Search

The Editors of JBUON issue an Expression of Concern to '4-Terpineol exhibits potent in vitro and in vivo anticancer effects in Hep-G2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells by suppressing cell migration and inducing apoptosis and sub-G1 cell cycle arrest', by Sha Liu, Yong Zhao, Hai-Feng Cui, Chun-Yu Cao, Yi-Bing Zhang, JBUON 2016;21(5):1195-1202; PMID:27837623. Following the publication of the above article, readers drew to our attention that part of the data was possibly unreliable. We sent emails to the authors with a request to provide the raw data to prove the originality, but received no reply. Therefore, as we continue to work through the issues raised, we advise readers to interpret the information presented in the article with due caution. We thank the readers for bringing this matter to our attention. We apologize for any inconvenience it may cause.

Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to demonstrate the anticancer effects of 4-terpineol against Hep-G2 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells by evaluating its effect on apoptosis induction, cell migration, DNA fragmentation and cell cycle phase distribution., Methods: MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of 4-terpineol on Hep-G2 cells, while fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry were used to study apoptosis induction. Wound healing assay was used to study the effects of 4-terpineol on cell migration, while gel electrophoresis was performed to evaluate the effects on DNA fragmentation. Flow cytometry using propidium iodide (PI) as a probe was used to evaluate the effects on cell cycle arrest. Cells treated with dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) only served as controls. BALB/c nude mice weighing about 35 g each were used for in vivo studies using 10 and 20 mg/kg of 4-terpineol dose., Results: 4-terpineol induced dose-dependent cytotoxicity in Hep-G2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Gel electrophoresis indicated that DNA fragmentation was associated with increasing dose of 4-terpineol. It was also observed that a wound scratch in the vehicle-treated control cells was practically entirely closed after 48 hrs of incubation. However, treatment with 0, 25, 50 and 100 μM dose of 4-terpineol resulted in inhibition of wound healing in a dose-dependent manner. The percentage of apoptotic cells increased from 2.5% in the control cells to 10.3, 64.6 and 78.9% in cells treated with 25, 50 and 100 μM of 4-terpineol respectively. 4-terpineol-treated cells exhibited increased percentage of cells in sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle. The in vivo mouse results indicated that 10 and 20 mg/kg of 4-terpineol decreased the tumor weight and tumor volume in a dose-dependent manner., Conclusion: The results of this study showed that 4-terpineol exhibits anticancer effects in Hep-G2 cells by inducing apoptosis, DNA fragmentation, inhibition of cell migration and sub-G1 cell cycle arrest.

Digitalis glycosides, a group of cardiotonic agents for heart failure, have been used for a long time, but may often trigger arrhythmias as a result of digitalis intoxication. It is of great significance in finding a method to reduce their toxicity and improve clinical curative effects simultaneously in the application of digitalis glycosides. It has been well documented that acupuncture has good therapeutic effects in improving cardiac function and inhibiting arrhythmia induced by myocardial ischemia. Acupuncture combined with chemotherapeutics can reduce the adverse effects of chemotherapeutics. Accordingly, acupuncture combined with digitalis is likely to reduce the side effects of digitalis by regulating intracellular Ca2+, improving the function of Ca(2+)-ATPase in the sarcoplasmic reticulum, increasing calcium sensitivity of cardiac troponin, etc. These considerations may provide a novel clue for treatment of heart failure by joint administration of acupuncture and drugs.

Objective: To investigate the functional specificity of acupoint by means of acupoint injection of Dobutamine Hydrochloride (DH)., Methods: Male SD rats were randomized into normal control (NC), EA-Neiguan (PC6) + acupoint injection (AI, EA-PC 6 + AI), EA-Zusanli (ST 36) + AI (EA-ST 36 + AI), and EA-intramuscular injection site (IMIS) + intramuscular injection (EA-IMIS+ IMI) groups,with 8 rats being in each group. EA (2 Hz/15 Hz, 3 mA) was applied to bilateral "Neiguan" (PC 6), "Zusanli "(ST 36) and muscular-injection site for 10 min. DH (a beta1-adrenoceptor agonist) solution (100 microg/kg) was injected intramuscularly into the gluteus maximus after termination of EA intervention. The left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), heart rate (HR) and + dp/dt max were recorded before and 2, 5, 15 and 30 min after injection of DH., Results: The values of LVSP, HR and + dp/dt max in EA-PC 6 + AI group were significantly higher than those in NC, EA-ST 36 + AI, and EA-IMIS + IMI groups (P < 0.01) 2 and 5 minutes after EA plus acupoint injection of DH. No significant differences were found between EA-ST 36 + AI and EA-IMIS+ IMI groups in LVSP, HR and +dp/dt max (P > 0.05). After injection of DH for 30 minutes, the values of LVSP, HR and + dp/dt max in EA-PC 6 + AI group were still significantly higher than those in NC group (P < 0.01)., Conclusion: EA-PC 6+ AI DH is significantly superior to EA-ST 36 + AI DH and EA-IMIS+ IMI DH in producing a stronger cardiac excitatory effect and a longer post-effect, showing a relative specificity of the acupoint in upregulating cardiac functional activities.

Specificity of acupoints is one of the basic theories of the acupuncture and moxibustion sciences and is a very important basis to guide the clinical treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion. However, the scientific foundation of specificity of acupoints is still unclear, which has greatly restricted to the clinical effect improvement of acupuncture and moxibustion and has influenced to academic status of acupuncture and moxibustion sciences both in China and abroad. In this paper, the recent related researches are reviewed and then the key effects and mechanism that the tissue structure of acupoints can decide and affect specificity of acupoints-organs effects are analyzed and explored. It is held that acupuncture at the different tissue structure of the different depth in the different or the same acupoints will cause changes of varying qualities or degrees of visceral function because of stimulation of the different receptors in the different tissues followed by excitation of varying afferent nerve fibers.