Thirteen new peptaibols with antimicrobial activities from Trichoderma sp / 中国天然药物

From the fungus Trichoderma sp., we isolated seven novel 18-residue peptaibols, neoatroviridins E-K (1-7), and six new 14-residue peptaibols, harzianins NPDG J-O (8-13). Additionally, four previously characterized 18-residue peptaibols neoatroviridins A-D (14-17) were also identified. The structural configurations of the newly identified peptaibols (1-13) were determined by comprehensive nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-resolution electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS/MS) data. Their absolute configurations were further determined using Marfey's method. Notably, compounds 12 and 13 represent the first 14-residue peptaibols containing an acidic amino acid residue. In antimicrobial assessments, all 18-residue peptaibols (1-7, 14-17) exhibited moderate inhibitory activities against Staphylococcus aureus 209P, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 8-32 μg·mL-1. Moreover, compound 9 exhibited moderate inhibitory effect on Candida albicans FIM709, with a MIC value of 16 μg·mL-1.

Biotransformation of α-asarone by Alternaria longipes CGMCC 3.2875 / 中国天然药物

Biotransformation of α-asarone by Alternaria longipes CGMCC 3.2875 yielded two pairs of new neolignans, (+) (7S, 8S, 7'S, 8'R) iso-magnosalicin (1a)/(-) (7R, 8R, 7'R, 8'S) iso-magnosalicin (1b) and (+) (7R, 8R, 7'S, 8'R) magnosalicin (2a)/(-) (7S, 8S, 7'R, 8'S) magnosalicin (2b), and four known metabolites, (±) acoraminol A (3), (±) acoraminol B (4), asaraldehyde (5), and 2, 4, 5-trimethoxybenzoic acid (6). Their structures, including absolute configurations, were determined by extensive analysis of NMR spectra, X-ray crystallography, and quantum chemical ECD calculations. The cytotoxic activity and Aβ

A pair of new tirucallane triterpenoid epimers from the stems of Picrasma quassioides / 中国天然药物

A pair of new tirucallane triterpenoid epimers, picraquassins M and N (1> and 2), were isolated from the stems of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn. Their structures were determined based on comprehensive spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses. In addition, their AChE inhibitory activity, cytotoxicity against five human tumour cell lines (SW480, MCF-7, HepG2, Hela, and PANC-1), and antimicrobial activity against two bacteria (Staphylococcus. aureus 209P and Escherichia coli ATCC0111) and two fungi (Candida albicans FIM709 and Aspergillus niger R330) were evaluated.

Helicobacter pylori Tipα protein induces IL-1β and IL-18 production in THP-1-drived macrophages through activation of NLRP3 inflammasome / 中国人兽共患病学报

We preliminarily investigated the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) Tipa-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines secretion in PMA-differentiated human acute monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1.PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells were treated with pure recombinant Tips protein.The secretion levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18 in supernatant of culture medium were detected by ELISA.Then we blocked MyD88/NF-κB and NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathways by PDTC or the general ROS scavenger,NAC,respectively,and determined the secretion levels of proinflammatory cytokines and the expression levels of NLRP3 and Caspase-1.The results showed that Tips protein can significantly induced the secretion of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18 in THP-1 cells in a time and dose-dependent manner.Levels of TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18 approached their peaks at 6 h post-treatment by 40 μg/mL of Tipα protein (P＜0.05).Moreover,the blockade of NF-κB signaling pathway by PDTC can inhibit the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and the expression of NLRP3 and Caspase-1.When THP-1 cells were pre-treated with ROS scavenger NAC,the Tipα-induced increased IL-1β and IL-18 secretion was obviously eliminated (P＜0.05),while TNF-α level had no significant difference,and the expression levels of Caspase-1 and NLRP3 also have a significant decrease.Our results demonstrated that Tipα can promote THP-1-drived macrophages to secrete proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α,IL-1β and IL-18,and the NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway may be involved in the Tipα protein-induced IL-1β and IL-18 secretion.

