Normal development of the fetal spinal canal and spinal cord at T12 on 3.0-T MRI.

BACKGROUND: The studies that described the dimensions of the normal fetal thoracic spinal canal and spinal cord on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are scarce. PURPOSE: To determine the normal appearance of the fetal spinal canal and spinal cord at T12 across different gestational ages using 3.0-T MRI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The spines of 43 normal human fetuses, aged 15-40 weeks, were scanned by 3.0-T MRI. All specimens were scanned using a GE 3.0-T MRI scanner. Imaging of the T12 vertebrae was performed in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes. The anterior-posterior (AP) diameter, width, and cross-sectional area of the spinal canal and spinal cord at T12 were measured. The influence of gestational age on these parameters was investigated with a scatter plot and linear regression analysis using Pearson correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The normal morphology of the fetal vertebra at T12 can be clearly showed by MRI; the spinal canal appeared circular, while the spinal cord was ellipsoid. Linear regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the AP diameter, width, and cross-sectional area of the spinal canal at T12 and gestational age. CONCLUSION: Postmortem MRI is a reliable method for understanding the growth dynamics of the spinal canal and spinal cord at T12. Findings from this study would benefit the prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations by MRI.

Three new sesquiterpenes from the stems of Nicotiana tabacum and their bioactivities.

Three new sesquiterpenes, methyl 4-isopropyl-7-methoxy-6-methylnaphthalene-1-carboxylate (1), methyl 2-hydroxy-4-isopropyl-7-methoxy-6-methylnaphthalene-1-carboxylate (2), and methyl 2-hydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-4-isopropyl-7-methoxynaphthalene-1-carboxylate (3), together with three known sesquiterpenes (4-6), were isolated from the stems of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were determined by means of HRESIMS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies. The results showed that compounds 2, 3, and 5 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates of 33.6, 35.8, and 36.7%. Compounds 1-6 showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumor cell lines (NB4, A549, SHSY5Y, PC3, and MCF7) with IC50 values in the range of 6.7-9.6 µM.

A phase II study of apatinib in patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Antiangiogenic treatments have been implicated to play a major role in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Apatinib, a novel oral antiangiogenic agent targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR2), is currently being studied in different tumor types and is already used in gastric adenocarcinoma. This study was performed to assess the efficacy and safety of apatinib in patients with recurrent, pretreated EOC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with recurrent, platinum-resistant, pre-treated EOC who failed available standard chemotherapy were enrolled. Apatinib was administered as 500mg daily. Primary objective is the overall response rate (ORR) according to MASS criteria. Secondary objectives are progression free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), disease control rate (DCR), safety and tolerability. The treatment duration is until disease progression or intolerability of apatinib. RESULTS: 29 eligible patients were enrolled in this multicenter, open-label, single arm study and received apatinib for a median of 36.8weeks (range 13-64.8weeks). Median follow-up time was 12months. 28 patients were eligible for efficacy analysis. ORR is 41.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 23.3%-59.4%). DCR is 68.9% (95% CI, 52.1%-85.8%). Median PFS is 5.1months (95% CI, 3.8m-6.5m). Median OS is 14.5months (95% CI, 12.4m-16.4m). The most common treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were hand-foot syndrome (51.7%), hypertension (34.6%), nausea and vomiting (31.0%). 3 patients had no significant toxicity. 9 patients experienced grade 3 treatment-related AEs. CONCLUSIONS: Apatinib 500mg daily p.o. is a feasible treatment in patients with recurrent, platinum-resistant, pretreated EOC. Multi-center prospective studies enrolling more patients are needed.

Three new benzolactones from Lavandula angustifolia and their bioactivities.

Three new benzolactones (1-3), together with four known ones (4-7), were isolated from the whole herb of Lavandula angustifolia. Their structures were established on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis (1D- and 2D-NMR, HRESIMS, UV, and IR) and comparison with data reported in the literature. New compounds were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activities and cytotoxic activities. The results revealed that compounds 1-3 showed obvious anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 26.9, 30.2, and 28.4%, which were at the same grade as positive control. Compounds 1-3 also showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumor cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 32.1-7.6 µM.

