AIM: Ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids having a similar chemical structure and are distributed wildly in plants all over the world. In recent years, it was found that they had marked anti-...AIM: Ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids having a similar chemical structure and are distributed wildly in plants all over the world. In recent years, it was found that they had marked anti-tumor effects. There is little literature currently available regarding their effects on colon carcinoma cells. The present study was designed to investigate their inhibitory effects on human colon carcinoma cell line HCT15. METHODS: HCT15 cells were cultured with different drugs. The treated cells were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and their morphologic changes observed under a light microscope. The cytotoxicity of these drugs was evaluated by tetrazolium dye assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry (FCM). Data were expressed as means +/-SEM and Analysis of variance and Student' t-test for individual comparisons. RESULTS: Twenty-four to 72 h after UA or OA 60 micromol/L treatment, the numbers of dead cells and cell fragments were increased and most cells were dead at the 72nd hour. The cytotoxicity of UA was stronger than that of OA. Seventy-eight hours after 30 micromol/L of UA or OA treatment, a number of cells were degenerated, but cell fragments were rarely seen. The IC(50) values for UA and OA were 30 and 60 micromol/L, respectively. Proliferation assay showed that proliferation of UA and OA-treated cells was slightly increased at 24h and significantly decreased at 48 h and 60 h, whereas untreated control cells maintained an exponential growth curve. Cell cycle analysis by FCM showed HCT15 cells treated with UA 30 and OA 60 for 36 h and 72 h gradually accumulated in G(0)/G(1) phase (both drugs P【0.05 for 72 h), with a concomitant decrease of cell populations in S phase (both drugs P【0.01 for 72 h) and no detectable apoptotic fraction. CONCLUSION: UA and OA have significant anti-tumor activity. The effect of UA is stronger than that of OA. The possible mechanism of action is that both drugs have an inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation through cell-cycle arrest.展开更多
Objective To investigate the dynamic changes observed in serum levels of interleukins (ILs), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 ) in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) ...Objective To investigate the dynamic changes observed in serum levels of interleukins (ILs), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 ) in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients.Methods Sixty-one cases of SARS with positive antibodies to SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) were classified into the following categories: initial stage (3-7 days), peak stage (8-14 days), and remission and recovery stage (15 -27 days). Forty-four healthy individuals were used as controls. Serum levels of ILs, TNF-a and TGF-p, were measured in all subjects. Serum antibodies to SARS-CoV were detected only in SARS cases.Results The mean concentration of serum IL - 6 in SARS patients did not differ from that in the control group in initial and peak stages, but became significantly higher in remission and recovery stage compared with the control group, initial and peak stages ( P<0. 01). The mean concentration of serum IL-8 in SARS patients did not differ from that of the control group in initial stage, but was significantly higher than control group in peak stage and remission and recovery stage ( P < 0. 05). And it was more significantly higher in remission and recovery stage than in peak stage ( P<0. 01). The mean concentrations of IL-16 and TNF-αin SARS patients were higher than those of the control group for every length of the clinical courses investigated, and were especially high in remission and recovery stage (P<0. 01). SARS patients experienced higher concentration of serum IL-13 compared with the controls in initial stage ( P < 0. 01), but returned to normal levels in peak stage and in remission and recovery stage. The mean concentration of serum IL-18 in SARS patients was significantly lower than that of the control group during all clinical courses ( P < 0. 05). The mean concentration of serum TGF-β1, in SARS patients was higher than that of the control group during all clinical courses. Although TGF-bbbbb1 in serum decreased in remission and recovery stage in SARS patients, the average was still higher than that of the control group (P<0. 01). Conclusions Most proinflammatory cytokines and TGF-β1, were elevated during the early phase of SARS, which may be associated with lung infiltration and proliferation. Concurrently, the mean concentration of serum IL-13 decreased gradually, and the mean concentration of serum IL-18 level in SARS patients was lower than that of the control group during all the courses of SARS, suggesting that the immune state of the patients with SARS was obviously abnormal. Observing the dynamic changes in blood cytokine levels can provide a scientific basis to assess pathogenesis and efficacy of clinical treatment of SARS.展开更多
