Elevated intraocular pressure(IOP)is one of the causes of retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury,which results in NRP3 inflammasome activation and leads to visual damage.Homerla is repo rted to play a protective role in ...Elevated intraocular pressure(IOP)is one of the causes of retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury,which results in NRP3 inflammasome activation and leads to visual damage.Homerla is repo rted to play a protective role in neuroinflammation in the cerebrum.However,the effects of Homerla on NLRP3inflammasomes in retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury caused by elevated IOP remain unknown.In our study,animal models we re constructed using C57BL/6J and Homer1^(flox/-)/Homerla^(+/-)/Nestin-Cre^(+/-)mice with elevated IOP-induced retinal ischemia/repe rfusion injury.For in vitro expe riments,the oxygen-glucose deprivation/repe rfusion injury model was constructed with M uller cells.We found that Homerla ove rexpression amelio rated the decreases in retinal thickness and Muller cell viability after ischemia/reperfusion injury.Furthermore,Homerla knockdown promoted NF-κB P65^(Ser536)activation via caspase-8,NF-κB P65 nuclear translocation,NLRP3 inflammasome formation,and the production and processing of interleukin-1βand inte rleukin-18.The opposite results we re observed with Homerla ove rexpression.Finally,the combined administration of Homerla protein and JSH-23 significantly inhibited the reduction in retinal thickness in Homer1^(flox/-)Homer1a^(+/-)/Nestin-Cre^(+/-)mice and apoptosis in M uller cells after ischemia/reperfusion injury.Taken together,these studies demonstrate that Homer1a exerts protective effects on retinal tissue and M uller cells via the caspase-8/NF-KB P65/NLRP3 pathway after I/R injury.展开更多
BACKGROUND Diabetic intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)is a serious complication of diabetes.The role and mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC)-derived exosomes(BMSC-exo)in neuroinflammation post-ICH in patie...BACKGROUND Diabetic intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)is a serious complication of diabetes.The role and mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC)-derived exosomes(BMSC-exo)in neuroinflammation post-ICH in patients with diabetes are unknown.In this study,we investigated the regulation of BMSC-exo on hyperglycemia-induced neuroinflammation.AIM To study the mechanism of BMSC-exo on nerve function damage after diabetes complicated with cerebral hemorrhage.METHODS BMSC-exo were isolated from mouse BMSC media.This was followed by transfection with microRNA-129-5p(miR-129-5p).BMSC-exo or miR-129-5poverexpressing BMSC-exo were intravitreally injected into a diabetes mouse model with ICH for in vivo analyses and were cocultured with high glucoseaffected BV2 cells for in vitro analyses.The dual luciferase test and RNA immunoprecipitation test verified the targeted binding relationship between miR-129-5p and high-mobility group box 1(HMGB1).Quantitative polymerase chain reaction,western blotting,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were conducted to assess the levels of some inflammation factors,such as HMGB1,interleukin 6,interleukin 1β,toll-like receptor 4,and tumor necrosis factorα.Brain water content,neural function deficit score,and Evans blue were used to measure the neural function of mice.RESULTS Our findings indicated that BMSC-exo can promote neuroinflammation and functional recovery.MicroRNA chip analysis of BMSC-exo identified miR-129-5p as the specific microRNA with a protective role in neuroinflammation.Overexpression of miR-129-5p in BMSC-exo reduced the inflammatory response and neurological impairment in comorbid diabetes and ICH cases.Furthermore,we found that miR-129-5p had a targeted binding relationship with HMGB1 mRNA.CONCLUSION We demonstrated that BMSC-exo can reduce the inflammatory response after ICH with diabetes,thereby improving the neurological function of the brain.展开更多
