Meroterpenoids from the Fungus and First Absolute Configuration Clarification of Zizhine H.

Five new meroterpenoids, zizhines P-S and U (-,), together with two known meroterpenoids ( and ) were isolated from . Their structures including absolute configurations were assigned by using spectroscopic, computational, and chemical methods. Racemics zizhines P and Q were purified by HPLC on chiral phase.

Three new sesquiterpenoids with cytotoxic activity from .

A new eudesmane sesquiterpenoid, artemisargin A (), two new guaianolide sesquiterpenoids, artemisargins B () and C (), along with three known sesquiterpenoids (-), were isolated from the leaves of . Their structures were determined by extensive spectroscopic methods and electronic circular dichroism calculations. Biological evaluation showed that could inhibit the growth of cancer cells, especially in BGC-823 cells with an IC value of 49.

Populeuphrines A and B, two new cembrane diterpenoids from the resins of .

Two new cembrane diterpenoids, named populeuphrines A and B ( and ), together with three known analogues (-) were isolated from the resins of . The planar structures and relative configurations of and were elucidated by detailed 1 D and 2 D NMR spectroscopic analyses. The absolute configurations of and were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis and quantum chemical computation.

Commipholactam A, a cytotoxic sesquiterpenoidal lactam from Resina Commiphora.

Diverse terpenoids including a novel sesquiterpenoidal lactam, commipholactam A (1), and a structurally related new cadinane sesquiterpenoid, commiphorane H (2), a new eudesmane sesquiterpenoid, commiphorane I (4), a new guaiane sesquiterpenoid, commiphorane J (5), and two new nor-abietane diterpenoids, commiphoranes K1 and K2 (6 and 7) along with two known terpenoids (3 and 8), were isolated from Resina Commiphora. Their structures with absolute configurations were characterized by spectroscopic methods and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD). Notably, commipholactam A represents the first example of cadinane sesquiterpene alkaloids isolated from Resina Commiphora.

Novel Terpenoids with Potent Cytotoxic Activities from .

A novel sesquiterpene dimer, spirocommiphorfuran A (); two new cadinane sesquiterpenoids, commiphorenes A () and B (); along with three known terpenoids (⁻), were isolated from . The structures of these new compounds were characterized by NMR, HRESIMS, quantum chemical computation, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound features a 7-oxabicyclo[2.

RNase H meets molecular beacons: an ultrasensitive fluorometric assay for nucleic acids.

An innovative signal amplification strategy assisted by RNase H is described here for the detection of DNA targets in a universal fashion. A tailor-made RNA molecular beacon (RMB) conjugated with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) pair (fluorophore and quencher) was designed, characterized, and combined with the employment of RNase H. Its performance is compared to that of other nucleases including Exonuclease III and T7 exonuclease.

Simultaneous targeting PI3K and PERK pathways promotes cell death and improves the clinical prognosis in esophageal squamous carcinoma.

PI3K pathway is an important anti-tumor target, but its effect and mechanism is not clear in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). By analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets, we found that PI3Ks level were significantly upregulated in human esophageal cancer tissues compared with that in non-cancer tissues. The alteration of PI3K can significantly affect the overall patient survival in ESCC but not in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).

Tetrandrine inhibits glioma stem-like cells by repressing β-catenin expression.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) in glioma are often responsible for relapse and resistance to therapy. The purpose of the present study was to confirm the self-renewal and migration inhibitory effects of tetrandrine (Tet), which is a compound extracted from the dried root of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, toward glioma stem-like cells (GSLCs) and to examine the associated molecular mechanisms.

Sp1 and c-Myc modulate drug resistance of leukemia stem cells by regulating survivin expression through the ERK-MSK MAPK signaling pathway.

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is initiated and maintained by a subset of self-renewing leukemia stem cells (LSCs), which contribute to the progression, recurrence and therapeutic resistance of leukemia. However, the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of LSCs drug resistance have not been fully defined. In this study, we attempted to elucidate the mechanisms of LSCs drug resistance.

EGCG inhibits properties of glioma stem-like cells and synergizes with temozolomide through downregulation of P-glycoprotein inhibition.

Combination therapy to inhibit cancer stem cells may have important clinical implications. Here, we examine the molecular mechanisms by which epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a bioactive polyphenol in green tea, inhibits the stem cell characteristics of glioma stem-like cells (GSLCs) and synergizes with temozolomide (TMZ), a DNA-methylating agent commonly used as first-line chemotherapy in gliomas. GSLCs were enriched from the human glioblastoma cell line U87 using neurosphere culture.

