A novel cyclic peptide (Naturido) modulates glia-neuron interactions in vitro and reverses ageing-related deficits in senescence-accelerated mice.

The use of agents that target both glia and neurons may represent a new strategy for the treatment of ageing disorders. Here, we confirmed the presence of the novel cyclic peptide Naturido that originates from a medicinal fungus (Isaria japonica) grown on domestic silkworm (Bombyx mori). We found that Naturido significantly enhanced astrocyte proliferation and activated the single copy gene encoding the neuropeptide VGF and the neuron-derived NGF gene.

Photo-degradation products of pramipexole.

Two pyrrolidine compounds (1 and 2) were isolated from photo-degradation of Bi-Sifrol tablets. Compound 1 was esterified to p-bromophenacyl ester as single-crystal, and then the structure was elucidated by single-crystal X-ray study. Compound 2 was determined by 2D NMR and mass spectra.

Immunohistochemistry and K-ras sequence of pancreatic carcinosarcoma.

Herein is presented a case of carcinosarcoma of the pancreas in an 82-year-old woman, analyzed on immunohistochemistry and K-ras sequence. The tumor, which arose in the pancreas head, was removed on pancreaticoduodenectomy. The patient died, however, of disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome from postoperative sepsis 13 days later.

Induction of tolerance by adoptive transfer of Treg cells.

Naturally arising CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells can be exploited to establish immunologic tolerance to allogeneic transplants. In vivo exposure of CD4+CD25+ T cells from normal naive mice to alloantigen in a T cell-deficient environment elicits spontaneous expansion of alloantigen-specific CD4+CD25+ natural Treg cells, which are able to suppress allograft rejection mediated by subsequently transferred naive T cells, leading to long-term graft tolerance. Similar antigen-specific expansion of natural Treg cells can also be achieved in vitro by stimulating CD4+CD25+ T cells from normal animals with alloantigen in the presence of high doses of interleukin-2.

Two isoindoline alkaloids from the crude drug, the ant lion (the larvae of Myrmeleontidae species).

Two compounds having an isoindoline skeleton were isolated from the ant lion (the larvae of Myrmeleontidae species). They were characterized as 4-hydroxyisoindolin-1-one and 2-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-hydroxyisoindolin-1-one on the basis of spectroscopic data.

Induction of antigen-specific immunologic tolerance by in vivo and in vitro antigen-specific expansion of naturally arising Foxp3+CD25+CD4+ regulatory T cells.

Naturally arising CD25(+)CD4(+) regulatory T (T(R)) cells can be exploited to establish immunologic tolerance to non-self antigens. In vivo exposure of CD25(+)CD4(+) T cells from normal naive mice to alloantigen in a T cell-deficient environment elicited spontaneous expansion of alloantigen-specific CD25(+)CD4(+) T(R) cells, which suppressed allograft rejection mediated by subsequently transferred naive T cells, leading to long-term graft tolerance. The expanded T(R) cells, which became CD25(low) in the absence of other T cells, stably sustained suppressive activity, maintained expression levels of other T(R) cell-associated molecules, including Foxp3, CTLA-4 and GITR, and could adoptively transfer tolerance to normal mice.