Ten pharmacophore models of beta-tubulin inhibitors were established from the training set of seventeen beta-tubulin inhibitors (two categories) with comformer analysis by using the Catalyst software. The optimal pharmacophore model with two hydrophobic units and two hydrogen bond acceptor units were confirmed (RMS = 0.43, Correl = 0.98, Weight = 2.06, Config = 15.97). This pharmacophore model is able to predict the activity of known beta-tubulin inhibitors and can be further used to identify structurally diverse compounds with higher activity.

Aim To investigate the ameliorative effects pseudoberberine(Y53), a berberine(BBR) analogue, on diabetic nephropathy( DN) in streptozotocin( STZ)-induced diabetic mice. Methods Diabetes mellitus ( DM) of the C57BL/6J mice was induced by intraper-itoneal injection of STZ at 120 mg·kg-1 . The diabetic animals were divided into 4 groups, which were orally treated with saline, 50 mg · kg-1 of BBR, 50 mg · kg-1 of Y53 or 5 mg · kg-1 of rosiglitazone ( ROSI ) , respectively. During and after the experiment, the u-rine, blood, serum and kidney of the animals were harvested for determination of relevant parameters by kits. Kidney tissues of the mice were subjected to pathological examination by hematoxylin & eosin( HE) staining;mRNA and protein expression levels of target genes in the kidney were determined by quantitative re-al-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction ( qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. Results Y53 greatly reduced the fasting blood glucose ( FBG ) and glycosylated hemoglobin( GHb) , improved diabet-ic symptoms such as polyphagia and polyuria in the di-abetic mice( P<0. 01 vs DM control group) . Y53 po-tently reduced the blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) , serum creatinine( Scr) , 24 h urinary protein, kidney index, serum and kidney advanced glycation end-products ( AGEs) and nitric oxide( NO) , as well as kidney cho-lesterol( CHO ) and triglyceride ( TG ) contents ( P <0. 05 or P<0. 01 vs DM control group) . In the patho-logical examination, Y53 greatly restored kidney mor-phology and suppressed glomerular sclerosis( P<0. 001 vs DM control group). In addition, Y53 significantly reduced the renal expression of fibrosis-related genes, such as the transforming growth factor-β1 ( TGF-β1 ) and smad2(P<0. 01 vs DM control group). The reno-protective efficacies of Y53 were superior to those of BBR and ROSI in our study ( P<0. 05 or P<0. 01 ) . Conclusions The BBR analogue Y53 has potent ac-tivities in ameliorating renal injury and restoring renal function in STZ-induced diabetic mice. Y53 may be developed as a novel kind of agent for the treatment of DN in the future.

Aim To investigate the induction of endothelial cell apoptosis and the suppression of VEGF expression in cancer cells by sodium caffeate (SCA). Methods Apoptosis of transformed human umbilical vein endothelial cells (ECV304 cell line) was detected by flow cytometry, DNA electrophoresis assay and morphological assessment. Western blotting analysis was applied for determination of VEGF expression in cancer cells. Substrate degradation by type Ⅳ collagenase was measured by zymography.ELISA was used to detect the binding of type Ⅳ collagenase with relevant monoclonal antibody. Results SCA induced ECV304 cell apoptosis in a time- and dose-dependent manner. After treatment with 100 and fluorescence and distinct changes of nuclear morphology, such as pyknosis and the occurrence of apoptotic bodies. VEGF expression in hepatoma HepG-2 cells and prostate carcinoma DU145 cells was reduced after SCA treatment. The degradation activity of type Ⅳ collagenase including MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted by giant cell pulmonary carcinoma PG cells was inhibited by SCA in a dose-dependent manner. SCA also reduced the binding of mAb 3D6, a relevant monoclonal antibody, to type Ⅳ collagenase. Conclusion SCA can induce endothelial cell apoptosis and inhibit VEGF expression as well as type Ⅳ collagenase activity in cancer cells. SCA might be active in modulating tumor angiogenesis and the microenvironment.

A series of novel N-(2-arylethyl) isoquinoline derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activities. Among these analogs, compound 9a exhibited the potential anti-cancer activities on HepG2 and HCT116 cells with IC50 values of 2.52 and 1.99 microg x mL(-1), respectively. Cell cycle was blocked at S phase of HepG2 cells treated with 9a by flow cytometry detection. Our results provided a basis for the development of a new series of anti-cancer candidates.

Scavenger receptor CD36 could bind and endocytose oxLDL into macrophages which were then differentiated into foam cells that constitute the atherosclerotic lesion core, and was considered to be a potential target to treat atherosclerosis. In the establishment of the compound library of berberine (BBR, 1) analogues, we discovered that 13-hexylberberine (2) showed an antagonistic activity against CD36. Taking 2 as the lead compound, 21 derivatives were synthesized and their antagonistic activities were evaluated via an ELISA-like high-throughput screening (HTS) model. The primary structure-activity relationships were studied. It was indicated that the introduction of suitable groups at the 2- and 3-position of the aromatic ring A or at the 9-position of the aromatic ring D could enhance the activity. Among the 21 studied compounds, 7g bearing a benzyloxyl group at the 9-position provided a highest CD36 antagonistic activity with the IC50 value of 7.7 micromol L(-1). Besides, its antagonistic activity was further verified with Sf9 insect cell HTS model. So berberine analogues are a new family of CD36 receptor antagonists and worthy to be studied further.

