FAK inhibitors induce cell multinucleation and dramatically increase pro-tumoral cytokine expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Macrophages are abundant in the tumor microenvironment. They are highly plastic and able to acquire pro-tumoral phenotypes in response to microenvironmental stimuli. When we treated RAW 264.

Xinxuekang Regulates Reverse Cholesterol Transport by Improving High-density Lipoprotein Synthesis, Maturation, and Catabolism.

Di'ao Xinxuekang (XXK) is an herbal product in China and the Netherlands that has been clinically shown to attenuate atherosclerosis; however, the underlying antiatherosclerotic mechanism remains unclear. Because of its role in cholesterol homeostasis, reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is a potential target for these beneficial effects. This study investigated the effects of XXK on RCT and related proteins.

Saponins from Improve Hematopoiesis by Promoting Survival through FAK and Erk1/2 Activation and Modulating Cytokine Production in Bone Marrow.

Radix Sanguisorbae, the root of L. is used as traditional Chinese medicine. In recent decades, it has been reported to be clinically effective against myelosuppression induced by chemotherapy and/ or radiotherapy.

[Review on community herbal monographs for traditional herbal medicinal products].

This article discusses the characteristics of cmmunity herbal monographs for traditional herbal medicinal products and its establishment procedure. It also reviews the new development of cmmunity traditional herbal monographs. The purpose is to clarify the relationship between cmmunity herbal monographs and simplified registration for traditional herbal medicinal product in European Union and provide reference to the registration of taditional Chinese mdicinal products in Europe.

[Study of the bone-like apatite's depositing induced by collagen I with its mechanism].

The collagen I was made with the dialysis method of enzymolysising the pig skin, and the static deposition in vitro of calcium phosphate was comparative studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) under the condition of pH7. 4, Ca/P 1.67 and whether adding the collagen I into the system.

A new triterpene and an antiarrhythmic liriodendrin from Pittosporum brevicalyx.

A new triterpene, 21-O-senecioyl-R(1)-barrigenol (1) and 13 known compounds were isolated from the ethanol extracts of the leaves and bark of Pittosporum brevicalyx (Oliv.) Gagnep. Their structures were elucidated based on spectral data.

Ligand fishing with functionalized magnetic nanoparticles coupled with mass spectrometry for herbal medicine analysis: ligand fishing for herbal medicine analysis.

The chemical composition of herbal medicines is very complex, and their therapeutic effects are determined by multi-components with sophisticated synergistic and/or suppressive actions. Therefore, quality control of herbal medicines has been a formidable challenge. In this work, we describe a fast analytical method that can be used for quality assessment of herbal medicines.

Rapid probe and isolation of bioactive compounds from Dioscorea panthaica using human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nano-particles (HSA-MNPs)-based ligand fishing coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

The chemical diversity of secondary metabolites in medicinal plant makes it a huge challenge to isolate the bioactive compounds from herbal extracts, so quick recognition of the bioactive ones is of vital importance for improving the efficiency of isolation. In this study, a ligand fishing experiment based on human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nano-particles (HSA-MNPs) was performed to probe the bioactive components in a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, Dioscorea panthaica. The minor compounds fished out by HSA-MNPs were identified by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and then separated from the extract of the whole plant by one or two steps of column chromatography under the guidance of ESI-MS.

Ligand fishing from Dioscorea nipponica extract using human serum albumin functionalized magnetic nanoparticles.

Dioscorea nipponica and the preparations made from it have been used for long to prevent and treat coronary heart disease in traditional Chinese medicine. A group of steroidal saponins present in the plant are believed to be the active ingredients. It has been a challenge to study the individual saponins separately due to the similarities in their chemical and physical properties.

[Effects of collagen on the properties of TTCP/MCPM bone cement].

Bone cement samples were made of tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) and monocalcium phosphate monohydrate(MCPM) powder (Ca/P = 1.67) by using water and 5.24 mg/ml of self-made type I collagen sol as hardening liquid with the solid-liquid ratio of 3:1, their setting time and compressive strength were tested.

Gold-catalyzed three-component tandem process: an efficient and facile assembly of complex butenolides from alkynes, amines, and glyoxylic acid.

