seco-iridoid glycosides and flavonoid glycosides from the Gentiana olivieri Griseb and their anti-inflammatory activities.

Three undescribed seco-iridoid glycosides, one undescribed flavonoid glycoside, and three known glycosides were isolated and identified from Gentiana olivieri Griseb. The structures of these compounds were determined through spectroscopic analysis and ECD calculations. Olivierisecosides NP (1-3) were identified as aromatic conjugated seco-iridoid glucosides, among them olivierisecoside N was representing a particularly rare subtype known as the morroniside seco-iridoids. The compounds 2, 3, 5, and 6 exhibited significant inhibition of COX-2 expression, particularly compound 5 which demonstrated the most pronounced inhibitory activity with IC50 value of 23.33 ± 0.51 µM. This study provides evidence for the potential development and utilization of G. olivieri as a source of anti-inflammatory components.

Monoterpenoid derivatives from Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. and their bioactivities.

Six undescribed monoterpenoids, together with twelve known compounds were isolated and identified from Hyssopus cuspidatus Boriss. Their structures were established by spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations were established by ECD calculations and single-crystal X-ray diffraction crystallography. The isolated compounds were tested for their anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antitumor activities. Most of the compounds showed potent anti-inflammatory activities. Among them, 3ß-hydroxy-7,8-dihydro-ß-ionone (8), oleanolic acid (17) and acetylpleamolic acid (18) showed strong anti-inflammatory activity against IL-6 and TNF-α in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Several compounds showed moderate inhibitory activities against Staphylococcus aureus, Candida albicans, and Escherichia coli. And (4S)-p-menth-l-ene-7,8-diol 8-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside (16) showed antitumor activities against MCF-8 and HT-29 cell lines with IC50 values of 93.39 ± 3.69 and 71.89 ± 2.94 µM, respectively. Oleanolic acid (17) showed moderate antitumor activity against HT-29 cell lines with an IC50 value of 52.62 ± 1.63 µM. In this study, the discovery of anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antitumor components from H. cuspidatus could benefit further development and utilization of this plant.

Hybrid Lead Iodide Perovskites with Mixed Cations of Thiourea and Methylamine, From One Dimension to Three Dimensions.

Hybrid halide perovskites featuring as new materials of high-performance solar cells have attracted great research interest. The temperature-dependent dimensional transition of halide perovskites is a crucial handle in the preparation of perovskite films. Only the small cations of methylammonium (MA) or formamidinium (FA) have been involved for most of the dimensional transition materials. In this work, thiourea (tu) is introduced into hybrid halide materials. A new series of 1D ribbonlike hybrid lead iodides with tu and MA cations are reported that were crystallographically characterized as MAn(Htu)n+1PbnI4n+1 (n = 1-4 denoted as 1-4, respectively; in 1, MA is replaced by tu). The width of the perovskite ribbon increases from one PbI6 octahedron to four corner-fused octahedra. Compounds 2 and 3 can be turned into a black 3D perovskite after annealing. This is an unusual mixed MA-tu hybrid halide perovskite system, in which the tu molecule plays an important role in manipulating the dimensions and their photoconductive properties. Scanning electron microscopy of the blackened sample shows that there are a lot of regular vent holes on the smooth crystal surface with sizes of hundreds of nanometers. The tunable structures and porous crystals might be advantageous in the sense of material modulation.

The Efficacy and Safety of High-dose Daptomycin in the Treatment of Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Asians.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of standard-dose (SD) daptomycin with those of high-dose (HD) daptomycin in complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) in an Asian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients from three medical centers diagnosed with cSSTIs were screened in the clinical information system. Patients included in the analysis were divided into two groups: those who received daptomycin at doses ≥ 6 mg/kg (HD group) and those receiving 4 mg/kg (SD group). The demographics and clinical treatment information were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 155 patients were recruited, including 108 patients in the SD group and 47 patients in the HD group. The rate of healthcare-associated infections was higher in the HD group (61.70% vs. 37.04%), demonstrating a statistically significant difference (P = 0.005). Compared with the SD group, the HD group had statistically significant early clinical stabilization (72.34% vs 52.78%, P = 0.023). The results of the multivariate analysis indicated that HD daptomycin was an independent effector for early clinical stabilization (HR=0.394, P < 0.001). The rate of drug-related adverse events was equally distributed in the HD and SD groups (36.17% vs. 26.85%, P = 0.243). CONCLUSION: Compared with SD daptomycin, HD daptomycin increased the rate of early clinical stabilization in Asian patients with cSSTIs, whereas the incidence of adverse events did not increase.

