[Study on the secondary metabolites from marine sponge Phakellia fusca].

OBJECTIVE: To study the secondary metabolites from marine sponge Phakellia fusca. METHODS: The compounds were isolated by column chromatography over silica gel and purified by Sephadex LH-20 column chromategraphy and preparative TLC. The structures were elucidated by means of physiochemical properties and spectroscopic analysis. RESULTS: Ten compounds were separated and identified as: p-hydroxybenzoic acid (1), cetanic acid (2), batyl alcohol (3), cety ethers of glycerol (4), (E)-N-2-(1,3-dihydroxy octadecan-4-en)-hexade-camide (5), thymidine (6), cyclo-(L-Tyr-L-Pro) (7), phenyl acetylamine (8), uracil (9),4-hydroxybenzamide (10). CONCLUSION: Compound 5, 7 and 10 are isolated from Phakellia fusca for the first time.

Effect of pulsed electromagnetic field on growth and structure properties of ZnO nanorod arrays.

Well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays had been prepared by hydrothermal methods assisted with pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). The effects of pulsed electromagnetic field on growth and structure properties of ZnO nanorod arrays were studied in detail. XRD and SEM analysis showed ZnO nanorod arrays had bigger length to diameter ratio and better verticality on the substrate. And the Raman analysis showed well-aligned ZnO nanorod arrays have highly crystallized wurtzite structure with much fewer defects after a pulsed electromagnetic field was introduced. At last, a possible mechanism of pulsed electromagnetic field acted on nanorod arrays was proposed.

New pentahydroxylated steroids from the South China Sea gorgonian Subergorgia suberosa.

Two new pentahydroxylated steroids, (3ß,12ß,16ß,23E)-cholesta-5,23-diene-3,12,16,20,25-pentaol (1) and (3ß,12ß,16ß)-cholesta-5,25(26)-diene-3,12,16,20,24-pentaol (2), were isolated from the EtOH extract of the South China Sea gorgonian Subergorgia suberosa. In addition, four known steroids were detected. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic methods and comparison of their data with those of the related known compounds. In addition, the cyctotoxicities of the compounds were evaluated against selected cancer cell lines.

[Study on the secondary metabolites from the marine sponge Phakellia fusca fungi PF18].

OBJECTIVE: To study the secondary metabolites from the marine sponge Phakellia fusca epiphytic fungi. METHODS: The compounds were isolated by column chromatography over silica gel and purified by Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography and preparative TLC. The structures were elucidated by means of physiochemical properties and spectroscopic analyses. RESULTS: Four compounds were separated and identified as: cyclo-(L-Val-L-Pro) (1), cyclo-(L-Phe-L-Pro) (2), cyclo-(L-Tyr-L-Pro) (3), cyclo-(3-hydroxy-4-methyldecanoyl-Gly-L-Val-D-Leu-L-Ala-L-Phe) (4). CONCLUSION: Compounds 1-4 are obtained from the marine sponge Phakellia fusca epiphytic fungi for the first time.

[Expression of human telomere repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1) in acute leukemia cells and its correlation with telomerase activities].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expression of human telomere repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1) to investigate the correlation of telomerase activity with acute leukemia. METHODS: Leukemic cells were collected from 30 cases of acute leukemia. Realtime quantitative PCR with fluorescence probe hybridization was used to measure expression of TRF1 and hTERT mRNA in leukemic cells. RESULTS: TRF1 mRNA expression was 0.0126 (0.0127-0.0546) in acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), which was lower than that in normal mononuclear cells [0.0457 (0.00839-0.262), P<0.001], but its expression in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells [0.0745 (1.92 x 10(-6)-0.193)] had no significant difference compared with that in normal mononuclear cells. TRF1 expression in ANLL cells was significantly lower than that in ALL cells (P=0.001). The expressions of TRF1 mRNA in AL cells and normal mononuclear cells had no significant correlation with expression of hTERT mRNA (r=-0.173, P=0.207). CONCLUSION: The expression of TRF1 is lower in ANLL cells, which indicates TRF1 may have some effect on telomerase activity by regulating telomere length in ANLL cells.

[Expression of telomere repeat binding factor 1 (TRF1) protein in kidney cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression levels of telomere repeat binding factor 1(TRF1) protein in normal kidney tissue and kidney cancer. METHODS: Specimens of kidney cancer and pericancerous tissues were collected from 32 cases of renal carcinoma. A quantitative Western blotting technique was developed using TRF1 monoclonal antibody to determine the expression level of TRF1 protein in total protein extracts from tissue specimens. RESULTS: The expression level of TRF1 protein was higher in normal kidney tissues (3.611 +/-1.922 microg/microl) than that of cancer tissues (2.428 +/-1.352 microg/microl) (t=5.776, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The expression level of TRF1 protein is significantly reduced in kidney cancer and the level is negatively correlated with malignant degree of the cancer.