Pentraxin-3 in Thrombolytic Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke: No Relation with Curative Effect and Prognosis.

BACKGROUND Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is considered a high quality inflammatory marker of the severity and prognosis of several diseases, however, the value of PTX3 in thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke remains unclear and PTX3 is still controversial in evaluating the prognosis of stroke patients. In this study, we investigated the association of PTX3 with thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty-seven stroke patients who received thrombolytic therapy within 4.5 hours after symptom onset were enrolled consecutively between July 2016 and June 2017. All the patients underwent multiphase CTA (computerized tomography angiography) or CT perfusion before thrombolysis with no indication for endovascular treatment. Initial and 24 hours of National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores and serum PTX3 level, stroke risk factors and predictors, and mRS (modified Rankin scale) at 3 months were collected prospectively. Predictors of thrombolytic therapy effect and long-term prognosis were investigated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS The 24 hour NIHSS score and the treatment time was associated with symptom improvement, while the PTX3 level had no association with neurological improvement and prognosis in stroke patients receiving thrombolytic therapy. CONCLUSIONS PTX3 is not suitable to serve as an indicator of thrombolytic efficacy and had no association with long-term prognosis in stroke patients receiving thrombolytic therapy.

[A new eremophilane derivative from Senecio dianthus].

A new eremophilane derivative, 4,5,11-trimethyl-9( 10), 7 ( 11) -eremophiladien-8-keto-12-carboxylic acid-beta-D-glucopyranoside( which named dianthuside A) 1 and four known compounds, 5,7,4'-trihydroxy-flavonone-3-0-beta-D-glucoside (2), quercetin-3-0-beta-D-glucoside(3) ,hyperin(4) and rutin(5) have been isolated from the aerial part of Senecio dianthus. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data analysis. Compounds 2, 4 and 5 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

[Chemical constituents of Paederia pertomentosa].

Five constituents were extracted from the aerial part of Paederia pertomentosa and isolated by column chromatography. Their structures were elucidated by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data analysis. The isolated compounds were identified as 1,2-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydroxyanthraquinone named as paederone (1), paederoside (2), deacetyl asperulosidic acid methyl ester (3), paederosidic acid (4) and methylpaederosidate (5). Compound 1 is a new compound which exhibits a significant inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Compounds 2-5 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Therapeutic Silencing of Bcl-2 by Systemically Administered siRNA Nanotherapeutics Inhibits Tumor Growth by Autophagy and Apoptosis and Enhances the Efficacy of Chemotherapy in Orthotopic Xenograft Models of ER (-) and ER (+) Breast Cancer.

Bcl-2 is overexpressed in about a half of human cancers and 50-70% of breast cancer patients, thereby conferring resistance to conventional therapies and making it an excellent therapeutic target. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) offers novel and powerful tools for specific gene silencing and molecularly targeted therapy. Here, we show that therapeutic silencing of Bcl-2 by systemically administered nanoliposomal (NL)-Bcl-2 siRNA (0.15 mg siRNA/kg, intravenous) twice a week leads to significant antitumor activity and suppression of growth in both estrogen receptor-negative (ER(-)) MDA-MB-231 and ER-positive (+) MCF7 breast tumors in orthotopic xenograft models (P < 0.05). A single intravenous injection of NL-Bcl-2-siRNA provided robust and persistent silencing of the target gene expression in xenograft tumors. NL-Bcl-2-siRNA treatment significantly increased the efficacy of chemotherapy when combined with doxorubicin in both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 animal models (P < 0.05). NL-Bcl-2-siRNA treatment-induced apoptosis and autophagic cell death, and inhibited cyclin D1, HIF1α and Src/Fak signaling in tumors. In conclusion, our data provide the first evidence that in vivo therapeutic targeting Bcl-2 by systemically administered nanoliposomal-siRNA significantly inhibits growth of both ER(-) and ER(+) breast tumors and enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy, suggesting that therapeutic silencing of Bcl-2 by siRNA is a viable approach in breast cancers.Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids (2013) 2, e121; doi:10.1038/mtna.2013.45; published online 10 September 2013.