Chemical constituents from Alismatis Rhizoma and their anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo

Six new compounds, including a new compound with an unusual 2, 4, 6-cycloheptatrien ketone skeleton (1), two new diphenylpropanoid ethers (2, 3), a new protostane-type triterpenoid (4), two new norsesquiterpene (5a, 5b), and two new natural products (6, 7), together with eleven known compounds (8–18) were isolated from the aqueous extract of Alismatis Rhizoma (AR). Their structures were elucidated by a combination of 1D and 2D NMR (¹H and ¹³C NMR, COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY), HRESIMS spectroscopic data, experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Some of the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Two protostane-type triterpenoids, compounds 4 and 17, exhibited potent inhibitory activities with the IC₅₀ values of 39.3 and 63.9 μM compared with indomethacin. In the meanwhile, their anti-inflammatory effects were also confirmed by acute inflammation model induced by CuSO₄ in zebrafish.     

Plasmodium berghei: effect of protease inhibitors during gametogenesis and early zygote development

Plasmodium berghei: The effect of five protease inhibitors, TPCK, TLCK, PMSF, leupeptin, and 1,10-phenanthroline on in vitro gametogenesis and early zygote development of P. berghei was investigated. PMSF and leupeptin showed no effect. Cysteine/serine protease inhibitors TPCK/TLCK at concentrations of 75 and 100 microM were effective on inhibiting exflagellation center formation, and this effect was reversible with the addition of l-cysteine. Exflagellation center formation was most effectively blocked by 1,10-phenanthroline (1mM), and exflagellation center numbers were restored by the addition of Zn(2+). A reduction of ookinete production was observed when TPCK/TLCK (100 microM) was added at 2h after gametogenesis, but no effect was observed with 1,10-phenanthroline (1mM). Our results suggest that proteolysis is important in both gametocyte activation and sexual development of P. berghei.     

Structure-activity relationship studies on 1-(5-carboxyindol-1-yl)-propan-2-one inhibitors of human cytosolic phospholipase A2α: variation of the activated ketone moiety

Indole-5-carboxylic acids with 3-aryloxy-2-oxopropyl residues in position 1 have been found to be potent inhibitors of human cytosolic phospholipase A₂α (cPLA₂α). In course of structure-activity relationship studies, we investigated the effect of the substitution of the electrophilic ketone group in the middle part of the molecule by other polar residues, such as hydroxyimino, azido, acyloxy, acylamino, urea and carbamate, on enzyme inhibition. With an IC₅₀ of 1.7 μM against cPLA₂α from human platelets, the 4-fluorophenylcarbamate derivative 23f was the most active of the compounds tested.     

New potent and selective polyfluoroalkyl ketone inhibitors of GVIA calcium-independent phospholipase A2

Group VIA calcium-independent phospholipase A₂ (GVIA iPLA₂) has recently emerged as an important pharmaceutical target. Selective and potent GVIA iPLA₂ inhibitors can be used to study its role in various neurological disorders. In the current work, we explore the significance of the introduction of a substituent in previously reported potent GVIA iPLA₂ inhibitors. 1,1,1,2,2-Pentafluoro-7-(4-methoxyphenyl)heptan-3-one (GK187) is the most potent and selective GVIA iPLA₂ inhibitor ever reported with a X_I(50) value of 0.0001, and with no significant inhibition against GIVA cPLA₂ or GV sPLA₂. We also compare the inhibition of two difluoromethyl ketones on GVIA iPLA₂, GIVA cPLA₂, and GV sPLA₂.     

Microwave-assisted Phospha-Michael addition reactions in the 13α-oestrone series and in vitro antiproliferative properties

Microwave-assisted phospha-Michael addition reactions were carried out in the 13α-oestrone series. The exocyclic 16-methylene-17-ketones as α,β-unsaturated ketones were reacted with secondary phosphine oxides as nucleophilic partners. The addition reactions furnished the two tertiary phosphine oxide diastereomers in high yields. The main product was the 16α-isomer. The antiproliferative activities of the newly synthesised organophosphorus compounds against a panel of nine human cancer cell lines were investigated by means of MTT assays. The most potent compound, the diphenylphosphine oxide derivative in the 3-O-methyl-13α-oestrone series (9), exerted selective cell growth-inhibitory activity against UPCI-SCC-131 and T47D cell lines with low micromolar IC₅₀ values. Moreover, it displayed good tumour selectivity property determined against non-cancerous mouse fibroblast cells.     

