[Chemical constituents of diterpenoids from Boswellia carterii].

This paper explored the chemical constituents of Boswellia carterii by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data such as infrared radiation(IR), ultra violet(UV), mass spectrometry(MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR). Seven diterpenoids were isolated and purified from n-hexane of B. carterii. The isolates were identified as(1S,3E,7E,11R,12R)-11-hydroxy-1-isopropyl-4,8,12-trimethyl-15-oxabicyclo[10.2.1]pentadeca-3,7-dien-5-one(1),(1R,3S,4R,7E,11E)-4,8,12,15,15-pentamethyl-14-oxabicyclo[11.2.1]hexadeca-7,11-dien-4-ol(2), incensole(3),(-)-(R)-nephthenol(4), euphraticanoid F(5), dilospirane B(6), and dictyotin C(7). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroisms(ECDs). Compounds 6 and 7 were obtained from B. carterii for the first time.

Anti-inflammatory flavonoid derivatives from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen.

Two pairs of flavonoid enantiomers (1a/1b and 2a/2b) together with three known analogues (3-5) were isolated from the heartwood of Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis (1 D and 2 D NMR, UV, IR, and HRMS) and experimental and calculated ECD data. Compound 2 features an unusual 2-methyl-3(2H)-furanone moiety forming the C-ring of flavonoid, and its putative biosynthetic pathway is also proposed. Compounds 3‒5 exhibited significant inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 cells with IC50 values of 14.7 ± 0.3 µM, 40.2 ± 1.1 µM, and 3.2 ± 0.1 µM, respectively.

Consistency and influencing factors in parents knowledge, attitude and practice about early childhood sex education in rural areas / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the consistency and factors influencing rural parents knowledge, attitude and practice about early childhood sex education, so as to put forward effective suggestions and countermeasures for improving childhood sex education in rural areas.@*Methods@#A multi stage stratified sampling method was used to investigate the knowledge, attitude and practice of early childhood sex education among 1 015 parents in 16 kindergartens in rural areas of Sichuan from March to May 2019. Chi square text and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze factors affecting the consistency of parents knowledge, attitude and practice of childhood sex education.@*Results@#Nearly 64.9%, 85.9% and 44.7% of parents with sufficient knowledge, support, and implement of early children s sex education, respectively, and the consistency rate of knowledge, attitude and practice were 30.2%. The results of the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that parents aged <31 years ( OR= 5.35 , 95%CI =2.93-9.77), 31-40 years ( OR=4.82, 95%CI =2.65-8.76) and 41-50 years ( OR=2.37, 95%CI =1.10-5.11), and the mother s education level being middle school ( OR=3.67, 95%CI =1.75-7.69), secondary/high school ( OR=2.83, 95%CI =1.32-6.05) and college/bachelor s degree and above ( OR=5.44, 95%CI =2.23-12.98), sex related questions asked by child ( OR=2.00, 95%CI =1.44-2.78), having sex education in the family ( OR=5.38, 95% CI =3.82-7.59), believing that parents should be responsible for sex education for young children ( OR=2.58, 95%CI =1.40-4.74) had a higher consistency rate of knowledge, attitude and practice in early childhood sex education ( P <0.05).@*Conclusion@#In rural areas of Sichuan, although parents highly support early childhood sex education, the eligible rate of knowledge and the implementing rate are quite low, as well as the consistent rate of knowledge, attitude and practice. Relevant departments should pay attention to strengthen publicity and education, especially among older parents, low educated parents and those opposed to or not yet implementing child sex education.

Chemical constituents of diterpenoids from Boswellia carterii / 中国中药杂志

This paper explored the chemical constituents of Boswellia carterii by column chromatography on silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS column chromatography, and semi-preparative HPLC. The structures of the compounds were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data such as infrared radiation(IR), ultra violet(UV), mass spectrometry(MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR). Seven diterpenoids were isolated and purified from n-hexane of B. carterii. The isolates were identified as(1S,3E,7E,11R,12R)-11-hydroxy-1-isopropyl-4,8,12-trimethyl-15-oxabicyclo[10.2.1]pentadeca-3,7-dien-5-one(1),(1R,3S,4R,7E,11E)-4,8,12,15,15-pentamethyl-14-oxabicyclo[11.2.1]hexadeca-7,11-dien-4-ol(2), incensole(3),(-)-(R)-nephthenol(4), euphraticanoid F(5), dilospirane B(6), and dictyotin C(7). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were new and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroisms(ECDs). Compounds 6 and 7 were obtained from B. carterii for the first time.

