Aromatic Abietane-Type Diterpenoids from the Roots of Salvia prattii and Their Protective Activity Against alcoholic liver disease.

Eighteen aromatic abietane-type diterpenes, including three previously unreported compounds, Salkanoids A-C (1-3), were isolated from the roots of Salvia prattii. Their stuctures were extensively elucidated using 1D/2D NMR, high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESIMS) data, and ECD calculation. Among these, compounds 1, 6 and 7 belong to a class of diterpenes featuring a [5, 5]-oxaspirolactones moiety, a rare structure isolated from the Salvia plants. All the isolates were assessed for their protective effects against alcoholic liver disease using ethanol-induced AML-12 cell lines. The findings revealed that compounds 2, 5, 8 and 15 demonstrated potential protective activity.

A 3'UTR-derived small RNA represses pneumolysin synthesis and facilitates pneumococcal brain invasion.

Pneumolysin (Ply) of Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) at relatively high and low levels facilitates pneumococcal invasion into the lung and brain, respectively; however, the regulatory mechanisms of Ply expression are poorly understood. Here, we find that a small RNA plyT, processed from the 3'UTR of the ply operon, is expressed higher in anaerobically- than in statically-cultured pneumococcus D39. Using bioinformatic, biochemical and genetic approaches, we reveal that PlyT inhibits Ply synthesis and hemolytic activities by pairing with an RBS-embedded intergenic region of the ply operon. The RNA-binding protein SPD_1558 facilitates the pairing. Importantly, PlyT inhibition of Ply synthesis is stronger in anaerobic culture and leads to lower Ply abundance. Deletion of plyT decreases the number of pneumococci in the infected mouse brain and reduces the virulence, demonstrating that PlyT-regulated lower Ply in oxygen-void microenvironments, such as the blood, is important for pneumococcus to cross the blood-brain barrier and invade the brain. PlyT-mediated repression of Ply synthesis at anoxic niches is also verified in pneumococcal serotype 4 and 14 strains; moreover, the ply operon with a 3'UTR-embedded plyT, and the pairing sequences of IGR and plyT are highly conserved among pneumococcal strains, implying PlyT-regulated Ply synthesis might be widely employed by pneumococcus.

The hepatoprotective effect of sodium butyrate on hepatic inflammatory injury mediated by the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway in subchronic fluoride-exposed mice.

BACKGROUND: Excessive subchronic fluoride exposure can cause severe damage to detoxification organs, including the liver. Sodium butyrate has anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. However, relatively few studies have investigated the effects of sodium butyrate on liver injury caused by subchronic fluoride exposure. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effect and mechanism of sodium butyrate on fluoride-induced hepatic inflammatory injury via the expression of nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3). METHODS: Mice were subjected to randomization into four groups, control group (C), fluorosis group (F), sodium butyrate alone group (S), and treatment group (Y). The mice in groups F and F + S drank 100 mg/L sodium fluoride-containing distilled water freely every day. After fluoride exposure lasted for 3 months, the mice in group S and F + S were gavaged with sodium butyrate daily at a concentration of 1000 mg/kg. Following the treatment regimen, liver specimens were collected for analysis. The mRNA and protein expression levels of inflammatory factors and NLRP3 and its downstream gene were measured by RT-qPCR and western blotting. RESULTS: The histological hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of liver showed that the subchronic fluoride-exposed group were chronic inflammation. The liver of treatment group were less vacuolar degeneration and inflammatory infiltration. The results of the biochemical assay showed that the subchronic fluoride-exposed group were liver injury. In addition, the detection of oxidative stress indicators showed that chronic subchronic fluoride exposure could lead to an increase in the level of oxidative stress in the liver, and the treatment alleviated this increase. RT-qPCR results showed that compared with those in the control group, the mRNA levels of the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1ß, the NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream factors NLRP3, caspase-1, gasdermin D (GSDMD) and IL-18 increased in the liver tissue of mice in the subchronic fluoride-exposed group. Sodium butyrate released inflammatory factors during subchronic fluoride exposure and inhibited the protein expression of activated NLRP3 to a certain extent. CONCLUSIONS: Sodium butyrate may play a protective role by antagonizing the production of activated inflammasomes and their downstream inflammatory factors in the livers of subchronic fluoride-exposed mice.