文摘AIM: Ursolic acid (UA) and oleanolic acid (OA) are triperpene acids having a similar chemical structure and are distributed wildly in plants all over the world. In recent years, it was found that they had marked anti-tumor effects. There is little literature currently available regarding their effects on colon carcinoma cells. The present study was designed to investigate their inhibitory effects on human colon carcinoma cell line HCT15. METHODS: HCT15 cells were cultured with different drugs. The treated cells were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and their morphologic changes observed under a light microscope. The cytotoxicity of these drugs was evaluated by tetrazolium dye assay. Cell cycle analysis was performed by flow cytometry (FCM). Data were expressed as means +/-SEM and Analysis of variance and Student' t-test for individual comparisons. RESULTS: Twenty-four to 72 h after UA or OA 60 micromol/L treatment, the numbers of dead cells and cell fragments were increased and most cells were dead at the 72nd hour. The cytotoxicity of UA was stronger than that of OA. Seventy-eight hours after 30 micromol/L of UA or OA treatment, a number of cells were degenerated, but cell fragments were rarely seen. The IC(50) values for UA and OA were 30 and 60 micromol/L, respectively. Proliferation assay showed that proliferation of UA and OA-treated cells was slightly increased at 24h and significantly decreased at 48 h and 60 h, whereas untreated control cells maintained an exponential growth curve. Cell cycle analysis by FCM showed HCT15 cells treated with UA 30 and OA 60 for 36 h and 72 h gradually accumulated in G(0)/G(1) phase (both drugs P【0.05 for 72 h), with a concomitant decrease of cell populations in S phase (both drugs P【0.01 for 72 h) and no detectable apoptotic fraction. CONCLUSION: UA and OA have significant anti-tumor activity. The effect of UA is stronger than that of OA. The possible mechanism of action is that both drugs have an inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation through cell-cycle arrest.
基金The study was sponsored by the National Research Project for SARS (No. 2003AA208102).
文摘Objective To investigate the dynamic changes observed in serum levels of interleukins (ILs), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1 ) in severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients.Methods Sixty-one cases of SARS with positive antibodies to SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) were classified into the following categories: initial stage (3-7 days), peak stage (8-14 days), and remission and recovery stage (15 -27 days). Forty-four healthy individuals were used as controls. Serum levels of ILs, TNF-a and TGF-p, were measured in all subjects. Serum antibodies to SARS-CoV were detected only in SARS cases.Results The mean concentration of serum IL - 6 in SARS patients did not differ from that in the control group in initial and peak stages, but became significantly higher in remission and recovery stage compared with the control group, initial and peak stages ( P<0. 01). The mean concentration of serum IL-8 in SARS patients did not differ from that of the control group in initial stage, but was significantly higher than control group in peak stage and remission and recovery stage ( P < 0. 05). And it was more significantly higher in remission and recovery stage than in peak stage ( P<0. 01). The mean concentrations of IL-16 and TNF-αin SARS patients were higher than those of the control group for every length of the clinical courses investigated, and were especially high in remission and recovery stage (P<0. 01). SARS patients experienced higher concentration of serum IL-13 compared with the controls in initial stage ( P < 0. 01), but returned to normal levels in peak stage and in remission and recovery stage. The mean concentration of serum IL-18 in SARS patients was significantly lower than that of the control group during all clinical courses ( P < 0. 05). The mean concentration of serum TGF-β1, in SARS patients was higher than that of the control group during all clinical courses. Although TGF-bbbbb1 in serum decreased in remission and recovery stage in SARS patients, the average was still higher than that of the control group (P<0. 01). Conclusions Most proinflammatory cytokines and TGF-β1, were elevated during the early phase of SARS, which may be associated with lung infiltration and proliferation. Concurrently, the mean concentration of serum IL-13 decreased gradually, and the mean concentration of serum IL-18 level in SARS patients was lower than that of the control group during all the courses of SARS, suggesting that the immune state of the patients with SARS was obviously abnormal. Observing the dynamic changes in blood cytokine levels can provide a scientific basis to assess pathogenesis and efficacy of clinical treatment of SARS.
