Zhan Qu

Publications (2)6.41 Total impact

• Article: In vitro and in vivo antitumoral action of metformin on hepatocellular carcinoma.

  Zhan Qu, Yangde Zhang, Mingmei Liao, Yuxiang Chen, Jinfeng Zhao, Yifeng Pan
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  ABSTRACT: Aims:  Metformin is a biguanide that has been widely used to treat type 2 diabetes. Several studies have shown that metformin is also effective in treating cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of this study was to evaluate the antitumor effects of metformin in HCC, and to investigate the potential molecular target(s) of metformin-mediated antitumor activity. Methods:  The antiproliferative effects of metformin were assessed in human HCC cell lines and normal human liver cells at various concentrations. Orthotopic xenograft tumors were established in athymic nude mice, and tumor growth was monitored after metformin treatment. Western blot analysis and cell cycle regulation were performed to determine the involvement of various mediators of apoptosis. Results:  Metformin specifically inhibited the growth of HCC cells without affecting the growth of normal liver cells both in vitro and in vivo. Metformin caused cell cycle arrest in HCC cells, which resulted in caspase-3 activation. Livin levels decreased in a dose-dependent manner upon metformin treatment. Metformin activated 5'-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, inhibited the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway and downregulated Livin protein expression. Conclusion:  Our findings indicate that metformin is effective at initiating apoptosis and inhibiting key survival signaling pathways in HCC cells. These data provide a foundation for further studies to evaluate metformin in the clinic either as a single agent or in combination with other first-line agents as a treatment option for HCC.
  Hepatology Research 03/2012; 42(9):922-33. · 2.20 Impact Factor
• Article: Penetration enhancement of lidocaine hydrochlorid by a novel chitosan coated elastic liposome for transdermal drug delivery.

  Lingling Li, Yangde Zhang, Shiwei Han, Zhan Qu, Jinfeng Zhao, Yuxiang Chen, Zhencheng Chen, Jinghua Duan, Yifeng Pan, Xiaohai Tang
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  ABSTRACT: An effective transdermal delivery system for local anaesthetic was developed with lidocaine hydrochloride (LID) as model drug. Chitosan coated elastic liposome (CCEL) were proposed and its in vitro/in vivo skin permeation properties were evaluated. Elastic liposome composed of soya lecithin with sodium deoxycholate (SDC) as edge activator, was prepared by rotary evaporation-sonication method. Chitosan (CH) (0.1-0.5%, w/v) coated elastic liposome by electrostatic attraction of negative elastic liposome and positive CH. CH coating changed the elastic liposome surface charge and increased the vesicle size. The drug encapsulation efficiency (EE) decreased with the increase of CH content. CH coated elastic liposome demonstrated an improved physicochemical stability at 4 degrees C in a 3 months storage period. After coated, CCEL displayed a prolonged drug release profile in vitro release study. The in vitro/in vivo studies showed that CCEL were able to give a statistically significant improvement of skin permeation of LID and significantly reduced pain in comparison with elastic liposome and CH solution.
  Journal of Biomedical Nanotechnology 10/2011; 7(5):704-13. · 4.22 Impact Factor