Designing quantitative structure activity relationships to predict specific toxic endpoints for polybrominated diphenyl ethers in mammalian cells

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are known as effective flame retardants and have vast industrial application in products like plastics, building materials and textiles. They are found to be structurally similar to thyroid hormones that are responsible for regulating metabolism in the body. Structural similarity with the hormones poses a threat to human health because, once in the system, PBDEs have the potential to affect thyroid hormone transport and metabolism. This study was aimed at designing quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) models for predicting toxic endpoints, namely cell viability and apoptosis, elicited by PBDEs in mammalian cells. Cell viability was evaluated quantitatively using a general cytotoxicity bioassay using Janus Green dye and apoptosis was evaluated using a caspase assay. This study has thus modelled the overall cytotoxic influence of PBDEs at an early and a late endpoint by the Genetic Function Approximation method. This research was a twofold process including running in vitro bioassays to collect data on the toxic endpoints and modeling the evaluated endpoints using QSARs. Cell viability and apoptosis responses for Hep G2 cells exposed to PBDEs were successfully modelled with an r² of 0.97 and 0.94, respectively.     

在Hep G2细胞中利用siRNA沉默GFP基因的实验探讨

目的:通过探讨小分子双链RNA(siRNA)通过RNA干扰(RNAi)机制沉默肝癌细胞株Hep G2荧光素报告基因GFP的各项生物学指标,为进一步实验和临床研究提供依据.方法:通过体外实验,对siRNA和siRNA脂质体的稳定性和细胞毒性进行评估;通过荧光标记技术,研究不同时间siRNA脂质体的转染效率;通过荧光显微镜下观察转染细胞和RT-PCR检测靶基因mRNA表达,确定不同种类、形式、剂量的siRNA对靶基因的沉默效能.结果:在空白培养液中,siRNA和siRNA脂质体可稳定至4h,在5%血清中2～4h后明显降解;100nM的siRNA和siRNA脂质体无明显细胞毒性;siRNA脂质体转染细胞株的效率随时间不同而不同,4h可达90%;非特异性siRNA/脂质体无沉默靶基因表达作用,特异性siRNA/脂质体对靶基因的沉默作用在一定范围内随剂量升高(20nM、50nM、100nM)而升高.结论:siRNA的稳定性可满足实验需要,且无明显细胞毒性,特异性siRNA转染肝癌细胞株能有效抑制靶基因表达,用脂质体转染可提高转染效率.siRNA通过RNAi机制沉默靶基因表达,为肿瘤的治疗和基础研究提供了新的工具和思路.     

Characterization of different substrates for Raman spectroscopic imaging of eukaryotic cells

For Raman spectroscopic analyses of the cells and other biological samples, the choice of the right substrate material is very important to avoid loss of information in characteristic spectral features because of competing background signals. In the current study, Raman spectroscopy is used to characterize several potential Raman substrates. Raman vibrational bands of the substrate material are discussed. The surface topography is analyzed by atomic force microscopy, and the root mean square surface roughness values are reported. Biocompatibility of the substrates is tested with Hep G2 cells evaluating cellular morphology as well as live/dead staining. Calcium fluoride, silicon, fused silica, borofloat glass, and silicon nitride membranes support cell growth and adherence. Silicon, borofloat glass, and fused silica give rise to Raman signals in the region of interest. Calcium fluoride substrate (UV grade) is suitable for Raman spectroscopic investigation of living cells. Nickel foil is suitable substrate for Raman spectroscopic investigation but cellular adherence and viability depend on the quality of the foil. Silicon nitride membranes coated with nickel chrome is a suitable Raman substrate in closed microfluidic systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-like fluorescence assay to investigate the interactions of glycosaminoglycans to cells

Sulfated glycosaminoglycans were labeled with biotin to study their interaction with cells in culture. Thus, heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate were labeled using biotin-hydrazide, under different conditions. The structural characteristics of the biotinylated products were determined by chemical (molar ratios of hexosamine, uronic acid, sulfate and biotin) and enzymatic methods (susceptibility to degradation by chondroitinases and heparitinases). The binding of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans was investigated both in endothelial and smooth muscle cells in culture, using a novel time resolved fluorometric method based on interaction of europium-labeled streptavidin with the biotin covalently linked to the compounds. The interactions of glycosaminoglycans were saturable and number of binding sites could be obtained for each individual compound. The apparent dissociation constant varied among the different glycosaminoglycans and between the two cell lines. The interactions of the biotinylated glycosaminoglycans with the cells were also evaluated using confocal microscopy. We propose a convenient and reliable method for the preparation of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans, as well as a sensitive non-competitive fluorescence-based assay for studies of the interactions and binding of these compounds to cells in culture.     

