Pholidota chinensis alleviates azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-induced colorectal carcinogenesis through inhibition of TLR4 and COX-2

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) always progresses to colorectal cancer (CRC) which is the second most frequent cause of death by cancer. It is about 2% of population in the lifetime worldwide who at the risk for development of CRC. Oxaliplatin is an effective anticancer drug used for the treatment of advanced CRC; however, it always causes a robust painful neuropathy. Pholidota chinensis is a Chinese folk herbal medicine which was used for treatment of inflammation such as gastroenteritis, duodenal ulcer and bronchitis.Materials and Methods: The azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) were used to induce the colon tumor of mice. The effect of Pholidota chinensis on colon tumorigenesis was evaluated. Immunohistochemistry and semi-quantitative RT-PCR were used to detect the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in colon.Results: Pholidota chinensis can alleviate the colon tumorigenesis. The prevention effects of Pholidota chinensis are similar to oxaliplatin. Specifically, administration of Pholidota chinensis solution suppresses the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2).Conclusion: Our findings suggested that Pholidota chinensis participate in the regulation of colon cancer development through inhibiting the expression of TLR4 and COX-2.Keywords: Pholidota chinensis; colorectal cancer; Toll-like receptor 4; Cyclooxygenase-

Historical Review about Research on “Bonghan System” in China

The meridian-collateral theory is the theoretical basis of acupuncture-moxibustion therapy. Professor Bonghan Kim, a professor of the Pyongyang Medical University of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, claimed that he found the anatomical structure of meridian-collaterals, named Bonghan corpuscles (BHCs) and Bonghan ducts (BHDs) system or primo vascular system (PVS), in 1962. From 1963 to 1965, researchers from our institute conducted a series of comparative anatomical experiments, trying to reproduce the so-called BHC- and BHD-like structures in different strains of animals. In the present paper, the authors introduced their research findings about BHC- and BHD-like structures in the young rabbit’s umbilicus including its external appearance, ectoplasm and endoplasm, and about strip-like and node-like objects in the blood vessels and lymph vessels near the larger abdominal and cervical blood vessels and chromaffin tissue in the back wall of the rabbit’s abdominal cavity and between the bilateral kidneys. In spite of existence of the BHC- and BHD-like structures in the rabbit, there has been no proved evidence for their association with the meridian-collateral system described in acupuncture medicine. In the present historical review, the authors also make a discussion about the significance of those findings

EFFECTS OF LONG-TERM TAI CHI EXERCISE ON BALANCE CONTROL IN OLDER ADULTS

This study assessed the static and dynamic balance control of older adults who have 10 years of Tai Chi exercise experience and compared their characteristics with their sedentary counterparts. The abilities were measured using methods: single-leg stance times with eyes open and closed; sway of center of pressure (COP) during static standing with eyes open/closed, and leaning the body in three specific directions. Compared with control group, 1) Tai Chi Group showed longer single-leg stance times with eyes open and closed, 2) slower sway velocity of COP in mediolateral and anterioposterior directions and shorter sway distance in both directions, and 3) shorter total, anterioposterior, and mediolateral routes and shorter time spent during the dynamic balance test. Long-term Tai Chi exercise improves the balance ability, especially the dynamic balance, of older adults

PHOLIDOTA CHINENSIS ALLEVIATES AZOXYMETHANE/DEXTRAN SULFATE SODIUM-INDUCED COLORECTAL CARCINOGENESIS THROUGH INHIBITION OF TLR4 AND COX-2

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) always progresses to colorectal cancer (CRC) which is the second most frequent cause of death by cancer. It is about 2% of population in the lifetime worldwide who at the risk for development of CRC. Oxaliplatin is an effective anticancer drug used for the treatment of advanced CRC, however, it always causes a robust painful neuropathy. Pholidota chinensis is a Chinese folk herbal medicine which was used for treatment of inflammation such as gastroenteritis, duodenal ulcer and bronchitis. In the present study, we examined the role of Pholidota chinensis in inflammation-related colon tumorigenesis which was induced by azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in mice. We found that Pholidota chinensis can alleviate the colon tumorigenesis. The prevention effects of Pholidota chinensis is similar to oxaliplatin. Specifically, administration of Pholidota chinensis solution suppresses the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Our findings suggested that Pholidota chinensis participate in the regulation of colon cancer development through inhibiting the expression of TLR4 and COX-2

CD4+ T Cell-Derived IL-2 Signals during Early Priming Advances Primary CD8+ T Cell Responses

Stimulating naïve CD8+ T cells with specific antigens and costimulatory signals is insufficient to induce optimal clonal expansion and effector functions. In this study, we show that the activation and differentiation of CD8+ T cells require IL-2 provided by activated CD4+ T cells at the initial priming stage within 0–2.5 hours after stimulation. This critical IL-2 signal from CD4+ cells is mediated through the IL-2Rβγ of CD8+ cells, which is independent of IL-2Rα. The activation of IL-2 signaling advances the restriction point of the cell cycle, and thereby expedites the entry of antigen-stimulated CD8+ T-cell into the S phase. Besides promoting cell proliferation, IL-2 stimulation increases the amount of IFNγ and granzyme B produced by CD8+ T cells. Furthermore, IL-2 at priming enhances the ability of P14 effector cells generated by antigen activation to eradicate B16.gp33 tumors in vivo. Therefore, our studies demonstrate that a full CD8+ T-cell response is elicited by a critical temporal function of IL-2 released from CD4+ T cells, providing mechanistic insights into the regulation of CD8+ T cell activation and differentiation

Vector-Virus Mutualism Accelerates Population Increase of an Invasive Whitefly

The relationships between plant viruses, their herbivore vectors and host plants can be beneficial, neutral, or antagonistic, depending on the species involved. This variation in relationships may affect the process of biological invasion and the displacement of indigenous species by invaders when the invasive and indigenous organisms occur with niche overlap but differ in the interactions. The notorious invasive B biotype of the whitefly complex Bemisia tabaci entered China in the late 1990s and is now the predominant or only biotype in many regions of the country. Tobacco curly shoot virus (TbCSV) and Tomato yellow leaf curl China virus (TYLCCNV) are two whitefly-transmitted begomoviruses that have become widespread recently in south China. We compared the performance of the invasive B and indigenous ZHJ1 whitefly biotypes on healthy, TbCSV-infected and TYLCCNV-infected tobacco plants. Compared to its performance on healthy plants, the invasive B biotype increased its fecundity and longevity by 12 and 6 fold when feeding on TbCSV-infected plants, and by 18 and 7 fold when feeding on TYLCCNV-infected plants. Population density of the B biotype on TbCSV- and TYLCCNV-infected plants reached 2 and 13 times that on healthy plants respectively in 56 days. In contrast, the indigenous ZHJ1 performed similarly on healthy and virus-infected plants. Virus-infection status of the whiteflies per se of both biotypes showed limited effects on performance of vectors on cotton, a nonhost plant of the viruses. The indirect mutualism between the B biotype whitefly and these viruses via their host plants, and the apparent lack of such mutualism for the indigenous whitefly, may contribute to the ability of the B whitefly biotype to invade, the displacement of indigenous whiteflies, and the disease pandemics of the viruses associated with this vector