The selective Hsp90 inhibitor BJ-B11 exhibits potent antitumor activity via induction of cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and autophagy in Eca-109 human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells.

BJ-B11 is a selective heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor that has been reported to possess significant antitumor activity in multiple types of cancer cells; however, the mechanism of action needs to be further clarified. We investigated, for the first time, the antitumor activity and the molecular mechanism underlying growth inhibition in Eca-109 cells. The results revealed that BJ-B11 inhibited the proliferation of Eca-109 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, with 50% inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) values of 0.

Adsorption of microcystin-LR from water with iron oxide nanoparticles.

Adsorption of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) from water using iron oxide (alpha-Fe2O3) nanoparticles was investigated in this study. Adsorption of MC-LR adsorption was well-described by a pseudo second order kinetics model and Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm equations at 15 to 35 degrees C. Thermodynamic analysis showed that the Gibbs free energy was negative, whereas standard enthalpy and entropy changes were positive at this temperature range.

The heat shock protein 90 inhibitor SNX-2112 inhibits B16 melanoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

SNX-2112 is a selective heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor which can exert a potent anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the effects of SNX-2112 on B16 melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The 3-(4,5-dimetrylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that SNX-2112 dose-dependently inhibited the growth of B16 cells, and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.

SNX-2112, an Hsp90 inhibitor, induces apoptosis and autophagy via degradation of Hsp90 client proteins in human melanoma A-375 cells.

SNX-2112 is an Hsp90 inhibitor which is currently undergoing multiple phase 1 clinical trials; however, its mechanism of action needs to be further elaborated. Here we investigated the effects of SNX-2112 in A-375 cells. SNX-2112 induced the degradation of multiple Hsp90 client proteins, activated both the mitochondrial-mediated and death receptor-mediated apoptotic pathways, downregulated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, upregulated Bid, cleaved caspase-9, caspase-7, caspase-3 and PARP, and activated caspase-8.

SNX-2112, a novel Hsp90 inhibitor, induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells.

SNX-2112 is a heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor with anticancer properties currently in clinical trials. This study investigated the effects of SNX-2112 on inhibition of cell growth, the cell cycle, and apoptosis in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells, in addition to the various molecular mechanisms. The results of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometric analysis suggest that SNX-2112 inhibits cell growth in a time- and dose-dependent manner more potently than 17-(allylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanmycin (17-AAG), a traditional Hsp90 inhibitor, probably as a result of cell-cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and the induction of apoptosis.

BJ-B11, a novel Hsp90 inhibitor, induces apoptosis in human chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells through the mitochondria-dependent pathway.

In the past few years heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitors have been reported to possess significant antitumor activity. We investigated, for the first time, the antitumor activity of a novel Hsp90 inhibitor 2-(4-acetyloxycyclohexylamino)-4-(3, 6, 6-trimethyl-4-oxo-4, 5, 6, 7-tetrahydro-1H-indazol-1-yl)-benzamide (BJ-B11) and the molecular mechanism underlying the apoptosis it induces in human chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cells. The results revealed that BJ-B11 triggered growth inhibition in K562 cells and other malignant cell lines in vitro with only minor toxicity in a normal human cell line.

Induction of apoptosis in K562 cells by dicyclohexylammonium salt of hyperforin through a mitochondrial-related pathway.

Hyperforin is an abundant phloroglucinol-type constituent isolated from the extract of the flowering upper portion of the plant Hypericum perforatum L. The dicyclohexylammonium salt of hyperforin (DCHA-HF) has exhibited antitumor and antiangiogenic activities in various cancer cells. Here, the antitumor effects of DCHA-HF on the chronic myeloid leukemia K562 cell line were investigated for the first time.

[Detection of alpha-fetoprotein-L3 using agglutinin-coupled spin column to be used in diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma].

Objective: To explore the effect of use of lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA)-coupled spin column (ACSC) in detection of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) isoform AFP-L3 and to evaluate the value of AFP-L3 as a biomarker in diagnosis of hepatocellular-carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The serum samples of 132 patients with elevated AFP level (20-1000 microg/L), 79 diagnosed as with HCC and 53 with benign liver diseases (35 with liver cirrhosis and 18 with chronic hepatitis) underwent ACSC to isolate the fraction of AFP-L3. The contents of AFP and AFP-L3 were detected by micro-particle immunoassay.