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Xanthones from Hypericum beanii on Macrophage RAW 264.7 Cells through Reduced NO Production and TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-6, and COX-2 Expression.

Hypericum beanii N. Robson, a perennial upright herb, predominantly inhabits temperate regions. This species has been utilized for the treatment of various inflammation-related diseases. One new xanthone 3,7-dihydroxy-1,6-dimethoxyxanthone (1) and twenty-three known xanthones (2-24) were isolated from the aerial parts of H. beanii. The structure of the new compound was determined based on high-resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (HR-ESIMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Infrared Spectroscopy (IR), ultraviolet spectrophotometry (UV) spectroscopic data. The anti-inflammatory effects of all the isolates were assessed by measuring the inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Compounds 3,4-dihydroxy-2-methoxyxanthone (15), 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxyxanthone (19), and 1,3,6,7-tetrahydroxyxanthone (22) exhibited significant anti-inflammatory effects at a concentration of 10 µM with higher potency compared to the positive control quercetin. Furthermore, compounds 15, 19, and 22 reduced inducible NO synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), IL-6, and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) mRNA expression in the LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages, suggesting that these compounds may mitigate the synthesis of the aforementioned molecules at the transcriptional level, provisionally confirming their anti-inflammatory efficacy.

Anti-inflammatory Lindenane Sesquiterpene Dimers from the Roots of Chloranthus fortunei.

In this study, eight lindenane-type sesquiterpene dimers, including five previously undescribed sesquiterpene dimers (1-5), were isolated from the roots of Chloranthus fortunei, and their structures were elucidated using 1D/2D NMR, HRESIMS, and ECD calculations. Compound 1 presents the second example of a type of novel 8,9-seco lindenane-type sesquiterpene dimer, considered a product of 8/9-diketone oxidation. Compounds 2 and 3 represent the third and fourth examples, respectively, of this kind of C-11 methine dimer. Furthermore, compound 4 was considered as an artifact generated from the radical reaction of a known compound chlojaponilide F (6), which was explained by the density functional theory quantum calculation. All isolates were evaluated for their protective activity against the LPS-induced pulmonary epithelial cell line with compound 7 exhibiting the most potent bioactivity. Further in vitro biological evaluation demonstrated that 7 reduced the production of reactive oxygen species and interleukin-1ß, further regulated by the expression of the NLRP3. These results show that compound 7 exhibits therapeutic potential for lung inflammatory diseases.

Rabenosyn-5 suppresses non-small cell lung cancer metastasis via inhibiting CDC42 activity.

Metastasis, the primary cause of death in lung cancer patients, is facilitated by cytoskeleton remodeling, which plays a crucial role in cancer cell migration and invasion. However, the precise regulatory mechanisms of intracellular trafficking proteins involved in cytoskeleton remodeling remain unclear. In this study, we have identified Rabenosyn-5 (Rbsn) as an inhibitor of filopodia formation and lung cancer metastasis. Mechanistically, Rbsn interacts with CDC42 and functions as a GTPase activating protein (GAP), thereby inhibiting CDC42 activity and subsequent filopodia formation. Furthermore, we have discovered that Akt phosphorylates Rbsn at the Thr253 site, and this phosphorylation negates the inhibitory effect of Rbsn on CDC42 activity. Additionally, our analysis reveals that Rbsn expression is significantly downregulated in lung cancer, and this decrease is associated with a worse prognosis. These findings provide strong evidence supporting the role of Rbsn in suppressing lung cancer progression through the inhibition of metastasis.

