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The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of esophageal cancer-related gene 2 (ECRG2) protein in combination with cisplatin (DDP) on the proliferation and apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells. A 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to examine the effects of ECRG2 alone and ECRG2 in combination with DDP on the proliferation of EC9706 esophageal cancer cells. Hoechst 33258 staining was performed to analyze the effects of ECRG2 alone and ECRG2 in combination with DDP on apoptosis in the EC9706 cells. The expression levels of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) mRNA and protein were determined by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot analysis, respectively. The results from the MTT assay revealed that ECRG2 inhibited the proliferation of EC9706 cells and that ECRG2 in combination with DDP had a greater inhibitory effect on cell proliferation. The antiproliferative effects were time- and concentration-dependent, within a certain range of concentrations. The Hoechst 33258 staining results demonstrated that the number of apoptotic cells following treatment with ECRG2 in combination with DDP for 24 h was higher than that following treatment with ECRG2 alone for the same duration. Western blot analysis and RT-PCR results revealed that the expression levels of Bax mRNA and protein were upregulated in cells treated with ECRG2 in combination with DDP compared with those in cells treated with ECRG2 alone. Thus, ECRG2 in combination with DDP had an enhanced inhibitory effect on EC9706 cell proliferation compared with that of ECRG2 alone, and an increased inductive effect on EC9706 cell apoptosis, possibly due to the upregulation of the expression of Bax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin is a hydrophobic agent with potential anticancer activity. The aim of the present study was to observe the effects of quercetin on the proliferation of the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and the gene expression of survivin. The molecular mechanism underlying the antiproliferative effect of quercetin was also investigated. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were treated with various concentrations of quercetin. The inhibitory effect of quercetin on proliferation was detected using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and the inhibition rate was calculated. Cellular apoptosis was detected by immunocytochemistry and survivin mRNA expression levels were observed using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Western blot analysis was used to analyze changes in the expression levels of survivin protein. Quercetin induced the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells and inhibited the proliferation of the MCF-7 breast cancer cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. The mRNA and protein expression levels of survivin were reduced as the concentration of quercetin increased. Quercetin inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells and promoted apoptosis by inducing G0/ G1 phase arrest. It also regulated the expression of survivin mRNA in MCF-7 cells, which may be the mechanism underlying its antitumor effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A comparative proteomic approach was used to identify and analyze proteins related to metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Proteins extracted from 12 HCC tissue specimens (six with metastases and six without) were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The protein spots exhibiting statistical alternations between the two groups through computerized image analysis were then identified by mass spectrometry. In addition immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blotting and RT-PCR were performed to verify the expression of certain candidate proteins. Results: 16 proteins including HSP27, S100A11, CK18 were annotated by mass spectrometry, relevant to chaperone function, cell mobility, cytoskeletal architecture, respectively. Most were previously unconnected with metastasis of HCC. Of these HSP27 was found overexpressed consistently in 2-DE patterns of all metastatic HCC tissues compared with nonmetastatic ones. IHC and Western blotting of HCC tissues confirmed this difference while RT-PCR did not. Conclusion: There are various proteins joined together in HCC metastasis. The overexpression of HSP27 may serve as a biomarker for early detection and therapeutic targets unique to the metastatic phenotype of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The title complex, (C4H12N2)[Ni2(C6H5O7)2(H2O)4], was synthesized under solvothermal conditions. Both cation and anion possess crystallographically imposed inversion symmetry. The citrate ion acts as a quadridentate ligand, coordinating through the hydroxyl and two carboxylate O atoms to one nickel atom, and bridging the second metal centre through the remaining carboxylate group. The coordination around each NiII atom is completed to distorted octahedral by the O atoms of two water molecules. The crystal structure is stabilized by intra- and intermolecular O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quercetin is a hydrophobic agent that demonstrates potential anticancer activity. The aim of the present study was to observe the effects of quercetin on the proliferation and apoptosis of the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3, and to provide a foundation for the treatment of ovarian cancer using this agent. Ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells were treated with quercetin at different doses. The inhibitory effect of quercetin on proliferation was detected using the MTT assay and the inhibition rate was calculated. Cell apoptosis was determined using Hoechst staining, and western blot analysis was used to analyze changes in the expression levels of survivin protein. The effects of quercetin on the cell cycle and apoptosis of the SKOV-3 cell line were analyzed using flow cytometry. Quercetin inhibited the proliferation of SKOV-3 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, Hoechst staining showed that quercetin induced SKOV-3 cell apoptosis. The protein expression levels of survivin were reduced as the concentration of quercetin increased. Flow cytometric analysis showed that quercetin caused ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase and a significant decrease in the percentage of cells at the G2/M phase; furthermore, the apoptosis rate was observed to increase following quercetin treatment. The results in combination indicated that Quercetin could inhibit the proliferation of ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells, inhibit cell cycle progression from G0/G1 to G2/M and induce cell apoptosis in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decaying bamboo in freshwater is a unique eco-environment for fungi. Three new Distoseptispora (Distoseptisporaceae) species, D. meilingensis, D. yongxiuensis and D. yunjushanensis from submerged decaying bamboo culms in Jiangxi Province, China, were discovered, based on phylogenetic analyses and morphological characters. The combined data of ITS-LSU-SSU-Tef1 sequences were used to infer the phylogenetic relationship between D. meilingensis, D. yongxiuensis, D. yunjushanensis and related species. Both molecular analyses and morphological data supported D. meilingensis, D. yongxiuensis and D. yunjushanensis as three independent taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High temperatures, particularly at night, decrease rice yield and quality. As high nighttime temperatures (HNTs) become increasingly frequent due to climate change, it is imperative to develop rice crops that tolerate HNTs. DNA methylation may represent a potential avenue for HNT-tolerant rice strain development, as this mechanism regulates gene activity and cellular phenotype in response to adverse environmental conditions without changing the nucleotide sequence. Results: After HNT exposure, the methylation patterns of cytosines in the CHH context differed noticeably between two coisogenic rice strains with significantly different levels in heat tolerance. Methylation differences between strains were primarily observed on successive cytosines in the promoter or downstream regions of transcription factors and transposon elements. In contrast to the heat-sensitive rice strain, the regions 358-359 bp and 2-60 bp downstream of two basal transcriptional factors (TFIID subunit 11 and mediator of RNA polymerase II transcription subunit 31, respectively) were fully demethylated in the heat-tolerant strain after HNT exposure. In the heat-tolerant strain, HNTs reversed the methylation patterns of successive cytosines in the promoter regions of various genes involved in abscisic acid (ABA)-related reactive oxygen species (ROS) equilibrium pathways, including the pentatricopeptide repeat domain gene PPR (LOC_Os07g28900) and the homeobox domain gene homeobox (LOC_ Os01g19694). Indeed, PRR expression was inhibited in heat-sensitive rice strains, and the methylation rates of the cytosines in the promoter region of PRR were greater in heat-sensitive strains as compared to heat-tolerant strains. Conclusions: After HNT exposure, cytosines in the CHH context were more likely than cytosines in other contexts to be methylated differently between the heat-sensitive and heat-tolerant rice strains. Methylation in the promoter regions of the genes associated with ABA-related oxidation and ROS scavenging improved heat tolerance in rice. Our results help to clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying rice heat tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp concentration was increased, during preparation of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), in an effort to improve the efficiency of cellulase pretreatment. It was hypothesized that increased pulp concentration could possibly increase the interactions between cellulase and cellulose, therefore improving the cellulase pretreatment efficiency and benefiting MFC and its film properties. Results showed that higher pulp concentration enhanced the cellulase adsorption ratio from 70% to 90% for pulp concentrations of 2% and 10%, during the pretreatment process. While pulp concentration was changed from 2% to 10% during cellulase pretreatment, the specific area rose from 30.1 m²/g to 35.5 m²/g. Compared with the original eucalyptus pulp, the crystallinity degree of different pulp concentration was increased, presumably due to the enzymatic breakdown of amorphous cellulose. In addition, the aspect ratio of MFC rose from 19.1 to 35.5. Concurrently, MFC film properties showed better performance, as the elongation at break increased from 0.75% to 1.95%, tensile strength increased from 15.3 MPa to 33.5 MPa, and oxygen permeability coefficient decreased from 111×10-14 cm³·cm/cm²·s·Pa to 89.7×10-14 cm³·cm/cm²·s·Pa, reflecting the oxygen barrier properties of MFC film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Glucose repression is a global regulatory system in baker's yeast. Maltose metabolism in baker's yeast strains is negatively influenced by glucose, thereby affecting metabolite productivity (leavening ability in lean dough). Even if the general repression system constituted by MIG1, TUP1 and SSN6 factors has already been reported, the functions of these three genes in maltose metabolism remain unclear. In this work, we explored the effects of MIG1 and/or TUP1 and/or SSN6 deletion on the alleviation of glucose-repression to promote maltose metabolism and leavening ability of baker's yeast. Results Results strongly suggest that the deletion of MIG1 and/or TUP1 and/or SSN6 can exert various effects on glucose repression for maltose metabolism. The deletion of TUP1 was negative for glucose derepression to facilitate the maltose metabolism. By contrast, the deletion of MIG1 and/or SSN6, rather than other double-gene or triple-gene mutations could partly relieve glucose repression, thereby promoting maltose metabolism and the leavening ability of