Molecular cloning and functional characterization of 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclases from Artemisia argyi.

Artemisia argyi is a traditional medicinal and edible plant, generating various triterpenoids with pharmacological activities, such as anti-virus, anti-cancer, and anti-oxidant. The 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase family of A. argyi offers novel insights into the triterpenoid pathway, which might contribute to the medicinal value of its tissue extracts. Nevertheless, the biosynthesis of active triterpenoids in Artemisia argyi is still uncertain. In this study, four putative OSC (2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase) genes (AaOSC1-4) were first isolated and identified from A. argyi. Through the yeast heterologous expression system, three AaOSCs were characterized for the biosynthesis of diverse triterpenoids including cycloartenol, ß-amyrin, (3S,13R)-malabarica-14(27),17,21-trien-3ß-ol, and dammara-20,24-dien-3ß-ol. AaOSC1 was a multifunctional dammara-20,24-dien-3ß-ol synthase, which yielded 8 different triterpenoids, including tricyclic, and tetracyclic products. AaOSC2 and AaOSC3 were cycloartenol, and ß-amyrin synthases, respectively. As a result, these findings provide a deeper understanding of the biosynthesis pathway of triterpenes in A. argyi.

Stytontriterpenes A-C, three unusual oleanane-derived triterpenoids from the resin of Styrax tonkinensis as potential immunosuppressive agents in atherosclerosis.

Three unusual oleanane-derived triterpenoids, stytontriterpenes A-C (1-3), were isolated from the resin of Styrax tonkinensis together with an oleanane-lactone (stytontriterpene D, 4). Their structures and absolute configurations were characterised using a combination of spectroscopic analysis, electronic circular dichroism, and theoretical calculations. 1 and 2 belong to nor-oleanane with rare spiro D/E rings and 3 contains one infrequent C32 scaffold. 1 considerably suppressed the number of adhered leukemic monocytes (THP-1) to human umbilical vein endothelial cells and attenuated the upregulations of mRNA and protein levels of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 at 5 µM, suggesting that 1 might be a promising anti-vascular inflammatory chemical for atherosclerosis therapy. Plausible biosynthetic pathways for 1-4 are also proposed.

Racemic Norlignans as Diastereoisomers from Ferula sinkiangensis Resins with Antitumor and Wound-Healing Promotion Activities.

Ferulasinkins A-D (1-4), four new norlignans, were isolated from the resins of Ferula sinkiangensis, a medicinal plant of the Apiaceae family. All of them were obtained as racemic mixtures, chiral HPLC was used to produce their (+)- and (-)-antipodes. The structures of these new compounds, including their absolute configurations, were elucidated by spectroscopic and computational methods. This isolation provides new insight into the chemical profiling of F. sinkiangensis resins beyond the well-investigated structure types such as sesquiterpene coumarins and disulfides. Compounds 2a and 3a were found to significantly inhibit the invasion and migration of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines via CCK-8 assay. On the other hand, the wound-healing assay also demonstrated that compounds 4a and 4b could promote the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Notably, the promoting effects of 4a and 4b were observed as more significant versus a positive control using basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).

CD103-CD23+ classical hair cell leukemia: A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: This case report is presented to improve our understanding of the atypical immunophenotype of hairy cell leukemia. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 58-year-old woman presented to our department with fatigue for >10 days. DIAGNOSIS: The patient was diagnosed with an increased proportion of abnormal lymphocytes in peripheral blood and bone marrow smear, positive for CD11c, CD19, CD20, CD22, CD25, CD123, CD200, and Kappa, partial expression of CD23, but no expression of CD103, positive for BRAF V600E mutation. INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES: Cladribine combined with rituximab achieved complete remission of minor residual disease negativity. CONCLUSION: Hairy cell leukemia is rare, and the diagnosis and differential diagnosis should be made by combining the patient's medical history, clinical manifestations, immunophenotype, gene detection, and other means. Purine nucleoside analogs are the first-line treatments.