GuiErBai: a potent inhibitor, exhibiting broadly antitumor effect against cervical cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Introduction: Cervical cancer (CC) ranks as the fourth most prevalent malignant tumor among women worldwide, and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality. GuiErBai (GEB), a compound preparation developed by our research team, is derived from the ancient Chinese medicine of the Miao nationality and is comprised of podophyllotoxin (PTOX), imperatorin, isoimperatorin, and A. dahurica alkaloids. These individual components have demonstrated notable efficacy in tumor treatment. However, the specific anti-tumor effect of the compound Chinese medicine GEB in the context of CC has yet to be validated. Methods: HeLa and SiHa cell lines were utilized for in vitro experiments and treated with 5 mg/mL and 10 mg/mL GEB concentrations, respectively. The cell cycle changes after GEB treatment were assessed using flow cytometry. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to observe autophagic bodies and apoptotic bodies, while MDC staining evaluated the occurrence of autophagy. CCK-8 was used to observe the effect of GEB on cell proliferation, and Transwell assays assessed cell migration and invasion. Western blotting detected cell cycle and apoptosis-related protein expression, along with the expression level of autophagy-related protein LC3I/II. Changes in ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential in cervical cancer cells following GEB treatment were determined using ROS detection and mitochondrial membrane potential detection kits. For the in vivo experiment, a nude mouse model of cervical cancer transplantation based on HeLa cells was established. Experimental animals were divided into negative control, positive control, high-dose GEB (10 mg/mL), and low-dose GEB (5 mg/mL) groups. Results: In HeLa and SiHa cell lines, the G0/G1 phase of tumor cells significantly decreased (p < 0.001), while the G2/M phase increased notably (p < 0.001) following various GEB treatments. Electron microscopy showed GEB promoted apoptotic body and autophagosome formation in both cell lines. Compared to untreated HeLa and SiHa cells, GEB-treated cells exhibited significantly reduced caspase3 protein expression, and substantially increased autophagy-related protein LC3I/II expression. GEB treatment significantly reduced migration and invasion capabilities in both cell lines (p < 0.001), while ROS content and mitochondrial membrane potential were significantly elevated (p < 0.001). GEB effectively inhibited cervical cancer cell proliferation, with the optimal concentration being 10 mg/mL. A successful nude mouse model of cervical cancer transplantation was established using HeLa cells. Post-GEB treatment, the tumor volume and weight in nude mice significantly decreased (p < 0.001), with diminished expression of CD34, VEGF, and caspase3 proteins in tumor tissues. Discussion: GEB exhibits a robust antitumor effect against cervical cancer, both in vitro and in vivo, in a concentration-dependent manner, by regulating autophagy and apoptosis of tumor cells.

Diagnostic value of combined ultrasound contrast and elastography for differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules: a meta-analysis.

The diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with ultrasound elastography for benign and malignant thyroid nodules is still controversial, so we used meta-analysis to seek controversial answers. The PubMed, OVID, and CNKI databases were searched according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The literature was selected from the establishment of each database to February 2024. The QUADAS-2 tool assessed diagnostic test accuracy. SROC curves and Spearman's correlation coefficient were made by Review Manager 5.4 software to assess the presence of threshold effects in the literature. Meta-Disc1.4 software was used for Cochrane-Q and χ2 tests, which be used to evaluate heterogeneity, with P-values and I2 indicating heterogeneity levels. The appropriate effect model was selected based on the results of the heterogeneity test. Stata18.0 software was used to evaluate publication bias. The diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with ultrasound elastography for benign and malignant thyroid nodules was evaluated by calculating the combined sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, DOR, and area under the SROC curve. A total of 31 studies included 3811 patients with 4718 nodules were analyzed. There is no heterogeneity caused by the threshold effect, but there is significant non-threshold heterogeneity. Combined diagnostic metrics were: sensitivity = 0.93, specificity = 0.91, DOR = 168.41, positive likelihood ratio = 10.60, and negative likelihood ratio = 0.07. The SROC curve area was 0.97. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography show high diagnostic accuracy for thyroid nodules, offering a solid foundation for early diagnosis and treatment.Trial registration. CRD42024509462.

Exosome-Mediated Communication in Thyroid Cancer: Implications for Prognosis and Therapeutic Targets.

Thyroid cancer (THCA) is one of the most common malignancies of the endocrine system. Exosomes have significant value in performing molecular treatments, evaluating the diagnosis and determining tumor prognosis. Thus, the identification of exosome-related genes could be valuable for the diagnosis and potential treatment of THCA. In this study, we examined a set of exosome-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (BIRC5, POSTN, TGFBR1, DUSP1, BID, and FGFR2) by taking the intersection between the DEGs of the TCGA-THCA and GeneCards datasets. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses of the exosome-related DEGs indicated that these genes were involved in certain biological functions and pathways. Protein‒protein interaction (PPI), mRNA‒miRNA, and mRNA-TF interaction networks were constructed using the 6 exosome-related DEGs as hub genes. Furthermore, we analyzed the correlation between the 6 exosome-related DEGs and immune infiltration. The Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC), the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), and the CellMiner database were used to elucidate the relationship between the exosome-related DEGs and drug sensitivity. In addition, we verified that both POSTN and BID were upregulated in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) patients and that their expression was correlated with cancer progression. The POSTN and BID protein expression levels were further examined in THCA cell lines. These findings provide insights into exosome-related clinical trials and drug development.

