Lung ultrasound to diagnose infectious pneumonia of newborns: A prospective multicenter study.

Introduction: Whether lung ultrasound (LUS) can be used for pathogenic diagnosis remains controversial. This study was conducted to clarify whether ultrasound has diagnostic value for etiology.

Methods: A total of 135 neonatal pneumonia patients with an identified pathogen were enrolled from the newborn intensive care units of 10 tertiary hospitals in China.

A Preclinical Model to Assess Brain Recovery After Acute Stroke in Rats.

The purpose of this study was to establish and validate an animal brain ischemia model in the recovery and sequela stages. A middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) model in male Sprague-Dawley rats was chosen. By changing the rat's weight (260-330 g), the thread bolt type (2636/2838/3040/3043) and the brain infarct time (2-3 h), a higher Longa's score, a larger infarct volume and a greater model success ratio were screened using the Longa's score and TTC staining.

IMM-H004, a Novel Coumarin Derivative Compound, Inhibits HO-Induced Neurotoxicity via Antioxidant and Antiapoptosis in PC12 Cells.

IMM-H004 [7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methyl-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-coumarin] is a novel derivative of coumarin, which played neuroprotective roles in brain ischemia in rats in previous studies. Although antiapoptosis and improving synapsis structure were proved, the effects and mechanisms of IMM-H004 in brain ischemia need further study. In this paper, the effect of IMM-H004 on HO-induced neurotoxicity in pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells was researched.

Validation of a preclinical animal model to assess brain recovery after acute stroke.

This study was to validate the animal model for the research in the stage of recovery and sequela of ischemic stroke. For its recognized many advantages and widespread applications, middle cerebral artery occlusion / reperfusion (MCAO/R) in Male Sprague-Dawley rats was chosen to be the foundation model. Then the weight of rats (260-330 g), the thread bolt type (2636/2838/3040/3043), the time of brain infarct (2/3 h) were tested to choose the larger infarct volume, higher Longa's score and model success rate through Longa's score and TTC staining.

Progress in pharmacological research of chemokine like factor 1 (CKLF1).

Currently, the research of chemokines has penetrated into many fields of life science. A new kind of chemokines, chemokine like factor 1 (CKLF1), which is cloned through suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) technology is expressed widely in human body, especially in the lung and peripheral blood leukocytes. CKLF1 has a broad spectrum of chemotaxic activity for many cells, such as lymphocytes, macrophages, bone marrow cells, nerve cells and so on.

IMM-H004, A New Coumarin Derivative, Improved Focal Cerebral Ischemia via Blood-Brain Barrier Protection in Rats.

Objective: IMM-H004 (7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methyl-3-[4-methylpiperazin-1-yl]-2H-chromen-2-one) is a novel coumarin derivative that showed better effect in improving global cerebral ischemia in rats. However, the effects and mechanisms in focal cerebral ischemia were not clear. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) protection is a vital strategy for the treatment of cerebral ischemia.

Total synthesis and neuroprotective effect of O-methylmurrayamine A and 7-methoxymurrayacine.

O-Methylmurrayamine A (7) and 7-methoxymurrayacine (8) are natural products isolated from Murraya koenigii and Murraya siamensis, respectively. In this paper, we report the synthesis of 7 and 8 which are featured in the key step of cyclization to form carbazole intermediate 5 with mild conditions. The structures were confirmed by H NMR, C NMR, and HR-ESI-MS.

Autophagic flux regulates microglial phenotype according to the time of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion.

Microglial phenotype alternation is a potential novel pathogenic mechanism for cerebral ischemia. Cerebral ischemia induced autophagy aggravates inflammation and neural injury. However, the effect of autophagy in the modulation of microglial phenotype is still unknown.

Bioactive Coumarins from the Stems of Clausena emarginata.

Five new coumarins, clauemarmarins I - M (1 - 4), together with 10 known analogs (5 - 14), were isolated from the stems of Clausena emarginata. Compounds 8 - 13 were obtained from this plant for the first time. Their structures were established and elucidated by comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data.

[Advances in pharmacological studies of Panax notoginseng saponins on brain ischemia-reperfusion injury].

Sanqi in Chinese herbal medicine is the root and rhizoma of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H.

[Advances in pharmacological studies of Panax notoginseng saponins on brain ischemia-reperfusion injury].

Sanqi in Chinese herbal medicine is the root and rhizoma of Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H.

A new coumarin derivative, IMM-H004, attenuates okadaic acid-induced spatial memory impairment in rats.

Aim: A novel coumarin derivative 7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methyl-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-coumarin (IMM-H004) has shown anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities. In this study we investigated the effects of IMM-H004 on spatial memory in rats treated with okadaic acid (OKA), which was used to imitate Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like symptoms.

Methods: SD rats were administered IMM-H004 (8 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), ig) or donepezil (positive control, 1 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1), ig) for 25 d.

[Neuroprotective effect screening and the mechanism of 10 kinds of coumarin derivatives].

The study reports the detection of neuroprotective effect of 10 kinds of coumarin derivatives and explores their possible mechanism. MTT method was used to screen the neuroprotective effect of 10 coumarin derivatives on neurotoxic agents (Aβ25-35 and rotenone) or OGD (oxygen-glucose deprivation). A compound with better protective effect was obtained.

Forsythoneosides A-D, Neuroprotective Phenethanoid and Flavone Glycoside Heterodimers from the Fruits of Forsythia suspensa.

