Triterpenoid saponins and phenylpropanoid glycoside from the roots of Ardisia crenata and their cytotoxic activities / 中国天然药物

Two new triterpenoid saponins, ardisicrenoside R and S (1 and 2), and one new phenylpropanoid glycoside, ardicrephenin (3), along with five known compounds (4-8), were isolated from roots of Ardisia crenata. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of NMR spectroscopic data and chemical methods. Compounds 2-7 were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against A549, MCF-7, HepG2 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines by MTT assay. Ardicrenin (6) showed significant cytotoxicity, with IC

Vibration response imaging for assessment of lung recruitment in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome / 医学研究生学报

Objective　Vibration response imaging (VRI) has been applied to the bedside monitoring of critically ill patients. The purpose of this study was to explore the value of VRI in assessing lung recruitment in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).　Methods　We prospectively studied the clinical data on 20 cases of ARDS treated in our Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine from January 2015 to June 2017. The positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of the patients was increased from 5 and 15 cm H2O, the mean grey value of the max energy frame of VRI was determined, the quantitative lung data (QLD) were obtained, and the correlation of the VRI image with the recruited lung volume and oxygenation index was analyzed.　Results The patients with PEEP at 15 cm H2O, in comparison with those with PEEP at 5 cm H2O, showed a significantly decreased mean gray value of the max energy frame of VRI (169.1 ± 11.3 vs 175.1 ± 15.9, P = 0.04), increased gray area ([56.3 ± 4.4]% vs [52.7 ± 7.5]%, P < 0.05), declined QLD in the upper left and left middle regions (P < 0.05) and elevated in the lower left and lower right regions (P < 0.05). With the PEEP at 15 cm H2O, the mean gray value of VRI was increased by -5.6 ± 12.8, negatively correlated with the recruited lung volume (r = -0.785, P < 0.01), and the gray area increased (3.8 ± 4.8)%, positively correlated with the recruited lung volume (r =0.793, P < 0.01). With PEEP at 5 and 15 cm H2O, the oxygenation indexes were (116.3 ± 25.6) mmHg and (116.3 ± 25.6) mmHg, respectively, the improvement rate of which correlated negatively with the increased mean gray value of VRI (r = -0.740, P < 0.01) but positively with the gray area (r = 0.581, P < 0.01).　Conclusion　Lung recruitment can be adequately estimated with bedside VRI in patients with ARDS.

Two new steroidal saponins isolated from Anemarrhena asphodeloides / 中国天然药物

Two new steroidal saponins, named timosaponin P (1) and timosaponin Q (2), were isolated from the rhizome parts of Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge using various chromatographic methods. Their structures and absolute configurations were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic and spectrometric data, including 1D, 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS and ECD calculations, and this is the first time the absolute configuration of C-23 of steroidal saponin was confirmed by ECD calculations.

Paeonol attenuates oxygen-glucose deprivation injury and inhibits NMDA receptor activation of cultured rat hippocampal neurons / 药学学报

The purpose of this study is to determine if paeonol can protect hippocampal neurons against injury due to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) injury. The rat neurons were cultured in an OGD environment and the model of OGD injury was established. Paeonol and MK-801, a positive control drug, were added before deprivation. Neuron viability was measured by the reduction of MTT; glutamate was analyzed by amino acid analyzer; binding activity of NMDA receptor was evaluated by liquid scintillation counting and the expression of NMDA receptor NR1 subunit mRNA was semiquantitatively determined by RT-PCR. Compared with OGD injury group, paeonol treatment obviously increased cell survival rate and reduced the binding activity of NMDA receptors and the release of glutamate; and down-regulating the expression of NR1 subunit. These results suggest that paeonol may exhibit its protective effect against OGD injury by the action on NMDA receptor of rats.