Recent progresses in the pharmacological activities of caffeic acid phenethyl ester.

The past decades have seen a growing interest in natural products. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a flavonoid isolated from honeybee propolis, has shown multiple pharmacological potentials, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and protective effects on nervous systems and multiple organs, since it was found as a potent nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) inhibitor. This review summarizes the advances in these beneficial effects of CAPE, as well as the underlying mechanisms, and proposes that CAPE offers an opportunity for developing therapeutics in multiple diseases. However, clinical trials on CAPE are necessary and encouraged to obtain certain clinically relevant conclusions.

A research agenda for ageing in China in the 21st century (2nd edition): Focusing on basic and translational research, long-term care, policy and social networks.

One of the key issues facing public healthcare is the global trend of an increasingly ageing society which continues to present policy makers and caregivers with formidable healthcare and socio-economic challenges. Ageing is the primary contributor to a broad spectrum of chronic disorders all associated with a lower quality of life in the elderly. In 2019, the Chinese population constituted 18 % of the world population, with 164.5 million Chinese citizens aged 65 and above (65+), and 26 million aged 80 or above (80+). China has become an ageing society, and as it continues to age it will continue to exacerbate the burden borne by current family and public healthcare systems. Major healthcare challenges involved with caring for the elderly in China include the management of chronic non-communicable diseases (CNCDs), physical frailty, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, with emerging challenges such as providing sufficient dental care, combating the rising prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases among nursing home communities, providing support for increased incidences of immune diseases, and the growing necessity to provide palliative care for the elderly. At the governmental level, it is necessary to make long-term strategic plans to respond to the pressures of an ageing society, especially to establish a nationwide, affordable, annual health check system to facilitate early diagnosis and provide access to affordable treatments. China has begun work on several activities to address these issues including the recent completion of the of the Ten-year Health-Care Reform project, the implementation of the Healthy China 2030 Action Plan, and the opening of the National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders. There are also societal challenges, namely the shift from an extended family system in which the younger provide home care for their elderly family members, to the current trend in which young people are increasingly migrating towards major cities for work, increasing reliance on nursing homes to compensate, especially following the outcomes of the 'one child policy' and the 'empty-nest elderly' phenomenon. At the individual level, it is important to provide avenues for people to seek and improve their own knowledge of health and disease, to encourage them to seek medical check-ups to prevent/manage illness, and to find ways to promote modifiable health-related behaviors (social activity, exercise, healthy diets, reasonable diet supplements) to enable healthier, happier, longer, and more productive lives in the elderly. Finally, at the technological or treatment level, there is a focus on modern technologies to counteract the negative effects of ageing. Researchers are striving to produce drugs that can mimic the effects of 'exercising more, eating less', while other anti-ageing molecules from molecular gerontologists could help to improve 'healthspan' in the elderly. Machine learning, 'Big Data', and other novel technologies can also be used to monitor disease patterns at the population level and may be used to inform policy design in the future. Collectively, synergies across disciplines on policies, geriatric care, drug development, personal awareness, the use of big data, machine learning and personalized medicine will transform China into a country that enables the most for its elderly, maximizing and celebrating their longevity in the coming decades. This is the 2nd edition of the review paper (Fang EF et al., Ageing Re. Rev. 2015).

A novel alkaloid glycoside isolated from Atalantia buxifolia.

From the dried root and rhizomes of Atalantia buxifolia afford 11 compounds, one new compound 1 and ten known compounds 2-11 were isolated and identified. The novel compound 1 was alkaloid glycoside. Its mother nuclear was the acridone, which was relatively rare. The structure of compound 1 was established identified by spectrum and elucidated as ß-D-Glu-4,5-dimethoxy-1,6-dihydroxy-10-methyl-acridone. The compound 1 enriched the compound library and laid the material foundation for the subsequent study of pharmacological activities.

A complex translocation (1;17;15) with spliced short-type PML-RARA fusion transcripts in acute promyelocytic leukemia: A case report.

