New Lupanes from Alstonia scholaris Reducing Uric Acid Level.

Twelve lupanes including three new compounds named alstoscholarilups A-C (1: -3: ) were isolated from the leaves of Alstonia scholaris. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and ECD calculation. Structurally, compound 1: with a rare A ring-seco skeleton formed lactone and degraded C-3, while 2: with a 28-nor and 3: with a 29-nor-lupane skeleton supported the phytochemical diversity and novelty of the plant. Pharmacologically, compounds 4, 7: , and 10: reduced the serum uric acid (UA) levels of mice significantly.

Antifungal alkaloids from Mahonia fortunei against pathogens of postharvest fruit.

Postharvest pathogens can affect a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, including grapes, resulting in significant profit loss. Isoquinoline alkaloids of Mahonia fortunei, a Chinese herbal medicine, have been used to treat infectious microbes, which might be effective against postharvest pathogens. The phytochemical and bioactive investigation of this plant led to the isolation of 18 alkaloids, of which 9 compounds inhibited the growth of Botrytis cinerea and 4 compounds against Penicillium italicum. The antifungal alkaloids could change the mycelium morphology, the total lipid content, and leak the cell contents of B. cinerea. Furthermore, the two most potent antifungal alkaloids, berberine (13) completely inhibited effect on gray mold of table grape at 512 mg L-1, while jatrorrhizine (18) exhibited an inhibition rate > 90% on grape rot at the same concentration, with lower cytotoxicity and residue than chlorothalonil, which suggested that ingredients of M. fortunei might be a low-toxicity, low-residue, eco-friendly botanical fungicide against postharvest pathogens.

α-Pyrones with glucose uptake-stimulatory activity from the twigs of Cryptocarya wrayi.

Five new α-pyrones, cryptowratones A-E (1-5), and five known congeners (6-10), together with four other known compounds 11-14 were isolated from the twigs of Cryptocarya wrayi. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis and ECD calculations. All α-pyrones except 6 were evaluated for their stimulatory effects on glucose uptake in vitro with CHO-K1/GLUT4 cells. The positive control insulin displayed an approximate 42 ± 0.14% promotion on glucose uptake at 25 µM, compared with the CHO-K1/GLUT4 group. Compounds 1a/2a, 2, 3, and 10 showed a more significant stimulation of glucose uptake than insulin (25 µM) by 36 ± 0.08%, 27 ± 0.12%, 28 ± 0.12%, and 25 ± 0.12% at 1.5 µM, respectively. Immunofluorescence assays indicated the glucose uptake-stimulatory activity of α-pyrones might be correlated with increased GLUT4 translocation.

Chemical constituents from branch of Fraxinus sieboldiana.