LPS stimulation of macrophages production of IFN-beta plays a key role in innate immunity defending the microbial invasion. In this study, the effect of S632A3 promoting LPS-induced IFN-beta production and the underlying mechanism were investigated, mRNA level was measured by real-time PCR, cytokine production was determined by ELISA, GSK-3beta activity was investigated by kinase assay, protein phosphorylation and expression were evaluated by Western blotting. The results revealed that S632A3 significantly augmented IFN-beta production by LPS-stimulated macrophages. S632A3 inhibition of the activation of GSK-3beta, reduced the threonine 239 phosphorylation of transcription factor c-Jun but increased the total level of c-Jun in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Moreover, small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of c-Jun level abrogated the ability of S632A3 to augment IFN-beta. The study thus demonstrates S632A3 being a new anti-inflammation lead compound and provides a molecular mechanism by which S632A3 promoted LPS-induced IFN-beta production in macrophages through inhibiting the activation of GSK-3beta.

A series of cycloberberine derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer activities in vitro. Among these analogs, compounds 6c, 6e and 6g showed strong inhibition on human HepG2 cells. They afforded a potent effect against DOX-resistant MCF-7 breast cells as well. The primary mechanism showed that cell cycle was blocked at G2/M phase of HepG2 cells treated with 6g using flow cytometry assay. It significantly inhibited the activity of DNA Top I at the concentration of 0.1 mg mL-1. Our results provided a basis for the development of this kind of compounds as novel anti-cancer agents.

Liver cancer is one of the most common neoplastic diseases with high mortality in China. Currently, antimicrotubule drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX) and vincristine (VCR), are used as the common agents in the clinical chemotherapy for liver cancer. However, the responses of patients to these drugs vary markedly. Successful identification of intracellular factors influencing liver cancer's sensitivity to antimicrotubule drugs would be of great clinical importance. In this study, by engineering human hepatoma cell HepG2 to overexpress synuclein-gamma (SNCG), we investigated if SNCG is a molecular factor associated with the sensitivity to antimicrotubule drug treatment. Real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting assays showed SNCG was successfully overexpressed in HepG2/ SNCG cells compared with HepG2/Neo cells. The overexpressed SNCG altered the proliferation activity in HepG2 cells, which was 66% higher than that of HepG2/Neo cells through MTT method. The overexpressed SNCG also reduced sensitivity of HepG2 cells to antimicrotubule drugs: after PTX or VCR treatment, the proportion of HepG2/SNCG cells in G2/M arrest was significantly lower than that in HepG2/Neo cells. Correspondingly, HepG2/SNCG cells showed significantly lower mitotic index than HepG2/Neo cells. Meanwhile, HepG2/SNCG cells showed higher resistance to PTX and VCR than HepG2/Neo cells, with resistance index 21 and 15 respectively. Our studies suggested that the overexpression of SNCG could confer resistance to antimicrotubule drugs in hepatoma cells; and it indicated that SNCG may be as a potential response marker for antimicrotubule drugs in liver cancer chemotherapy.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has become a major public health burden worldwide. Twenty-two sophocarpinic acid or matrine derivatives were synthesized and their anti-HCV activities were evaluated in vitro. The structure-activity analysis revealed that (i) sophocarpinic acids with a D-seco 3-ring structure scaffold were more favorable than matrines with a 4-ring scaffold; (ii) the introduction of an electron-withdrawing group on the phenyl ring in 12-N-benzenesulfonyl Δ (βγ) sophocarpinic acids was beneficial for the antiviral activity against HCV. Among them, compounds 9h and 9j exhibited the most potent inhibitory activities on HCV replication with selectivity indies of 70.3 and 30.9, respectively. Therefore, both were selected as antiviral candidates for further investigation.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of maxillary protraction combined with repetitive rapid palatal expansions and constrictions (RPE/C) vs. rapid palatal expansion (RPE) alone using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

METHODSTwenty four subjects with maxillary retrusion were recruited and block randomized into either the control group (n = 12) or the RPE/C (n = 12) group.

CONTROL GROUPfacemask protraction after RPE. RPE/C group: facemask protraction after RPE/C. 3D reconstruction, landmarks identifying, superimposition and cephalometric analysis were performed to compare the pre-treatment and post- treatment CBCT images.

RESULTSOne subject in the RPE/C group was lost to follow up during the treatment. Maxilla moved forward [(2.5±1.0) mm] after maxillary protraction with RPE/C, which was significantly greater than that in the control group [(1.6±0.8) mm] (P < 0.05). The distance of basion to subspinale (Ba-A) increased [(3.1±1.0) mm] in the RPE/C group, which was significantly greater than that in the control group [(2.2 ± 0.9) mm] (P < 0.05). The amount of forward movement of upper first molars was significantly greater in the RPE/C group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSMaxillary protraction with RPE/C might positively affect the forward movement of maxilla compared with the RPE alone protocol with the early treatment of maxillary retrusion patients.

Cephalometry ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Constriction ; Extraoral Traction Appliances ; Humans ; Malocclusion, Angle Class III ; therapy ; Maxilla ; Molar ; Palatal Expansion Technique