Aerobic glycolysis is an important feature of cancer cells. In recent years, lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH-A) is emerging as a novel therapeutic target for cancer treatment. Seeking LDH-A inhibitors from natural resources has been paid much attention for drug discovery. Spatholobus suberectus (SS) is a common herbal medicine used in China for treating blood-stasis related diseases such as cancer. This study aims to explore the potential medicinal application of SS for LDH-A inhibition on breast cancer and to determine its bioactive compounds. We found that SS manifested apoptosis-inducing, cell cycle arresting and anti-LDH-A activities in both estrogen-dependent human MCF-7 cells and estrogen-independent MDA-MB-231 cell. Oral herbal extracts (1 g/kg/d) administration attenuated tumor growth and LDH-A expression in both breast cancer xenografts. Bioactivity-guided fractionation finally identified epigallocatechin as a key compound in SS inhibiting LDH-A activity. Further studies revealed that LDH-A plays a critical role in mediating the apoptosis-induction effects of epigallocatechin. The inhibited LDH-A activities by epigallocatechin is attributed to disassociation of Hsp90 from HIF-1α and subsequent accelerated HIF-1α proteasome degradation. In vivo study also demonstrated that epigallocatechin could significantly inhibit breast cancer growth, HIF-1α/LDH-A expression and trigger apoptosis without bringing toxic effects. The preclinical study thus suggests that the potential medicinal application of SS for inhibiting cancer LDH-A activity and the possibility to consider epigallocatechin as a lead compound to develop LDH-A inhibitors. Future studies of SS for chemoprevention or chemosensitization against breast cancer are thus warranted.

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LIPL irradiation may directly promote osteoblast proliferation and differentiation, and indirectly inhibit osteoclast differentiation, by downregulating the RANKL:OPG mRNA ratio in osteoblasts. Thus LIPL irradiation may play an important role in bone remodeling, and should be valuable for the treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.

The effects of ionophore antibiotics on the enzyme activity, protein and mRNA expression levels of cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes were investigated in liver from male Arbor Acres (AA) broiler chicks. Monensin, salinomycin and maduramycin at the dosage of 120, 60, and 5 mg/kg were administered in feed for 14 days. CYP1A and CYP3A activities were quantitated using cocktail probe drugs and a high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay at the 15th day; the protein expressions of CYP1A and CYP3A were detected by Western blot. CYP1A4, CYP1A5 and CYP3A37 mRNA levels were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR). Monensin, salinomycin and maduramycin had no effect on caffeine metabolism, protein expression and mRNA expression, but did induce dapsone metabolism, increasing CYP3A protein expression. However, there was no change in CYP3A37 mRNA expression as compared with the control group. It is suggested that ionophore antibiotics may have an induction effect on CYP3A expression and enzyme activity and that such effect might be related to the posttranscriptional regulation of its protein expression. Consideration of the enhanced metabolism of other drugs used simultaneously with ionophores is therefore recommended.

BackgroundThis retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the relationship between Chinese medicine (CM) dietary patterns (hot, neutral, and cold) and the incidence of breast cancer among Chinese women in Hong Kong.MethodsBreast cancer cases (n = 202) and healthy controls (n = 202) were matched according to demographics. Chinese women residing in Hong Kong for the past 7 years were recruited by media advertisements (e.g., via newspapers, radio, and posters). The control participants were recruited by convenience sampling from health workshops held in clinics and communities of 15 districts of Hong Kong. After completing test–retest reliability, all participants were asked to complete diet pattern questionnaires about their food preferences and dietary patterns. The Student’s unpaired t test, Chi square test, and logistic regression were conducted using SPSS software.ResultsThree major CM dietary patterns were identified: hot, neutral, and cold. The participants with breast cancer exhibited a stronger preference for hot food than the control group (Chi square test, P < 0.001). A higher frequency of breast cancer was associated with a higher frequency of dining out for breakfast (4–5 times per week, Chi square test, P = 0.015; 6–7 times per week, Chi square test, P < 0.001) and lunch (4–5 times per week, Chi square test, P < 0.001; 6–7 times per week, Chi square test, P = 0.006). The participants with no history of breast cancer consumed CM supplements and Guangdong soups (1–2 times per week, Chi square test, P = 0.05; >3 times per week, Chi square test, P < 0.001) more frequently than those with breast cancer.ConclusionsNon-breast cancer participants adopted a neutral (healthy and balanced) dietary pattern, and consumed CM supplements and Guangdong soups more frequently.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13020-017-0138-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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