29 results on '"Xi-Feng Zhang"'
Search Results
2. Aflatoxin B1 disrupts testicular development via the cell cycle-related Ras/PI3K/Akt signaling in mice and pig
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Fa-Li Zhang, Hao-Hai Ma, Pei-Yu Dong, Zheng-Ning Yuan, Shu-Er Zhang, Ai-Hong Zhao, Huan-Qi Liu, Massimo De Felici, Wei Shen, and Xi-Feng Zhang
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Settore BIO/17 ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,General Medicine ,Cell cycle ,Gut-testis axis ,Toxicology ,Spermatogenesis ,Pollution ,AFB1 ,Ras/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway - Published
- 2023
3. Multi-omics analysis reveals that iron deficiency impairs spermatogenesis by gut-hormone synthesis axis
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Fa-Li, Zhang, Shuai, Yuan, Pei-Yu, Dong, Hao-Hai, Ma, Massimo, De Felici, Wei, Shen, and Xi-Feng, Zhang
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Male ,Gut microbiome ,Multi-omics ,Settore BIO/17 ,Iron ,Iron deficiency ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Iron Deficiencies ,General Medicine ,Pollution ,Hormones ,Mice ,CeRNA ,Animals ,Metabolomics ,Spermatogenesis - Abstract
Considering that research has mainly focussed on how excessive iron supplementation leads to reproductive cytotoxicity, there is a lack of in-depth research on reproductive system disorders caused by iron deficiency. To gain a better understanding of the effects of iron deficiency on the reproductive system, especially spermatogenesis, we first constructed a mouse model of iron deficiency. We employed multi-omic analysis, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics, to comprehensively dissect the impact of iron deficiency on spermatogenesis. Moreover, we verified our findings in detail using western blot, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and other techniques. Microbiomic analysis revealed altered gut microbiota in iron-deficient mice, and functional predictive analysis showed that gut microbiota can regulate spermatogenesis. The transcriptomic data indicated that iron deficiency directly alters expression of meiosis-related genes. Transcriptome data also revealed that iron deficiency indirectly regulates spermatogenesis by affecting hormone synthesis, findings confirmed by metabolomic data, western blot and immunofluorescence. Interestingly, competing endogenous RNA networks also play a vital role in regulating spermatogenesis after iron deficiency. Taken together, the data elucidate that iron deficiency impairs spermatogenesis and increases the risk of male infertility by affecting hormone synthesis and promoting gut microbiota imbalance.
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- 2022
4. Polysaccharide extracted from Huperzia serrata using response surface methodology and its biological activity
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Xi-Feng Zhang and Yan-Ni Feng
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Antioxidant ,Surface Properties ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Antineoplastic Agents ,Fraction (chemistry) ,02 engineering and technology ,Chemical Fractionation ,Raw material ,Polysaccharide ,Biochemistry ,Antioxidants ,03 medical and health sciences ,Polysaccharides ,Structural Biology ,medicine ,Response surface methodology ,Molecular Biology ,030304 developmental biology ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,0303 health sciences ,Chromatography ,biology ,Chemistry ,Monosaccharides ,Extraction (chemistry) ,Temperature ,Water ,Huperzia ,Biological activity ,General Medicine ,Huperzia serrata ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,biology.organism_classification ,Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
In this study, Huperzia serrata polysaccharide (HSP) fraction was isolated using response surface methodology (RSM) and Box-Behnken design (BBD). The extraction time, temperature and ratio of water to raw material were employed effects. And properties of four polysaccharide (60%-HSP, 70%-HSP, 80%-HSP and 90%-HSP) were evaluated. The results indicated that the optimal extraction conditions were the following: 3.07 h, 49.46 °C and a liquid material ratio of 20.73:1. The four HSP presented irregular aggregation of shape. And all HSP exhibited antioxidant and anticancer activities.
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- 2020
5. Polysaccharides from Pyracantha fortuneana and its biological activity
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You-Yu Yan, Shu Chang, Xi-Feng Zhang, Wang Qing, Yi-Lan Yao, Hongxun Wang, Yang Yi, Ge Feng, and Wang Limei
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Antioxidant ,DNA damage ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Apoptosis ,Pyracantha fortuneana ,02 engineering and technology ,Polysaccharide ,Biochemistry ,Antioxidants ,03 medical and health sciences ,Polysaccharides ,Structural Biology ,Cell Line, Tumor ,medicine ,Humans ,Cytotoxicity ,Molecular Biology ,030304 developmental biology ,Ovarian Neoplasms ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,0303 health sciences ,Reactive oxygen species ,biology ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,biology.organism_classification ,Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ,Neoplasm Proteins ,chemistry ,Cancer cell ,Female ,Pyracantha ,Reactive Oxygen Species ,0210 nano-technology ,DNA Damage - Abstract
This study used response surface methodology to determine the optimal conditions for extraction of polysaccharides from Pyracantha. fortuneana (PSPF), and studied the mechanism of PSPF-inducing apoptosis in human ovarian carcinoma Skov3 cells. Response surface methodology (RSM) were adopted to extract PSPF. The maximum value of polysaccharide yield was obtained under these optimal conditions. PSPF had good potential as an antioxidant. Exposure of cells to PSPF resulted in cytotoxicity through the induction of apoptosis, and the reactive oxygen species were increased, mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, DNA damage (detected as γ- H2AX and RAD51 foci) was observed in Skov3 cells. In addition, PSPF could induce apoptosis of cancer cells. Therefore, PSPF should be explored as novel potential antioxidants and an anti-tumor drug in a clinical setting.
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- 2020
6. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling to evaluate the effects of Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate exposure on early meiosis of female mouse germ cells
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Yu, Tian, Ye, Zhang, Pei-Yu, Dong, Yong-Hong, Sun, Ai-Hong, Zhao, Wei, Shen, and Xi-Feng, Zhang
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Mammals ,Environmental Engineering ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,General Medicine ,General Chemistry ,Pollution ,Meiosis ,Mice ,Germ Cells ,Diethylhexyl Phthalate ,Oocytes ,Animals ,Humans ,Environmental Chemistry ,Female ,Transcriptome - Abstract
Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) has proven characteristics of an endocrine-disrupting compound (EDC), which can threaten the reproductive health of humans and other animals. In mammals, a series of chromosomal events occur during the meiotic stage of oocytes. External toxins may enter the body and cause infertility and other related diseases. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the influence of DEHP exposure on the molecular mechanism of germ cell meiosis. We used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to analyse the ovaries of foetal mice at embryonic day 12.5 (E12.5) and E14.5 after maternal DEHP exposure. DEHP exposure further activated the pathways related to DNA repair in germ cells, increased the expression of genes related to DNA damage and changed the developmental trajectory of germ cells. DEHP exposure may affect the proliferation of pregranulosa (PG) cells. Moreover, DEHP exposure altered the signal transduction between PG cells and germ cells. We showed that DEHP affects meiosis by causing DNA damage in oocytes and disrupting the signal transduction between PG cells and germ cells. These results provide a strong theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of DEHP-mediated female reproductive health problems.
