Effectiveness and safety of ultrasound-guided intramuscular lauromacrogol injection combined with hysteroscopy in cervical pregnancy treatment: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Cervical pregnancy is increasing in morbidity, and a definite diagnosis in early stages is challenging due to its specific onset site. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for cervical pregnancy, but it may result in the loss of natural fertility. Therefore, it is a great challenge to pursue a safe and effective treatment for cervical pregnancy. CASE SUMMARY: We report the case of a cervical pregnancy successfully treated by ultrasound-guided cervical-intramuscular lauromacrogol injection combined with hysteroscopy. A 23-year-old woman with minor irregular vaginal bleeding was admitted to our department with suspected ectopic pregnancy. Transvaginal ultrasound revealed a gestational sac (approximately 22 mm x 13 mm) situated in the cervical canal with a yolk sac and blood flow signals. No cardiac activity was detected. Serum beta progesterone was 17.06 ng/mL, and serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin (ß-HCG) was 5077.0 IU/L. The patient was diagnosed with cervical pregnancy. She was treated by ultrasound-guided cervical-intramuscular injections of lauromacrogol (3 mL) in combination with aborting under hysteroscopic visualization. A gradual decrease in ß-HCG levels and normal ultrasound findings were observed. Postoperative pathologic examination showed the presence of villi and changes in the endometrium in the secretory phase. The patient was discharged on day 6, and her ß-HCG level was 0.67 mIU/mL after 1 wk. There was no statistical difference between baseline and 1-week postoperative data in terms of serum indices including liver function, renal function, and routine blood analysis after treatment. The patient subsequently became pregnant 2 mo later and no abnormalities were detected on routine screening during pregnancy. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided cervical-intramuscular lauromacrogol injection combined with hysteroscopy may be effective and safe in the treatment of cervical pregnancy.

Rapid Approaches for Assignment of the Relative Configuration in 1-Oxygenated 1,2-Diarylpropan-3-ols by 1H NMR Spectroscopy.

The structural elucidation of chiral molecules with more than one stereocenter is usually a tricky problem. In this paper, efficient 1H NMR spectroscopic approaches for assigning the erythro and threo configurations of 1-oxygenated 1,2-diarylpropan-3-ols were developed. By analysis of the chemical shift differences of diastereotopic methylene H2-3 (Δδ3) in CDCl3 or the chemical shift differences of H-1 and H-2 (Δδ1,2) in methanol-d4, deuterated dimethyl sulfoxide, and acetone-d6, the configurations of 1-oxygenated 1,2-diarylpropan-3-ols can be rapidly and conveniently determined.

Discovery of dihydro-ß-agarofurans from Tripterygium wilfordii with their H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell protective effects.

Chemical investigations of the 75% EtOH extract of the leaves of Tripterygium wilfordii obtained five undescribed naturally occurring sesquiterpenes with dihydro-ß-agarofuran skeleton, tripteresters A-E (1-5), along with eight known analogues (6-13). Their chemical structures were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic the comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, electronic circular dichroism (ECD) exciton chirality, and quantum chemical calculations ECD. In the bioactivity assay, their neuroprotective properties against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were investigated, and compounds 4, 8, and 12 revealed moderate protective activity at a concentration of 12.5 µM.

Chiral-phase resolution of sesquilignans from raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) and their neuroprotective effects.

Two pairs of diastereoisomers (1/2 and 3/4) were isolated from the fruits of Rubus idaeus L. (Rosaceae). Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Then chiral-phase HPLC resolution gave 1a/1b-4a/4b. Their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the experimental ECD with the calculated data. Moreover, all isolated compounds were investigated for the neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells, and 2a (66.04%) exhibited moderate neuroprotective effects, better than trolox (60.54%) at the concentration of 25 µM.

Tripterfordins A-O, Dihydro-ß-agarofuran Sesquiterpenoids from the Leaves of Tripterygium wilfordii.

Fifteen new dihydro-ß-agarofuran-type sesquiterpenoids, tripterfordins A-O, were obtained from the aqueous EtOH extracts of the leaves of Tripterygium wilfordii. These constituted a class of highly oxygenated tricyclic sesquiterpenoid polyesters with a cinnamoyloxy group at C-1. The assignments of their structures were conducted via extensive analyses of the spectroscopic data and comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. The absolute configurations of compounds 1, 4, 9, and 10 were established via single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Additionally, compounds 1, 4, 9, 10, and 13 exhibited pronounced inhibitory effects on nitric oxide production in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages stimulated by lipopolysaccharide with IC50 values ranging from 11.9 to 31.0 µM.

Dihydro-ß-agarofuran sesquiterpenoid derivatives with anti-inflammatory activity from the leaves of Tripterygium wilfordii.

