四种苦豆子生物碱对巨噬细胞上清液中环氧化酶活性的影响

目的:研究苦参碱(matrine MT)、氧化苦参碱(oxymatrine OMT)、槐果碱(sophocarpine SC)、槐定碱(sophoridine SRI)4种苦豆子类生物碱对环氧化酶活性的影响.方法:用LPS刺激小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞产生PGE2,放免法测定4种生物碱对给予外源性花生四烯酸AA后其产物PGE2的含量来反映生物碱对环氧化酶-2(COX2)的影响;用A23187刺激小鼠腹腔巨噬细胞产生6-Keto-PGF1a,放免法测定4种生物碱对给予外源性花生四烯酸AA后其产物6-Keto-PGF1a含量反映生物碱对环氧化酶-1(COX1)的影响.结果:4种生物碱对COX1均有一定的抑制作用,且具有剂量-效应关系.除MT外,其余3种生物碱对COX2均有明显的抑制作用,且具有良好的剂量-效应关系.结论:除MT为COX1选择性抑制剂外,其余三种苦豆子生物碱均具有COX2选择性抑制作用.     

海门市原发性肝细胞癌高发危险因素的队列研究

目的探讨海门市原发性肝细胞癌（HCC）高发的主要危险因素，为HCC防制决策提供依据。方法1993年在HCC高发区海门市建立了一支83794人的HCC研究队列，对每一研究对象进行一项流行病学调查，并采集外周静脉血标本作相关检测，每年随访1次，至2001年终止。运用COX比例风险模型对HBsAg、肝炎感染史、HCC家族史、职业史、饮酒史、饮茶史、吸烟史、饮水类型、主食类型等9个变量在HCC发生中的作用作了分析。结果HBsAg（＋）是海门市HCC高发的最主要危险因素（男性HR=22.3，女性HR=37．2）。结论HBV感染，HCC家族史及职业均为HCC高发的危险因素。     

COX基因多态性与缺血性卒中的相关性研究

【摘要】 目的 探讨环氧合酶(COX)代谢通路基因多态性及其与缺血性卒中发病率的关系。方法 将2013年2月~2015年11月在德阳市人民医院和温州医科大学第三附属医院神经内科住院经头颅CT和MRI检查确诊的299例急性缺血性卒中患者,根据彩超结果分为颈动脉易损斑块组（VP）94例、稳定斑块组（SP）74例和无斑块组（NP）131例;同时再分为颈动脉内膜增厚组（IT）108例和非内膜增厚组（NT）191例。使用聚合酶链反应和质谱分析测定基因多态性,包括前列腺素合酶1(PTGS1 rs1236913)、前列腺素H合酶2(PTGS2 rs689466)、血栓素A2合酶(TBXAS1 rs2267679、rs41708、rs194149)、前列腺素E合酶(PTGES2 rs6478818)、环前列腺素合成酶(PTGIS rs5602、rs5629)。结果 在易损斑块组和无斑块组之间TBXAS1 rs194149 GG基因型(P=00281),PTGIS rs5602 CT基因型(P=00319)存在显著差异。内膜增厚组和非内膜增厚组之间PTGS2 rs689466 GG基因型(P=00216)显示显著差异。多元回归分析显示,PTGIS的AA基因型(P=00308,OR:0275,95%CI:0079～0955)和PTGS2的AG+ GG基因型(P=00065,OR:2162,95%CI:1232～3795)是内膜增厚的破坏性因素。结论 COX的单核苷酸多态性(SNP)与脑梗死的发病率存在相关性,PTGIS和PTGS2基因多态性与内膜增厚脑卒中患者相关。     

