The antifungal mechanism of the TS67(Penicillum sp.) producing bioactive metabolites was investigated in this paper. The test indicated that mycelia growth, spores forming and spores germination of Bipolaris maydis and Fusarium oxysporum can be inhibitied by metabolites, after 50% fermentation broth acting 120 hours, the inhibition rate of hyphal growth can reach about 77.78%, 70.30%, the inhibition rate of spores forming also arrived at 58.8%, 73.5%; under 50% fermentation broth acting 12 hours, the inhibition rate of spores germination were up to 78.3%, 62.0%, the mycelia under activity metabolites conditoins also showed surface nodulation and growing point expanding irregularly, protoplasmic condesing, etc. Based on all these results, we may draw a conclusion that activity metabolites maybe target at fungal cell wall.

Objective: To study the alkaloid constituents of Huperzia serrata (Thunb.) Trev.. Methods: Various chromatographies were used for separation and purification of the alkaloids and spectroscopic analysis was used for determination of the chemical structure. Results: An alkaloid constituent(alkaloid A) was isolated from H. serrata . Conclusion: Alkaloid A was a new compound, named huperzinine B.

Objective To analyze the clinical features of infantile cytomegalovirus(CMV) hepatitis with cholestasis and investigate intrahepatic cholestasis due to hepatocytic impairment caused by CMV infection.Methods Forty-seven children with CMV cholestatic he-patitis were divided into 2 groups according to the level of total bilirubin(TB):22 cases with serum TB lower than 136.8 ?mol/L(groupⅠ),and 25 cases with serum TB higher than 136.8 ?mol/L(groupⅡ).All children were treated with both gangciclovir and routine met-hods,and serum biochemistry were checked before and after treatment.SPSS 13.0 software was used to analyze the data.Results Forty-seven cases of infantile CMV cholestatic hepatitis had different degrees of jaundice,hepatosplenomegaly and abnormal liver functions.The differences of serum ALT and AST between the 2 groups had statistical significance,the levels of serum gamma glutamy transferase(GGT) and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) were lightly higher in groupⅡcompared with those in groupⅠ,but there were no statistical significance.TB,direct bilirubin(DB),ALT and AST were decreased in the 2 groups after treatment,GGT and ALP hadn′t decreased significantly after treatment.Conclusions CMV infection can injure hepatocytes and epithelials on each grade of bile duct,thus CMV hepatitis causes intrahepatic cholestasis.Cholestasis due to hepatocytic impairment deserves emphasis and intervention should be done as early as possible.Gangciclovir therapy for CMV infection manifest effective and safe in short-term.

AIMTo study the chemical constituents of Knoxia valerianoides Thorel et Pitard.

METHODSChromatographic methods were used for the isolation and purification. Structures were elucidated on the basis of chemical analysis and spectroscopic data.

RESULTSThree anthraguinones were isolated from K. valerianoides and identified as 1, 3, 5-trihydroxy-2-methyl-6-methoxyl-anthraguinone (kaoxiadin, I), 1, 3, 6-trihydroxy-5-ethoxylmethyl-anthraguinone (II) and 1, 3-dihydroxy-2-methylanthraguinone (rubiadin, III).

CONCLUSIONCompound II is a new anthraguinone constituent.

Anthraquinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Tubers ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rubiaceae ; chemistry

To determine the content of dendrobine in Dendrobium nobile from different harvest times and plant parts, to research the inherent rule about it. GC with internal standard was used to determine. The content of dendrobine had significant differences in different periods and parts. The dendrobine content is higher in four-year root than in three-year root. The dendrobine content in the upper segment of stem is the highest, secondly is in the middle seg-ment, and in the low segment is the lowest. This offered evidence to determine the most appropriate harvest time and fair use of different parts for D.nobil.

AIMTo study the alkaloid constituents of Huperzia serrata (Thunb.) Trev..

METHODSChromatographic methods were used for the isolation and purification. Structure was elucidated on the basis of chemical analysis and spectroscopic data.

RESULTSAn alkaloid constituent was isolated from H. serrata (Thumb.) Trev..

CONCLUSIONThe compound was found to be a novel phlegmariurine type alkaloid, named 8 beta-hydroxy phlegmariurine B.