Autophagy plays a pivotal role in diverse biological processes,including the maintenance and differentiation of neural stem cells(NSCs).Interestingly,while complete deletion of Fip200 severely impairs NSC maintenance ...Autophagy plays a pivotal role in diverse biological processes,including the maintenance and differentiation of neural stem cells(NSCs).Interestingly,while complete deletion of Fip200 severely impairs NSC maintenance and differentiation,inhibiting canonical autophagy via deletion of core genes,such as Atg5,Atg16l1,and Atg7,or blockade of canonical interactions between FIP200 and ATG13(designated as FIP200-4A mutant or FIP200 KI)does not produce comparable detrimental effects.This highlights the likely critical involvement of the non-canonical functions of FIP200,the mechanisms of which have remained elusive.Here,utilizing genetic mouse models,we demonstrated that FIP200 mediates non-canonical autophagic degradation of p62/sequestome1,primarily via TAX1BP1 in NSCs.Conditional deletion of Tax1bp1 in fip200hGFAP conditional knock-in(cKI)mice led to NSC deficiency,resembling the fip200hGFAP conditional knockout(cKO)mouse phenotype.Notably,reintroducing wild-type TAX1BP1 not only restored the maintenance of NSCs derived from tax1bp1-knockout fip200hGFAP cKI mice but also led to a marked reduction in p62 aggregate accumulation.Conversely,a TAX1BP1 mutant incapable of binding to FIP200 or NBR1/p62 failed to achieve this restoration.Furthermore,conditional deletion of Tax1bp1 in fip200hGFAP cKO mice exacerbated NSC deficiency and p62 aggregate accumulation compared to fip200hGFAP cKO mice.Collectively,these findings illustrate the essential role of the FIP200-TAX1BP1 axis in mediating the non-canonical autophagic degradation of p62 aggregates towards NSC maintenance and function,presenting novel therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.展开更多
Objective: To explore the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates insulin sensitivity through modulation of miR-455-5p in hepatic cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with or without DAG (1 μM). Glucose consumption,...Objective: To explore the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates insulin sensitivity through modulation of miR-455-5p in hepatic cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with or without DAG (1 μM). Glucose consumption, intracellular glycogen content, phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt stimulated by insulin, expression of miR-455-5p, as well as IGF-1R protein level were analyzed. In addition, bioinformatic analysis, dual luciferase reporter assay, miR- 455-5p mimic or inhibitor treatment was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Results: High glucose treatment upregulated miR-455-5p expression but reduced glucose consumption and glycogen content. DAG reversed the effect of high glucose on glucose metabolism, increased protein level of IGF-1R and phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt stimulated by insulin, as well as downregulated miR-455-5p expression. Bioinformatic analysis indicated IGF-1R was the target of miR-455-5p. Dual luciferase reporter assay, as well as transfection with miR-455-5p mimic/inhibitor confirmed that DAG activated IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt signaling via inhibiting miR-455-5p. Conclusion: DAG improves insulin resistance via miR-455-5p- mediated activation of IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt system, suggesting that suppression of miR-455-5p or activation of DAG may be potential targets for T2DM therapy.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the association between genetic polymorphisms in CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a high risk area of Gansu Province, in Chinese males. METHODS: A ca...AIM:To evaluate the association between genetic polymorphisms in CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a high risk area of Gansu Province, in Chinese males. