Aspergilolide, a steroid lactone produced by an endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. MBL1612 isolated from Paeonia ostii.

A new steroid lactone aspergilolide (1), and nine known compounds helvolic acid (2), verruculogen (3), tryprostatin B (4), 13-oxofumitremorgin B (5), fumitremorgin C (6), demethoxy fumitremorgin C (7), terezine D (8), aszonalenin (9), 12, 13-dihydroxy-fumitremorgin C (10) from cultures of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. MBL1612. Their chemical structures were determined by a series of extensive spectroscopic methods. All of the compounds were isolated from this genus for the first time. The cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines of new compound were detected.

Aspergilates A to E, second metabolites from Aspergillus sp. isolated from Paeonia ostii.

Five novel globoscinic acid derivatives, aspergilates A-E (1-5) have been isolated from endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. derived from Paeonia ostii. The structures of aspergilates A-E were determined by in-depth analyses of NMR spectra, HRESIMS and CD experiments. The absolute configurations of compounds 2-5 were determined by the ECD calculations based on quantum chemistry. Cytotoxic activities against five selected tested tumor cell lines of 1-5 were evaluated.

[Application of high fibular osteotomy in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short-and mid-term curative effect of high fibular osteotomy on knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: From October 2014 to July 2016, 76 patients with knee osteoarthritis were treated with high fibular osteotomy. There were 22 males and 54 females, ranging in age from 47 to 82 years old, with an average of 61.62 years old. Internal tenderness of the knee joint was examined preoperatively. Preoperative examination showed medial knee pain and medial positive McMurray sign. Preoperative AP and lateral X-ray films of the weight-bearing side of the knee showed the narrowing of the medial space. The knee medial space, femoral and tibial angle, VAS pain score and the American Knee Society(AKS) score were evaluated after operation. RESULTS: Compared with the preoperative one, the postoperative knee medial gap was widened obviously. The femur and tibia angle after operation was bigger than that before surgery. The VAS was improved from preoperative 5.70±1.56, to 3.70±1.03 at the 1st week after operation, 3.20±0.95 at the 1st month after operation, 2.35±0.99 at the 3rd month after operation, and 2.10±0.97 at the 1st year after operation. According to the AKS score, the preoperative pain score of knee joint was 14.45±1.76, the activity score of knee joint was 12.60±1.98, and the stability score was 12.15±1.72; after operation, the above scores were improved to 42.60±2.28, 21.80±2.14, and 20.85±2.16 respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The high fibular osteotomy with less complications is simple. It can effectively alleviate the pain of the knee joint and improve the function of knee joint, and the clinical effect is satisfactory.

Synovial Fluid Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Levels Correlate with Severity of Self-Reported Pain in Knee Osteoarthritis Patients.

BACKGROUND Inflammation is considered as one of the main pathogeneses in OA-induced pain. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a well known pro-inflammatory cytokine. We aimed to determine whether MIF levels in serum and synovial fluid (SF) are associated with severity of OA-induced pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS We recruited 226 patients with knee OA and 106 controls. Self-reported pain severity of OA patients was evaluated using the Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) pain scores. MIF levels were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS OA patients had similar serum MIF levels compared to controls (11.93 [5.68-18.10] vs. 10.06 [6.60-14.61] ng/ml, P>0.05). In OA patients, MIF levels in SF were dramatically lower compared to paired serum samples (3.39 [1.87-5.89] vs. 11.93 [5.68-18.10] ng/ml, P<0.01). MIF levels in SF were significantly correlated with WOMAC pain scores (r=0.237, P<0.001), but MIF levels in serum had no significant correlation with WOMAC pain scores (r=0.009, P=0.898). CONCLUSIONS MIF levels in SF, but not in serum, were independently associated with the severity of self-reported pain in OA patients. The inhibition of MIF signaling pathways may be a novel therapeutic approach for ameliorating OA-induced pain.