Continuous age- and sex-specific reference ranges of liver enzymes in Chinese children and application in pediatric non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is widely used to screen patients with hepatic diseases. However, the current reference ranges (< 50 U/L) were developed by laboratories and have not been validated in populations with a large number of healthy individuals.

Methods: This study collected venous blood and anthropometric data from a total of 13,287 healthy children aged 3 months to 18 years who underwent routine physical examinations in the Department of Pediatric Healthcare.

The relative contributions of soft tissue mass components as risk or protective factors of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in children.

Background/objective: Several body components are known to be associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in children. However, the relative contributions of soft tissue mass components as risk or protective factors of NAFLD are largely unknown because measurements of these components are often highly correlated. Therefore, we aimed to estimate levels of association between soft tissue mass components and NAFLD.

New cytotoxic alkylated anthraquinone analogues from a soil actinomycete Streptomyces sp. WS-13394.

Four new alkylated anthraquinone analogues (1-4) were isolated from a soil actimomycete Streptomyces sp. WS-13394. The structures of compounds 1-4 were elucidated to be 1,4,6-trihydroxy-8-alkylanthraquinones by means of spectroscopic methods, including UV, one dimensional (1D), 2D-NMR and MS spectrometry.

Pierisformotoxins A-D, polyesterified grayanane diterpenoids from Pieris formosa and their cAMP-decreasing activities.

Four highly acylated diterpenoids, designated as pierisformotoxins A-D (1-4, resp.), along with 26 known compounds, were isolated from the flowers of Pieris formosa. Among them, pierisformotoxins A and B (1 and 2, resp.

Lyonin A, a new 9,10-Secograyanotoxin from Lyonia ovalifolia.

Phytochemical studies on the branches and leaves of Lyonia ovalifolia yielded a new grayanane diterpenoid, lyonin A (1), together with two known compounds, secorhodomollolides A and D (2 and 3, resp.). The structure of 1 was elucidated by combination of 1D- and 2D-NMR, and MS analyses.

Three new highly acylated 3,4-seco-grayanane diterpenoids from the fruits of Pieris formosa.

Phytochemical investigation on the fruits of Pieris formosa resulted in the isolation of three new highly acylated 3,4-seco-grayanane diterpenoids, pierisformotoxins E-G (1-3). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D-, 2D-NMR, electrospray ionization-mass spectra (ESI-MS) and high resolution (HR)-MS.

New grayanol diterpenoid and new phenolic glucoside from the flowers of Pieris formosa.

A new grayanol diterpenoid, grayanotoxin XXII (1), and a new phenolic glucoside, benzyl 2-hydroxy-4-O-[beta-xylopyranosyl(1'' --> 6')-beta-glucopyranosyl]-benzoate (2), were isolated from the flowers of Pieris formosa. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and chemical methods.

Isolation of two new prenylflavonols from Epimedium brevicornum and their effects on cytokine production in vitro.

In an attempt to search for bioactive natural products, two new prenylflavonols, 2''-hydroxy-3''-en-anhydroicaritin (1) and 2''-hydroxy-beta-anhydroicaritin (2), were isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb Epimedium brevicornum. Their structures were determined by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. The effects of compounds 1 and 2 on cytokine production in vitro were investigated.