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- 2022
7. Production of a codonopsis polysaccharide iron complex and evaluation of its properties
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Ge Feng and Xi-Feng Zhang
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Antioxidant ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Iron ,02 engineering and technology ,Polysaccharide ,Biochemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Structural Biology ,Cell Line, Tumor ,medicine ,Humans ,Response surface methodology ,Molecular Biology ,Codonopsis ,030304 developmental biology ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ,0303 health sciences ,Chromatography ,biology ,Codonopsis pilosula ,Chemistry ,Extraction (chemistry) ,Water extraction ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,biology.organism_classification ,Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ,Proteoglycans ,0210 nano-technology ,Citric acid ,Reactive Oxygen Species - Abstract
A water extraction and alcohol precipitation method was applied to extract polysaccharides from Codonopsis pilosula (CPP), response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction conditions and synthesis of C. pilosula polysaccharide iron (CPPI), and the properties of CPPI were evaluated. The optimum extraction conditions for CPP were as follows: liquid-solid ratio of 29.39 mL/g, time of 1.25 h and temperature of 62.84 °C. The optimum synthesis conditions for CPPI were pH 8.9, temperature 70.30 °C and the ratio of citric acid to CPP1 of 2.95. An HPSEC-MALLS-RID system, UV spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy and NMR were used for characterization of the polysaccharide. CPPI exhibited antioxidant activity in vitro and a relatively strong inhibitory effect on A2780 cells growth. After CPPI treatment, the reactive oxygen species increased, the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased, and DNA damage was observed in A2780 cells. Therefore, CPPI should be explored as a potential antioxidant and an antitumor drug in a clinical setting.
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- 2020
8. Biofabrication of a novel biomolecule-assisted reduced graphene oxide: an excellent biocompatible nanomaterial
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Xi-Feng Zhang and Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
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nicotinamide ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Apoptosis ,Biocompatible Materials ,02 engineering and technology ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,Nanomaterials ,Mice ,Tissue engineering ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,law ,Drug Discovery ,Cells, Cultured ,Original Research ,Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Oxides ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,tight junction proteins ,graphene oxide ,Graphite ,0210 nano-technology ,alkaline phosphatase ,Biofabrication ,Materials science ,Biocompatibility ,Blotting, Western ,Biophysics ,Bioengineering ,Nanotechnology ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ,010402 general chemistry ,reduced graphene oxide ,Biomaterials ,biocompatibility ,Animals ,RNA, Messenger ,Cell Proliferation ,Solanum tuberosum ,Plant Extracts ,Graphene ,Biomolecule ,Organic Chemistry ,Fibroblasts ,Embryo, Mammalian ,Nanostructures ,0104 chemical sciences ,chemistry ,Cell culture ,Nanocarriers - Abstract
Xi-Feng Zhang,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan2 1College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Abstract: Graphene has been shown much interest, both in academics and industry due to its extraordinary physical, chemical, and biological proprieties. It shows great promises in biotechnological and biomedical applications as an antibacterial and anticancer agent, nanocarrier, sensor, etc. However, many studies demonstrated the toxicity of graphene in several cell lines, which is an obstacle to its use in biomedical applications. In this study, to improve the biocompatibility of graphene, we used nicotinamide (NAM) as a reducing and stabilizing agent to catalyze the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) to reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The resulted smaller-sized GO (NAM-rGO) showed excellent biocompatibility with mouse embryonic fibroblast cells, evidenced by various cellular assays. Furthermore, NAM-rGO had no effect on mitochondrial membrane permeability and caspase-3 activity compared to GO. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis allowed us to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for NAM-rGO-induced biocompatibility. NAM-rGO significantly induced the expression of genes encoding tight junction proteins (TJPs) such as zona occludens-1 (Tjp1) and claudins (Cldn3) without any effect on the expression of cytoskeleton proteins. Furthermore, NAM-rGO enhances the expression of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) gene, and it does this in a time-dependent manner. Overall, our study depicted the molecular mechanisms underlying NAM-rGO biocompatibility depending on upregulation of TJPs and ALP. This potential quality of graphene could be used in diverse applications including tissue regeneration and tissue engineering. Keywords: biocompatibility, graphene oxide, nicotinamide, reduced graphene oxide, tight junction proteins, alkaline phosphatase
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- 2016
9. Cytotoxic effects of ZnO nanoparticles on mouse testicular cells
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Zhiguo Liu, Wei Ge, Xi-Feng Zhang, Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, Zhe Han, Wei Shen, Qi Yan, and Massiomo De Felici
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Medicine (General) ,ZnO nanoparticle ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Apoptosis ,02 engineering and technology ,Microscopy, Atomic Force ,X-Ray Diffraction ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ,Drug Discovery ,Nanotechnology ,Cytotoxicity ,Spectroscopy ,Cells, Cultured ,Original Research ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,Microscopy ,Cultured ,Settore BIO/17 ,Leydig cell ,Atomic Force ,Leydig Cells ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Sertoli cell ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Zinc Oxide ,0210 nano-technology ,mice ,Materials science ,DNA damage ,Cells ,Biophysics ,Bioengineering ,Electron ,Biomaterials ,03 medical and health sciences ,R5-920 ,Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ,In vivo ,medicine ,Transmission ,Animals ,Humans ,Reactive oxygen species ,Sertoli Cells ,Leydig cells ,Sertoli cells ,DNA Damage ,Mice ,Reactive Oxygen Species ,Organic Chemistry ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,In vitro ,030104 developmental biology ,chemistry ,Fourier Transform Infrared - Abstract
Zhe Han,1,* Qi Yan,1,* Wei Ge,2 Zhi-Guo Liu,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan,3 Massimo De Felici,4 Wei Shen,2 Xi-Feng Zhang1 1College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Animal Reproduction and Germplasm Enhancement in Universities of Shandong, College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 4Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy *These authors contributed equally tothis work Background: Nanoscience and nanotechnology are developing rapidly, and the applications of nanoparticles (NPs) have been found in several fields. At present, NPs are widely used in traditional consumer and industrial products, however, the properties and safety of NPs are still unclear and there are concerns about their potential environmental and health effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential toxicity of ZnO NPs on testicular cells using both in vitro and in vivo systems in a mouse experimental model. Methods: ZnO NPs with a crystalline size of 70 nm were characterized with various analytical techniques, including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The cytotoxicity of the ZnO NPs was examined in vitro on Leydig cell and Sertoli cell lines, and in vivo on the testes of CD1 mice injected with single doses of ZnO NPs.Results: ZnO NPs were internalized by Leydig cells and Sertoli cells, and this resulted in cytotoxicity in a time- and dose-dependent manner through the induction of apoptosis. Apoptosis likely occurred as a consequence of DNA damage (detected as γ-H2AX and RAD51 foci) caused by increase in reactive oxygen species associated with loss of mitochondrial membrane potential. In addition, injection of ZnO NPs in male mice caused structural alterations in the seminiferous epithelium and sperm abnormalities.Conclusion: These results demonstrate that ZnO NPs have the potential to induce apoptosis in testicular cells likely through DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species, with possible adverse consequences for spermatogenesis and therefore, male fertility. This suggests that evaluating the potential impacts of engineered NPs is essential prior to their mass production, to address both the environmental and human health concerns and also to develop sustainable and safer nanomaterials. Keywords: ZnO nanoparticle, Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, mice
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- 2016
10. Percutaneous endoscopic decompression for calcified thoracic disc herniation using a novel T rigid bendable burr
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Wenying Lv, Xi-Feng Zhang, Gang Cheng, Leiming Zhang, Jianning Zhang, and Deng-Yuan Wang
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Percutaneous ,business.industry ,food and beverages ,Mean age ,General Medicine ,Surgery ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,medicine ,Endoscopic decompression ,In patient ,Neurology (clinical) ,business ,Thoracic disc ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery - Abstract
Background The basic endoscopic instruments are not suitable for removing calcified or hard discs in patients with thoracic disc herniations (TDH). We describe a percutaneous endoscopic technique for the treatment of calcified TDH using an endoscopic drill system with a T rigid bendable burr. Methods Eleven patients (8 males, mean age 42.1 years) with single-segmental calcified TDH were treated with percutaneous endoscopic surgeries. Results Our technique using this endoscopic drill system with a T rigid bendable burr is safe and effective for the treatment of calcified TDH. Conclusions Percutaneous endoscopic decompression using the T rigid bendable burr is a safe and reproducible surgical procedure for the treatment of calcified TDH.
