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In our study, we explored the effect of astragaloside IV (AgIV) on carboplatin chemotherapy in prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo. Cell viability assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and tumor xenograft growth assay were conducted. We found that AgIV significantly decreased the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of carboplatin in prostate cancer cell lines LNCap and PC-3. Moreover, AgIV enhanced the effect of carboplatin in suppressing colony formation and inducing cell apoptosis. A low-dose carboplatin treatment upregulated N-cadherin and Vimentin expression and downregulated E-cadherin expression, but this effect was abolished by combining with AgIV. Carboplatin treatment increased the levels of p-AKT and p-p65 and decreased p-I[kappa]B[alpha], but AgIV treatment suppressed this. In addition, AgIV synergized with carboplatin to suppress tumor xenograft growth of PC-3 cells, and decreased pAKT and p-p65 levels in vivo. Our results suggested that AgIV enhanced carboplatin sensitivity in prostate cancer cell lines by suppressing AKT/NF-[KAPPA]B signaling, thus suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by carboplatin. Our findings provided a new mechanism for AgIV in overcoming drug resistance of platinum-based chemotherapy and suggested a potential combination therapy of AgIV and carboplatin in prostate cancer. Key words: carboplatin, astragaloside IV, AKT/NF-[KAPPA]B, prostate cancer. Dans cette etude, les auteurs ont explore l'effet de l'astragaloside IV (AgIV) sur la chimiotherapie au carboplatine dans des lignees cellulaires de cancer de la prostate in vitro et in vivo. Des mesures de viabilite cellulaire et de formation de colonies, des analyses en cytometrie en flux, par buvardage Western, en immunohistochimie et en immunofluorescence ainsi que des tests de croissance de xenogreffes tumorales ont ete realises. Ils ont constate que l'AgIV reduisait de maniere significative la concentration inhibitrice 50 % du carboplatine dans les lignees cellulaires de cancer de la prostate LNCap et PC-3. De plus, lAgIV renforcait l'effet du carboplatine en reprimant la formation de colonies et en induisant l'apoptose. Un traitement a faible dose de carboplatine regulait positivement l'expression de la N-cadherine et de la vimentine et regulait a la baisse l'expression de la E-cadherine, mais cet effet etait supprime par sa combinaison avec lAgIV Le traitement au carboplatine augmentait les niveaux de p-AKT et de p-p65 et diminuait le p-I[kappa]B[alpha], mais le traitement a l'AgIV supprimait cet effet. De plus, l'AgIV agissait en synergie avec le carboplatine pour supprimer la croissance des xenogreffes tumorales de cellules PC-3, diminuait les niveaux de p-AKT et de p-p65 in vivo. En resume, ces resultats suggerent que l'AgIV augmente la sensibilite au carboplatine des lignees cellulaires de cancer de la prostate en reprimant la signalisation par AKT/NF-[KAPPA]B, supprimant ainsi la transition epithelio-mesenchymateuse induite par le carboplatine. Ces resultats ont revele un nouveau mecanisme selon lequel l'AgIV permettrait de surmonter la resistance a la chimiotherapie a base de platine, et ont suggere l'application d'une therapie potentielle combinant lAgIV et le carboplatin dans le cancer de la prostate. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: carboplatine, astragaloside IV, AKT/NF-[KAPPA]B, cancer de la prostate., Introduction Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in males of old age, with a peak incidence at ~70 years. Androgen receptor had played an important role in the [...]

