Genkwalathins A and B, new lathyrane-type diterpenes from Daphne genkwa.

Screening for new natural anti-neuroinflammatory compounds was performed with the traditional folk medicine Genkwa Flos, which potently inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production by LPS-activated microglial BV-2 cells. Two new lathyrane-type diterpenes, genkwalathins A (1) and B (2), and 14 known daphnane-type diterpenes (3-16) were isolated. The lathyrane-type diterpenes were isolated for the first time from the Thymelaeaceae family in this study. Compounds 1 and 2 moderately inhibited LPS-induced NO production in BV-2 cells without affecting cell viability, while six daphnane-type diterpenes (3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 10) potently reduced NO production with IC50 values less than 1 µM, although they did display weak cytotoxicity. A structure-activity relationship study on the daphnane-type diterpenes indicated that the stereochemistry at C-19, the benzoate group at C-20, and the epoxide moiety could be important for their anti-neuroinflammatory effects.

Nanoemulsion Vehicles as Carriers for Follicular Delivery of Luteolin.

Luteolin (3',4',5,7-tetrahydroxyflavone), a type of flavonoid found in medicinal herbs and vegetables, has been of great interest due to its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticarcinogenic effects. Despite these beneficial biological properties, the ease with which luteolin forms molecular crystals in conventional aqueous formulations has hampered much wider applications. In this study, we introduce an oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsion vehicle system for enhanced follicular delivery of luteolin. The luteolin-loaded nanoemulsion, which had an average hydrodynamic size of approximately 290 nm, was produced by the assembly of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) and lecithin at the O/W interface. The luteolin-loaded nanoemulsion showed outstanding stability against drop coalescence and aggregation. This was confirmed from the slight drop size increase after repeated freeze-thaw cycling and long-term storage. Moreover, in vivo hair growth evaluation demonstrated that the luteolin-loaded nanoemulsions fabricated in this study possessed the hair growth-promotion activity, which is comparable with the case of using a luteolin solution in an organic solvent.

Daphnane and Phorbol Diterpenes, Anti-neuroinflammatory Compounds with Nurr1 Activation from the Roots and Stems of Daphne genkwa.

The methanol extract of the roots and stems of Daphne genkwa and its constituents yuanhuacin (1) and genkwanine N were previously reported to have Nurr1 activating effects and neuroprotective effects in an animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, four more daphnane-type diterpenes (acutilonine F (2), wikstroemia factor M1 (3), yuanhuadine (5), and yuanhuatine (6)) and two phorbol-type diterpenes (prostratin Q (4) and 12-O-n-deca-2,4,6-trienoyl-phorbol-(13)-acetate (7)) were isolated as Nurr1 activating compounds from the D. genkwa extract. Consistent with their higher Nurr1 activating activity, compounds 1, 4, 5, and 7 exhibited higher inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in murine microglial BV-2 cells with an IC50 (µM) of 1-2, which was 15-30 times more potent than that of minocycline (29.9 µM), a well-known anti-neuroinflammatory agent. Additionally, these diterpenes reduced expression and transcription of LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines in BV-2 cells. Thus, the daphnane-type and phorbol-type diterpenes had anti-neuroinflammatory activity with Nurr1 activation and could be responsible for the anti-PD effect of the roots and stems of D. genkwa.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes of Patients with Acquired Macrolide-Resistant Mycobacterium abscessus Lung Disease.

Macrolide antibiotics are mainstays in the treatment of lung disease due to the Mycobacterium abscessus complex. Although previous studies have reported development of acquired macrolide resistance in this species, limited data are available on the outcomes of lung disease due to macrolide-resistant Mycobacterium abscessus subsp. abscessus This study evaluated the clinical features, treatment outcomes, and molecular characteristics of macrolide-resistant isolates of M. abscessus subsp. abscessus We performed a retrospective review of medical records and genetic analysis of clinical isolates from 13 patients who had acquired macrolide-resistant M. abscessus subsp. abscessus lung disease between November 2006 and March 2016. Eleven (85%) patients had the nodular bronchiectatic form of the disease, and two (15%) patients had the fibrocavitary form. When acquired macrolide resistance was detected, 10 (77%) patients were on antibiotic therapy for M. abscessus subsp. abscessus, and three (23%) patients were on therapy for lung disease due to other nontuberculous mycobacteria. The median treatment duration after detecting resistance was 24.0 months (interquartile range, 16.0 to 43.0 months). Treatment outcomes were poor, and final sputum culture conversion was achieved in only one (8%) patient, after resectional surgery. All 13 clinical isolates demonstrated point mutations at position 2058 (n = 10) or 2059 (n = 3) of the 23S rRNA gene, which resulted in acquired macrolide resistance. This study indicates that treatment outcomes are very poor after the development of acquired macrolide resistance in patients with M. abscessus subsp. abscessus lung disease. Thus, more effective measures are needed to prevent development and effectively treat macrolide-resistant M. abscessus subsp. abscessus lung disease.