Objective To investigate vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and TNF-α levels in the serum of patients with primary hepatocellur carcinoma(HCC),and to evaluate their relevance with the development and metastasis of HCC.Methods VEGF and TNF-α levels in serum were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) technology in 87 patients with HCC and 10 healthy individuals.Results Serum VEGF and TNF-α,levels in HCC patients were significantly higher than that in the contorl group.In addition,HCC patients infected with hepatitis virus(including HBV and HCV) showed a remarkable elevation in serum VEGF and TNF-α levels.The VEGF and TNF-α levels in HCC with metastasis were also higher than those without metastasis.Conclusion The serum VEGF and TNF-α levels in HCC patients might serve as the pivotal biological indices that could reflect HCC progressien and metastasis.

In order to find the anti-virus constituents of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb, the investigation was carried out. The paper reported the five triterpenoid saponins isolated from n-BuOH fraction: 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl (1-->3)-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-oleanolic acid]-28-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (1), oleanolic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (calenduloside E, 2), oleanolic acid-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-28-Obeta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (chikusetsusaponin-IVa, 3), 3-O-(6'-O-butyl-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl)-oleanolic acid-28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4) and hederagenin-3-O-beta-D-glucuronopyranoside (HN-sapoins K, 5). 1 is a new compound, saponins 4 and 5 were isolated from the plant for the first time.

Eight new C-diterpenoid alkaloid arabinosides, named aconicarmichosides E-L (-), were isolated from an aqueous extract of the lateral roots of (Fu Zi). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods including 2D NMR experiments and acid hydrolysis. Compounds -, together with the previously reported four neoline 14--arabinosides from the same plant, represent the only examples of glycosidic diterpenoid alkaloids so far. At a dose of 1.0 mg/kg (i.p.), as compared with the black control, compounds , , and - exhibited analgesic effects with >65.6% inhibitions against acetic acid-induced writhing of mice. Structure-activity relationship was also discussed.