To study the chemical constituents of Abacopteris penangiana (Hook.) Ching, various chromatographic techniques were used to isolate and purify the constituents. The structures of the obtained compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic data and physical-chemical properties. Two compounds were isolated from the n-BuOH soluble fraction of an acetone-H2O (4:1) extract of A. penangiana and were identified as 4'-hydroxy pneumatopterin B (I) and 6"-O-acetyl triphyllin A (II). Compounds I and II are new compounds.
Ferns ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Glycosides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Components, Aerial ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo explore the liver-toxic fraction in Rhigoma of Dioscorea bulbifera.

METHODThe rats were randomized into four groups: control group (20% PVP-water), T001(10% total methanol extraction), F002(5% chloroform fraction) and F003(5% methanol fraction). Direct bilirubin (DBil) and Glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) were examined, and liver index was measured. The histological and morphological observations were performed with optical and electrical microscope.

RESULTT001 and F002 showed significant liver toxicity.

CONCLUSIONThe chloroform fraction was the liver-toxic fraction of D. bulbifera.

Alanine Transaminase ; blood ; Animals ; Bilirubin ; blood ; Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury ; blood ; etiology ; pathology ; Dioscorea ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; toxicity ; Female ; Liver ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Male ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

BACKGROUNDJaw osteonecrosis possibly associated with the administration of bisphosphonates is expected to be treated with a non-pharmacologic approach. This study aimed to determine whether noninvasive, mechanically mediated vibration would inhibit the decline in bone mineral density (BMD) that follows menopause, enhance the BMD of the lumbar and femoral neck, and reduce chronic back pain in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

METHODSA total of 116 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis participated in this study, and they were divided into groups A (66 patients) and B (50). Group A received vibration treatment (Subjects vertically stand on the vibration platform, with a vibration frequency of 30 Hz, amplitude of 5 mm; they received the treatment five times per week, ten minutes each time and totally for six months), whereas women of group B served as controls without any treatment. L2 - 4 BMD, bilateral femoral neck BMD, and body mass index (BMI) were recorded before the treatment or at the third and sixth months of the treatment respectively. After the ending of the treatment, the change of BMD in each group was compared and analyzed. Chronic back pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline and the third and sixth months of the treatment.

RESULTSOf the 116 women, 94 including 51 women from group A ((61.23 +/- 8.20) years) and 43 women from group B ((63.73 +/- 5.45) years), completed the study. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics including age, BMI, menopausal years, lumbar BMD, femoral neck BMD, and VAS between the two groups. The lumbar BMD of the 51 women in group A increased by 1.3% (P = 0.034) after vibration treatment for 3 months and by 4.3% at the sixth month (P = 0.000). The lumbar BMD in group B was decreased at the third month, but there was not statistical significance (P > 0.05). At the sixth month, it was decreased by 1.9% (P < 0.05). The femoral neck BMD of the 51 women in group A was slightly increased after vibration treatment for 3 months, but without statistical significance (P > 0.05). At the sixth month, the BMD was increased by 3.2% (P < 0.05). In group B, the BMD was not decreased significantly (P = 0.185) at the third month, but decreased significantly at the sixth month (1.7%) (P < 0.05) compared with the baseline. Chronic back pain (VAS) reduced more significantly in group A at the third and the sixth months (P < 0.05) after vibration therapy in comparison with the baseline. The BMI was not significantly changed in the two groups during the period of follow-up.

CONCLUSIONSVibration therapy appears to be useful in reducing chronic back pain and increasing the femoral neck and lumbar BMD in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

Aged ; Back Pain ; prevention & control ; Bone Density ; Female ; Femur Neck ; Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Middle Aged ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; therapy ; Vibration ; therapeutic use

OBJECTIVETo study the chemical constituents of the leaf of Isatis indigotica.

METHODChromatography and spectral analysis were respectively used to isolate and identify the constituents.

RESULTThree compounds were isolated from the ethanol extracts of theleaf of I. indigotica, and identified as indirubin, tryptanthrin and L-pyroglutamic acid.

CONCLUSIONL-pyroglutamic acid was isolated from the genus for the first time, and tryptanthrin was isolated from the leaf of this plant for the first time.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Indoles ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Isatis ; chemistry ; Plant Leaves ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Quinazolines ; chemistry ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVETo study chemical constituents of Arachniodes rhomboidea.

METHODSilica gel column chromatography and Sephadex LH -20 gel column chromatography were employed for the isolation and purification. The structures were identified on the basis of spectral data and chemical methods.

RESULTSix compounds were isolated and identified as follows: kaempferol (1), kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnoside (2), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (3), kaempferol-3, 7-O-alpha-L-dirhamnoside (4), quercetin-3-O-beta-D-glucoside (5), kaempferol-3-O-beta-D-rutinoside (6).

