Subchronic Oral Toxicity Evaluation of Sodium Dehydroacetate: A 90-day Repeated Dose Study in Rats / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

Objective@#The present study was undertaken to evaluate the subchronic oral toxicity of sodium dehydroacetate (DHA-Na) and to determine the point of departure (POD), which is a critical factor in the establishment of an acceptable dietary intake.@*Methods@#DHA-Na was administered once daily by gavage to Sprague-Dawley rats at dose levels of 0.0, 31.0, 62.0, and 124.0 mg/kg BW per day for 90 days, followed by a recovery period of 4 weeks in the control and 124.0 mg/kg BW per day groups. The outcome parameters were mortality, clinical observations, body weights, food consumption, hematology and clinical biochemistry, endocrine hormone levels, and ophthalmic, urinary, and histopathologic indicators. The benchmark dose (BMD) approach was applied to estimate the POD.@*Results@#Significant decreases were found in the 62.0 and 124.0 mg/kg BW groups in terms of the body weight and food utilization rate, whereas a significant increase was found in the thyroid stimulating hormone levels of the 124.0 mg/kg BW group. Importantly, the 95% lower confidence limit on the BMD of 51.7 mg/kg BW was modeled for a reduction in body weight.@*Conclusion@#The repeated-dose study indicated the slight systemic toxicity of DHA-Na at certain levels (62.0 and 124.0 mg/kg BW) after a 90-day oral exposure.

Effect of swertiamarin, gentiopicrin and sweroside on cell apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2 in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes / 中国中药杂志

The aim of this paper was to discuss the effect of swertiamarin, gentiopicrin and sweroside on rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes(RA-FLSs) and B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2) and their mechanisms. ZINC database and RCSB PDB database were retrieved for 3 D chemical structures of swertiamarin, gentiopicrin and sweroside and 3 D target protein structures. AutoDock Mgltools 1.5.6, AutoDockVina 1.1.2 and pyMOL 2.2.0 were applied for molecular docking to analyze the relationship between Bcl-2(1 GJH) target protein and important ingredients. The cell apoptosis of RA-FLSs was tested by Annexin V-FITC. The Bcl-2 protein expression of RA-FLSs treated with different ingredients was tested by Western blot. The Bcl-2 mRNA expression of RA-FLSs treated with different ingredients was tested by RT-PCR. Swertiamarin, gentiopicrin and sweroside were docked well with Bcl-2(1 GJH). The binding energy of swertiamarin was-6.9 kcal·mol~(-1), the binding energy of gentiopicrin was-6.7 kcal·mol~(-1) and the binding energy of sweroside was-6.4 kcal·mol~(-1). Compared with the blank group, the Bcl-2 protein expression of each group were reduced, while that of the gentiopicrin group was the highest(P<0.01). Compared with the blank group, the Bcl-2 mRNA expression of each groups were reduced. Gentiopicrin can reduce the Bcl-2 protein expression and the Bcl-2 mRNA expression, so as to promote the RA-FLSs apoptosis.

Profile of depigmenting cosmetics and dermatological products on the market

The skin is the largest and most exposed organ of the human body, therefore subject to diseases and alteration of its appearance. Among these alterations, the cutaneous hyperchromia may be cited. Currently, the market offers numerous products with depigmenting action to the treatment of such disorders. The aim of this work was to analyze depigmenting products commercialized in establishments in the city of Bento Gonçalves (RS, Brazil) and websites of cosmetic companies. It was found 45 products with depigmenting action and, from these, 59 different active agents were identified. The main active compounds found were kojic acid, arbutin, ascorbic acid, hydroquinone and glycolic acid. Another observed data was that in 78% of the studied products the active substances were being used in combination. The most used vehicles were also studied as a reference to the use of sunscreen in the treatment of cutaneous hyperchromia. The present work had identified in the market a variety of products with depigmentation action and, because of this, it aims to serve as a reference to the healthcare professionals, especially at the prescribing moment, looking for the best results, with regards to treatment efficiency and safety.(AU)

