One new spirocyclic lactone and one new benzopyran derivative from Aspergillus terreus.

One new spirocyclic lactone, terreinlactone C (1), and one new benzopyran derivative, 2,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxychroman-6-aldehyde (2), were discovered from the fungus Aspergillus terreus. The chemical structures of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated by detailedly analyzing NMR and HRESIMS data. Compound 1 is the first natural product with a 1-oxaspiro[4.5]decan-2-one ring system and a possible biogenetic pathway is proposed. Two compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activities against five human cancer cell lines.[Formula: see text].

[Scanning of drug targets related to uterus contraction from the uterine smooth muscles by cDNA microarray].

OBJECTIVE: To screen the differentially expressed gene profile from the smooth muscles in the fundus uterus at the active stage of labor, and to provide candidate genes for picking out the drug targets related to uterine contraction. METHODS: Differentially expressed genes of uterine smooth muscles in the corpus from pro and post spontaneous parturition and those induced by oxytocin,as well as those from the corpus and the lower portion spontaneous parturition,were scanned respectively by human full-length genetic cDNA microarray with 8064 probe sets. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was applied to testify the expression of voltage dependent calcium channel-L subtype (CACNA). The differentially expressed genes in the structure and function of the drug targets were picked out by bio-informatics to serve as candidate drug targets related to uterine contraction. RESULTS: The expressions of 29 genes were upregulated in fundus smooth muscles from the pro and post natural parturition, the pro and post inductive parturition of oxytocin, and the natural parturition. The expression of CACNA gene in RT-PCR was in accordance with that in the microarray. Among the 29 genes, neuromedin B receptor (NMBR) gene and neuropeptide Y (NPY) gene were the genes which not only had the targets of uterine contracted medicine, but also could contract the uterine. The differential expression ratios of NMBR in the above 3 types of uterine myometrium were 6.9,11.3, and 9.0, respectively while those of NPY were 6.0,29.8, and 2.9 respectively. CONCLUSION: NMBR, whose expression in the uterine smooth muscles is always up-regulated at different parturition conditions, is likely to be an ideal candidate target of uterotonic drugs.

[Clinical analysis of pregnancy complicated with systemic lupus erythematosus].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the interacting effects between pregnancy and flares of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to explore the best occasion for SLE patients' conception and the management during the pregnancy. METHODS: Thirty one cases of pregnancy complicated with SLE were investigated retrospectively, among whom 18 were in remission of SLE at the beginning of conception (Group A), and the other 13 either had high-activity of the disease or were first diagnosed as SLE during the pregnancy (Group B). Various doses of prednisone were administered to control SLE. RESULTS: SLE flares still occurred in 6 cases in Group A, but in all cases in Group B. Compared with Group A, the rates of fetal loss and early delivery were significantly higher in Group B (P < 0.05), while the survival rate and the weight of the new born were notably decreased in Group B (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pregnancy and SLE interacted with each other unfavorably. Selection of remission stage for conception and proper management during the pregnancy could significantly improve the maternal-fetal safety.

[Fetal posterior cranial fossa in the second and third trimester].

OBJECTIVE: To examine the normal range of the width of posterior cranial fossa (WPCF) in the second and third trimester by ultrasonography, and to investigate its relationship with fetal congenital and chromosome abnormality. METHODS: WPCF of 2484 fetus (gestational age from 14 to 41 weeks) was measured by ultrasonograph routinely, and the infants were followed up. RESULTS: In 2848 fetus, 2772 were normal and 76 were abnormal. WPCF increased before 32 weeks, decreased after 33 weeks, the largest value of WPCF was 13.4 mm. The occurrence rate of WPCF> or =8 mm in normal fetus was 8.84%, and that in abnormal fetus was 17.46%. Most fetuses with chromosome abnormality had normal WPCF in the second trimester, but some fetuses with remarkable broadening in the late stage. Some abnormal fetuses (such as water head, Dandy-Walker's syndrome etc) showed significant extension of WPCF. CONCLUSION: WPCF increases before 32 weeks, decreases after 33 weeks;and can be easily measured during 29 - 32 weeks. WPCF of some fetus with chromosome abnormality or with congenital abnormality is remarkably broadened in the late stage. The fetus of WPCF> or =10 mm should be followed up closely, and antenatal diagnosis should be done if WPCF is more than 14 mm.