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- 2019
11. Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate impairs steroidogenesis in ovarian follicular cells of prepuberal mice
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Wei Shen, Lan Li, Massimo De Felici, Yu-Ping Liu, Fang-Nong Lai, Hong Chen, Paul W. Dyce, Jing-Cai Liu, Xue-Lian Liu, Jun-Yu Ma, and Xi-Feng Zhang
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0301 basic medicine ,endocrine system ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Inbred Strains ,Mice, Inbred Strains ,Ovary ,010501 environmental sciences ,Biology ,Toxicology ,01 natural sciences ,Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate ,Mice ,03 medical and health sciences ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Ovarian Follicle ,Diethylhexyl Phthalate ,Internal medicine ,Follicular phase ,medicine ,Folliculogenesis ,Pre-puberty mice ,Steroidogenesis ,Animals ,Female ,Gene Expression Regulation ,Granulosa Cells ,Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ,Puberty ,Steroids ,Androstenedione ,Ovarian follicle ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Settore BIO/17 ,Phthalate ,General Medicine ,Antral follicle ,030104 developmental biology ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Theca - Abstract
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a plasticizer which is widely used in the manufacture of plastics. As a common environmental contaminant and recognized endocrine disrupting chemical, DEHP is able to deregulate the functions of a variety of tissues, including the reproductive system both in males and females. In order to investigate the possible effects of DEHP on the first wave of folliculogenesis, occurring in the mouse ovary postnatally, mice were administered 20 or 40 μg/kg DEHP through intraperitoneal injection at days 5, 10 and 15 post partum (dpp). Following DEHP treatment the gene expression profile of control and exposed ovaries was compared by microarray analyses at 20 dpp. We found that in the exposed ovaries DEHP significantly altered the transcript levels of several immune response and steroidogenesis associated genes. In particular, DEHP significantly decreased the expression of genes essential for androgen synthesis by theca cells including Lhcgr, Cyp17a1, Star and Ldlr. Immunohistochemistry and immune flow cytometry confirmed reduced expression of LHCGR and CYP17A1 proteins in the exposed theca cells. These effects were associated to a significant reduction in ovarian concentrations of progesterone, 17β-estradiol and androstenedione along with a reduction of LH in the serum. Although we did not find a significant reduction of the number of primary, secondary or antral follicles in the DEHP exposed ovaries when compared to controls, we did observe that theca cells showed an altered structure of the nuclear envelope, fewer mitochondria, and mitochondria with a reduced number of cristae. Collectively, these results demonstrate a deleterious effect of DEHP exposure on ovarian steroidogenesis during the first wave of folliculogenesis that could potentially affect the correct establishment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and the onset of puberty.
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- 2016
12. Fish Oil Ameliorates High-Fat Diet Induced Male Mouse Reproductive Dysfunction via Modifying the Rhythmic Expression of Testosterone Synthesis Related Genes
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Hongyu Zhang, Na Li, Zhiguo Liu, Xi-Feng Zhang, Yang Shao, Hualin Wang, and Yazheng Cai
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Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Apoptosis ,Testicle ,fish oil ,lcsh:Chemistry ,Mice ,Testis ,Testosterone ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Spectroscopy ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,food and beverages ,General Medicine ,Fish oil ,Circadian Rhythm ,Computer Science Applications ,high-fat diet ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Polyunsaturated fatty acid ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Biology ,Diet, High-Fat ,Article ,Catalysis ,Inorganic Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,Internal medicine ,Fatty Acids, Omega-3 ,medicine ,Animals ,Circadian rhythm ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Molecular Biology ,Infertility, Male ,Dyslipidemias ,Organic Chemistry ,nutritional and metabolic diseases ,medicine.disease ,Obesity ,Mice, Inbred C57BL ,030104 developmental biology ,Endocrinology ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,chemistry ,circadian rhythms ,reproduction function ,Dyslipidemia - Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the protective effects of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3PUFAs) against high-fat diet induced male mouse reproductive dysfunction and to explore circadian regulation mechanisms. Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups and fed a normal chow diet (control group, CON), a high-fat diet (HFD group) or a HFD supplemented with fish oil (FO group) for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks of feeding, the body weight and the ratio of perinephric and epididymal fat weight to body weight were significantly higher in the HFD group compared with the CON group. The supplement of fish oil rich in ω-3PUFAs only slightly reduced the HFD-induced obesity but remarkably ameliorated HFD-induced dyslipidemia, sexual hormones disorder, testicle lesions and germ cell apoptosis. Fish oil supplementation restored the expression of steroid synthesis associated genes in HFD fed mouse and flattened the HFD-induced oscillations in circadian genes' expression. Fish oil supplementation prevented HFD-induced male mouse reproductive dysfunction and modified the rhythmic expression of testosterone synthesis related genes.
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- 2018
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13. Zinc oxide nanoparticles induce apoptosis and autophagy in human ovarian cancer cells
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Ding-Ping Bai, Xi-Feng Zhang, Guo-Liang Zhang, Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, and Yifan Huang
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0301 basic medicine ,autophagy ,Cell Survival ,Biophysics ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Nanoparticle ,zinc oxide nanoparticles ,Bioengineering ,Antineoplastic Agents ,DNA fragmentation ,human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 ,medicine.disease_cause ,Biomaterials ,03 medical and health sciences ,Drug Delivery Systems ,mitochondrial membrane potential ,Downregulation and upregulation ,Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ,X-Ray Diffraction ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Cell Line, Tumor ,Drug Discovery ,Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ,medicine ,Humans ,Viability assay ,Cytotoxicity ,Original Research ,Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ,Ovarian Neoplasms ,Chemistry ,Organic Chemistry ,Autophagy ,apoptosis ,General Medicine ,Caspase 9 ,Surface coating ,Oxidative Stress ,030104 developmental biology ,Apoptosis ,Nanoparticles ,Female ,Zinc Oxide ,Reactive Oxygen Species ,Oxidative stress - Abstract
Ding-Ping Bai,1,* Xi-Feng Zhang,2,* Guo-Liang Zhang,3,4 Yi-Fan Huang,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan5 1Fujian Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; 2College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China; 3Dong-E-E-Jiao Co., Ltd., Shandong, China; 4National Engineering Research Center for Gelatin-based Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong, China; 5Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) are frequently used in industrial products such as paint, surface coating, and cosmetics, and recently, they have been explored in biologic and biomedical applications. Therefore, this study was undertaken to investigate the effect of ZnO NPs on cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and autophagy in human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3). Methods: ZnO NPs with a crystalline size of 20 nm were characterized with various analytical techniques, including ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and autophagy were examined using a series of cellular assays. Results: Exposure of cells to ZnO NPs resulted in a dose-dependent loss of cell viability, and the characteristic apoptotic features such as rounding and loss of adherence, enhanced reactive oxygen species generation, and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were observed in the ZnO NP-treated cells. Furthermore, the cells treated with ZnO NPs showed significant double-strand DNA breaks, which are gained evidences from significant number of γ-H2AX and Rad51 expressed cells. ZnO NP-treated cells showed upregulation of p53 and LC3, indicating that ZnO NPs are able to upregulate apoptosis and autophagy. Finally, the Western blot analysis revealed upregulation of Bax, caspase-9, Rad51, γ-H2AX, p53, and LC3 and downregulation of Bcl-2. Conclusion: The study findings demonstrated that the ZnO NPs are able to induce significant cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and autophagy in human ovarian cells through reactive oxygen species generation and oxidative stress. Therefore, this study suggests that ZnO NPs are suitable and inherent anticancer agents due to their several favorable characteristic features including favorable band gap, electrostatic charge, surface chemistry, and potentiation of redox cycling cascades. Keywords: zinc oxide nanoparticles, human ovarian cancer cells SKOV3, mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, autophagy
- Published
- 2017
14. Effect of Preparation Conditions on Evaluation of Porous Silicon’s Morphology and Coalition with its Optical Property
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Hong Xia Dong, Ke Wei Li, Yu Wang, and Xi Feng Zhang
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Aqueous solution ,Photoluminescence ,Materials science ,Nanotechnology ,General Medicine ,Electrolyte ,Porous silicon ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Hydrofluoric acid ,chemistry ,Chemical engineering ,Etching (microfabrication) ,Wafer ,Layer (electronics) - Abstract
This article presents the dependence of porous silicon (PSi) morphology on preparation conditions and the coalition between morphology and optical properties. p-type (100) silicon wafers were etched in an electrolyte incorporating 1:1 (by volume) ethanol and aqueous solution of hydrofluoric acid (40 wt. %) at various etching current densities and times. Detailed information about evolution of PSi morphology with variation of preparation conditions was investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The results have shown that the pore sizes of PSi are gradually increasing, and the thicknesses of PSi layer are increased with the speed of about 11-12 nm/s as the etching duration increased. Addition, the optimal photoluminescence of PSi is achieved in room temperature with the strongest photoluminescence spectra when the corrosion current density was 30 mA / cm2 with 30 min etching time.
