AIMTo study the microbial transformation of sinenxan A.

METHODSChoose two strains of Fungi (Mucor spinosus AS 3.3450 and Cunninghamella echinulata AS 3.3400) and a strain of bacterium (Proteus vulgaris AS 1.1208) to transform the substrate.

RESULTSThree products were obtained and identified as 10-deacetylsinenxan A1, 6 alpha-hydroxy-10-deacetylsinenxan A2 and 9 alpha-hydroxy-10-deacetylsinenxan A3 respectively.

CONCLUSIONSinenxan A is facile to be transformed by microorganisms, the 10-acetyl group of which is an active group.

Acetates ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Biotransformation ; Culture Techniques ; Cunninghamella ; metabolism ; Diterpenes ; isolation & purification ; metabolism ; Mucor ; metabolism ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Proteus vulgaris ; metabolism ; Taxus ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of doublecortin-like kinase 1(DCLK1)in gastric cancer and its prognostic significance.

METHODSThe expression of DCLK1 was examined by immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 122 patients who underwent curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer at Peking Union Medical College Hospital between July 2002 and December 2006. Survival curves were described by the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by the Log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate analysis was performed with the Cox proportional hazard model.

RESULTSThe expression of DCLK1 in tumor cells was significantly upregulated in 51 of 122 patients. High expression of DCLK1 in tumor cells was strongly correlated with pN stage(P=0.029)and lymphovascular invasion(P=0.029). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that patients with DCLK1 high expression had a significantly lower 5-year overall survival(OS)rate than that of patients with DCLK1 low expression(39. 0% vs. 65. 8%, P=0.001), as well as a significantly lower 5-year disease-free survival(DFS)rate(37. 0% vs. 64. 5%, P=0.001). Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that DCLK1 expression(both P=0.036)was an independent factor for predicting OS and DFS rate.

CONCLUSIONSHigh expression of DCLK1 in gastric cancer cells is associated with pN stage and lymphovascular invasion. It may be a predictor for poor survival in patients undergoing surgery for gastric cancer.

Disease-Free Survival ; Gastrectomy ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; metabolism ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Multivariate Analysis ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; metabolism