Chemical components of Aconitum barbatum var. puberulum and their cytotoxic and antibacterial activities.

Nineteen compounds, including seventeen alkaloids O-methylarmepavine (1), (S)-6-methoxy-1-(4-methoxybenzyl)-2-methyl -1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolin-7-ol (2), (+)-(IR,laR)-lahydroxymagnocurarin (3), (6R,6aS,P)-(+)-corydine (4), (+)-N-methyllaurotetanine (5), magnoflorine (6), 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethoxy-5-methyl-5H-dibenzoindol-4-one (7), imperialine (8), crispine B (9), (S)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-N-methylpropan-2-amine (10), methyl 2- (acetamino)benzoate (11), 2-carboxyoxanilic acid methylester (12), 4-[2-(methoxycarbonyl) anilino]-4-oxobutanoic acid methyl ester (13), N-methylcorydaldine (14), N-methyl-6,7- dimethoxyisoquinolone (15), (5S,6R,7S,8R)-5-amino-(2Z,4Z)-1,2,3-trihybuta-2,4-dienyloxypentane- 6,7,8,9-tetraol (16), nicotinic acid (17), and two megastigmane type compounds, S(+)- dehydrovomifoliol (18) and megastigmane (19), were isolated from the Aconitum barbatum var. puberulum Ledeb. Compounds 1-3 and 5-19 were isolated from this plant for the first time, of which compound 11 was isolated from natural source for the first time. Cytotoxicity evaluation revealed that compound 5 displayed mild cytotoxicity against the Hela cell lines (IC50 13.69 ± 0.036 µM). Antibacterial activity evaluation revealed that compounds 1 and 6 showed strong antibacterial activity against the Gram-positive bacterium, S. aureus.

Fluoride caused thyroid endocrine disruption in male zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Excessive fluoride in natural water ecosystem has the potential to detrimentally affect thyroid endocrine system, but little is known of such effects or underlying mechanisms in fish. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of fluoride on growth performance, thyroid histopathology, thyroid hormone levels, and gene expressions in the HPT axis in male zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to different determined concentrations of 0.1, 0.9, 2.0 and 4.1 M of fluoride to investigate the effects of fluoride on thyroid endocrine system and the potential toxic mechanisms caused by fluoride. The results indicated that the growth of the male zebrafish used in the experiments was significantly inhibited, the thyroid microtrastructure was changed, and the levels of T3 and T4 were disturbed in fluoride-exposed male fish. In addition, the expressional profiles of genes in HPT axis displayed alteration. The expressions of all studied genes were significantly increased in all fluoride-exposed male fish after exposure for 45 days. The transcriptional levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroglobulin (TG), sodium iodide symporter (NIS), iodothyronine I (DIO1), and thyroid hormone receptor alpha (TRα) were also elevated in all fluoride-exposed male fish after 90 days of exposure, while the inconsistent expressions were found in the mRNA of iodothyronineⅡ (DIO2), UDP glucuronosyltransferase 1 family a, b (UGT1ab), transthyretin (TTR), and thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRß). These results demonstrated that fluoride could notably inhibit the growth of zebrafish, and significantly affect thyroid endocrine system by changing the microtrastructure of thyroid, altering thyroid hormone levels and endocrine-related gene expressions in male zebrafish. All above indicated that fluoride could pose a great threat to thyroid endocrine system, thus detrimentally affected the normal function of thyroid of male zebrafish.

NMR Metabonomics Study on Serum Samples of Young and Middle-Age Hypertension Patients with Phlegm Dampness Retention Syndrome / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To analyze the serum samples of young and middle-aged patients with hypertension of different syndromes and healthy patients by means of metabonomics; To confirm its biomarker; To reveal the nature of phlegm dampness retention syndrome in essential hypertension. Methods The syndrome types of 34 hypertension patients were differentiated into 14 cases of liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome group, 14 cases of phlegm dampness retention syndrome group and 6 cases of yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome group. 15 healthy volunteers were selected as control group. 1H-NMR technique combined with partial least squares-discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) method was used to look for the biomarkers. And the levels of UA, TC and TG were recorded. Results The level of UA in phlegm dampness retention syndrome group was significantly higher than the other three groups (P<0.05). The level of TC in yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome group was higher and had significantly difference with the control group (P<0.05). The level of TG in phlegm dampness retention syndrome group was higher and had significantly difference with control group (P<0.05). The metabonomics study based on the 1H-NMR method could distinguish the phlegm dampness retention syndrome group from the normal control group, liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome group and yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome group. Compared with the control group, the levels of acetone, VLDL, and LDL were significantly higher and the levels of lactate, serine, glucose, methionine, alanine were significantly lower in phlegm dampness retention syndrome group; compared with the liver-fire hyperactivity syndrome group, levels of citrate, alanine, VLDL, and LDL were significantly higher and the levels of glucose, lysine, glutamate, proline lactate were significantly lower; compared with yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome group, the level of creatinine was significantly higher. Conclusion There are lipoprotein metabolism, amino acid metabolism and glucose metabolism disorder in the young and middle-age hypertensive patients with phlegm dampness retention syndrome.

Clarify some problems when selecting multifocal intraocular lens / 眼科

Recently more and more ophthalmologists selected a multifocal intraocular lens (IOL) for their cataract patient in order to get good unaided reading vision. Although the design of IOL have made a great progress, we are still dissatisfied compared with our natural crystal lens. Understanding the design theory and improving our surgery technique are basic for better utilization the multifocal IOL. Does the multifocal IOL reduce contrast sensitivity? Should we implant the multifocal IOL in pediatric cataract surgery? How can we deal with the residual refractive error after multifocal IOL implantation? In this editorial, we try to clarify these problems to make us select and use multifocal IOL better.