Electronic circular dichroism calculation method in the assignment of absolute configuration of natural products / 国际药学研究杂志

Assignment of absolute configuration is an important and challenging work in the structure elucidation of natural products. Electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculation is a method to determine the absolute configurations by comparing experimental ECD data and calculated ECD data derived from quantum chemical calculation. With the development of the quantum chemical calculation, the calculated ECD data have become closer and closer to the experimental ones, which attracts more and more scientists to use ECD calculation to determine the absolute configuration of natural products. In this review, we recommend some general softwares and methods in ECD calculation. In addition, we give some of our works as examples to introduce ECD calculation in assignment of absolute configuration of natural products.

A new alkaloid from Nodulisporium sp / 中国中药杂志

The genus Nodulisporium, is known to produce secondary metabolites with structural diversity. A new alkaloid, 2-hy- droxy-1,1-dimethyl-1,2,3,9-tetrahydro-4H-carbazol-4-one(1), was isolated from the extract of a fungal strain Nodulisporium sp. fermented with rice, together with three known phenols, tyrosol(2), hydroxytyrosol(3), and hydroxytyrosol acetate(4). Their structures were identified by detailed spectroscopic analyses.

Anatomy character of renal artery and treatment of living-donor renal transplantation / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the anatomy characters of renal artery and the treatment of multiple arteries in living donor renal grafts.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Records of 142 living donors were analyzed in our center. We analyzed the anatomic structure of renal arteries by DSA and CTA pre-transplantation. Thirty-one kidneys with multiple arteries were transplanted after reconstruction. Then clinical effects were compared between multiple-renal-arteries group (n=31) and single-renal-artery group (n=111).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The incidence of multiple renal artery was 30.99%, and there was no difference between both sides (left kidney 22.54%, right kidney 22.13%). If the multiple artery occurred in left or right kidney, the incidence of the multiple artery occurred in the other side was 56.25% and 60.00%, respectively. The diameter of left main renal artery was more magnanimous (P=0.001) and the first branch was more closed to abdominal aorta (P=0.004). Operation time and warm/cool ischemia time were longer in the multiple-renal-arteries group. However, estimated blood loss, delayed graft function, acute rejection and flow rate of arcuate artery were similar in both groups, the same as serum creatinine and serum creatinine clearance rate on day 7, 1 month and 3 month post-operation. It was shown by repeated measures ANOVA that graft with multiple arteries didn't affect the tendency of renal function at early time post-operation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Comprehending the character of renal artery and accurate treatment of multiple artery anastomosis are critical for the effect of the living kidney transplantation.</p>

Living-related kidney transplantation: report of 175 cases / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the clinical characteristics of living-related kidney transplantation (LRKT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January, 2004 to December, 2008, 175 LRKT were performed including 63 cases (36%) of parent-child relations and 49 cases (28%) of sibling relations between the recipients and donors. Out of 175 donors, 52 were 50 years old or above, 4 had microscopic hematuria (including 2 with also hypertension), 2 had kidney stone, and 2 had high body mass index (BMI). Zero-point graft biopsy was performed in 59 donors, and abnormalities were found in 15 of them. The recipients were at the age of 33-/+10.5 years, and the primary diseases are mainly dominant glomerular nephritis (72.6%, 127/175), and with a few cases of diabetes (4%, 7/175) and hypertensive nephropathy (4%, 7/175).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Serum creatinine of the donors was 102-/+22.5 micromol/L at 7 days postoperatively, and 92-/+19.1 micromol/L at one month. One recipient died of severe pulmonary infection. Two recipients underwent graft nephrectomy due to anastomotic stenosis with concomitant acute graft rejection and renal arterial embolism. The one-year survival rates of the patients and grafts were 99.3% and 98.2%, respectively. The incident rates of accelerated rejection and acute rejection were 1.1% and 14.9%, respectively. Other complications included impaired liver function (22.3%), infection (9.7%) and leucopenia (4.6%). The renal arterial stenosis occurred in 2.3% (4/175) of the recipients.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The recipients of living-related and cadaveric kidney transplant have different primary kidney disease spectrums. Differential diagnosis and treatment of acute rejection and renal artery or anastomotic stenosis can be of vital importance. Marginal donor kidneys with appropriate inclusion criteria can be safely used for transplantation. With good short-term patient and graft survival, LRKT needs further study to evaluate its long-term effect.</p>