Advances on the anti-inflammatory and protective effect of AMPK activators / 生理学报

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key enzyme in the regulation of cellular energy homeostasis. Recent studies demonstrated that AMPK also plays an important role in the modulation of inflammation, an energy-intensive molecular response. The commonly used AMPK activators include 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) and A-769662. In addition, the biological activities of metformin and adiponectin are closely related to activation of AMPK. Numerous studies have shown that these AMPK activators play an effectively protective role in animal models of acute lung injury, asthma, colitis, hepatitis, atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. Therefore, AMPK activators may have promising potential for the prevention and treatment of inflammation related diseases.

Rasfonin inhibits proliferation and migration of osteosarcoma 143B cells / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effects of rasfonin, a fungal secondary metabolite, on the proliferation and migration of osteosarcoma 143B cells.@*METHODS@#3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assay was performed to examine 143B cell viability following treatment of rasfonin. Using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group as control, cell viability was detected when 143B cells were treated with rasfonin (3 μmol/L and 6 μmol/L) for 12 or 24 hours. The effect of rasfonin on colony forming ability was detected by clone formation assay. 143B cells treated with DMSO or rasfonin (3 μmol/L) for one week, and the number of clones formed in the two groups was counted. Wound healing and transwell assay were employed to analyze cell invasion and migration upon rasfonin challenge. The DMSO group was used as control while rasfonin (3 μmol/L) was used for 24 hours. The wound healing rate and the number of invasive cells were compared between the two groups. The intracellular autophagosomes were monitored by transmission electron microscopy when 143B cells were treated with DMSO or rasfonin (3 μmol/L) for 4 hours. The expression of p62, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 fusion protein (LC3) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) in response to rasfonin were detected by immunoblotting assay.@*RESULTS@#Rasfonin reduced the viability of 143B cells in a dose-dependent manner (12 h: F=31.36, P<0.01; 24 h: F=67.07, P<0.01). Rasfonin (3 μmol/L) completely inhibited the clonal formation of 143B cells (P<0.01). The wound healing result revealed that rasfonin significantly decreased migratory ability of 143B cells (33.91%±0.83% vs. 65.11%±0.94%, P<0.01), whereas its treatment significantly reduced the number of 143B cells penetrating through Matrigel-containing basement membrane (21.33±1.45 vs. 49.33±2.40, P<0.01). Compared with the control group, rasfonin markedly increased the number of autophagic vacuoles. The immunoblotting results revealed that rasfonin increased LC3-II accumulation and decreased p62 levels. Choloroquine (CQ), an often used autophagic inhibitor, further accumulated rasfonin-induced LC3-II. In addition, rasfonin appeared to cause the cleavage of PARP-1.@*CONCLUSION@#Rasfonin induced autophagy and activated caspase-dependent apoptosis in 143B cells concurring with suppressing the proliferation and migration of the cells; these results provide an experimental basis for rasfonin as a potential therapeutic agent for osteosarcoma.

Statistical optimization of kojic acid production by a UV-induced mutant strain of Aspergillus terreus

ABSTRACT The ability of four Aspergillus strains for biosynthesis of kojic acid was evaluated among which Aspergillus terreus represented the highest level (2.21 g/L) of kojic acid production. Improvement kojic acid production ability of A. terreus by random mutagenesis using different exposure time to ultraviolet light (5-40 min) was then performed to obtain a suitable mutant of kojic acid production (designated as C5-10, 7.63 g/L). Thereafter, design of experiment protocol was employed to find medium components (glucose, yeast extract, KH2PO4 (NH4)2SO4, and pH) influences on kojic acid production by the C5-10 mutant. A 25-1 fractional factorial design augmented to central composite design showed that glucose, yeast extract, and KH2PO4 were the most considerable factors within the tested levels (p < 0.05). The optimum medium composition for the kojic acid production by the C5-10 mutant was found to be glucose, 98.4 g/L; yeast extract, 1.0 g/L; and KH2PO4, 10.3 mM which was theoretically able to produce 120.2 g/L of kojic acid based on the obtained response surface model for medium optimization. Using these medium compositions an experimental maximum Kojic acid production (109.0 ± 10 g/L) was acquired which verified the efficiency of the applied method.