Cytotoxic sesquiterpenoid dimers from the resin of Commiphora myrrha Engl.

Seven undescribed sesquiterpenoid dimers, commiphomyrones A - G, together with three known analogs, were isolated from the resin of Commiphora myrrha Engl.. The structures of the undescribed compounds were elucidated based on a comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data (NMR, UV, IR, and MS), and the absolute configurations were defined by comparing the experimental and calculated ECD spectra as well as by performing X-ray crystallographic analysis. All the isolated dimeric sesquiterpenoids feature a 7-oxabicyclo [2.2.1] hept-2-ene moiety formed by the [4 + 2] cycloaddition of two sesquiterpenoids. Commiphomyrones C and G and commiphoratone D showed cytotoxic activity against the HGC-27 cell line with IC50 values of 22.76, 25.01, and 27.51 µM, respectively.

[Sesquiterpenoids from Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum].

Eight sesquiterpenoids were isolated from petroleum ether extract of Aquilariae Lignum Resinatum by various column chromatography techniques including silica gel, ODS, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, UV, IR, MS, and NMR spectroscopic data as(4S,5S,7R,10S)-5,7-dihydroxy-11-en-eudesmane(1),(7R,10S)-eudesma-4-en-11,15-diol(2),(2R,4S,5R,7R)-2-hydroxyeremophila-9,11-dien-8-one(3), 7α-H-9(10)-ene-11,12-epoxy-8-oxoeremophilane(4),(+)-9ß,10ß-epoxyeremophila-11(13)-en(5), 4(14)-eudesmene-8α,11-diol(6), 12,15-dioxo-selina-4,11-dien(7), and 2ß,8 aα-dihydroxy-11-en-eremophilane(8). Compounds 1 and 2 are new compounds, and their absolute configurations were determined by calculating ECD. Compounds 1, 4, and 6-8 could significantly improve taurocholic acid(TCA)-induced gastric mucosal GES-1 cell injury at a concentration of 20 µmol·L~(-1), and the cell protection rates were 23.51%±2.79%, 16.10%±1.25%, 24.45%±4.89%, 17.48%±2.93%, and 21.44%±2.39%, respectively.

Application of 3D printed personalized breast bracket in IMRT for breast cancer / 中华放射肿瘤学杂志

Objective:By comparing the positioning errors caused by 3D printed personalized breast bracket and common headrest in intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), the fixation effect of 3D printed personalized breast bracket in IMRT was analyzed.Methods:Thirty-two breast cancer patients from January to July 2021 were randomly divided into a the 3D printed breast bracket group and common headrest group. All patients in two groups were kept in supine position, head tilted to the healthy side, the affected hand held the grip bar on the same side of the horizontal bar, the healthy hand held the opposite side of the vertical bar, and the chest and mandible were fixed with thermoplastic film. CBCT scan was performed weekly, and gray level registration was carried out according to the three registration regions of interest: breast or chest wall field, supraclavicular and inferior field, and axillary field. The positioning errors in the left and right, head and foot, abdomen and back directions were analyzed between two groups.Results:In the 3D printed breast bracket group, the positioning errors of breast or chest wall field, supraclavicular and inferior field and axillary field in the left and right, head and foot, abdomen and back directions were (1.75±1.26), (1.77±1.11) and (1.70±1.08) mm, (1.75±1.25), (1.72±1.09) and (1.70±1.05) mm,(1.86±1.34), (2.14±2.13) and (1.66±1.19) mm, respectively.In the common headrest group, the positioning errors of breast or chest wall field, supraclavicular and inferior field and axillary field in the left and right, the head and feet, the abdomen and back directions were (2.54±1.84), (2.73±3.62) and (2.18±2.45) mm, (3.25±2.02), (3.52±2.26) and (2.62±2.83) mm, (3.25±2.05), (4.44±2.90) and (3.10±3.18) mm, respectively.The positioning errors significantly differed between two groups (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The positioning error of 3D printed personalized breast bracket fixation is less than that of common headrest fixation. The positioning consistency of 3D printed personalized breast bracket in the three target areas of breast or chest wall field, supraclavicular and inferior field and axillary field is better than that of common headrest.

