Proline partially overcomes excess molybdenum toxicity in cabbage seedlings grown in vitro.

In vitro grown cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) seedlings exposed to excess molybdenum (Mo) ions exhibited severely reduced plant growth at the cotyledonary stage. Adding 80 mM proline (Pro) to the Mo-treated medium could help 50% seedlings to overcome the toxicity and grow true leaves. Under excess Mo stress, seedlings accumulated blue/purple anthocyanin in their cotyledons and hypocotyls. The anthocyanin content under Mo with 40 mM Pro was 4-fold higher than the control medium, MS with 40 mM Pro. The presence of Pro in the excess-Mo condition reduced chlorophyll a, whereas the chlorophyll b content was much higher than the control media of MS with and without Pro. Moreover, supplementing various concentrations of Pro into the Mo-stressed condition promoted the seedlings with higher antioxidant enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidate, and catalase. In addition, genes in the anthocyanin biosynthesis and accumulation pathways, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), chalcone synthase (CHS), flavonone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), leucoanthocyanidin dioxygenase (LDOX), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), were all upregulated. Our study indicated that, under excess Mo stress, the antioxidant activity of cabbage seedlings was induced in an attempt to protect plants from the Mo-induced toxicity and exacerbated growth. Pro, on the other hand, functioned in producing higher antioxidant enzyme activity to partially help recover plant growth.

Production of interspecific hybrids between commercial cultivars of the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and its wild relative S. torvum.

Interspecific hybrids between cultivars of eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and its wild relative S. torvum, which has disease resistance and desirable traits for crop improvement, were obtained by cross-hybridization and embryo rescue. Twenty-one hybrid progenies were obtained and examined based on morphological traits, RAPD and ISSR markers. Five of them were confirmed to be true interspecific hybrids. Eighteen and 14 bands from 7 RAPD and 14 ISSR primers, respectively, were polymorphic and present in all five hybrid seedlings and their parents. The morphological characteristics of leaf margin, inflorescence type and spine positions of the five seedlings were intermediate to the parents. These interspecific hybrids had low pollen viability, probably due to abnormal meiosis.

Effects of trilinolein on superoxide dismutase activity and mrna levels in aortic smooth muscle cells.

1. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in Western countries. Oxygen free radicals are considered to be intimately involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Anti-oxidants may help to protect mammalian cells from the damage induced by these reactive oxygen species. Many reports have indicated that anti-oxidants used in the treatment or prevention of disease could modify the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD). However, the effects of long-term anti-oxidant treatment on the levels of SOD in smooth muscle cells (SMC) is still unclear. In the present study, the effects of the lipophilic anti-oxidant trilinolein on the activity and gene expression of SOD in SMC were evaluated. 2. After 2 days incubation with 0.1 micromol/L trilinolein, the activity and mRNA levels of SOD were increased in rat aortic SMC (A7r5), but there was no significant change in these parameters with a higher concentration of 1 micromol/L trilinolein. 3. In contrast, after 7 days incubation with trilinolein, both the activity and mRNA levels of SOD were lowered in a dose-dependent manner. 4. These data emphasize the importance of choosing an optimal dosage for supplementation with anti-oxidants in humans for the scavenging of oxygen free radicals.

Antiviral activities of biflavonoids.

Biflavonoids such as amentoflavone (1), agathisflavone (2), robustaflavone (3), hinokiflavone (4), volkensiflavone (5), rhusflavanone (7), succedaneflavanone (9), all isolated from Rhus succedanea and Garcinia multiflora, as well as their methyl ethers and acetates, volkensiflavone hexamethyl ether (6), rhusflavanone hexaacetate (8), and succedaneflavanone hexaacetate (10) were evaluated for their antiviral activities. The inhibitory activities against a number of viruses including respiratory viruses (influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial, parainfluenza type 3, adenovirus type 5, and measles) and herpes viruses (HSV-1, HSV-2, HCMV, and VZV) were investigated. The results indicated that robustaflavone exhibited strong inhibitory effects against influenza A and influenza B viruses with EC50 values of 2.0 micrograms/ml and 0.2 microgram/ml, respectively, and selectivity index values (SI) of 16 and 454, respectively. Amentoflavone and agathisflavone also demonstrated significant activity against influenza A and B viruses. Amentoflavone and robustaflavone exhibited moderate anti-HSV-1 anti-HSV-2 activities with EC50 values of 17.9 micrograms/ml (HSV-1) and 48.0 micrograms/ml (HSV-2) and SI values of > 5.6 (HSV-1) and > 2.1 (HSV-2) for amentoflavone; EC50 values of 8.6 micrograms/ml (HSV-1) and 8.5 micrograms/ml (HSV-2), and SI values of > 11.6 (HSV-1) and > 11.8 (HSV-2) for robustaflavone. Rhusflavanone demonstrated inhibitory activities against influenza B, measles, and HSV-2 viruses with SI values of 9.3, 8 and > 6.4, respectively. Succedaneaflavanone exhibited inhibitory activities against influenza B virus and VZV with SI values of 15 and < 3.0, respectively.

In vitro anti-HIV activity of biflavonoids isolated from Rhus succedanea and Garcinia multiflora.

