D. candidum has in vitro anticancer effects in HCT-116 cancer cells and exerts in vivo anti-metastatic effects in mice

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

D. candidum is a traditional Chinese food or medicine widely used in Asia. There has been little research into the anticancer effects of D. candidum, particularly the effects in colon cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effects of D. candidum in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS/METHODS

The in vitro anti-cancer effects on HCT-116 colon cancer cells and in vivo anti-metastatic effects of DCME (Dendrobium canidum methanolic extract) were examined using the experimental methods of MTT assay, DAPI staining, flow cytometry analysis, RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

At a concentration of 1.0 mg/mL, DCME inhibited the growth of HCT-116 cells by 84%, which was higher than at concentrations of 0.5 and 0.25 mg/mL. Chromatin condensation and formation of apoptotic bodies were observed in cancer cells cultured with DCME as well. In addition, DCME induced significant apoptosis in cancer cells by upregulation of Bax, caspase 9, and caspase 3, and downregulation of Bcl-2. Expression of genes commonly associated with inflammation, NF-κB, iNOS, and COX-2, was significantly downregulated by DCME. DCME also exerted an anti-metastasis effect on cancer cells as demonstrated by decreased expression of MMP genes and increased expression of TIMPs, which was confirmed by the inhibition of induced tumor metastasis in colon 26-M3.1 cells in BALB/c mice.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated that D. candidum had a potent in vitro anti-cancer effect, induced apoptosis, exhibited anti-inflammatory activities, and exerted in vivo anti-metastatic effects.     

RP-HPLC法测定心宁片中丹参素和原儿茶醛的含量

目的 建立同时测定心宁片中丹参素和原儿茶醛含量的方法.方法 采用高效液相色谱法,色谱柱为LinkSil ODS C18;柱温:35℃;流动相:甲醇-1％冰醋酸溶液(8∶92);流速:1.0 mL· min-1;检测波长:280 nm.结果 丹参素在23.4～187.2 mg·L-1(r=0.999 8)、原儿茶醛在1.92～38.40 mg· L1(r=0.999 9)浓度范围内线性关系均良好;平均回收率分别为100.29％和98.96％.结论 该方法简单、准确、快速,可用于心宁片中丹参素和原儿茶醛的质量控制.     

一株采自新疆虫草体内的真菌的分离鉴定及其抑菌作用研究

目的研究从新疆虫草(Ophiocordyceps gracilis(Grev.)G.H.Sung,J.M.Sung,Hywel-Jones&Spatafora)体内分离得到一株真菌SFYC003。方法经生理生化特征、形态学和ITS序列对比分离鉴定菌株,采用滤纸片法研究了该菌株的菌体及其发酵液对6株供试菌的抑制作用。结果所得菌株属于青霉属真菌变灰青霉(Penicillium canescens)的一个变种,命名为SFYC003,其对大肠埃希菌和金黄色葡萄球菌供试菌的抑菌活性较强。结论菌株SFYC003具有进一步研究及开发利用的潜在价值。     

2～5岁儿童贫血状况及其与生长发育的关系

目的了解某市城区2～5岁在园儿童贫血状况,分析相关影响因素,为改善本地区儿童贫血状况提供依据。方法采用分层整群抽样的方法,在该市城区随机抽取4所公立幼儿园和8所私立幼儿园,对每所幼儿园2～5岁在园儿童进行一般情况调查,进行体格发育测量和口腔检查,并采末梢静脉血检测血红蛋白。结果共调查2 993名儿童,男1 424,女1 569,平均月龄为(51.23±11.73)月,公立幼儿园儿童占64.0%,单因素分析显示,私立幼儿园儿童贫血高于公立幼儿园,月龄越大儿童贫血检出率越低,非贫血儿童生长发育状况好于贫血儿童;多因素Logistic回归结果显示,月龄高[0.985(0.978～0.992)]为儿童贫血的保护因素,龋齿数多[1.034(1.007～1.062)]和私立幼儿园[3.276(2.782～3.857)]为儿童贫血的危险因素。结论该地区2～5岁在园儿童贫血检出率高,针对该地区儿童采取预防贫血的干预措施势在必行;贫血检出率随月龄的增高而降低,在研究儿童贫血与生长发育的关系时需考虑到月龄。     

Antifungal alkaloids from the fresh rattan stem of Fibraurea recisa Pierre.

Aim of the study

The rattan stem of Fibraurea recisa Pierre. is known as an ethno-remedy commonly used for the treatment of various skin diseases by the minority Yao, Zhuang and Miao in Yunnan Province of China. The present study was designated to evaluate its antifungal activity, and to root out the antifungal substances from this ethical herb.

Materials and methods

The in vitro antifungal assay was performed by agar diffusion test for extracts and fractions. Then, the active fractions were submitted to column chromatography on silica gel and LH-20 to isolate their compounds. And the antifungal activity of pure compounds has been examined by checkerboard microdilution test. Nine Candida strains and one Cryptococcus strain were used for the bioassay.