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- 2015
15. Novel biomolecule lycopene-reduced graphene oxide-silver nanoparticle enhances apoptotic potential of trichostatin A in human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3)
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Xi-Feng Zhang, Feng-Hua Huang, Yi-Fan Huang, Guo-Liang Zhang, De Felici Massimo, Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, and Ding-Ping Bai
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Apoptosis ,Cytotoxicity ,DNA fragmentation ,Double-strand dna breaks ,Graphene ,Reactive oxygen species ,Trichostatin ,Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ,Carotenoids ,Cell Death ,Cell Line, Tumor ,Cell Survival ,DNA Fragmentation ,Female ,Graphite ,Humans ,Hydroxamic Acids ,Lycopene ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Ovarian Neoplasms ,Reactive Oxygen Species ,Silver ,Pharmaceutical Science ,02 engineering and technology ,0302 clinical medicine ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Drug Discovery ,Original Research ,Tumor ,Settore BIO/17 ,Chemistry ,Combination chemotherapy ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,0210 nano-technology ,medicine.drug ,Programmed cell death ,DNA damage ,Biophysics ,Bioengineering ,Cell Line ,Biomaterials ,03 medical and health sciences ,medicine ,Viability assay ,Organic Chemistry ,Molecular biology ,Trichostatin A ,Cancer research - Abstract
Xi-Feng Zhang,1,2 Feng-Hua Huang,1 Guo-Liang Zhang,3 Ding-Ping Bai,4 De Felici Massimo,5 Yi-Fan Huang,4 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan6 1College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, China; 2Institute of Reproductive Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China; 3National Engineering Research Center for Gelatin-based Traditional Chinese Medicine, Dong-E-E-Jiao Co., Ltd, DongE, Shandong, China; 4Fujian Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China; 5Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Rome, Italy; 6Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Background: Recently, there has been much interest in the field of nanomedicine to improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. Combination therapy seems to be most effective when two different molecules that work by different mechanisms are combined at low dose, thereby decreasing the possibility of drug resistance and occurrence of unbearable side effects. Based on this consideration, the study was designed to investigate the combination effect of reduced graphene oxide-silver nanoparticles (rGO-AgNPs) and trichostatin A (TSA) in human ovarian cancer cells (SKOV3). Methods: The rGO-AgNPs were synthesized using a biomolecule called lycopene, and the resultant product was characterized by various analytical techniques. The combination effect of rGO-Ag and TSA was investigated in SKOV3 cells using various cellular assays such as cell viability, cytotoxicity, and immunofluorescence analysis. Results: AgNPs were uniformly distributed on the surface of graphene sheet with an average size between 10 and 50 nm. rGO-Ag and TSA were found to inhibit cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. The combination of rGO-Ag and TSA at low concentration showed a significant effect on cell viability, and increased cytotoxicity by increasing the level of malondialdehyde and decreasing the level of glutathione, and also causing mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, the combination of rGO-Ag and TSA had a more pronounced effect on DNA fragmentation and double-strand breaks, and eventually induced apoptosis. Conclusion: This study is the first to report that the combination of rGO-Ag and TSA can cause potential cytotoxicity and also induce significantly greater cell death compared to either rGO-Ag alone or TSA alone in SKOV3 cells by various mechanisms including reactive oxygen species generation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DNA damage. Therefore, this combination chemotherapy could be possibly used in advanced cancers that are not suitable for radiation therapy or surgical treatment and facilitate overcoming tumor resistance and disease progression. Keywords: graphene, trichostatin, cytotoxicity, reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, double-strand DNA breaks
- Published
- 2017
16. Porous Silicon as Functionalized Material for Biomedical Application
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Yuan Yuan Chou, Xi Feng Zhang, and Hong Xia Dong
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Materials science ,Biocompatibility ,Silicon ,business.industry ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,chemistry.chemical_element ,Nanotechnology ,General Medicine ,equipment and supplies ,Porous silicon ,Nanomaterials ,chemistry ,Specific surface area ,Microelectronics ,Nanometre ,Electronics ,business - Abstract
As a novel functional nanomaterial, porous silicon has many unique properties, such as its unique optical characteristics, biocompatibility, abundance, mechanical, electronic properties, silicon microelectronic compatibility, filtration, nanometer micropore controllable growth and large specific surface area, which enhance its prospect in the biological analysis, immune virus detection, environmental, food industry and so on, and has attracted world interests in the fields of materials science, biology, medicine, and electronics. In this work the application of porous silicon in the fields of biological and biomedical has been introduced with depth and width of researching on its.
- Published
- 2014
17. Silver Nanoparticle-Mediated Cellular Responses in Various Cell Lines: An in Vitro Model
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Xi-Feng Zhang, Wei Shen, and Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,keratinocytes ,Cell signaling ,silver nanoparticles ,Silver ,Biocompatibility ,Cell Survival ,Nanoparticle ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Nanotechnology ,02 engineering and technology ,Review ,macrophage ,Catalysis ,Silver nanoparticle ,lcsh:Chemistry ,Inorganic Chemistry ,neuronal cells ,03 medical and health sciences ,fibroblasts ,Animals ,Humans ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Cytotoxicity ,Mode of action ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Molecular Biology ,Spectroscopy ,Neurons ,Chemistry ,Macrophages ,Stem Cells ,Organic Chemistry ,Endothelial Cells ,Epithelial Cells ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Computer Science Applications ,Surface coating ,030104 developmental biology ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,Surface modification ,cellular effect ,0210 nano-technology ,Reactive Oxygen Species ,DNA Damage - Abstract
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted increased interest and are currently used in various industries including medicine, cosmetics, textiles, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, owing to their unique physical and chemical properties, particularly as antimicrobial and anticancer agents. Recently, several studies have reported both beneficial and toxic effects of AgNPs on various prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems. To develop nanoparticles for mediated therapy, several laboratories have used a variety of cell lines under in vitro conditions to evaluate the properties, mode of action, differential responses, and mechanisms of action of AgNPs. In vitro models are simple, cost-effective, rapid, and can be used to easily assess efficacy and performance. The cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and biocompatibility of AgNPs depend on many factors such as size, shape, surface charge, surface coating, solubility, concentration, surface functionalization, distribution of particles, mode of entry, mode of action, growth media, exposure time, and cell type. Cellular responses to AgNPs are different in each cell type and depend on the physical and chemical nature of AgNPs. This review evaluates significant contributions to the literature on biological applications of AgNPs. It begins with an introduction to AgNPs, with particular attention to their overall impact on cellular effects. The main objective of this review is to elucidate the reasons for different cell types exhibiting differential responses to nanoparticles even when they possess similar size, shape, and other parameters. Firstly, we discuss the cellular effects of AgNPs on a variety of cell lines; Secondly, we discuss the mechanisms of action of AgNPs in various cellular systems, and try to elucidate how AgNPs interact with different mammalian cell lines and produce significant effects; Finally, we discuss the cellular activation of various signaling molecules in response to AgNPs, and conclude with future perspectives on research into AgNPs.