Triptersinoids A-E (1-5), five undescribed highly oxygenated dihydro-ß-agarofuran type sesquiterpenoid polyesters, along with three known analogues were isolated from the aqueous EtOH extracts of the dried leaves of Tripterygium wilfordii. Spectroscopic techniques were used for the elucidation of their chemical structures, and the absolute configurations determined by means of electron circular dichroism (ECD) studies, including octant rule of saturated cyclohexanone and comparison between the experimental and calculated ECD data. These compounds were evaluated for the anti-inflammatory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in RAW 264.7 macrophages, and 1α,2α,8ß,15-tetraacetoxy-9α-benzoyloxyl-15-nicotinoyloxy-ß-dihydroagarofuran (7) and angulateoid B (8) showed potential inhibitory effects with IC50 values of 17.30 ±â€¯1.07 µM and 20.79 ±â€¯1.55 µM.

Isolation of enantiomeric furolactones and furofurans from Rubus idaeus L. with neuroprotective activities.

A phytochemical study on the fruits of Rubus idaeus L. (Rosaceae) yielded eight pairs of enantiomeric lignans, including one undescribed furolactone named (-)-idaeusinol A and six undescribed furofuran derivatives named (+/-)-idaeusinol B-D. The structures of these isolated compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses and a combination of computational techniques including gauge-independent atomic orbital (GIAO) calculation of 1D NMR data and TD-DFT calculation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Bioactivity screenings suggested that (+)-idaeusinol D exhibited the most significant protective effect against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity at the concentration of 25 µM. In contrast, (-)-idaeusinol D, as the enantiomer of (+)-idaeusinol D, showed no effect against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity at both 25 and 50 µM concentration.

Neolignans from Red Raspberry ( Rubus idaeus L.) Exhibit Enantioselective Neuroprotective Effects against H2O2-Induced Oxidative Injury in SH-SY5Y Cells.

Red raspberry has been well-known for its nutritional purpose. Although this fruit has been reported for its potent antioxidant activity and health-promoting properties, systematic studies responsible for the bioactive constituents were still insufficient. In the current study, three pairs of dihydrobenzofuran-type enantiomeric neolignans (1a/1b-3a/3b), including two new compounds (1b and 2a), were isolated from the fruit of Rubus idaeus. The structures of these enantiomers were determined through spectroscopic methods and quantum mechanical calculations. Biologically, enantiomers 2a and 2b exhibited significant enantioselective protective effects against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity at 50 µM (2a, 86.72 ± 1.17%; 2b, 69.70 ± 1.59%). The underlying mechanism study demonstrated that enantiomer 2a is able to attenuate H2O2-induced apoptosis, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in SH-SY5Y cells. Overall, these findings provide a valuable foundation for the understanding of neuroprotective activities of red raspberry and further investigation on its potential application values.

Effective melanoma immunotherapy with interleukin-2 delivered by a novel polymeric nanoparticle.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been shown to possess antitumor activity in numerous preclinical and clinical studies. However, the short half-life of recombinant IL-2 protein in serum requires repeated high-dose injections, resulting in severe side effects. Although adenovirus-mediated IL-2 gene therapy has shown antitumor efficacy, the host antibody response to adenoviral particles and potential biosafety concerns still obstruct its clinical applications. Here we report a novel nanopolymer for IL-2 delivery, consisting of low molecular weight polyethylenimine (600 Da) linked by ß-cyclodextrin and conjugated with folate (named H1). H1 was mixed with IL-2 plasmid to form H1/pIL-2 polyplexes of around 100 nm in diameter. Peritumoral injection of these polyplexes suppressed the tumor growth and prolonged the survival of C57/BL6 mice bearing B16-F1 melanoma grafts. Importantly, the antitumor effects of H1/pIL-2 (50 µg DNA) were similar to those of recombinant adenoviruses expressing IL-2 (rAdv-IL-2; 2 × 10(8) pfu). Furthermore, we showed that H1/pIL-2 stimulated the activation and proliferation of CD8+, CD4+ T cell, and natural killer cells in peripheral blood and increased the infiltration of CD8+, CD4+ Tcells, and natural killer cells into the tumor environment. In conclusion, these results show that H1/pIL-2 is an effective and safe melanoma therapeutic with an efficacy comparable to that of rAdv-IL-2. This treatment represents an alternative gene therapy strategy for melanoma.

Pluronic L-81 ameliorates diabetic symptoms in db/db mice through transcriptional regulation of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein.