Meta-analysis of IL-17 inhibitors in two populations of rheumatoid arthritis patients: biologic-naïve or tumor necrosis factor inhibitor inadequate responders.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of interleukin 17 (IL-17) inhibitors in two rheumatoid arthritis (RA) populations: biologic-naïve or tumor necrosis factor inhibitor inadequate responders (TNF-IR). METHOD: A systematic search was performed in major electronic databases to identify relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reporting the American College of Rheumatology 20% (ACR20), ACR50, ACR70 responses and adverse events (AEs) of IL-17 inhibitors versus placebo in patients with RA. We divided these patients into two subgroups: biologic-naïve or TNF-IR. The meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 software. Results were expressed as risk ratio (RR) with pertinent 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: Ten studies with a total of 2499 patients were included. For biologic-naïve patients, ACR50 and ACR70 responses were significantly better with IL-17 inhibitors than placebo (RR = 1.71, 95% CI 1.23-2.38, P = 0.001 and RR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.10-6.25, P = 0.03, respectively), but ACR20 responses for IL-17 inhibitors were not statistically superior to placebo (RR = 1.34, 95% CI 0.94-1.91, P = 0.11). For TNF-IR, IL-17 inhibitors were effective in achieving ACR20 (RR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.40-2.00, P < 0.00001), ACR50 (RR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.43-2.63, P < 0.0001), and ACR70 (RR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.26-3.55, P = 0.005) compared to placebo. In the safety analysis, IL-17 inhibitors did not show increased risk of any AEs by comparing to placebo in both biologic-naïve patients and TNF-IR. CONCLUSION: IL-17 inhibitors were effective in the treatment of RA without increased risk of AEs, whether for biologic-naïve patients or TNF-IR. Key Points • In this meta-analysis comparing IL-17 inhibitors with placebo in 2499 rheumatoid arthritis patients, IL-17 inhibitors improved ACR50 and ACR70, but not ACR20, responses in biologic-naïve patients. • IL-17 inhibitors improved ACR20, ACR50, and ACR70 responses in tumor necrosis factor inhibitor inadequate responders.

Perfect Self-Assembling of One-Dimensional Lead Iodides with Tetrahedral Cu4I6S4 Clusters: A High-Symmetry Cubic Packing.

Hybrid perovskites are attractive for their applications in photovoltaic devices. We synthesized a novel 1-D hybrid lead iodide, (tu)2Cu2PbI4, in which 1-D PbI3 chains are tetrahedrally orientated to form a crystal lattice with high-symmetry cubic space group Ia3̅ d (No. 230). Optoelectronic and fluorescence properties are studied.

An MOF-like Interpenetrated 2D Plus 2D to 3D Inorganic Grid Assembled by Linear Inorganic Pillars, Structures, and Properties in Supercapacitance.

Remarkable progresses regarding pure inorganic frameworks and metal-organic frameworks (MOF) have been made. However, pure inorganic frameworks with MOF-like grid structures are rarely reported due to the weakness of inorganic moiety as a long linear linker. We report herein a fascinating inorganic framework assembled by a [Ge4S10]4- cluster node and a linear [-Cu-MS4-Cu-] (M = Mo (1) and W (2)) inorganic pillar. Their network shows MOF-like orthogonal structure with two interpenetrated two-dimensional (2D) plus 2D to 3D framework and a 1D nano tunnel. Electrodes with crystalline sample of 1 and 2, inorganic sulfide framework, were prepared, and their quasi-capacitance behaviors were investigated. Electrochemical performances were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge-discharge techniques in CsOH, KOH, NaOH, and LiOH electrolytes. The results revealed that the crystal materials exhibit moderate specific capacitance values that are comparable to those of porous sulfide materials.