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- 2016
18. Effects of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) given neonatally on spermatogenesis of mice
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Hong-Ying Zhang, Yanni Feng, Liu Wang, Yan-Min Feng, Wei Shen, Xun-Si Qin, Xi-Feng Zhang, Yong-De Chen, Lan Li, and Teng Zhang
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Male ,endocrine system ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Time Factors ,Male mice ,Biology ,Semen analysis ,Mice ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Meiosis ,Diethylhexyl Phthalate ,Internal medicine ,Testis ,Genetics ,medicine ,Animals ,Spermatogenesis ,Molecular Biology ,Chromosome Aberrations ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Phthalate ,General Medicine ,Sperm ,Semen Analysis ,Endocrinology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Animals, Newborn ,Gene Expression Regulation ,chemistry ,CYP17A1 ,Germ cell - Abstract
We previously demonstrated that the effects of diethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) alter reproduction function on male mice. Immature male mice were treated daily with DEHP from postnatal day 7-21, 7-35, 7-49, in a dose-dependent manner. As results, both the quality and quantity of spermatozoa were decreased in 60-day-old mice. The results by RT-PCR analysis indicated that DDx3Y, Usp9Y, RBM, E1F1AY, EGF, FSHR and EGFR genes were down-regulated, and LHR, Cyp17a1 and Cyp19a1 were down-regulated in response to DEHP. These genes were selected based on their markedly increased or decreased expression levels. However, DEHP had no effect on the meiotic process and recombination levels in male mouse germ cells. Treatment with DEHP induced histopathological changes in the testes. Taken together, these results provide a new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the detrimental impacts of DEHP in humans and wildlife.
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- 2013
19. Theranostics Aspects of Various Nanoparticles in Veterinary Medicine
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Yifan Huang, Xin-Yu Lin, Xi-Feng Zhang, and Ding-Ping Bai
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Veterinary Medicine ,0301 basic medicine ,Engineering ,Veterinary medicine ,diagnostic ,Growth promotion ,Nanoparticle ,Review ,02 engineering and technology ,Theranostic Nanomedicine ,Catalysis ,lcsh:Chemistry ,Inorganic Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,Health care ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Molecular Biology ,Spectroscopy ,Micellar nanoparticles ,Animal health ,business.industry ,animal production ,Organic Chemistry ,Animal production ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Polymeric nanoparticles ,Nanostructures ,Computer Science Applications ,livestock ,030104 developmental biology ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,drug delivery ,antimicrobial ,Nanomedicine ,nanoparticles ,0210 nano-technology ,business - Abstract
Nanoscience and nanotechnology shows immense interest in various areas of research and applications, including biotechnology, biomedical sciences, nanomedicine, and veterinary medicine. Studies and application of nanotechnology was explored very extensively in the human medical field and also studies undertaken in rodents extensively, still either studies or applications in veterinary medicine is not up to the level when compared to applications to human beings. The application in veterinary medicine and animal production is still relatively innovative. Recently, in the era of health care technologies, Veterinary Medicine also entered into a new phase and incredible transformations. Nanotechnology has tremendous and potential influence not only the way we live, but also on the way that we practice veterinary medicine and increase the safety of domestic animals, production, and income to the farmers through use of nanomaterials. The current status and advancements of nanotechnology is being used to enhance the animal growth promotion, and production. To achieve these, nanoparticles are used as alternative antimicrobial agents to overcome the usage alarming rate of antibiotics, detection of pathogenic bacteria, and also nanoparticles being used as drug delivery agents as new drug and vaccine candidates with improved characteristics and performance, diagnostic, therapeutic, feed additive, nutrient delivery, biocidal agents, reproductive aids, and finally to increase the quality of food using various kinds of functionalized nanoparticles, such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, micellar nanoparticles, and metal nanoparticles. It seems that nanotechnology is ideal for veterinary applications in terms of cost and the availability of resources. The main focus of this review is describes some of the important current and future principal aspects of involvement of nanotechnology in Veterinary Medicine. However, we are not intended to cover the entire scenario of Veterinary Medicine, despite this review is to provide a glimpse at potential important targets of nanotechnology in the field of Veterinary Medicine. Considering the strong potential of the interaction between the nanotechnology and Veterinary Medicine, the aim of this review is to provide a concise description of the advances of nanotechnology in Veterinary Medicine, in terms of their potential application of various kinds of nanoparticles, secondly we discussed role of nanomaterials in animal health and production, and finally we discussed conclusion and future perspectives of nanotechnology in veterinary medicine.
- Published
- 2018
20. Clinical outcome comparison of polymethylmethacrylate bone cement with and without mineralized collagen modification for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures
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Zhi-Ye Qiu, Xi Wang, Jian-Ming Kou, Xisheng Weng, Yang Yue, and Xi-Feng Zhang
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Male ,musculoskeletal diseases ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Observational Study ,Dentistry ,02 engineering and technology ,Percutaneous vertebroplasty ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Biomimetic Materials ,Fractures, Compression ,medicine ,Humans ,Polymethyl Methacrylate ,Adjacent level ,Aged ,Retrospective Studies ,mineralized collagen ,vertebral compression fracture ,Aged, 80 and over ,Cement ,Pain, Postoperative ,Vertebroplasty ,PMMA bone cement ,business.industry ,Bone Cements ,technology, industry, and agriculture ,Postoperative complication ,Increased Bone Density ,General Medicine ,Middle Aged ,equipment and supplies ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Compression (physics) ,Bone cement ,osteoporosis ,Vertebral body ,Spinal Fractures ,Female ,Collagen ,Tomography, X-Ray Computed ,0210 nano-technology ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Research Article - Abstract
A retrospective study of consecutive patients. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical effect of biomimetic mineralized collagen (MC) modified polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement and traditional PMMA bone cement for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF). New fracture on adjacent level is the major postoperative complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). The clinical incidence was 12.4% to 27.7%. The increased stiffness of the treated vertebral body caused by filling bone cement is considered as one of the main reasons. A total of 30 patients treated with traditional PMMA bone cement from June 2013 to March 2016 were selected as the traditional group, while 50 patients treated with MC modified PMMA bone cement from July 2014 to March 2016 were selected as the modified group. The 2 groups were compared by injection time of the bone cements, postoperative pain relief effects, vertebral height restoration, CT value changes of the treated vertebral bodies, and postoperative complications in the clinical observations. The surgeries were successfully completed in both groups. In the treatment of OVCF, the MC modified bone cement was able to achieve the same pain relief and vertebral height restoration effects compared to traditional bone cement during the follow-ups, although the injection time of the cement was prolonged in the operation. MC modified bone cement significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative adjacent vertebral fracture from 13.3% to 2%, and significantly increased bone density of the treated vertebral bodies. The MC modified PMMA bone cement showed good clinical outcomes and better mechanical properties than the traditional bone cements.