Finite Temperature String with Order Parameter as Collective Variables for Molecular Crystal: A Case of Polymorphic Transformation of TNT under External Electric Field.

An external electric field is an effective tool to induce the polymorphic transformation of molecular crystals, which is important practically in the chemical, material, and energy storage industries. However, the understanding of this mechanism is poor at the molecular level. In this work, two types of order parameters (OPs) were constructed for the molecular crystal based on the intermolecular distance, bond orientation, and molecular orientation. Using the K-means clustering algorithm for the sampling of OPs based on the Euclidean distance and density weight, the polymorphic transformation of TNT was investigated using a finite temperature string (FTS) under external electric fields. The potential of mean force (PMF) was obtained, and the essence of the polymorphic transformation between o-TNT and m-TNT was revealed, which verified the effectiveness of the FTS method based on K-means clustering to OPs. The differences in PMFs between the o-TNT and transition state were decreased under external electric fields in comparison with those in no field. The fields parallel to the c-axis obviously affected the difference in PMF, and the relationship between the changes in PMFs and field strengths was found. Although the external electric field did not promote the convergence, the time of the polymorphic transformation was reduced under the external electric field in comparison to its absence. Moreover, under the external electric field, the polymorphic transformation from o-TNT to m-TNT occurred while that from m-TNT to o-TNT was prevented, which was explained by the dipole moment of molecule, relative permittivity, chemical potential difference, nucleation work and nucleation rate. This confirmed that the polymorphic transformation orientation of the molecular crystal could be controlled by the external electric field. This work provides an effective way to explore the polymorphic transformation of the molecular crystals at a molecular level, and it is useful to control the production process and improve the performance of energetic materials by using the external electric fields.

Atorvastatin ameliorates diabetic nephropathy through inhibiting oxidative stress and ferroptosis signaling.

Clinically, statins have long been used for the prevention and treatment of chronic renal diseases, however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. The present study investigated the effects of atorvastatin on diabetes renal injury and ferroptosis signaling. A mouse model of diabetes was established by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg/day) plus a high fat diet with or without atorvastatin treatment. Diabetes mice manifested increased plasma glucose and lipid profile, proteinuria, renal injury and fibrosis, atorvastatin significantly lowered plasma lipid profile, proteinuria, renal injury in diabetes mice. Atorvastatin reduced renal reactive oxygen species (ROS), iron accumulation and renal expression of malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), transferrin receptor 1 (TFR1), and increased renal expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (NRF2) and ferritin heavy chain (FTH) in diabetes mice. Consistent with the findings in vivo, atorvastatin prevented high glucose-induced ROS formation and Fe2+ accumulation, an increase in the expression of 4-HNE, MDA and TFR1, and a decrease in cell viability and the expression of NRF2, GPX4 and FTH in HK2 cells. Atorvastatin also reversed ferroptosis inducer erastin-induced ROS production, intracellular Fe2+ accumulation and the changes in the expression of above-mentioned ferroptosis signaling molecules in HK2 cells. In addition, atorvastatin alleviated high glucose- or erastin-induced mitochondria injury. Ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 and antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) equally reversed the expression of high glucose-induced ferroptosis signaling molecules. Our data support the notion that statins can inhibit diabetes-induced renal oxidative stress and ferroptosis, which may contribute to statins protection of diabetic nephropathy.

