A novel citrinin derivative, penicitrinol L (1), along with two known analogues, penidicitrinin B (2) and pennicitrinone A (3) were isolated from the marine-source fungus Penicillium citrinum. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by spectroscopic methods including one and two-dimensional NMR as well as high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis. Furthermore, compound 1 showed modest cytotoxic activity against HL-60 cell line and compound 3 showed weak cytotoxic activity against A375 cell line.
Antineoplastic Agents ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Citrinin ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Penicillium ; chemistry

Objective To isolate and identify the causative agent in an incident with crowd fever of adults in Henan province.Methods The cells was inoculated by the throat swabs of the patients and followed by neutralization assay and other molecular methods.Then indirect immunofluorescence assay was performed to detect the specific IgM/IgG antibodies against virus in the serum of the patients.Results We have isolated 2 strain adenoviruses from 10 swab samples,which were both identified as Ad11 by sequence analysis and neutralization test.6 of 10 samples were positive fer IgM specific for adenovirus and 3 positive for IgG.The remaining sample was negative for both.Conclusion The causative agent in this incident with crowd fever of adults was Ad11 in group B.

AIM: To observe the inhibitory effect of recombinant human endostatin (rhES) on plaque angio-genesis, and to explore the regulatory mechanism of Dll4 /Notch pathway in the anti-angiogenic effect of rhES.METH-ODS: Male Wistar rats were randomized into 3 groups: normal control group (N group), atherosclerotic model group (AS group), and rhES treated group (AS +rhES group).The rats in N group were fed a normal diet, while the remaining 2 groups were established to atherosclerotic rat model via high-cholesterol diet, intraperitoneal injection of vitamin D3 and aor-tic balloon injury.The rats in AS +rhES group received intraperitoneal injection of rhES.The blood total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-1 (IL-1) and troponin I (TnI) were measured.The atherosclerotic abdominal aortas were taken for pathological observation.Immu-nohistochemical staining was used to measure the density of neovessels in the plaques, which were marked by CD31.The protein levels of Dll4 and Notch1 in the aortas were analyzed by Western blot.RESULTS: The levels of blood TC, TG, LDL-C, CRP and IL-1 in AS group and AS +rhES group were much higher than those in N group (P <0.05), and no sta-tistical difference between AS group and AS +rhES group was observed.The expression of CD31 in AS group was the high-est among all groups.Compared with AS group, the density of neovessels in the plaques of AS +rhES group decreased sig-nificantly (P <0.05).The protein expression of Dll4 and Notch1 in AS group was lower than that in N group (P <0.05). Compared with AS group, the protein expression of Dll4 and Notch1 increased significantly (P <0.05).CONCLUSION:rhES has the ability to inhibit plaque angiogenesis in rats.The activation of Dll4 /Notch pathway may be the mechanism of rhES in inhibiting plaque angiogenesis.

Background and purpose:Adrenal schwannoma is extremely rare, mostly benign, lack of special characteristics in clinical and imaging presentation. The aim of this study was to analyze the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of adrenal schwannoma, in order to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. Methods:The CT and MRI features of 8 patients with pathology-proven adrenal schwannoma were reviewed. Among the 8 patients, 4 patients underwent CT scanning, 3 patients underwent MR scanning, 1 patient underwent both CT and MR scanning.Results:The tumors were located at the left adrenal in 5 cases and at the right in 3 cases. Tumors showed no signs of endocrine activity in all cases. All tumors were well-circumscribed, oval or lobulated masses, 2 cases with calcification, 5 cases with cystic change, 2 cases with intratumoral hemorrhage. CT or MR enhancement showed moderate, heterogeneously delayed enhancement in 7 cases with enhanced capsule. Four cases showed rabbit tail sign.Conclusion:The imaging and pathological features of adrenal schwannoma have certain characteristics. The CT and MRI features, such as intact capsule, cystic degeneration, rabbit tail sign, calcification and progressive enhancement, are helpful to improve the accuracy of diagnosis of adrenal schwannoma.

