Cryptotanshinone Induces Apoptosis of HL-60 Cells via Mitochondrial Pathway

Purpose: To test the effect of Cryptotanshinone (CPT), a natural  compound isolated from the plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, on human leukemic cell lines (HL-60).Methods: HL-60 cells were treated with CPT. Cell growth inhibition (%) was quantitated using MTT assay. Apoptosis detection with Annexin  V-FITC/propidium iodide staining was followed by flow cytometry. Caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 colorimetric assay kit was used to determine caspase protease activity. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential was examined by flow cytometry with JC-1 staining. Bax, PARP, p53, p21 and cytochrome C were determined using Western blot.Results: Morphologic assessment, Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide  staining results and sub-G1 percentage indicate that the cytotoxic effect of CPT was mediated by induction of apoptosis. Furthermore, increased Bax expression, decreased Bcl-2 expression, loss of mitochondria membranepotential (MMP), release of cytochrome C, activation of caspase enzyme, cleavage of PARP and accumulation of p53 and p21 were detected during the apoptotic process. Caspase inhibitor partially abrogated CPT-induced apoptosis.Conclusion: The results show that CPT induced apoptosis of HL-60 cell lines by mitochondria pathway, and suggest that CPT may serve as a potential therapy for leukemia.Keywords: Cryptotanshinone, Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, Caspase,  Membrane potential, Mitochondrial, Apoptosis, Leukemia, Cytochrome C, Cell cycl

The appraisal similarity effect: how social appraisals influence liking

The effects of cognitive appraisals on interpersonal relationships have hardly been studied. Three experiments examined how empathic social appraisal could influence liking. We tested for the appraisal similarity effect in which perceived similarity in appraisals boosts liking. In Experiment 1, perception of appraisal similarity led participants to express liking by disclosing personal contact information. This effect was replicated using a selfreport measure of liking in Experiments 2 and 3. Also, by independently manipulating attitude similarity, the appraisal similarity effect was deactivated under perceived attitude dissimilarity. Likewise, the robust attitude similarity effect was invalidated under perceived appraisal dissimilarity. In Experiment 3, the perception of validated personal beliefs mediated this interactive effect in a moderated mediation scenario, and the appraisal similarity effect

Impacts of the seasonal distribution of rainfall on vegetation productivity across the Sahel

Climate change in drylands has caused alterations in the seasonal distribution of rainfall including increased heavy-rainfall events, longer dry spells, and a shifted timing of the wet season. Yet the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) in drylands is usually explained by annual-rainfall sums, disregarding the influence of the seasonal distribution of rainfall. This study tested the importance of rainfall metrics in the wet season (onset and cessation of the wet season, number of rainy days, rainfall intensity, number of consecutive dry days, and heavy-rainfall events) for growing season ANPP. We focused on the Sahel and northern Sudanian region (100–800 mm yr−1) and applied daily satellite-based rainfall estimates (CHIRPS v2.0) and growing-season-integrated normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; MODIS) as a proxy for ANPP over the study period: 2001–2015. Growing season ANPP in the arid zone (100–300 mm yr−1) was found to be rather insensitive to variations in the seasonal-rainfall metrics, whereas vegetation in the semi-arid zone (300–700 mm yr−1) was significantly impacted by most metrics, especially by the number of rainy days and timing (onset and cessation) of the wet season. We analysed critical breakpoints for all metrics to test if vegetation response to changes in a given rainfall metric surpasses a threshold beyond which vegetation functioning is significantly altered. It was shown that growing season ANPP was particularly negatively impacted after  > 14 consecutive dry days and that a rainfall intensity of  ∼ 13 mm day−1 was detected for optimum growing season ANPP. We conclude that the number of rainy days and the timing of the wet season are seasonal-rainfall metrics that are decisive for favourable vegetation growth in the semi-arid Sahel and need to be considered when modelling primary productivity from rainfall in the drylands of the Sahel and elsewhere

Comparison of chemical profiles and effectiveness between Erxian decoction and mixtures of decoctions of its individual herbs : a novel approach for identification of the standard chemicals

Acknowledgements This study was partially supported by grants from the Seed Funding Programme for Basic Research (Project Number 201211159146 and 201411159213), the University of Hong Kong. We thank Mr Keith Wong and Ms Cindy Lee for their technical assistances.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The observation of a positive magnetoresistance and close correlation among lattice, spin and charge around TC in antipervoskite SnCMn3

The temperature dependences of magnetization, electrical transport, and thermal transport properties of antiperovskite compound SnCMn3 have been investigated systematically. A positive magnetoresistance (~11%) is observed around the ferrimagnetic-paramagnetic transition (TC ~ 280 K) in the field of 50 kOe, which can be attributed to the field-induced magnetic phase transition. The abnormalities of resistivity, Seebeck coefficient, normal Hall effect and thermal conductivity near TC are suggested to be associated with an abrupt reconstruction of electronic structure. Further, our results indicate an essential interaction among lattice, spin and charge degrees of freedom around TC. Such an interaction among various degrees of freedom associated with sudden phase transition is suggested to be characteristic of Mn-based antiperovskite compounds.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure

Inhibition of inflammatory factors by parthenolide in human renal mesangial cells under hyperglycemic condition

The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of parthenolide (PTN) in human renal mesangial cells (HRMCs) under high ambient glucose conditions. First we determined the noncytotoxicconcentration of PTN in HRMCs by performing the MTS assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) analysis was performed to determine the expressions of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-18, tumornecrosis factor (TNF)-, transforming growth factor (TGF)-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)- 1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1, RANTES and prostaglandin (PG)E2. The total nitric oxide (NO) was determined by performing the Griess reaction. Treatment with less than 50 mol/L PTNconcentration did not affect the viability of HRMCs, while more than 100 ìmol/L concentrations markedly altered the cell viability. In the present study, treatment with 50 mmol/L glucose markedly increased the level of IL-1, IL-18, TNF-, TGF-1, MCP-1, MIP-1, RANTES, PGE2 and NO. PTNremarkably abolished the increase in the level of these molecules in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment with PTN concentration of 20 ìmol/L almost completely reversed IL-1 and TNF- expression, and treatment with 50 ìmol/L reversed the expression of RANTES. In conclusion, parthenolide can inhibit the high-glucose-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in HRMCs. Hence, PTN may be considered a promising drug with potent anti-inflammatory effect in addition to itsstrong anticancer, anti-angiogenesis, and antineurodegenerative effects

COMPARISON OF DEEP CRUSTAL COMPOSITIONS BETWEEN THE QINLING-DABIE OROGEN (CHINA) AND CENTRAL ASIAN OROGENIC BELT AND IMPLICATIONS FOR UNDERSTANDING ACCRETIONARY AND COLLISIONAL OROGENIC PROCESSES

It is generally considered that there are different continental compositions between a subductional– collisional and an accretionary orogen, however, what are the differences and how to identify them has not been well understood. This study attempts to discuss this problem by comparing Nd isotopic compositions of granitoids in the Qinling-Dabie orogen, a typical subductional-collisional orogen, with those in southwestern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), the world's largest phanerozoic accretionary orogenic belt.It is generally considered that there are different continental compositions between a subductional– collisional and an accretionary orogen, however, what are the differences and how to identify them has not been well understood. This study attempts to discuss this problem by comparing Nd isotopic compositions of granitoids in the Qinling-Dabie orogen, a typical subductional-collisional orogen, with those in southwestern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), the world's largest phanerozoic accretionary orogenic belt