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to investigate the genetic polymorphisms of these enzymes (CYP2E1 *c1/*c2, ALDH2 *1/*2 and ADH1B *1/*1 genotypes). A total of 80 esophageal cancer cases and 480 controls were recruited. RESULTS: Compared with controls, cases had a greater prevalence of heavier alcohol consumption (53.8% vs 16.2%) and a higher proportion of alcohol drinkers with > 30 drink-years (28.8% vs 13.5%). Heavier alcohol consumption and alcohol drinking with > 30 drink- years increased the risk of ESCC, with ORs (95% CI) of 3.20 (1.32-9.65) and 1.68 (0.96-3.21). CYP2E1 (*c1/*c1), ALDH2 (*1/*2) and ADH1B (*1/*1) genotype frequencies were higher among patients with squamous cell carcinomas, at a level close to statistical significance (P = 0.014; P = 0.094; P = 0.0001 respectively). There were synergistic interactions among alcohol drinking and ALDH2, ADH1B and CYP2E1 genotypes. The risk of the ESCC in moderate-to-heavy drinkers with an inactive ALDH2 encoded by ALDH2 *1/*2 as well as ADH1B encoded by ADH1B *1/*1 and CYP2E1 encoded by CYP2E1 *c1/*c1 was higher than that in the never/rare-to-light drinkers with an active ALDH2 (*1/*1 genotype) as well as ADH1B (*1/*2 + *2/*2) and CYP2E1 (*c1/*c2 + *c2/*c2) genotypes, with a statistically significant difference; ORs (95% CI) of 8.58 (3.28-22.68), 27.12 (8.52-70.19) and 7.64 (2.82-11.31) respectively. The risk of the ESCC in moderate-to-heavy drinkers with ALDH2 (*1/*2) combined the ADH1B (*1/*1) genotype or ALDH2 (*1/*2) combined the CYP2E1 (*c1/*c1) genotype leads to synergistic interactions, higher than drinkers with ALDH2 (*1/*1) + ADH1B (*1/*2 + *2/*2), ALDH2 (*1/*1) + CYP2E1 (*c1/*c2 + *c2/*c2) respectively , ORs (95% CI) of 7.46 (3.28-18.32) and 6.82 (1.44-9.76) respectively. Individuals with the ADH1B combined the CYP2E1 genotype showed no synergistic interaction. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found that alcohol consumption and polymorphisms in the CYP2E1, ADH1B and ALDH2 genes are important risk factors for ESCC, and that there was a synergistic interaction among polymorphisms in the CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B genes and heavy alcohol drinking, in Chinese males living in Gansu Province, China.展开更多
To develop well defined in vitro cell system to test cytotoxicity of a number of model toxins, genetically engineered V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts expressing isoenzymes of cytochrome P4501A1 XEM2 cells and V79 ce...To develop well defined in vitro cell system to test cytotoxicity of a number of model toxins, genetically engineered V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts expressing isoenzymes of cytochrome P4501A1 XEM2 cells and V79 cells (parental), which lack cytochrome P450 enzyme activities, were used as controls. The cytotoxic effect of trans 7,8 dihydrbenzo(a)pyrene (BP 7,8 diol) on the parental cells V79 and V79 derived XEM2 cells were evaluated by two methods for cell viability. The data obtained expressed that BP 7,8 diol ranging from 1.0 μmol·L 1 to 5.0 μmol·L 1 in concentrations incubated for 24 h showed a strong cytotoxic effect in XEM2 cells (expressing rat cytochrome P4501A1) in a concentration dependent manner. Time dependent decrease for survival of XEM2 cells was also observed at 2.5 μmol·L 1 concentration. Likewise, BP 7,8 diol did not alter the survival of the parental cells V79 under the same condition. This study also showed that α naphthoflavone (αNF), a well known inhibitor of cytochrome P4501A1 might alter BP 7,8 diol induced cytotoxicity in the XEM2 cells. Our results suggested that cytochrome P4501A1 is responsible for BP 7, 8 diol induced cytotoxicity.展开更多
Objective: To study the combined antitumor effect and possible mechanisms of ursolic acid with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on human esophageal carcinoma cell Eca-109 in vitro. Methods: Eca-109 cells were treated with ur...Objective: To study the combined antitumor effect and possible mechanisms of ursolic acid with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on human esophageal carcinoma cell Eca-109 in vitro. Methods: Eca-109 cells were treated with ursolic acid (10-50 μmol/L) and/or 5-fluorouracil (48.0-768.8 μmol/L) for 48 h in vitro. And then cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis rate were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The