Flavones from Cassia siamea and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activity.

Two new flavones, siameflavones A and B (1 and 2), together with five known flavones (3-7) were isolated from the stem of Cassia siamea. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1-5 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (Anti-TMV) activity. The results showed that compounds 1-5 showed weak anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates in the range of 11.6-18.5%.

Investigating river pollution flowing into Dianchi Lake using a combination of GC-MS analysis and toxicological tests.

Due to the presence of various harmful compounds in polluted water, toxicological tests should be combined to evaluate whether a body of water is polluted. The water quality of four rivers flowing into Dianchi Lake, which is well known for its heavy and lasting pollution, was investigated in this study using a combination of GC-MS analysis and cytotoxicity and mutagenicity tests. GC-MS analysis showed that the rivers investigated contained a variety of chemicals and suggested that severe water pollution existed. In addition, the water obtained from the four rivers induced acute cytotoxicity in CHO cells and dose-dependent mutagenicity in four Salmonella typhimurium strains (TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102). The integration of GC-MS analysis and short-term in vitro toxicological tests might be a valuable approach that can be used to monitor the health hazards that may result from water pollution.

In vitro micronucleus assay for the analysis of total particulate matter in cigarette smoke: comparison of flow cytometry and laser scanning cytometry with microscopy.

The possible genotoxicity of the total particulate matter (TPM) in cigarette smoke has typically been evaluated using the in vitro micronucleus assay. In recent years, automated scoring techniques have been developed to replace the manual counting process in this assay. However, these automated scoring techniques have not been applied in routine genotoxicity assays for the analysis of TPM to improve the assay efficiency. Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells were treated with TPM produced from 14 types of cigarettes at five concentrations (25-200µg/ml) without exogenous metabolic activation. The three following methods were used to score the micronucleus (MN) frequency: (a) flow cytometry with SYTOX and EMA dyes, which differentially stain micronuclei and apoptotic/necrotic chromatin to enhance assay reliability; (b) laser scanning cytometry with FITC and PI dyes, which is a system that combines the analytical capabilities of flow and image cytometry; and (c) visual microcopy with Giemsa dye. The test results obtained using the three methods were compared using correlation analysis. The key findings for this set of compounds include the following: (a) both flow cytometry- and laser scanning cytometry-based methods were effective for MN identification, (b) the three scoring methods could detect dose-dependent micronucleus formation for the 14 types of TPM, and (c) the MN frequencies that were measured in the same samples by flow cytometry, laser scanning cytometry, and visual microscopy were highly correlated, and there were no significant differences (p>0.05). In conclusion, both flow cytometry and laser scanning cytometry can be used to evaluate the MN frequency induced by TPM without exogenous metabolic activation. The simpler and faster processing and the high correlation of the results make these two automatic methods appropriate tools for use in in vitro micronucleus assays for the analysis of TPM using CHO cells.

Phenolic compounds from Nicotiana tabacum and their biological activities.

Three new phenolic compounds, nicotphenols A-C (1-3), together with 14 known phenols (4-17), were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1-3 were tested for their anti-HIV-1 activities and cytotoxicities. They all showed significant cytotoxic abilities and modest anti-HIV-1 activities, respectively.

Bis(azido-κN)bis-[6-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine-κ(2)N(1),N(6)]manganese(II).

In the title complex, [Mn(N(3))(2)(C(8)H(8)N(6))(2)], the complete molecule is generated by the application of twofold symmetry, and is in a distorted octa-hedral environment, coordinated by four N atoms of two bidentate 6-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine ligands and two N atoms from two azide anions. The two chelated 6-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine ligands form a dihedral angle 74.75 (5)°. The mononuclear mol-ecules are alternatively linked into layers parallel to the ac plane via N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds. Adjacent layers are connected into a three-dimensional supra-molecular framework by futher N-H⋯N hydrogen-bonding inter-actions.

