Network pharmacology and subsequent experimental validation reveal the synergistic myocardial protection mechanism of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge.and Carthamus tinctorius L.

Objective:To reveal the molecular mechanism underlying the compatibility of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge(S.miltiorrhiza,Dan Shen)and C.tinctorius L.(C.tinctorius,Hong Hua)as an herb pair through network pharmacology and subsequent experimental validation.Methods:Network pharmacology was applied to construct an active ingredient-efficacy target-disease protein network to reveal the unique regulation pattern of s.miltiorrhiza and C.tinctorius as herb pair.Molecular docking was used to verify the binding of the components of these herbs and their potential targets.An H9c2 glucose hypoxia model was used to evaluate the efficacy of the components and their synergistic effects,which were evaluated using the combination index.Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression of these targets.Results:Network pharmacology analysis revealed 5 pathways and 8 core targets of s.miltiorrhiza and C.tinctorius in myocardial protection.Five of the core targets were enriched in the hypoxia-inducible factor-1(HIF-1)signaling pathway.S.miltiorrhiza-C.tinctorius achieved vascular tone mainly by regulating the target genes of the HIF-1 pathway.As an upstream gene of the HIF-1 pathway,STAT3 can be activated by the active ingredients cryptotanshinone(Ctan),salvianolic acid B(Sal.B),and myricetin(Myric).Cell experiments revealed that Myric,Sal.B,and Ctan also exhibited synergistic myocardial protective activity.Molecular docking verified the strong binding of Myric,Sal.B,and Ctan to STAT3.Western blot further showed that the active ingredients synergistically upregulated the protein expressionof STAT3.Conclusion:The pharmacodynamic transmission analysis revealed that the active ingredients of S.miltiorrhiza and C.tinctorius can synergistically resist ischemia through various targets and pathways.This study provides a methodological reference for interpreting traditional Chinese medicine compatibility.

Isolation and expression analysis of CBF4 from <i>Vitis amurensis</i>associated with stress

The C-repeat Binding Factor/Dehydration Responsive Element Binding factor (CBF/DREB) responsive pathway is involved in plant response to abiotic stress. In this study, we report the isolation of VaCBF4 (a complete cDNA) and its promoter from Vitis amurensis through rapid amplification of cDNA ends and genome walking techniques, respectively. The CBF4 transcript accumulation of V. amurensis increased under cold, salinity, and abscisic acid (ABA) and salicylic acid (SA) treatments, whereas that of Vitis vinifera showed a different change. The transcript levels of VaCBF4 inthe roots, stems, leaves, and petioles under cold, salinity, and ABA and SA treatments were up-regulated in a timedependent manner. The presence of the cis-elements MBC, ABRE, and as-2-box in the VaCBF4 promoter further confirmed that this promoter is a component of the CBF transduction pathway, which is involved in plant response to multistress.

Isolation and expression characterization of CBF2 in <i>vitis amurensis</i>with stress

The transcription factor VaCBF2, which interacts with C-repeat/DRE and its promoter, was isolated from Vitis amurensis. The VaCBF2 amino acid sequence contained a conserved AP2 domain of 56 amino acids and a potential nuclear localization sequence. The sequence of VaCBF2 showed a high level of homology with other CBF2 family members. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the amino acid sequences may be CBF2 proteins with evolutionary relationship. Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis indicated that the expression of VaCBF2 gene in tissues (roots, stems, leaves, and petioles) was induced by low temperature, high salinity, and application of abscisic acid and salicylic acid in a time-dependent manner but to different extents in the cold-hardy V. amurensis and the less cold-hardy Vitis vinifera. The presence of cis-elements such as MYC and ABRE in VaCBF2 promoter further confirmed that this promoter was a component of the CBF transduction pathway involved in plant response to multiple stresses.

