An A-type proanthocyanidin from Prunus armeniaca.

Roots of Prunus armeniaca yielded a new A-type proanthocyanidin whose structure was assigned as ent-epiafzelechin-3-O-p-hydroxybenzoate-(4alpha-->8, 2alpha-->O-->7)-epiafzelechin (1). The structure of 1 was determined through extensive 1D and 2D NMR studies.

An acetophenone glycoside from Exacum affine.

A new acetophenone glycoside, affinoside, was isolated from the aerial parts of Exacum affine and its structure was determined as 2-O-primeverosylpaenol. The known glucosides, gentiopicroside, 2'-O-E/Z-p-coumaroylloganin and glucopaeonol, were also identified.

Opposite effects on cholesterol metabolism and their mechanisms induced by dietary oleic acid and palmitic acid in hamsters.

The effects of dietary oleic acid on cholesterol metabolism were investigated and compared with those of palmitic acid in hamsters. Addition of 5% oleic acid to a 0.1% cholesterol-supplemented diet decreased plasma total cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, increased hepatic LDL receptor activity, and decreased plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity in comparison with 0.1% cholesterol alone. In contrast, addition of 5% palmitic acid to a 0.1% cholesterol-supplemented diet increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, increased plasma CETP activity, and suppressed hepatic LDL receptor activity to a greater extent than 0.1% cholesterol alone. Neither oleic acid nor palmitic acid altered hepatic microsomal 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase activity, but oleic acid increased hepatic microsomal cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity. These results suggest that dietary oleic acid inhibits the increases in total, VLDL-, and LDL-cholesterol induced by dietary cholesterol by preventing both LDL receptor suppression and increased CETP activity, whereas dietary palmitic acid augments the cholesterol-induced increases in total and LDL-cholesterol by both further suppression of LDL receptor activity and further stimulation of CETP activity.

Low prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection among hospital staff and acupuncturists in Kyushu, Japan.

During 1987 and 1988, samples of serum were collected from 1097 members of the staff of four prefectural hospitals in Miyazaki prefecture and from 183 acupuncturists in Fukuoka City, Japan. The staff included both surgical and non-surgical doctors, radiographers, physiotherapists, nurses, laboratory technicians and others. The samples were tested for the following hepatitis C virus (HCV) markers; antibodies to c100 (anti-c100) by means of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with supplementary recombinant immunoblot assay as well as antibodies to the GOR epitope (anti-GOR), also by means of ELISA. Anti-c100 was present in 1.7% of the doctors, radiographers and physiotherapists, in 1.3% of the nurses and in 2.2% of the acupuncturists. These prevalences were slightly higher than those in the controls but the differences were not statistically significant. Anti-c100 was not detected in any laboratory technician or other member of the hospital staff. For an accurate determination of the prevalence of HCV infection, the combined rate of anti-c100 and/or anti-GOR was also calculated. The combined prevalence of HCV infection was 4.3% in medical staff, 2.2% in nurses and 5.5% in acupuncturists. The prevalence of HCV infection among those with direct contact with patients was higher than that of the controls but without statistical significance. In the cohort we examined, the occupational risk of HCV infection was low.

Antitumor agents, 119. Kansuiphorins A and B, two novel antileukemic diterpene esters from Euphorbia kansui.

The extract of the roots of Euphorbia kansui, which has been widely used in Chinese folk medicine for the treatment of cancer, demonstrated antileukemic activity against the P-388 lymphocytic leukemia in mice. Bioassay-directed fractionation of the active extract led to the isolation and characterization of two novel antileukemic diterpene esters, kansuiphorin A [1] [13-hydroxyingenol-3-(2,3-dimethylbutanoate)-13-dodecanoate- 20- hexadecanoate] and kansuiphorin B [2] [6,7-epoxy-13-hydroxyingenol-3-(2,3-dimethylbutanoate)-13-do decanoate-20- hexadecanoate], whose structures were established from spectral evidence and chemical transformation. Kansuiphorins A and B demonstrated potent antileukemic activity with T/C greater than or equal to 176 and 177% at 0.1 and 0.5 mg/kg, respectively. The selectivity of kansuiphorin A, which inhibits the growth of particular cell types within the disease-oriented human cancer cell line panels, is discussed.

Structures of euglobal-G1, -G2, and -G3 from Eucalyptus grandis, three new inhibitors of Epstein-Barr virus activation.

Three new euglobals with acylphloroglucinol-monoterpene structures, named euglobal -G1 (1), -G2 (2), and -G3 (3) were isolated from the chloroform extract of the juvenile leaves of Eucalyptus grandis (Myrtaceae). The structures of these new compounds were determined on the basis of their spectral data. The compounds strongly inhibited the Epstein-Barr virus activation.

Intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations in erythrocytes of patients with primary aldosteronism.

Intracellular concentration of sodium ([Na]i) and potassium ([K]i), and the ouabain sensitive sodium efflux rate constant (ERCos) in erythrocytes were determined in patients with primary aldosteronism, before and after the surgical removal of the adrenocortical adenoma and in comparison to those in healthy controls. Without treatment, [Na]i was higher and ERCos was lower in patients with primary aldosteronism than in controls (10.60 +/- 0.96 vs. 8.25 +/- 0.89 mmol/l cells, p less than 0.01; 0.156 +/- 0.040 vs. 0.255 +/- 0.047/hour, p less than 0.01, respectively). After the surgery, [Na]i was decreased to 7.70 +/- 0.64 mmol/l cells and ERCos was increased to 0.273 +/- 0.031/hour and these values were similar to those in controls. [K]i in primary aldosteronism was not affected by the surgery (from 96.79 +/- 2.03 to 98.8 +/- 3.84 mmol/l cells) and was not different from that in controls (99.11 +/- 3.42 mmol/l cells). In 2 patients, normalization of the serum potassium following an oral potassium chloride supplement caused only partial improvement in [Na]i and ERCos. These results suggest that an inhibition of sodium pump activity resulting in elevated [Na]i may play an important role in the pathogenesis of high blood pressure in patients with primary aldosteronism.