Molecular and biochemical characterization of benzalacetone synthase and chalcone synthase genes and their proteins from raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.)

Two new members of the polyketide synthase (PKS) gene family (RiPKS4 and RiPKS5) were cloned from raspberry fruits (Rubus idaeus L., cv Royalty) and expressed in Escherichia coli. Characterization of the recombinant enzyme products indicated that RiPKS4 is a bifunctional polyketide synthase producing both 4-hydroxybenzalacetone and naringenin chalcone. The recombinant RiPKS4 protein, like the native protein from raspberry fruits [W. Borejsza-Wysocki, G. Hrazdina, Plant Physiol. 1996;110: 791-799] accepted p-coumaryl-CoA and ferulyl-CoA as starter substrates and catalyzed the formation of both naringenin chalcone, 4-hydroxy-benzalacetone and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-benzalacetone. Although activity of RiPKS4 was higher with ferulyl-CoA than with p-coumaryl-CoA, the corresponding product, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylbutanone could not be detected in raspberries to date. Sequence analysis of the genes and proteins suggested that this feature of RiPKS4 was created by variation in the C-terminus due to DNA recombination at the 3′ region of its coding sequence. RiPKS5 is a typical chalcone synthase (CHS) that uses p-coumaryl-CoA only as starter substrate and produces naringenin chalcone exclusively as the reaction product.     

酮体代谢与阿尔茨海默病

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)是老年痴呆症的一种主要类型,也是神经退行性疾病中发病率最高的一种疾病.随着我国老龄人口的持续上升,AD患者人数也呈增长趋势.研究表明,脑内葡萄糖代谢的降低远早于β淀粉样沉淀发生,而酮体是脑内替代葡萄糖的主要能量来源.因此,脑中能量代谢底物转换为酮体是AD早期代谢特征.目前,AD病理进程中酮体调控的机制还不清楚.深入了解AD发生、发展过程中酮体代谢的分子机制,对于寻找AD早期诊断标志物、探索AD的防治方法具有重要意义.本文就酮体代谢及其在AD中的研究进展进行综述.     

Catalytic activity and arrangement of subunit polypeptides in rat liver cytochrome c oxidase as studied by proteolysis

Cytochrome c oxidase from rat liver was incubated with various proteinases of different specificities and the enzymic activity was measured after various incubation times. A loss of catalytic activity was found after digestion with proteinase K, aminopeptidase M and a mitochondrial proteinase from rat liver. In each case the decrease in enzymic activity was compared with the changes in intensities of the polypeptide pattern obtained after sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The susceptibilities of the subunit polypeptides of the soluble cytochrome c oxidase to proteinases were very different. Whereas subunit I was most susceptible, subunits V–VII were rather resistant to degradation. From the relative inaccessibility of subunits V–VII to proteinases it is likely that these polypeptides are buried in the interior of the enzyme complex.     

利用免疫组织化学及蛋白质组学对树莓提取物抑制大鼠肝癌机制的研究

目的：探讨树莓预防大鼠原发性肝癌增殖抑制和凋亡诱导作用,寻找树莓预防大鼠原发性肝癌的特异性蛋白质靶点。方法：利用二乙基亚硝胺（DEN）建立大鼠原发性肝癌动物模型;通过免疫组织化学方法研究树莓提取物对于大鼠原发性肝癌的预防效果和形态学变化,利用蛋白质组学研究树莓预防大鼠原发性肝癌的特异性蛋白质靶点。结果：树莓提取物能抑制PCNAJVEGF的表达,抑制细胞增殖,并诱导细胞凋亡。蛋白质组学差异分析表明：成瘤组大鼠血清在蛋白质峰2597．93M／Z,4513．88M／Z上与高剂量树莓干预组大鼠血清具有显著性差异（P〈0．05）。结论：树莓提取物可以抑制肝癌细胞PCNA的表达,从而抑制肝癌细胞的增殖;还可以诱导肝癌细胞凋亡;蛋白质峰2597．93M／Z及4513．88M／Z所表达蛋白为其特异性作用靶点。