Background: Lycium barbarum L. (LbL), as one of the traditional Chinese medicines, has been used to treat lung disease, hematemesis, hypertension, inflammation and diabetes for centuries. This study aims to reveal the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of LbL root bark extract on hyperlipidemic alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Methods: A total of 24 male, hyperlipidemic, alloxan-induced diabetic mice were divided into three groups: diabetes control, diabetes plus LbL high dose (200 mg/kg) and diabetes plus LbL low dose (100 mg/kg). One group of eight normal mice was kept as a control. The four groups of mice were administered LbL solution or dH2O daily for 28 days. Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, body weight and serum insulin levels have been determined. Results: Results indicated that LbL-treated groups resulted in significant dose-dependent decreases of fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides. The LbL treated group also showed a tendency to improve in body w...
We have examined the effects of the crude polysaccharides isolated from Solanum nigrum Linne (SNL-P) in vitro and in vivo against U14 cervical cancer. SNL-P showed no antiproliferative effects in vitro at a dose up to 1 mg/ml. In vivo administration with SNL-P (90, 180, 360 mg/kg b.w., p.o.) decreased the number of ascites tumor cells and prolonged the survival time of U14 cervical-cancer-bearing mice. FACScan flow cytometer analysis showed that most of the ascites tumor cells were arrested in G2/M phase of cell cycle and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subpopulations were restored following treatment of SNL-P. Furthermore, the treatment with SNL-P also caused a significant increment in IFN-gamma (p < 0.01, 90, 180 and 360 mg/kg b.w.) and a remarkable decrease in Il-4 (p < 0.01, 90, 180 mg/kg b.w.; p < 0.05, 360 mg/kg b.w.) by the method of ELISA. These data showed that SNL-P possess potent antitumor activity and SNL-P might exert antitumor activity via activation of different immune responses in the host rather than by directly attacking cancer cells on the U14 cervical cancer bearing mice. Thus, SNL-P could be used as an immunomodulator and an anticancer agent.
Zearalenone (ZEA) widely exists in moldy grains, which seriously destroys the fertility of females. Isorhamnetin, a natural flavonoid, has extensive of pharmacological activities. However, the beneficial effect and the underlying molecular mechanism of isorhamnetin involvement in ZEA-induced porcine oocyte damage have not been investigated.Oocytes were treated with different concentrations of ZEA (3, 5, 8 and 10 μmol/L) and isorhamnetin (5, 10, 20 and 30 μmol/L) for 44 h at 39 ℃. ZEA (5 μmol/L) and isorhamnetin (10 μmol/L) were selected for subsequent studies. Polar body exclusion rate, apoptosis rate and apoptosis related proteins, ROS levels and SOD2 protein, mitochondrial membrane potential and distribution, endoplasmic reticulum distribution and proteins expression, and PI3K, Akt and p-Akt proteins expression of oocytes were detected. In addition, the effect of PI3K antagonist (LY294002) on oocyte nuclear maturation and apoptosis were used to determine the involvement of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Our findings showed that ZEA exposure damaged oocytes and isorhamnetin therapy restored the developmental capability of porcine oocytes. Isorhamnetin promoted polar body extrusion rate to rescue ZEA-induced meiotic arrest in porcine oocytes. Isorhamnetin alleviated ZEA-induced oxidative stress by stimulating SOD2 protein expression and inhibiting ROS production. Moreover, isorhamnetin enhanced normal mitochondrial distribution and mitochondrial membrane potential to prevent mitochondrial dysfunction induced by ZEA. Changing the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related marker proteins (CHOP, GRP78) and the distribution rate of normal endoplasmic reticulum showed that isorhamnetin relieved ZEA-caused endoplasmic reticulum stress. Mechanistically, isorhamnetin decreased Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression and inhibited ZEA-induced apoptosis through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.Collectively, these results suggest that isorhamnetin protects oocytes from ZEA-caused damage through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which enhances meiotic maturation and mitochondrial function, and inhibits early apoptosis, oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum stress in porcine oocytes. Our study provides a new strategy for solving the reproductive toxicity induced by ZEA and treating woman infertility. A possible mechanism by which isorhamnetin protected porcine oocytes from ZEA-induced damage. Isorhamnetin inhibited meiosis arrest and apoptosis of porcine oocytes induced by ZEA through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, isorhamnetin repaired ZEA-induced oocyte damage by alleviating oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress.
Paeonol is a major phenolic micromolecular component of Moutan cortex Radicis, a traditional Chinese Medicine. It has shown antitumor effects in previous studies; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This study investigated the mechanism by giving treatments of placebo, cyclophosphamide, paeonol of 150 and 300 mg/kg to 4 groups of mice bearing EMT6 breast cancer. Apoptosis in tumor cells were confirmed by morphology analysis, including hematoxylin, eosin staining and TUNEL staining. The results showed that the weight of EMT6 breast tumor was significantly reduced in the groups treated with both 150 and 300 mg/kg of paeonol. Immunohistochemical and Western blot results showed that the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated while the expression of Bax, caspase 8 and caspase 3 was up-regulated respectively. These results suggest that paeonol exhibits antitumor effects and the mechanism of the inhibition is via induction of apoptosis, regulation of Bcl-2 and Bax expression, and activation of caspase 8 and caspase 3.
