Pyranocoumarin(+/-)-4'-O-acetyl-3'-O-angeloyl-cis-khellactone induces mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis in HL-60 cells.

The pyranocoumarin (+)-4'-O-acetyl-3 'O-angeloyl-cis-khellactone (PC) isolated from Radix Peucedani (root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn) showed a dose-dependent effect at 10 -30 pg/mL on causing apoptotic DNA and nuclear fragmentations in HL-60 cells. After 24 h of PC treatment there were losses of mitochondrial membrane potential and cytochrome c. PC also increased total cellular and mitochondrial Bax protein, stimulated an increase in caspase-dependent Bcl-2 cleavage but showed no effect on Bcl-Xv.

Involvement of NF-kappaB and c-myc signaling pathways in the apoptosis of HL-60 cells induced by alkaloids of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (levl.) Hutch.

Tripterygium hypoglaucum (levl.) Hutch (Celastraceae) (THH) root is a Chinese medicinal herb commonly used for treating autoimmune diseases. In the present study, alkaloids of THH were prepared and their cytotoxicity against the HL-60 cell was investigated.

Molecular mechanism of granulocytic differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells induced by all-trans retinoic acid.

Aim: To elucidate the molecular mechanism of granulocytic differentiation of human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells induced by all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA).

Methods: Flow cytometry was used to determine the cell cycle changes of HL-60 cells upon ATRA treatment. Gene expression profiles of HL-60 cells induced by 1 mumol.

Selective knockdown of gene expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor one ameliorates parkinsonian motor symptom in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats.

The present study reported the efficacy of antisense oligonucleotides specific for N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor one (NR1) in reduction of motor symptom in a rat parkinsonian model, the unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rat. Significant reductions in apomorphine-induced contralateral rotation were only seen in the NR1 antisense-treated lesioned rats (after a single intraparenchymal dose of antisense to the lesioned neostriatum; 15 nmol in 3 microl of saline) at 1 or 2 days after the treatment. No motor effect was seen in the lesioned animals with control treatments (sham, treatment using NR1 sense oligonucleotides, randomized oligonucleotides or saline, respectively).

Determination of adenosine nucleotides in cultured cells by ion-pairing liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

A method using ion-pairing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (MS) was developed for analyzing adenosine 5(')-monophosphate (AMP), adenosine 5(')-diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine 5(')-triphosphate (ATP) in cellular extracts. Dimethylhexylamine (DMHA) was used as ion-pairing agent to retain and separate the analytes on a reversed-phase microbore column with a gradient program. Positive-ion electrospray ionization-MS was applied for the detection because of the use of the ion-pairing agent.

[Genetic analysis of a Chinese pedigree with congenital synpolydactyly].

Syndactyly is a limb malformation that shows a characteristic manifestation in both hands and feet. This condition is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait with reduced penetrance. Clinical presentation, in general, is complete or partial webbing between 3rd and 4th fingers.

[Preparation of sustained-release nitrendipine microspheres with a solid dispersed structure in liquid system].

Aim: To prepare the sustained-release nitrendipine microspheres with a solid dispersed structure in liquid system.

Methods: The sustained-release nitrendipine microspheres with a solid dispersed structure was prepared in liquid system by combining spherical crystallization technique and solvent deposition method in one step. The resultant microspheres were evaluated for the recovery, micromeritc properties, incorporation efficiency.

Gene expression of glutamate receptors GluR1 and NR1 is differentially modulated in striatal neurons in rats after 6-hydroxydopamine lesion.

In the present study, we attempted to address the modulation of the gene expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate (AMPA) glutamate receptors in the neostriatum of the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-lesioned rat, an animal model of Parkinson's disease. After 2 weeks of lesion, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs) revealed significant reduction in GluR1 mRNA expression but a significant enhancement of NR1 mRNA expression in the striatal tissues of the lesioned side. No modulation in the mRNA expression of GluR2, GluR3, GluR4 and NR2B were found.

Reversal of multidrug resistance in cancer cells by pyranocoumarins isolated from Radix Peucedani.

The pyranocoumarins, (+/-)-3'-angeloyl-4'-acetoxy-cis-khellactone, were isolated from Radix Peucedani, the dry root of Peucedanum praeruptorum Dunn, through bioassay-guided fractionation. The chemical structure of pyranocoumarins was determined by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. X-ray crystallography showed that there are eight molecules (i.

Evidence for a major susceptibility locus at 11q22.1-23.3 has been detected in a large Chinese family with pure grand mal epilepsy.

Pure grand mal epilepsy (PGME) is a common subtype of idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) with an unclear mode of inheritance. Several studies with the multiple families have provided evidence for the disorder to be linked to chromosome 8q24 and 8p. In this work, we performed an autosomal-wide scan linkage analysis using microsatellite markers in a large Chinese family with PGME and found seven markers with likelihood of odds (LOD), scores >/=1.

Genotyping and species identification of Fritillaria by DNA chips.

Aim: To investigate the genetic polymorphism of several species of Fritillaria and to develop a DNA chip for the genotyping and identification of the origin of various species of Fritillaria at molecular level.

Methods: Genomic DNA from bulbs of several Fritillaria species was extracted and the polymorphisms of the D2 and D3 regions inside the 26S rDNA gene were identified by direct sequencing. Oligonucleotide probes specific for these polymorphisms were designed and printed on the poly-lysine coated slides to prepare the DNA chip.

Preparation of sustained-release nitrendipine microspheres with Eudragit RS and Aerosil using quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method.