Efficacy of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for extra-articular manifestations in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy on the frequency of extra-articular manifestations (EAMs) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). METHODS: We searched with the terms 'ankylosing spondylitis', 'infliximab', 'etanercept', 'adalimumab', 'golimumab', 'certolizumab', 'TNF inhibitor/blocker/antagonists' or 'anti-TNF' on MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ≥ 12 weeks with parallel or crossover design of TNF inhibitor versus placebo to treat uveitis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and/or psoriasis of AS, published before February 2014. RESULTS: We found 8 RCTs that fit our criteria. Anti-TNF therapy was associated with less uveitis than placebo in patients with AS (OR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.81, P = 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed receptor fusion proteins were more efficacious for uveitis than placebo (OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.09-0.94, P = 0.04), but monoclonal antibodies were not (OR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.12-1.49, P = 0.18). Anti-TNF therapy and placebo group did not significantly differ in treating IBD in AS patients (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.25-2.29, P = 0.61). In subgroup analysis, neither monoclonal antibodies (OR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.10-1.92, P = 0.28) nor receptor fusion proteins (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 0.25-9.25, P = 0.65) significantly differed from placebo in treating IBD. We found no suitable reports on psoriasis. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-TNF therapy was preventive for flares or new onset of uveitis in AS patients, and might be an alternative for these patients. However, monoclonal anti-TNF antibodies and TNF receptor fusion proteins were not efficacious for IBD in AS patients.

[Quality assessment of Liuwei Wuling tablet by HPLC fingerprint and quantitative analysis].

Reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector was employed for simultaneous determination of six components and specific chromatograms analysis in Liuwei Wuling tablets with gradient elution of acetonitrile and water containing 0.1% phosphoric acid as mobile phase. The results showed that six components containing specnuezhenide, phillyrin, schisandrin, schisantherin A, schizandrin A and schizandrin B were separated well under the analytical condition. The average recoveries ranged from 98.96% to 100.5% with RSD less than 2. 0%. Twenty-five common peaks were selected as the specific chromatograms of Liuwei Wuling tablets with schisantherin A as the reference peak. Similarities calculated by cosine of angle, correlation coefficient and peak area ratio similarity (PAR) were all above 0. 95, indicating a good similarity between the reference and twenty batches of samples. Grubbs test and cluster analysis indicated that the established HPLC fingerprints and HPLC quantitative analysis can be used efficiently in the quality control of Liuwei Wuling tablets.

[Effects of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction on blood lipid metabolism and its related gene expressions in rats with hyperlipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HJD), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on lipid metabolism and its related gene expressions in rats with hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group, untreated group, Lipitor (atorvastatin) group, and low- and high-dose HJD groups. Except the normal control group, rats in the other groups were fed with high-fat diet to induce hyperlipidemia. Then the rats were administered with corresponding drugs for 8 weeks. After treatment, the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were assayed. The activities of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) in liver tissues were measured. Low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) mRNA expressions in liver tissues were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: Compared with the normal control group, the levels of serum TC, TAG and LDL-C in the untreated group were increased and the level of serum HDL-C was reduced. The activities of LPL and HL and expressions of LDLR and PPARgamma mRNAs in the untreated group were lower than those in the normal control group. After treatment, high-dose HJD significantly improved hyperlipemia by decreasing TC, TAG and LDL-C and increasing HDL-C. The activities of LPL and HL and expression levels of LDLR and PPARgamma mRNAs in liver tissues were also markedly enhanced in the high-dose HJD group as compared with those in the untreated group. CONCLUSION: HJD can activate the activity of lipid metabolism enzyme, and enhance the expressions of LDLR and PPARgamma mRNAs to modulate the lipid metabolic disorders in rats with hyperlipidemia.