High Expression of Heat Shock Protein Family D Member 1 Predicts Poor Prognosis of Esophageal Cancer.

Background: Heat shock protein family D (Hsp60) member 1 (HSPD1) has been reported as a potential survival-related biomarker in some cancers. However, the correlation between HSPD1 expression with prognosis and clinical features of esophageal cancer (EC) is poorly understood. Our research aimed to explore the clinical and prognostic significance of HSPD1 expression in EC patients. Methods: In our study, HSPD1 expression was detected by immunochemistry in 87 EC tissue specimens and 20 normal cancerous peripheral tissue specimens. Meanwhile, we also analyzed the expression of HSPD1 in EC by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank test and logistic regression models were separately used to test the correlation between clinical characteristics and HSPD1 expression in our and TCGA cohort. Moreover, we evaluated the value of HSPD1 in prognosis by Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox analysis. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed using the data accessed from TCGA. Results: The results showed that HSPD1 was overexpressed in EC, and the expression was related to histological type, histological grade, N classification, and clinical stage. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox analysis indicated that high expression of HSPD1 correlated with poor prognosis, and HSPD1 was an independent risk factor for EC. GSEA identified pathways involved in cysteine and methionine metabolism, spliceosome, selenoamino acid metabolism, mismatch repair, RNA degration, DNA replication, and cell cycle as differentially enriched in ECs with high HSPD1 expression. Conclusions: Our results suggest that HSPD1 is expressed at high levels in EC, and has potential to be used as a novel biomarker for the prognosis of patients with EC.

[Chemical constituents from roots of Ferula sinkiangensis].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of the roots of Ferula sinkiangensis. METHOD: Compounds were isolated by repeated chromatography on silica gel. Their structures were elucidated by chemical and spectroscopic methods. RESULT: Seven compounds were identified as fekrynol (1), fekolone (2), farnesiferol B (3), isosamarcandin (4), episamarcandin (5), farnesiferol C (6), umbelliferone (7). CONCLUSION: All the compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Sesquiterpene coumarins from the roots of Ferula sinkiangensis and Ferula teterrima.

Three new natural sesquiterpene coumarins, isofeterin (1), lehmannolol (3), sinkianone (4), and one known compound, lehmannolone (2), were isolated from the roots of Ferula teterrima and Ferula sinkiangensis. Their chemical structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis, including X-ray crystallography and CD spectrum measurements for determining the absolute configuration of compound 2.

[Establishment of the control substance of plant drug and fingerprints of Coptis chinensis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish the control substance of plant drug (CSPD) of Coptis chinensis Franch. and its proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints for the purpose of original identification. METHODS: The CSPD and their 1H NMR and HPLC fingerprints of Coptis chinensis were obtained by standardized procedure. Chemical components were isolated from the CSPD by silica gel column chromatography. By elucidation of their structures, the assignments of the characteristic signals in fingerprints could be achieved. RESULTS; The 1H NMR and HPLC fingerprints of the samples from various sources had wonderful reproducibility and characteristic features. Furthermore, five main compounds were isolated from CSPD and their structures were authenticated by spectral analysis as palmatine chloride, berberine chloride, epiberberine chloride, coptisine chloride, and jatrorrhizine chloride, respectively. The 1H NMR and HPLC fingerprints of the CSPD of Coptis chinensis showed mainly the characteristic signals of the berberine-type compounds isolated in this work. CONCLUSION: The 1H NMR and HPLC fingerprints of the CSPD of Coptis chinensis exhibit the structures and total composition of the main active constituents in it, and can be used for its original identification and quality evaluation.