This study demonstrated that the total alkaloids isolated from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Solanum nigrum Linne (SNL-A) inhibited the growth of human cervical cancer HeLa cells in culture medium with much lower toxicity to human normal lymphocytes. By means of HE staining and TUNEL assay, our results further revealed that SNL-A induced cell death by apoptosis. An immunohistochemical assay showed down-regulation of the bcl-2 and p53 genes and no obvious change of bax gene in the SNL-A treated cells. Subcutaneous injection of HeLa cells induced tumor formation in nude mice, and SNL-A showed a significant inhibitory effect on tumor formation. These results suggested that SNL-A may be a potential, natural apoptosis-inducing agent for cervical cancer.
The objective of this study was to observe the apoptosis-inducing effect and mechanism of baicalin on human cervical cancer HeLa cells. The inhibitory effect of baicalin on the growth of HeLa cells was measured by MTT assay, and cell proliferation and migration was analyzed by cell scratch assay. Morphological changes of apoptotic cells were viewed by the light microscope and electron microscope, and cell growth arrest was confirmed by flow cytometry. Moreover, Western blot was used for investigating the expression of apoptosis related proteins; spectrophotometry was used to examine Caspase-3 activation. Our results showed that baicalin could inhibit the proliferation of HeLa Cells via induction of apoptosis in a time and dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). Apoptotic signaling induced by baicalin was characterized by up-regulating Bax, Fas, FasL and Caspase-8 protein expression, and down-regulating of Bcl-2 protein expression. These results indicated that baicalin-induced apoptosis involved activation Caspase-3 in HeLa cells through the intracellular mitochondrial pathway and the surface death receptor pathway.
Lycium barbarum is one of the traditional oriental medicines. It has been reported to reduce blood glucose levels. In this study, the effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on the improvement of insulin resistance and lipid profile was studied in rats, a model for non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The rats were divided into three groups: control, NIDDM control, and NIDDM+LBP. Diabetes model groups were made by feeding high-fat diet and subjecting to i.p. streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). LBP treatment for 3 weeks resulted in a significant decrease in the concentration of plasma triglyceride and weight in NIDDM rats. Furthermore, LBP markedly decreased the plasma cholesterol levels and fasting plasma insulin levels, and the postprandial glucose level at 30 min during oral glucose tolerance test and significantly increased the Insulin Sensitive Index in NIDDM rats. In the present study, we have tested that LBP can alleviate insulin resistance and the effect of LBP is associated with increasing cell-surface level of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle of NIDDM rats. Under insulin stimulus, GLUT4 content in plasma membrane in NIDDM control rats was significantly lower than that of control (p<0.01), and GLUT4 content in the plasma membrane in NIDDM+LBP rats was higher than that of NIDDM control rats (p<0.01). In conclusion, LBP can ameliorate insulin resistance, and the mechanism may be involved in increasing cell-surface level of GLUT4, improving GLUT4 trafficking and intracellular insulin signaling.
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Scutellaria baicalensis which is a traditional plant amedica in China possesses a wide anti-cancer effect. However, the inhibition effect and mechanism of S. baicalensis on cervical cancer is not clear up to now. In our study, two kinds of ethanol extract of S. baicalensis were used in U14 cervical cancer mice. The rate of tumor inhibition was detected, and the tumor cell morphology was observed by hematoxylin and eosin (H.E.) staining method. The cell cycle and apoptosis rate were examined by flow cytometry and the content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in serum was determined by enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Furthermore, the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and Bax gene was detected by immunohistochemistry method. The results showed that the tumor growth could be inhibited with the highest inhibition rate of 59.86% and the apoptosis of tumor cells could be induced and cell cycles were arrested at S phase in the ethanol extract of S. baicalensis groups. Besides, the content of TNF-α in serum was significantly increased (P<0.05). The Bcl-2 positive cells got significance reduction and Bax positive cells were increased. So we conclude that the ethanol extract of S. baicalensis can inhibit the growth of tumor cells, arrest the cell cycle and induce the cells apoptosis and increase the content of tumor necrosis factor-alpha TNF-α in serum. The mechanism of anti-tumor activity might be associated with down regulating the level of Bcl-2 gene and up regulating the level of Bax gene.
Isorhamnetin is a natural flavonoid with various pharmacological activities, which can be widely and continuously ingested by humans and animals through their daily diet. The aim of this study is to explore the benefits and molecular mechanisms of isorhamnetin on oocyte maturation.
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