The Combination of Three Natural Compounds Effectively Prevented Lung Carcinogenesis by Optimal Wound Healing

The tumor stroma has been described as “normal wound healing gone awry”. We explored whether the restoration of a wound healing-like microenvironment may facilitate tumor healing. Firstly, we screened three natural compounds (shikonin, notoginsenoside R1 and aconitine) from wound healing agents and evaluated the efficacies of wound healing microenvironment for limiting single agent-elicited carcinogenesis and two-stage carcinogenesis. The results showed that three compounds used alone could promote wound healing but had unfavorable efficacy to exert wound healing, and that the combination of three compounds made up treatment disadvantage of a single compound in wound healing and led to optimal wound healing. Although individual treatment with these agents may prevent cancer, they were not effective for the treatment of established tumors. However, combination treatment with these three compounds almost completely prevented urethane-induced lung carcinogenesis and reduced tumor burden. Different from previous studies, we found that urethane-induced lung carcinogenesis was associated with lung injury independent of pulmonary inflammation. LPS-induced pulmonary inflammation did not increase lung carcinogenesis, whereas decreased pulmonary inflammation by macrophage depletion promoted lung carcinogenesis. In addition, urethane damaged wound healing in skin excision wound model, reversed lung carcinogenic efficacy by the combination of three compounds was consistent with skin wound healing. Further, the combination of these three agents reduced the number of lung cancer stem cells (CSCs) by inducing cell differentiation, restoration of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) and blockade of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our results suggest that restoration of a wound healing microenvironment represents an effective strategy for cancer prevention.     

Aspirin Use and Lung Cancer Risk: A Possible Relationship? Evidence from an Updated Meta-Analysis

Background and Purpose

Growing evidence has emerged and controversial results reported on possible relationship between aspirin use and lung cancer risk. We, therefore, conducted this updated and comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate this issue, with focus on dose-risk and duration-risk relationships.

Methods

We searched electronic databases including PUBMED, EMBASE and Cochrane library to identify eligible studies. Relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI) were used for cohort studies, while odds ratio (OR) were employed for case-control studies. The random effects and fixed effects models were used for analyses.

Results

18 studies were identified including 19835 lung cancer cases, which were eligible for inclusion in the present meta-analysis. Pooled data from case-control studies showed a significant inverse association between regular aspirin use and lung cancer risk. But for cohort studies, insignificant association was detected with little evidence of heterogeneity (RR: 1.05, 95%CI: 0.95 – 1.16; I²: 10.3%, p value: 0.351). In case-control studies, standard aspirin use (>325mg) was related to lower lung cancer incidence, compared with low-dose aspirin use (75–100mg). A similar trend was observed in cohort studies. Besides, when analysis was restricted to long time regular aspirin use (>5 years), insignificant results were reported in both cohort and case-control studies. Finally, regular aspirin use might result in higher reduction of non-small cell lung cancer incidence among men.

Conclusions

Our findings do not support the protective effect of regular aspirin use on lung cancer risk. Long time aspirin use, sex, dose and type of lung cancer might alter the effect of aspirin use on lung cancer risk. More well-designed studies are needed to further clarify these associations.     

A novel fibrin(ogen)olytic trypsin-like protease from Chinese oak silkworm (Antheraea pernyi): Purification and characterization

A novel fibrin(ogen)olytic protease from Antheraea pernyi (important economically insect), named cocoonase, was isolated by a combination of ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration. Furthermore, the characterization of cocoonase was investigated using fibrin(ogen)olytic, thrombolysis, and hemorrhagic assays. The NH₂-terminal sequence (IVGGY SVTID KAPYQ) was established by Edman degradation. Based on the N-terminal sequencing, cocoonase cDNA has been cloned by means of RT-PCR and 5′RACE. It is composed of 261 amino acid residues and possesses the structural features of trypsin-like serine protease. The purified cocoonase showed specific esterase activity on N-β-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl (BAEE), and the kinetic constants, Km and Vmax were 2.577 × 10⁻³ mol/L and 4.09 × 10⁻³ μmol/L/s, respectively. Cocoonase showed strong activities on both fibrin and fibrinogen, preferentially hydrolyzed Aα and Bβ chains followed by γ-chains of fibrinogen. Cocoonase exhibited a thrombolysis activity both in vitro (blood-clot lysis activity assay) and in vivo (carrageenan-induced thrombosis model). These findings indicate that A. pernyi cocoonase ia a novel fibrin(ogen)olytic enzyme and may have a potential clinical application as an antithrombotic agent.     