Animal models with kidney disease are generally divided into two types. One belongs to the models which imitate human kidney disease by the artificial operations, such as anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody nephritis, Heymann nephritis, anti-Thyl. 1 antibody nephritis, BSA nephritis and puromycin nephropathy. The other one pertains to the models which make themselves kidney disease, and appear the pathological characteristics naturally as like as human, such as HIGA mice with IgA nephropathy and NZB/WF1 and MRL/1pr mice with lupus nephritis. In addition,the transgenic animal models with kidney disease can also be established by the modern molecular biologic techniques including gene knockout and siRNA transfection. As for the studies related with kidney disease in pharmacodynamics and pharmacology of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), it is important to understand deeply the features of each animal model with kidney disease, and select accurately the proper models according to the different experimental objectives, and then, build the special models provided with the combination of disease with syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Therefore,it is the developmental direction for the further study to establish animal models with kidney disease, which should possess the characteristics of syndrome in TCM.
Animals ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; etiology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Humans ; Kidney Diseases ; etiology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Mice ; Streptozocin

Objective To study the effect of mind mapping on cognitive ability in elderly with mild cognitive impairment(MCI).Methods A total of 60 elderly aged were randomly divided into training group (30 cases) and control group(30 cases).Elderly in control group received routine maintenance of living habits.The elderly in the training group received miud mapping training intensively for 30 minutes every day for 12 months.The training effects were evaluated by mini-mental state examination(MMSE) and abilities of daily living scale(ADL).Results After training,the score of MMSE in the training group( six months:25.55 ± 1.17;one year:26.30 ±1.64) were significantly higher than before intervention( P＜ 0.05 ) and higher than that of control group(24.90 ± 1.97) (P＜0.05).The score of ADL in the training group( 14.47 ±0.64) were significantly lower than before intervention( 14.47 ±0.64) and that of control group( 15.47 ± 1.19) ( P＜ 0.05).Conclusion Mind mapping training can improve the cognitive abilities of MCI older people.

Background The establishment of diabetic animal model is a crucial step for the study about diabetic eye diseases. At present,the main modeling method include the injection of streptozotocin and alloxan. But the shortcoming of the former is an expensive price, and that of the later is high death rate of animals. Objective This experiment was to discuss the way which decrease the death of alloxan-injected animal and explore the effects of high blood glucose on the posterior capsular opacification (PCO). Methods Forty clean healthy male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups. 90mg/kg of alloxan were injected via ear vein once in 20 rabbits to create the diabetic animal models,and the equivalent amount of normal saline solution was injected at the same way as normal blood glucose group. The successful models were selected in the animals with the blood glucose level over 12. 0 mmol/L two weeks later, and PCO of lens were graded based on the method of Odrieh under the slit lamp. Extracapsular lens extraction was then performed on the right eye of rabbits in both groups, and the posterior capsules were obtained from these eyes at the 6th, 10th and 14th days after operation. The expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen ( PCNA ) in posterior capsular lens epithelial cell was detected by immunohistochemistry. Results The modeling successful rate was 70% after injection of alloxan. The body weight of rabbits in high blood glucose group was significantly lowed and the blood glucose was significantly elevated in comparison with normal blood glucose group ( all P<0. 05). Two weeks after surgery ,2 eyes occurred 2 grade of PCO and only one eye showed the 1 grade of PCO in the high blood glucose group. However, 1 grade of PCO was found in 3 eyes in the normal blood glucose group. Biopsy revealed that PCNA was positively expressed in the cell nuclei of LECs in high blood glucose group rather than the normal blood glucose group from the 10th day after surgery. The proliferation index of PCNA was 0. 86±0. 04 and 0. 25±0. 03 respectively in high blood glucose group and normal blood glucose group, showing a significant difference between them (t = -16. 171 ,P = 0. 000). Conclusion Stable diabetic models of rabbits can be created by intravenous injection of 90 mg/kg alloxan. High blood glucose level is one of the important factors for the development of PCO.

