{"title":"Scavenging effect of chinonin on free radicals studied with quantum chemistry.","authors":"H Y Zhang","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study whether the xanthonoid structure can enhance the ability of chinonin to scavenge free radicals and to understand the sequence of activity of chinonin hydroxyls.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Semiempirical quantum chemistry method AM1 was employed to calculate delta HOF values, the differences between heat of formations of mother molecule and its free radicals, and spin density distribution of different states of chinonin. delta HOF values were used as theoretical indices to measure scavenging activity of chinonin on free radicals and effects of structure on delta HOF values were investigated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>delta HOF values of different phenolics were calculated to be 139.09 kJ.mol-1 (O5-H6), 141.46 kJ.mol-1 (O4-H5), 185.14 kJ.mol-1 (O2-H2) and 195.71 kJ.mol-1 (O1-H1). Spin density distribution of free radicals were obtained as well.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Xanthonoid structure of chinonin made ring C to display high passive effect on ring B, which reduced scavenging activity of phenolics of ring B on free radicals. The sequence of activities of chinonin hydroxyls was O5-H6 > O4-H5 > O2-H2 > O1-H1.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532724","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Protective effect of melatonin on injuried cerebral neurons is associated with bcl-2 protein over-expression.","authors":"X Ling, L M Zhang, S D Lu, X J Li, F Y Sun","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the protective effect of melatonin against neuronal injury and the possible roles of alteration in the expression of bcl-2 and bax following brain ischemia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Brain ischemia was induced by left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 60 min in rats. Brain damage was evaluated by the infarct area and the neuronal cell counting. The expression of bcl-2 and bax was analyzed by immunohistochemical method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Melatonin decreased the infarct area and prevented the neuronal death after 24-h reperfusion following 1-h MCAO. Melatonin given before the ischemia enhanced the expression of bcl-2 in the penumbra area and had no significant effect on the expression of bax.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Melatonin effectively attenuated ischemic brain injury and increased the expression of neuronal bcl-2 in the ischemic brain, indicating that the protective effect of melatonin was associated with up-regulation of bcl-2 in ischemia-induced neuronal death.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21531606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Circumvention of tumor multidrug resistance by a new annonaceous acetogenin: atemoyacin-B.","authors":"L W Fu, Q C Pan, Y J Liang, H B Huang","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To explore the effect of atemoyacin-B (Ate) on overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Bullatacin (Bul) was used as a positive control. Cytotoxic effects of Bul and Ate were studied with cell culture of human MDR breast adenocarcinoma cells, MCF-7/Dox and human KBv200 cells, and their parental sensitive cell lines MCF-7 and KB. Cytotoxicity was determined by tetrazolium (MTT) assay. The function of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) was examined by Fura 2-AM assay. Cellular accumulation of doxorubicin (Dox) was determined by fluorescence spectrophotometry. Apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>IC50 of Ate for MCF-7/Dox, MCF-7, KBv200, and KB cells were 122, 120, 1.34, and 1.27 nmol.L-1, respectively. IC50 of Bul for MCF-7/Dox, MCF-7, KBv200, and KB cells were 0.60, 0.59, 0.04, and 0.04 nmol.L-1, respectively. The cytotoxicities of Bul and Ate to MDR cells were similar to those to parental sensitive cells. Bul and Ate markedly increased cellular Fura-2 and Dox accumulation in MCF-7/Dox cells, but not in MCF-7 cells. The rates of apoptosis in MDR cells were similar to those in sensitive cells induced by Ate.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There was no cross-resistance of P-gp positive MCF-7/Dox and KBv200 cell lines to Bul and Ate as compared with their sensitive P-gp negative MCF-7 and KB cell lines. The mechanism of the circumvention of MDR was associated with the decrease of P-gp function and the increase of cellular drug accumulation in MDR cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dynamic digital fluorescence ratio imaging of cell calcium in vascular endothelial cells.","authors":"C Y Kwan, T K Kwan","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the spatial and temporal distribution of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in cultured bovine pulmonary artery endothelial (BPAE) cells.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cultured BPAE cells were loaded with Fura-2 and observed under an inverted microscope coupled to a microfluorimeter, which enables pixel-to-pixel ratio imaging of the BPAE cells in real time.