松果有效成分研究——Ⅵ.红松与油松松塔及松子壳的抗癌活性

目的：研究松塔和松子壳的抗癌活性。方法：采用给小鼠接种肿瘤细胞法测定松塔和松子壳的抗癌活性。结果：从红松松塔的碱性水提取多糖（60mg/kg）CK—C,对S180抑瘤率为48.9%,而CK—DEF对U14的抑瘤率为36.0%和40.4%;对Hep A,CK—DEF作用优于环磷酰胺。结论：松塔和松子壳有效成分具有较好的抗癌作用。     

Quantification of mRNA by RT-competitive-PCR and high performance liquid chromatography

The use of RT-competitive-PCR with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) detection to quantify the absolute number of mRNA copies in mammalian cells is reported. As an example, the glutathione transferase (GST)-α mRNA in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells has been estimated. A PCR-generated internal standard was used as a competitor, co-amplified with the GST-α target sequence. The RT-competitive-PCR method was improved by designing target and competitor molecules which differed in only 30 base pairs. This allowed the two sequences to be co-amplified with the same efficiency. This improvement also facilitated a wider ratio to be used than previous methods (target:competitor ratio between 0.2 and 5). Products were baseline separated by HPLC using an ion-exchange column readily quantified at 260 nm. To validate the improved methodology, the effect of a known GST-α inducer, the anticancer drug oltipraz, was shown to induce GST-α mRNA up to 3-fold in Hep G2 cells. The RT-competitive PCR-HPLC method provides a reliable and sensitive way to quantify the amount of specific mRNA with 0.1 ng of total RNA.     

松果有效成分研究——VI.红松与油松松塔及松子壳的抗癌活性

目的:研究松塔和松子壳的抗癌活性。方法:采用给小鼠接种肿瘤细胞法测定松塔和松子壳的抗癌活性。结果:从红松松塔的碱性水提取多糖(60mg/kg)CK—C,对S180抑瘤率为48.9%,而CK—DEF对U14的抑瘤率为36.0%和40.4%;对Hep A,CK—DEF作用优于环磷酰胺。结论:松塔和松子壳有效成分具有较好的抗癌作用。     

Sensing colorimetric approaches based on gold and silver nanoparticles aggregation: Chemical creativity behind the assay. A review

Localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is one of the most remarkable features of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Due to these inherent optical properties, colloidal solutions of Au and Ag NPs have high extinction coefficients and different colour in the visible region of the spectrum when they are well-spaced in comparison with when they are aggregated. Therefore, a well-designed chemical interaction between the analyte and NPs surroundings leads to a change of colour (red to blue for Au NPs and yellow to brown for Ag NPs from well-spaced to aggregated ones, respectively) allowing the visual detection of the target analyte.     

NVP-BEZ235诱导自噬在肝癌细胞凋亡中的作用研究

目的 以Hep3B和PLC/PRF/5两种肝癌细胞为研究对象,探讨自噬在NVP-BEZ235中引起细胞凋亡的作用.方法 人类肝癌细胞Hep3B和PLC/PRF/5在含有10%FBS的DMEM培养基中进行培养,然后再进行细胞活性检测,用于Western blotting检测及线粒体膜电位(MMP)分析.结果 NVP-BEZ235能够有效增加LC3-Ⅱ的表达,并同时降低p62的表达,由此推断,NVP-BEZ235也能够诱导产生自噬,与Atg5的siRNA或自噬抑制剂3-甲基腺嘌呤(3-MA)联合应用时,肝癌细胞的生长被抑制.结论 NVP-BEZ235与Atg5的siRNA或者3-MA的联合应用能够促进细胞凋亡,NVP-BEZ235和自噬抑制剂的联合应用可为肝癌和其他恶性肿瘤临床治疗提供新的方法.