Objective To explore the relationship between SNPs in microRNA binding sites of ABCG5/8 and the glucolipid level during pregnancy.Methods 1 925 pregnant women were recruited at Peking Union Medical College hospital from 2006 to 2011.The clinical data were collected and the total genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples.ABCG5/8, which was reported to be related with the glucose and lipid metabolism closely, were selected as the candidate gene and the SNPs in its microRNA binding sites with minor allele frequency >5% in Han Chinese in Beijing were chosen.Then the genotyping was performed and analyzed.Results There was only one SNP matching the criteria, rs2278356, and it is significantly associated with LDL-C and TC level during pregnancy (LDL-C: b=0.104 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.023-0.185 mmol/L, P<0.05;TC: b=0.105 mmol/L, 95% CI 0.080-0.203 mmol/L, P<0.05).Conclusions The association of rs2278356 in 3′UTR of ABCG5/8 with LDL-C and TC level in pregnant Chinese Han women is found, which may provide an individualized treatment strategy for pregnant women with high cholesterol.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between methylation status of APC gene in both peripheral blood and tumor tissues and clinical-pathology characteristics in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC), and to study the dynamic change of APC methylation in peripheral blood in the perioperative period.

METHODSReal-time MSP technique was used to detect methylation status of APC in tumor tissues, adjacent normal tissues and peripheral blood on the day before the surgery, intraoperative, postoperative day 7 in 76 cases with ESCC. Sixty healthy volunteers matched by age and gender were randomly selected as controls.

RESULTSThe methylation rate of APC in tumor tissue and peripheral blood was 44.74%(34/76) and 42.11%(32/76), respectively, which were significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissue and controls [6.58%(5/76) and 1.67%(1/60), P=0.000]. The methylation rates showed good agreement between tumor tissues and peripheral blood, which could be verified by ROC curve(A Zeta=0.849, P=0.000). APC methylation rate was significantly related to pathological staging, lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion, and invasion of nerve and vessel (P<0.05). The results demonstrated that family history of cancer was independently associated with APC methylation in peripheral blood(P<0.05). DNA methylation rates in peripheral blood showed an initial increase and then decreased in the preoperative period, intraoperative and postoperative.

CONCLUSIONThe methylation rates of APC among free DNA in peripheral blood in patients with ESCC reflect tumor progression, and decrease with the solid tumour resection.

Adenomatous Polyposis Coli Protein ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Case-Control Studies ; DNA Methylation ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; blood ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVETo demonstrate the effects and mechanisms of Huangkui capsule (HKC) on renal fibrosis in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN).

METHODRats were randomly divided into 5 groups, the sham-operated group (Sham group, n = 5), the vehicle-given group (Vehicle group, n = 7), the low dose of HKC-treated group (L-HKC group, n = 7), the high dose of HKC-treated group (H-HKC group, n = 7) and the lipoic acid (LA)-treated group (LA group, n = 7). DN models were induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ,35 mg x kg(-1)) twice and unilateral nephrectomy. After models were successfully established, the rats in HKC and LA groups were daily administrated with HKC suspensions (0.75, 2 g x kg(-1)) or LA suspensions (60 mg x kg(-1)) respectively, and at the same time, the rats in Vehicle group were daily administrated with distilled water (2 mL) for 8 weeks. All rats were sacrificed at the end of week 8 to collect blood and renal tissues. UAlb, renal function, renal fibrotic morphologic characteristics, as well as oxidative stress (OS)-related markers, the protein expressions of the key signaling molecules in p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signaling pathway, fibrogenic cytokines and inflammatory factors were examined respectively.

RESULTHKC, similar to LA, improved the general state of health, body weight, UAlb, BUN, UA and Alb in DN model rats. Of note, renal fibrosis was ameliorated in HKC groups,especially in H-HKC group which was better than that in LA group. In addition, HKC not only improved the main indexes of OS in the kidney like LA, but also down-regulated the protein expressions of phosphorylated-p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK), transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in the kidney, whereas, LA only decreased the protein expression of TNF-α in the kidney in DN model rats.

CONCLUSIONHKC, similar to LA, has the actions of anti-OS in vivo. Moreover, HKC could attenuate renal fibrosis by suppressing the activation of p38MAPK signaling pathway and the protein expressions of fibrogenic cytokines and inflammatory factors in the kidney in DN model rats, which is different from LA.

Abelmoschus ; chemistry ; Animals ; Capsules ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; pathology ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; drug effects ; pathology ; MAP Kinase Signaling System ; drug effects ; Male ; Oxidative Stress ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases ; antagonists & inhibitors