Cytotoxic sesquiterpene lactones from aerial parts of Xanthium sibiricum.

Chemical investigation of the aerial parts of Xanthium sibiricum led to the isolation of four new xanthanolide-type sesquiterpene lactones, including two xanthanolide dimers, pungiolide D (1) and pungiolide E (2), and two xanthanolide monomers, 8-epi-xanthatin-1α,5α-epoxide (3) and 1β-hydroxyl-5α-chloro-8-epi-xanthatin (4), together with four known compounds, pungiolide A (5), 8-epi-xanthatin-1β,5β-epoxide (6), xanthatin (7), and 11α,13-dihydro-8-epi-xanthatin (8). The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis. Pungiolide D (1) displayed an unusual structure featuring a 5/5/6-fused tricyclic system in the unit B.

Flavokawain B induces apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer H460 cells via Bax-initiated mitochondrial and JNK pathway.

Flavokawain B (FKB) possesses strong anti-neoplastic activity against many cancer cells. Here we assessed its antitumor activity and molecular mechanisms in lung cancer H460 cells in vitro. FKB significantly inhibited cell proliferation and caused arrest of the cell cycle G2-M of H460 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Structural features and bioactivities of the chitosan.

Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic studies (3500-600 cm(-1)) showed some different bands of chitosan. The absorption at 3439 cm(-1) is stretching vibration of -OH and -NH(2) bonds, indicating the association of the hydrogen-bond between them. The bands at 1659, 1599 and 1321 cm(-1) are attributable to the peaks of stretching vibrations of amide I (ν((C=O))), II (δ((N-H))), and the peak of stretching and bending vibrations of III (ν((C-N))) (δ((N-H))).

Characterization of acute renal allograft rejection by proteomic analysis of renal tissue in rat.

Rapid and reliable biomarkers of renal allograft rejection have not been available. This study aimed to investigate biomarkers in renal allograft tissue using proteomic analysis. Orthotopic kidney transplantations were performed using Fisher (F344) or Lewis rats as donors and Lewis rats as recipients.

[Analysis of urinary storage symptoms following transurethral resection of the prostate].

Objective: To explore the lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), especially those in the urinary storage phase, following transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), and to improve the postoperative management and patients' quality of life after TURP.

Methods: A total of 86 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) underwent TURP, and were interviewed on urinary symptoms at 1, 3, 7, 15 and 30 days after removal of the catheter. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had preoperative detrusor instability and/or compliance of the bladder (Group A) or not (Group B), and observed for the changes in IPSS scores and urinary storage symptoms after removal of the catheter.

Frzb, a secreted Wnt antagonist, decreases growth and invasiveness of fibrosarcoma cells associated with inhibition of Met signaling.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) have a strong propensity for aggressive growth and metastasis. We showed that the secreted Wnt antagonist Frzb exhibited potent antitumor activity against prostate cancer, an epithelial type of malignancy. In this study, we further showed the antitumor efficacy of Frzb in STS, a mesenchymal group of cancer.

Cloning and expression of the AtGRP9 gene related to salt stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe is a single cell eukaryotic organism. Taking advantage of the genetic simplicity of S.pombe and of the functional conservation of some salt tolerance-related proteins, this organism was used as a simple system to identify Arabidopsis thaliana salt-tolerance proteins by screening for cDNA clones that confer salt resistance when overexpressed.