Comparative toxicity of silicon dioxide,silver and iron oxide nanoparticles after repeated oral administration to rats

Although silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silver (Ag) and iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) nanoparticles are widely used in diverse applications from food to biomedicine, in vivo toxicities of these nanoparticles exposed via the oral route remain highly controversial. To examine the systemic toxicity of these nanoparticles, well‐dispersed nanoparticles were orally administered to Sprague–Dawley rats daily over a 13‐week period. Based on the results of an acute toxicity and a 14‐day repeated toxicity study, 975.9, 1030.5 and 1000 mg kg^–1 were selected as the highest dose of the SiO₂, Ag and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles, respectively, for the 13‐week repeated oral toxicity study. The SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles did not induce dose‐related changes in a number of parameters associated with the systemic toxicity up to 975.9 and 1000 mg kg^–1, respectively, whereas the Ag nanoparticles resulted in increases in serum alkaline phosphatase and calcium as well as lymphocyte infiltration in liver and kidney, raising the possibility of liver and kidney toxicity induced by the Ag nanoparticles. Compared with the SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles showing no systemic distribution in all tissues tested, the Ag concentration in sampled blood and organs in the Ag nanoparticle‐treated group significantly increased with a positive and/or dose‐related trend, meaning that the systemic toxicity of the Ag nanoparticles, including liver and kidney toxicity, might be explained by extensive systemic distribution of Ag originating from the Ag nanoparticles. Our current results suggest that further study is required to identify that Ag detected outside the gastrointestinal tract were indeed a nanoparticle form or ionized form. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

对黑布药膏两种传统制作工艺比较的研究

黑布药膏为首都医科大学附属北京中医医院皮肤科常用的醋制软膏制剂,被收入1984版北京市卫生局编制的《医疗单位制剂规程》中,由五倍子粉、蜈蚣面、冰片、蜂蜜、陈醋等制作而成。本药膏是由国内著名皮外科专家赵炳南教授研制,具有破瘀软坚散     

NBT光照法测定聚（2-乙基-2-NFDE6唑啉）化超氧化物歧化酶模拟物脂质体的活性

 目的 建立聚（2-乙基-2-NFDE6唑啉）[poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline),PEOZ]修饰超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase,SOD）模拟物脂质体的活性测定方法。方法 以薄膜分散法制备聚（2-乙基-2-NFDE6唑啉）化超氧化物歧化酶模拟物脂质体,利用氮蓝四唑（NBT）光照法对超氧化物歧化酶模拟物及聚（2-乙基-2-NFDE6唑啉）化超氧化物歧化酶模拟物脂质体的活性进行测定。结果 超氧化物歧化酶模拟物的抑制率曲线方程为IR%=33.421lnρ+49.715（r²=0.999 2）,IC₅₀为1.008 6×10^-3 μmol·L^-1;聚（2-乙基-2-NFDE6唑啉）化超氧化物歧化酶模拟物脂质体的抑制率曲线方程IR%=33.521lnρ+49.671（r²=0.999 1）,IC₅₀为1.009 9×10^-3 μmol·L^-1。结论 氮蓝四唑光照法操作简单、稳定可靠、经济实用,可用于超氧化物歧化酶模拟物聚（2-乙基-2-NFDE6唑啉）脂质体的活性测定;经脂质体包裹后超氧化物歧化酶模拟物的活性未发生变化。     

腺苷促进体外培养神经干细胞增殖作用研究

目的研究腺苷促进体外培养神经干细胞（NSCs）增殖作用。方法取新生小鼠大脑进行神经干细胞原代培养,观察神经球生成情况,特异性蛋白质免疫细胞化学染色和BrdU标记鉴定并判断其增殖能力;将腺苷按0.4,2.0,10.0 μmol•L 13个浓度加入神经干细胞培养基,同时设立溶媒对照组和阳性对照组,通过观察神经球形态、神经球生成数目及 MTT法定量比较,分析不同浓度腺苷对神经干细胞分裂增殖的影响。结果培养物中有大量神经球生成,神经干细胞特异性蛋白质免疫细胞化学染色呈阳性,BrdU标记亦呈阳性反应,所培养的细胞为神经干细胞,具有增殖能力;腺苷中、高浓度组神经球数目、MTT比色结果明显高于溶媒对照组。结论腺苷具有促进NSCs增殖作用。     

Protective effects of peony glycosides against corticosterone-induced cell death in PC12 cells through antioxidant action

Aim of the study

Previous studies in our laboratory have shown that total glycosides of peony (TGP) produced antidepressant-like action in various mouse models of behavioral despair. However, the molecular mechanism by which TGP exerts antidepressant-like effect is not fully understood. This study examined the protective ffects of TGP against corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells and ts possible mechanisms.

Materials and methods

The direct antioxidant effect of TGP was investigated by using a 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation-scavenging assay in a cell-free system. PC12 cells were treated with 200 μM of corticosterone in the absence or presence of TGP in varying concentrations for 48 h. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, glutathione (GSH) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and catalase (CAT) activity were then determined.

Results

TGP displayed antioxidant properties in the cell-free system, and the IC50 value in the ABTS radical cation-scavenging assay was 9.9 mg/L. TGP treatment at increasing doses (1-10 mg/L) protected against corticosterone-induced cytotoxicity in PC12 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The cytoprotection afforded by TGP treatment was associated with decreases in the intracellular ROS and MDA levels, and increases in the GSH level, SOD activity, and CAT activity in corticosterone-treated PC12 cells.

Conclusion

The results suggest that TGP has a neuroprotective effect on corticosterone-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells, which may be related to its antioxidant action.     