Forest spatial structure has always been an important topic of ecological research. Large trees directly affect the spatial patterns in forest stands. In this study, we used the data from seven sample plots in natural mixed forests of Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) and broad-leaved trees in Heilongjiang Province, China, to examine the effect of large trees on the spatial distribution of adjacent trees and to explore whether this effect is related to the gap dynamics theory. We classified trees with wide diameter (diameter at breast height (DBH) [greater than or equal to] 50 cm) as central trees and then surveyed the distribution of adjacent trees around each central tree. The results revealed a ring structure of small trees (size class 2 (5.0 [less than or equal to] DBH [less than or equal to] 10.0 cm) and size class 3 (10.0 [less than or equal to] DBH < 30.0 cm)) surrounding large trees. In the two northern sample plots, the trees formed the ring structures with radii of 4-7 m from the large-diameter trees. In the two central sample plots, the ring structures had the radii of 5-9 m and 5-8 m. Analogously, in the three southern sample plots, the ring structures had the radii of 7-11 m and 6-10 m. The formation of a ring structure is closely related to the competition among individuals, and there is an internal relationship between the formation of this structure and the dynamic theory. Key words: spatial patterns, gap dynamics theory, forest succession, stand structure, species composition. La structure spatiale de la foret a toujours ete un sujet de recherche important en ecologie. Les gros arbres ont une influence directe sur la configuration spatiale dans les peuplements forestiers. Dans cette etude, nous avons utilise les donnees de sept parcelles echantillons etablies dans les forets mixtes naturelles de pin blanc de Coree (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) et de feuillus de la province de Heilongjiang, en Chine. Notre but consistait a etudier l'effet des gros arbres sur la repartition spatiale des arbres adjacents et a examiner si cet effet est relie a la theorie de la dynamique des trouees. Nous avons classe les arbres de gros diametre (diametre a hauteur de poitrine, dhp [superieur ou egal a] 50 cm) comme arbres centraux et nous avons ensuite note la repartition des arbres adjacents autour de chaque arbre central. Les resultats indiquent que les petits arbres (classes de diametre 2(5,0 [inferieur ou egal a] dhp < 10,0 cm) et 3 (10,0 [inferieur ou egal a] dhp < 30,0 cm)) qui entourent les gros arbres forment une structure annulaire. Dans les deux parcelles echantillons septentrionales, les arbres formaient une structure annulaire dont le rayon avait 4-7 m depuis les arbres de gros diametre. Dans les deux parcelles echantillons intermediaries, les structures annulaires avaient un rayon de 5-9 m et de 5-8 m. De facon analogue, dans les trois parcelles echantillons meridionales les structures annulaires avaient un rayon de 7-11 m et de 6-10 m. La formation d'une structure annulaire est etroitement reliee a la competition entre les individus et il existe une relation interne entre la formation de cette structure et la theorie de la dynamique des trouees. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: configurations spatiales, theorie de la dynamique des trouees, succession forestiere, structure du peuplement, composition en especes., 1. Introduction The study of forest spatial patterns is the theoretical foundation of forest management and an important component of the research on forest characteristics (Pommerening 2002, 2006; Pretzsch 1997). [...]

Saikosaponin‐D (SSD), an active ingredient in Bupleurum chinense, exerts anticancer effects in various cancers by inhibiting cancer proliferation and inducing apoptosis. However, whether SSD can induce other forms of cell death is unknown. The current study aims to demonstrate that SSD can induce pyroptosis in non‐small‐cell lung cancer. In this study, HCC827 and A549 non‐small‐cell lung cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of SSD for 1.5 h. HE and TUNEL staining were used to verify cell damage caused by SSD. Immunofluorescence and western blotting were performed to verify the effect of SSD on the NF‐κB/NLRP3/caspase‐1/gasdermin D (GSDMD) pathway. Changes in inflammatory factors were detected by ELISAs. Finally, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) was introduced to verify that SSD induces pyroptosis through the ROS/NF‐κB pathway. The results of the HE and TUNEL staining showed that SSD resulted in balloon‐like swelling of NSCLC cells accompanied by increased DNA damage. Immunofluorescence and western blot assays confirmed that SSD treatment activated the NLRP3/caspase‐1/GSDMD pathway, stimulated an increase in ROS levels and activated NF‐κB in lung cancer cells. The ROS scavenger N‐acetylcysteine significantly attenuated SSD‐induced NF‐κB/NLRP3/caspase‐1/GSDMD pathway activation and inhibited the release of the inflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and IL‐18. In conclusion, SSD induced lung cancer cell pyroptosis by inducing ROS accumulation and activating the NF‐κB/NLRP3/caspase‐1/GSDMD pathway. These experiments lay the foundation for the application of SSD in the treatment of non‐small‐cell lung cancer and regulation of the lung cancer immune microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with advanced malignant melanoma (MM) often do not receive satisfactory treatment. The present study