Casual associations between blood metabolites and colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: Limited knowledge exists regarding the casual associations linking blood metabolites and the risk of developing colorectal cancer. AIM: To investigate causal associations between blood metabolites and colon cancer. METHODS: The study utilized a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal impact of 486 blood metabolites on colorectal cancer. The primary method of analysis used was the inverse variance weighted model. To further validate the results several sensitivity analyses were performed, including Cochran's Q test, MR-Egger intercept test, and MR robust adjusted profile score. These additional analyses were conducted to ensure the reliability and robustness of the findings. RESULTS: After rigorous selection for genetic variation, 486 blood metabolites were included in the MR analysis. We found Mannose [odds ratio (OR) = 2.09 (1.10-3.97), P = 0.024], N-acetylglycine [OR = 3.14 (1.78-5.53), P = 7.54 × 10-8], X-11593-O-methylascorbate [OR = 1.68 (1.04-2.72), P = 0.034], 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphocholine [OR = 4.23 (2.51-7.12), P = 6.35 × 10-8] and 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphoethanolamine 4 [OR = 3.99 (1.17-13.54), P = 0.027] were positively causally associated with colorectal cancer, and we also found a negative causal relationship between Tyrosine [OR = 0.08 (0.01-0.63), P = 0.014], Urate [OR = 0.25 (0.10-0.62), P = 0.003], N-acetylglycine [0.73 (0.54-0.98), P = 0.033], X-12092 [OR = 0.89 (0.81-0.99), P = 0.028], Succinylcarnitine [OR = 0.48 (0.27-0.84), P = 0.09] with colorectal cancer. A series of sensitivity analyses were performed to confirm the rigidity of the results. CONCLUSION: This study showed a causal relationship between 10 blood metabolites and colorectal cancer, of which 5 blood metabolites were found to be causal for the development of colorectal cancer and were confirmed as risk factors. The other five blood metabolites are protective factors.

SEEI: spherical evolution with feedback mechanism for identifying epistatic interactions.

BACKGROUND: Detecting epistatic interactions (EIs) involves the exploration of associations among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and complex diseases, which is an important task in genome-wide association studies. The EI detection problem is dependent on epistasis models and corresponding optimization methods. Although various models and methods have been proposed to detect EIs, identifying EIs efficiently and accurately is still a challenge. RESULTS: Here, we propose a linear mixed statistical epistasis model (LMSE) and a spherical evolution approach with a feedback mechanism (named SEEI). The LMSE model expands the existing single epistasis models such as LR-Score, K2-Score, Mutual information, and Gini index. The SEEI includes an adaptive spherical search strategy and population updating strategy, which ensures that the algorithm is not easily trapped in local optima. We analyzed the performances of 8 random disease models, 12 disease models with marginal effects, 30 disease models without marginal effects, and 10 high-order disease models. The 60 simulated disease models and a real breast cancer dataset were used to evaluate eight algorithms (SEEI, EACO, EpiACO, FDHEIW, MP-HS-DHSI, NHSA-DHSC, SNPHarvester, CSE). Three evaluation criteria (pow1, pow2, pow3), a T-test, and a Friedman test were used to compare the performances of these algorithms. The results show that the SEEI algorithm (order 1, averages ranks = 13.125) outperformed the other algorithms in detecting EIs. CONCLUSIONS: Here, we propose an LMSE model and an evolutionary computing method (SEEI) to solve the optimization problem of the LMSE model. The proposed method performed better than the other seven algorithms tested in its ability to identify EIs in genome-wide association datasets. We identified new SNP-SNP combinations in the real breast cancer dataset and verified the results. Our findings provide new insights for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://github.com/scutdy/SSO/blob/master/SEEI.zip .

[Comparative study of minimally invasive titanium elastic nail and steel plate on the treatment of fracture of tibiofibular fracture in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes of using elastic intramedullary nail and plate to fix fibular fracture. METHODS: The 60 patients with tibiofibular fractures admitted from January 2015 to December 2022 were divided into two groups:intramedullary nail group and plate group, 30 cases each, intramedullary nail group was treated with elastic intramedullary nail fixation group, plate group was treated with steel plate and screw fixation group. Intramedullary nail group, there were 18 males and 12 females, aged from 22 to 75 years old with an average of (39.4±9.8) years old, including 24 cases of traffic accidents injury, 6 cases of falling injury, 23 cases of closed fractures, 7 cases of open fractures. Steel plate group, there were 15 males and 15 females, aged from 24 to 78 years old with an average of (38.6±10.2) years old. The 22 cases were injured by traffic accident, 8 cases were injured by falling. The 24 cases were closed fractures and 6 cases were open fractures. The operation time, intraoperative bleeding, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hind foot scores, clinical healing time of fibula and the incidence of wound complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The patients in both groups were followed up for 6 to 21 months, with an average of (14.0±2.8) months. Compared with plate group, intramedullary nail group had shorter operative time, less bleeding, shorter clinical healing time of fibula, and lower infection rate of incision, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). There were 2 cases of delayed healing in intramedullary nail group, 1 case of nonunion in plate group, and 2 cases of delayed healing in plate group, and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). In the last follow-up, according to the AOFAS scoring standard, the ankle function in intramedullary nail group was excellent in 17 cases, good in 12 cases, fair in 1 case, with an average of (88.33±4.57) points, while in plate group, excellent in 16 cases, good in 10 cases, fair in 4 cases, with an average of (87.00±4.14) points;There was no statistical difference between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Elastic intramedullary nail has the advantages of short operation time, less intraoperative bleeding, short fracture healing time and less incision complications in the treatment of fibular fracture, which is worthy of clinical application.