morphological changes of apoptosis were observed by fluorescent microscopy. At last the expression of P27kipl, bcl-2 and bax were detected by western blot. Results: Results: In comparison with single agent treatment, the combination of ursolic acid and 5-fluorouracil produced greater efficacy in growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and apoptosis induction (P〈0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the combination use of ursolic acid and 5-fluorouracil suppressed the expression of bcl-2 and increased the expressions of bax and P27kip1. Conclusion: Ursolic acid combined with 5-fluorouracil showed adjuvant antiproliferative effects on human esophageal carcinoma cell Eca-109 in vitro, which mainly due to the induction of cell cycle arrest as well as apoptosis.展开更多
基金supported by the Youth Development Project of Air Force Military Medical University,No.21 QNPY072Key Project of Shaanxi Provincial Natural Science Basic Research Program,No.2023-JC-ZD-48(both to FF)。
文摘Elevated intraocular pressure(IOP)is one of the causes of retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury,which results in NRP3 inflammasome activation and leads to visual damage.Homerla is repo rted to play a protective role in neuroinflammation in the cerebrum.However,the effects of Homerla on NLRP3inflammasomes in retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury caused by elevated IOP remain unknown.In our study,animal models we re constructed using C57BL/6J and Homer1^(flox/-)/Homerla^(+/-)/Nestin-Cre^(+/-)mice with elevated IOP-induced retinal ischemia/repe rfusion injury.For in vitro expe riments,the oxygen-glucose deprivation/repe rfusion injury model was constructed with M uller cells.We found that Homerla ove rexpression amelio rated the decreases in retinal thickness and Muller cell viability after ischemia/reperfusion injury.Furthermore,Homerla knockdown promoted NF-κB P65^(Ser536)activation via caspase-8,NF-κB P65 nuclear translocation,NLRP3 inflammasome formation,and the production and processing of interleukin-1βand inte rleukin-18.The opposite results we re observed with Homerla ove rexpression.Finally,the combined administration of Homerla protein and JSH-23 significantly inhibited the reduction in retinal thickness in Homer1^(flox/-)Homer1a^(+/-)/Nestin-Cre^(+/-)mice and apoptosis in M uller cells after ischemia/reperfusion injury.Taken together,these studies demonstrate that Homer1a exerts protective effects on retinal tissue and M uller cells via the caspase-8/NF-KB P65/NLRP3 pathway after I/R injury.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81900743Heilongjiang Province Outstanding Young Medical Talents Training Grant Project,China,No.HYD2020YQ0007.
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetic intracerebral hemorrhage(ICH)is a serious complication of diabetes.The role and mechanism of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell(BMSC)-derived exosomes(BMSC-exo)in neuroinflammation post-ICH in patients with diabetes are unknown.In this study,we investigated the regulation of BMSC-exo on hyperglycemia-induced neuroinflammation.AIM To study the mechanism of BMSC-exo on nerve function damage after diabetes complicated with cerebral hemorrhage.METHODS BMSC-exo were isolated from mouse BMSC media.This was followed by transfection with microRNA-129-5p(miR-129-5p).BMSC-exo or miR-129-5poverexpressing BMSC-exo were intravitreally injected into a diabetes mouse model with ICH for in vivo analyses and were cocultured with high glucoseaffected BV2 cells for in vitro analyses.The dual luciferase test and RNA immunoprecipitation test verified the targeted binding relationship between miR-129-5p and high-mobility group box 1(HMGB1).Quantitative polymerase chain reaction,western blotting,and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were conducted to assess the levels of some inflammation factors,such as HMGB1,interleukin 6,interleukin 1β,toll-like receptor 4,and tumor necrosis factorα.Brain water content,neural function deficit score,and Evans blue were used to measure the neural function of mice.RESULTS Our findings indicated that BMSC-exo can promote neuroinflammation and functional recovery.MicroRNA chip analysis of BMSC-exo identified miR-129-5p as the specific microRNA with a protective role in neuroinflammation.Overexpression of miR-129-5p in BMSC-exo reduced the inflammatory response and neurological impairment in comorbid diabetes and ICH cases.Furthermore,we found that miR-129-5p had a targeted binding relationship with HMGB1 mRNA.CONCLUSION We demonstrated that BMSC-exo can reduce the inflammatory response after ICH with diabetes,thereby improving the neurological function of the brain.