Genetic variations in the bitter taste receptor gene TAS2R38 are related to cigarette smoking behavior in Han Chinese smokers.

BACKGROUND: Smoking behavior is influenced by multiple genes, including the bitter taste gene TAS2R38. It has been reported that the correlation between TAS2R38 and smoking behavior has ethnicity-based differences. However, the TAS2R38 status in Chinese smokers is still unclear. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the possible relationship between genetic variations in TAS2R38 (A49P, V262A and I296V) and smoking behaviors in the Han Chinese population. METHODS: The haplotype analyses were performed and smoking behavior questionnaire was completed by 1271 individuals. Genetic association analyses for smoking behavior were analyzed using chi-square test. Further, for investigating the molecular mechanism of TAS2R38 variants effect on smoking behavior, we conducted TAS2R38-PAV and TAS2R38-AVI expression plasmids and tested the cellular calcium assay by cigarette smoke compounds stimulus in HEK293. RESULTS: Significant associations of genetic variants within TAS2R38 were identified with smoking behavior. We found a higher PAV/PAV frequency than AVI/AVI in moderate and high nicotine dependence (FTND ≥ 4; X2 = 4.611, 1 df, p = 0.032) and strong cigarette smoke flavor intensity preference (X2 = 4.5383, 1 df, p = 0.033) in participants. Furthermore, in the in vitro cellular calcium assay, total particle matter (TPM), N-formylnornicotine and cotinine, existing in cigarette smoke, activated TAS2R38-PAV but not TAS2R38-AVI-transfected cells. CONCLUSION: Our data highlights that genetic variations in TAS2R38 are related to smoking behavior, especially nicotine dependence and cigarette smoke flavor intensity preference. Our findings may encourage further consideration of the taste process to identify individuals susceptible to nicotine dependence, particularly Han Chinese smokers.

Nutrigenomics reveals potential genetic underpinning of diverse taste preference of Chinese men.

BACKGROUND: Taste preference varies geographically in China. However, studies on Chinese people's taste preference in different regions of China are limited, and are lack of research on the mechanism of differences in taste preference, especially in genetics. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the characteristics of taste preference of Chinese men, and estimate whether diverse taste preference in Chinese have genetic underpinning. METHODS: We conducted a questionnaire survey on taste preferences on 1076 males from 10 regions of China, and collected another 1427 males from the same regions which genotyped by microarray. We compared the correlation between different taste preference, and evaluated the correlation between the mutation frequency of inhouse database and different taste preference. The putative taste-preference-related genes were further utilized to estimate the candidate relationship on gene and gene network in different taste preference. RESULTS: There was a correlation between different taste preferences in Chinese men. We found 31 SNPs associated with 6 kind of taste preferences. These SNPs located within or nearby 36 genes, and the tastes associated with 4 of these genes (TRPV1, AGT, ASIC2 and GLP1R) are consistent with the previous studies. Moreover, in different tastes which were suggested to be associated with each other, some putative related genes were the same or in the same gene network, such as pathways related with blood pressure, response to stimulus and nervous system. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the diverse taste preference of Chinese men may have genetic underpinning.

Genome-Wide Association Study of Smoking Behavior Traits in a Chinese Han Population.

Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable disease worldwide. Genetic studies have elucidated numerous smoking-associated risk loci in American and European populations. However, genetic determinants for cigarette smoking in Chinese populations are under investigated. In this study, a whole-genome sequencing (WGS)-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed in a Chinese Han population comprising 620 smokers and 564 nonsmokers. Thirteen single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the raftlin lipid linker 1 (RFTN1) gene achieved genome-wide significance levels (P < 5 x 10-8) for smoking initiation. The rs139753473 from RFTN1 and six other suggestively significant loci from CUB and sushi multiple domains 1 (CSMD1) gene were also associated with cigarettes per day (CPD) in an independent Chinese sample consisting of 1,329 subjects (805 smokers and 524 nonsmokers). When treating males separately, associations between smoking initiation and PCAT5/ANKRD30A, two genes involved in cancer development, were identified and replicated. Within RFTN1, two haplotypes (i.e., C-A-C-G and A-G-T-C) formed by rs796812630-rs796584733-rs796349027-rs879511366 and three haplotypes (i.e., T-T-C-C-C, T-T-A-T-T, and C-A-A-T-T) formed by rs879401109-rs879453873-rs75180423-rs541378415-rs796757175 were strongly associated with smoking initiation. In addition, we also revealed two haplotypes (i.e., C-A-G-G and T-C-T-T derived from rs4875371-rs4875372-rs17070935-rs11991366) in the CSMD1 gene showing a significant association with smoking initiation. Further bioinformatics functional assessment suggested that RFTN1 may participate in smoking behavior through modulating immune responses or interactions with the glucocorticoid receptor alpha and the androgen receptor. Together, our results may help understand the mechanisms underlying smoking behavior in the Chinese Han population.

Differences between the binding modes of enantiomers S/R-nicotine to acetylcholinesterase.

Nicotine causes neurotoxic effects because it quickly penetrates the blood-brain barrier after entering the human body. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a key enzyme in the central and peripheral nervous system associated with neurotoxicity. In this study, a spectroscopic method and computer simulation were applied to explore the mode of interaction between AChE and enantiomers of nicotine (S/R-nicotine). Fluorescence spectroscopy showed that the quenching mechanism of endogenous fluorescence of AChE by S/R-nicotine was static, as confirmed by the time-resolved steady-state fluorescence. The binding strength of both nicotine to AChE was weak (S-AChE: K a = 80.06 L mol-1, R-AChE: K a = 173.75 L mol-1). The main driving forces of S-AChE system interaction process were van der Waals force and hydrogen bonding, whereas that of R-AChE system was electrostatic force. Computer simulations showed that there were other important forces involved. S/R-Nicotine had a major binding site on AChE, and molecular docking showed that they bound mainly to the cavities enclosed by the active sites (ES, PAS, OH, AACS, and AP) in the protein. UV-vis spectroscopy and 3D spectroscopy indicated that nicotine significantly affected the microenvironment of Trp amino acids in AChE. The CD spectra indicated that S-nicotine increased the α-helical structure of AChE, but the overall conformation did not change significantly. By contrast, R-nicotine significantly changed the secondary structure of AChE. 5,5'-Dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid (DTNB) method indicated that S and R nicotine produced different degrees of inhibition on the catalytic activity of AChE. Both experimental methods and computer simulations showed that R-nicotine had a significantly higher effect on AChE than S-nicotine. This research comprehensively and systematically analyzed the mode of interaction between nicotine and AChE for neurotoxicity assessment.

New isolates from leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and their biological activities.

Three new isolates (1-3) including one new sterol and two new flavonoids together with three known sterols (4-6) were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were determined mainly by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. All compounds were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus and cytotoxic activities. The results showed that compounds 2 and 3 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rate of 34.2 and 33.4%, respectively, which were roughly equivalent to that of positive control. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1 and 4-6 against five human tumour cell lines were also tested, and tested compounds showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumour cell lines.

Three new isoflavones from the Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.) and their bioactivities.

Three new isoflavones, 7-acetyl-4',6-dimethoxy-isoflavone (1), 7-acetyl-4'-hydroxy-6-methoxy-isoflavone (2) and 7-acetyl-6,8-dimethoxy-4'-hydroxy-isoflavone (3), together with five known flavones (4-8), were isolated from the Pueraria montana var. lobata (Willd.). Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D- and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1-8 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 exhibited high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 36.8 and 33.6%, respectively. The inhibition rates are higher than that of positive control. The other compounds also showed potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates in the range of 21.8~28.4%, respectively. The cytotoxicities of compounds 1-3 against five human tumour cell lines (NB4, A549, SHSY5Y, PC3 and MCF7) were also tested. The results revealed that compounds 1-3 showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumour cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 1.2-3.6 µM.

