Publications by authors named "Zheng-Quan Lai"

Article Synopsis
  • Colon cancer (COAD) significantly contributes to global cancer deaths, primarily due to its tendency to metastasize, although the mechanisms behind this are not fully understood.
  • The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in COAD progression and may offer insight into its metastatic behavior, with a specific TME Regulatory Network identified that includes AEBP1, BGN, POST, and FAP—this network correlates with COAD severity and immune infiltration.
  • Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has the potential to interact with this regulatory network, suggesting it may help regulate immune responses in COAD, which could lead to improved prognostic and therapeutic strategies for managing the disease.
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Glioblastoma is one of the most common and lethal intracranial malignant, and is still lack of ideal treatments. Kaempferol is a major nutrient found in various edible plants, which has exhibited the potential for the treatment of glioblastoma. However, the specific anti-glioma mechanism of kaempferol is yet to be studied.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases worldwide. Nevertheless, no first-line therapy exists. Hepatic steatosis is the earliest stage of NAFLD, which is characterized by an accumulation of hepatic lipids.

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Curcumin (CUR), a promising naturally occurring dietary compound, is commonly recognized as the potential anti-inflammatory agent. While the application of CUR was hampered by its low stability and poor systemic bioavailability, it has been suggested that the biological activities of CUR are intimately related to its metabolites. In the current investigation, we aimed to comparatively explore the anti-inflammatory effects of tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), octahydrocurcumin (OHC), and CUR, and to elucidate the underlying action mechanisms on experimental mice models of acute inflammation, i.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and life‑threatening type of malignant cancer, which is associated with a high mortality rate. Cisplatin (CDDP) is a commonly used chemotherapy drug with significant side effects. Brusatol (BR) is one of the principal chemical compounds isolated from the Chinese herb Bruceae Fructus, which has been reported to markedly inhibit the proliferation of numerous cancer cell lines.

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Brucein D (BD), a major active quassinoid in , has exhibited pronounced anticancer activities. However, the biologic mechanisms have not been fully explored. In this study, BD exhibited more potent cytotoxic effect on pancreatic cancer (PanCa) cell lines, while exerted weaker cytotoxic effects on GES-1 cells (non-tumorigenic).

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Article Synopsis
  • Pancreatic cancer is hard to treat and has a poor survival rate, highlighting the need for new therapies.
  • Brusatol, a natural compound from Bruceae Fructus, shows strong anti-cancer effects similar to standard drugs like gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil while being safer.
  • Combining brusatol with these chemotherapies improves their effectiveness against pancreatic cancer by disrupting cell cycle processes and reducing tumor growth more than using either treatment alone.
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The transcription factor Nrf2 regulates the basal and inducible expression of a battery of cytoprotective genes. Whereas numerous Nrf2-inducing small molecules have been reported, very few chemical inhibitors of Nrf2 have been identified to date. The quassinoid brusatol has recently been shown to inhibit Nrf2 and ameliorate chemoresistance in vitro and in vivo.

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Article Synopsis
  • A validated HPLC method was developed to simultaneously quantify seven alkaloids from Picrasma quassioide, utilizing a Phenomenex Gemini C(18) column and specific mobile phase conditions.
  • Analysis demonstrated that samples from Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces are more similar to each other as opposed to those from Jiangxi Province, as determined by principal component and hierarchical clustering analyses.
  • The method allows for rapid identification of these alkaloids, contributing to quality assessment of P. quassioide and related pharmaceutical products.
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