- Published
- 2018
21. Expression and epigenetic dynamics of transcription regulator Lhx8 during mouse oogenesis
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Xi-Feng Zhang, Gui-Jin Liang, Jin-Mei Ma, Yanni Feng, Wei Shen, Lin-Qing Wang, Lian-Jun Zhang, Bo Pan, Bo Chen, and Lan Li
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Blotting, Western ,LIM-Homeodomain Proteins ,Biology ,Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Epigenesis, Genetic ,Histones ,Mice ,Histone H3 ,Oogenesis ,Ovarian Follicle ,Histone methylation ,Genetics ,Animals ,Epigenetics ,Histone H3 acetylation ,3' Untranslated Regions ,DNA Primers ,Epigenomics ,Regulation of gene expression ,Base Sequence ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Acetylation ,General Medicine ,DNA Methylation ,Immunohistochemistry ,Molecular biology ,Histone methyltransferase ,DNA methylation ,CpG Islands ,Female ,5' Untranslated Regions ,Transcription Factors - Abstract
The spatial and temporal specific activation and inhibition of numerous genes are required for successful oogenesis which is precisely regulated by germ cell-related transcription factors, and appropriate epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation, histone modification and other mechanisms that closely regulate the functional exertion of these transcription factors. In this study, we characterized the correlation between the expression and epigenetic dynamics of Lhx8, a germ cell specific transcription factor during mouse oogenesis. Immunohistochemistry, quantitative PCR and western blots were performed to localize and quantify the expressional characteristics of Lhx8 in oocytes of 13.5 dpc (day post coitum), 17.5 dpc, 0 dpp (day post partum), 3 dpp, 7 dpp and 14 dpp. The results showed that LHX8 protein was located in the nucleus of oocytes, and increasingly expressed during primordial follicle activation. Sequencing of bisulfite-converted genomic DNAs revealed that the methylation dynamics of Lhx8-3' was highly changeable but almost no change occurred in Lhx8-5'. ChIP-QPCR analysis showed that histone H3 acetylation of Lhx8 was also increased during primordial follicle assembly and activation. In conclusion, Lhx8 expression is related with the activation of primordial follicles, which is highly correlated with the demethylation of Lhx8-3' untranslated region and the high acetylation of histone H3.
- Published
- 2012
22. Combination of salinomycin and silver nanoparticles enhances apoptosis and autophagy in human ovarian cancer cells: an effective anticancer therapy
- Author
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Xi-Feng Zhang and Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Apoptosis ,Bacillus ,Cell morphology ,Targeted therapy ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Drug Discovery ,Cytotoxicity ,Original Research ,Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ,Ovarian Neoplasms ,Caspase 3 ,General Medicine ,Up-Regulation ,Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ,ovarian cancer ,Female ,autophagy ,silver nanoparticles ,Silver ,Cell Survival ,Biophysics ,Antineoplastic Agents ,Breast Neoplasms ,Bioengineering ,Biology ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ,Biomaterials ,03 medical and health sciences ,Cancer stem cell ,Cell Line, Tumor ,caspase activity ,parasitic diseases ,Biomarkers, Tumor ,medicine ,Humans ,Viability assay ,Cell Shape ,cell viability ,Pyrans ,business.industry ,Organic Chemistry ,Autophagosomes ,medicine.disease ,Biotechnology ,Oxidative Stress ,030104 developmental biology ,Cancer cell ,salinomycin ,Cancer research ,Lysosomes ,Ovarian cancer ,business - Abstract
Xi-Feng Zhang,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan2 1College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea Abstract: Ovarian cancer is one of the most important malignancies, and the origin, detection, and pathogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer remain elusive. Although many cancer drugs have been developed to dramatically reduce the size of tumors, most cancers eventually relapse, posing a critical problem to overcome. Hence, it is necessary to identify possible alternative therapeutic approaches to reduce the mortality rate of this devastating disease. To identify alternative approaches, we first synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) using a novel bacterium called Bacillus clausii. The synthesized AgNPs were homogenous and spherical in shape, with an average size of 16–20nm, which are known to cause cytotoxicity in various types of human cancer cells, whereas salinomycin (Sal) is able to kill cancer stem cells. Therefore, we selected both Sal and AgNPs to study their combined effect on apoptosis and autophagy in ovarian cancer cells. The cells treated with either Sal or AgNPs showed a dose-dependent effect with inhibitory concentration (IC)-50 values of 6.0µM and 8µg/mL for Sal and AgNPs, respectively. To determine the combination effect, we measured the IC25 values of both Sal and AgNPs (3.0µM and 4µg/mL), which showed a more dramatic inhibitory effect on cell viability and cell morphology than either Sal or AgNPs alone. The combination of Sal and AgNPs had more pronounced effect on cytotoxicity and expression of apoptotic genes and also significantly induced the accumulation of autophagolysosomes, which was associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and loss of cell viability. Our data show a strong synergistic interaction between Sal and AgNPs in tested cancer cells. The combination treatment increased the therapeutic potential and demonstrated the relevant targeted therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, we provide, for the first time, a mode of action for Sal and AgNPs in ovarian cancer cells: enhanced apoptosis and autophagy. Keywords: apoptosis, autophagy, cell viability, caspase activity, ovarian cancer, salinomycin, silver nanoparticles
- Published
- 2016
23. Trichostatin A Enhances the Apoptotic Potential of Palladium Nanoparticles in Human Cervical Cancer Cells
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Qi Yan, Wei Shen, Xi-Feng Zhang, and Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Cell cycle checkpoint ,cervical cancer ,medicine.medical_treatment ,Uterine Cervical Neoplasms ,Hydroxamic Acids ,trichostatin A ,Targeted therapy ,lcsh:Chemistry ,0302 clinical medicine ,oxidative stress ,palladium nanoparticles ,Cytotoxicity ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Spectroscopy ,Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial ,Caspase 3 ,apoptosis ,General Medicine ,Computer Science Applications ,caspases ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Female ,Palladium ,medicine.drug ,Cell Survival ,Breast Neoplasms ,Biology ,Article ,Histone Deacetylases ,Catalysis ,Inorganic Chemistry ,03 medical and health sciences ,mitochondrial membrane potential ,medicine ,Humans ,Viability assay ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Molecular Biology ,cell viability ,Organic Chemistry ,Cancer ,medicine.disease ,Molecular biology ,Enzyme Activation ,030104 developmental biology ,Trichostatin A ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,Apoptosis ,Cancer cell ,Cancer research ,Nanoparticles ,HeLa Cells - Abstract
Cervical cancer ranks seventh overall among all types of cancer in women. Although several treatments, including radiation, surgery and chemotherapy, are available to eradicate or reduce the size of cancer, many cancers eventually relapse. Thus, it is essential to identify possible alternative therapeutic approaches for cancer. We sought to identify alternative and effective therapeutic approaches, by first synthesizing palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs), using a novel biomolecule called saponin. The synthesized PdNPs were characterized by several analytical techniques. They were significantly spherical in shape, with an average size of 5 nm. Recently, PdNPs gained much interest in various therapies of cancer cells. Similarly, histone deacetylase inhibitors are known to play a vital role in anti-proliferative activity, gene expression, cell cycle arrest, differentiation and apoptosis in various cancer cells. Therefore, we selected trichostatin A (TSA) and PdNPs and studied their combined effect on apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. Cells treated with either TSA or PdNPs showed a dose-dependent effect on cell viability. The combinatorial effect, tested with 50 nM TSA and 50 nMPdNPs, had a more dramatic inhibitory effect on cell viability, than either TSA or PdNPs alone. The combination of TSA and PdNPs had a more pronounced effect on cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), caspase-3/9 activity and expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic genes. Our data show a strong synergistic interaction between TSA and PdNPs in cervical cancer cells. The combinatorial treatment increased the therapeutic potential and demonstrated relevant targeted therapy for cervical cancer. Furthermore, we provide the first evidence for the combinatory effect and cytotoxicity mechanism of TSA and PdNPs in cervical cancer cells.