AIM: To test whether oral L-81 treatment could improve the condition of mice with diabetes and to investigate how L-81 regulates microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) activity in the liver. METHODS: Genetically diabetic (db/db) mice were fed on chow supplemented with or without L-81 for 4 wk. The body weight, plasma glucose level, plasma lipid profile, and adipocyte volume of the db/db mice were assessed after treatment. Toxicity of L-81 was also evaluated. To understand the molecular mechanism, HepG2 cells were treated with L-81 and the effects on apolipoprotein B (apoB) secretion and mRNA level of the MTP gene were assessed. RESULTS: Treatment of db/db mice with L-81 significantly reduced and nearly normalized their body weight, hyperphagia and polydipsia. L-81 also markedly decreased the fasting plasma glucose level, improved glucose tolerance, and attenuated the elevated levels of plasma cholesterol and triglyceride. At the effective dosage, little toxicity was observed. Treatment of HepG2 cells with L-81 not only inhibited apoB secretion, but also significantly decreased the mRNA level of the MTP gene. Similar to the action of insulin, L-81 exerted its effect on the MTP promoter. CONCLUSION: L-81 represents a promising candidate in the development of a selective insulin-mimetic molecule and an anti-diabetic agent.

Influence of HBV gene heterogeneity on the failure of immunization with HBV vaccines in eastern China.

The influence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene heterogeneity on the failure of HBV vaccination in eastern China remains unknown. Here, we assigned 78 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-carrier mothers to two groups: 41 mothers from whom transmission of HBV to their children was successfully prevented and 37 mothers whose children were HBsAg positive 1 year after HBV vaccination. The DNA loads in mothers of the failure group (4.17E + 07 copies/ml) were significantly higher than those in the success group (8.40E + 06 copies/ml). However, no difference was found in the S gene mutation rate and genotypes between the groups. Interestingly, Thr123Ala and Gly145Arg were observed only in failure-group mothers, whereas Thr126Asn, Thr126Ser, Thr143Asn, Asp144Gly, and Asp144Ala were seen in the success group. Thus, high viral load is an important risk factor for HBV vaccination failure, which is correlated with the positions of mutations in the S gene, but not with mutant frequencies or genotypes.

Abnormal surface markers expression on bone marrow CD34+ cells and correlation with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Defects of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) have been suggested to contribute to the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotypic characteristics of bone marrow (BM) CD34(+) cells in patients with SLE and its relationship with SLE disease activity. Ten SLE patients and 10 healthy subjects were recruited and their BM CD34(+) cells were analyzed by flow cytometric analysis with CD45/SSC gating for the expression of CD90, CD95, CD117, CD123, CD164, CD166, FAS-L, and HLA-DR. The percentage of BM CD34(+) cells was significantly decreased in active SLE patients (1.48 +/- 0.41%, n = 7) compared to the healthy controls (2.31 +/- 0.75%, n = 10, p < 0.01), but no significant difference was found between the inactive patients (2.04 +/- 0.44%, n = 3) and the controls. The expression of CD95, CD123, and CD166 on BM CD34(+) cells were significantly increased in SLE patients (48.31 +/- 10.59%, 44.9 +/- 21.5%, 30.9 +/- 19.54%, respectively, n = 10) when compared with the control subjects (24.33 +/- 11.1%, 19.5 +/- 4.4%, 10.7 +/- 5.5%, respectively, n = 10, p < 0.05). The increased CD123 expression was negatively correlated with the number of peripheral white blood cells (r = -0.700, p < 0.05, n = 10). The percentage of CD166 expression was found significantly correlated with the index of SLE disease activity (r = 0.472, p < 0.05, n = 10) and 24 h proteinuria (r = 0.558, p < 0.05, n = 10), but negatively correlated with serum C3 level (r = -0.712, p < 0.01, n = 10). Our study found that the surface marker expression of CD95, CD123, and CD166 on BM CD34(+) cells were significantly increased in patients. This supports the hypothesis that there are abnormalities of the HSC in SLE. Since CD166 and CD123 correlated with the overall lupus activity, their role as a biomarker of inflammatory disease activity also requires further study.

Intranasal immunization with inactivated SARS-CoV (SARS-associated coronavirus) induced local and serum antibodies in mice.

SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus) strain GZ50 was partially purified and inactivated with 1:2000 formaldehyde. In cell culture the inactivated virus blocked the replication of live virus by decreasing the TCID(5.0) of the live virus 10(3.6) to 10(4.6) times. Inactivated GZ50 was used to immunize mice intranasally either alone, or after precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG), or with CpG, or CTB as an adjuvant. The titer of serum neutralizing antibodies was up to 1:640. In mice immunized with adjuvants or PEG precipitated GZ50, specific IgA was detected in tracheal-lung wash fluid by immunofluorescence. Though serum antibodies were detected, no anti-SARS-IgA could be detected in mice immunized only with inactivated GZ50. The roles of adjuvants in intranasal immunization with inactivated. SARS-CoV is discussed.

SARS-related virus predating SARS outbreak, Hong Kong.

Using immunofluorescence and neutralization assays, we detected antibodies to human severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and/or animal SARS-CoV-like virus in 17 (1.8%) of 938 adults recruited in 2001. This finding suggests that a small proportion of healthy persons in Hong Kong had been exposed to SARS-related viruses at least 2 years before the recent SARS outbreak.