[Effects of oxytocin, misoprostol and nimodipine on expression of L-type voltage dependent calcium channel mRNA of the uterine myometrium and left ventricular myocardial cells in late pregnant rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of oxytocin, misoprostol and nimodiping on expressions of L-type voltage dependent calcium channel (VDCC-L) alpha(1) and VDCC-L beta(2) mRNA in the myometrium and left ventricular myocardial cells of the late pregnant rats. METHODS: A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to examine and quantitate VDCC-L alpha(1) and VDCC-L beta(2) mRNA expressions in the uterine myometrium and left ventricular myocardial cells of rats, which were divided into the nature labor group, oxytocin group (oxytocin inducing labor), misoprostol group (misoprostol inducing labor) and nimodipine group (active labor at 48 hours after administering nimodipine). RESULTS: (1) In the uterine myometrium, the levels of VDCC-L alpha(1) mRNA expression in the nature labor, oxytocin, misoprostol and nimodipine group were 0.800 3 +/- 0.165 9, 0.863 1 +/- 0.192 1, 0.812 0 +/- 0.173 4 and 0.742 6 +/- 0.182 6, respectively. No significant difference was found in the four groups (P > 0.05). The levels of VDCC-L beta(2) mRNA expression in the above four groups were 0.646 9 +/- 0.130 4, 0.506 2 +/- 0.147 2, 0.500 5 +/- 0.135 6 and 0.492 9 +/- 0.127 6, respectively. There was no remarkable difference between the nature labor group and the other three administering drugs groups (P > 0.05). (2) In the left ventricular myocardial cells, expressions of VDCC-L alpha(1) in the nature labor, oxytocin, misoprostol and nimodipine group were 0.662 5 +/- 0.180 1, 0.636 5 +/- 0.157 8, 0.591 7 +/- 0.141 3 and 0.542 6 +/- 0.143 6, respectively; the levels of VDCC-L beta(2) mRNA expression were 0.670 2 +/- 0.140 5, 0.606 2 +/- 0.143 9, 0.591 4 +/- 0.121 9 and 0.585 2 +/- 0.131 0, respectively. Although both the levels of VDCC-L alpha(1) and VDCC-L beta(2) mRNA expression in the nature labor group were a little higher than those in the other three experiment groups, the statistic difference was not noted (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oxytocin, misoprostol or nimodipine can induce or inhibit labor through regulating expressions of VDCC-L alpha(1) and VDCC-L beta(2) mRNA in the rat uterine myometrium and it may not have an adverse effect on heart function of normal pregnant rats. VDCC-L may be the common channel of labor induced by internal or external factors.

Molecular cloning of a novel mouse testis-specific spermatogenic cell apoptosis inhibitor gene mTSARG7 as a candidate oncogene.

A novel mouse gene, mTSARG7 (GenBank accession No. AY489184), with a full cDNA length of 2279 bp and containing 12 exons and 11 introns, was cloned from a mouse expressed sequence tag (GenBank accession No. BE644543) that was significantly up-regulated in cryptorchidism. The gene was located in mouse chromosome 8A1.3 and encoded a protein containing 403 amino acid residues that was a new member of the acyltransferase family because the sequence contained the highly conserved phosphate acyltransferase (PlsC) domain existing in all acyltransferase-like proteins. The mTSARG7 protein and AU041707 protein shared 83.9% identity in 402 amino acid residues. Expression of the mTSARG7 gene was restricted to the mouse testis. The results of the in situ hybridization analysis revealed that the mTSARG7 mRNA was expressed in mouse spermatogonia and spermatocytes. Subcellular localization studies showed that the EGFP-tagged mTSARG7 protein was localized in the cytoplasm of GC-1 spg cells. The mTSARG7 mRNA expression was initiated in the mouse testis in the second week after birth, and the expression level increased steadily with spermatogenesis and sexual maturation of the mouse. The results of the heat stress experiment showed that the mTSARG7 mRNA expression gradually decreased as the heating duration increased. The pcDNA3.1 Hygro(-)/mTSARG7 plasmid was constructed and introduced into GC-1 spg cells by liposome transfection. The mTSARG7 can accelerate GC-1 spg cells, causing them to traverse the S-phase and enter the G2-phase, compared with the control group where this did not occur as there was no transfection of mTSARG7. In conclusion, our results suggest that this gene may play an important role in spermatogenesis and the development of cryptorchid testes, and is a testis-specific apoptosis candidate oncogene.