Forsythoneosides A-D (1-4), four unusual adducts of a flavonoid unit fused to a phenylethanoid glycoside through a pyran ring or carbon-carbon bond, and four new phenylethanoid glycosides (5-8) were isolated from the fruits of Forsythia suspensa, together with nine known compounds. The structures of 1-8, including their absolute configurations, were elucidated by spectroscopic data as well as experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism analysis. Compounds 2 and 4 inhibited PC12 cell damage induced by rotenone, and increased cell viability from 53.

Protective effects of Forsythia suspense extract with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in a model of rotenone induced neurotoxicity.

The present study investigated the neuroprotective effects of Forsythia suspense extract in a rotenone-induced neurotoxic model. FS8, one of the herbal extracts, markedly protected PC12 cells against rotenone toxicity and was selected for the in vivo study. Gavage administration of FS8 (50 and 200mg/kg, but not 10mg/kg) for 25 days significantly improved the behavior function, decreased the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra (SN), and maintained the level of dopamine in striatum after unilateral infusion of rotenone in SN.

Targeted Overexpression of α-Synuclein by rAAV2/1 Vectors Induces Progressive Nigrostriatal Degeneration and Increases Vulnerability to MPTP in Mouse.

Mutations, duplication and triplication of α-synuclein genes are linked to familial Parkinson's disease (PD), and aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in Lewy bodies (LB) is involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. The targeted overexpression of α-syn in the substantia nigra (SN) mediated by viral vectors may provide a better alternative to recapitulate the neurodegenerative features of PD. Therefore, we overexpressed human wild-type α-syn using rAAV2/1 vectors in the bilateral SN of mouse and examined the effects for up to 12 weeks.

4-Hydroxybenzyl-substituted glutathione derivatives from Gastrodia elata.

Seven new 4-hydroxybenzyl-substituted glutathione derivatives (2-8), together with a known analogue (1), were isolated from the aqueous extract of Gastrodia elata Blume rhizomes. Their structures were determined by using spectroscopic and chemical methods. The absolute configurations of 1-8 were assigned by using Marfey's method, combined with comparing the NMR and CD spectroscopic data of sulfoxide moieties in 3-6 with those of S-(4-hydroxybenzyl)cysteine sulfoxide stereoisomers (9-12) synthesized as authentic samples.

Piperine prevents cholesterol gallstones formation in mice.

Biliary cholesterol may contribute to the formation of cholesterol gallstones, and regulation of these levels could be a useful therapeutic strategy for gallstones disease. Piperine (PA) is a potential cholesterol lowering agent. In this study, we assessed the effect and mechanism of PA in preventing cholesterol gallstones formation induced by feeding lithogenic diet containing high cholesterol levels to mice.

Nrf2 pathway activation contributes to anti-fibrosis effects of ginsenoside Rg1 in a rat model of alcohol- and CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis.

Aim: To investigate the anti-fibrosis effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on alcohol- and CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats and to explore the mechanisms of the effects.

Methods: Rats were given 6% alcohol in water and injected with CCl4 (2 mL/kg, sc) twice a week for 8 weeks. Rg1 (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg per day, po) was administered in the last 2 weeks.

IMM-H004, a novel coumarin derivative compound, attenuates the production of inflammatory mediatory mediators in lipopolysaccharide-activated BV2 microglia.

Therapeutic strategies designed to inhibit the activation of microglia may lead to significant advancement in the treatment of most neurodegenerative diseases. 7-hydroxy-5-methoxy-4-methyl-3-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-coumarin (IMM-H004) is a novel compound and has been reported exerting potent neuroprotective effects which may be related to anti-inflammation. In the present study, the anti-inflammatory effects of IMM-H004 were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated BV2 microglia.

Iridal-type triterpenoids with neuroprotective activities from Iris tectorum.

Six novel iridal-type triterpenoids with a previously unreported 3,6-dihydro-2H-pyran moiety, named spirioiridotectals A-F (1-6), were isolated from the ethanol extract of the rhizomes of Iris tectorum. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis. Furthermore, in in vitro bioactivity assays, compounds 1, 2, and 6 exhibited neuroprotective activities against serum-deprivation-induced PC12 cell damage.

Ginsenoside Rg1 attenuates okadaic acid induced spatial memory impairment by the GSK3β/tau signaling pathway and the Aβ formation prevention in rats.

Ginsenoside Rg1, one of the major active ingredients isolated from Panax Ginseng, has been shown notable neuroprotective effects in memory impairment animals. However, the role of ginsenoside Rg1 on cognition capacity damaged by neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) is still poorly understood, and the underlying mechanism remain to be fully elucidated. Okadaic acid (OKA), a potent phosphatase inhibitor, often apply to imitate Alzheimer's disease-like symptom damaged by neurofibrillary tangles, was used to investigate the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on memory impairment and the related mechanisms in Sprague Dawley (SD) rats.

Deletion in exon 5 of the SNCA gene and exposure to rotenone leads to oligomerization of α-synuclein and toxicity to PC12 cells.

α-Synuclein (α-syn) is a presynaptic protein that is widely implicated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). Recently, four α-syn isoforms that are produced by alternative splicing have been described, they are α-syn140, α-syn126, α-syn112, and α-syn98. The stable cell lines which expressed the four α-syn isoforms respectively were obtained, and the aggregation formation of these α-syn isoforms and their associated toxicity to PC12 cell were investigated.

Inhibitory effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on lipopolysaccharide-induced microglial activation in mice.

Microglial activation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases by producing various pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO). In the paper, the anti-inflammatory effect of ginsenoside Rg1 was investigated in mice intracerebroventricular injected of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). NO and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production in both cerebral cortex and hippocampus decreased at dose-dependent manner by oral administration with Rg1.