Gender differences in prevalence and clinical correlates of anxiety symptoms in first-episode and drug-naïve patients with major depressive disorder.

AIM: Gender differences in major depressive disorder (MDD) are commonly reported; however, gender differences in first-episode and drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with major depressive disorder remain unclear. This study aimed to examine potential gender differences in the prevalence and clinical correlates of comorbid anxiety in FEDN patients with MDD. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with1718 FEDN patients with MDD. Patients' demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed using standardized clinical evaluation forms. The Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to evaluate depression, anxiety and psychotic symptoms, respectively. RESULTS: There were no gender-based differences in the comorbidity rates of MDD and anxiety disorders (male: 10.2% vs. female:12.7%, P = 0.123). The prevalence of MDD with severe anxiety symptoms in male patients was similar to that of female patients (80.8%vs. 80.1%, P = 0.749). Male MDD patients were younger, had earlier age of onset, and were less likely to be married. In both the male and female groups, HAMD scores, HAMA scores, suicide attempts, and psychotic symptoms in patients with severe anxiety symptoms were higher than those patients without severe anxiety symptoms (all p ≤ 0.001). Furthermore, binary logistic regression analysis showed that psychotic symptoms and suicide attempts significantly predicted severe anxiety symptoms in both male and female patients with MDD, while body mass index(BMI)significantly predicted severe anxiety symptoms in MDD females only. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that there were no gender differences in the prevalence of comorbid anxiety in FEDN patients with MDD. Suicide attempts and psychiatric symptoms were associated with severe anxiety symptoms in both men and women with MDD, whereas BMI was only correlated with severe anxiety symptoms in women.

New chalcones bearing a long-chain alkylphenol from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga.

Three novel chalcones bearing a long-chain alkylphenol, galanganones A-C (1-3), were isolated from the rhizomes of Alpinia galanga. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis including 2D NMR experiments. Compounds 1-3 represent the first examples of long-chain alkylphenol-coupled chalcone.

2-Di-chloro-methyl-N-ethyl-5-(1-phenyl-silolan-1-yl)cyclo-pent-3-enecarboxamide.

In the title compound, C19H25Cl2NOSi, the NH group and the carbonyl O atom of the amide fragment are involved in an inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond forming chains of mol-ecules. The plane of the benzene ring forms a dihedral angle of 50.5 (2)° with respect to the silolane ring and an angle of 49.74 (2)° with the cyclo-pentyl moiety.

New phenyl-ethanediols from the culture broth of Boletus edulis.

A new phenyl-ethanediol, (1S)-(4-acetylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (1), and a new natural product, (1S)-(3-ethenylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (2), were isolated from the culture broth of the basidiomycete Boletus edulis together with three related known compounds, 1-(4-ethylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (3), 1-(3-ethylphenyl)-1, 2-ethanediol (4) and 1-(3-formylphenyl)-ethanone (5). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 2D-NMR techniques.

Hypocrellin D, a cytotoxic fungal pigment from fruiting bodies of the ascomycete Shiraia bambusicola.

A fungal pigment, hypocrellin D (1), together with three known perylenequinone derivatives hypocrellin A (2), B (3) and C (4), was isolated from the fruiting bodies of Shiraia bambusicola. Its structure was elucidated on the basis of spectral data including 2D NMR experiments. Hypocrellin D (1) significantly inhibited the growth of tumor cell lines Bel-7721, A-549 and Anip-973 with IC50 values of 1.8, 8.8, 38.4 microg/ml, respectively.