An efficient and facile gold-catalyzed three-component tandem process for the assembly of two types of highly functionalized butenolides has been developed. In this reaction system, more than four chemical bonds are formed by a single gold catalyst. The present tandem protocol includes a direct coupling of alkynes, amines, and glyoxylic acid and subsequent exclusively endo-selective cycloisomerization of alkynoic acids along with intermolecular electrophilic trapping; it utilizes three simple and commercially available starting materials to assemble architecturally complex and appealing butenolide scaffolds bearing other reactive sites for further manipulation.

Synthesis and evaluation of structurally constrained imidazolidin derivatives as potent dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors.

To find potent and selective inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), we synthesized a series of 2-cyanopyrrolidine derivatives with constrained imidazolidin ring and tested their activities against DPP-IV. Most of them exhibited submicromolar inhibitory activities against DPP-IV. The most potent compound among these is (S)-1-(2-(2-(3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-2-oxoimidazolidin-1-yl)ethyl-amino)acetyl)pyrrolidine-2-carbonitrile (6n), which is a 2 nM DPP-IV inhibitor.

[Recent developments of researches on calcium phosphate cements].

The research of calcium phosphate cement (CPC) has been developing for more than 20 years. In this review, we present a brief introduction to recent advances in researches on apatite CPC, brushite CPC, composite CPC materials; on factors affecting CPC capability and application; and on new application of CPC. The view that emphasizes the significance of studies on CPC with quicker degradation and osteoblast activity is put forward, particularly.

In vitro synergistic antibacterial activities of helvolic acid on multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

An agar plate method was established to screen synergistic antibacterial agents other than beta-lactamase inhibitors. By using this method, a strain Aspergillus sp136 was selected for further studies. From the metabolites of this strain, a synergistic antibacterial compound was isolated by bioautographic TLC assay-guided fractionation and identified as helvolic acid.

Synthesis and biological activities of novel nonpeptide angiotensin II receptor antagonists based on benzimidazole derivatives bearing a heterocyclic ring.

A series of benzimidazole derivatives bearing a heterocyclic ring imidazole (1), 5-chloroimidazole (2), 1,2,4-triazol (3), and imidazoline (4) were synthesized and evaluated for angiotensin II antagonistic activities. The synthetic compounds 1-4 were biologically evaluated in vitro using an AT(1) receptor binding assay, where compounds 1 and 3 provided weak binding affinity, compound 2 showed moderate binding affinity, and compound 4 showed good binding affinity. Moreover, compound 4 was found to be almost equipotent with telmisartan in vivo biological evaluation study.

Facile syntheses of L-beta-haloalanine derivatives from L-cysteine or L-cystine.

L-beta-Haloalanines are physiologically active unnatural amino acids and they are useful intermediates for the synthesis of natural and unnatural amino acids, S-linked glycopeptides, and lanthionines. In general L-beta-haloalanines were prepared predominantly from L-serine via functional group transformation. Here we reported an alternative approach for the preparation of L-beta-haloalanines via halogenation of protected L-cysteine esters which was obtained from L-cysteine or L-cystine, respectively.

(3aS,7S,9aS,9bR)-3a,6,6,9a-Tetra-methyl-2-oxoperhydro-naphtho[2,1-b]furan-7-yl acetate.

THE TITLE COMPOUND (COMMON NAME: 3β-acet-oxy-8-epi-sclareolide), C(18)H(28)O(4), is a sclareolide derivative, which was synthesized from 9(11)-en-3β-acet-oxy-8-epi-sclareolide. In the mol-ecular structure, the two six-membered rings display chair conformations and the five-membered ring displays an envelope conformation. Weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding is present in the crystal structure.

Abietane lactones and iridoids from Goldfussia yunnanensis.

Two new abietane diterpene lactones (1--2), three new abietane diterpene lactone glycosides (3--5) and a new iridoid glycoside (6), together with five known compounds, were isolated from the aerial parts of Goldfussia yunnanensis. The new compounds were determined to be 18-hydroxyhelioscopinolide A (1), 18-oxohelioscopinolide A (2), 18-hydroxy-3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylhelioscopinolide A (3), 3-O-beta-D-glucopyranosylhelioscopinolide A (4), 3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosylhelioscopinolide A (5), and 6-O-trans-cinnamoyl E-harpagoside (6) on the basis of spectral data and chemical evidence.