reports the case of a 51-year-old female patient with stage IV MM of unknown primary. After undergoing immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy, the patient received multiple doses of hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT) for the left inguinal lymph node and single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy for the left and right lung metastases. After combination treatment, the patient experienced almost complete remission of the inguinal target area, significant relief of pain and discomfort and an improved quality of life. The time of lung radiotherapy lesion control was 8 months. Meanwhile, the observed lesions (observation lesions 1, 2, 3 and 5) adjacent to the target lesion received lower doses of scattering (0.9–1.8 Gy) and the time of control for these lung observation lesions was 9 months. In addition, restarting targeted therapy after cessation of other treatments due to myelosuppression resulted in a progression-free survival time of 6 months. Nevertheless, the patient developed new metastases in the brain and abdomen. The present case report demonstrates that high-dose radiotherapy combined with immunotherapy may be effective for local lesions and that multiple doses of HFRT may be superior to single-fraction high-dose-rate brachytherapy for certain patients. Low-dose scattering also shows improvement for local lesions. Furthermore, restarting targeted therapy may be effective in the presence of target sites. Thus, the present case report provides a possible therapeutic option for the treatment of advanced melanoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and physiological status of pest insects are important factors that affect the effectiveness of biological control. Current knowledge reveals that heavy metals can be transferred to phytophagous insects through food chains and cause various chronic toxicological effects on the growth and physiology of phytophagous insects. These findings potentially attribute heavy metal contamination to an environmental factor governing biocontrol efficiency against pest insects, pointing to an urgent demand to better understand the effects of heavy metal exposure on insect susceptibility to entomopathogenic microorganisms. Here we discuss the transfer characteristics of heavy metals along the food chains to phytophagous insects and conclude that heavy metal exposure may promote insect susceptibility to entomopathogenic microorganisms in the heavy metal‐contaminated regions. Furthermore, we propose a 'combined effect' hypothesis that combination of entomopathogenic agent and heavy metal stress can cause a much higher overall insect mortality than does the entomopathogenic agent or the heavy metal stress alone. This is a new and relatively unexplored area in the microbial‐based biocontrol research, which might have great potential for future optimization of biocontrol strategies against economically and ecologically important agricultural or forest pests in the heavy metal polluted areas. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cd(II) is one of the most widespread and toxic heavy metals and seriously threatens plant growth, furthermore negatively affecting human health. For survival from this metal stress, plants always fight with Cd(II) toxicity by themselves or using other external factors. The effects of second metals copper (Cu(II)), zinc (Zn(II)) and calcium (Ca(II)) on the Cd(II)-affected root morphology, Cd(II) translocation and metabolic responses in Catharanthus roseus were investigated under hydroponic conditions. We found that the Cd-stressed plants displayed the browning and rot root symptom, excess H 2 O 2 content, lipid peroxidation and Cd(II) accumulation in plants. However, the supplement with second metals largely alleviated Cd-induced toxicity, including browning and rot roots, oxidative stress and internal Cd(II) accumulation. The amended effects at metabolic and transcriptional levels involved in different second metals share either common or divergent strategies. They commonly repressed Cd uptake and promoted Cd(II) translocation from roots to shoots with divergent mechanisms. High Zn(II) could activate MTs expression in roots, while Cu(II) or Ca(II) did not under Cd(II) stress condition. The presence of Ca(II) under Cd stress condition largely initiated occurrence of lateral roots. We then grouped a metabolic diagram integrating terpenoid indole alkaloid (TIA) accumulation and TIA pathway gene expression to elucidate the metabolic response of C. roseus to Cd(II) alone or combined with second metals. The treatment with 100 Cd(II) alone largely promoted accumulation of vinblastine, vindoline, catharanthine and loganin, whereas depressed or little changed the expression levels of genes detected here, compared to 0 Cd(II) control. In the presence of Cd(II), the supplement with second metals displayed specific effect on different alkaloid. Among them, the metal Ca(II) is especially beneficial for serpentine accumulation, Zn(II) mainly promoted tabersonine production. However, the addition of Cu(II) commonly depressed accumulation of most alkaloids detected here. Generally, we presented different mechanisms by which the second metals used to alleviate Cd (II) toxicity. This plant has potential application in phytoremediation of Cd(II), due to relatively substantial accumulation of biomass, as well as secondary metabolites TIAs used as pharmaceutical materials when facing Cd stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]