Multidrug resistance reversal in human gastric carcinoma cells by neferine

AIIVI: To investigate the reversal effect of neferine on multidrug resistance in human gastric carcinoma cell line. METHODS: Cells of a human gastric cancer cells line, SGC7901, and its vincristine (VCR) -resistant variant, SGC7901/VCR, were cultivated with or without neferine and/or VCR. The cytotoxic effect of VCR was evaluated by the MTT assay. Cell apoptosis induced by VCR was determined by flow cytometry(FCM). The expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and a multidrug-resistance-associated protein (MRP) in cells was examined by immunofluorescence and FCM. RESULTS: Neferine at the concentration from 2.5 μmol/L to 10 μmol/L had no cytotoxicity to SGC7901 cells, and its variant SGC7901/VCR cells. The ICso of VCR against SGC7901 and SGC7901/VCR cells was 0.059 μg/mL and 2.32 μg/mL, respectively, indicating that SGC7901/VCR cells were 39 times more resistant to VCR than its parent SGC7 901 cells. After treatment with neferine at concentrations of 2.5, 5 and 10 μmol/L, the IC50 of VCR to SGC7901/VCR cell line decreased to 0.340, 0.128 and 0.053 μg/mL, respectively,thus, increased the chemosensitivity by 6.8-, 18.1- and 43.8-fold, respectively. SGC7901/VCR cells were apoptosis resistant to VCR. Neferine (2.5, 5 and 10 μmol/L) promoted the VCR-induced apoptosis of SGC7901/VCR cells in a dosedependent manner. The expressions of P-gp and MRP were strongly positive in SGC7901/VCR cells, which were significantly down-regulated after treatment with neferine (10 μmol/L)for 24 h. CONCLUSION: Neferine reverses multidrug resistance of human gastric carcinoma SGC7901/VCR cells, which may be associated with the down-regulations of P-gp and MRP expression in SGC701/VCR cells.

Ultrastructure of Oogenesis in Dryopteris crassirhizoma Nakai

Abstract: The ultrastructure of oogenesis in Dryopteris crassirhizoma Nakai has been investigated using transmission electron microscopy. The nucleus in the young egg is rounded with an uneven outline. As it develops, it becomes amoeboid and extends nuclear protrusions that are not only sac-like nuclear evaginations like those often seen in the oogenesis of other ferns, but also mushroom-like and finger-like, with an opening at their end allowing the nucleolus material to flow out from the openings. This has not been observed previously. The nuclear protrusions differ from Dryopteris filix-mas (L.) Schott. in the absence of sheets of nuclear membrane in the form of a closed ring. As the egg matures, the nucleus transforms into a tuber-like structure with a smooth surface, lying transversely in the egg cell. In the immature egg, vesicles almost encircle the nucleus twice and are most remarkable. In the maturing egg, the vesicles are distributed at the periphery, except for at the top of the egg, and affect the formation of the separation cavity and extra egg membrane. Simultaneously, vesicles from the venter canal cell move to the egg and take part in the formation of separation cavity and extra egg membrane. In the mature egg, a large number of small vesicles containing fragments of lamellae or osmiophilic material emerge from the cytoplasm. The origin of these vesicles is obscure. Irregular plastids containing a cylindrical starch grain dedifferentiated progressively. Mitochondria seem to have been undeveloped during the process, but return to normal at later stages of oogenesis. There is a high frequency of ribosomes in the mature egg. Microtubules, rarely seen in the eggs of D. filix-mas (L.) Schott. and Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, have been observed inside the plasmalemma of the maturing egg in D. crassirhizoma.