Fourteen compounds were isolated from 95% ethanol extract by silica gel, MCI, and ODS column chromatography. These compounds were respectively identified as quercetin (1), kaempferol (2), (+)-catechin (3), fraxin (4), protocatechuic acid (5), gallic acid (6), methyl gallate (7), ethyl gallate (8), apocynol A (9), baccatin (10), cerevisterol (11), ellagic acid (12), 3, 3',4'-tri-0-methylellagic acid(13) and N-benzoyl-L-phenylalaninyl-N-benzoyl-L-phenylalaninate(14) by analyzing their spectral data and comparing with the previously reported literatures. Except for gallic acid (6), all other compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time. Compounds 1, 2 and 6 showed moderate anti-proliferation activities on tumor cells.
Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; toxicity ; Euphorbiaceae ; chemistry ; Humans ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Sixteen compounds have been isolated from the EtOAc fraction of 95% ethanolic extract of Sophora dunnii through silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and semi-prerarative HPLC column chromatographies. Their structures were identified on the basis of NMR and MS spectra data as phaseollidin (1), L-maackiain (2), 2-(2',4'-dihidroxyphenyl)-5,6-methylenedioxy benzofuran (3), 8-demethyl-farrerol (4), liquiritigenin (5), genistein (6), 6-methylgenistein (7), 5-O-methyl genistein (8), 7,2',4'-trihydroxys-5-methoxy-isoflavanone (9), 7, 3', 4'-trihydroxy-isoflavanone (10), erythribyssin D (11), calycosin (12), trans-resveratrol (13), cis-resveratrol (14), stigmasterol (15), β-sitosterol (16). Among these, compounds 1-14 and 16 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Chemical Fractionation ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Sophora ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

Objective To screen and identify B cell epitopes in SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, GRA1, GRA6 and P35 antigens of Toxoplasma gondii. Methods The indexes such as hydrophilicity, accessibility, flexibility, secondary structure and polarity of the 6 antigen moleculars above mentioned were analyzed by BioSun system. Two B cell epitopes with high antigenicity from each antigen molecular were selected, and the total twelve pairs of oligonucleotide chains were designed according to the 12 B cell epitopes’ sequence and synthesized, then cloned into plasmid pET-32c. The 12 fragment B cell epitopes were expressed and the expressed fusion proteins were identified with Western blot. Results Twelve B cell epitopes from 6 Toxoplasma antigens (two from each antigen) were predicted and selected. The epitope genes were successfully cloned into pET-32c and expressed. Western blot results showed that 3 of 12 expressed fusion proteins could be recognized by the immunized rabbit sera with soluble antigen of Toxoplasma gondii, but not by the unimmunized rabbit sera Conclusion Three B cell epitopes of Toxoplasma[with potential diagnostic value are obtained.

[Objective]To explore the diagnostic value of urine ErbB3 protein in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.[Methods]We collected 31 urine samples of clear cell renal cell carcinoma patients who received operations in the Urology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University from April 2,2016 to August 31,2016.Meanwhile we collected 50 urine samples of normal people as control.We tested the expression of urine ErbB3 protein in experimen-tal group and control group,and analyzed the differences between the two groups.Then we established the ROC curve of which diagnosing clear cell renal carcinoma by urine ErbB3 protein. Also,we analyzed the relation between ErbB3 pro-tein in urine and the patients'BMI,preoperative creatinine,tumor diameter and underlying diseases such as hyperten-sion and hyperglycemia.[Results]①The expression of urine ErbB3 protein in clear cell renal cell carcinoma group was significantly lower than normal group(P<0.001). ② When diagnosing clear cell renal carcinoma by ErbB3 protein,the AUC of ROC was 0.802(P<0.001). When setting the cutoff as 13.98 pg/mL,the max Youden index was 0.525,the sensitivity was 0.645 and the specificity was 0.880. The Kappa value of diagnostic test was 0.542(P<0.001). ③ There was no correlation between the ErbB3 content and patients'BMI,tumor diameter or preoperative creatinine by correlation analysis. Also,there was no correlation between the urine ErbB3 protein content and blood pressure or blood glucose.[Conclusion]The urine ErbB3 protein of clear cell renal cell carcinoma was significantly lower than normal people,and it is meaningful for applying urine ErbB3 protein to early diagnosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