The promyelocytic leukemia (PML)-retinoic acid receptor α (RARA) fusion is hypothesized to serve a vital role in the pathogenesis of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), which results from a reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 15 and 17, t(15;17)(q24;q21). A minority of APL cases lack the classical t(15;17) and have been identified to have cryptic or masked t(15;17) or complex translocations. The present study reports on a case of a 37-year-old male with APL harboring a complex three-way translocation t(1;17;15)(q21;q21;q24). This karyotypic interpretation was further confirmed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, and 98% of the bone marrow cells analyzed were positive for the PML-RARA fusion gene. After combined treatment with all-trans retinoic acid and arsenic trioxide, the patient achieved complete remission with no recurrence for 3 years to date. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to report on the novel variant of t(15;17) involving the breakpoint 1q21.

Primary Sphenoidal Sinus Lymphoma with Initial Presentation as Unilateral Abducens Nerve Palsy Symptom.

A 48-year-old man presented with 3 days of mild horizontal diplopia in the left direction, followed by the onset of headache 17 days later. A physical examination revealed isolated left abducens nerve palsy. Head computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed soft-tissue density neoplasms that occupied the sphenoidal sinus and further invaded to destroy the clivus. Immunohistochemical staining of neoplasms was performed from biopsies samples. The pathological diagnosis was extranodal natural killer (NK)/T-cell lymphoma (ENKL), nasal type, associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The patient subsequently exhibited secondary symptoms (fever, night sweats), enlarged lymph nodes, renal metastases, and hemophagocytic syndrome, with clinical diagnosis stage IV of ENKL. The patient has a poor prognosis. This report is unique in two aspects: the unilateral abducens nerve palsy as the initial and isolated symptom of ENKL, and the primary sphenoidal sinus ENKL.

Three new resin glycosides compounds from Argyreia acuta and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity.

Three new phenolic compounds, acutacoside C (1), acutacoside D (2) and acutacoside E (3) were isolated from the aerial part of Argyreia acuta. The oligosaccharide chain was composed of two glucoses and three rhamnoses, and the aglycone was (11S)-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (jalapinolic acid). The core of the three compounds was operculinic acid B, which was rare in resin glycosides. Their structures were established by a combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods. Compounds 1-3 have been evaluated for inhibitory activity against α-glucosidase, which all showed weak inhibitory activities.

Two pentasaccharide resin glycosides from Argyreia acuta.

Two new compounds of acutacosides 1 and 2, pentasaccharide resin glycosides were isolated from the aerial parts of Argyreia acuta. The core of the two compounds was operculinic acid A, and they were esterfied at the same position, just one substituent group was linked at C-2 of Rha. The absolute configuration of the aglycone in the two compounds was established by Mosher's method, which was (11S)-hydroxyhexadecanoic acid (jalapinolic acid). Their structures were established by a combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Syntheses, Crystal Structures, Ion-Exchange, and Photocatalytic Properties of Two Amine-Directed Ge-Sb-S Compounds.