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(U2004138,81773132,81820108021)University Excellent Teaching Team of“Qinglan Project”in Jiangsu Province(2022-25)+1 种基金Henan Province Key Research and Development Project(232102521028)Excellent Youth Foundation of Henan Scientific Committee(21230040016)。
文摘Autophagy plays a pivotal role in diverse biological processes,including the maintenance and differentiation of neural stem cells(NSCs).Interestingly,while complete deletion of Fip200 severely impairs NSC maintenance and differentiation,inhibiting canonical autophagy via deletion of core genes,such as Atg5,Atg16l1,and Atg7,or blockade of canonical interactions between FIP200 and ATG13(designated as FIP200-4A mutant or FIP200 KI)does not produce comparable detrimental effects.This highlights the likely critical involvement of the non-canonical functions of FIP200,the mechanisms of which have remained elusive.Here,utilizing genetic mouse models,we demonstrated that FIP200 mediates non-canonical autophagic degradation of p62/sequestome1,primarily via TAX1BP1 in NSCs.Conditional deletion of Tax1bp1 in fip200hGFAP conditional knock-in(cKI)mice led to NSC deficiency,resembling the fip200hGFAP conditional knockout(cKO)mouse phenotype.Notably,reintroducing wild-type TAX1BP1 not only restored the maintenance of NSCs derived from tax1bp1-knockout fip200hGFAP cKI mice but also led to a marked reduction in p62 aggregate accumulation.Conversely,a TAX1BP1 mutant incapable of binding to FIP200 or NBR1/p62 failed to achieve this restoration.Furthermore,conditional deletion of Tax1bp1 in fip200hGFAP cKO mice exacerbated NSC deficiency and p62 aggregate accumulation compared to fip200hGFAP cKO mice.Collectively,these findings illustrate the essential role of the FIP200-TAX1BP1 axis in mediating the non-canonical autophagic degradation of p62 aggregates towards NSC maintenance and function,presenting novel therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases.
基金Changshu Science and Technology Plan(Social Development)Project(No.CS202130)Key Project of Changshu No.2 People’s Hospital(No.CSEY2021007)。
文摘Objective: To explore the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates insulin sensitivity through modulation of miR-455-5p in hepatic cells. Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with or without DAG (1 μM). Glucose consumption, intracellular glycogen content, phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt stimulated by insulin, expression of miR-455-5p, as well as IGF-1R protein level were analyzed. In addition, bioinformatic analysis, dual luciferase reporter assay, miR- 455-5p mimic or inhibitor treatment was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms. Results: High glucose treatment upregulated miR-455-5p expression but reduced glucose consumption and glycogen content. DAG reversed the effect of high glucose on glucose metabolism, increased protein level of IGF-1R and phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt stimulated by insulin, as well as downregulated miR-455-5p expression. Bioinformatic analysis indicated IGF-1R was the target of miR-455-5p. Dual luciferase reporter assay, as well as transfection with miR-455-5p mimic/inhibitor confirmed that DAG activated IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt signaling via inhibiting miR-455-5p. Conclusion: DAG improves insulin resistance via miR-455-5p- mediated activation of IGF-1R/PI3K/Akt system, suggesting that suppression of miR-455-5p or activation of DAG may be potential targets for T2DM therapy.
