Poly(I:C)-induced maternal immune activation causes elevated self-grooming in male rat offspring: Involvement of abnormal postpartum static nursing in dam.

Maternal immune activation (MIA) is closely related to the onset of autism-like behaviors in offspring, but the mechanism remains unclear. Maternal behaviors can influence offspring's development and behaviors, as indicated in both human and animal studies. We hypothesized that abnormal maternal behaviors in MIA dams might be other factors leading to delayed development and abnormal behaviors in offspring.

Research advances in the structures and biological activities of secondary metabolites from .

The genus belongs to the phylum Ascomycota of the kingdom Fungi. Studies have shown that species yield many kinds of secondary metabolites, including esters, terpenes, steroids, alkaloids, polyketides, and anthraquinones, some of which have biological activities such as anti-inflammatory, bacteriostatic, and antitumor activities. The chemical constituents of fungi belonging to the genus that have been studied by researchers over the past several years, as well as their biological activities, are reviewed here to provide a reference for the development of high-value natural products and innovative uses of these resources.

Two previously undescribed phthalides from , a symbiotic fungus of .

Amestolkins A () and B (), two previously undescribed phthalides sharing the same planar structure of (1, 5-dihydroxyhexyl)-7-hydroxyisobenzofuran-1(3)-one were isolated from . Their absolute configurations were elucidated by comprehensive analyses of spectroscopic evidences in high-resolution electrospray mass spectra (HRESIMS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) combined with electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and NMR calculations. and showed anti-neuroinflammatory activity by inhibiting the gene expressions of proinflammatory factors including C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6), as well as attenuating the excretion of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in BV-2 microglial cells at the concentration of 30 μM.

Two new nor-sesquiterpenoids from , an endophytic fungus isolated from .

As part of our search for compounds with cytotoxicity from endophytes of traditional Chinese medicines, two novel nor-sesquiterpenoids (-) with a new skeleton containing a tetrahydrofuran moiety were isolated form a rice medium of , an endophytic fungus isolated from the root of . The structures of these two previously undescribed compounds were elucidated by interpretation of the spectroscopic evidences including NMR correlations as well as MS data. The absolute configurations of these two compounds were confirmed by TD-DFT-ECD calculations.

Terpene Glycosides from and Their Anti-Inflammatory Effects.

Two new terpene glycosides (-) along with two known analogs (-) were obtained from the root of which is a common traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Their structures were elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and a hydrolysis reaction, as well as comparison of these data with the literature data. Compounds - exhibited anti-inflammatory properties by attenuating the production of inflammatory mediators, such as nitric oxide (NO) as well as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Altered Behaviors and Impaired Synaptic Function in a Novel Rat Model With a Complete Deletion.

Mutations within the gene, which encodes a key postsynaptic density (PSD) protein at glutamatergic synapses, contribute to the genetic etiology of defined autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), including Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) and intellectual disabilities (ID). Although there are a series of genetic mouse models to study gene in ASDs, there are few rat models with species-specific advantages. In this study, we established and characterized a novel rat model with a deletion spanning exons 11-21 of , leading to a complete loss of the major SHANK3 isoforms.

Novel Polyketides Produced by the Endophytic Fungus from .

Five new polyketides, including two pairs of enantiomers and a racemate, were isolated from the fermentation broth of , an endophytic fungus isolated from . Their structures were identified using one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) NMR experiments, and the absolute configurations of the enantiomers were confirmed using electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Compounds and exhibited inhibitory activity against the MV4-11 cell line in vitro, with IC values of 23.