Using a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, macroporous adsorbent resin, and reversed-phase HPLC, 115 compounds including diterpenes, sesquiterpenes, treterpenes, coumarins, lignans, fatty acid derivatives, and simple aromatic derivatives were isolated from an ethanol extract of branch of Fraxinus sieboldiana (Oleaceaue), and their structures of the compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including 1 D, 2D NMR and MS techniques. Among them, 41 compounds were new. In previous reports, we have been described the isolation, structure elucidation, and bioactivities of the 41 new compounds and 22 known orii including 8 coumarins, 4 phenolic and 12 phenylethanoidal glycosides. As a consequence, we herein reported the isolation and structure elucidation of the remaining 50 known compounds including 8- hydroxy-12-oxoabieta-9(11),13-dien-20-oic 8, 20-lactone(1), 6beta-hydroxyfcrruginol(2),(+)-pisiferic acid(3), (+)-pisiferal(4),(+)-7-dehydroabiet6none(5), 1-oxomiltirone(6), subdigitatone(7), linarionoside B(8), (9S)-linarionoside B(9), (3R,9R)-3-hydroxy-7,8-dihydro-beta-ionol 9-O-beta-D-apiofuranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside(10), ursolic acid(11), betulinic acid(12), euscaphic acid(13), (+)-syringaresinol(14), (+)-fraxiresinol(15), (+)-1-hydroxysyringaresinol(16), pinoresinol(17), medioresinol(18), 8-acetoxypinoresinol(19), epipinoresinol(20), (-)-olivil(21), (+)-cyclo-olivil(22), 3,3'-dimethoxy-4,4',9-trihydroxy-7,9'-epoxylignan-7'-one(23),(+)-1-hydroxypinoresinol 4'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (24), (+)-1-hydroxypinoresinol 4"-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside(25),(+)-syringaresinol O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (26), liriodendrin (27), ehletianol D(28), icariside E5(29) (-)-(7R, 8R)-threo-1-C-syringylglycerol(30),(-)-(7R, 8S)-erythro-guaiacylglycerol (31),(-)-(7R, 8R)-threo-guaiacylglycerol(32), 3-(4-beta-D-glucopyranosyloxy-3-methoxy)-phenyl-2E-propenol(33),2,3-dihydroxy-l-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propanone(34), 2,3-dihydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-propanone (35), 3-hydroxy-l-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propanone(36), omega-hydroxypropioguaiacone(37), sinapyladehyde(38), trans-p-hydroxycinnamaldehyde(39), syringic acid(40), vanilic acid(41), vanillin(42), 4-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (43), (24R)-24-ethyl-5alpha-cholestane-3beta,5,6beta-triol(44), beta-sitosterol(45), daucosterol(46), 2,6-dimethoxy-I,4-benzoquinone(47), 2,6-dimethoxy-pyran-4-one(48), 1-(beta-D-ribofuranosyl)uracil(49), and mannitol(50). Compouds 1-7,12,18,28-37,44 and 48 were obtained from the genus Fraxinus for the first time.

[History of cancer registration in china].

The first cancer registry office was established in 1959 in China. In 1969, most provinces, autonomous regions and independently administered municipal districts had their own cancer prevention offices. In the 1970s, many cancer high incidence areas began their work on cancer registration. Thirty-eight cancer registry offices had been set up by the 1980s. In 1990 the China Cancer Registration Collaboration Regulations were made and in 2003, the Plan of Cancer Prevention and Control was issued by the Ministry of health of China. Cancer registration was emphasized as the main feature of cancer prevention and control. In 2004, the China Cancer Registration Handbook was published and at the same time, the China Institute of Health Information and the Cancer Registration and Monitoring Board were established and regulations of the board had been passed. Until now there are 195 cancer registry offices in China (80 in cities and 113 in rural areas) covering about 190 million people which accounts for 13% of the Chinese population.

In vivo inhibition of S180 tumors by the synergistic effect of the Chinese medicinal herbs Coptis chinensis and Evodia rutaecarpa.

The aim of the present paper was to investigate the synergistic effect and mechanism of anticancer activity of Zuojinwan ( ZJW) comprising Coptis chinensis Franch ( HL) and Evodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth ( WZY) at a ratio of 6 : 1 (w/w). In vivo anticancer activity testing was carried out by inhibiting the growth of S180 tumor. Tumor growth inhibition, spleen index, lymphocyte proliferation, apoptosis, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) level, activities of serum tumor markers (TMs), increase in life span (ILS), histopathology and gene expression were tested. The results indicated that ZJW could significantly induce apoptosis of cancer cells. The inhibition ratio, ILS and TNF-alpha levels of mice treated with ZJW were 50.54 %, 64.91 % and 1.04 ng/mL, respectively, much higher than HL and WZY when singly used. Furthermore, the activities of acid phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase were significantly increased and the activities of creatine kinase, aldolase and lactate dehydrogenase were reduced in serum, and the expressions of Bax and wild-type p53 proteins were much higher for the mice treated by ZJW compared with HL and WZY single-treatment groups. A clear synergistic effect on the anticancer activity was observed with ZJW, and the mechanism of antitumor growth may be due to an effect on gene expression and activities of tumor markers in serum.