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Addition of Ca2+ 1-2 mmol.L-1 to BPAE cells, which were exposed to Ca(2+)-free medium containing egtazic acid, resulted in a transient elevation of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration, which rapidly returned to the resting level. Biphasic elevation (a larger transient phase followed by a smaller sustained phase) of intracellular Ca2+ concentration was observed upon the addition of ATP (via activation of surface membrane receptor). 4-Chloro-3-ethyl phenol (CEP; an activator of Ca(2+)-induced Ca2+ channels) potently induced elevation of Ca2+ level. Cyclopiazonic acid (CPA; an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase pump) offered a more sustained elevation of Ca2+. In most cases, the highest level of Ca2+ elevation was observed around the cell peripheries, sometimes at rest and particularly upon stimulation. Ca2+ elevation associated with nuclear complex seemed to be higher compared to that in the cytosolic compartment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Changes of cell Ca2+ upon stimulation by various agents that acted at different intracellular sites were found to be temporarily and spatially heterogenous among BPAE cells. At the single cell level, Ca2+ elevation seemed to occur initially near the peripheral region followed by the nuclear region. This study raised the possibility that nuclear Ca2+ and cytosolic Ca2+ might be regulated independently in BPAE cells.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21531601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Antagonistic effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on adhesion of monocytes and neutrophils to cultured cerebral microvascular endothelial cells.","authors":"J P Xu, Y C Rui, T J Li","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the action of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) on tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha)-induced adhesion of monocytes (Mon) and neutrophils (Neu) to cultured cerebral microvascular endothelial cells.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>TNF-alpha-induced endothelial adhesivity toward Mon and Neu was studied using bovine cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (BCMEC) in vitro. The number of Mon and Neu adhering to the BCMEC monolayers was determined by flow cytometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pretreatment of BCMEC with TNF-alpha increased Mon and Neu adhesion to BCMEC from 12.5% +/- 0.2% to 31.3% +/- 0.5% and from 13.8% +/- 0.4% to 32.1% +/- 0.5%, respectively. GbE (1-100 mg.L-1) inhibited the effect of TNF-alpha in a concentration-dependent manner. E-selectin mAb (1 mg.L-1) blocked Mon and Neu adhesion to BCMEC induced by TNF-alpha.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The inhibition of GbE on Mon and Neu adhesion to BCMEC was mediated through the suppression of E-selection expression.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Apoptosis and necrosis induced by sulfur mustard in Hela cells.","authors":"J Sun, Y X Wang, M J Sun","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the apoptotic effect of sulfur mustard (SM) on Hela cells.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Exponentially growing Hela cells were treated with SM at various concentrations for 3 h, then apoptosis was examined by electron-microscope, DNA gel electrophoresis, and flow cytometry.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>SM 1 mumol.L-1 arrested cell growth. After treatment with SM 10-100 mumol.L-1, cells were mainly blocked at G1-phase with apoptosis. Agarose gel electrophoresis of DNA from cells treated with SM revealed \"DNA Ladder.\" About 33% of the Hela cells showed apoptosis 12 h after 3-h treatment with SM 100 mumol.L-1 as determined by flow cytometry and the S-phase cells were more susceptible. However, SM 1000 mumol.L-1 caused marked necrosis in Hela cells.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>SM caused 2 distinct forms of cell death, apoptosis or necrosis, in Hela cells in a concentration-dependent manner.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"6,7-dimethoxycoumarin attenuated cisplatin-induced DNA interstrand crosslink and DNA-protein crosslink in primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubular cells.","authors":"S J Liu, S W Zhou","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the mechanism of cisplatin interaction with DNA, and the attenuating effects of 6,7-dimethoxycoumarin (DMOC) on crosslink.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Primary cultured rabbit kidney proximal tubular cells (PTC) were established. DNA interstrand crosslink was assayed with ethidium bromide binding and DNA-protein crosslink with 125I-postlabelling. PTC were incubated with cisplatin for 24 h. DMOC was preincubated with PTC for 24 h, and cisplatin (26 mumol.L-1) was added into culture and incubated for another 24 h.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cisplatin induced formation of DNA interstrand crosslink (13, 26, 52, and 78 mumol.L-1) and DNA-protein crosslink (26, 52, and 78 mumol.L-1) (P < 0.01). DNA interstrand crosslink in DMOC (0.4, 4, and 8 mg.L-1) and DNA-protein crosslink in DMOC (4, 8 mg.L-1) were less than those in cisplatin group (26 mumol.L-1), respectively (P < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The mechanisms of cisplatin interaction with DNA in PTC were DNA interstrand crosslink and DNA-protein crosslink, and DMOC attenuated these effects in vitro.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21531602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Y Wang, H Y Wang, Z K Yuan, X N Zhao, J X Wang, Z X Zhang