Among numerous heterometallic chalcogenidoantimonates, relatively a few amine-directed Ge-Sb-S compounds have been synthesized. Presented here are the solvothermal syntheses, crystal structures, and ion-exchange, optical, and photocatalytic properties of two novel amine-directed Ge-Sb-S compounds, namely, [CH3NH3]20Ge10Sb28S72·7H2O (1) and [(CH3CH2CH2)2NH2]3Ge3Sb5S15·0.5(C2H5OH) (2). The structure of 1 features an unprecedented two-dimensional Ge-Sb-S double-layer composed of two twofold rotational symmetry-related thick [Ge8Sb28S72]n(28n-) single layers adhered via vertex-sharing [GeS4] tetrahedra. Compound 2 features a unique [Ge3Sb5S15]n(3n-) slab perforated with large elliptic-like windows. Remarkably, compound 1 exhibited excellent Cs(+) ion-exchange property despite the presence of excess competitive cations, such as Na(+), K(+), Mg(2+), and Ca(2+) ions. In addition, compound 1 displayed visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for degradation of rhodamine B.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate inhibits DNA replication leading to hyperPARylation, SIRT1 attenuation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the testis.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) is a ubiquitously used endocrine disruptor.There is widespread exposure to DEHP in the general population which has raised substantial public concern due to its potential detrimental health effects. It is particularly pertinent to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its testicular toxicity which are largely unknown. By feeding male rats DEHP for 2 weeks, rat spermatogenesis became disrupted, resulting in a decreased number of spermatocytes and spermatids. Since rapidly dividing tissues appeared to be particularly vulnerable to DEHP toxicity we investigated the effect of DEHP on DNA replication. Intriguingly, DEHP appeared to inhibit DNA replication as evidenced by results of fiber tract analysis. This led to induction of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathways and increased ROS production. Furthermore, the toxicity of DEHP led to respiratory chain defects and attenuation of ATP level probably brought about by hyperPARylation and undermined SIRT1 activity. Our findings reveal a previously unknown mitochondrial dysfunction in DEHP-induced testicular toxicity and highlight the importance of SIRT1 in male reproduction.

Hepta-carbonyl-bis-(µ-propane-1,3-di-thiol-ato)triiron(I,II)(2 Fe-Fe).

The trinuclear title compound, [Fe3(C3H6S2)2(CO)7], is a mixed-valent Fe(I)/Fe(II) complex and crystallizes with two mol-ecules of similar configuration in the asymmetric unit. The three Fe atoms in each mol-ecule display a bent arrangement [Fe-Fe-Fe = 156.22 (4) and 157.06 (3)°]. Both outer Fe(I) atoms are six-coordinated in a distorted ocahedral coordination geometry defined by the bridging Fe(II) atom, three carbonyl C atoms and two bridging S atoms. The coordination number of the central Fe(II) atom is seven and includes bonding to the two outer Fe(I) atoms, four bridging S atoms and one carbonyl C atom. The resulting coordination polyhedron might be described as a highly distorted monocapped trigonal prism. In the crystal packing, the mol-ecules exhibit a chain-like arrangement parallel to [100] and [001], and the resulting layers are stacked along [010]. The cohesion of the structure is dominated by van der Waals inter-actions.

Homogeneous oxidation of water by iron complexes with macrocyclic ligands.

The activity of eleven separated iron complexes and nine in situ-generated iron complexes towards catalytic water oxidation have been examined in aqueous solutions with Ce(NH4)2(NO3)6 as the oxidant. Two iron complexes bearing tridentate and tetradentate macrocyclic ligands were found to be novel water oxidation catalysts. The one with tetradentate ligand exhibited a promising activity with a turnover number of 65 for oxygen evolution.

Efficient photo-driven hydrogen evolution by binuclear nickel catalysts of different coordination in noble-metal-free systems.

Exploration of the complex Ni2(MBD)4 (MBD = 2-mercaptobenzimidazole) (C1) having different coordinated Ni atoms as a photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution is made. For comparison, the bimetallic Ni2(MBT)4 (MBT = 2-mercaptobenthiazole) (C2) complex with the same coordinated Ni atoms was synthesized. Both of the complexes have been successfully constructed for photo-induced hydrogen production using organic dyes as photosensitizers and triethanolamine (TEOA) as the effective electron donor by visible light (>400 nm) in acetonitrile-water solution. The time-dependence of H2 generation and DFT computational studies demonstrate that the complex C1 is more active than C2 for H2 evolution. The mechanisms of photocatalytic hydrogen generation for C1 and C2 involve different protonation sites resulting from the differences between the two structures.

Octanuclear Mn(III)6Mn(II)Ln (Ln = Gd, Dy and Er) clusters with a novel core topology: syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties.

