Aberrant DNA Methylation Profile of Dickkopf-1 in Ankylosing Spondylitis.

In recent years, the impact of methylation modifications on Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) in relation to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has remained elusive. Our objective was to investigate the potential link between DKK1 methylation patterns and transcript levels and AS susceptibility. DNA methylation level of DKK1 was measured in 82 AS and 82 healthy controls (HCs) using targeted bisulfite sequencing. In addition, the transcript level of DKK1 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 35 AS patients and 35 HCs was detected using real-time quantitative transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Our study showed that the DKK1 was significantly hypomethylated in AS patients (P < 0.001). The Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed that DKK1 methylation may be a potential biomarker. The results showed that the difference in DKK1 transcript levels between AS and HCs was not statistically significant. Further analysis showed that DKK1 methylation levels were positively correlated with age and negatively correlated with C-reactive protein levels, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR). The methylation level of DKK1 in PBMC of AS patients was significantly lower than that of HCs, and DKK1 methylation may be associated with susceptibility to AS. In addition, DNA methylation levels of DKK1 were negatively correlated with the level of inflammation in AS patients.

DNA methylation and transcriptome signatures of the PDCD1 gene in ankylosing spondylitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an autoimmune-related inflammatory arthritis. The association between the DNA methylation and mRNA expression of PDCD1 gene with the susceptibility to AS remains unclear. In this case-control study, the methylation level of PDCD1 promoter was detected in 80 AS patients and 80 healthy controls by MethylTarget method. The transcriptional level of PDCD1 gene was measured in 47 AS patients and 47 healthy controls by real-time quantitative PCR. Finally, 17 methylation sites mapped to one CpG island were detected. Compared to healthy controls, the promoter of PDCD1 was hypermethylated (p < 0.001) and the mRNA expression was downregulated (p < 0.001) in AS patients. Significantly negative correlation was identified between the DNA methylation and mRNA expression of PDCD1 gene (rs = -0.470, p < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) results showed that PDCD1 island had a sensitivity of 61.3% and a specificity of 82.5%, and PDCD1 mRNA had a sensitivity of 87.2% and a specificity of 89.0%. The methylation level of PDCD1 was positively correlated with the ESR, CRP and ASDAS of AS, and was not affected by HLA-B27 status, gender or medicine intake.

Tea consumption and risk of lower respiratory tract infections: a two-sample mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have reported the association between tea consumption and the risk of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). However, a consensus has yet to be reached, and whether the observed association is driven by confounding factors or reverse causality remains unclear. METHOD: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to determine whether genetically predicted tea intake is causally associated with the risk of common LRTI subtypes. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) from UK Biobank was used to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with an extra cup of tea intake each day. The summary statistics for acute bronchitis, acute bronchiolitis, bronchiectasis, pneumonia, and influenza and pneumonia were derived from the FinnGen project. RESULTS: We found that genetically predicted an extra daily cup of tea intake was causally associated with the decreased risk of bronchiectasis [odds ratio (OR) = 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.47-0.78, P < 0.001], pneumonia (OR = 0.90, 95% CI = 0.85-0.96, P = 0.002), influenza and pneumonia (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.85-0.97, P = 0.002), but not with acute bronchitis (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.82-1.01, P = 0.067) and acute bronchiolitis (OR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.60-1.05, P = 0.100). Sensitivity analyses showed that no heterogeneity and pleiotropy could bias the results. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provided new evidence that genetically predicted an extra daily cup of tea intake may causally associated with a decreased risk of bronchiectasis, pneumonia, and influenza and pneumonia.

Research on the relationship between common metabolic syndrome and meteorological factors in Wuhu, a subtropical humid city of China.

As climate conditions deteriorate, human health faces a broader range of threats. This study aimed to determine the risk of death from metabolic syndrome (MetS) due to meteorological factors. We collected daily data from 2014 to 2020 in Wuhu City, including meteorological factors, environmental pollutants and death data of common MetS (hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes), as well as a total number of 15,272 MetS deaths. To examine the relationship between meteorological factors, air pollutants, and MetS mortality, we used a generalized additive model (GAM) combined with a distributed delay nonlinear model (DLNM) for time series analysis. The relationship between the above factors and death outcomes was preliminarily evaluated using Spearman analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM). As per out discovery, diurnal temperature range (DTR) and daily mean temperature (T mean) increased the MetS mortality risk notably. The ultra low DTR raised the MetS mortality risk upon the general people, with the highest RR value of 1.033 (95% CI: 1.002, 1.065) at lag day 14. In addition, T mean was also significantly associated with MetS death. The highest risk of ultra low and ultra high T mean occured on the same day (lag 14), RR values were 1.043 (95% CI: 1.010, 1.077) and 1.032 (95% CI: 1.003, 1.061) respectively. Stratified analysis's result showed lower DTR had a more pronounced effect on women and the elderly, and ultra low and high T mean was a risk factor for MetS mortality in women and men. The elderly need to take extra note of temperature changes, and different levels of T mean will increase the risk of death. In warm seasons, ultra high RH and T mean can increase the mortality rate of MetS patients.

mHealth apps for gestational diabetes mellitus that provide clinical decision support or artificial intelligence: A scoping review.