[Anti-cancer activity of Zuojinwan in vivo and influence to tumor markers in mice transplanted with sarcoma 180].

OBJECTIVE: To study the anticancer action of Zuojinwan in mice transplanted with sarcoma 180 in vivo, and detect the activities of five kinds of tumor markers (TM) including acid phosphotase (ACP), alkaline phosphotase (AKP), creatine kinase (CK), aldolase (ALD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum compared with Coptis chinensis and Evodia rutaecarpa. METHOD: The transplanted S180 tumor mice model was established, and the mice were divided randomly five groups. The extract of Zuojinwan (850.8 mg kg(-1)), C. chinensis (729.2 mg kg(-1)) and E. rutaecarpa (121.6 mg kg(-1)) were administrated, respectively for 10 d. Then, the changes of body weight, spleen index of mice, the inhibition rates of tumor, and the increase of life span (ILS) were all tested. In addition, the activities of ACP, AKP, CK, ALD and LDH on different test groups were also determined. RESULT: Zuojinwan could inhibit the S180 tumor growth significantly with the inhibition rate of 50.54% and the ILS of mice reached to 64.91%. Meanwhile, the activities of ACP (126.72 +/- 11.16) U 100 mL(-1) and AKP (67.27 +/- 13.49) U 100 mL(-1) were increased, and the activities of CK (20.65 +/- 4.28) U mL(-1), ALD (319.13 +/- 53.87) U L(-1) and LDH (1,029.04 +/- 468.56) U L(-1) were decreased significantly by Zuojinwan treated group compared with C. chinensis and E. rutaecarpa treated groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: In the prescription of Zuojinwan, the enhancement of compatibility of anticancer activity was observed by the interaction of C. chinensis and E. rutaecarpa. The mechanism might be in according with to influence the activities of the five kinds of tumor markers (TM) in mice serum.

[Management of nonfunctioning islet cell tumors of the pancreas].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and pathological features in order to investigate appropriate way of diagnosis and treatment for non-functional islet cell tumors of the pancreas (NFICT). METHODS: The data and experience of surgically treated 43 patients with pathologically confirmed NFICT over the last 30 years were retrospectively reviewed. The survival rate was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method and the potential risk factors affecting survival were compared with Log rank test. RESULTS: There were 7 males and 36 females in this series with a mean age of 31.6 years ranged from 8 to 67 years. Twenty-eight patients were diagnosed as having non-functional islet cell carcinomas of the pancreas (NFICC) and 15 patients benign islet cell tumors. The most common symptoms in NFICT were abdominal pain 55.8%, nausea and/or vomiting (32.6%), fatigue (25.6%) and abdominal mass (23.3%). Preoperatively, all of those were found to have a mass in their pancrease by ultrasonic and computed tomography examination, with 21 in the head, 10 in the body and 6 in the tail of the pancreas. Multicemtric tumor were found in one patient. Thirty-nine of these 43 patients (90.7%) underwent surgical resection, with a curative resection in 30 (69.8%) and palliative in 9 (20.9%). The resectability and curative resection rate in 28 patients with nonfunctioning islet cell carcinomas of the pancreas was 78.6% and 60.7%, respectively. None of the 15 patients with benign nonfunctioning islet cell tumor of the pancreas died of this disease. While the overall cumulative 5- and 10-year survival rate in 28 patients with non-functional islet cell carcinomas of the pancreas was only 58.1% and 29.0%, respectively. Curative resection, female, younger than 30 years old and mass diameter < 10 cm were found to be positive prognostic factors. But multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that radical resection was the only independent prognostic factor (P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Nonfunctioning islet cell tumor of the pancreas is frequently found in young female. Surgical resection, especially curative resection can achieve satisfactory long-term survival.