Huayun Yu

The expression and significance of the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma, with increased incidence in the world, exhibits poor prognosis and is usually resistant to conventional chemotherapy due to drug resistance. The enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2), a histone methyltransferase, plays a key role in tumorigenesis and cancer development through chromatin remodeling in various types of cancer. However, its potential role in lung adenocarcinoma has not been well defined. In this study, the expression of EZH2 was examined in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. Most interestingly, EZH2 overexpression was detected in tumor tissue and significantly correlated with histological differentiation, pathological tumor-node-metastasis stage and smoking history, but not with gender or age. Furthermore, EZH2 overexpression was also detected in cisplatin-resistant cancer cells rather than cisplatin-sensitive cells. Short hairpin RNA targeted against EZH2 inhibited cell proliferation and migration, and led to G(2)/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in both cisplatin-resistant and cisplatin-sensitive cell lines. Moreover, EZH2 knockdown enhanced cisplatin sensitivity of cisplatin-resistant cells and reduced the expression levels of multidrug resistance-related protein 1. Our study suggests that EZH2 contributes to the progression of lung adenocarcinoma, and the deletion of EZH2 inhibits cancer and resensitizes cells to cisplatin in lung adenocarcinoma.

Effects of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis on energy metabolism and expression of the genes related to metabolism in rats

ObjectiveTo study the influence of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis, two species of Chinese medicinal herbs with hot property, on energy metabolism and gene expression spectrum, and to analyze the possible mechanism of their effects.MethodsForty-eight specific pathogen free Wistar rats were randomly divided into a Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group, a Rhizoma zingiberis group, and a control group. They were intragastrically treated with concentrated decoction of Radix aconiti lateralis preparata, Rhizoma zingiberis and normal saline respectively for 20 days. Toe temperature (TT), energy intake (EI), digestible energy (DE), and metabolizable energy (ME) were measured. The content of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and energy charge (EC) in hepatic tissue were measured with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The activity of ATPase and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) in the liver were detected with chemical colorimetry. The gene expression in the liver was detected with Illumina’s rat Ref-12 gene array. The differential expression genes were selected, annotated and classified based on Gene Ontology (GO). Real-time quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (Q-RT-PCR) was used to test the accuracy of results.ResultsCompared with the control group, the TT on the 10th day after the beginning of administration and ATP in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis groups increased significantly (P<0.05). EI/body mass (BM), DE/BM, ME/BM, the hepatic EC and the activity of Na+-K+-ATPase, Ca2+-Mg2+-ATPase and SDH of liver increased significantly only in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group (P<0.05). There were 592 differential expression genes in the Radix aconiti lateralis preparata group and 1 159 in the Rhizoma zingiberis group compared with the control group. Among the differential expression genes, genes related to metabolic processes were the most significant based on GO analysis. There were 337 strips of gene differential expression in common in both Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis groups compared with the control group.ConclusionsHerbs with hot property such as Radix aconiti lateralis preparata and Rhizoma zingiberis could improve the energy metabolism in rats, through influencing the metabolic process of sugar, lipid, and amino acid. It could also promote the production, storage, and utilization of energy by regulating the gene expression related to metabolism, which may be the main molecular mechanism of warming yang and dispelling cold for the treatment of the cold syndrome according to Chinese medicine theory.

Study on the networks of "Nature-Family-Component" of Chinese medicinal herbs based on association rules mining.

ObjectiveTo explore appropriate methods for the research of the theory of Chinese medicine nature property and find the relationship between Nature-Family-Component of Chinese herbs.MethodsFrom perspective of systems biology, we used Associate Network to identify useful relationships among “Nature-Family-Component” of Herbs. In this work, Associate Network combines association rules mining method and network construction method to evaluate the complicate relationship among “Nature-Family-Component” of herbs screened.ResultsThe results of association rules mining showed that the families had a close relationship with nature properties of herbs. For example, the families of Magnoliaceae, Araceae had a close relationship with hot nature with confidence of 100%, the families of Cucurbitaceae has a close relationship to cold nature with confidence of 90.91%. Moreover, the results of constructed Associate Network implied that herbs belonging to the same families generally had the same natures. In addition, some herbs belonging to different families may also have same natures when they contain the same main components.ConclusionThese results implied that the main components of herbs might affect their natures; the relationships between families and natures were based on the main compounds of herbs.

Wenxia Changfu Formula () induces apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma in a transplanted tumor model of drug-resistance nude mice.

ObjectiveTo explore the apoptosis mechanism of Wenxia Changfu Formula (温下肠腑方, WCF) in reversing drug resistance of lung cancer in vivo.MethodsThirty model mice were randomly assigned to three groups: control group, cisplatin (CDDP) group, and WCF group. A transplanted tumor model of lung adenocarcinoma was established in all groups. Mice in the WCF group received intragastric administration of WCF (0.2 mL/10 g body weight) everyday in addition to CDDP intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg body weight) twice a week. The mice in the CDDP group received CDDP intraperitoneally (5 mg/kg body weight) twice a week, while the control group received normal saline intraperitoneally (0.2 mL/10 g body weight) everyday. The weight of the nude mice and respective tumors, tumor volume and tumor-inhibiting rate were measured. Electron microscopy was used to observe the existence of apoptosis body. Apoptosis index (AI) was detected by TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labeling staining. The expression of Fas and FasL mRNA was investigated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, while immunohistochemistry was applied to detect the protein expression of Fas and FasL, caspase-3 and caspase-activated DNase (CAD), respectively.ResultsCompared with CDDP group and control group, WCF could significantly reduce the tumor volume from the 19th day and alleviate the tumor weight (P <0.05), and the apoptosis body was found in tumor cells in the WCF group. WCF could also enhance the level of AI, up-regulate the expression of caspase apoptosis pathway related protein caspase-3 and CAD, as well as the expression of Fas, FasL mRNA and protein (P <0.05).ConclusionWCF could improve the sensitivity of tumor cells to CDDP and reverse the drug resistance by inducing the apoptosis.

Chinese Herbal Medicine Baoyuan Jiedu Decoction Inhibited Muscle Atrophy of Cancer Cachexia through Atrogin-l and MuRF-1

The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicine called “Baoyuan Jiedu” (BYJD for short) decoction, improving life quality and preventing muscle atrophy of cancer cachexia model mice. We showed that the effect of BYJD decoction increased body weights of mice and reduced tumor volume and tumor mass. Furthermore, BYJD decoction increased the gastrocnemii mass and the transverse diameter of muscle fiber morphology. Moreover, BYJD reduced the expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1 protein. Collectively, our results show that BYJD decoction improves the life quality of cancer cachexia mice and prevents muscle atrophy by downregulating expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1.