To establish a fluorescent quantitative PCR method (FQ-PCR) with TaqMan probe for simultaneous detection of polyomavirus (BKV) and cytomegalovirus (CMV) and to evaluate its clinical application in the renal transplantation recipients. The conservative sequences of BKV and CMV were targeted and amplified by nested PCR technique. The PCR products were cloned into the plasmids pcDNA3. 1(+). The recombinant plasmid containing target sequences of BKV and CMV were constructed as external standards. The TaqMan-based assay was optimized. For evaluating the assay, the sensitivity was determinated by diluted standard (5 X 103-10icopies/mL), and the specificity was verified by negative control and positive control, and the precision was assessed by intra-assay coefficient of variation (ICV) through detecting standard repeatedly (20 times). A total of 480 blood samples of renal transplantation recipients were used to detect BKV and CMV DNA simultaneously with FQ-PCR, and the concentrations of FK506 were measured by ELISA. The association of DNA copy and concentrations of FK506 was analyzed. The cloned target BKV and CMV DNA was confirmed by sequencing and analysis. The sensitivity of the FQ-PCR assay reached 5 X 103 copies/ml in detecting BKV or CMV DNA. Control DNA verified the assay specifically detecting target DNA. The precision of the assay to quantif target DNA copies was acceptable (Intra-assay CV was 3.44% for BKV and 2.23% for CMV; Inter-assay CV was 4. 98% for BKV and 3.76% for CMV;). Of 480 samples, 130 samples (27. 08%) were CMV DNA positive, significantly higher than the BKV DNA positive (13.33%, 64/480, P<0.05). The positive BKV or CMV DNA was found to be associated with high concentrations of FK506 (P<0. 05). In conclusion, the developed real-time PCR assay for detecting both CMV and BKV DNA simultaneously was s high sensitive, precise and time-effectiveand could be applied in the monitoring of the CMV and BKV infection in the renal transplantation recipients.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Conserved Sequence ; Cytomegalovirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Cytomegalovirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; DNA, Viral ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; blood ; Kidney Transplantation ; adverse effects ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polyomavirus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Polyomavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Reproducibility of Results ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Species Specificity ; Tacrolimus ; blood ; Time Factors ; Tumor Virus Infections ; diagnosis ; virology ; Viral Load ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the performance of vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) for the bio-decontamination of the high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter unit.

METHODSSelf-made or commercially available bioindicators were placed at designated locations in the HEPA filter unit under VHP fumigation. The spores on coupons were then extracted by 0.5 h submergence in eluent followed by 200- time violent knocks.

RESULTSDue to the presence of HEPA filter in the box, spore recovery from coupons placed at the bottom of the filter downstream was significantly higher than that from coupons placed at the other locations. The gap of decontamination efficiency between the top and the bottom of the filter downstream became narrower with the exposure time extended. The decontamination efficiency of the bottom of the filter downstream only improved gently with the injection rate of H2O2 increased and the decontamination efficiency decreased instead when the injection rate exceeded 2.5 g/min. The commercially available bioindicators were competent to indicate the disinfection efficiency of VHP for the HEPA filter unit.

CONCLUSIONThis assay developed can detect all 16 β-lactams demanded by the European Union (EU). The whole procedure takes only 45 min and can detect 42 samples and the standards with duplicate analysis.

Air Filters ; Fumigation ; Hydrogen Peroxide ; chemistry

Objective:To investigate the affordability of chronic diseases and drug use in families three prov-inces in western China. Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted in 6 cities in 3 west provinces of China—Guangxi,Shanxi and Sichuan. In each province,one provincial capital city and one medium-sized city were select-ed. 2 community health service centers,2 secondary hospitals and 2 tertiary hospitals were selected from each city as the survey sites. Questionnaire was designed and pre-tested in advance,and delivered to sample patients'families in survey sites by face-to-face interview. Results:Totally 900 questionnaires were sent out,and 838 were effectively re-ceived with effective recovery of 93.11%. 97.85% of patients participated in various medical insurance. The aver-age health expenditure of households was 1 364.84 yuan per month and accounted for 37.43% of the total expendi-ture;chronic diseases expenditure was 700.34 yuan per month and accounted for 51.31% of the total health expend-iture. The average monthly drug expenditure was 628.74 yuan and represented 16.73% of the total household ex-penditure. Surveyed family members mainly suffered from chronic diseases,hypertension and diabetes,and the heav-iest disease burden in families came from ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease. Different provinces, provincial capitals and non-provincial cities,and different levels of medical institutions have a greater difference in drug burden. Patients have experienced the effect of medical reform,but not familiar with the specific health care reform poli-cies. Conclusions and Suggestions:The surveyed patients'families were basically involved in the Medicare,but the burden of family medication for patients with chronic diseases was still heavy. Therefore,government should take further measures to improve the proportion of chronic diseases outpatient and reduce the burden of medication costs.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Dan-gua Fang on adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) activated protein kinase (AMPK) α expression in liver and subsequent improvement of glucose and lipid metabolism.

