RUOYU CHEN¹, YIMAN WU¹, FENG WANG¹, JUNTAO ZHOU¹, HUAZHANG ZHUANG¹, WEI LI^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1037-1046, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.051074

Abstract Background: Oleanolic acid (OA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid exhibiting specific anti-cancer properties and highly effective antioxidant activity, was isolated from traditional Chinese medicinal herbs. Conversely, the OA that impacts colon cancer (CC) cells and its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Methods: The cytotoxic effect of OA alone or OA-5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) combination on normal and CC cells was analyzed by methyl thiazolyl diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT). Then, the impact of OA on CC cell lines (LoVo and HT-29) proliferation and stemness were measured using colon formation and tumorsphere formation assays. Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), Prominin-1 (CD133), Nanog,… More >

YU-YAN LAN^1,#, TSUN-CHIH CHENG^2,#, YI-PING LEE³, CHIA-YIH WANG^3,*, BU-MIIN HUANG^3,4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1047-1054, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.050701

Abstract Background: Paclitaxel is a compound derived from Pacific yew bark that induces various cancer cell apoptosis. However, whether it also has anticancer activities in KOSC3 cells, an oral cancer cell line, is unclear. Methods: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry, and western blotting assays were carried out to assess cell viability, subG1 phase of the cell cycle, and apoptosis-related protein expression, respectively. Results: Our findings indicate that paclitaxel could inhibit cell viability and increase the expression of apoptotic markers, including plasma membrane blebbing and the cleavage of poly ADP-ribose polymerase in KOSC3 cells. Also, the treatment with paclitaxel More > Graphic Abstract

XULONG SUN^1,#, WENTAO DING^2,#, CHAO JIANG³, ZHIAN FANG^4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1071-1079, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.050519

Abstract Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a prevalent malignancy, poses significant challenges with high tumor heterogeneity and poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Although abnormalities in microRNA-557 (miR-557) expression have been implicated in various cancer types, its role in HCC remains unclear. Therefore, there is a need to explore the function of microRNA-557 in HCC. Methods: Candidate miRNAs were identified through screening in GSE108724 and GSE20077. Real-time PCR was employed to analyze the expression level of miR-557 in hepatoma cell lines and tissues. Cell viability and migration assays were applied to assess the… More > Graphic Abstract

YAN-NAN LI^1,#, YUN-HONG XIU^2,#, YAN-JUN TANG³, JING-LONG CAO¹, WEN-SHUANG HOU¹, AN-QI WANG¹, TIAN-ZHU LI^4,*, CHENG-HAO JIN^1,3,5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1055-1069, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.050515

Abstract Objectives: Sciadopitysin (SP) is a flavonoid in Ginkgo biloba that exhibits various pharmacological activities. This study aimed to investigate its antitumor effects and the underlying molecular mechanism of SP in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods: Network pharmacology was used for target prediction analysis. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to test the cell viability. Flow cytometry was used to test the cell cycle distribution, apoptosis status, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Transwell and wound-healing assay was used to test the migration effect of SP on HepG2 cells. Western Blot assay was used to… More > Graphic Abstract

JUN-FENG ZHAO^1,†, YI-RAN JIANG^2,†, TIAN-LIN GUO¹, YONG-QING JIAO^1,*, XUN WANG^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1011-1022, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.050120

Abstract Neurodegenerative diseases constitute a broad category of diseases caused by the degeneration of the neurons. They are mainly manifested by the gradual loss of neuron structure and function and eventually can cause death or loss of neurons. As the global population ages rapidly, increased people are being diagnosed with neurodegenerative diseases. It has been established that the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is closely linked with increasing age and its major pathological features include amyloid-beta plaques (Aβ), Tau hyperphosphorylation, Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), neuronal death as well as synaptic loss. The involvement of microglia is crucial… More >

LAN ZHOU^1,#, QI ZHANG^2,#, BO TIAN^1,*, FENG YANG^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1081-1093, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.049878

Abstract Background: Glioblastoma, a notably malignant tumor within the central nervous system, is distinguished by its aggressive behavior. Silvestrol, a robust inhibitor of the RNA helicase eukaryotic initiation factor 4A (eIF4A), has shown significant potential as an anticancer compound. Yet, the impact of silvestrol on glioblastoma, especially its molecular mechanisms, has not been fully elucidated. Methods: This investigation employed a variety of in vitro assays, such as cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), clonogenic, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EDU), wound healing, and flow cytometry, to evaluate cell cycle progression, apoptosis, cell viability, and migration. Western blot analysis was also performed to study… More >

JIAOE SHENG¹, ZUMIN YI², SANSHAN HE¹, QINGCHAO WU¹, XIA HUANG¹, GUOQING YAN¹, YUFANG DAI^1,*, LINCHONG SU^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1095-1104, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.028421

Abstract Introduction: Cholic acid (CA) is a natural steroid useful in treating chronic bronchitis and cholecystitis. On the other hand, its potential impact on osteoarthritis (OA) is unknown. Objective: Using an in vitro and in vivo osteoarthritis model, we sought to assess the chondroprotective properties of CA. Methods: We employed the Cell Counting Kit-8 to measure the impact of CA on chondrocyte activity to assess the toxicity of the cells. Multiple molecular biology experimental techniques were used to investigate potential signaling pathways that CA may use to prevent inflammation and give chondrocytes protection. Furthermore, how CA affects the OA… More >

Yuanqing He^*, Xinyue Yu, Yu Xia, Yanhua Cao

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, Vol.26, No.6, pp. 463-474, 2024, DOI:10.32604/ijmhp.2024.051909

Abstract Background: Teacher burnout is a serious issue in the field of education, particularly in early childhood education, where teachers face high levels of work stress and emotional labor, leading to emotional exhaustion and job burnout. However, past research has not sufficiently explored the mechanisms of social skills, empathy, and mindfulness in mitigating teacher burnout. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the relationship between preschool teachers’ social skills, empathy, and mindfulness with job burnout, in order to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for reducing teacher burnout. Methods: This research utilized a convenience sampling approach to… More >

Qian Tao, Guiqi Han, Bujin Ma, Hongmei Jia, Can Zhao, Wenshang Li, Zhuyun Yan^*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.6, pp. 1297-1310, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.051923

Abstract Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (Liliaceae) is an endangered perennial bulbous plant and its dry bulb is a valuable medicinal material with antitussive and expectorant effects. Nevertheless, lack of resources and expensive prices make it difficult to meet clinical needs. This study presents a regeneration system aimed at overcoming the challenge of inadequate supply in F. cirrhosa, focusing on: (1) callus induction, (2) bulblets and adventitious bud induction, and (3) artificial seed production. Callus development was achieved in 84.93% on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with 1.0 mg·L picloram. The optimal medium for callus differentiation into regenerated… More >

Riwa Mahai¹, Rongpeng Liu¹, Xiaolang Du¹, Zejing Mu¹, Xiaoyun Wang^1,*, Jun Yuan^2,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.6, pp. 1203-1219, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.051559

Abstract Rosaceae represents a vast and complex group of species, with its classification being intricate and contentious. The taxonomic placement of many species within this family has been a subject of ongoing debate. The study utilized the Illumina platform to sequence 19 plant species from 10 genera in the Rosaceae. The cp genomes, varying in size from 153,366 to 159,895 bp, followed the typical quadripartite organization consisting of a large single-copy (LSC) region (84,545 to 87,883 bp), a small single-copy (SSC) region (18,174 to 19,259 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (25,310 to… More >