Pubescenosides E⁻K, Seven New Triterpenoid Saponins from the Roots of Ilex pubescens and Their Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Seven new triterpenoid saponins (1⁻7), together with three known ones (8⁻10), were isolated from Ilex pubescens. Elucidation of their structures was performed based on high-resolution electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HR-ESI-MS), infrared spectra (IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. The anti-inflammatory activity of the isolates toward lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages was investigated. The results demonstrated that compounds 3, 5, and 6 inhibited the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein in comparison with LPS stimulation in RAW264.7 cells.

Primary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in fallopian tubes: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma accounts for 7%-8% of newly diagnosed lymphomas. The stomach is the most common organ of origin (nearly 50% of MALT lymphomas). Only 2% of MALT lymphomas arise from the female genital tract, and most originated from uterus. We described a rare case of MALT lymphoma primarily arising from the fallopian tube. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 26-year-old woman was brought into our gynecological clinic because of a history of irregular menstruation. The transvaginal ultrasonography revealed cystic masses in bilateral adnexa and both of them showed rich vasculature. Laboratory tests showed a high level (455.3 U/mL) of cancer antigen-125 (CA-125). INTERVENTIONS: A laparoscopy was performed. OUTCOMES: Frozen section of the removed specimen revealed acute and chronic inflammation with abundant inflammatory cells infiltrating the mesenchyme. The right fallopian tube was removed. However, the final histological results showed inflammation accompanied by hyperplasia of lymphoid tissue. Immunohistochemistry staining were consistent with MALT lymphoma. The patient received the second surgery to remove the left fallopian tube and also confirmed the same pathology. LESSONS: Gynecologists should be aware of cystic masses which showed rich vasculature and high level of CA-125.

Endoplasmic reticulum-targeted glutathione and pH dual responsive vitamin lipid nanovesicles for tocopheryl DM1 delivery and cancer therapy.

The major drawbacks of the cytotoxin like DM1 are the off-target effects. Here, the targeting nanovesicles were developed by synthesizing tocopherol-SS-DM1 and conjugating a pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) to PEGylated phospholipids, in which tocopherol-SS-DM1 improves the drug loading and is glutathione responsive in the cytoplasm, meanwhile, the pH insertion peptide targets the acidic microenvironment of cancer cells. Besides, these nanovesicles can accumulate at the endoplasmic reticulum and show increased cancer therapeutic effects both in vitro and in vivo. These targeting nanovesicles provide a novel formulation for subcellular organelle targeting, a platform for precisely delivery of cytotoxic DM1 to cancer cells, and an alternative strategy for antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

Recent advances in the study of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA.

Chronic hepatitis B infection is caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) and a total cure is yet to be achieved. The viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the key to establish a persistent infection within hepatocytes. Current antiviral strategies have no effect on the pre-existing cccDNA reservoir. Therefore, the study of the molecular mechanism of cccDNA formation is becoming a major focus of HBV research. This review summarizes the current advances in cccDNA molecular biology and the latest studies on the elimination or inactivation of cccDNA, including three major areas: (1) epigenetic regulation of cccDNA by HBV X protein, (2) immune-mediated degradation, and (3) genome-editing nucleases. All these aspects provide clues on how to finally attain a cure for chronic hepatitis B infection.

A Mass Spectrometric Analysis Method Based on PPCA and SVM for Early Detection of Ovarian Cancer.

Background. Surfaced-enhanced laser desorption-ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF-MS) technology plays an important role in the early diagnosis of ovarian cancer. However, the raw MS data is highly dimensional and redundant. Therefore, it is necessary to study rapid and accurate detection methods from the massive MS data. Methods. The clinical data set used in the experiments for early cancer detection consisted of 216 SELDI-TOF-MS samples. An MS analysis method based on probabilistic principal components analysis (PPCA) and support vector machine (SVM) was proposed and applied to the ovarian cancer early classification in the data set. Additionally, by the same data set, we also established a traditional PCA-SVM model. Finally we compared the two models in detection accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity. Results. Using independent training and testing experiments 10 times to evaluate the ovarian cancer detection models, the average prediction accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the PCA-SVM model were 83.34%, 82.70%, and 83.88%, respectively. In contrast, those of the PPCA-SVM model were 90.80%, 92.98%, and 88.97%, respectively. Conclusions. The PPCA-SVM model had better detection performance. And the model combined with the SELDI-TOF-MS technology had a prospect in early clinical detection and diagnosis of ovarian cancer.