AIMS: Gestational diabetes (GDM) is the most common metabolic disorder of pregnancy, requiring complex management and empowerment of those affected. Mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps) are proposed for streamlining healthcare service delivery, extending care relationships into the community, and empowering those affected by prolonged medical disorders to be equal collaborators in their healthcare. This review investigates mHealth apps intended for use with GDM; specifically those powered by artificial intelligence (AI) or providing decision support. METHODS: A scoping review using the novel Survey Tool approach for collaborative literature Reviews (STaR) process was performed. RESULTS: From 18 papers, 11 discrete GDM-based mHealth apps were identified, but only 3 were reasonably mature with only one currently in use in a clinical setting. Two-thirds of the apps provided condition-relevant contextual user feedback that could aid in patient self care. However, although each app targeted one or more components of the GDM clinical pathway, no app addressed the entirety from diagnosis to postpartum. CONCLUSIONS: There are limited mHealth apps for GDM that incorporate AI or AI-based decision support. Many exist only to record patient information like blood glucose readings or diet, provide generic patient education or advice, or to reduce adverse events by providing medication or appointment alerts. Significant barriers remain that continue to limit the adoption of mHealth apps in clinical care settings. Further research and development are needed to deliver intelligent holistic mHealth apps using AI that can truly reduce healthcare resource use and improve outcomes by enabling patient self care in the community.

DNA Methylation and mRNA Expression of B7-H3 Gene in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common inflammatory arthritis, with a high prevalence in patients in their mid-20s. Its pathogenesis is not well understood; however, genetic factors likely play a critical role. Epigenetic DNA changes may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS. In this study, we explored the methylation and transcription levels of the B7-H3 gene and its association with AS in an eastern Chinese Han population. METHODS: Peripheral blood of AS patients and healthy controls was used to extract genomic DNA and B7-H3 methylation levels were analyzed using sodium bisulfite followed by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. SPSS software was used to determine the statistical significance of the results. RESULTS: Hypomethylation of the promoter of the B7-H3 gene was observed in AS patients, whereas the B7-H3 gene expression was significantly enhanced in AS patients. CONCLUSION: Epigenetic modifications of B7-H3 were associated with susceptibility to AS. Hypomethylation of the B7-H3 promoter, which leads to B7-H3 overexpression, may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS.

Short-term effect of meteorological factors on the risk of rheumatoid arthritis hospital admissions: A distributed lag non-linear analysis in Hefei, China.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, mainly characterized by erosional arthritis. The proportion of adults suffering from RA is about 0.5%-1%. There have been reports on the association of rainfall and traffic-related air pollutants with RA hospitalization rates. However, there have been no studies on the association of diurnal temperature range (DTR) and relative humidity (RH) with RA hospitalization rates. This study aimed to examine the short-term association of DTR, RH and other meteorological factors with the hospital admission rate of RA patients, while excluding the interference of PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO and O3 atmospheric pollutants. We collected daily RA occupancy rate and meteorological factor data in Hefei city from 2015 to 2018 and used the generalized additive model (GAM) combined with the distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) for time series analysis, and further stratified analysis by gender and age. Single-day and cumulative-day risk estimates of RA admissions were expressed as relative risk (RR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI). For the cumulative-day lag model, high RH was statistically significant after cumulative lag 0-8 days, and the effect gradually increases. Stratified analysis shows that females seem to be more susceptible to high or extremely high DTR and RH exposure, and extremely high DTR exposure may increase the risk of RA admission in all populations. In conclusion, this study found that high DTR and high RH exposure increased the risk of hospitalization in RA patients and provided clues to the potential association between other meteorological factors and RA.