Retraction: Chemical synthesis and antigenic activity of a phosphatidylinositol mannoside epitope from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Retraction of 'Chemical synthesis and antigenic activity of a phosphatidylinositol mannoside epitope from Mycobacterium tuberculosis' by Shi-Yuan Zhao et al., Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 14067-14070, DOI: 10.1039/D0CC05573E.

[One new cembranoid diterpene from gum resin of Boswellia carterii].

This study aims to study the chemical components from the gum resin of Boswellia carterii. Five cembranoid diterpenes were isolated from the gum resin of B. carterii by various of column chromatographies including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, mass spectrometry(MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), Ultraviolet(UV) and infrared(IR) spectroscopic data. These compounds were identified as(1S,2E,4R,5S,7E,11E)-4-methoxy-5-hydroxycembrane(1),(1R~*,4R~*,5E,8E,12E,15E)-4-hydroxycembra-5,8,12,15-tetraene(2), cembrene A(3),(3S,4S,7R)-4-hydroxycembrane(4), and pavidolide D(5). Compound 1 was a new compound. Compounds 2, 4, and 5 were obtained from the gum resin of B. carterii for the first time. Compound 2 showed weak inhibition on the human liver cancer cell line HepG2.

Effects of perioperative comprehensive nursing based on risk prevention for patients with intracranial aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of comprehensive nursing based on risk prevention in perioperative nursing of intracranial aneurysm. METHODS: A total of 156 patients who suffered from intracranial aneurysm were admitted in neurosurgery department from the hospital between January 2018 and January 2019. Patients were randomly divided into observation group (n = 78, patients were given comprehensive nursing based on risk prevention) and control group (n = 78, patients were given routine nursing). The following parameters, such as postoperative hospital stay, rescue success rate, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) after being awake, anxiety degree and nursing effect (incidence of complications, incidence of infection and patient satisfaction) were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The postoperative hospital stay, rescue success rate and GCS after intervention in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group (P < .05). The degree of anxiety in the observation group after intervention was superior to that in the control group (P < .05), similar results were obtained in terms of the nursing effect in the observation group compared with the control group (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Comprehensive nursing was associated with the shortness of hospitalisation time of patients, improved rescue rate, reduced occurrence of complications and infection, and improved satisfaction of patients. Thus, comprehensive nursing was regarded to exert protective effect with a promising future for clinical practice.

One new cembranoid diterpene from gum resin of Boswellia carterii / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to study the chemical components from the gum resin of Boswellia carterii. Five cembranoid diterpenes were isolated from the gum resin of B. carterii by various of column chromatographies including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified on the basis of physicochemical properties, mass spectrometry(MS), nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR), Ultraviolet(UV) and infrared(IR) spectroscopic data. These compounds were identified as(1S,2E,4R,5S,7E,11E)-4-methoxy-5-hydroxycembrane(1),(1R~*,4R~*,5E,8E,12E,15E)-4-hydroxycembra-5,8,12,15-tetraene(2), cembrene A(3),(3S,4S,7R)-4-hydroxycembrane(4), and pavidolide D(5). Compound 1 was a new compound. Compounds 2, 4, and 5 were obtained from the gum resin of B. carterii for the first time. Compound 2 showed weak inhibition on the human liver cancer cell line HepG2.

A new cadinane-type sesquiterpenoid from Commiphora myrrha / 药学学报

Five cadinane-type sesquiterpenoids were isolated from the n-hexane extract of Commiphora myrrha by using various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, ODS and semi-preparative HPLC. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. These compounds were defined as (3S,4R)-3,9-dimethoxymyrrhone (1), 9-methoxymyrrhone (2), myrrhone (3), commiterpene B (4) and comosone Ⅱ (5). Compound 1 is a new compound, of which the absolute configuration was established by single crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compound 5 is firstly isolated from the Commiphora genus.

Chemical synthesis and antigenic activity of a phosphatidylinositol mannoside epitope from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Phosphatidylinositol mannosides (PIMs) have been investigated as lipidic antigens for a new subunit tuberculosis vaccine. A non-natural diacylated phosphatidylinositol mannoside (Ac2PIM2) was designed and synthesized by mimicking the natural PIM6 processing procedure in dentritic cells. This synthetic Ac2PIM2 was achieved from α-methyl d-glucopyranoside 1 in 17 steps in 2.5% overall yield. A key feature of the strategy was extending the use of the chiral myo-inositol building block A to the O-2 and O-6 positions of the inositol unit to allow for introducing the mannose building blocks B1 and B2, and to the O-1 position for the phosphoglycerol building block C. Building block A, being a flexible core unit, may facilitate future access to other higher-order PIM analogues. A preliminary antigenic study showed that the synthetic PIM epitope (Ac2PIM2) was significantly more active than natural Ac2PIM2, which indicated that the synthetic Ac2PIM2 can be strongly immunoactive and may be developed as a potential vaccine.

