesting that osteocytes might coordinate the osteogenic response to mechanical force by locally unleashing Wnt signaling. To investigate whether sclerostin downregulation is a pre-requisite for load-induced bone formation, we conducted experiments in transgenic mice (TG) engineered to maintain high levels of SOST expression during mechanical loading. This was accomplished by introducing a human SOST transgene driven by the 8 kb fragment of the DMP1 promoter that also provided osteocyte specificity of the transgene. Right ulnae were subjected to in vivo cyclic axial loading at equivalent strains for 1 min/day at 2 Hz; left ulnae served as internal controls. Endogenous murine Sost mRNA expression measured 24 h after 1 loading bout was decreased by about 50% in TG and wild type (WT) littermates. In contrast, human SOST, only expressed in TG mice, remained high after loading. Mice were loaded on 3 consecutive days and bone formation was quantified 16 days after initiation of loading. Periosteal bone formation in control ulnae was similar in WT and TG mice. Loading induced the expected strain-dependent increase in bone formation in WT mice, resulting from increases in both mineralizing surface (MS/BS) and mineral apposition rate (MAR). In contrast, load-induced bone formation was reduced by 70-85% in TG mice, due to lower MS/BS and complete inhibition of MAR. Moreover, Wnt target gene expression induced by loading in WT mice was absent in TG mice. Thus, downregulation of Sost/sclerostin in osteocytes is an obligatory step in the mechanotransduction cascade that activates Wnt signaling and directs osteogenesis to where bone is structurally needed.     

Antioxidant and antiacetylcholinesterase activities of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz (wild service tree) fruits

In this study, the antioxidant and antiacetylcholinesterase activities of Sorbus torminalis (L.) Crantz fruits were evaluated. Total phenolic and flavonoid compounds, 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothioazoline-6-sulfonic acid), 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, and superoxide anion radicals scavenging activities and ferric-reducing antioxidant power of water, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol extracts were determined for the measurement of the antioxidant activity. Quercetin and α-tocopherol were used as standard antioxidants. The inhibitory effect of the water extract on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was evaluated using the Ellman method and galantamine was used as a standard. Water extract had the highest total phenolic concentration and the strongest antioxidant activity followed by ethyl acetate and acetone extracts whereas methanol extract has the lowest phenolics and weakest antioxidant activity. Moreover, water extract showed moderate ability to inhibit AChE. It was concluded that fruits of S. torminalis have antioxidant and anti-AChE activities and that the plant might be a natural source of antioxidants and AChE inhibitors.     

福建省部分地区野栖鼠体表寄生恙螨的物种多样性调查

目的 调查福建省部分地区野栖鼠体表寄生恙螨的分布情况及物种多样性,为恙虫病防制提供参考依据。方法笼日法捕鼠,检获鼠体恙螨,对其鉴定、计数。用带螨率、带螨指数及优势种反映恙螨的种群构成及密度;采用丰富度、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数及Simpson优势度指数分析恙螨的物种多样性。结果 在野栖鼠体表共检获恙螨2亚科7属27种10 832只。其中,鼠耳表面共检获2亚科6属23种9 936只,带螨率为33.27%,带螨指数为17.68,恙螨的多样性指数为1.48,优势种为地理纤恙螨(59.60%);鼻腔内共检获1属4种896只,带螨率为15.11%,带螨指数为4.06,恙螨的多样性指数为1.12,优势种为中华珠恙螨(48.33%)。不同寄生部位、不同宿主、不同生境、不同季节、不同区划鼠体带螨率、带螨指数、恙螨的物种多样性及优势种均不同。恙螨物种多样性指数趋势依次为:耳>鼻腔;白腹巨鼠>针毛鼠>社鼠>黄毛鼠>黑线姬鼠>青毛鼠>板齿鼠(耳);青毛鼠>针毛鼠>黄毛鼠(鼻腔);山地>田地>果园;春季>秋季>夏季;东部丘陵平原亚区>闽广沿海亚区。结论 福建省野栖鼠体表寄生恙螨种类丰富,其种群构成、密度及物种多样性受宿主、寄生部位、生境、气候等因素的影响。     

Microbiological diagnosis and antimicrobial sensitivity profiles in diseased free-living raptors

Free-living raptors (birds of prey) can act as reservoirs of potentially zoonotic agents, but they also can be affected by microorganisms as target hosts. In this retrospective study, microbiological results (n?=?663) and antibiotic sensitivity profiles (n?=?108) of bacterial isolates were analysed from diseased free-living raptors. Sixty-nine percent of cases (n?=?457) yielded bacteria: 58% were in pure culture and 42% were of different species. Remarkably, samples from necropsies (47%) had higher percentage of pure isolations than those obtained from clinical (31%) samples (P?Escherichia coli was the most common agent (35%), principally recovered from necropsied birds with clinical signs of septicaemia or respiratory disorders. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (7%) was isolated from birds with systemic infection and from oral lesions, especially in nocturnal raptors (P?Staphylococcus spp. (5%), mainly Staphylococcus aureus, was found to be the most prevalent cause of pododermatitis (35%) and Staphylococcus hyicus was isolated from conjunctivitis (18.2%). Interestingly, 8% of samples with lesions compatible with avian tuberculosis were positive to the Mycobacterium avium complex. The most frequent fungi associated with pneumonic lesions and ingluvitis were Aspergillus spp. and Candida spp., respectively. More than 50% of the 108 isolates (34 different bacterial spp.) demonstrated resistance to clindamycin, ampicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime, enrofloxacin and trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole. Among the E. coli strains, 71% (27/38) presented a multidrug-resistance pattern to >3 antimicrobials. Detection in wildlife of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens that might be significant at the animal–human–ecosystem interface is of great relevance under the ‘One Health’ approach.     

Deleting the BAFF receptor TACI protects against systemic lupus erythematosus without extensive reduction of B cell numbers

B cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) is an essential B cell survival factor. However, high levels of BAFF promote systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in mice and humans. Belimumab (anti-human BAFF) limits B cell survival and is approved for use in patients with SLE. Surprisingly, the efficacy of rituximab (anti-human CD20) in SLE remains controversial, despite depleting B cells more potently than belimumab. This raises the question of whether B cell depletion is really the mechanism of action of belimumab. In BAFF transgenic mice, SLE development is T cell-independent but relies on innate activation of B cells via TLRs, and TLR expression is modulated by the BAFF receptor TACI. Here, we show that loss of TACI on B cells protected against BAFF-mediated autoimmune manifestations while preserving B cells, suggesting that loss of BAFF signaling through TACI rather than loss of B cells may underpin the effect of belimumab in the clinic. Therefore, B cell-sparing blockade of TACI may offer a more specific and safer therapeutic alternative to broad B cell depletion in SLE.     

奥曲肽诱导人肝癌细胞HepG2凋亡

目的探讨奥曲肽诱导人肝癌细胞HepG2凋亡作用及机理.方法采用DNA末端原位标记染色法(TUNEL)、Annexin Ⅴ荧光标记法分别检测肝癌细胞早期和晚期凋亡,细胞免疫化学法检测p53表达.结果 1×10-5mol/L奥曲肽使HepG2细胞早期凋亡阳性率和凋亡指数(AI)增加至(14.2±2.6)%和(18.8±3.3)%,与对照组(1.2±0.1)%(P＜0.05)和(3.6士0.9)%(P＜0.01)比较差异显著;该浓度奥曲肽能明显增加HepG2细胞野生型wp53表达(P＜0.05).结论奥曲肽能诱导肝癌细胞早期及晚期凋亡,这和奥曲肽能使HepG2肝癌细胞wp53表达增加有关.