Diisoprenyl Cyclohexene-Type Meroterpenoids with Cytotoxic Activity from a Mangrove Endophytic Fungus sp. GXNU-Y85.

Five new diisoprenyl cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids, aspergienynes J-N (-), along with three known analogues (-), were obtained from the mangrove endophytic fungal strain sp. GXNU-Y85. The chemical structures, including their absolute configurations, were established via spectroscopic data and comparison of experimental and calculated ECD spectra.

Diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids from a mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. GXNU-Y65 and their anti-nonalcoholic steatohepatitis activity in AML12 cells.

Nine previously undescribed diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids, aspergienynes A-I, together with five known analogues, were obtained from the mangrove endophytic fungal strain Aspergillus sp. GXNU-Y65. The diisoprenyl-cyclohexene-type meroterpenoids were elucidated based on multispectroscopic analysis, and the previously undescribed compounds' absolute configurations were established via electronic circular dichroism calculations.

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Explore the Mechanisms of Shugan Jianpi Formula in Liver Fibrosis.

Purpose: We explored the mechanism of Shugan Jianpi Formula (SGJPF) and its effective components for the treatment of liver fibrosis (LF).

Materials And Methods: We collected the active ingredients in SGJPF through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and screened the effective components by absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion. Herb-associated target proteins were predicted and screened based on the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Search Tool for Interactions of Chemicals databases.

Effect of astragalosides on long non-coding RNA expression profiles in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, which occurs in ~1.0% of the general population. Increasing studies have suggested that long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may serve important roles in various biological processes and may be associated with the pathogenesis of different types of disease, including RA.

Effect of hesperidin on TGF-beta1/Smad signaling pathway in HSC.

Liver fibrosis is a common pathological process for chronic liver injury caused by multiple etiological factors and an inevitable phase leading to liver cirrhosis. According to the previous studies, hesperidin (HDN) shows a very good protective effect on CCl4-induced chemical hepatic fibrosis in rats. In this experiment, based on the findings of the previous studies, a platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced HSC-T6 model was established to observe the inhibitory effect of HDN on HSC-T6 proliferation.

[Dynamic study on curative effect of Shuganjianpifang against hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4 in rats].

Objective: To observe the dynamic effects of Shuganjianpifang (SGJPF) in preventing rat hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl4.

Methods: The model rat was induced by subcutaneous injection of 50% CCl4 solution in olive oil (0.1 mL/100 g), twice a week for 12 weeks.

Tranilast attenuates TGF-β1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in the NRK-52E cells.

We previously reported that tranilast can halt the pathogenesis of chronic cyclosporine nephrotoxicity in rats via the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) /Smad pathway, an important signaling system involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), but the exact underlying cellular mechanisms are not yet clear. Thus, by selecting TGF-β1-induced normal rat kidney proximal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E) as a model, we demonstrated potential modifying effect of tranilast on EMT-induced by TGF-β1 in vitro. NRK-52E cells were incubated with the blank vehicle (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium and F-12 (DMEM/F12) added with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS)), 10 ng/ml TGF-β1 alone or together with 100, 200 or 400μM tranilast for 48 h after incubation in medium containing 1% FBS for 24 h.

CD133 silencing inhibits stemness properties and enhances chemoradiosensitivity in CD133-positive liver cancer stem cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered the source of the initial tumor formation and postoperative recurrence and metastasis. CD133(+) cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) display cancer stem-like properties and are thought to be responsible for chemoradioresistance. To explore the functional role of CD133 in liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs), we isolated CD133(+) cells from the HCC cell line HepG2, which were tested and confirmed to be CSC-like cells in HCC, downregulated CD133 expression in HepG2-CD133(+) cells by lentivirus-mediated short hairpin (shRNA) and analyzed the effects of CD133 on the modulation of stemness properties and chemoradiosensitivity in LCSCs.

[The correlation between polymorphisms of genes with susceptibility to tuberculosis and the clinical characteristics of tuberculosis in 459 Han patients].

Objective: To study the correlation between polymorphisms of genes with susceptibility to tuberculosis and the clinical characteristics of tuberculosis in Han population.

Methods: Four hundred and fifty-nine tuberculosis inpatients of Han population in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from Jan 2007 to Dec 2008 were recruited. The clinical characteristics of tuberculosis (gender, fever, extent of lesions, cavity formation, hemoptysis, initial treatment and retreatment) were observed.

[Study on the correlation between polymorphisms of genes with susceptibility to tuberculosis and drug-resistant tuberculosis in Chinese Han population].

Objective: To investigate the distribution of polymorphisms of SLC11A1 gene, VDR gene, MBL gene and IFNG gene with susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB) in Chinese Han population suffering from drug-sensitive TB and drug-resistant TB so as to identify the correlation between gene polymorphisms and the development of drug-resistant TB.

Methods: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of VDR gene, SLC11A1 gene, MBL gene, IFNG gene were typed and analyzed by pyrosequencing, Real-time Probe and SNaPshot among 229 patients with drug-sensitive TB and 230 patients with drug-resistant TB.

Results: The polymorphic foci of VDR gene from the drug-sensitive TB group and the drug-resistant TB group showed no significant difference (P > 0.

[Study on revising the criteria of classification of hazard conditions of productive dust].

Objective: To provide scientific basis data for revising the national hygiene criteria of "Classification of hazard conditions of productive dust" (GB5817-86).

Methods: The data of the retrospective study and the field survey data were analyzed with correlation and regression analysis. The product of total dust concentration of respiratory exposure (mg/m(3)), total ventilation during exposure (m(3)/d per psrson), and level of free SiO(2) in dust (%) was the respiratory exposure dose of free SiO(2) (mg per day per person) which was used as dose criteria value of classification of hazard degree of dust.

[p33(ING1) gene expression and mutation in stomach cancer tissues and precarcinomatous tissues].

Objective: To analyze the relationship of p33(ING1) gene expression and p33(ING1) exon-2 mutation to the pathogenesis, development and consequence of stomach cancer.

Methods: Envision immunohistochemical method was utilized to detect the p33(ING1) expression in 103 specimens of stomach cancer, 36 specimens of stomach mucosal atypical hyperplasia, and 32 specimens of normal stomach mucosa. PCR-SSCP was utilized to detect p33(ING1) exon-2 mutation in stomach cancer tissues.