Three new phenylpropanoids from Lavandula angustifolia and their bioactivities.

Three new phenylpropanoids, 3-(3,4-dimethoxy-5-methylphenyl)-3-oxopropyl acetate (1), 3-hydroxy-1-(3,4-dimethoxy-5-methylphenyl)propan-1-one (2), and 3-hydroxy-1-(4-methylbenzo[d][1,3]dioxol-6-yl) propan-1-one (3), together with three known phenylpropanoids (4-6) were isolated from the whole plant of Lavandula angustifolia. Their structures were determined by means of HRESIMS and extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic studies. Compounds 1-6 were tested for their anti-tobacoo mosaic virus (TMV) activities and cytotoxicity activities. The results revealed that compounds 1-3 showed high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rate of 35.2, 38.4 and 33.9%. These rates are higher than that of positive control. The other compounds also showed potential anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates in the range of 26.8-28.9%, respectively. Compounds 1-6 also showed weak inhibitory activities against some tested human tumour cell lines with IC50 values in the range of 3.8-8.8 µM.

Magnetic Solid Phase Extraction Based on Oleic Acid Coated Fe3O4 for the Determination of Benzo[α]pyrene in Cigarette Smoke Coupled with High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

In this work, a simple and effective method based on magnetic solid-phase extraction combined with high-performance liquid chromatography was developed for the determination of benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) in cigarette smoke. Oleic acid coated Fe3O4 (Fe3O4-OA) was synthesized and directly used as an efficient sorbent for the first time in magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) procedure for the clean-up of BaP in cigarette smoke extracts. The synthesized Fe3O4-OA was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. The extraction via Fe3O4-OA was dispersed in the extracts of cigarette smoke followed by the magnetic isolation, acetonitrile-tetrahydrofuran (ACN-THF; v/v = 9:1) was used for desorption of the analyte. The effects of important parameters such as the amount of adsorbent, solution pH, the content of acetonitrile, temperature and sorption time were investigated. The method showed good linearity for the determination of BaP in the concentration range of 0.5-50 ng mL-1 with a regression coefficient (R2) of 0.9987. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for BaP were obtained to be 0.12 and 0.41 ng mL-1, respectively. The mean recoveries were in the range from 81.0% to 97.6% at low, medium, high spiked levels, and the relative standard deviations were in the range of 2.7-6.8%. Combined with high-performance liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection, a simple and effective method was developed for the analysis of BaP in cigarette smoke.

Two new sesquiterpenes from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activities.

Two new sesquiterpenes, nicotianasesterpenes A and B (1 and 2), together with five known sesquiterpenes (3-7) were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were determined mainly by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques. The anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities of compounds 1-7 were evaluated. The results revealed that compound 1 exhibited high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates of 33.6%. This rate is high than that of positive control. The other compounds also showed potential activities with inhibition rates in the range of 18.8-28.4%, respectively.

Two new benzolactones from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum and their anti-tobacco mosaic virus activities.

Two new benzolactones, 5-methyl-6-prenyl-isobenzofuran-1(3H)-one (1), 5-hydroxymethyl-6-prenyl-isobenzofuran-1(3H)-one (2), together with four known phenolic compounds (3-6), were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1-6 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities. The results showed that compounds 1-6 exhibited high anti-TMV activities with inhibition rates in the range of 16.9-26.2%, respectively.

Antiviral sesquiterpenes from leaves of Nicotiana tabacum.

Three unreported sesquiterpenes possessing two new skeletons, tabasesquiterpenes A-C (1-3), together with three known sesquiterpenes (3-6) were isolated from the leaves of Nicotiana tabacum. Their structures were determined mainly by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR techniques. Compounds 1-6 were evaluated for their anti-tobacco mosaic virus (anti-TMV) activities. The results showed that compound 2 exhibited high anti-TMV activity with inhibition rate of 35.2%, which were higher than that of positive control (ningnanmycin). The other compounds also showed potential anti-TMV activity with inhibition rates in the range of 20.5-28.6%.