Role of SCOX in determination of Drosophila melanogaster lifespan

In man, COX (cytochrome c oxidase) deficiency is reported to be related to mutation of the SCO2 (synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase 2) gene, which encodes one of the copper-donor chaperones involved in the assembly of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase. Such COX deficiency due to the genetic condition leads to heart disease and the Leigh syndrome and is frequently fatal in childhood. Synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase X (SCOX) is a Drosophila orthologue of human SCO2. Here, we generated SCOX-knockdown flies and the full length SCOX transgenic flies to investigate the in vivo roles of SCOX. Our results demonstrated knockdown of SCOX gene in all cells and tissues to be associated with lethality at larval or pupal stages and this correlated with a decrease in ATP level. In contrast, the full length SCOX transgenic flies showed a longer lifespan than wild type flies and control flies carrying Act5C-GAL4 alone and this correlated with an increase in ATP level. Finally, when cultured on paraquat-added medium, full length SCOX transgenic flies also exhibited an elongated lifespan. Therefore, we hypothesized that SCOX plays an important role in ATP production and consumption, which helps to prevent production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and/or impairment of mitochondrial activity under oxidative stress.     

Melatonin overcomes apoptosis resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting Survivin and XIAP

Apoptosis resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most significant factors for hepatocarcinogenesis and tumor progression, and leads to resistance to conventional chemotherapy. It is well known that inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) play key roles in apoptosis resistance, it has become an important target for antitumor therapy. In this study, we examined if melatonin, the main secretory product of the pineal gland, targeted IAPs, leading to the inhibition of apoptosis resistance. To accomplish this, we first observed that four members of IAPs (cIAP‐1, cIAP‐2, Survivin, and XIAP) were overexpressed in human HCC tissue. Interestingly, melatonin significantly inhibited the growth of HepG2 and SMMC‐7721 cells and promoted apoptosis along with the downregulation of Survivin and XIAP, but had no effect on the expression of cIAP‐1 and cIAP‐2. These data suggest that the inhibition of Survivin and XIAP by melatonin may play an important part in reversing apoptosis resistance. Notably, cIAP‐1, Survivin and XIAP were significantly associated with the coexpression of COX‐2 in human HCC specimens. Melatonin also reduced the expression of COX‐2 and inhibited AKT activation in HepG2 and SMMC‐7721 cells. Inhibition of COX‐2 activity with the selective inhibitor, NS398, and inhibition of AKT activation using the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, in tumor cells confirmed that melatonin‐induced apoptosis was COX‐2/PI3K/AKT‐dependent, suggesting that the COX‐2/PI3K/AKT pathway plays a role in melatonin inhibition of IAPs. Taken together, these results suggest that melatonin overcomes apoptosis resistance by the suppressing Survivin and XIAP via the COX‐2/PI3K/AKT pathway in HCC cells.     

Helicobacter pylori induces caudal‐type homeobox protein 2 and cyclooxygenase 2 expression by modulating microRNAs in esophageal epithelial cells

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been linked to virulence factors of Helicobacter pylori. The role of H. pylori in esophageal disease has not been clearly defined. We previously reported that H. pylori esophageal colonization promotes the incidence of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma in vivo. Here, we studied the direct effects of H. pylori on the transformation of esophageal epithelial cells, with particular focus on whether H. pylori exerts its effects by modulating miRNAs and their downstream target genes. The normal human esophageal cell line HET‐1A was chronically exposed to H. pylori extract and/or acidified deoxycholic acid for up to 36 weeks. The miRNA profiles of the esophageal epithelial cells associated with H. pylori infection were determined by microarray analysis. We found that chronic H. pylori exposure promoted acidified deoxycholic acid‐induced morphological changes in HET‐1A cells, along with aberrant overexpression of intestinal metaplasia markers and tumorigenic factors, including caudal‐type homeobox protein 2 (CDX2), mucin 2, and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2). Helicobacter pylori modified the miRNA profiles of esophageal epithelial cells, particularly aberrant silencing of miR‐212‐3p and miR‐361‐3p. Moreover, in biopsies from Barrett's esophagus patients, esophageal H. pylori colonization was associated with a significant decrease in miR‐212‐3p and miR‐361‐3p expression. Furthermore, we identified COX2 as a target of miR‐212‐3p, and CDX2 as a target of miR‐361‐3p. Helicobacter pylori infection of esophageal epithelial cells was associated with miRNA‐mediated upregulation of oncoprotein CDX2 and COX2. Our observations provide new evidence about the molecular mechanisms underlying the association between H. pylori infection and esophageal carcinogenesis.     