Novel preparation protocol for the expression and purification of recombinant staphylokinase.

Staphylokinase (Sak), produced by lysogenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus, can convert plasminogen into its proteolytic form, plasmin, and thus is widely used to dissolve pathological clots in clinical applications. In the present paper, we report a novel approach to produce r-Sak (recombinant Sak) using an engineered Escherichia coli expression system. The expression plasmid was constructed by placing the Sak gene into the expression vector pET32(a), resulting in the expression of 35% fusion protein.

[Determination of citrinin in red kojic by HPCE].

Objective: To establish an instant determination method of citrinin in red kojic by high performance capillary electrophorphores for the first time.

Method: Red kojic was extracted with the mixtrue of Toluene and ethyl acetate (70:30). Separation was carried out in an uncoated fused silica capillary (50 microm x 45.

Three new limonoids from Cipadessa cinerascens.

Three new limonoids, cipadesins D--F (1--3), together with 8,15-dihydroxy-13E-labdane, beta-sitosterol and beta-daucosterol, were isolated from the leaves and bark of Cipadessa cinerascens. Their structures were elucidated by spectral evidence. X-Ray crystallographic analysis confirmed the structure of 1.

Chiral decalins: preparation from oleanolic acid and application in the synthesis of (-)-9-epi-ambrox.

A novel and versatile process was developed to prepare the trans-decalins Delta9(11)-3beta-acetoxysclareolide (2) and Delta9(11)-3beta-acetoxy-8-epi-sclareolide (3), respectively, with 4a-methoxycarbonyl-2,7,7-trimethyl-1-oxo-cis-decalin-2-ene (4) and its C-3 hydroxyl derivative 5 from oleanolic acid (3beta-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid, 1). Three key steps were (a) introduction of the AcO-12 group and the C-9,C-11 double bond at ring C of methyl 3beta-acetoxyolean-12-en-28-oate (8) to afford the diene, methyl 3,12-diacetoxyolean-9(11),12-dien-28-oate (11); (b) photolytic cleavage of the C-8,C-14 bond in the diene to give an acetoxy-substituted triene 14; and (c) oxidative cleavage of the triene or its hydrolyzed alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone product with m-CPBA/TsOH to give the cis- and trans-decalins 2-5. Delata9(11)-3beta-Acetoxysclareolide (2) was stereospecifically reduced to give 3beta-acetoxy-9-epi-sclareolide (23), from which (-)-9-epi-ambrox (7) was synthesized.

[Analysis of FT-IR-ATR spectra of serum proteins adsorbed on carbonaceous materials].

To clarify the reason causing difference of serum proteins adsorbability on different carbonaceous materials, FT-IR-ATR spectra of human serum albumin (HSA) and human serum fibrinogen(HFG) before and after adsorbing on diamond like carbon film (DLC),diamond film (DF) and graphite were analyzed. It has been shown that there are hydrogen bond because of -NH at the interfaces of HSA-DLC, HFG-DF and HFG-graphite. Based on the results, earlier research conclusion that the adsorbability of HSA on DLC higher than that on DF and graphite, but on DF and graphite the adsorption of HFG takes precedence can be explained rationally.

Dioscorea opposita reverses dexamethasone induced insulin resistance.

The effects of Dioscorea opposita (huai shan yao, HSY) on dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance were investigated in vitro and in vivo. D. opposita extract reduced significantly the blood insulin and glucose levels in dexamethasone-induced diabetic rats.

Chaetocochins A-C, epipolythiodioxopiperazines from Chaetomium cochliodes.

Three new epipolythiodioxopiperazines, chaetocochins A (1), B (2), and C (3), along with dethio-tetra (methylthio) chetomin (4) and chetomin (5), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the solid-state fermented rice culture of the fungus Chaetomium cochliodes. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1, 3, and 4 exhibited significant cytotoxicity in vitro against cancer cell lines Bre-04, Lu-04, and N-04.