Exploring the chemical diversity of sesquiterpenes from the rarely studied south China sea soft coral Sinularia tumulosa assisted by molecular networking strategy.

Molecular networking strategy-based prioritization of the isolation of the rarely studied soft coral Sinularia tumulosa yielded 14 sesquiterpenes. These isolated constituents consisted of nine different types of carbon frameworks, namely asteriscane, humulane, capillosane, seco-asteriscane, guaiane, dumortane, cadinane, farnesane, and benzofarnesane. Among them, situmulosaols A-C (1, 3 and 4) were previously undescribed ones, whose structures with absolute configurations were established by the combination of extensive spectral data analyses, quantum mechanical-nuclear magnetic resonance and time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism calculations, the Snatzke's method, and the modified Mosher's method. Notably, situmulosaol C (4) was the second member of capillosane-type sesquiterpenes. The plausible biogenetic relationships of these skeletally different sesquiterpenes were proposed. All sesquiterpenoids were evaluated for their antibacterial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects. The bioassay results showed compound 14 exhibited significant antibacterial activities against a variety of fish and human pathogenic bacteria with MIC90 values ranging from 3.6 to 33.8 µg/mL. Moreover, moderate cytotoxic effects against HEL cells for components 13 and 14 and moderate inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells for substance 13 were also observed.

Nine New Antibacterial Diterpenes and Steroids from the South China Sea Soft Coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault.

Five new cembrane-type diterpenes, lobocalines A-E (1-5), and four new steroids, lobocaloids A-D (9-12), along with six known related compounds (6-8 and 13-15) were isolated from the Yalong Bay soft coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations, X-ray diffraction analyses and comparison with the reported spectroscopic data of known compounds. Further, with the aid of X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of lobocrasol B (15) was firmly revised as 15a. In in vitro bioassays, compound 2 showed moderate antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8.7 and 17.3 µg/mL, respectively. All the steroids exhibited antibacterial activities against the S. parauberis KSP28 with MIC values ranging from 12.3 to 53.6 µg/mL. Compounds 2, 7 and 14 have remarkable inhibitory effects on the hemolysin production of Staphylococcus aureus, while compounds 8-12 have medium inhibitory effects on the pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Intention of donors to re-donate livers after living donor liver transplantation in a liver transplant center in Asia.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to examine donor complications, satisfaction with the liver donation process, and factors associated with re-donation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To address these issues, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess donor complications and used questionnaires (including the Likert scale for donation satisfaction and simple yes/no responses for willingness to re-donate) in 110 adults who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) at Tri-Service General Hospital. The following clinical characteristics were determined: donation volume; first-degree relative; education; duration of hospital stay; occupation (donor-associated); MELD score; Child classification; complications; outcome (recipient-associated); and graft/recipient weight ratio (donor-recipient-associated). Descriptive statistics and mean values were compared using t-tests and p values <0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: Twelve donors among 110 participants experienced complications above Clavien grade II. No surgical mortalities were observed. There were no differences in age, gender, left/right liver graft, donation volume, length of hospital stay, or satisfaction in donor complications. Ninety-four donors had satisfaction (score=4 and 5) about the donation process and no dissatisfaction was reported (score=1). Based on multivariate analysis, the intention to re-donate among liver donors was related to first-degree relatives, donor satisfaction, and recipient complications (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with a willingness to re-donate included first-degree relatives of the recipient, donor satisfaction with the donation process, and recipient complications. This study not only showed the safety of liver donation, but also had a positive effect on the intention to re-donate to enhance motivation for liver donation and increase the recruitment of living liver donors.

Distilled water peritoneal lavage in patients with rupture hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Intra-peritoneal lavage is well known and used in intra-peritoneal malignancy However, the clinical role for patients with rupture of HCC has not yet been established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of intraoperative peritoneal lavage for patients with rupture of HCC. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective study of operative findings, other factors, and outcome was performed in 66 patients with rupture of HCC who underwent distilled water peritoneal lavage (DWPL) during hepatectomy. RESULTS: There was a trend towards a higher intra-peritoneal, extra-hepatic recurrence rate in patients without DWPL. Patients who underwent DWPL had a significantly better 5-year disease-free survival rate than control group, 11.5±4.6 months and 30.2±8.4 months (p=0.018), respectively, and better overall survival rate, 21.7±6.2 months, than control group, 57.3±11.2 months (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: DWPL during liver resection retards tumor recurrence and improves the intraoperative survival rate in patients with spontaneously ruptured HCC.

Acute appendicitis with superior mesenteric vein septic thrombophlebitis.

Septic thrombophlebitis of the superior mesenteric vein (SMV) is rarely caused by acute appendicitis. The clinical symptoms of SMV thrombophlebitis are varied and atypical, so the diagnosis is commonly delayed, resulting in a reported mortality rate of 30%-50%. We report a case of SMV septic thrombophlebitis caused by acute appendicitis in which the patient was successfully treated with surgical intervention, appropriate antibiotics, and anticoagulation therapy. A follow-up abdominal computed tomography scan after 3 months of treatment showed that the SMV thrombosis had been resolved.