Search

Colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis (CLM) is the leading death cause of CRC patients, but there is no satisfied approach to treat CLM. Gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in CRC initiation and development. Targeting dysbiosis of the gut microbiota might open up new opportunities for CLM treatment. Here, we investigated the efficacy of sodium butyrate (NaB), a major product of gut microbial fermentation, in modulating gut microbiota in CLM mice. NaB supplement decreased mouse colon cancer CT26 cell liver metastasis in intrasplenic tumor injection model of BALB/c mice. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we found altered microbiota composition in CLM mice, characterized by increases of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. NaB beneficially changed dysbiosis in CLM mice. Functional analysis of the KEGG pathways showed that NaB changed pathways related to immune system diseases and primary immunodeficiency in CLM mice. In addition, NaB decreased T regulatory cells and increased natural killer T cells and T helper 17 cells, accordingly decreased IL-10 and increased IL-17 secretion in CLM mice liver. In conclusion, NaB beneficially modulated gut microbiota and improved host immune response in CLM mice. These findings demonstrate the therapeutic potential of NaB in CLM treatment.

The glycoproteins and glycolipids from membranes of virulent strain Z and avirulent strain M ofMycoplasma hyopneumoniae have been compared. The proteins and the glycoproteins were identified by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and concanavalin A-biotin labeling, respectively. The membrane preparation contained approximately 34 protein bands with molecular weights between 20 KD and 100 KD. The concanavalin A-biotin system reacted with a glycoprotein of a molecular weight of approximately 28,000 from avirulent strain M and did not react with the correspondent band from virulent strain Z. The membrane glycolipids of both strains consisted of monogalactosyldiacylglycerol (MGDG) and digalactosyldiacylglycerol (DGDG), and the percentages of 16∶0, 18∶0, and 18∶1 fatty acids comprised more than 80% of the total fatty acids of membrane glycolipids. The 18∶0 fatty acid of MGDG in avirulent strain M was twofold higher than that of virulent strain Z.

Holotrichia diomphalia larvae have been traditionally used in folk medicine as herbal drugs in China and one of the most widely used Korean folk medicinal preparations for the treatment of chronic liver cirrhosis, contusion, edema, furuncle, and apoplexy [1]. Recently, potent antibacterial proteins have been isolated from Holotrichia diomphalia larvae [2], and prophenoloxidase from the hemolymph of Holotrichia diomphalia larvae has also been purified and characterized [3]. At present no chemical studies on this Chinese herbal medicine have yet been carried out. The chemical composition of the petroleum ether extract of Holotrichia diomphalia larvae has been reported for the first time in the present study. Air-dried and chopped Holotrichia diomphalia larvae (9598.7 g) were refluxed three times (3 h each time) with 75% ethanol. The materials were filtered, and the clear supernatant was then concentrated under reduced pressure at 60°C with a vacuum rotary evaporator. The concentrated ethanol extract was partitioned between water and petroleum ether (60–90°C). After removing the aqueous laye fraction, the extract was evaporated. Yield 690.5 g (7.19%). The residue was used for the experiment. GC/MS analysis was carried out on a Finnigan Voyager gas chromatograph fitted with a fused silica VF-5ms capillary column (30 m · 0.25 mm; coating thickness 0.25 ∝m). The oven temperature was programmed from 80–300°C at 15°C/min. Helium was used as a carrier gas at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The gas chromatograph was coupled to a Finnigan Voyager mass selective detector. The MS operating parameters were: ionization voltage, 70 eV; ion source temperature, 200°C. Identification of components of the petroleum ether extract was based on retention times of the relative fat acid and computer matching with the NIST98.L library, as well as by comparison of the fragmentation patterns of the mass spectra with those reported in the literature [4, 5]. The results from GC/MS analysis of all the identified components and their percentages are given in Table 1, where the components are listed in order of their elution on the HP- column. Twenty-one components were identified. All of the identified components, such as monounsaturated fatty acid (60.2%), in the petroleum ether extract are known, as can be seen in Table 1. Based on the results, the petroleum ether extract of Holotrichia diomphalia larvae could be a most promising anticancer agent.