Results

The MeOH extract exhibited significant antifungal activity, and the alkaloidal fractions were deduced as main active component. Subsequent studies led to the identification of a new alkaloid fibrecisine (1) and 21 known alkaloids including berberines, tetrahydroberberines and aporphine derivatives. The bioassay result indicated that the berberines showed more potent activity than aporphine derivatives against the test Candida strains, while tetrahydroberberines showed very weak activity against Cryptococcus neoformans.

Conclusion

The new alkaloid fibrecisine (1) was identified as 1,2-methylenedioxy-8-hydroxy-6a(R)-aporphine by detailed spectral analysis. The rattan stem of Fibraurea recisa Pierre. is an effective antifungal herb, and its major active component is alkaloidal compounds. Bioassay tests revealed that the water-soluble berberines are the most important antifungal substances. The study provides preliminary scientific validation for the traditional medicinal use of this ethno-remedy.     

超声波提取洋葱总黄酮及鉴别

目的:为充分利用洋葱植物资源,避免资源的浪费,探讨洋葱总黄酮的提取及鉴别方法。方法:采用超声波乙醇浸提法从洋葱中提取黄酮类物质,对所提取的黄酮类物质进行验证,并用紫外分光光度法测定含量。结果:测得样品中总黄酮的含量C=20.58%,平均回收率为102.1%,其纯度和产率均较高。结论:该方法采用全物理过程,无任何污染,是提取洋葱黄酮类物质的有效途径。     

Growth factor receptors in hematopoietic stem cells: EPH family expression in CD34+ and CD133+ cell populations from mobilized peripheral blood

Cell-surface antigen expression of hematopoietic stem cells has a crucial role in characterizing cell subpopulation with distinct functional properties. The Eph receptors are the largest receptor tyrosine kinase family being involved in processes like vascular remodelling during development and physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Some Eph/Ephrin members are expressed in hematopoietic cells. The ability to isolate purified cell populations co-expressing CD34 and CD133 antigens as most commonly used markers for identification of hematopoietic progenitors has provided the opportunity to identify their surface-receptor profile. As positively expressed CD34 and CD133 cells take place not only in hematopoietic but also in endothelial differentiation, we aimed to define the Eph/Ephrin characteristic of these cells and relate these findings to new therapy strategies. Positive selections of CD34 and CD133 cells from PBPC in lymphoma patients were performed using magnetic beads and AutoMACS (Miltenyi Biotec) device. The purity of isolated cells was tested by flow cytometry. Immunocytochemistry was used to assess the Eph/Ephrin expression profile of positively selected samples. Our study revealed that all samples (10 from CD34+ and 8 from CD133+ cells) expressed one or more of Eph/Ephrin antigens in different proportions. All CD34+ cell samples, and 6 of 8 in the CD133+ cell fraction were strongly immunoreactive for EphA2. EphB2 was strongly expressed in all CD133+ cases, but 50% of the CD34 positive group lacked or weakly expressed this receptor. EphB4 was negative in 9 of 10 CD34+ cases and in all CD133+ cells. Thus, we have shown the surface marker profile of positively selected CD34 and CD133 cells in leukapheresis samples from lymphoma patients with regard to Eph/Ephrin receptors and discussed their biological clinical potential.     

藏药牦牛角中的主要化学成分

采用180／80AAS仪、WYD－2型氢化物原子荧光光谱仪以及Wates-AAA型氨基酸分析仪等分别测定了传统藏药牦牛角的K、Na、 Ca、Mg、Al、P、Cu、Zn、Fe、Mn、Co、Se、As、Hg、Pb、Cd等16种矿物质常量、微量元素和17种氨基酸的含量。结果表明,在青藏高原这一独特生态环境条件下生活的牦牛其藏医入药的牦牛角,含有丰富的矿物质常量、微量元素以及人体所必需的氨酸基等化学成分。     

太白贝母生产数值区划研究

本文在太白贝母的应用历史及现状调查的基础上,对其生态习性进行了文献调研和实地考察,以太白贝母分布区55个样点为分析基点,选取≥10℃积温、年平均气温、1月平均气温、1月最低气温、7月平均气温、7月最高气温、相对湿度、年均日照时间、年降水量、土壤类型等影响太白贝母生长发育的关键生态因子,再应用<中药材产地适宜性分析地理信息系统>(TCMGIS-Ⅱ)对太白贝母(Fritillaria taipaiensis P.Y.Li)在全国的生态适宜区进行分析.研究结果表明,适宜产地主要分布于陕西、湖北、甘肃、重庆、四川、云南等省区.研究结果有助于太白贝母GAP规范化种植基地选择及川贝母资源的可持续利用.     

Adolescents' food preferences in china: do household living arrangements matter?

Family circumstance has long been considered one important factor that shapes children's eating habits including preferences for particular foods. However, less scholarly efforts have been devoted to understanding children's food preferences in extended family households. Drawn on data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) 2006 (n = 662), this exploratory study compares food preferences of adolescents living in extended families with those residing in nuclear families. T-test results show that adolescents living in extended families (n = 202) had unhealthier food preferences compared with those living in nuclear families (n = 460). They showed more liking for fast food, salted snack food, and sugared drinks, and less liking for vegetables and fruits. Regression results present that controlling for other relevant variables, household structure was significantly associated with adolescents' food preferences (p < .01). These results, albeit exploratory, shed light on possible nutritional education and intervention in the cultural context of China.