Evaluation of the anti-proliferative properties of selected psoriasis-treating Chinese medicines on cultured HaCaT cells

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder, which affects approximately 2-3% of the population worldwide. The current conventional therapy cannot offer satisfactory clinical results for most of the patients, largely due to the fact that many anti-psoriatic drugs have serious side effects and psoriasis is prone to developing drug resistance after long term exposure. Traditionally, Chinese herbal medicine has been extensively used to treat psoriasis and produced promising clinical results; however, its underlying mechanisms of action have not been systematically investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate those Chinese medicinal materials, which are commonly prescribed in Chinese medicine practice for psoriasis, for their anti-proliferative effects on HaCaT cells in vitro. Sixty Chinese medicinal materials were selected and extracted with 80% aqueous ethanol. The dry extracts were evaluated for their anti-proliferative activities by microplate SRB and MTT assays. Three Chinese medicinal materials i.e. the root of Rubia cordifolia L. (Rubiaceae), Realgar and the rhizome of Coptis chinensis Franch. (Ranunculaceae) were found to have significant anti-proliferative effects, with IC(50) being 1.4, 6.6 and 23.4 microg/ml, respectively as measured by MTT assay. While Realgar was also able to modestly inhibit the growth of Hs-68 cells in vitro, Rubia cordifolia and Coptis chinensis did not exert cytotoxicity to this human fibroblast cell line.     

基于数据分析的NFASC与胃癌预后的关系及相关机制

目的:探讨NFASC在胃癌中的预后意义及相关机制。方法:从人类肿瘤相关基因表达汇编（Gene Expression Omibus,GEO）数据库中下载GSE62254胃癌数据集,分析NFASC表达与胃癌临床病理学参数的相关性及对预后的影响;利用Cox模型分析影响胃癌患者总生存期的因素并建立预后预测列线图模型;采用基因集富集分析(GSEA)方法预测NFASC参与的信号通路。结果: NFASC高表达的胃癌患者总生存时间（overall survival,OS）更短（P<0.05）,NFASC表达与患者年龄、T分期及Lauren分型相关（P均<0.05）。NFASC高表达富集了TGF-β信号通路、mTOR信号通路、MAPK信号通路和Wnt信号通路等与肿瘤细胞增殖密切相关的通路（P<0.05,FDR<0.25）。结论: NFASC是胃癌的不良预后因素,其表达可能成为胃癌预后预测生物标志物。     

血清白蛋白水平与食管癌再程放疗预后关系的研究

目的:评估血清白蛋白水平在预测食管癌再程放疗预后中的价值.方法:收集病理学确诊的需要接受再程放疗的局部复发食管癌患者,放疗前行血清白蛋白检测,采用Kaplan-Meier法和Log-rank检验进行生存率计算,Cox回归模型分析预后影响因素.结果:血清白蛋白水平与分期有关(P=0.002),差异具有统计学意义(P ＜0.05);62例患者血清白蛋白高值组(≥35 g/L)的1、3、5年总生存率均高于低值组(＜35 g/L)(P =0.001),高值组的6个月和12个月的复发后生存率均高于低值组(P =0.026),以上差异均具有统计学意义(P＜0.05);血清白蛋白水平和复发时间是影响总生存时间的独立预后因素(P =0.015和P=0.000),差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论:食管癌再程放疗前行血清白蛋白检测对预测患者预后具有重要意义.     

Selections of appropriate regimen of high-dose chemotherapy combined with adoptive cellular therapy with dendritic and cytokine-induced killer cells improved progression-free and overall survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer: reargument of such contentious therapeutic preferences

Background

We hypothesized that combination of dendritic cell (DC) with autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) immunotherapy in setting of high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) would be effective for selected metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients.

Patients and methods

Our previous work showed thiotepa could eradicate breast cancer stem cells. From 2004 to 2009, 79 patients received standard dose chemotherapy (SDC) of 75 mg/m² docetaxel and 75 mg/m² thiotepa versus 87 patients of HDC + DC/CIK: 120 mg/m² docetaxel to mobilize peripheral CD34⁺ progenitor cells, a sequence of HDC (120 mg/m² docetaxel, plus 175 mg/m² thiotepa) + DC/CIK, with or without 400 mg/m² carboplatin depending upon bone marrow function. The endpoints were response rates (RR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Results

Compared with SDC, PFS and OS were improved in HDC + DC/CIK (median PFS 10.2 vs. 3.7 months, P < 0.001; median OS 33.1 vs. 15.2 months, P < 0.001). Patients of pre-menopausal, HDC as first-line treatment after metastasis, or with visceral metastasis showed prolonged PFS and OS. SDC group also achieved the similar response as previous reports.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated the novel combination of HDC with DC/CIK to be an effective choice for the selected MBC population, in which choosing appropriate chemo regimens played important roles, and also specific HDC regimen plus DC/CIK immunotherapy showed the clinical benefits compared with chemotherapy alone.     

狭序唐松草化学成分的研究(Ⅲ)

从狭窄唐松草Ｔｈａｌｉｃｔｒｕｍ ａｔｒｉｐｌｅｘ Ｆｉｎｅｒｒ ｅｔ Ｇａｎｇｅｐ．地上部分分离并鉴定了６个化合物,其中４个为生物碱,即：Ｎ－ｍｅｔｈｙｌｌａｕｒｏｔｅｔａｎｉｎｅ,（Ⅰ）、ｉｓｏｂｏｄｉｎｅ（Ⅱ）、ｔｈａｌｉｇｓｏｐｙｎｉｅ（Ⅲ）和Ｎ－ｍｅｔｈｙｌｃｏｃｕｌａｒｉｎｅ（Ⅳ）,２个为非生物碱,即：异槲皮苷（Ⅴ）和乙醇－（３,４－二羟基）－苯乙酯（Ⅳ）。６个化合物均为首次从该植物中