Investigation into hippocampal nerve cell damage through the mineralocorticoid receptor in mice.

Stress‑associated neuropsychiatric disease is associated with glucocorticoid levels; however, the behavior of mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) under conditions of stress remain to be elucidated. Steroid receptors in the brain are classified into glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and/or MR, exhibiting a difference in affinity for corticosteroids. The hippocampus is one of the most stress‑susceptible regions in the brain.

An antibacterial ortho-quinone diterpenoid and its derivatives from Caryopteris mongolica.

To identify antibacterial components in traditional Mongolian medicinal plant Caryopteris mongolica, an ortho-quinone abietane caryopteron A (1) and three its derivatives caryopteron B-D (2-4) were isolated from the roots of the plant together with three known abietanes demethylcryptojaponol (5), 6α-hydroxydemethyl cryptojaponol (6), and 14-deoxycoleon U (7). The chemical structures of these abietane derivatives were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1-4 had C-13 methylcyclopropane substructures, and 2-4 had a hexanedioic anhydride ring C instead of ortho-quinone in 1.

Cholinesterase-inhibitory diterpenoids and chemical constituents from aerial parts of Caryopteris mongolica.

A diterpenoid diglucoside (12,19-di-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-11-hydroxyabieta-8,11,13-triene-19-one), isoscutellarein 7-O-[β-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside, isoscutellarein 7-O-[α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)]-β-D-glucopyranoside, hypolaetin 7-O-[6″-O-(p-E-coumaroyl)]-β-D-glucopyranoside, hypolaetin 7-O-[6″-O-(E-caffeoyl)]-β-D-glucopyranoside, and 15 known compounds were isolated from aerial parts of the Mongolian medicinal plant Caryopteris mongolica. The cholinesterase-inhibitory activities of the constituents were estimated. The abietane diterpenoids (12-O-demethylcryptojaponol and 6α-hydroxydemethylcryptojaponol) showed potent inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase from human erythrocytes and electric eel, and against butyrylcholinesterase from horse serum.

Properties and functions of lactosylceramide from mouse neutrophils.

Lactosylceramide (LacCer), which is essential for many cellular processes, is highly expressed on the plasma membranes of human neutrophils and mediates innate immune functions. Less is known, however, about the properties and biological functions of LacCer in mouse neutrophils. This study therefore analyzed the properties of mouse neutrophil LacCer.