- Published
- 2016
24. Bisphenol A exposure modifies DNA methylation of imprint genes in mouse fetal germ cells
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Yanni Feng, Gui-Jin Liang, Lan Li, Wei Shen, Xi-Feng Zhang, Bo Chen, Yan-Min Feng, and Lian-Jun Zhang
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Male ,endocrine system ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors ,Air Pollutants, Occupational ,Biology ,Receptor, IGF Type 2 ,Genomic Imprinting ,Mice ,DAZL ,Fetus ,Phenols ,Pregnancy ,Internal medicine ,Genetics ,medicine ,Animals ,Benzhydryl Compounds ,Molecular Biology ,Gene ,Regulation of gene expression ,urogenital system ,Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ,Environmental Exposure ,General Medicine ,Environmental exposure ,DNA Methylation ,Germ Cells ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Endocrinology ,Receptors, Estrogen ,embryonic structures ,DNA methylation ,CpG Islands ,Female ,Genomic imprinting ,hormones, hormone substitutes, and hormone antagonists ,Germ cell - Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is an estrogenic environmental toxin widely used for the production of plastics. Human frequent exposure to this chemical has been proposed to be a potential public health risk. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of BPA on DNA methylation of imprinting genes in fetal mouse germ cell. Pregnant mice were treated with BPA at doses of 0, 40, 80 and 160 μg BPA/kg body weight/day from 0.5 day post coitum. DNA methylation of imprinting genes, Igf2r, Peg3 and H19, was decreased with the increase of BPA concentration in fetal mouse germ cells (p < 0.01).The relative mRNA levels of Nobox were lower in BPA-treated group compared to control (BPA free) in female fetal germ cells, but in male fetal germ cells, a significant higher in Nobox expression was observed in BPA-treated group compared to control. Decreased mRNA expression of specific meiotic genes including Stimulated by Stra8 and Dazl were obtained in the female fetal germ cells. In conclusion, BPA exposure can affect the DNA methylation of imprinting genes in fetal mouse germ cells.
- Published
- 2012
25. Differential nanoreprotoxicity of silver nanoparticles in male somatic cells and spermatogonial stem cells
- Author
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Jae Woong Han, Yun-Jung Choi, Eunsu Kim, Jin-Hoi Kim, Xi-Feng Zhang, Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, and Jung Hyun Park
- Subjects
Male ,Programmed cell death ,Silver ,Somatic cell ,Cell Survival ,Cell ,Biophysics ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Bioengineering ,Biology ,Silver nanoparticle ,Flow cytometry ,Cell Line ,Biomaterials ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Mice ,Sertoli cells ,Leydig cells ,apoptosis ,oxidative stress ,tight junctionproteins ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Drug Discovery ,medicine ,Animals ,Propidium iodide ,Viability assay ,Original Research ,Sertoli Cells ,medicine.diagnostic_test ,Organic Chemistry ,Leydig Cells ,General Medicine ,Cell biology ,Oxidative Stress ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,chemistry ,Cell culture ,Immunology ,tight junction proteins - Abstract
Xi-Feng Zhang,* Yun-Jung Choi,* Jae Woong Han, Eunsu Kim, Jung Hyun Park, Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, Jin-Hoi Kim Department of Animal Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, South Korea *These authors contributed equally tothis work Background: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) possess unique physical, chemical, and biological properties. AgNPs have been increasingly used as anticancer, antiangiogenic, and antibacterial agents for the treatment of bacterial infections in open wounds as well as in ointments, bandages, and wound dressings. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of two different sizes of AgNPs (10 nm and 20 nm) in male somatic Leydig (TM3) and Sertoli (TM4) cells and spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Methods: Here, we demonstrate a green and simple method for the synthesis of AgNPs using Bacillus cereus culture supernatants. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized using ultraviolet and visible absorption spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The toxicity of the synthesized AgNPs was evaluated by the effects on cell viability, metabolic activity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and expression of genes encoding steroidogenic and tight junction proteins. Results: AgNPs inhibited the viability and proliferation of TM3 and TM4 cells in a dose- and size-dependent manner by damaging cell membranes and inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species, which in turn affected SSC growth on TM3 and TM4 as feeder cells. Small AgNPs (10 nm) were more cytotoxic than medium-sized nanoparticles (20 nm). TEM revealed the presence of AgNPs in the cell cytoplasm and nucleus, and detected mitochondrial damage and enhanced formation of autosomes and autolysosomes in the AgNP-treated cells. Flow cytometry analysis using Annexin V/propidium iodide staining showed massive cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses indicated that in TM3 and TM4 cells, AgNPs activated the p53, p38, and pErk1/2 signaling pathways and significantly downregulated the expression of genes related to testosterone synthesis (TM3) and tight junctions (TM4). Furthermore, the exposure of TM3 and TM4 cells to AgNPs inhibited proliferation and self-renewal of SSCs. Conclusion: Our results suggest that AgNPs exhibit size-dependent nanoreprotoxicity in male somatic cells and SSCs, strongly suggesting that applications of AgNPs in commercial products must be carefully evaluated. Further studies of AgNPs-induced nanoreprotoxicity in animal models are required. Keywords: Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, apoptosis, oxidative stress, tight junction proteins, apoptosis
- Published
- 2015
26. Silver Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, Properties, Applications, and Therapeutic Approaches
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Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, Zhiguo Liu, Xi Feng Zhang, and Wei Shen
- Subjects
Antifungal ,silver nanoparticles ,Silver ,synthesis ,applications ,medicine.drug_class ,Human life ,Anti-Inflammatory Agents ,Cancer therapy ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Angiogenesis Inhibitors ,Antineoplastic Agents ,Nanotechnology ,Review ,02 engineering and technology ,010402 general chemistry ,01 natural sciences ,Catalysis ,Silver nanoparticle ,lcsh:Chemistry ,Inorganic Chemistry ,medicine ,Humans ,characterization ,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry ,Metal nanoparticles ,lcsh:QH301-705.5 ,Molecular Biology ,Spectroscopy ,mechanisms ,Future perspective ,Chemistry ,Organic Chemistry ,Green Chemistry Technology ,General Medicine ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,0104 chemical sciences ,Computer Science Applications ,lcsh:Biology (General) ,lcsh:QD1-999 ,cancer therapy ,Nanomedicine ,0210 nano-technology - Abstract
Recent advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology radically changed the way we diagnose, treat, and prevent various diseases in all aspects of human life. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are one of the most vital and fascinating nanomaterials among several metallic nanoparticles that are involved in biomedical applications. AgNPs play an important role in nanoscience and nanotechnology, particularly in nanomedicine. Although several noble metals have been used for various purposes, AgNPs have been focused on potential applications in cancer diagnosis and therapy. In this review, we discuss the synthesis of AgNPs using physical, chemical, and biological methods. We also discuss the properties of AgNPs and methods for their characterization. More importantly, we extensively discuss the multifunctional bio-applications of AgNPs; for example, as antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-cancer agents, and the mechanism of the anti-cancer activity of AgNPs. In addition, we discuss therapeutic approaches and challenges for cancer therapy using AgNPs. Finally, we conclude by discussing the future perspective of AgNPs.