[Changes in nepetalactone content and biochemical traits of catnip [nepeta cataria l.] in response to induction of biostimulants compounds]

Background: The use of organic and biological stimulants at different stages of plant growth may increase growth and yield of plants in addition to reducing environmental stresses

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the induction effect of various formulations of chitosan, humic acid, and nicgtric acid on nepetalactone content and biochemical traits in catnip

Methods: This study, which was based on a completely randomized design [CRBD], was conducted in the research greenhouse of Medicinal Plants Research Institute, ACECR. Treatments consisted of: control, citric acid, different concentrations of humic acid, dual combinatorial formulations of chitosan and citric acid, and triple combinatorial formulations of chitosan, citric acid, and humic acid. First, the roots of the transplants were treated before being transferred to the pot. Then, about 20 days after planting, treatments were sprayed on the plants three times - once everylS days

Results: Results showed that the induction of different formulations of humic acid, citric acid, and chitosan had significant effects on plant height [P<0.05], the number of lateral branches, the number of leaves, dry weight of leaves, stems, and shoot, content of soluble sugar, phenols, tannins, flavonoids, and nepetalactone [P<0.01]. The highest amounts - in most morpho-physiological traits - were observed 400 ppm chitosan + 800 ppm humic acid + 400 ppm citric acid treatment. The maximum content of nepetalactone was obtained at 200 ppm chitosan + 800 ppm humic acid + 400 ppm citric acid

Conclusion: The use of biostimulants formulation including humic acid, citric acid, and chitosan had a significant positive effect on improving vegetative characteristics and especially on phytochemical traits of catnip [Nepeta cataria L.]

Enhancement of botrallin and TMC-264 production in liquid culture of endophytic fungus Hyalodendriella sp. Ponipodef12 after treatments with metal ions

Background: Hyalodendriella sp. Ponipodef12, an endophytic fungus from a poplar hybrid, was a high producer of botrallin and TMC-264 with various bioactivities. In this study, the influences of eight metal ions (i.e.,Mn2+,Na+, Mg2+,Zn2+,Cu2+,Fe2+,Fe3+ and Al3+) on botrallin and TMC-264 production in liquid culture of the endophytic fungus Hyalodendriella sp. Ponipodef12 were investigated. Results: Three most effective metal ions (Zn2+,Cu2+ and Mg2+) along with their optimum concentrations were screened. The optimum addition time and concentrations of Zn2+,Cu2+ and Mg2+ were further obtained respectively for improving botrallin and TMC-264 production. The combination effects of Zn2+,Cu2+ and Mg2+ on the production of botrallin and TMC-264 by employing statistical method based on the central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) were evaluated, and two quadratic predictive models were developed for botrallin and TMC-264 production. The yields of botrallin and TMC-264, which were predicted as 144.12 mg/L and 36.04 mg/L respectively, were validated to be 146.51 mg/L and 36.63 mg/L accordingly with the optimum concentrations of Zn2+ at 0.81 mmol/L, Cu2+ at 0.20 mmol/L, and Mg2+ at 0.13 mmol/L in medium. Conclusion: The results indicated that the enhancement of botrallin and TMC-264 accumulation in liquid culture of the endophytic fungus Hyalodendriella sp. Ponipodef12 by the metal ions and their combination should be an effective strategy.