文摘AIM:To evaluate the association between genetic polymorphisms in CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a high risk area of Gansu Province, in Chinese males. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted to investigate the genetic polymorphisms of these enzymes (CYP2E1 *c1/*c2, ALDH2 *1/*2 and ADH1B *1/*1 genotypes). A total of 80 esophageal cancer cases and 480 controls were recruited. RESULTS: Compared with controls, cases had a greater prevalence of heavier alcohol consumption (53.8% vs 16.2%) and a higher proportion of alcohol drinkers with > 30 drink-years (28.8% vs 13.5%). Heavier alcohol consumption and alcohol drinking with > 30 drink- years increased the risk of ESCC, with ORs (95% CI) of 3.20 (1.32-9.65) and 1.68 (0.96-3.21). CYP2E1 (*c1/*c1), ALDH2 (*1/*2) and ADH1B (*1/*1) genotype frequencies were higher among patients with squamous cell carcinomas, at a level close to statistical significance (P = 0.014; P = 0.094; P = 0.0001 respectively). There were synergistic interactions among alcohol drinking and ALDH2, ADH1B and CYP2E1 genotypes. The risk of the ESCC in moderate-to-heavy drinkers with an inactive ALDH2 encoded by ALDH2 *1/*2 as well as ADH1B encoded by ADH1B *1/*1 and CYP2E1 encoded by CYP2E1 *c1/*c1 was higher than that in the never/rare-to-light drinkers with an active ALDH2 (*1/*1 genotype) as well as ADH1B (*1/*2 + *2/*2) and CYP2E1 (*c1/*c2 + *c2/*c2) genotypes, with a statistically significant difference; ORs (95% CI) of 8.58 (3.28-22.68), 27.12 (8.52-70.19) and 7.64 (2.82-11.31) respectively. The risk of the ESCC in moderate-to-heavy drinkers with ALDH2 (*1/*2) combined the ADH1B (*1/*1) genotype or ALDH2 (*1/*2) combined the CYP2E1 (*c1/*c1) genotype leads to synergistic interactions, higher than drinkers with ALDH2 (*1/*1) + ADH1B (*1/*2 + *2/*2), ALDH2 (*1/*1) + CYP2E1 (*c1/*c2 + *c2/*c2) respectively , ORs (95% CI) of 7.46 (3.28-18.32) and 6.82 (1.44-9.76) respectively. Individuals with the ADH1B combined the CYP2E1 genotype showed no synergistic interaction. CONCLUSION: In our study, we found that alcohol consumption and polymorphisms in the CYP2E1, ADH1B and ALDH2 genes are important risk factors for ESCC, and that there was a synergistic interaction among polymorphisms in the CYP2E1, ALDH2 and ADH1B genes and heavy alcohol drinking, in Chinese males living in Gansu Province, China.
文摘To develop well defined in vitro cell system to test cytotoxicity of a number of model toxins, genetically engineered V79 Chinese hamster fibroblasts expressing isoenzymes of cytochrome P4501A1 XEM2 cells and V79 cells (parental), which lack cytochrome P450 enzyme activities, were used as controls. The cytotoxic effect of trans 7,8 dihydrbenzo(a)pyrene (BP 7,8 diol) on the parental cells V79 and V79 derived XEM2 cells were evaluated by two methods for cell viability. The data obtained expressed that BP 7,8 diol ranging from 1.0 μmol·L 1 to 5.0 μmol·L 1 in concentrations incubated for 24 h showed a strong cytotoxic effect in XEM2 cells (expressing rat cytochrome P4501A1) in a concentration dependent manner. Time dependent decrease for survival of XEM2 cells was also observed at 2.5 μmol·L 1 concentration. Likewise, BP 7,8 diol did not alter the survival of the parental cells V79 under the same condition. This study also showed that α naphthoflavone (αNF), a well known inhibitor of cytochrome P4501A1 might alter BP 7,8 diol induced cytotoxicity in the XEM2 cells. Our results suggested that cytochrome P4501A1 is responsible for BP 7, 8 diol induced cytotoxicity.
基金supported by the grants from the Natural science Foundation Project of Chongqing Sci & Tech Committee (CSCT, 2006BB5297)
文摘Objective: To study the combined antitumor effect and possible mechanisms of ursolic acid with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on human esophageal carcinoma cell Eca-109 in vitro. Methods: Eca-109 cells were treated with ursolic acid (10-50 μmol/L) and/or 5-fluorouracil (48.0-768.8 μmol/L) for 48 h in vitro. And then cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis rate were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM). The morphological changes of apoptosis were observed by fluorescent microscopy. At last the expression of P27kipl, bcl-2 and bax were detected by western blot. Results: Results: In comparison with single agent treatment, the combination of ursolic acid and 5-fluorouracil produced greater efficacy in growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase, and apoptosis induction (P〈0.05). Western blot analysis showed that the combination use of ursolic acid and 5-fluorouracil suppressed the expression of bcl-2 and increased the expressions of bax and P27kip1. Conclusion: Ursolic acid combined with 5-fluorouracil showed adjuvant antiproliferative effects on human esophageal carcinoma cell Eca-109 in vitro, which mainly due to the induction of cell cycle arrest as well as apoptosis.