Une new flavonoids named as notabilisin K (1), together with four known compounds, morusin (2), mulberrofuran A (3), neocyclomorusin (4) and mornigrol F (5) are separated from 95% ethanol extracts of the twigs of Morus notabilis. Compounds 2-5 are separated from this plant for the first time. Notabilisin I, notabilisin J exhibits certain effect against cells of HCT-116, HepG2 and A2780 with IC50 values ranging from 1.47 μmol x L(-1) to 5.46 μmol x L(-1). Morusin exhibits strong effect against five kinds of human cancer cells (BGC823, A2780, HCT-116, HepG2 and NCI-H1650) with IC50 values ranging from 0.74 μmol x L(-1) to 1.58 μmol x L(-1).
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; Benzofurans ; chemistry ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; Hep G2 Cells ; Humans ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Morus ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; Terpenes ; chemistry

Glucocorticoids (GC) exert a broad effect on the body and have been extensively used clinically.It is well known now that GC can act via both genomic and nongenomic mechanisms.Genomic effects of GC have been well reviewed elsewhere.Here we focus on the current understanding of nongenomic effects and discuss their biologic significance as well as the remaining problems in this field.

Ten flavonoids were isolated from the 95% ethanol extract of the seeds of Alpinia galanga Willd. with a combination of various chromatographic techniques, including silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. On the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, they were elucidated as (2R, 3S)-pinobaksin-3-cinnamate (1), (2R, 3R)-pinobaksin-3-cinnamate (2), pinocembrin (3), pinobaksin (4), 3-O-acetylpinobaksin (5), galangin (6), galangin-3-methylether (7), kumatakenin (8), 3-methylkaempferol (9) and (2R, 3R)-3, 5-dihydroxy-7-methoxyflavanone (10). Among them, compound 1 is a new compound, compounds 2, 5 and 10 were isolated from the genus Alpinia for the first time, and others were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Alpinia ; chemistry ; Benzopyrans ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Cinnamates ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavanones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Flavonoids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Kaempferols ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Seeds ; chemistry

Objective To explore the relationship of four kinds of lifestyle factors,namely,prenatal passive smoking,hair dyeing or perming,exposure to noise,living in a house renovated in the past one year,with congenital heart disease.Methods A hospital-based case-control study was conducted.Totally 270 mothers in the case group and 1633 mothers in the control group were interviewed through a face-to-face questionnaire survey.A generalized linear model was employed to investigate the association between congenital heart disease and prenatal lifestyle factors.Results Both in Model 1 and Model 2,prenatal hair dyeing or perming had no association with congenital heart disease.On the other hand,prenatal passive smoking,exposure to noise and living in a house renovated in the past one year all increased the risk of congenital heart disease.After adjustment for all confounders,the OR values were 1.771 (95％ CI:1.079-2.909),2.079 (95％ CI:1.310-3.298),and 2.494 (95％ CI:1.511-4.116),respectively.Conclusion Prenatal passive smoking,exposure to noise and living in a house renovated in the past one year are the risk factors for congenital heart disease.It is very important to avoid such factors during pre-pregnancy and pregnancy.

The chemical constituents of Poria cocos were studied by means of silica gel, ODS column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 and preparative HPLC. Thirteen compounds were isolated from this plant. By analysis of the ESI-MS and NMR data, the structures of these compounds were determined as tumulosic acid (1), dehydrotumulosic acid (2), 3beta, 5alpha-dihydroxy-ergosta-7, 22-dien-6-one (3), 3beta, 5alpha, 9alpha-trihydroxy-ergosta-7, 22-diene -6-one (4), ergosta-7, 22-diene-3-one (5), 6, 9-epoxy-ergosta-7,22-diene-3-ol (6), ergosta-4,22-diene-3-one (7), 3beta, 5alpha, 6beta-trihydroxyl-ergosta-7,22-diene (8), ergosta-5, 6-epoxy-7,22-dien-3-ol (9), beta-sitosterol (10), ribitol (11), mannitol (12), and oleanic acid 3-O-acetate (13), respectively. Compounds 3-13 were isolated from the P. cocos for the first time.
Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Organic Chemicals ; analysis ; Poria ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is a common inherited disease with a high morbidity around 1/1000-1/400, characterized by progressive enlargement of fluid-filled cysts derived from renal tubular epithelial cells. Massive cysts gradually compress renal parenchyma destroying normal renal structures and compromising renal functions. Unfortunately, it will cause end-stage renal disease in most of the patients but without effective therapy now, who have to live on hemodialysis or kidney transplantation. Based on this present situation, it is of great significance to find early intervention to inhibit renal cyst development. The projective of this study was to investigate whether Ganoderma triterpenes (GT) can inhibit renal cyst development and study the related mechanism. METHODS and RESULTS First, we used MDCK cyst model, cultivated MDCK cells in vitro to form fluid-filled cysts surrounded by monolayer cells. GT inhibited MDCK cyst formation significantly, and inhibited cyst enlargement dose-dependently proving GT cyst inhibition in vitro. Then we used an embryonic kidney cyst model, wile-type mice kidneys were taken out on embryonic day 13.5 to form renal cysts stimulated with 8-Br-cAMP. GT inhibited embryonic kidney cyst development significantly in a dose-dependent and reversible manner proving GT cyst inhibition at organ level. Furthermore, we used two ADPKD mouse models with severe cystic kidney disease phenotypes. GT dramatically inhibited renal cyst development, decreased ADPKD mouse kidney volume and the cyst index inside proving GT cyst inhibition in vivo. By Western blot, we proved GT down-regulated Ras/MAPK signal pathway without detectable effect on mTOR signal pathway both in MDCK cells and two ADPKD mouse kidneys. CONCLUSION GT retard renal cyst development both in vitro and in vivo significantly. The related mechanisms were involved in GT promoting renal tubular epithelial cell differentiation, down-regulating intracellular cAMP level and Ras/MAPK signal pathway.

Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a rare disease which can be prevented and treated.It is the most common organic aciduria in China.MMA has complex genotypes, and its onset varies from the fetal stage to adulthood, which with a high mortality and disability rate.If the treatment is delayed, most patients with MMA would suffer from neuropsychiatric disorders and multiple-organ damage, resulting in epilepsies, psychomotor retardation, anemia, hydrocephalus, cardiomyopathy, pulmonary hypertension, renal insufficiency and visual impairment, and so on.The significant phenotypic and outcomes differences of MMA patients depend on the disease types and the treatment.Newborn screening, prenatal diagnosis and early standardized treatment are the keys to improve the prognosis of the patients.To reduce the mortality and sequelae caused by MMA, multi-disciplinary interventions by neonatologists, critical care experts, geneticists, metabolic specialists, neurologists, cardiologists, nephrologists, pediatric surgeons, obstetricians, medical laboratory physicians, pharmacists, nutritionist and rehabilitation therapists are important.

To investigate the effect of treadmill running on the ability of learning in young rats, male Sprague-Dawley rats (5 weeks of age) were used for the experiment. Animals were randomly divided into the control and running groups (n=15 in each group). The rats in running group were made run on a motor-driven treadmill for 1 week at a speed of 2 m/min for the first 5 min, at a speed of 5 m/min for the next 5 min, then at a speed of 8 m/min for the last 20 min. Then the Morris water maze was used to observe learning and memory ability of rats in both groups. The tests consisted of place navigation and spatial probe test. We found that, in place navigation training, the latency of rats in running group was less than that in control group (P<0.05); and from the third training session on, there was significant difference between the rats in control and running groups in swimming velocity (P<0.01); furthermore, it was observed that the rats in running group had stronger motivation and more exact orientation in searching for platform, which could be indicated by the index of turn angle and angular velocity. In spatial probe test, there was no significant difference between the two groups in swimming velocity, percentage of swimming distance and frequency of crossing platform in D quadrant, where the platform situated (P>0.05). These findings suggest that low speed treadmill running can enhance the ability of learning in young rats.
Age Factors ; Animals ; Male ; Maze Learning ; physiology ; Memory ; physiology ; Physical Conditioning, Animal ; physiology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Spatial Behavior ; physiology ; Swimming ; physiology

Objective To compare the effects of moxibustion at different temperatures on blood lipid and TRPV1 in dorsal root ganglion with hyperlipidemia rats; To verify the correlation between efficacy of adjusting fat of moxibustion with activating of TRPV1. Methods The rat model of hyperlipidemia was made by high fat diet. 60 SD mice were randomly divided into four groups: control group, model control group, the 38 ℃ moxibustion group and the 45 ℃ moxibustion group, with 15 mice in each group. Acupoints Shenque and Zusanli were chosen under moxibustion for 10 minutes each time, once another day, for 4 weeks, in the 38 ℃ moxibustion group and the 45 ℃moxibustion group. Blood was taken after intervention, and blood TC, TG, LDL-C and HDL-C of the mice were detected by oxidase method; the dorsal root ganglion was taken to detect the expression of TRPV1 mRNA by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Results Compared with model group, blood lipid indexes in moxibustion groups had different changes, with statistical significance compared with 45 ℃ moxibustion group (P<0.05, P<0.01), and there was statistical significance between 38 ℃ moxibustion group and 45 ℃ moxibustion group (P<0.01); there was statistical significance in TRPV1 mRNA of dorsal root ganglion among 45 ℃ moxibustion group and other three groups (P<0.01). Conclusion The correlation between efficacy of adjusting fat of moxibustion with activating of TRPV1 has been confirmed.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Humans ; Kidney Neoplasms ; Nomograms ; Prognosis ; Progression-Free Survival ; Retrospective Studies