Cell surface sialic acid inhibits Cx43 gap junction functions in constructed Hela cancer cells involving in sialylated N-cadherin

Numerous studies have shown that changes in the glycan structures of cells correlate with tumorigenesis, however, a casual link between the altered glycan structures and the abnormal GJIC in cancer cells is rarely studied. In this paper, we investigated the effects of sialic acid on the Cx43 gap junction functions, and clarified its potential mechanisms thereby. Sialidase significantly increased Cx43 gap junction functions in constructed Cx43-Hela cells along with down-regulation of cell surface sialic acid, which is dramatically reversed by sialidase inhibitor NeuAc2en. Further study indicated that sialidase failed to affect Cx43 at either protein or phosphorylation level, instead, it induced a considerable fraction of Triton X-100 insoluble, as compared with the untreated cells. We also found that sialidase treatment reduced the N-cadherin glycosylation and enhanced both Cx43–ZO-1 interaction and N-cadherin–ZO-1 association. Moreover, sialidase promoted the cell–cell adhesion with elevating N-cadherin binding to β-catenin, accompanied by increasing colocalization of Cx43 with microtubules at the cell periphery. Based on live cell microscopy, with the FARP technology in the Cx43-EGFP-Hela cells, we found that Cx43 in the plague recovered more quickly in sialidase treatment group, indicating that sialidase could promote the Cx43 traffic to the plague. Overall, these studies indicate cell surface sialic acid on cancer cells may suppress Cx43 gap junction functions via inhibiting Cx43 traffic to the plague involving in sialylated N-cadherin, a process that likely underlies the intimate association between abnormal GJIC and glycosylation on cancer development.     

Quantitative Risk Assessment of Trichloroethylene for a Former Chemical Works in Shanghai,China

Assessment of the potential risks posed by chlorinated solvents in groundwater is the key to establish the extent of the contamination and derive achievable remedial targets should remediation deems necessary. This article first presents the application of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Risk Based Corrective Actions (RBCA) Guidance to quantitatively evaluate human health and environmental risk for a former chemical works in Shanghai, China. The observed maximum trichloroethylene (TCE) concentration in groundwater at the site reached 1220 mg/l that exceeded its solubility of 1070 mg/l at 10°C (Soil annual average temperature is 10°C in Shanghai). The maximum concentration for cis-1, 2-DCE (DCE) was also found to be elevated at 264 mg/l. A critical exposure pathway was considered to be indoor vapor intrusion of TCE into the buildings with excess lifetime cancer risk for children being 1.7 × 10^?3. This cancer risk exceeded regulatory limits of 1 × 10^?4 to 1 × 10^?6 for The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The calculated groundwater remedial targets for TCE and DCE are 7 mg/l and 904 mg/l, respectively, in order to protect child residents from inhalation of indoor vapors within the close proximity of the source area.     

Dietary supplementation with l-arginine or N-carbamylglutamate enhances intestinal growth and heat shock protein-70 expression in weanling pigs fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet

This study determined effects of dietary supplementation with l-arginine (Arg) or N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) on intestinal health and growth in early-weaned pigs. Eighty-four Landrace × Yorkshire pigs (average body weight of 5.56 ± 0.07 kg; weaned at 21 days of age) were fed for 7 days one of the three isonitrogenous diets: (1) a corn- and soybean meal-based diet (CSM), (2) CSM + 0.08% NCG (0.08%), and (3) CSM + 0.6% Arg. There were four pens of pigs per diet (7 pigs/pen). At the end of a 7-day feeding period, six piglets were randomly selected from each treatment for tissue collections. Compared with the control group, Arg or NCG supplementation increased (P < 0.05): (1) Arg concentrations in plasma, (2) small-intestinal growth, (3) villus height in duodenum, jejunum and ileum, (4) crypt depth in jejunum and ileum, (5) goblet cell counts in intestinal mucosae, and (6) whole-body weight gain in pigs. Real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analyses revealed that both mRNA and protein levels for heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) were higher (P < 0.05) in the intestinal mucosae of Arg- or NCG-supplemented pigs than in the control group. Furthermore, the incidence of diarrhea in the NCG group was 18% lower (P < 0.01) than that in the control group. Collectively, these results indicate that dietary supplementation with 0.6% Arg or 0.08% NCG enhances intestinal HSP70 gene expression, intestinal growth and integrity, and the availability of dietary nutrients for whole-body weight gain in postweaning pigs fed a CSM-based diet. Thus, Arg or NCG is a functional ingredient in the weaning diet to improve nutrition, health, and growth performance of these neonates.     

金匮肾气丸和男宝胶囊对肾阳虚证雄性大鼠生殖能力影响的干预研究

目的:研究金匮肾气丸和男宝胶囊对肾阳虚证雄性大鼠生殖能力的影响及作用机理.方法:用成年雄性SD大鼠80只随机分成4组:空白对照组(正常组)、金匮肾气丸组、男宝胶囊组、模型组.除正常组外,其他组大鼠用氢化可的松注射液制造肾阳虚模型.正常组和模型组用等体积蒸馏水灌胃,治疗组用相应剂量的药物灌胃,持续给药30d.检测各组大鼠左侧睾丸、脾脏、胸腺质量,测血清睾丸酮(T)、促黄体生成激素(LH)、促卵泡生成激素(FSH)水平,精子密度、精子活率改变情况.结果:模型组左侧睾丸、脾脏、胸腺质量低于正常组、金匮肾气丸组和男宝胶囊组(P.∞.05 o模型组血清T、LH、FSH水平低于正常组、金匮肾气丸组和男宝胶囊组(P＜0.05).模型组精子密度、精子活率低于正常组、金匮肾气丸组和男宝胶囊组(P＜0.05).结论:金匮肾气丸和男宝胶囊对肾阳虚证雄性大鼠生殖能力有较好的治疗作用.