A Gene Chip Approach to Anti-cancer Effect of Tien-Shen Lingzhi Ethanol Extracts on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Line

[[abstract]]Background: Lung cancers are among the neoplastic diseases with the worst prognosis. More treatment modalities are needed to improve clinical outcome. It’s being a new trend to search for bioactive traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). Ganoderma, also known as Lingzhi, is a TCM and has been widely used for improving human health for centuries. We have addressed the anticancer effects of Ganoderma on various cancers. In this study, a comprehensive genomic profiling was used to further explore the signal pathway for the anticancer effects of Tien Shen Lingzhi(TSL),an improved strain of Ganoderma tsugae. Methods: A comparative genomics study was performed to search for TSL-mediated differential expressions on H23/0.3 cells. Bioinformatics tool, e.g., GeneGo Meta CoreTM ,was used to analyze the experimental results based on Affymetrix Human Genome U133 Plus 2.0 microarray. Results: The whole-genome expression profiles of H23/0.3 with or without TSL treatment were resolved by multidimentional scaling (MDS) analysis. It indicated a TSL-mediated cell cycle perturbation. Bioinformatics analysis showed cell cycle was the most affected pathway. GeneGo Meta CoreTM derived cellular pathway map revealed dramatic hits (17/26) on the signal transduction of DNA replication. The microarray results were confirmed by Q-PCR. Conclusion: The genomic microarray data demonstrates the TSL-induced cell cycle deregulation in H23/0.3 cells. TSL-mediated cell cycle perturbation on H23/0.3 cells is consistent with the cellular pathway map resulting from GeneGo Meta CoreTM analysis

Ganoderma tsugae Induces S Phase Arrest and Apoptosis in Doxorubicin-Resistant Lung Adenocarcinoma H23/0.3 Cells via Modulation of the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

Ganoderma tsugae (GT) is a traditional Chinese medicine that exhibits significant antitumor activities against many types of cancer. This study investigated the molecular mechanism by which GT suppresses the growth of doxorubicin-resistant lung adenocarcinoma H23/0.3 cells. Our results reveal that GT inhibits the viability of H23/0.3 cells in vitro and in vivo and sensitizes the growth suppression effect of doxorubicin on H23/0.3 cells. The data also show that GT induces S phase arrest by interfering with the protein expression of cyclin A, cyclin E, CDK2, and CDC25A. Furthermore, GT induces cellular apoptosis via induction of a mitochondria/caspase pathway. In addition, we also demonstrate that the suppression of cell proliferation by GT is through down-regulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study suggests that GT may be a useful adjuvant therapeutic agent in the treatment of lung cancer

Probiotic Formula Ameliorates Renal Dysfunction Indicators, Glycemic Levels, and Blood Pressure in a Diabetic Nephropathy Mouse Model

One-third of patients with end-stage chronic kidney disease (CKD) experience diabetic nephropathy (DN), which worsens the progression of renal dysfunction. However, preventive measures for DN are lacking. Lactobacillus acidophilus TYCA06, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis BLI-02, and Bifidobacterium bifidum VDD088 probiotic strains have been demonstrated to delay CKD progression. This study evaluated their biological functions to stabilize blood-glucose fluctuations and delay the deterioration of renal function. The db/db mice were used to establish a DN animal model. This was supplemented with 5.125 × 109 CFU/kg/day (high dose) or 1.025 × 109 CFU/kg/day (low dose) mixed with probiotics containing TYCA06, BLI-02, and VDD088 for 8 weeks. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine, blood glucose, and urine protein were analyzed. Possible mechanisms underlying the alleviation of DN symptoms by probiotic strains were evaluated through in vitro tests. Animal experiments revealed that BUN, serum creatinine, and blood glucose upon probiotic administration were significantly lower than in the control group. The rate of change of urine protein decreased significantly, and blood pressure, glucose tolerance, and renal fibrosis were improved. In vitro testing indicated that TYCA06 and BLI-02 significantly increased acetic acid concentration. TYCA06, BLI-02, and VDD088 were associated with better antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and glucose consumption activities relative to the control. A combination of the probiotics TYCA06, BLI-02, and VDD088 attenuated renal function deterioration and improved blood-glucose fluctuation in a diabetes-induced CKD mouse model