Human apolipoprotein A-I Gly26Arg stimulation of inflammatory responses via NF-kB activation: Potential roles in amyloidosis?

The cascade of molecular events leading to Human apolipoprotein A–I (apoA–I) amyloidosis is not completely understood, not even the pathways that determine clinical manifestations associated to systemic protein deposition in organs such as liver, kidney and heart. About twenty natural variants of apoA–I were described as inducing amyloidosis, but the mechanisms driving their aggregation and deposition are still unclear. We previously identified that the mutant Gly26Arg but not Lys107-0 induced the release of cytokines and reactive oxygen species from cultured RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, suggesting that part of the pathogenic pathway could elicit of an inflammatory signal. In this work we gained deep insight into this mechanism and determined that Gly26Arg induced a specific pro-inflammatory cascade involving activation of NF-κB and its translocation into the nucleus. These findings suggest that some but not all apoA–I natural variants might promote a pro-oxidant microenvironment which could in turn result in oxidative processing of the variants into a misfolded conformation.     

Preventive Effect of the Flavonoid, Wogonin, Against Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosal Damage in Rats

Whether wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone), a flavonoid originated from the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, which has been shown to have antiinflammatory and antitumor activities in various cell types, possesses a gastric cytoprotective effect was investigated in an ethanol-induced gastric damage model in rats. Ethanol administration alone induced evident gastric damage including gastric hemorrhages and edema, while this gastric damage was significantly attenuated by wogonin pretreatment (30 mg/kg B.W.) 1 hr before ethanol administration. As major protective mechanisms of wogonin on ethanol-induced gastric damage, we found that wogonin showed either antiinflammatory effects through dual actions on arachidonic acid metabolism, i.e., induction of prostaglandin D2 and suppression of 5S-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (5S-HETE), or preventive induction of profuse apoptosis in the stomach. Conclusively, the flavonoid wogonin could be used as a preventive agent of alcohol-induced gastropathy, whose actions were proven to be strong antiinflammation and apoptosis induction.     

Different Mechanisms Lead to the Angiogenic Process Induced by Three Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines

Neoangiogenesis is essential for tumor and metastasis growth, but this complex process does not follow the same activation pathway, at least in tumor cell lines originated from different murine mammary adenocarcinomas. LMM3 cells were the most potent to stimulate new blood vessel formation. This response was significantly reduced by preincubating cells with indomethacin and NS-398, non-selective cyclooxygenase (COX) and COX-2 selective inhibitors, respectively. COX-1 and COX-2 isoenzymes were both highly expressed in LMM3 cells, and we observed that indomethacin was more effective than NS-398 to inhibit prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis. In addition, nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors, Nomega monomethyl L-arginine and aminoguanidine, also reduced LMM3-induced angiogenesis and nitric oxide (NO) synthesis as well. NOS2 > NOS3 proteins and arginase II isoform were detected in LMM3 cells by Western blot. The latter enzyme was also involved in the LMM3 neovascular response, since the arginase inhibitor, Nomega hydroxy L-arginine reduced the angiogenic cascade. On the other hand, parental LM3 cells were able to stimulate neovascularization via COX-1 and arginase products since only indomethacin and Nomega hydroxy L-arginine, which diminished PGE2 and urea synthesis, respectively, also reduced angiogenesis. In turn, LM2 cells angiogenic response could be due in fact to PGE2-induced VEGF liberation that stimulated neoangiogenesis at very low levels of NO.