Characterization and evaluation of coconut aroma produced by Trichoderma viride EMCC-107 in solid state fermentation on sugarcane bagasse

Background Sugarcane bagasse was shown to be an adequate substrate for the growth and aroma production by Trichoderma species. In the present work the ability of Trichoderma viride EMCC-107 to produce high yield of coconut aroma in solid state fermentation (SSF) by using sugarcane bagasse as solid substrate was evaluated. The produced aroma was characterized. Results Total carbohydrates comprised the highest content (43.9% w/w) compared with the other constituents in sugarcane bagasse. The sensory and gas chromatography-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis revealed that the highest odor intensity and maximum yield of volatiles were perceived at the 5th d of induction period. The unsaturated lactone, 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (6-PP), was the major identified volatile compound. Saturated lactones, δ-octalactone, γ-nonalactone, γ-undecalactone, γ-dodecalactone and δ-dodecalactone, were also identified in the coconut aroma produced during the induction period (12 d). A quite correlation was found between the composition and odor profile of the produced aroma. The effect of varying the concentration of sugarcane bagasse on 6-PP production and biomass growth was evaluated. The results revealed high 6-PP production at 4.5 g sugarcane bagasse whereas the biomass showed significant (P < 0.05) increase by increasing the concentration of sugarcane bagasse. Conclusion The concentration of 6-PP, the most contribution of coconut aroma, produced in present study (3.62 mg/g DM) was higher than that reported in previous studies conducted under the same fermentation conditions. The significant increase in biomass with increasing the concentration of sugarcane bagasse may be attributed to the increase in sugar content that acts as carbon and energy source.

Inducing effect of chidamide on apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells and its relerance to DNA damage response / 中国实验血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was aimed to explore the effect of a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor Chidamide on apoptosis of human multiple myeloma(MM) cells and its relevance to DNA damage response(DDR).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The cell proliferation was detected by MTT method, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution were analyzed by flow cytometry, the expression levels of targeted proteins were detected by Western blot, the DNA damage response was blocked by ATM kinase inhibitor KU-55933.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Chidamide inhibited RPMI 8226 cell proliferation in dose- and time-dependent manner and its IC50 values of 24,48,72 h were 9.6, 6 and 2.8 µmol/L respectively. Chidamide induced cell cycle arrest of RPMI 8226 cells in G0/G1 phase by upregulating the expression of P21. Chidamide triggered caspase-3 dependent apoptosis and upregulated expression of DDR-related proteins including γH2AX, pATM in RPMI 8226 cells. Pretreatment with ATM kinase inhibitor KU-55933 down-regulated expression of DDR related proteins induced by chidamide, thereby inhibiting DNA damage response and finally resulting in suppression of apoptotic cell death.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Proliferative inhibtion, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of multiple myeloma cells induced by chidamide involve DDR.</p>

Preliminary comparative study of swertiamarin and swertisin on three kinds of Digeda-species Mongolian medicinal materials / 中国中药杂志

Lomatogonium rotatum (L.) Fries, Gentianopsis barbata (Froel) Ma, and Gentianella acuta (Michx.) Hulten, the three kinds of Digeda-species Mongolian medicinal materials belonging to the family Gentianaceae, bad been widely used for the treatment of liver diseases. To analyze comparatively the content of swertiamarin and swertisin among these three kinds of Digeda-species Mongolian medicinal materials. HPLC method was applied for qualitative and quantitative analysis of swertiamarin and swertisin. The Phenomenex C18 (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 μm) was used, chromatographic methanol and water as mobile phase, the flow rate was 1.5 mL x min(-1) with UV detected at 237 nm, column oven temperature was 25 degrees C. Results showed that the contents of swertiamarin and swertisin were closely related the different species and producing areas. The content range of swertiamarin in L. rotatum from different habitats was 1.73% - 2.72%, 0.43% - 0.96% for the swertisin content; the content of swertiamarin in G. barbata from Alxa Left Banner was 0.38%, and the content of swertiamarin and swertisin in G. barbata from the others habitats and G. Acuta from different habitats were all detected qualitatively. The contents of swertiamarin and swertisin among these medicinal plants showed a significant difference due to the different species and producing areas. As a consequence, these medicinal plants should not be put together for clinical applications.

