Determination of oxygen extraction fraction using magnetic resonance imaging in canine models with internal carotid artery occlusion.

Perfusion of the penumbra tissue below the flow threshold for functional disturbance but above that for the maintenance of morphological integrity is the target for therapy in acute ischaemic stroke. The measurement of the oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) may provide a direct assessment of tissue viability, so that irreversible tissue damage and penumbra can be reliably identified. By using an asymmetric spin echo single-shot echo planar imaging (ASE-SSEPI) sequence, the quantitative OEF was obtained in the ischaemic brain tissues of canine models with internal carotid artery occlusion.

New phenanthrene glycosides from Dioscorea opposita.

Two new phenanthrene glycosides, dioscopposide A and dioscopposide B (1 and 2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Dioscorea opposita. Their structures were determined primarily on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR techniques, MS studies, and chemical methods. All the isolates were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on the lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production using murine macrophage RAW 264.

Three new triterpene glycosides from Ilex asprella.

Three new sulfated triterpene glycosides, asprellanosides C-E (1-3), were isolated from the roots of Ilex asprella. Their structures were elucidated as 3β-[(2-O-sulfo-β-d-xylopyranosyl)oxy]urs-12,19(29)-diene-28-oic acid 28-β-d-glucopyranoside (1), 3β-[(2-O-sulfo-β-d-xylopyranosyl)oxy]urs-12,19-diene-28-oic acid 28-β-d-glucopyranoside (2), and 3β-[(2-O-sulfo-β-d-xylopyranosyl)oxy]urs-12,19-diene-28-oic acid (3) on the basis of the spectral and chemical methods.

The membrane permeability of Astragali Radix-derived formononetin and calycosin is increased by Angelicae Sinensis Radix in Caco-2 cells: a synergistic action of an ancient herbal decoction Danggui Buxue Tang.

Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a herbal decoction contains Astragali Radix (AR) and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (ASR), has been used as a health food supplement in treating menopausal irregularity in women for more than 800 years in China. Several lines of evidence indicate that the synergistic actions of AR and ASR in this herbal decoction leading to a better pharmacological effect of DBT. Here, the role of different herbs in directing the transport of active ingredients of DBT was determined.

Salidroside stimulates the accumulation of HIF-1α protein resulted in the induction of EPO expression: a signaling via blocking the degradation pathway in kidney and liver cells.

Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma (Rhodiola), the root and rhizome of Rhodiola crenulata (Hook. f. et Thoms.

New aliphatic nitro-compounds from Indigofera carlesii.

An investigation of aliphatic nitro-compounds in Indigofera carlesii resulted in the identification of two blended novel compounds: 2-O-acryl-3,6-di-O-(3-nitropropanoyl)-alpha-d-glucopyranose and 6-O-acryl-2,3-di-O-(3-nitropropanoyl)-alpha-d-glucopyranose. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on basis of spectral analysis.

A nobel cyanogenic glycoside from Semiaquilegia adoxoides.

Phytochemical investigation of Semiaquilegia adoxoides was initiated in view of its common usage in traditional Chinese medicine and the scarcity of previous phytochemical studies. Fractionation of an ethanol extract from the roots of this plant led to the isolation and identification of a novel cyanogenic glycoside, 2-(beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-4-hydroxybenzeneacetonitrile (1). The structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of IR, FAB-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectral analysis.

A new nitroethylphenolic glycoside from Semiaquilegia adoxoides.

The isolation of a new nitroethylphenolic glycoside, 4-hydroxy-1-(2-nitroethyl) benzene 4-O-(6'-O-beta-D-xylopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1), from the roots of Semiaquilegia adoxoides is reported.