METHODSForty 13-week-old diabetic Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats were randomly divided into model, Dan-gua Fang, metformin and simvastatin groups (n=10 for each), and fed high-fat diet ad libitum. Ten Wistar rats were used as normal group and fed normal diet. After 24 weeks, liver expression of AMPKα mRNA was assessed by real-time PCR. AMPKα and phospho-AMPKα protein expression in liver was evaluated by Western blot. Liver histomorphology was carried out after hematoxylin-eosin staining, and blood glucose (BG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), food intake and body weight recorded.

RESULTSSimilar AMPKα mRNA levels were found in the Dan-gua Fang group and normal group, slightly higher than the values obtained for the remaining groups (P<0.05). AMPKα protein expression in the Dan-gua Fang group animals was similar to other diabetic rats, whereas phospho-AMPKα (Thr-172) protein levels were markedly higher than in the metformin group and simvastatin group (P<0.05), respectively. However, phosphor-AMPKα/AMPKα ratios were similar in all groups. Dan-gua Fang reduced fasting blood glucose with similar strength to metformin, and was superior in reducing cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol as well as improving low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in comparison with simvastatin and metformin. Dan-gua Fang decreases plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) significantly.

CONCLUSIONDan-gua Fang, while treating phlegm-stasis, could decrease BG and lipid in type 2 diabetic GK rats fed with high-fat diet, and effectively protect liver histomorphology and function. This may be partly explained by increased AMPK expression in liver. Therefore, Dan-gua Fang might be an ideal drug for comprehensive intervention for glucose and lipid metabolism disorders in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Body Weight ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; enzymology ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Feeding Behavior ; Glycolipids ; metabolism ; Liver ; enzymology ; pathology ; Male ; Phosphorylation ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Rats, Wistar ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Time Factors

OBJECTIVETo examine whether the polymorphisms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene are associated with the susceptibility to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in Chinese railway construction workers at Qinghai-Tibet where the altitude is over 4 500 m above sea level.

METHODSA case-control study was conducted including 149 HAPE patients in the construction workers and 160 healthy controls randomly recruited from their co-workers, matching the patients in ethnicity, age, sex, lifestyle, and working conditions. Three polymorphisms of eNOS gene, T-786C in promoter, 894G/T in exon 7, and 27bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in intron 4, were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and confirmed with DNA sequencing.

RESULTSThe frequencies of 894T allele and heterozygous G/T of the 894G/T variant were significantly higher in HAPE patients group than in the control group (P=0.0028 and P=0.0047, respectively). However, the frequencies of the T-786C in promoter and the 27bp VNTR in intron 4 were not significantly different between the two groups. Haplotypic analysis revealed that the frequencies of two haplotypes (H3,T-T-b, b indicates 5 repeats of 27 bp VNTR; H6, C-G-a, a indicates 4 repeats of 27 bp VNTR) were significantly higher in HAPE patients (both Pü0.0001). On the contrary, the frequencies of H1 (T-G-b) and H2 (T-G-a) were lower in HAPE patients than in healthy controls (both Pü0.001).

CONCLUSIONSTwo haplotypes (T-T-b and C-G-a) may be strongly associated with susceptibility to HAPE. Compared with the individual alleles of eNOS gene, the interaction of multiple genetic markers within a haplotype may be a major determinant for the susceptibility to HAPE.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Altitude ; Base Sequence ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA Primers ; Genotype ; Haplotypes ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide ; blood ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; genetics ; Occupational Diseases ; enzymology ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pulmonary Edema ; enzymology ; genetics ; Tibet ; Young Adult

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4G (eIF4G) is a scaffold component of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F (eIF4F) complex, which takes principal part in the initiating of protein synthesis. Both two subtypes (eIF4G1 and eIF4G2) of eIF4G were found to be closely related with various tumors. The eIF4G1 expression is significantly up-regulated in breast cancer, cervical cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma, prostatic carcinoma and other malignant tumors, compared with those in adjacent tissues; and the eIF4G2 is obviously over-expressed in diffuse large B cell lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia, but low-expressed in bladder transitional cell carcinoma. This paper reviews the progress in the study of the role of eIF4G in tumor genesis, development, diagnosis and prognosis.
Eukaryotic Initiation Factor-4G ; Humans ; Neoplasms ; Protein Biosynthesis ; Up-Regulation