Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the antitumor efficacy of combination of cytosine deaminase (CD) suicide gene therapy with radiation and to grope for new therapeutic strategy for local recurrent rectal cancer. Experimental Design: HR-8348 cell line of human rectal cancer was used to assess efficiency of transfectionwithplasmidpEGFP-N1and PXJ41-CD.The cells were exposedto radiationfollowedby liposome-mediated transfection. Cellinhibitionassay was done with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide method. Antitumor efficacy of combined liposome-mediated CD suicide gene therapy with radiation was determined by treatment of nude mice bearing HR-8348 cancer cell xenograft. Results:The efficiency of liposome-mediated CD gene transfection can be improved by radiation. With radiation at 2, 4, 6, and 8 Gy, the efficiency of liposome-mediated transfection increased from 21.3% to 62.2%, 78.0%, 83.2%, and 87.8%, respectively. CD expression was enhanced as well. Cancer cell inhibition experiment showed that combined liposome-mediated CD gene therapy with radiation had much stronger antitumor effect. With HR-8348 tumor xenograft model, suppression of tumor xenograft was observed. Compared with control group, tumor volume was inhibited by 81.5%, 48.5%, and 37.4%, respectively, in the combined CD/5-fluorocytosine with radiation group, CD/5-fluorocytosine group, and radiation group and the wet weight of tumor was decreased by 80%, 41.7%, and 37.7%, respectively. Conclusion:These findings suggested that combination of liposome-mediated CD gene therapy with radiation is a safer and efficient anticancer method. Its therapeutic efficacy may meet clinical treatment on local recurrent rectal cancer.

Nigegladines A-C (1-3), three thymoquinone dimers, were isolated from the seeds of Nigella glandulifera. Racemic 1 possesses a unique tricyclo[5.4.0.1]dodecane carbon skeleton, and compounds 2 and 3 are two unusual diterpenoid alkaloids with indole cores. Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic analyses, and that of 1 was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both (+)-1 and (-)-1 exhibited significant protective effects against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced H9c2 myocardial cell injury.

Aralia elata is a perennial woody plant of the genus Aralia in the family Araliaceae. It is rich in saponins and therefore has a wide range of pharmacological effects. Here, we report a high-quality reference genome of A. elata, with a genome size of 1.21 Gb and a contig N50 of 51.34 Mb, produced by PacBio HiFi sequencing technology. This is the first genome assembly for the genus Aralia. Through genome evolutionary analysis, we explored the phylogeny and whole genome duplication (WGD) events in the A. elata genome. The results indicated that a recent WGD event occurred in the A. elata genome. Estimation of the divergence times indicated that the WGD may be shared by Araliaceae. By analyzing the genome sequence of A. elata and combining the transcriptome data from three tissues, we discovered important genes related to triterpene saponins biosynthesis. Furthermore, based on the embryonic callus induction system of A. elata established in our laboratory, we set up the genetic transformation system of this plant. The genomic resources and genetic transformation system obtained in this study provide insights into A. elata and lays the foundation for further exploration of the A. elata regulatory mechanism.

Three new alkaloids namely 8-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-methoxy-3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-1(2H)-one (1), 4-aminonigellidine (2), and N-[(4-hydroxy-2-isopropyl-5-methyl)]phenylurea (3), along with six known ones (4-9), were isolated from the seeds of Nigella glandulifera. The structures of 1-3 were determined through spectroscopic analyses (HRESIMS, 1D/2D NMR). Compound 1 was a rare isoquinolinone alkaloid with phenyl substituted at C-8.

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