A new bilobalide isomer and two cis-coumaroylated flavonol glycosides from Ginkgo biloba leaves.

A new bilobalide isomer (1), together with two flavonol glycosides (2, 3), have been isolated and elucidated from the extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves. Significantly, 1 was a new sesquiterpene lactone with two lactone ring groups, both 2 and 3 were two flavonol glycosides with a same cis-coumaroylated fragment. Their chemical structures were elucidated by NMR and MS spectroscopic date and the absolute configuration of 1 was specific established by Cu-Kα X-ray crystallographic analyses.

Formononetin recovered injured nerve functions by enhancing synaptic plasticity in ischemic stroke rats.

Background And Objectives: Formononetin has protective effect against ischemic stroke. It's unclear whether it can restore the nerve functions after stroke.

Methods: SD rats were subjected with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and divided into sham, model and formononetin (30 mg/kg) groups.

Monitoring Antiplatelet Aggregation In Vivo and In Vitro by Microtiter Plate Method.

Background: The current light transmission aggregation method is a recognized conventional method for platelet function evaluation, but it is time-consuming and poor in parallelism and cannot simultaneously monitor multiple inducers at multiple levels. The microtiter plate method has been established because of the high-throughput characteristic, but it needs more practical applications.

Objectives: To evaluate the microtiter plate method by using aspirin and clopidogrel in vivo and in vitro.

Simvastatin ameliorates graft-vs-host disease by regulating angiopoietin-1 and angiopoietin-2 in a murine model.

Angiopoietins play an important role in vascular endothelial function. Endothelial damage is an important pathogenesis relating with acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), protecting endothelial cells (ECs) from damage may be a potent prophylaxis and therapeutic strategy of acute GVHD (aGVHD). In this study, we explored changes in Angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1) and Ang-2 expression in a aGVHD mouse model and determined whether simvastatin prevents GVHD through regulating Ang-1 and Ang-2 expression.

Endothelial microparticles carrying hedgehog-interacting protein induce continuous endothelial damage in the pathogenesis of acute graft-versus-host disease.

Accumulating evidence suggests that endothelial microparticles (EMPs), a marker of endothelial damage, are elevated in acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), and that endothelial damage is implicated in the pathogenesis of aGVHD, but the mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, we detected the plasma EMP levels and endothelial damage in patients and mice with aGVHD in vivo and then examined the effects of EMPs derived from injured endothelial cells (ECs) on endothelial damage and the role of hedgehog-interacting protein (HHIP) carried by EMPs in these effects in vitro. Our results showed that EMPs were persistently increased in the early posttransplantation phase in patients and mice with aGVHD.

Angiogenic factors are associated with development of acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) is a serious complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). However, the mechanisms of aGVHD are not well understood. We aim to investigate the roles of the three angiogenic factors: angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1), Ang-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the development of aGVHD.

Umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate graft-versus-host disease following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation through multiple immunoregulations.

Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly used to treat graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), their immune regulatory mechanism in the process is elusive. The present study aimed to investigate the curative effect of third-party umbilical cord blood-derived human MSCs (UCB-hMSCs) on GVHD patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) and their immune regulatory mechanism. Twenty-four refractory GVHD patients after allo-HSCT were treated with UCB-hMSCs.

[Enhancement of GA3 and EDTA on Lolium perenne to remediate Pb contaminated soil and its detoxification mechanism].

A pot experiment was conducted to study the effects of plant growth regulator GA3 and metal chelate EDTA on enhancing the remediation of Pb contaminated soil, and the detoxification mechanism of Lolium perenne grown on Pb contaminated soil at 250 and 500 mg · kg(-1). The results showed that cell wall deposition and vacuolar compartmentalization played important roles in the detoxification of Pb in L. perenne shoot.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Taeniogonalos taihorina (Bischoff) (Hymenoptera: Trigonalyidae) reveals a novel gene rearrangement pattern in the Hymenoptera.

The family Trigonalyidae is considered to be one of the most basal lineages in the suborder Apocrita of Hymenoptera. Here, we determine the first complete mitochondrial genome of the Trigonalyidae, from the species Taeniogonalos taihorina (Bischoff, 1914). This mitochondrial genome is 15,927bp long, with a high A+T-content of 84.

Rearrangement of the nad1 gene in Pristaulacus compressus (Spinola) (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Aulacidae) mitochondrial genome.

The mitochondrial genome of the Pristaulacus compressus (Spinola, 1808) (Hymenoptera: Aulacidae) (GenBank accession No. KF500406) is reported in this study. This is the first sequenced mitochondrial genome from the family Aulacidae of the order Hymenoptera.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of the black cutworm Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the black cutworm Agrotis ipsilon (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was determined (GenBank accession No. KF163965). The length of this mitochondrial genome is 15,377 bp with an A + T content of 82.

Sequencing and characterization of the Monocellicampa pruni (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) mitochondrial genome.

The mitochondrial genome of the Monocellicampa pruni (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) (GenBank accession No. JX566509) has been reported in this study. This is the first sequenced mitochondrial genome from the family Tenthredinidae of the order Hymenoptera.

The first complete mitogenome for the superfamily Cossoidea of Lepidoptera: The seabuckthorn carpenter moth Eogystia hippophaecolus.

We determined the first complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) for the superfamily Cossoidea of Lepidoptera from the seabuckthorn carpenter moth Eogystia hippophaecolus (GenBank accession No. KC831443). The length of this mitogenome is 15,431 bp with 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and an A + T-rich region.

The complete mitogenome of the turnip moth Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the turnip moth Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was determined (GenBank accession No. KC894725). This is the first sequenced mitogenome from the subfamily Noctuinae of Noctuidae.

Complete mitogenome of the Argyrogramma agnata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

We determined the complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the silver looper moth Argyrogramma agnata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (GenBank accession no. KC414791). The length of this mitogenome is 15,261 bp.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the summer fruit tortrix moth Adoxophyes orana (Lepdioptera: Tortricidae) was determined (GenBank accession No. JX872403). The genome is 15,343 bp long with 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and an A+T-rich region.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the yellow peach moth Dichocrocis punctiferalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of Dichocrocis punctiferalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) was determined (GenBank accession number JX448619). The genome is 15,355 bp long with 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and an A+T-rich region. As in other sequenced mitochondrial genomes of Lepidoptera, trnM was rearranged to the upstream of trnI-trnQ-trnM cluster compared with the pupative ancestral arrangement of insects.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepodiptera: Noctuidae).

The complete mitochondrial genome of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) (Lepodiptera: Noctuidae) was determined (GenBank accession number JX316220). The genome is 15,365 bp long with 37 typical animal mitochondrial genes and an A+T-rich region. As in other sequenced mitochondrial genomes of Lepidoptera, trnM was rearranged to the upstream of trnI-trnQ-trnM cluster compared with the pupative ancestral arrangement of insects.

Effect of betulinic acid on the regulation of Hiwi and cyclin B1 in human gastric adenocarcinoma AGS cells.

Aim: To investigate the effect of betulinic acid (BA) on the proliferation, apoptosis and cell cycle of gastric adenocarcinoma cell AGS in vitro and the underlying mechanism.

Methods: The effect of BA on the proliferation of AGS cells was measured by using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was analyzed by using Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)/propidium iodide (PI) double-labeled flow cytometry (FCM) and Hoechst 33258 staining.

[Effect of betulinic acid on inducing apoptosis of human multiple myeloma cell line RPMI-8226].

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of betulinic acid on inducing apoptosis of human multiple myeloma RPMI-8226 cell line. The inhibitory effect of betulinic acid on proliferation and its inducing apoptosis effect, influence on cell cycle and induced morphological changes of RPMI-8226 were evaluated by MTT, flow cytometry Annexin-V/PI double staining, flow cytometry with PI staining and fluorescence microscopy with Hoechst33258 staining, respectively. The transcription level changes of bcl-xl gene and caspase 3 which are two kinds of apoptosis related protein gene were determined by RT-PCR.

[Mechanism of gambogic acid-induced apoptosis in Raji cells].

This study was purposed to explore the apoptotic effect of gambogic acid on Raji cells and the role of death inducer-obliterator 1 (DIO-1) in this process. Annexin V-fluorescein-isothiocyanate/propidium iodide was used to detect apoptosis of Raji cells. Western blot was used to determine the expressions of DIO-1, Bcl-xL, pro-caspase 3 and 2 activated subunits: P17 and P20.

Gambogic acid induces death inducer-obliterator 1-mediated apoptosis in Jurkat T cells.

Aim: To explore the anticancer effects and the molecular mechanisms of gambogic acid (GA) on Jurkat cells.

Methods: Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Annexin V-fluorescein-isothiocyanate/propidium iodide, DNA defragmentation, and comet assay were used to detect apoptosis.

[Deguelin regulates cell cycle and nuclear pore complex protein Nup98 and Nup88 in U937 cells in vitro].

Objective: To investigate antitumor activity and molecular mechanism of deguelin to the human U937 leukaemia cells and to explore the mechanisms regulating cell cycle and nucleoporin 98 (Nup98) and nucleoporin 88 (Nup88) in vitro.

Methods: The effects of deguelin on the growth of U937 cells were studied by MTT assay, and the cell cycle of U937 cells by a propidium iodide method. The localization of the nuclear pore complex protein Nup98 and Nup88 was checked by immunofluorescence and immunoelectron microscopy.

[Effect of deguelin on proliferation and apoptosis of lymphoma Daudi cells and its mechanism].

Objective: To investigate the anticancer effects and molecular mechanism of deguelin on human Burkitt's lymphoma Daudi cells in vitro and compare the cytotoxicity of deguelin on Daudi cells and human peripheral blood monocular cells (HPBMC).

Methods: The effects of deguelin on the growth of Daudi cells were studied by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5 diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was assessed through Hoechst 33258 staining and annexin V/PI double-labeled cytometry.