Eleven biflavonoids, including amentoflavone (1), agathisflavone (2), robustaflavone (3), hinokiflavone (4), volkensiflavone (5), morelloflavone (7), rhusflavanone (9), succedaneaflavanone (10), GB-1a (11), GB-1a 7"-O-beta-glucoside (13), and GB-2a (14) isolated from Rhus succedanea and Garcinia multiflora, as well as their methyl ethers, volkensiflavone hexamethyl ether (6), morelloflavone heptamethyl ether (8), and GB-1a hexamethyl ether (12), were evaluated for their anti-HIV-1 RT activity. The results indicated that compounds 3 and 4 demonstrated similar activity against HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT), with IC50 values of 65 microM. Compounds 1, 2, 7, 11, and 14 were moderately active against HIV-1 RT, with IC50 values of 119 microM, 100 microM, 116 microM, 236 microM, and 170 microM, respectively. Morelloflavone (7) also demonstrated significant antiviral activity against HIV-1 (strain LAV-1) in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated primary human peripheral blood mononuclear cells at an EC50 value of 6.9 microM and a selectivity index value of approximately 10. The other biflavonoids were either weakly active, inactive, or not selective against HIV-1 in human lymphocytes.

Ileostomy dysfunction with adjuvant chemoradiation for rectal carcinoma requiring in-hospital management: a cause for concern.

The morbidity and mortality of 20 patients undergoing adjuvant chemoradiation for rectal carcinoma was documented. Of nine patients with defunctioning loop ileostomies, two suffered from dehydration and electrolyte disturbance during the treatment phase and required admission to hospital. These two cases suggest that dehydration and electrolyte disturbance from high stomal output could be a serious problem following chemoradiation therapy in patients with an ileostomy.

Effect of capsaicin and cimetidine on the healing of acetic acid induced gastric ulceration in the rat.

BACKGROUND: Capsaicin protects the gastric mucosa against experimental injury while capsaicin desensitisation reduces the rate of gastric ulcer healing. The effect of exogenous capsaicin on gastric ulcer healing has not to date been reported. AIM/METHOD: To investigate the effect of capsaicin, cimetidine, and in combination, given intragastrically in the healing of acetic acid induced chronic gastric ulcer in the rat. Treatment started immediately after ulcer induction. RESULTS: At the end of one week, capsaicin, cimetidine, and in combination increased ulcer healing but the effect of combined treatment was less than that of capsaicin alone. In an in vivo gastric chamber preparation, capsaicin increased, while cimetidine decreased, gastric mucosal blood flow measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. A dose response effect in reduction of gastric mucosal blood flow could be demonstrated for cimetidine. The gastric hyperaemic effect of capsaicin was blunted by prior administration of cimetidine. In contrast, capsaicin had no effect on gastric acid secretion and its addition to cimetidine did not affect the acid suppressant effect of the latter. CONCLUSIONS: Capsaicin promotes the healing of acetic acid induced gastric ulcer, probably by its gastric hyperaemic effect. Although cimetidine also promotes ulcer healing due to its inhibitory effect on acid secretion it may have an antagonistic effect on the gastric ulcer healing effect of capsaicin by virtue of inhibition of gastric hyperaemia.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer: a preliminary report.

In this prospectively random study, the effect of oral Ftorafur as an adjuvant chemotherapy was compared with that of oral placebo in patients with Stage II and Stage III gastric cancer. Patients had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy with a resection margin that should have been free of tumors. Ftorafur (10 mg/kg) was given daily to 59 Group A patients. Multiple vitamins were given twice a week to 56 Group B patients. We found that there was no statistical significance in Stage II patients with regard to survival. In Stage III patients, those treated with oral Ftorafur had better 3-year and 5-year survival rates than those receiving oral placebo. This preliminary report on this ongoing study seems to indicate that long-term postoperative Ftorafur treatment may be beneficial to Stage III gastric cancer patients.

Hinokiflavone, a cytotoxic principle from Rhus succedanea and the cytotoxicity of the related biflavonoids.

Hinokiflavone (1) was isolated as the cytotoxic principle from the drupes of Rhus succedanea L. A comparison of the cytotoxicity of 1 and other related biflavonoids, including amentoflavone (2), robustaflavone (3), agathisflavone (4), rhusflavone (5), rhusflavanone (6) and its hexaacetate (7), succedaneaflavanone (8) and its hexaacetate (9), cupressuflavone (10), neorhusflavanone (11), volkensiflavone (12) and its hexamethyl ether (13), spicataside (14) and its nonaacetate (15), morelloflavone (16) and its heptaacetate (17) and heptamethyl ether (18), GB-1a (19) and its hexamethyl ether (20) and 7"-O-beta-glucoside (21), and GB-2a (22), indicates that an ether linkage between two units of apigenin as seen in 1 is structurally required for significant cytotoxicity. Compounds 13 and 20 also demonstrated significant cytotoxicity.

Anticonvulsant properties of ropizine in epileptic and nonepileptic beagle dogs.

Studies were conducted on a colony of purebred beagle dogs. Animals with spontaneous seizures were classed as epileptic beagles (EB). Those without spontaneous seizures were termed nonepileptic beagles (NEB). The median convulsant current for maximal electroshock seizure (MES) threshold was 175(194-158)mA for EB and 390 (417-364) mA for NEB. Similarly the median convulsant dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) was 7.9 (10.1-6.2) mg/kg for EB and 20.2 (24.2-17.6) mg/kg for NEB. Following pretreatment with graded doses of ropizine (SC 13504), the median protective dose against MES was 6.0(9.2-3.9) mg/kg in EB and 3.2(4.8-2.1) mg/kg in NEB. Based on the incidence of ataxia, EB had a median toxic dose (TD50) of 14.0(16.5-11.9) mg/kg, while in NEB it was 18.0(23.6-13.7)mg/kg. The TD50 doses were unable to protect against a convulsive dose of PTZ. It is concluded first that ropizine may have anti-grand mal activity but apparently lacks an anti-petit mal action. Secondly, EB are more sensitive than NEB to the convulsive effects of electric current and PTZ, yet less responsive to the anticonvulsant actions of ropizine.