Reactions of [Mn6O2(piv)10(py)2.5(piv)1.5], Ln(NO3)3·6H2O and N-mdeaH2 in MeCN in the presence of Me3SiCl generated a family of octanuclear Mn/Ln complexes [Mn6(III)Mn(II)Ln(N-mdea)3(N-mdeaH)(piv)8O2(OH)3(NO3)(H2O)]·xCH3CN·xH2O [Ln = Gd (1), Dy (2), Er (3), pivH = pivalic acid, N-mdeaH2 = N-methyl diethanolamine]. Each complex possesses a [Mn6(III)Mn(II)Ln(µ3-O)2(µ3-OH)3](16+) core containing two butterfly-like subunits of [Mn3Ln(µ3-OH)2] and [Mn4(µ3-O)2] sharing a common vertex, and an outer Mn atom ligated to one of the subunits through a µ3-OH(-) ligand. The core topology represents a new Mn/Ln core type. The magnetic susceptibility study of 1-3 indicates the presence of dominant antiferromagnetic interactions within the complexes. For complex 1, which contains an isotropic Gd(III) atom, fitting of the obtained M/(NµB) vs. H/T data gave S = 4, g = 1.90, and D = -0.31 cm(-1). The results were further supported by ac data. Complex exhibits out-of-phase ac susceptibility signals, indicating it may be a SMM.

The first heterometallic examples of 3d-4f heptanuclear [Mn(II)3Ln(III)4] complexes with planar disc-like cores and diverse magnetic properties.

A family of heptanuclear [Mn(II)(3)Ln(III)(4)] clusters with planar disc-like cores have been synthesized by a solvothermal route, where Ln = La, Pr, Nd, and Gd, and such fascinating topology is unprecedented in 3d-4f complexes. Dc magnetic susceptibility data show different magnetic behaviors derived from the difference in Ln ions.

Syntheses, structures and magnetic properties of a family of heterometallic [Mn(II)2Mn(III)2Ln(III)2] clusters.

A new family of isostructural Mn-Ln heterometallic clusters, [Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(2)Ln(III)(2)(Piv)(8)(thme)(2)(H(2)tea)(2)] (H(3)thme = 1,1,1-tris(hydroxymethyl)ethane, Hpiv = pivalic acid, H(3)tea = triethanolamine, and Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, and Dy) have been prepared by reaction of the hexanuclear manganese precursor, [Mn(6)O(2)(Piv)(10)(4-Me-Py)(2.5)(Hpiv)(1.5)], with H(3)thme, H(3)tea, and Ln(NO(3))(3)·6H(2)O under the solvothermal conditions. Complexes 1Pr-7Dy were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and their core [Mn(2)(III)Mn(2)(II)Ln(2)(III)(µ(3)-OR)(4)(µ(2)-OR)(6)](6+) composed of four face-sharing defected cubane units. Antiferromagnetic (AF) exchange interactions were suggested for all of the complexes by solid-state dc magnetic susceptibility measurements. Complexes 6Tb and 7Dy, show frequency-dependent ac susceptibility signals suggestive of slow magnetic relaxation.

[Analysis of miRNA differential expression in peripheral blood cells of primary immune thrombocytopenia patients].

This study was purposed to clarify the difference of microRNA (miRNA) expression in the peripheral blood cells of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and normal controls. Exqion miRCURY(TM) microarray was used to investigate differentially expressed miRNA of peripheral blood cells obtained from affected ITP patients and the healthy controls. Cluster analysis was used to identify miRNA expression profile between the ITP patients and the healthy controls. Real-time PCR was used for validation. The results showed that a total of 159 miRNA were found to be differentially expressed in ITP patients compared to the controls, with 79 up-regulated and 80 down-regulated. Based on these differentially expressed miRNA, a tree with clear distinction between the controls and ITP patients was generated by cluster analysis. Real-time PCR confirmed microarray analysis results. It is concluded that differentially expressed miRNA were found in the peripheral blood cells from ITP patients, which may be potential novel biomarkers for ITP as well as help to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms of ITP.