Protective effects of estrogen on mitochondria in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effects of estrogen on the mitochondria in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>HUVECs were exposed to H2O2 at 250 micromol/L for 4 h with or without pretreatment with 17-estradiol (E2) and ICI182780. Complex IV activity of the cells was measured with chromometry, and 2, 7-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) was used to determine intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level was quantified with a luciferin- and luciferase-based assay.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared to the blank control group, H2O2 caused a decrease in complex IV activity, intracellular ATP level, and the cell viability, but elevated intracellular ROS. E2 pretreatment of cells significantly attenuated these effects of H2O2 exposure. ICI182780 administered prior to E2 pretreatment antagonized the protective effects of E2 against H2O2 exposure.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>E2 offers mitochondrial protective effects on HUVECs, which is mediated by the estrogen receptors.</p>

Clinical diagnosis of BK virus infection in renal transplant recipients / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical diagnosis of BK virus (BKV) infection in renal transplant recipients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Urine and peripheral blood samples were taken from 234 renal transplant recipients for BKV detection with cytological test and real-time PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The occurrence rate of urine decoy cells, BKV viruria and viremia in these patients was 33.3 %, 33.3% and 16.2%, respectively, and the median level of urine decoy cells was 6/10 HPF, with the median level of urine and peripheral blood BKV of 7.62 x 10(3) copy/ml and 7.61 x 10(3) copy/ml, respectively. The positivity rate of BKV in the urine samples were significantly higher than that in peripheral blood samples (P=0.000). The amount of decoy cells was related to BKV load in the urine samples (gamma=0.59, P=0.000), but the BKV load in the urine samples was not related to that in peripheral blood samples (P=0.14).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Renal transplantation is associated with increased BKV shedding, indicating the necessity of BKV monitoring in renal transplant recipients with urine cytology, which is convenient and sensitive and indicates renal histological changes indirectly. Urine and peripheral blood BKV DNA detection is of value in identifying BKV activation to prevent irreversible graft damage of BKV-associated nephropathy.</p>

A study on stem cell mobilization after partial liver transplantation in rats / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the role of stem cell mobilization on regeneration of partially grafted livers.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats models with cross-sex 50% PLTx (partial liver transplantation) were established. The rats were divided into three groups: PLTx, WLTx (whole liver transplantation) and sham operation groups. Bone marrow and liver samples were collected on days 1, 3, 5, 7 postoperatively (each n = 6). The quantitative variations of the cells with stem cell markers in the bone marrow, including beta2m-/Thy-1.1+, CD45+/CD34+, Flt2/3+ and c-kit+ markers, were detected using flow cytometry. Sry gene positive cells in donor livers were detected by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), and the expressions of CD34, c-kit and Thy-1.1 were detected by immunohistochemistry technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the WLTx and sham operation groups, beta2m-/Thy-1.1+, CD45+/CD34+ cells in bone marrows in the PLTx group increased on the first postoperative day and decreased on the following days. The CD34, c-kit and Thy-1.1 positive cells detected in portal tract areas peaked during the 3-5 postoperative days. CD34+/CD45+ positive cells could be detected. The expressions of CD34, c-kit and Thy-1.1 positive cells were rare in the WLTx and sham operation groups. Sry+ cells could be detected in portal tract areas and few Sry+/CD34+ and Sry+/Thy-1.1+cells were detected.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>In the PLTx group, the stem cells in the bone marrow were mobilized and stem cells in the liver were activated.</p>