{"title":"Quercetin decreased heart rate and cardiomyocyte Ca2+ oscillation frequency in rats and prevented cardiac hypertrophy in mice.","authors":"Y Wang, H Y Wang, Z K Yuan, X N Zhao, J X Wang, Z X Zhang","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the effects of quercetin (Que) on myocardial excitation-contraction coupling and cardiac remodeling.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Left ventricles and femoral arteries of rats were cannulated for hemodynamic recording. Mouse cardiac hypertrophy was induced by abdominal aortic coarctation (AAC). Cultured myocardial cells in neonatal rats were loaded with Fura 2-AM. The intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and spontaneous [Ca2+]i oscillations ([Ca2+]i-SO) were tested by AR-CM-MIC cation measurement system.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Que 3 or 25 mg.kg-1 i.v. in rats decreased heart rate from (420 +/- 19) to (390 +/- 15) and (314 +/- 18) beat.min-1, respectively, companied with very modest changes in both left ventricular pressures (LVP) and its differential dpLV/dtmax. Que 10, 50, 250 mumol.L-1 concentration-dependently slowed the frequency of [Ca2+]i-SO in cultured myocardial cells from (26 +/- 4) to (25 +/- 3), (18 +/- 4), and (12 +/- 3) time.min-1, respectively, but did not change their resting [Ca2+]i or amplitudes of [Ca2+]i-SO. Similarly, the increases in frequency of [Ca2+]i-SO caused by either isoproterenol (Iso) or ouabain (Oua) were prevented by Que 100 mumol.L-1, while the simultaneous increases in amplitude of [Ca2+]i-SO remained. Besides, [Ca2+]i rises excited by angiotensin II (Ang II) but not high [K+]o were prevented by Que 100 mumol.L-1. Daily administration of Que 120 mg.kg-1 i.g. for 5 d markedly prevented the cardiac hypertrophy in AAC mice, without effects on the ventricular mass to body weight ratio (VM/BW) in sham-operated mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Que decreased myocardial [Ca2+]i-oscillation frequency and prevented cardiac remodeling, but had no direct effect on cardiac excitation-contraction coupling.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
H Z Lü, D Z Wu, Y L Wan, B Gu, H Z Gao, Y Q Liang, J X Wang
{"title":"Gene therapy for human hepatocellular carcinoma with cytosine deaminase gene and prodrug flucytosine.","authors":"H Z Lü, D Z Wu, Y L Wan, B Gu, H Z Gao, Y Q Liang, J X Wang","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To investigate the antitumor effects of cytosine deaminase (CD) gene in combination with prodrug flucytosine (Flu, 5-fluorocytosine) on human hepatocellular carcinoma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>CD gene was transduced into human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SMMC7721 with retroviral method and the cytotoxicity of Flu on the tumor cells was assayed in vitro with clonogenic techniques. The xenograft tumor model in nude mice was used to study in vivo therapeutic effects of CD gene/Flu system against human hepatocellular carcinoma.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CD gene/Flu system had significant antitumor activities on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and in nude mice. The antitumor activities of Flu 500 mg.kg-1 on hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts in nude mice were more potent than those of 5-fluouracil 10 mg.kg-1. CD gene/Flu system possessed bystander killing effects on hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts in nude mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The experiment demonstrates the potential value of the CD gene/Flu system in the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ro 31-8220 inhibits release of interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 from mouse peritoneal macrophages induced by fibrin fibrinogen degradation products.","authors":"B Zhou, J P Zhang, Z L Hu, Y X Tan, D H Qian","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>To study the effect of fibrin fibrinogen degradation products (FFDP) on release of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) from mouse peritoneal macrophages, and the effect of a new selectively potent protein kinase C inhibitor Ro 31-8220 (Ro).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>IL-1 and IL-6 activities were measured by thymocyte proliferation assay and B9 cell proliferation methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric method, respectively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ro 0.01-1 mumol.L-1 obviously inhibited FFDP-induced release of IL-1 and IL-6 from mouse peritoneal macrophages.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ro exerted inhibitory effects on FFDP-induced release of IL-1 and IL-6 in vitro.</p>","PeriodicalId":24002,"journal":{"name":"Zhongguo yao li xue bao = Acta pharmacologica Sinica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1999-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"21532721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}