The Neuroprotective Effect of Maltol against Oxidative Stress on Rat Retinal Neuronal Cells

PURPOSE: Maltol (3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-pyrone), formed by the thermal degradation of starch, is found in coffee, caramelized foods, and Korean ginseng root. This study investigated whether maltol could rescue neuroretinal cells from oxidative injury in vitro. METHODS: R28 cells, which are rat embryonic precursor neuroretinal cells, were exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 0.0 to 1.5 mM) as an oxidative stress with or without maltol (0.0 to 1.0 mM). Cell viability was monitored with the lactate dehydrogenase assay and apoptosis was examined by the terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. To investigate the neuroprotective mechanism of maltol, the expression and phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 were evaluated by Western immunoblot analysis. RESULTS: R28 cells exposed to H2O2 were found to have decreased viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. However, H2O2-induced cytotoxicity was decreased with the addition of maltol. When R28 cells were exposed to 1.0 mM H2O2 for 24 hours, the cytotoxicity was 60.69 ± 5.71%. However, the cytotoxicity was reduced in the presence of 1.0 mM maltol. This H2O2-induced cytotoxicity caused apoptosis of R28 cells, characterized by DNA fragmentation. Apoptosis of oxidatively-stressed R28 cells with 1.0 mM H2O2 was decreased with 1.0 mM maltol, as determined by the TUNEL method. Western blot analysis showed that treatment with maltol reduced phosphorylation of NF-kappaB, ERK, and JNK, but not p38. The neuroprotective effects of maltol seemed to be related to attenuated expression of NF-kappaB, ERK, and JNK. CONCLUSIONS: Maltol not only increased cell viability but also attenuated DNA fragmentation. The results obtained here show that maltol has neuroprotective effects against hypoxia-induced neuroretinal cell damage in R28 cells, and its effects may act through the NF-kappaB and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways.

Impact of sub-chronic aluminium-maltolate exposure on catabolism of amyloid precursor protein in rats / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of sub-chronic Aluminium-maltolate [Al(mal)3] exposure on the catabolism of amyloid precursor protein (APP) in rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into five groups: the control group, the maltolate group (7.56 mg/kg BW), and the Al(mal)3 groups (0.27, 0.54, and 1.08 mg/kg BW, respectively). Control rats were administered with 0.9% normal saline through intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Maltolate and Al(mal)3 were administered to the rats also through i.p. injections. Administration was conducted daily for two months. Rat neural behavior was examined using open field tests (OFT). And the protein expressions and their mRNAs transcription related with APP catabolism were studied using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expressions of APP, β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and presenilin-1 (PS1) proteins and their mRNAs transcription increased gradually with the increase of Al(mal)3 doses (P<0.05). The enzyme activity of BACE1 in the 0.54 and 1.08 mg/kg Al(mal)3 groups increased significantly (P<0.05). The expression of β-amyloid protein (Aβ) 1-40 gradually decreased while the protein expression of Aβ1-42 increased gradually with the increase of Al(mal)3 doses (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Result from our study suggested that one of the possible mechanisms that Al(mal)3 can cause neurotoxicity is that Al(mal)3 can increase the generation of Aβ1-42 by facilitating the expressions of APP, β-, and γ-secretase.</p>