CONCLUSIONCompouds 1-6 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Chromatography, Gel ; Dryopteridaceae ; chemistry ; Flavonols ; analysis ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Novel uniform-sized magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) were synthesized for selective recognition of active antitumor ingredients of kaempferol (KMF) and protoapigenone (PA) in Macrothelypteris torresiana (M. torresiana) by surface molecular imprinting technique in this study. Super paramagnetic core-shell nanoparticles (γ-MPS-SiO2@Fe3O4) were used as seeds, KMF as template molecule, acrylamide (AM) as functional monomer, and N, N'-methylene bisacrylamide (BisAM) as cross-linker. The prepared MMIPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The recognition capacity of MMIPs was 2.436 times of non-imprinted polymers. The adsorption results based on kinetics and isotherm analysis were in accordance with the pseudo-second-order model (R (2)=0.9980) and the Langmuir adsorption model (R (2)=0.9944). The value of E (6.742 kJ/mol) calculated from the Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm model suggested that the physical adsorption via hydrogen-bonding might be predominant. The Scatchard plot showed a single line (R (2)=0.9172) and demonstrated the homogeneous recognition sites on MMIPs for KMF. The magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) based on MMIPs as sorbent was established for fast and selective enrichment of KMF and its structural analogue PA from the crude extract of M. torresiana and then KMF and PA were detected by HPLC-UV. The established method showed good performance and satisfactory results for real sample analysis. It also showed the feasibility of MMIPs for selective recognition of active structural analogues from complex herbal extracts.
Acrylic Resins ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Cyclohexanones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Ferns ; chemistry ; Flavones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Kaempferols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Nanoparticles ; chemistry

The expression levels of programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) are down-regulated in many malignancies. SG611-pdcd5, a recombinant conditionally replicative adenovirus carrying pdcd5 gene expression cassette, can evidently kill the leukemic cells and protect selectively the normal cells. The purpose of this study was to investigate the synergistic killing effect of SG611-pdcd5 and low-dose etoposide (VP-16) on K562 cells. K562 cells were treated with different concentrations of VP-16 or different multiplicities of infection (MOI) of SG611-pdcd5. After 48 hours of incubation the cell viability was determined by using MTT assay. The results showed that the cell viability of SG611-pdcd5 (MOI = 40) plus VP-16 (0.5 µg/ml) group significantly decreased as compared with single SG611-pdcd5 (MOI = 40) treatment group or single VP-16(0.5 µg/ml) treatment group (42.00 ± 5.75% vs 59.45 ± 4.12%; 42.00 ± 5.75% vs 82.91 ± 3.41%, respectively, both p < 0.05). The synergistic killing effect of SG611-pdcd5 plus VP-16 was higher than that of PDCD5 protein plus VP-16 or that of non-replicating adenovirus carrying pdcd5 (Ad-pdcd5) plus VP-16 (both p < 0.05). The cell viability of VP-16 (4.0 µg/ml) plus SG611-pdcd5 (MOI = 40) group, VP-16 (4.0 µg/ml) plus proPDCD5 (40 µg/ml) group and VP-16 (4.0 µg/ml) plus Ad-pdcd5 (MOI = 80) group was 37.09 ± 1.89%, 52.36 ± 1.64% and 73.64 ± 4.33%, respectively. It is concluded that SG611-pdcd5 can promote K562 cell death induced by low-dose VP-16. The combination of SG611-pdcd5 and VP-16 can enhance the killing effect on leukemic cells.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; pharmacology ; Apoptosis ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; genetics ; Cell Survival ; Etoposide ; pharmacology ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; K562 Cells ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo compare the immunophenotypic and clinical characteristics between NPM1 mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) (NPM1m(+)AML) and unmutated AML(NPM1m(-)AML) not otherwise characterized (NOS) under similar FAB subtypes constituent ratio.

METHODSImmunophenotyping and NPM1 gene mutation type-A, B and D and other leukemic related fusion genes were detected by multiparameter flow cytometry and real time RT-PCR or PCR, respectively. 104 AML patients with NPM1m(+)AML and performed immunophenotyping assay were included, 97 with NPM1m(-)AML.

