Epidemiological study of indirect blood pressure measured using oscillometry in clinically healthy cats at initial evaluation.

We investigated the clinical characteristics of healthy cats in accordance with the target organ damage (TOD) risk category, on the basis of systolic blood pressure (SBP). This prospective multi-center study included 137 healthy cats. Indirect blood pressure was measured using an oscillometric technique.

The discovery and characterization of K-563, a novel inhibitor of the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway produced by Streptomyces sp.

Keap1/Nrf2 pathway regulates the antioxidant stress response, detoxification response, and energy metabolism. Previous reports found that aberrant Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activation due to Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) mutations or Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mutations induced resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy and accelerated cell growth via the supply of nutrients. Therefore, Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activation is associated with a poor prognosis in many cancers.

Diagnostic utility of cardiac troponin I in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is useful for assessing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in cats.

Objective: To measure plasma cTnI concentrations in healthy cats and evaluate the clinical utility of cTnI in determining the severity of HCM.

Animals: Clinically healthy cats (n = 88) and cats with HCM (n = 93).

Relationship between indirect blood pressure and various stages of chronic kidney disease in cats.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common cause of secondary systemic hypertension in cats. We investigated the relationship between indirect blood pressure and the prevalence of systemic hypertension in various CKD stages in cats. Client-owned cats (24 control cats and 77 cats with CKD) were included.

Naphthacemycins, novel circumventors of β-lactam resistance in MRSA, produced by Streptomyces sp. KB-3346-5. I. The taxonomy of the producing strain, and the fermentation, isolation and antibacterial activities.

Screening for circumventors of β-lactam resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) led us to find 17 novel antibiotics, naphthacemycins A-A, B-B and C-C. The naphthacemycins were isolated from a cultured broth of Streptomyces sp. KB-3346-5 by repeated silica gel column chromatography and HPLC.

The synthesis and evaluation of the antiproliferative activity of deacidified GEX1A analogues.

GEX1A/herboxidiene (1) is a natural product isolated from Streptomyces sp. and has been reported to target the pre-mRNA splicing process. Although 1 was shown to have antitumor activity in vivo, weight loss was observed in mice when 1 was consecutively administered.

Simplifungin and Valsafungins, Antifungal Antibiotics of Fungal Origin.

The targets of antifungal antibiotics in clinical use are more limited than those of antibacterial antibiotics. Therefore, new antifungal antibiotics with different mechanisms of action are desired. In the course of our screening for antifungal antibiotics of microbial origins, new antifungal antibiotics, simplifungin (1) and valsafungins A (2) and B (3), were isolated from cultures of the fungal strains Simplicillium minatense FKI-4981 and Valsaceae sp.

Paraphaeosphaeride D and berkleasmin F, new circumventors of arbekacin resistance in MRSA, produced by Paraphaeosphaeria sp. TR-022.

Two new compounds, designated paraphaeosphaeride D (1) and berkleasmin F (2) together with a previously known compound, berkleasmin A (3), isolated from a culture broth of the fungus Paraphaeosphaeria sp. TR-022, proved to be new circumventors of arbekacin (ABK) resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, including various NMR experiments.

Habiterpenol, a novel abrogator of bleomycin-induced G2 arrest in Jurkat cells, produced by Phytohabitans suffuscus 3787_5.

A small molecule named habiterpenol produced by actinomycete Phytohabitans suffuscus 3787_5 was found to abrogate bleomycin-induced G2 arrest in Jurkat cells. Habiterpenol showed no cytotoxic effect on Jurkat cells even at 273 μM; however, the compound inhibited bleomycin-induced G2 arrest in Jurkat cells with an IC50 value of 3.55 μM, while it showed no effect on colchicine-induced M arrest even at 273 μM.

A molecular screening approach to identify and characterize inhibitors of glioblastoma stem cells.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is among the most lethal of all cancers. GBM consist of a heterogeneous population of tumor cells among which a tumor-initiating and treatment-resistant subpopulation, here termed GBM stem cells, have been identified as primary therapeutic targets. Here, we describe a high-throughput small molecule screening approach that enables the identification and characterization of chemical compounds that are effective against GBM stem cells.

Conformational significance of EH21A1-A4, phenolic derivatives of geldanamycin, for Hsp90 inhibitory activity.

Hsp90 is an attractive chemotherapeutic target because it is essential to maturation of multiple oncogenes. We describe the conformational significance of EH21A1-A4, phenolic derivatives of geldanamycin isolated from Streptomyces sp. Their native free structures are similar to the active form of geldanamycin bound to Hsp90 protein.

MPC1001 and its analogues: new antitumor agents from the fungus Cladorrhinum species.

[structure: see text] Eight new compounds, MPC1001 and MPC1001B-H, were isolated from the fungus Cladorrhinum sp. KY4922. Multiple NMR experiments and CD data revealed MPC1001 to be an O-methyl derivative of emestrin, a 15-membered antifungal antibiotic containing a unique epidithiodioxopiperazine skeleton.

THE FRESHWATER CYANOBACTERIUM PLANKTOTHRIX SP. FP1: MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION AND DETECTION OF PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING TOXINS.

A filamentous cyanobacterium, belonging to the Order of Oscillatoriales, was found to be responsible for a toxic algal bloom in Lake Varese, Italy, during the summer of 1997. Morphological characters, as well as near complete 16S rRNA gene sequencing, revealed that the dominant species of the bloom was most closely related to the genus Planktothrix. In addition, genetic analysis of the phycocyanin operon of Planktothrix sp.