Anticancer activities of chalcone flavokawain B from Alpinia pricei Hayata in human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cells via induction of reactive oxygen species-mediated apoptotic and autophagic cell death

Chalcones found in fruits and vegetables have promising cancer chemopreventive properties. This study attempts to identify the anticancer efficacies of chalcone flavokawain B (FKB) in the rhizomes of Alpinia pricei Hayata by examining key molecular events in non-small-cell lung cancer (A549) cells. Our results indicated that in human A549 cells, FKB (0–15 μg/ml) decreases cell viability and colony formation, dysregulates the Bax:B-cell lymphoma 2 ratio and increases apoptotic DNA fragmentation. Mitochondrial (caspase-9/-3 and poly ADP ribose polymerase [PARP]) signaling was found to be involved in FKB-induced apoptosis. In addition, FKB-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and N-acetylcysteine attenuated FKB-induced apoptotic cell death. Moreover, FKB triggered autophagy, as evidenced by the improved acidic vesicular organelle formation, lipidated light chain 3 (microtubule-related light chain 3) accumulation, and ATG7 expression and the decreased mammalian target of rapamycin phosphorylation. Furthermore, FKB suppressed ROS-mediated ATG4B expression. Inhibiting autophagy using 3-methyladenine/chloroquine diminished FKB-induced cell death, indicating that autophagy is triggered as a death mechanism by FKB. In summary, FKB has a crucial role in the execution and propagation of ROS-mediated apoptotic and autophagic cell death of lung adenocarcinoma cells.     

两种鮰科鱼类鳃部寄生的普氏趋鮰虫形态描述及系统发育分析

2018年9月至2019年10月,对新疆乌鲁木齐市区及巴楚县的鱼类进行寄生虫病原调查过程中,在斑点叉尾鮰(Ictalurus punctatus)和云斑(鱼回)(I. nebulosus)鳃部发现有单殖吸虫寄生,两种鱼所寄生的虫种形态基本一致,仅连接片形态稍有差异,通过形态学鉴定为锚首虫科(Ancyrocephalidae)趋(鱼回)虫属(Ligictaluridus)的普氏趋(鱼回)虫(L.pricei)。为验证形态鉴定的准确性,扩增了寄生虫的28S rDNA序列,并进行了系统发育分析。结果显示,两种鱼所寄生的单殖吸虫与普氏趋(鱼回)虫的相似度均达98%以上,在系统进化树中紧密聚为一支,置信度均为100;同时,两种虫与普氏趋(鱼回)虫间的遗传距离数值接近于零,表现出了很高的相似度和亲缘关系。因此根据形态特征和系统发育分析,确定这两种鱼感染的是同一种寄生虫。研究结果可为新疆人工养殖(鱼回)科鱼类的病害防治提供依据。