RESULTSThere were significant difference between the two groups at presentation in terms of sex, white blood count(WBC), platelet counts (PLT), blast ratio, normal karyotype ratio, WT1 expression level, FLT3-ITD mutation positive rate and remission rate of first course of induction therapy (P < 0.05). On the immunophenotype, the expression of early differentiation antigens (CD34, HLA-DR, CD117, CD38), lymphocytic antigens (CD7, CD4, CD19, CD2), myeloid and monocytic differentiation-associated antigens (CD13, CD14, CD15) were lower, and that of CD33 as well as CD123 were higher in NPM1m(+)AML patients. Among them, only CD34, HLA-DR, CD7, and CD4 positive cases were significantly lower in NPM1m(+)AML group than in NPM1m(-)AML group (P < 0.05), the rest of them had significant difference in the number of positive cells (P < 0.05). Above features were further analyzed between the M1/M2 and M4/M5 subgroups. M1/M2 cases retained the women prominent and had a higher WT1 expression level (P < 0.05). The expression of monocytic differentiation-associated antigens including HLA-DR and lymphocytic antigens were higher and that of CD117 were lower in M4/M5 subtype (P < 0.05). Among them, the positive rates of HLA-DR, CD64, CD11b, CD10, CD15, and CD4 were significantly higher in M4/M5 than in M1/M2 in NPM1m(+)AML group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe most clinical characteristics in NPM1m(+)AML patients are consistent with reports, but some immunophenotype are different to the previous reports under similar FAB subtypes constituent ratio. The major immunophenotypic features of NPM1m(+)AML patients are lower expression of progenitor, myeloid and lymphoid lineage antigens. Monocytic differentiation-associated antigens are only higher expression in M4/M5 cases when comparison with M1/M2 cases within NPM1m(+)AML group.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; HLA-DR Antigens ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; diagnosis ; genetics ; immunology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Young Adult

Dioscin is a natural steroid saponin derived from several plants, showing potent anti-cancer effect against a variety of tumor cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of dioscin against human LNCaP cells, and evaluated the possible mechanism involved in its antineoplastic action. It was found that dioscin (1, 2 and 4 μmol/L) could significantly inhibit the viability of LNCaP cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Flow cytometry revealed that the apoptosis rate was increased after treatment of LNCaP cells with dioscin for 24 h, indicating that apoptosis was an important mechanism by which dioscin inhibited cancer. Western blotting was employed to detect the expression of caspase-3, Bcl-2 and Bax in LNCaP cells. The expression of cleaved caspase-3 was significantly increased, and meanwhile procaspase-3 was markedly decreased. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was down-regulated, whereas the pro-apoptotic protein Bax was up-regulated. Moreover, the Bcl-2/Bax ratio was drastically decreased. These results suggested that dioscin possessed potential anti-tumor activity in human LNCaP cells through the apoptosis pathway, which might be associated with caspase-3 and Bcl-2 protein family.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Blotting, Western ; Caspase 3 ; metabolism ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Diosgenin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Enzyme Activation ; drug effects ; Flow Cytometry ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Structure ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; metabolism ; Time Factors ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate levels of common specific fusion transcripts M-bcr-abl, m-bcr-abl, TEL-AML1, AML1-ETO, PML-RAR alpha, CBF beta-MYH11 in untreated leukemia patients.

METHODSSpecific fusion transcript levels were detected by TaqMan-based real-time quantitative RT-PCR technique in a total of 208 samples, including 195 bone marrow samples from 50 M-bcr-abl(+) chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukemia (CML-CP), 10 M-bcr-abl(+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 19 m-bcr-abl(+) ALL, 11 TEL-AML1(+) ALL, 30 AML1-ETO(+) acute myeloid leukemia (AML), 58 PML-RAR alpha(+) acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) and 17 CBF beta-MYH11(+) AML patients and 13 peripheral blood samples from 13 M-bcr-abl(+) CML-CP patients. abl was chosen as internal control gene. Fusion transcript level was calculated as fusion transcript copies/abl transcript copies in percentage.

RESULTSBone marrow and peripheral blood samples of CML-CP patients had similar M-bcr-abl fusion transcript levels (median 30% vs 35%, P > 0.05). M- and m-bcr-abl (median 64% vs 54%) levels were similar in ALL patients (P > 0.05), M-bcr-abl level was significantly higher in ALL than CML-CP patients(P < 0.001). Median TEL-AML1 level was 228% in ALL patients. Among AML patients, AML1-ETO level was significantly higher than CBF beta-MYH11 and PML-RAR alpha levels (median 388% vs 145%, 388% vs 47%, all P < 0.001), CBF beta-MYH11 level was significantly higher than PML-RAR alpha level (P < 0.001). Fusion transcript levels of L-, V- and S-type PML-RAR alpha were 45%, 44% and 55%, respectively. L-type was significantly lower than S-type (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONSFusion transcript levels in untreated leukemia patients were different and patient-to-patient variations did exist. Detection of fusion transcript levels in untreated leukemia patients not only provides baseline for minimal residual disease monitoring and treatment evaluation but also enable the comparison in inter-laboratory data.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit ; genetics ; Female ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; genetics ; Humans ; Leukemia ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion ; genetics ; RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Transcription, Genetic