Chemical Synthesis of the Trisaccharide Epitope of Phenolic Glycolipid-1 Surface Antigen from Mycobacterium leprae.

PGL-1 epitope 1 bearing a p-aminoethylphenol group was efficiently synthesized by using linear synthetic routes. A method for efficient synthesis of oligosaccharides containing rhamnose rings was developed. The chemistry is flexible and could be used for the synthesis of other PGLs antigens. A biotinylated PGL-1 antigen 23 was synthesized and could be used as a probe for early detection of leprosy.

The S1/S2 boundary of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein modulates cell entry pathways and transmission

The global spread of SARS-CoV-2 is posing major public health challenges. One unique feature of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the insertion of multi-basic residues at the S1/S2 subunit cleavage site, the function of which remains uncertain. We found that the virus with intact spike (Sfull) preferentially enters cells via fusion at the plasma membrane, whereas a clone (Sdel) with deletion disrupting the multi-basic S1/S2 site instead utilizes a less efficient endosomal entry pathway. This idea was supported by the identification of a suite of endosomal entry factors specific to Sdel virus by a genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screen. A panel of host factors regulating the surface expression of ACE2 was identified for both viruses. Using a hamster model, animal-to-animal transmission with the Sdel virus was almost completely abrogated, unlike with Sfull. These findings highlight the critical role of the S1/S2 boundary of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in modulating virus entry and transmission.

Author Correction: piRNA-independent function of PIWIL1 as a co-activator for anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome to drive pancreatic cancer metastasis.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

piRNA-independent function of PIWIL1 as a co-activator for anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome to drive pancreatic cancer metastasis.

Piwi proteins are normally restricted in germ cells to suppress transposons through associations with Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), but they are also frequently activated in many types of human cancers. A great puzzle is the lack of significant induction of corresponding piRNAs in cancer cells, as we document here in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas (PDACs), which implies that such germline-specific proteins are somehow hijacked to promote tumorigenesis through a different mode of action. Here, we show that in the absence of piRNAs, human PIWIL1 in PDAC functions as an oncoprotein by activating the anaphase promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) E3 complex, which then targets a critical cell adhesion-related protein, Pinin, to enhance PDAC metastasis. This is in contrast to piRNA-dependent PIWIL1 ubiquitination and removal by APC/C during late spermiogenesis. These findings unveil a piRNA-dependent mechanism to switch PIWIL1 from a substrate in spermatids to a co-activator of APC/C in human cancer cells.

PRMT1 promotes pancreatic cancer growth and predicts poor prognosis.

BACKGROUND: Protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) is the founding member of the PRMT family of proteins, whose members catalyze methylation of arginine residues in various proteins. Although several studies have reported upregulation of PRMT1 in various cancer types, the expression pattern and the underlying mechanism of PRMT1 action in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are still unclear. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry staining as well as RT-PCR was used to determine the expression pattern of PRMT1 in clinical PDAC samples. Lentivirus packaging and transfection were employed to construct cell lines with PRMT1 overexpression or knockdown. MTT and crystal violet assays were used to determine the proliferation rates of PDAC cells. ß-catenin transcription activity was measured using a TOPFlash assay. PRMT1 binding to the promoter region of CTNNB1 was determined by ChIP-qPCR assay. RESULTS: Elevated PRMT1 expression was found in PDAC tissue samples compared to noncancerous normal tissues in 41 patients using a real-time PCR assay and in 90 patients using a tissue microarray (TMA) in conjunction with immunohistochemistry. Analysis of the PRMT1 expression data and PDAC clinical features revealed that PRMT1 expression was significantly correlated with PDAC tumor size and prognosis in postoperative patients. Additional functional experiments revealed that PRMT1 expression promoted the growth of pancreatic cancer-derived cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we found that PRMT1 increased the cellular ß-catenin level. We also found that PRMT1 and ß-catenin were co-expressed in TCGA and GTEx datasets containing 370 samples. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our study provides novel insight into the expression and function of PRMT1 in PDAC and indicates that PRMT1 may serve as a therapeutic target for treating patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.