Simultaneous determination of five constituents in eight Qingyedan species derived from Swertia plants by HPLC / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, sweroside, mangiferin, erythrocentaurin, and to detect these five constituents in eight Qingyedans derived from Swertia mileensis, S. cincta, S. patens, S. punicea, S. delavayi, S. nervosa, S. macrosperma and S. yunnanensis.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The separation was carried out on a Thermo BDS Hypersil C18 (4. 6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm) column eluted with mobile phase of water containing 0. 1% phosphoric acid and methanol (B) in gradient program (0-10 min, 18%-20% B; 10-30 min, 20%-35% B; 30-35 min, 35%-60% B). The column temperature was 32 degrees C , and the detection wavelength was set at 250, 260, 225 nm. The flow rate was 0. 7 mL . min-1 from 0 to 30 min, and be increased to 1. 0 mL . min-1 in 35 min.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The five compounds were well separated. The linear response ranges of swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, sweroside, mangiferin, erythrocentaurin were 0. 072-13. 39, 0. 1204. 518, 0. 060-5. 050, 0. 025-1. 518, and 0. 031-0. 210 microg, respectively. The mean recoveries of five compounds were 97.03% -102. 7% (RSD 1. 8% -6.2% ). There are swertiamarin, gentiopicroside and sweroside in most samples, and mangiferin in half samples. But erythrocentaurin was only detected in a few samples. The contents of five compounds were different in different samples. The contents of swertiamarin in S. mileensis, S. patens, S. yunnanensis and S. delavayi are up to 34. 47-118.05 mg . g-1, the contents of gentiopicroside are up to 25. 91 mg . g-1 in S. cincta. In S. puncea all contents of swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, sweroside and mangiferin are higher, especially the content of sweroside. There are Xiao-Qingyedans and Da-Qingyedans called in markets, and they can be identified by the contents of swertiamarin, gentiopicroside and sweroside. S. punicea can be identified by the content of sweroside, and the ratio gentiopicroside/total content can be used for identification of S. cincta from other seven Qingyedan species.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method was certified to be accurate and reliable and can be used for identification and quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine Qingyedan derived from Swertia species.</p>

Quickly investigating the absorption ingredients of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma by SEMAC / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method for quickly investigating the absorption ingredients which could be used as the index of quality control of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The absorption ingredients of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma were investigated by using the model of in vitro everted intestinal sac (VEIS). The intestinal sac liquors of jejunum and ileum were collected at 6 intervals (15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 min) and gentiopicroside, loganin acid, swertiamarin and sweroside were detected by HPLC as the representative marker. The accumulative absorption quantity of gentiopicroside, loganin acid, swertiamarin and sweroside were calculated, respectively.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Six components could be detected in intestinal sac. In different concentrations of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma, gentiopicroside and swertiamarin in various intestinal sections were the linear absorption (R2 > 0.9), conformed to zero order absorption rate. In jejunum the constant of absorption rate (Ka) of gentiopicroside and swertiamarin increased with the raised dosage of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma (P < 0.05), which indicated a passive absorption manner, and the value of Ka of high and middle dosage of those in ileum were higher than that of low dosage, and the difference of Ka between high and middle dosage were not significant, which indicated a positive absorption manner. The Ka of high and middle dosage of sweroside in ileum and jejunum were higher than that of low dosage (P < 0.05), and the difference of Ka between high and middle dosage were not significant, which indicated a positive absorption manner. The Ka of loganin acid in jejunum and ileum increased along with the raised dosage of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma (P < 0.05), which indicated a passive absorption manner.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>SEMAC could be used as a tool to investigate the absorption ingredients of Gentianae Radix et Rhizoma. Drug in intestine sac was selective, and the absorption part of intestine was also different.</p>

Neuraminidase Inhibitors from the Culture Broth of Phellinus linteus

During the search for neuraminidase inhibitors from medicinal fungi, we found that the culture broth of Phellinus linteus exhibited potent inhibitory activity. Solvent partition, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were performed for purification of two active substances from the culture broth. According to 1H NMR measurements and comparison of HPLC retention times with those of authentic compounds, their chemical structures were identified as hispidin and hypholomine B. Compounds (hispidin) 1 and 2 (hypholomine B) inhibited neuraminidase, with IC50 values of 13.1 and 0.03 microM, respectively.

Topical Hypopigmenting Agents for Pigmentary Disorders and Their Mechanisms of Action

Melanin is produced in melanocytes and stored in melanosomes. In spite of its beneficial sun-protective effect, abnormal accumulation of melanin results in esthetic problems. Hydroquinone, competing with tyrosine, is a major ingredient in topical pharmacological agents. However, frequent adverse reactions are amongst its major limitation. To solve this problem, several alternatives such as arbutin, kojic acid, aloesin, and 4-n-butyl resorcinol have been developed. Herein, we classify hypopigmenting agents according to their mechanism of action; a) regulation of enzyme, which is subdivided into three categories, i) regulation of transcription and maturation of tyrosinase, ii) inhibition of tyrosinase activity, and iii) post-transcriptional control of tyrosinase; b) inhibition of melanosome transfer, and c) additional mechanisms such as regulation of the melanocyte environment and antioxidant agents.