Sustained-release nitrendipine microspheres were prepared in liquid system by quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion method, in which the Aerosil was employed as an inert dispersing carrier to improve the dissolution rate of nitrendipine, and Eudragit RS as a retarding agent to control the release rate. The resultant microspheres were evaluated for the recovery, bulk density, average particle size, drug loading, and incorporation efficiency. And the factors affecting the formation of microspheres and the drug-release rate were investigated.

Modulation of energy metabolism in c6 glioma cells as possible mechanism contributing to zinc neurotoxicity.

Elevated tissue levels of zinc (Zn) have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as global ischemia, seizure, and Alzheimer's. The mechanism of action of Zn in causing neuronal injury is not clear. One of the possible mechanisms is the ability of Zn to alter cellular energy metabolism.

Capillary liquid chromatographic-high-resolution mass spectrometric analysis of ribonucleotides.

A method of capillary HPLC-high-resolution MS was developed for the trace analysis of ATP, GTP, dATP and dGTP. Dimetylhexylamine (DMHA) was used as ion-pairing agent for the HPLC retention and separation of the nucleotides and positive ion electrospray time-of-flight MS was used for the detection. The application of capillary HPLC allowed minimal usage of DMHA while providing excellent peak retention and resolution, which significantly reduced the ion suppression in electrospray ionization-MS analysis and thus increased the sensitivity.

[Lab-on-a-chip (microfluidics) technology].

Over the last decade, the lab-on-a-chip concept has received considerable attention. This technology promises significant advantages in terms of speed, cost, sample/reagent consumption, contamination, efficiency and automation. In this review, we focus on lab-on-a-chip with fluid flow along micro-scale channels (microfluidics) and its application on life science and biotechnology.

PKCdelta-dependent deubiquitination and stabilization of Gadd45 in A431 cells overexposed to EGF.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor-overexpressing p53-deficient A431 cells response to toxic dose of EGF by G1 arrest and apoptosis was studied. We previously reported an increased expression of growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible gene, Gadd45, in EGF-overexposed A431 cells. The mechanism for this induction was increased half-lives of mRNA and protein.

Changes in Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, and Zn contents in mouse brain tissues after prolonged oral ingestion of brick tea liquor containing a high level of Al.

A study was conducted to analyze the regional distribution of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, and Zn contents in brain tissues after animals were given liquor of brick tea that contained a high Al content. In 25 normal adult male mice given either water or 0.9% NaCl for 1 mo or 2 mo, the metal concentrations in the serum, liver, frontal cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brain stem were comparable (p > 0.

Changes in expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunits in the rat neostriatum after a single dose of antisense oligonucleotide specific for N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 subunit.

In order to investigate the process of gene expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor (NMDAR) subunits in the rat neostriatum and how this relates to motor behaviors, a single dose of antisense phosphodiester oligodeoxynucleotide specific for NMDAR1 was unilaterally applied in the neostriatum in a stereotaxic apparatus. After one day of antisense treatment, ipsilateral rotation behaviors that were induced by apomorphine were found in the treated animals. Reductions in the levels of expression of NMDAR1 and NMDAR2A messenger RNAs (NMDAR1: 20.

Betel quid chewing and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes among aborigines in southern Taiwan.

It is known that substance use is associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy, outcomes. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of alcohol, cigarette, betel quid and drug use during pregnancy and to assess the risk of adverse effects of betel quid chewing on pregnancy outcomes in aboriginal women in southern Taiwan. The study population included 62 women with adverse pregnancy outcomes and 124 age-matched women.

[The relationships between the elderly loneliness and its factors of personal attributes, perceived health status and social support].

The purpose of this study were to investigate the level of loneliness in elderly people and to explore relationships between loneliness and personal attributes, perceived health status and social support. Purposive sampling was used to recruit clients over 65 years of age from an outpatient department of the Municipal hospital and a senior citizen center in Kaohsiung city, and totaled 120 elderly people had participated in this study. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire which included the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Perceived Health Status Scale, and Social Support Scale.

Determination of endogenous trace metal contents in various mouse brain regions after prolonged oral administration of aluminum chloride.

Aluminum (Al) has been said to associate with the Alzheimer's-like neurodegeneration in humans. One of the proposed mechanisms for the action of Al is that excess Al might interfere with trace metal metabolism. In this study, the levels of Ca, Mg, Cu, and Zn in blood, liver, and different regions of the brain (separated into the cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and brainstem) were measured in mice after daily oral administration of AICI3 (100 mg/kg body weight) for 2 mo.

Determination of metallothionein content in hepatoma cells by differential pulse polarography.

Differential pulse polarography (DPP) was applied to measure metallothionein (MT) content in the RH-35 rat hepatoma cell. The method was sensitive in measuring MT at nanogram concentrations. The MT measurement was not interfered by small molecular weight proteins.

Prevalence and related risk factors of licit and illicit substances use by adolescent students in southern Taiwan.

Deleterious health sequelae caused by licit and illicit substance use is a serious problem in our society. Adolescent students and particularly those who are prone to substance use are of special concern in the prevention of drug abuse. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking and illicit drug use and to identify the risk factors related to these habits among adolescent students.

[The comparative study of the quality of life for outpatient care versus community rehabilitation program schizophrenic patients].

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of demographic variables, illness factors and symptom factors on the quality of life in schizophrenic patients. Data were collected by personal interview and self-report questionnaire druing the month from February to March in 1995. A total of 155 schizophrenic patients purposefully selected from a psychiatric teaching hospital in Kaohsiung participated in the study.