DNA methylation and expression of LGR6 gene in ankylosing spondylitis: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the present research were to ascertain the relationship of Leucine-Rich Repeat-Containing G-Protein Coupled Receptors 6 (LGR6) methylation and transcript levels with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: Targeted bisulfite sequencing was applied to analyze LGR6 DNA methylation in 81 AS cases and 81 controls. Besides, the LGR6 transcription level of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 70 AS cases and 64 controls was measured utilizing quantitative real-time transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). RESULTS: The study detected the methylation levels of 43 sites in two CpG (cytosine-guanine dinucleotide) islands of LGR6 and found that LGR6 were significantly hypomethylated in AS patients (LGR6_1: P = 0.002; LGR6_2: P < 0.001). LGR6 transcript level was obviously reduced in AS (P = 0.001) and was positively related to DNA methylation level (CpG-1: P = 0.010; CpG-2: P = 0.007). Besides, the Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) exhibited good diagnostic performance of LGR6 methylation level (AUC = 0.676, 95% CI = 0.594-0.758, P < 0.001). Further subgroup analysis revealed that gender may affect the LGR6_1 methylation pattern. CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that LGR6 DNA methylation dysregulation may be involved in the pathogenesis of AS from an epigenetic perspective for the first time, with the aim of providing new directions for biomarker identification and treatment development for AS patients.

Association of Exposure to Heavy Metal Mixtures with Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index Among US Adults in NHANES 2011-2016.

In reality, people are often co-exposed to multiple heavy metals; however, current research has focused on the association between individual heavy metals and inflammation. Therefore, it is more relevant to explore the combined effects of multiple heavy metal exposure on inflammation. The study included data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2016. The systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) was used to reflect systemic immune-inflammation status. In this study, single variable models were used to assess the linear and non-linear relationships between single heavy metal exposures and SII. To analyze the combined effect of mixed heavy metals exposure on SII, we constructed three statistical models, including weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g computation (qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). The single-exposure analysis found positive associations between multiple heavy metals and SII, while mercury in blood was negatively associated with SII, and U-shaped correlations were observed between blood lead, urine barium and strontium, and SII. In the WQS model, SII increased significantly with increasing concentrations of mixed heavy metals, while consistent results in the qgcomp model, but not statistically significant. In the BKMR model, exposure to heavy metal mixtures was positively associated with SII, with mercury, cadmium, and cobalt in urine contributing the most to the mixed exposure. In addition, synergistic and antagonistic effects between heavy metals on increasing SII were found in our study. In summary, our results reveal that combined exposure to multiple heavy metals is positively associated with SII in the US adults.

Identification of a Novel Risk Model: A Five-Gene Prognostic Signature for Pancreatic Cancer.

Objective: Biomarkers for pancreatic cancer (PCa) prognosis provide evidence for improving the survival outcome of this disease. This study aimed to identify a prognostic risk model based on gene expression profiling of microarray bioinformatics analysis. Methods: Prognostic immune genes in the TCGA-PAAD cohort were identified using the univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Multivariate Cox regression (stepAIC) was used to identify prognostic genes from the top 20 hub genes in the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. A prognostic risk model was established and its performance in predicting the overall survival in PCa was validated in GSE62452. Gene mutations and infiltration immune cells in PCa tumors were analyzed using online databases. Results: Univariate Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses identified 128 prognostic genes. Multivariate Cox regression (stepAIC) identified five prognostic genes (PLCG1, MET, TNFSF10, CXCL9, and TLR3) out of the 20 hub genes in the PPI network. A prognostic risk model was established using the signature of five genes. This model had moderate to high accuracies (AUC > 0.700) in predicting 3-year and 5-year overall survival in TCGA and GSE62452 cohorts. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that high-risk scores were correlated with poor survival outcomes in PCa (p < 0.05). Also, mutations in the five genes were related to poor survival. The five genes were related to multiple immune cells. Conclusions: The prognostic risk model was significantly correlated with the survival in PCa patients. This model modulated PCa tumor progression and prognosis by regulating immune cell infiltration.

Common mineral nutrients in ankylosing spondylitis: A 2-sample Mendelian randomization study.

OBJECTIVE: The causal relationship between common mineral nutrients and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has not been studied. So this Mendelian randomization (MR) study aims to investigate the causal association of varying levels of calcium, zinc, copper, and selenium on AS. DESIGN: We selected 4 elements potentially associated with the onset and development of AS as exposure factors, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables, and these SNPs are independent of each other(r2 < 0.05) and highly correlated with each of the 4 elements (P < 5 × 10-8 ). The 2-sample MR method takes Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) and MR-Egger as the main method and Simple mode (SM), Weighted median (WM1 ), and Weighted mode (WM2 ) as supplementary methods to evaluate the causal effect of mineral levels on AS. RESULTS: The IVW analysis does not provide convincing evidence to support a causal association between calcium (odds ratio [OR] = 1.000, 95% CI = 0.994, 1.005, P = .875), copper (OR = 1.000, 95% CI = 1.000, 1.001, P = .533) and selenium (OR = 0.999, 95% CI = 0.998, 1.000, P = .229) and AS. The IVW (OR = 1.001, 95% CI = 1.000, 1.002, P = .029) and WM1 (OR = 1.001, 95% CI = 1.000, 1.002, P = .011) results of zinc show that per standard deviation increment in zinc is a suggestive association with risks of AS, and MR-Egger (OR = 1.004, 95% CI = 0.996, 1.013, P = .265) and other supplementary methods indicate that zinc is not causally associated with AS. All MR-Egger intercept parameters and MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier tests demonstrated the absence of horizontal pleiotropy. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not provide convincing evidence to support a causal correlation between calcium, zinc, copper, and selenium with AS.