baker's yeast in lean dough. Conclusions The mutants of industrial baker's yeast with enhanced maltose metabolism and leavening ability in lean dough were developed by genetic engineering. These baker's yeast strains had excellent potential industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lingguizhugan decoction (LGZG), a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been used to treat obesity and hyperlipidemia in recent years, but the related mechanisms underlying the regulation of lipid metabolism by LGZG are not clear yet. Here, we reported the effectiveness and possible mechanisms of LGZG on rats with fatty liver disease induced by high-fat diet (HFD). Our results demonstrated that LGZG significantly attenuated HFD-induced fatty liver disease, as measured by body weight, liver index, epididymal fat pad-body weight ratio (EFP/BW), liver injury, and hepatic triglycerides (TG) probably through increasing serum thyroid hormone levels, improving beta-oxidation (via modulation of TRβl and CPT1A expression), metabolism and transport (through modulation of SREBP-lc, ACSL and ApoBlOO expression) of fatty acid. In addition, we discovered the herbal combination with the properties of warming yang to relieve water retention in the formula and proposed the biological basis of LGZG conventional effect via further study on disassembled formula. This study, for the first time, revealed the mechanisms through which LGZG regulates lipid metabolism. Furthermore, our study suggested that it might be feasible to understand the scientific implications of TCM from the perspective of classic formulas' conventional efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the correlation between presbycusis and kidney deficiency as defined by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its material basis from the perspective of metabolism. Methods. Pure-tone audiometry was used to test auditory function. A kidney deficiency symptoms coring table was used to measure the kidney deficiency accumulated scores of the research subjects. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to measure the metabolites in the urine samples from 11 presbycusis patients and 9 elderly people with normal hearing. Results. Hearing loss in the elderly was positively correlated with kidney deficiency score in TCM. There were significant differences in urine metabolite profile between the presbycusis patients and the controls. A total of 23 differentially expressed metabolites were found. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that these metabolites were related to glutathione metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glucose metabolism, the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor pathway, and the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor pathway. Conclusion. Glutathione metabolism, amino acid metabolism, glucose metabolism, NMDA receptors, and GABA receptors may be related to the pathogenesis of presbycusis and may be the material basis underlying the correlation between presbycusis and kidney deficiency in TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anoikis has been recognized as a potential target for anticancer therapy. Polygonum cuspidatum (Huzhang) is a frequently used Chinese herb in hepatocarcinoma. In present study, we evaluated the effects of Polygonum cuspidatum extract (PCE) in hepatocarcinoma cells in suspension. The results showed that PCE inhibited the proliferation of hepatocarcinoma cells in suspension in a dose- and time-dependent manner. PCE also inhibited anchorage-independent growth of hepatocarcinoma cells in soft agar. PCE induced anoikis in human hepatocarcinoma Bel-7402 cells accompanied by caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage, which was completely abrogated by a pan caspase inhibitor, Z-VADF MK. In addition, PCE treatment induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in Bel-7402 cells. NAC, an ROS scavenger, partially attenuated PCE-induced anoikis and activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. Furthermore, PCE inhibited expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in Bel-7402 cells. Overexpression of FAK partially abrogated PCE-induced anoikis. These data suggest that PCE may inhibit suspension growth and induce caspase-mediated anoikis in hepatocarcinoma cells and may relate to ROS generation and FAK downregulation. The present study provides new insight into the application of Chinese herb for hepatocarcinoma treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The comparative study of differentially expression of protein profiles of hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines with various metastasic potential and screening key molecules related to hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis and recurrence. Methods: Using two-dimensional electrophoresis and liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), we analyzed differentially displayed proteomics of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines Hep3B, MHCC97L, MHCC97H with different metastasic potential. Results: Approximate 1,000 protein spots were detected on silver-stained gel by ImageMaster (977± 113 spots in Hep3B, 1092±40 in MHCC97L, and 889± 14 in MHCC97H). Fifty distinct different protein spots were analyzed with online LC- ESI-MS/MS. Only 26 protein spots had a positive result, including annexin1, S100A4, and so on. In comparison with nonmetastasis Hep3B cell lines, there were 16 proteins overexpressed in MHCC97H and MHCC97L, 10 proteins underexpressed in MHCC97H and MHCC97L. Applying cell immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR, we further validated two interesting and dif- ferent proteins, annexinl and S100A4. Conclusion: The protein profile of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines displayed obvious differences compared with non-metastatic liver cancer cell lines. The results imply that various different proteins may lead to HCC metastasis together. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]