Taxus wallichiana var. chinensis (Pilg.) Florin Aqueous Extract Suppresses the Proliferation and Metastasis in Lung Carcinoma via JAK/STAT3 Signaling Pathway

As one of the most common neoplasms globally, lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Recurrence and metastasis negatively influencing therapeutic efficacy and overall survival demand new strategies in LC treatment. The advantages of TCM are increasingly highlighted. In this study, we obtained the major chemical components and their ratios in the aqueous extract of Taxus wallichiana var. chinensis (Pilg.) Florin (AETW) by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS detection. The CCK-8 assay revealed that AETW could selectively inhibit the growth of A549 and HCC827 cells in a dose-dependent manner with little effect on normal human lung cells. Moreover, both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that AETW was able to suppress the capacities of cell migration and invasion and downregulate the EMT and the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. To further probe into the molecular mechanism, the overexpression of STAT3 was performed into LC cells with AETW treatment, which counteracted the inhibitory effect on malignant behaviors of A549 and HCC827 cells with the decline in the expressions of p-JAK and p-STAT3. Taken together, we propose that AETW may inhibit the proliferation and metastasis by inactivating the JAK/STAT3 axis.

Genetic diversity of natural populations of Taxus wallichiana var. mairei

Maire yew (Taxus wallichiana var. mairei (Lemée H. Léveillé.) L. K. Fu et Nan Li) is a rare and endangered tree species, and it is also a precious timber species in China. We used 13 microsatellites to assess the genetic diversity and differentiation of 665 Maire yew samples from 18 natural populations. A total of 291 alleles were detected. The average number of alleles (Na=22.39), expected heterozygosity (He=0.74), polymorphic information content (PIC = 0.86) and Shannon diversity index (I = 1.66) of the loci indicated a high level of genetic diversity in natural Maire yew populations. Moreover, gene flow was more active among populations (Nm=1.62) than within populations. Among the 18 populations, the Xinfeng population in Jiangxi Province has the highest genetic diversity. Although each of the studied populations should be protected from further deforestation and agricultural expansion, the Xinfeng population deserves the highest conservation priority. The results based on analysis of molecular variance showed that genetic variation occurred mainly within populations (84.90%; P < 0.001), which indicated that the degree of genetic differentiation of the natural populations of Maire yew was low. Based on UPGMA, the 18 populations were categorized into 4 groups. A Mantel test showed that there was no significant correlation between standard genetic distance and geographical distance or altitude differences among the populations. The genetic clustering results also indicated that the genetic relationship followed a north to south clustered trend. The information presented here forms the basis for the development of genetic guidelines for appropriate conservation programs.