Functional switching of ATM: sensor of DNA damage in proliferating cells and mediator of Akt survival signal in post-mitotic human neuron-like cells / 癌症

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia and oculocutaneous telangiectasias. The gene mutated in this disease, ATM (A-T, mutated), encodes a 370-kDa Ser/Thr protein kinase. ATM not only mediates cellular response to DNA damage but also acts as an activator of Akt in response to insulin. However, despite intensive studies, the mechanism underlying the neuronal degeneration symptoms of human A-T is still poorly understood. We found that the topoisomerase inhibitors etoposide and camptothecin readily induced apoptosis in undifferentiated proliferating SH-SY5Y cells but could not induce apoptosis in neuronally differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, etoposide induced p53 phosphorylation and H2AX foci formation in proliferating SH-SY5Y cells but failed to do so in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, while inhibition of ATM in undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells partially protected them from etoposide-induced apoptosis, the same treatment had no effect on cell viability in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. These results suggest that DNA damage or defective response to DNA damage is not the cause of neuronal cell death in human A-T. In contrast, we discovered that Akt phosphorylation was inhibited when ATM activity was suppressed in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, inhibition of ATM induced apoptosis following serum starvation in neuronally differentiated SH-SY5Y cells but could not trigger apoptosis under the same conditions in undifferentiated proliferating SH-SY5Y cells. These results demonstrate that ATM mediates the Akt signaling and promotes cell survival in neuron-like human SH-SY5Y cells, suggesting that impaired activation of Akt is the reason for neuronal degeneration in human A-T.

Rubrofusarin glucosides of Berchemia polyphylla var. leioclada and their scavenging activities for DPPH radical / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the rubrofusarin glucosides from whole plants of Berchemia polyphylla var. leioclada, and their scavenging activities for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The chemical constituents were isolated and purified via repeated silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by spectral analysis and the compounds were tested for their scavenging activities on DPPH radical.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Three rubrofusarin glucosides compounds were isolated and identified as rubrofusarin-6-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), rubrofusarin-6-O-beta-D-(6'-O-acetyl) glucopyranoside (2), rubrofusarin-6-O-alpha-L-rhamnosyl-(1-6) -O-beta-D-glucopyranside (3). Three isolated compounds showed strong scavenging activities on DPPH radical, the concentration of half elimination ratio( micromol x L(-1)) of VitC and Compounds 1-3 were 18.2, 40.5, 23.3 and 13.6, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 1-3 were isolated from this plant for the first time and compound 2 was a new compound. They showed significant antioxidant activity, and the scavenging activity of compound 3 was a little stronger than that of VitC.</p>

Determination of six active components in three species of genus Swertia by HPLC multiwavelength with detection / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop an HPLC method for the quantification of six active components in three species (Swertia davidi, S. nervosa and S. mussotii) .</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The determination was performed on a Hypersil BDS colunm (4. 6 mm x 200 mm, 5 microm). Acetonitrile and 0.5% phosphoric acid solution were used as the mobile phases with a gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1). The UV detection wavelength was at 240, 274, 325 and 334 nm. The column oven temperature was at 25 degrees C.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Six components were separated commendably in 60 minutes. The calibration curves of swertiamarin, gentiopicroside, norswertianolin, swertianolin, demethylbellidifolin and bellidifolin were in good linearity over the range of 0.520-20.8, 0.202-8.06, 0.107-4.28, 0.097-3.86, 0.094-3.77, 0.101-4.02 microg, respectively (r = 0.999 9). The average recoveries were 98.7%, 98.1%, 98.3%, 98.8%, 98.1% and 98.6%, respectively, and the RSD were less than 3.0% (n = 6).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method is accurate,simple and reproducible, and can be used to control the quality of Swertia.</p>