Associations between IL-23R gene polymorphism (rs10889677 A/C) and ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility: A meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Autoimmune diseases are a kind of chronic diseases for which the immune system loses tolerance to autoantigens. This meta-analysis' purpose is to determine whether there exists a correlation between IL-23R polymorphism and common autoimmune diseases like ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS: We searched the relevant literatures up to September 2021 and used different effect models for meta-analysis. 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and odds ratio (OR) were used to determine the relationship between rs10889677 (A/C) polymorphism and AS as well as RA. Finally, to promote the reliability of results, the trial sequential analysis (TSA) has also been applied and we searched the data related to autoimmune diseases (AS, RA) on genome-wide association studies (GWAS). RESULTS: Generally, 31 studies were included. Rs10889677 (A/C) was significantly correlated with the susceptibility to AS and RA among the general individuals (p < .05). Moreover, there existed a relevance between allele A and AS as well as RA in Caucasians (p < .05). AA genotype increased the risk of autoimmune diseases in Mongolians. As a result, the robustness of meta-analysis has further been proved by TSA. CONCLUSION: IL-23R (rs10889677 A/C) A allele was a risk gene for AS and RA in the general population, especially in Caucasians. AA genotype increased the risk of AS and RA in Mongolians.

DNA methylation and transcriptional profiles of IRF5 gene in ankylosing spondylitis: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) plays an important role in the inflammation and immune responses, but its association with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is under investigated. We aimed to examine the association of IRF5 promoter methylation patterns and transcript levels with the susceptibility to AS. METHODS: A total of 60 AS patients and 60 healthy controls were included in this study. We used the bisulfite conversion to detect the DNA methylation pattern of IRF5 promoter in whole blood, and the quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to detect the relative mRNA expression level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). RESULTS: The overall methylation level of IRF5 promoter was lower in AS patients compared to healthy controls (P < 0.001). The methylation level of IRF5 promoter was negatively correlated with mRNA level (P = 0.005). The results of receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.810 (P < 0.001), and the sensitivity and specificity were 71.67% and 85.00%, respectively. There were significant differences between the severe dysfunction group and healthy control group, and between the mild dysfunction group and healthy control group (P = 0.006 and P < 0.001, respectively). Only CRP was significantly correlated with mRNA relative level, while the others were not significant. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that IRF5 methylation profile may be involved in the pathological process of AS, and that it may help identify AS patients.

Suppression of synuclein gamma inhibits the movability of endometrial carcinoma cells by PI3K/AKT/ERK signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Although overexpression of synuclein gamma (SNCG) has been reported in several cancers, few studies have been performed onSNCG in endometrial carcinomas. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the role of SNCG in the progression of endometrial carcinoma. METHODS: The expression pattern and function ofSNCG gene were analyzed using the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) datasets. Two vector types, containing either SNCG or negative control shRNAs, were used to evaluate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis using Cell Counting Kit 8, colony formation, flow cytometry, wound-healing, transwell, and invasion assays. The relative protein levels of N-cadherin, E-cadherin, vimentin, p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, p-ERK, and ERK were determined by western bloting. RESULTS: Our results revealed thatSNCG mRNA expression and SNCG protein levels in shRNA-treated SPEC2 cells were lower than in the negative control cells. Furthermore, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were significantly inhibited in SNCG shRNA-treated cells, but apoptosis was increased. The results of western blot analysis indicated that SNCG silencing reduced the protein levels of N-cadherin, vimentin, p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-ERK, but not those of total PI3K, AKT, and ERK. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, shRNA-mediated suppression of SNCG inhibited SPEC2 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted SPEC2 cell apoptosis, which was presumably accomplished via regulation of the PI3K/AKT/ERK signaling pathway.

[Simultaneous determination of beauvericin and four enniatins in eggs by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry coupled with cold-induced liquid-liquid extraction and dispersive solid phase extraction].