Heterocyclic Compounds, 3-Ring ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Huperzia ; chemistry ; Molecular Conformation ; Molecular Structure ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

BACKGROUND: Some studies in vitro have reported that there are CD30 positive T cells in immunological response of allogenic transplantation.OBJECTIVE: To detect the relationship between the level of serum CD30 (sCD30) and clinical rejection in the patients with or without kidney transplantation, and analyze the importance of sCD30 in the estimation of immune state, monitor of acute rejection, and judgment of prognosis. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Clinical case analysis study was performed at Jiangsu People's Hospital between April 2004 and March 2007. PARTICIPANTS: 153 kidney transplantation cases comprising 103 males and 50 females, averagely aged 37 years. METHODS: 3 mL peripheral blood was obtained from recipients before transplantation (without immunosuppressive agent) and at 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Serum was isolated from obtained blood and placed at -20 ℃. Soluble CD30 levels were detected using CD30 cytokine ELISA kit supplied by BenderMedSystems. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The relation between the soluble CD30 levels and rejection prior to and following transplantation.RESULTS: There was a significant relation in the sCD30 level between the patients with (n=17) and without acute rejection (n=136). The CD30 levels were 113.2 U/mL in the rejection group and 83.2 U/mL in the non-injection group (P < 0.01). No significant difference was determined between both groups in 5 days following surgery (P > 0.05). Significant difference were detected between both groups from 5 days following surgery (P < 0.01). There was no relation between the soluble CD30 level and the time of rejection and release after kidney transplantation (P > 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated that soluble CD30 levels on day 5 post-transplantation could predict acute rejection (area under ROC curve: 0.850). Meanwhile, 100 U/mL was the optimal operational cut-off level to predict rejection (specificity: 85.0%; sensitivity: 83.6%). The patients with positive of soluble CD30 level showed a lower survival rate than those with negative CD30 level (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The soluble CD30 levels contributed to predictive the acute rejection and prognosis of kidney transplantation.

Objective To investigate the cross-talk between extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signal transduction pathways in A375 human melanoma cells.Methods Cultured A375 cells were randomly divided into 5 groups:control group receiving no treatment,two U0126 (a selective inhibitor of the ERK signaling pathway) groups treated with U0126 of 10 and 5 μmol/L,and two BMS-345541 groups treated with BMS-345541 of 10 and 5 μmol/L.After 24-hour treatment,Western blot and reverse transcription PCR were performed to measure the protein expressions of NF-κB P65,phosphorylated IκBα (p-IκBα),ERK1/2,as well as p-ERK1/2,and the mRNA expressions of NF-κB P65 and ERK1,respectively.One-way analysis of variance and least significant difference (LSD)-t test were carried out for statistical analysis.Results After 24 hours of treatment with U0126 of 10 and 5 μmol/L,a significant decrease was noted in the relative expression level of NF-κB p65 protein (0.60 ± 0.04 and 0.56 ± 0.06 vs.1.54 ± 0.15,both P＜ 0.01) and mRNA (0.79 ± 0.05 and 0.75 ± 0.04 vs.0.86 ± 0.05,both P ＜ 0.01),but a statistical increase in that of p-IκBα protein (0.90 ± 0.05 and 0.70 ± 0.02 vs.0.61 ± 0.03,both P ＜ 0.01) in the two U0126 groups compared with the control group; significant differences were observed in the expression level of p-IκBo protein (P ＜ 0.01) but not in that of NF-κB p65 protein (P ＞ 0.01) between the two U0126 groups.The relative expression levels of ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2 proteins as well as ERK1 mRNA were significantly higher in the control A375 cells than those in the cells treated with BMS-345541 of 10 μmol/L (0.73 ± 0.07,0.75 ± 0.09,1.51 ± 0.02,all P ＜ 0.01),but similar to those treated with BMS-345541 of 5 μmol/L (0.94 ± 0.11,0.99 ± 0.04,1.62 ± 0.03,all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusion There is a cross-talk between ERK and NF-κB signal transduction pathways in A375 melanoma cells.

P21-activated kinases (PAK) participate in a variety of important cellular activities, such as cytoskeleton remodeling, cell migration, cell cycle regulation, and apoptosis or survival. PAK also has an important impact on brain development, neuronal differentiation, and regulation of synaptic plasticity in the nervous system. PAK abnormalities result in diseases including cancer, Parkinson's disease (PD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and neural retardation. Therefore, it is of vital physiological significance to investigate the neuronal function of PAK. In this paper we review the advancement of research on the neuronal biological function and the underlying mechanisms of PAK.
Alzheimer Disease ; physiopathology ; Apoptosis ; Cell Cycle ; Cell Movement ; Cytoskeleton ; physiology ; Humans ; Nervous System ; enzymology ; Neuronal Plasticity ; Neurons ; physiology ; Parkinson Disease ; physiopathology ; p21-Activated Kinases ; physiology

AIMTo study chemical constituents of Knoxia valerianoides Thorel et Pitard.

METHODSChromatographic methods were used for the isolation and purification. Structures was elucidated on the basis of chemical analysis and spectroscopic data.

RESULTSTwo anthraquinone were isolated from Knoxia valerianoides Thorel et Pitard and identified as 1,3,5-trihydroxy-2-ethoxymethyl-6-methoxyl-anthraquinone (I) and 1,3-dihydroxy-2-ethoxymethyl-anthraquinone (II).

CONCLUSIONThe compound I was found to be a novel anthraquinone constituent and II was isolated from Knoxia valerianoides Thorel et Pitard for the first time.

Anthraquinones ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Tubers ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Rubiaceae ; chemistry