Oroxylin-A and its phosphonate derivative potentiate eNOS/NO-mediated relaxation and attenuate vasoconstrictor-induced contraction in the mouse aorta.

Oroxylin-A (OroA), a flavonoid isolated from Scutellariae baicalensis, alleviates cardiovascular dysfunction. Several procedures for synthesizing OroA have been developed but show low production yield and regioselectivity. We synthesized OroA from baicalin using a one-pot reaction to increase its overall yield.

Tunable Aryl Imidazolium Recyclable Ionic Liquid with Dual Brønsted-Lewis Acid as Green Catalyst for Friedel-Crafts Acylation and Thioesterification.

Unique tunable aryl imidazolium ionic liquids successfully catalyzed Friedel-Crafts acylation and thioesterification in sealed tubes. These reactions can form a C-C bond and a C-S bond with high atom economy. Ionic liquids exhibited high activity and catalyzed essential reactions with good to excellent yields while retaining their catalytic activities for recycling.

Synthesis and Properties of Magnetic Aryl-Imidazolium Ionic Liquids with Dual Brønsted/Lewis Acidity.

A series of unique tunable aryl-imidazolium magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) with dual acidity that contain both Brønsted and Lewis acidic sites (abbreviated as B-L MILs) were synthesized and characterized using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Physical properties, such as thermal properties, magnetic susceptibility, and Brønsted and Lewis acidity, were measured. These properties were found to depend on the cation structure.

Behavior-selective apoptotic capacity of 4-(3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenoxy) benzoic acid and its methyl derivatives on two breast cancer cell lines.

Breast cancer is one of the most common tumors in females. The therapeutic resistance of breast cancer has motivated the development of new agents for prevention and treatment. For the present study, several compounds were designed and analyzed for their antitumor activity in many cancer cell lines.

Modulation of cyclins, p53 and mitogen-activated protein kinases signaling in breast cancer cell lines by 4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenoxy)benzoic acid.

Despite the advances in cancer therapy and early detection, breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among females worldwide. The aim of the current study was to investigate the antitumor activity of a novel compound, 4-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenoxy)benzoic acid (TMPBA) and its mechanism of action, in breast cancer. Results indicated the relatively high sensitivity of human breast cancer cell-7 and MDA-468 cells towards TMPBA with IC50 values of 5.

Tumor targeting and MR imaging with lipophilic cyanine-mediated near-infrared responsive porous Gd silicate nanoparticles.

We synthesize a NIR MHI-148 dye, a lipophilic heptamethine cyanine, with capability in tumor-targeting property to accumulate in the mitochondria of tumor. In the context of MHI-148 dye, we demonstrate effective tumor targeting and NIR fluorescence in vitro and in vivo for MHI-148 as compared to ICG. A series of porous Gd silicates related nanoparticles, i.

Attenuation of circulatory shock and cerebral ischemia injury in heat stroke by combination treatment with dexamethasone and hydroxyethyl starch.

Background: Increased systemic cytokines and elevated brain levels of monoamines, and hydroxyl radical productions are thought to aggravate the conditions of cerebral ischemia and neuronal damage during heat stroke. Dexamethasone (DXM) is a known immunosuppressive drug used in controlling inflammation, and hydroxyethyl starch (HES) is used as a volume-expanding drug in cerebral ischemia and/or cerebral injury. Acute treatment with a combined therapeutic approach has been repeatedly advocated in cerebral ischemia experiments.

Effects of combination treatment with dexamethasone and mannitol on neuronal damage and survival in experimental heat stroke.

There is evidence that increased plasma cytokines, elevated brain levels of monoamines and hydroxyl radical production may be implicated in pathogenesis during heat stroke in rats. Acute treatment with a combined therapeutic approach has been repeatedly advocated in cerebral ischemia experiments. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the combined agent (mannitol and dexamethasone) has beneficial efficacy to improve the survival time (ST) and heat stroke-induced damage in experimental heat stroke.

Effects of S-adenosylhomocysteine and homocysteine on DNA damage and cell cytotoxicity in murine hepatic and microglia cell lines.

Limited research has been performed on S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) or homocysteine (Hcy)-evoked cell damage in hepatic and neuronal cells. In this study, we assessed effects of SAH or Hcy on cell cytotoxicity and DNA damage in hepatic and neuronal cells and attempted to find the underlying mechanism. Cell cytotoxicity and DNA damage were evaluated in murine hepatic cells (BNL CL.

The characteristics and transfection efficiency of cationic poly (ester-co-urethane) - short chain PEI conjugates self-assembled with DNA.

To improve the transfection efficiency of polycations with DNA, we synthesized poly(ester-co-urethane)(PEU-g-PEI800) with short chain PEI800 in the side chain, and poly(ester-co-urethane)(PEU) without short chain PEI800. Both PEU-g-PEI800 and PEU, readily self-assembled with plasmid DNA (pCMV-betagal) in a HEPES buffer, were characterized by dynamic light scattering and zeta-potential. The results reveal that PEU-g-PEI800 and PEU were able to self-assemble particles with DNA and yield nano-sized complexes (<200nm) with positive charge at N/P ratios of 20/1 and 120/1, respectively.

Molecular genetic mining of the Aspergillus secondary metabolome: discovery of the emericellamide biosynthetic pathway.

The recently sequenced genomes of several Aspergillus species have revealed that these organisms have the potential to produce a surprisingly large range of natural products, many of which are currently unknown. We have found that A. nidulans produces emericellamide A, an antibiotic compound of mixed origins with polyketide and amino acid building blocks.