Enniatins (ENNs) and beauvericin (BEA), known as emerging mycotoxins, are the toxic secondary metabolites produced by various Fusarium species. Most grain and grain-based products are contaminated with ENNs and BEA. Animals have been exposed to ENNs and BEA primarily due to consumption of cereal grains and cereal by-products. ENNs and BEA have been detected in animal-derived food and human breast milk, and they pose significant threats to public health. Therefore, more contamination data are urgently needed for the risk assessment of ENNs and BEA present in animal-derived food. To ensure the quality of animal-derived food, a method has been developed for the simultaneous detection of five emerging mycotoxins (viz. enniatin B, enniatin B1, enniatin A, enniatin A1, and beauvericin) in eggs by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) coupled with cold-induced liquid-liquid extraction (CI-LLE) and dispersive solid phase extraction (DSPE). The main factors governing the response, recovery, and sensitivity of the method, such as the type of extraction solvent, the temperature and duration of cold treatment in CI-LLE, the type and dosages of adsorbents, and apparatus conditions and the type of mobile phase used, were optimized during sample pretreatment and instrument analysis. The mycotoxin residues in eggs were extracted using 20 mL acetonitrile-water-acetic acid (79∶20∶1, v/v/v) mixture for 20 min by the vortex shock method. After mixing, the mixture was frozen for 30 min in a freezer at -40 ℃ and centrifuged for 10 min at 10000 r/min. A 2 mL aliquot of the upper acetonitrile layer was purified by using 70 mg of C18 adsorbents. After whirling, the mixtures were centrifuged at 10000 r/min for 5 min. The purified solution was then concentrated to nearly dry in nitrogen atmosphere at 40 ℃. The residues were dissolved in 1.0 mL 80%(v/v) acetonitrile aqueous solution. The target analytes were separated on an ACQUITY UPLC BEH C18 chromatographic column (100 mm×2.1 mm, 1.7 µm) at a column temperature of 40 ℃, with a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The injection volume was 5 µL, and gradient elution was conducted using acetonitrile and 5 mmol/L ammonium formate solution as the mobile phases. Multiple reactions monitoring (MRM) was conducted in the positive electrospray ionization (ESI +) mode. The isotope internal standard method was used for quantification of BEA, and the matrix-matched external standard method was used for quantification of four ENNs. The results of the optimized method showed that the five analytes were completely separated by using the above-mentioned chromatographic column. Good linear relationships were obtained for the five mycotoxins in the concentration range of 0.1-50.0 µg/L; the correlation coefficient (r2) ranged from 0.9983 to 0.9997. The limits of detection (LODs) ranged from 0.05 to 0.15 µg/kg, while the limits of quantification (LOQs) ranged from 0.20 to 0.50 µg/kg. Accuracy and precision experiments were conducted by spiking egg samples with known amounts of analytes at three concentration levels (0.5, 5.0, and 25.0 µg/kg, in compliance with the current legislation) with six replicates. The average recoveries of the five analytes ranged from 81.1% to 106%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were between 0.27% and 9.79%. The matrix effects of the analytes were between 2.70% and 45.1% in egg samples after pretreatment by CI-LLE coupled with DSPE. The developed method was applied to the determination of five mycotoxins in rural eggs and commercial eggs. BEA was detected in most rural egg samples, with detection rates of 30.4%. None of the four ENN residues were detected. Therefore, we can conclude that the method described herein has the advantages of sensitivity, stabilization, accuracy, good recovery, and easy operation, and is suitable for the simultaneous and rapid determination of BEA and ENN residues in eggs.

Water-Assisted/Water-Accelerated Photoreaction of trans-2,3,4',5-Tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-ß-d-glucoside from the Roots of Polygonum multiflorum.

The photoreaction of 2,3,4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-ß-d-glucoside (TSG) has been investigated. Water-assisted/water-accelerated photodimerization of trans-TSG favored the formation of syn-head-to-tail [2 + 2] photocyclobutane under 365 nm irradiation as a result of hydrophobic association and a fluorescent solute-solute aggregate from their excited singlet states. In contrast, irradiation with 254 nm led to [2 + 2] photocycloreversion. The two cyclobutane dimers were first obtained through straightforward photoreaction and identified as multiflorumiside A and multiflorumiside C through the detailed analysis of high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. Therefore, trans-TSG should be protected from light and water.

Six New 9,19-Cycloartane Triterpenoids from Cimicifuga foetida L.

Six new 9,19-cycloartane triterpene derivatives, as well as 3 known analogues (7-9), were isolated from the roots of Cimicifuga foetida L. Their structures were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses (IR, UV, ORD, HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR).