Design and Synthesis of Fluoroacylshikonin as an Anticancer Agent

A series of shikonin derivatives, selectively acylated by various fluorinated carboxylic acids at the side chain of shikonin, were synthesized and their anticancer activity evaluated, in which eight compounds are reported for the first time. Among all the compounds tested, compound S7 showed the most potent anticancer activity against B16‐F10 (malignant melanoma cells), MG63 (human osteosarcoma cells), and A549 (lung cancer cells) with IC₅₀ 0.39 ± 0.01, 0.72 ± 0.04 and 0.58 ± 0.02 µmol/L. Docking simulation of compound S7 was carried out to position S7 into a tubulin active site to determine the probable binding conformation. All the results suggested that compound S7 may be a potential anticancer agent. Chirality 25:757–762, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Access to Bacteriologic-Based Diagnosis in Smear Positive Retreatment Tuberculosis Patients in Rural China: A Cross-Sectional Study in Three Geographic Varied Provinces

Objective

To determine factors influencing the utilization and accessibility to bacteriologic-based tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis among sputum smear positive (SS+) retreatment TB patients, and to develop strategies for improving the case detection rate of MDR-TB in rural China.

Study Design and Setting

A cross-sectional study of SS+ TB retreatment patients was conducted in eight counties from three provinces with different implementation period and strategy of MDR-TB program in China. Demographic and socioeconomic parameters were collected by self-reporting questionnaires. Sputum samples were collected and cultured by the laboratory of county-designated TB clinics and delivered to prefectural Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) labs for DST with 4 first-line anti-TB drugs.

Results

Among the 196 SS+ retreatment patients, 61.22% received culture tests during current treatment. Patients from more developed regions (OR = 24.0 and 3.6, 95% CI: 8.6–67.3 and 1.1–11.6), with better socio-economic status (OR = 3. 8, 95% CI: 1.3–10.7), who had multiple previous anti-TB treatments (OR = 5.0, 95% CI: 1.6–15.9), and who failed in the most recent anti-TB treatment (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.0–6.4) were more likely to receive culture tests. The percentage of isolates resistant to any of first-line anti-TB drugs and MDR-TB were 50.0% (95% CI: 39.8%-60.2%) and 30.4% (95% CI: 21.0%-39.8%) respectively.

Conclusions

Retreatment SS+ TB patients, high risk MDR-TB population, had poor utilization of access to bacteriologic-based TB diagnosis, which is far from optimal. The next step of anti-TB strategy should be focused on how to make bacteriological-based diagnosis cheaper, safer and more maneuverable, and how to assure the DST-guided treatment for these high-risk TB patients.     

RORα高表达对二烯丙基二硫抑制人胃癌细胞增殖与迁移侵袭的影响

目的观察高表达RORα对二烯丙基二硫(DADS)抑制人胃癌MGC803细胞增殖、迁移与侵袭的影响。方法集落形成实验与流式细胞术检测细胞增殖与细胞周期;细胞划痕和Transwell实验分别检测细胞迁移与侵袭。RT-PCR与Western blot分别检测RORα、MMP-9和TIMP3 mRNA与蛋白表达水平。结果RT-PCR与Western blot检测显示,RORα高表达与DADS处理较对照组与空载体组RORαmRNA与蛋白表达明显上调,DADS+RORα高表达组上调更为显著(P<0.05)。与对照组和空载体组比较,RORα高表达与DADS处理组MMP-9表达下调,TIMP3表达上调,DADS+RORα高表达组改变最为显著。集落形成实验显示,RORα高表达与DADS处理组较对照组与空载体组的集落形成率明显降低。流式细胞术显示,与对照组和空载体组比较,RORα高表达与DADS处理组G2/M期细胞比率明显升高。细胞划痕和Transwell实验显示,RORα高表达与DADS处理组细胞迁移与侵袭能力明显降低。结论RORα高表达可通过上调TIMP3与下调MMP-9促进DADS阻滞MGC803细胞G2/M期和抑制增殖与迁移侵袭。     

Broadening the versatility of lentiviral vectors as a tool in nucleic acid research via genetic code expansion

With the aim of broadening the versatility of lentiviral vectors as a tool in nucleic acid research, we expanded the genetic code in the propagation of lentiviral vectors for site-specific incorporation of chemical moieties with unique properties. Through systematic exploration of the structure–function relationship of lentiviral VSVg envelope by site-specific mutagenesis and incorporation of residues displaying azide- and diazirine-moieties, the modifiable sites on the vector surface were identified, with most at the PH domain that neither affects the expression of envelope protein nor propagation or infectivity of the progeny virus. Furthermore, via the incorporation of such chemical moieties, a variety of fluorescence probes, ligands, PEG and other functional molecules are conjugated, orthogonally and stoichiometrically, to the lentiviral vector. Using this methodology, a facile platform is established that is useful for tracking virus movement, targeting gene delivery and detecting virus–host interactions. This study may provide a new direction for rational design of lentiviral vectors, with significant impact on both basic research and therapeutic applications.     

Regio- and stereo-selective synthesis of vinyl glucose ester catalyzed by an alkaline protease of Bacillus subtilis

The transesterification of -d-glucose with divinylsuccinate, divinyladipate and divinylsebacate in pyridine at 55 °C for 3 days was catalyzed by an alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis to give corresponding 6-O-vinyl glucose esters at 30%, 53% and 35% yield, respectively. The stereo-selectivity of the alkaline protease toward the -anomer was affected by the acyl donor chain length. 6-O-Vinylsuccinyl-d-glucose was mixture of - and -anomers (/=44/56), the other two products were the pure -d-glucose derivatives.     

害虫防治决策的复序贯分析方法及抽样技术研究

复序贯抽样决策技术实际应用的受限 ,原因在于截止限序贯抽样模型的缺乏。本文在检验昆虫种群空间格局回归模型的基础上 ,推导出了目前国内常用检验回归模型的截止限序贯抽样模型 ,并将其运用于复序贯分析决策过程中。实例分析表明 ,对于同一种生物种群 ,在一定的精度 (D)和置信水平(tα)要求下 ,复序贯抽样决策技术可以大幅度地节约抽样成本     

Solution structure and dynamics of human metallothionein-3 (MT-3)

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by progressive loss of neurons accompanied by the formation of intraneural neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular amyloid plaques. Human neuronal growth inhibitory factor, classified as metallothionein-3 (MT-3), was found to be related to the neurotrophic activity promoting cortical neuron survival and dendrite outgrowth in the cell culture studies. We have determined the solution structure of the alpha-domain of human MT-3 (residues 32-68) by multinuclear and multidimensional NMR spectroscopy in combination with the molecular dynamic simulated annealing approach. The human MT-3 shows two metal-thiolate clusters, one in the N-terminus (beta-domain) and one in the C-terminus (alpha-domain). The overall fold of the alpha-domain is similar to that of mouse MT-3. However, human MT-3 has a longer loop in the acidic hexapeptide insertion than that of mouse MT-3. Surprisingly, the backbone dynamics of the protein revealed that the beta-domain exhibits similar internal motion to the alpha-domain, although the N-terminal residues are more flexible. Our results may provide useful information for understanding the structure-function relationship of human MT-3.     

黄瑞木果实红色素的分离及其化学结构研究

采用纸层析、紫外-可见光谱、红外光谱和液-质联用等技术对福建野生黄瑞木〔Adinandra millettii(Hook. et Arn.)Benth.〕果实红色素进行了分析研究。结果表明,该红色素主要含有矢车菊素-3-芸香糖苷(cyanidin-3-rutinoside)和矢车菊素-3-葡萄糖苷(cyanidin-3-glucoside)2种花色苷,呈鲜艳的红色,可作为天然保健食品的色素添加剂加以推广应用。