Copper-Mediated Nucleophilic Addition/Cascade Cyclization of Aryl Diynes.

Treatment of diyne substrates with sulfinate salts under the action of copper(II) triflate results in a cascade cyclization reaction. The reaction involves nucleophilic addition of the sulfinate and formation of two new C-C bonds with concomitant cleavage of an aryl C-H bond. The reaction proceeds in good yields with a range of diyne precursors and sulfinate salts. Preliminary mechanistic analysis reveals a rare example of an operative ionic mechanism in contrast to other related cyclizations.

Tetrodotoxication with nassauris glans: a possibility of tetrodotoxin spreading in marine products near Pratas Island.

Tetrodotoxication was observed in six patients who ate gastropods from the South China Sea near Pratas Island. The pathogenic gastropod was Nassauris glans, which had not been previously mentioned in human tetrodotoxication. An extremely high level of tetrodotoxin was found in the causative gastropods, and a variety of clinical signs were observed in the survivors. The postmortem autopsy of two patients showed severe distension and hypersecretion of the alimentary tract, suggestive of a cholinergic crisis as the cause of their early death. A recognition of education regarding the risk of tetrodotoxication by N. glans in the study area is important to prevent further tragedy. A retrospective review of the tetrodotoxication in this region may aid in understanding the changes and route of tetrodotoxication in marine products, and provide valuable information for preventive measures.

An increase of blood anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibody in Japanese encephalitis associated with cerebral ischemia.

The role of humoral autoimmunity in virus-induced vascular thrombosis is still not clear. We encountered a patient who experienced cerebral ischemia in his early course of Japanese encephalitis. At the beginning, an increase of blood immunoglobulin G isotype of anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibody, a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time and thrombocytopenia resembling antiphospholipid antibody syndrome were found, and these abnormalities disappeared when the patient recovered later. A molecular mimicry between the T(2688)LRVLE in Japanese encephalitis virus and hexapeptide-TLRVYK may contribute for the patient's anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibody generation. Therefore, an increase of procoagulative antibody, such as anti-beta2-glycoprotein I antibody, may display a crucial role for cerebral thrombosis associated with infectious pathogens such as Japanese encephalitis virus. The interaction between autoimmunity induction by infectious agents and procoagulation in the occurrence of vascular thrombosis may be more important than has been understood in previous studies.