- Published
- 2016
27. Effects of triptolide on the pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide in rats: a possible role of cytochrome P3A4 inhibition
- Author
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Ni Zhang, Ru-sen Cao, Xi-feng Zhang, Ju Liu, Feng Ye, Sen-guo Ji, Xing-fu Li, Jiang-chuan Wu, and Ling He
- Subjects
Male ,Cyclophosphamide ,Cytochrome ,Herb-Drug Interactions ,Pharmacology ,Rats, Sprague-Dawley ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Pharmacokinetics ,medicine ,Animals ,Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A ,heterocyclic compounds ,Pharmacology (medical) ,biology ,business.industry ,General Medicine ,Triptolide ,Phenanthrenes ,Ketoconazole ,Complementary and alternative medicine ,chemistry ,Medicine public health ,Injections, Intravenous ,cardiovascular system ,biology.protein ,Microsomes, Liver ,Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors ,Epoxy Compounds ,Hydroxytestosterones ,Diterpenes ,business ,Immunosuppressive Agents ,medicine.drug - Abstract
To evaluate the effect of a 10-day course of triptolide (TP) on rat cytochrome (CY) P3A4 activity, and on the pharmacokinetics of cyclophosphamide (CPA).In the pharmacokinetics experiment, rats were orally given 0.9% NaCl solution (n=5) and TP [1.2 (mg/kg·d)] for 10 days and a single dose of CPA was administered intravenously (100 mg/kg) to rats on day 11. Blood samples were collected up to 4 h at predetermined time intervals, the plasma concentration of CPA was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and pharmacokinetic parameters were determined. In the in vitro CYP3A4 activity inhibition research, rat blank liver microsomes were divided into 3 groups: a control group, a TS (5 μL, 200 μmol/L) with TP (5 μL, 12.5 μmol/L) group, a TS with ketoconazole (5 μL, 1 μmol/L) group. Concentration of 6β-hydroxylated testosterone (6β-OHT) in liver microsomes was measured by HPLC and the activity of CYP 3A4 was calculated through the following formula: Einhibitor/Econtrol × 100%=Cinhibitor/Ccontrol × 100%.Compared with the control group, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-∞) of CPA was significantly increased by 229.05% pretreated with TP (P0.01). Peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) of CPA was significantly increased and plasma half-life was correspondingly extended. The CYP3A4 activity was significantly inhibited by ketoconazole 93.5%±0.2% and TP 84.6%±0.3% compared with the control group (P0.01 and P0.05, respectively).Our results strongly suggested that long-term oral intake of TP can distinctly inhibit the CYP3A4 activity and this inhibition evidently decrease the formation of toxic metabolites of CPA.
- Published
- 2013
28. Silver nanoparticles cause complications in pregnant mice
- Author
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Min-Hee Kang, Sangiliyandi Gurunathan, Jin-Hoi Kim, Yun-Jung Choi, Xi-Feng Zhang, and Jung Hyun Park
- Subjects
silver nanoparticles ,Silver ,Materials science ,Placenta ,Molecular Sequence Data ,Biophysics ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Bioengineering ,Biomaterials ,Andrology ,Genomic Imprinting ,X-Ray Diffraction ,Pregnancy ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ,Drug Discovery ,Gene expression ,medicine ,Animals ,Humans ,meiosis ,RNA, Messenger ,Meiotic Prophase I ,Original Research ,Mice, Inbred ICR ,Fetus ,Base Sequence ,business.industry ,Ovary ,Organic Chemistry ,Embryo ,General Medicine ,Methylation ,DNA Methylation ,Anti-Bacterial Agents ,Biotechnology ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Differentially methylated regions ,Gene Expression Regulation ,embryonic structures ,DNA methylation ,gene expression ,Female ,methylation ,business ,Genomic imprinting - Abstract
Xi-Feng Zhang,1,2 Jung-Hyun Park,1 Yun-Jung Choi,1 Min-Hee Kang,1 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan,1 Jin-Hoi Kim11Department of Animal Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 2College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of ChinaBackground: Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have attracted much interest and have been used for antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, and antiangiogenic applications because of their unique properties. The increased usage of AgNPs leads to a potential hazard to human health. However, the potential effects of AgNPs on animal models are not clear. This study was designed to investigate the potential impact of AgNPs on pregnant mice.Methods: The synthesis of AgNPs was performed using culture extracts of Bacillus cereus. The synthesized AgNPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. AgNPs were administrated into pregnant mice via intravenous infusion at 1.0 mg/kg doses at 6.5 days postcoitum (dpc). At 13.5, 15.5, and 17.5 dpc, the pregnant mice were euthanized, and the embryo and placenta were isolated. The meiotic status of oocytes was evaluated. DNA methylation studies were performed, and aberrant imprinting disrupted fetal, placental, and postnatal development. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis and Western blot were used to analyze various gene expressions.Results: The synthesized AgNPs were uniformly distributed and were spherical in shape with an average size of 8 nm. AgNPs exposure increased the meiotic progression of female germ cells in the fetal mouse ovaries, and maternal AgNP exposure significantly disrupted imprinted gene expression in 15.5 dpc embryos and placentas, such as Ascl2, Snrpn, Kcnq1ot1, Peg3, Zac1, H19, Igf2r, and Igf2; DNA methylation studies revealed that AgNPs exposure significantly altered the methylation levels of differentially methylated regions of Zac1.Conclusion: The results from this study indicated that early exposure to AgNPs has the potential to disrupt fetal and postnatal health through epigenetic changes in the embryo and abnormal development of the placenta. These results can contribute to research involved in the safe use of various biomedical applications of AgNPs and improves the understanding of the development of AgNPs in biomedical applications.Keywords: silver nanoparticles, methylation, meiosis, gene expression
- Published
- 2015
29. Effects of silver nanoparticles on neonatal testis development in mice
- Author
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Xi-Feng Zhang, Jin-Hoi Kim, and Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
- Subjects
Male ,silver nanoparticles ,Silver ,Cell Survival ,Biophysics ,Metal Nanoparticles ,Pharmaceutical Science ,Male mice ,male mouse ,Bioengineering ,Nanotechnology ,Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ,sperm ,testis development ,Silver nanoparticle ,GSTA4 ,Biomaterials ,Andrology ,Mice ,Microscopy, Electron, Transmission ,X-Ray Diffraction ,International Journal of Nanomedicine ,Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared ,Testis ,Drug Discovery ,Gene expression ,Animals ,Humans ,Medicine ,RNA, Messenger ,Spermatogenesis ,Metal nanoparticles ,Cells, Cultured ,Original Research ,Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ,business.industry ,Organic Chemistry ,General Medicine ,Sperm ,gene expression ,testisdevelopment ,Real-time polymerase chain reaction ,Animals, Newborn ,business ,Signal Transduction - Abstract
Xi-Feng Zhang,1,2 Sangiliyandi Gurunathan,1 Jin-Hoi Kim1 1Department of Animal Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; 2College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China Background: Metal nanoparticles (MNPs) play an important role in consumer products. An increasing use of MNPs has raised concerns about potential risks for human health. Therefore, in vivo tests of MNPs are urgently required. Using mice as a model animal, the aim of the present study was designed to investigate the effect of biologically synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on spermatogenesis in neonatal mice. Methods: AgNPs were synthesized using Bacillus funiculus. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using various analytical techniques such as UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The prepared AgNPs were used to investigate testis development in neonatal mice. Institute of Cancer Research neonatal male mice were used in all experiments and were treated with different doses (0, 1, and 5 mg/kg) of AgNPs five times (interval of 3 days from postnatal day [PND] 8–21) by abdominal subcutaneous injection. Results: The results showed that the sperm abnormalities such as quality and quantity were significantly increased by the synthesized AgNPs. The diameter of the convoluted tubules shrank significantly in mice treated with AgNPs on PND28 and PND42. The results of reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction indicated that the E1f1ay, Gsta4, and Fdx1 genes were up-regulated, and the Amh, Cx43, and Claudin-11 genes were down-regulated in response to AgNPs exposure on PND28; however, these genes recovered at PND60. AgNPs had no effect on the recombination levels of chromosomes in germ cells. Conclusion: These results demonstrated the adverse effects of AgNPs on the male reproductive tract, particularly spermatogenesis and the quality of sperm. This study suggests that the development of nanomaterials should be safer and non-toxic to the living organisms and the potential reprotoxicity of AgNPs should be investigated more carefully. Keywords: silver nanoparticles, male mouse, sperm, gene expression, testis development
- Published
- 2015
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