The effects of acetaminophen combined with radiation on the radiosensitivity of irradiated human glioma cell progeny

Objective： To study the effects of acetaminophen （ACE） combined with radiation on the progeny of the human glioma cell line SHG-44, and to investigate if ACE may be an useful therapeutic radiosensitivity agent in the treatment of recurrent human glioma. Methods： A randomized, controlled experiment, was performed at the Department of Radiology Laboratory, the First Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, between September 2004 and January 2006. Brain glioma SHG-44 cells were divided into three groups： SHG-44, SHG-44-10, and SHG-44-10 ＋ ACE cells groups. The SHG-44-10 cells group was irradiated with dose of 10 Gy by a linear accelerator （6 MVX）. It was passaged for 15 generations and cultured in RPMI-1640 culture media. Then SHG-44-10 ＋ ACE cells group was treated with ACE. Measures： Community re-double time, mean lethal dose （DO）, extrapolation number （N）, fraction surviving fraction irradiated by 2 Gy dose （SF2）, quasi-threshold dose （Dq）, and cell cycle. Results： The SF2 of the SHG-44, SHG-44-10, and SHG-44-10 ＋ ACE cells groups were 70.8%, 80.6% and 45.2%, respectively, with significance （P = 0.040）. The SHG-44-10 and SHG-44-10 ＋ ACE cells groups were irradiated with 8 Gy. After 12 hours, the G2/M ratio of the SHG-44-10 and SHG-44-10 ＋ ACE cells groups were indicating significantly higher ratio compared to pre-irradiated groups （P 〈 0.01）. After 24 hours, the G2/M ratio of the SHG-44-10 cells group decreased rapidly, while the ratio of the SHG-44-10 ＋ ACE cells group still maintained in high level. Conclusion： In the present study, Subtoxic dose of ACE increased the radiosensitivity of the progeny of irradiated human glioma cell. ACE may be an useful radiosensitivity agent in the treatment of recrudescent human malignant glioma.

Posner-Schlossman syndrome:a 10-year review of clinical experience

Background:To describe our 10-year experience with Posner-Schlossman syndrome(PSS)in terms of morbidity and prognosis.Methods:We investigated 72 cases(74 eyes;both eyes of 2 cases)of PSS between July 2005 and July 2015.Data were collected on intraocular pressure(IOP),keratic precipitates(KP),anterior chamber,pupil,optic nerve disc and visual field,as well as general characteristics.Each case was examined every 3 to 7 days during attacks and every 2 to 6 months between attacks.Results:The mean age of the 72 patients(41 men)was 40±6 years(range,16-64 years).The mean disease duration was 4.3 years(range,1-7 years)and mean follow-up 4.9 years(range,1-8 years).Medical treatment was efficacious for 62 patients(62 eyes,83.78%).Ten patients exhibited progressive cupping and visual field loss(12 eyes,16.22%),all had normal IOP and no recurrence of PSS after trabeculectomy with anti-metabolite treatment.Conclusions:Although the prognosis of most PSS is usually benign,the IOP and optic nerve disc must be monitored.Visual-field damage can occur with long-term disease and frequent attacks.

ETME,a novel β-elemene derivative,synergizes with arsenic trioxide in inducing apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in hepatocarcinoma cells via a p53-dependent pathway

Arsenic trioxide(ATO)has been identified as an effective treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL)but is much less effective against solid tumors such as hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).In the search for ways to enhance its therapeutic efficacy against solid tumors,we have examined its use in combination with a novel derivative ofβ-elemene,N-(β-elemene-13-yl)tryptophan methyl ester(ETME).Here we report the effects of the combination on cell viability,apoptosis,the cell cycle and mitochondria membrane potential(MMP)in HCC SMMC-7721 cells.We found that the two compounds acted synergistically to enhance antiproliferative activity and apoptosis.The combination also decreased the MMP,down-regulated Bcl-2 and pro-proteins of the caspase family,and up-regulated Bax and BID,all of which were reversed by the p53 inhibitor,pifithrin-α.In addition,the combination induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and reduced tumor volume and weight in an xenograft model of nude mice.Overall,the results suggest that ETME in combination with ATO may be useful in the treatment of HCC patients particularly those unresponsive to ATO alone.