Chemical constituents from Paris rugosa rhizomes and their antimicrobial activities / 中国中药杂志

Paris rugosa(Melanthiaceae) only grows in Yunnan province of China at present, and its chemical constituents have not been systematically studied. In this study, nine compounds, including one new compound pariposide G(1) and eight known compounds of cerin(2), stigmast-4-en-3-one(3), β-ecdysone(4), ophiopogonin C'(5), methyl protogracillin(6), gracillin(7), parissaponin H(8), and parisyunnanoside G(9), were isolated and identified from the ethanol extract of P. rugosa rhizomes by column chromatography methods and semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC). Compounds 1-9 were isolated from this plant for the first time. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of all the compounds were evaluated. The results showed that ophiopogonin C' had strong inhibitory effects on Candida albicans [MIC_(90)=(4.68±0.01) μmol·L~(-1)] and the fluconazole-resistant strain of C. albicans [MIC_(90)=(4.66±0.02) μmol·L~(-1)].

Recent advances in drug development targeting bile acids transporters and related disease / 药学学报

Bile acids (BAs) are a major component of bile salt, which plays a vital role in the metabolism of lipids in humans. Ninety-five percent of bile acids are recycled by the enterohepatic circulation (EHC), and therefore EHC is essential for bile acid homeostasis. There are four transporters that mediate the transmembrane transport of bile acids, each of which plays an important role in the enterohepatic circulation. Gene defects in bile acid transporters can lead to disorders of the enterohepatic circulation, ultimately leading to clinical phenotypes such as metabolic diseases and even death. Bile transporter expression is altered in patients with various metabolic disease states, suggesting that disruption of bile acid transporters may be a pivotal pathological mechanism for the development of metabolism diseases. Thus, many drugs targeting bile acid transporters are being developed. We provide a concise overview of the progress of bile acid transporters research, discuss the relationship between different bile acid transporters and disease development, and summarize the current progress in drug development targeting bile acid transporters.

Chemical constituents from the roots tuber of Aconitum ouvrardianum / 中成药

AIM To study the chemical constituents from the roots tuber of Aconitum ouvrardianum H..METHODS The ethyl acetate fraction of methy extract from A.ouvrardianum roots tuber was isolated and purified by silica,aluminium oxide column,Sephadex LH-20,then the structures of obtained compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral data.RESULTS Eighteen compounds were isolated and identified as kongboendine (1),anisoezochasmaconitine (2),lipo-14-O-anisoylbikhaconine (3),franchetine (4),talatisamine (5),chasmanine (6),crassicauline A (7),chasmaconitine (8),14-dehydrotalatisamine (9),lipoindaconitine (10),indaconitine (11),yunaconitine (12),lipoyunaconitine (13),liljestrandisine (14),transconitine B (15),ouvrardiantine (16),atropurpursine (17),8-deacetylyunaconitine (18).CONCLUSION Compounds 1-4,9-10,13,15,17 are isolated from this plant for the first time.

Relationship between vitamin D and autism spectrum disorder / 中国当代儿科杂志

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with multiple genetic and environmental risk factors. The interplay between genetic and environmental factors has become the subject of intensified research in the last several years. Vitamin D deficiency has recently been proposed as a possible environmental risk factor for ASD. Vitamin D has a unique role in brain homeostasis, embryogenesis and neurodevelopment, immunological modulation (including the brain's immune system), antioxidation, antiapoptosis, neural differentiation and gene regulation. Children with ASD had significantly lower serum levels of 25-hydroxy vitamin D than healthy children.Therefore vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and early childhood may be an environmental trigger for ASD.

Establishment and identification of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in chronic hepatitis B virus infected mice / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish and identify an animal model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in chronic HBV infected mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Transgenic mice with sustaining HBV production were established by microinjection of ocyte. Then they were randomly assigned into 4 groups (male control, male NAFLD model, female control and female NAFLD model) and treated with high fat diet (2% cholesterol, 10% lard, 88% forage) and common forage, respectively. NAFLD-related physical indexes, liver and kidney function, glucose and lipid metabolism were investigated at the time points of 8 weeks, 16 weeks and 24 weeks. Meanwhile, HBV type, serum levels of HBV DNA and HBeAg, immunohistochemical staining of hepatic HBsAg were detected. The establishment of NAFLD was evaluated by serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), etc. Histological changes were also analyzed by HE, oil red O and Masson's trichrome staining. The status of CHB was assessed on the basis of immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The body and liver weights, liver index in HBV transgenic mice were significantly increased in regardless of the gender of HFD feeding, and the levels of serum ALT, AST, ALP, GGT, TBIL, TBA, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL and FBG were higher in HFD groups as compared with the control mice. Lipid droplets, cytologic ballooning and liver steatosis could be observed in most lobules of HFD groups after 8-week administration, fatty degeneration of hepatocytes, patch necrosis, mild to moderate chronic inflammatory infiltration were also observed in some of HFD feeding, reflecting the emerge of steatohepatitis. At the time point of 24-week perisinusoidal fibrosis and local fibrosis occurred in HFD groups. Immunohistochemical staining and real-time PCR analysis of the liver tissues showed positive signal of HBsAg in all groups of mice, although no significant difference was documented.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our study suggests that animal model of NAFLD can be established in HBV transgenic mice and provide a nice animal model for further studies on NAFLD with chronic hepatitis B infection.</p>

The relationship between occupational stress and cardiovascular disease risk factor / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the relationship between the occupational stress and cardiovascular disease risk factors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The subject was 93 male freight train dispatchers, the occupational stressors, personalities, and occupational strain response were measured by using questionnaires. Blood pressure, heart rate, the concentrations of the cholesterol, triglyceride, and glycosylated hemoglobin in blood serum were also measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Social support score were significantly positively related to systolic pressure (r = 0.22) and diastolic pressure (r = 0.30) (P < 0.05), while job satisfaction negatively related to them and concentration of triglyceride (r = -0.37, -0.47 and -0.28 respectively, P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and self-esteem negatively to systolic pressure (r = -0.21, P < 0.05). The differences in diastolic pressure [(78.5 +/- 13.1), (83.6 +/- 8.2), (88.1 +/- 12.3), (85.8 +/- 9.8) mm Hg, P < 0.05] among groups of social support score, body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.01) among groups of job difficulty the differences in systolic pressure [(124.9 +/- 14.4), (129.7 +/- 13.1), (118.4 +/- 16.4), (133.5 +/- 23.1) mm Hg] and diastolic pressure [(85.5 +/- 11.3), (87.0 +/- 9.8), (80.1 +/- 10.1), (88.9 +/- 12.0) mm Hg] and cholesterol level in serum [(4.96 +/- 1.18), (5.39 +/- 0.85), (5.00 +/- 1.15), (4.34 +/- 0.91) mmol/L] among groups of vulnerability to stress (P < 0.05), as well as the difference in systolic pressure and glycosylated hemoglobin level in serum among groups of competition score (P < 0.05) were all statistically significant. Stepwise regression analysis showed that job time demands and negative coping affected the change of cholesterol (R(2) > 0.05); the job relation decision latitude, social support, job difficulty, personality (self-esteem and anxiety trait) and negative coping were the predictors of smoking (R(2) > 0.05). Heart rate was related to home income and competition factor of Type A Behavior (R(2) = 0.06).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The psychosocial stress aspects of work may be related to some cardiovascular risk factors.</p>