Anti-Inflammatory Peroxidized Chlorahololide-Type Dimers Are Artifacts of Shizukaol-Type Dimers: From Phenomena Discovery and Confirmation to Potential Underlying Mechanism.

In our research on naturally occurring sesquiterpenes, eight shizukaol-type dimers, one chlorahololide-type dimer, and one sarcanolide-type dimer were isolated from the roots of Chloranthus fortunei. As the project was implemented, we accidentally discovered that shizukaol-type dimers can be converted into peroxidized chlorahololide-type dimers. This potential change was discovered after simulations of the changes in corresponding shizukaols showed that three peroxide products were generated (1-3), indicating that peroxidation reactions occurred. HPLC-HR-MS analysis results obtained for the shizukaol derivatives further demonstrate that the reaction occurred, and the type of substituent of small organic ester moieties at positions C-15' and C-13' of unit B were not decisively related to the reaction. Quantum chemical calculations of the mode dimer further demonstrated this phenomenon. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) energy of the precursor and production revealed the advantageous yield of 4ß-hydroperoxyl production. Additionally, the potential reaction mechanism was speculated and validated using the free energy in the reaction which successfully explained the feasibility of the reaction. Finally, the anti-inflammatory activity of the precursors and products was evaluated, and the products of peroxidation showed better anti-inflammatory activity.

Finite temperature string by K-means clustering sampling with order parameters as collective variables for molecular crystals: application to polymorphic transformation between ß-CL-20 and ε-CL-20.

Polymorphic transformation of molecular crystals is a fundamental phase transition process, and it is important practically in the chemical, material, biopharmaceutical, and energy storage industries. However, understanding of the transformation mechanism at the molecular level is poor due to the extreme simulating challenges in enhanced sampling and formulating order parameters (OPs) as the collective variables that can distinguish polymorphs with quite similar and complicated structures so as to describe the reaction coordinate. In this work, two kinds of OPs for CL-20 were constructed by the bond distances, bond orientations and relative orientations. A K-means clustering algorithm based on the Euclidean distance and sample weight was used to smooth the initial finite temperature string (FTS), and the minimum free energy path connecting ß-CL-20 and ε-CL-20 was sketched by the string method in collective variables, and the free energy profile along the path and the nucleation kinetics were obtained by Markovian milestoning with Voronoi tessellations. In comparison with the average-based sampling, the K-means clustering algorithm provided an improved convergence rate of FTS. The simulation of transformation was independent of OP types but was affected greatly by finite-size effects. A surface-mediated local nucleation mechanism was confirmed and the configuration located at the shoulder of potential of mean force, rather than overall maximum, was confirmed to be the critical nucleus formed by the cooperative effect of the intermolecular interactions. This work provides an effective way to explore the polymorphic transformation of caged molecular crystals at the molecular level.

Secondary metabolites from the Actinomadura sp. and their cytotoxic activity.

Actinomadura sp., which is usually found in muddy habitats, produces various secondary metabolites with biological activities. In this study, five new compounds named formosensin A (1), formosensin B (2), oxanthroquinone-3-O-α-d-mannose (8), oxanthromicin A (9), and oxanthromicin B (10) were isolated from the culture of Actinomadura sp. together with five known compounds (3-7). Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods including NMR and MS. In particular, the absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were determined using computational methods. Moreover, compounds 1-2 and 8-10 were screened for cytotoxic activity using a panel of human tumor cell lines. Compound 9 induced significant cytotoxicity in five human tumor cell lines (HL-60, A-549, SMMC-7721, MCF-7, and SW480) with IC50 values of 8.7, 17.5, 15.0, 17.8, and 14.6 µM, respectively. These findings suggested that compound 9 could provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of tumor-related diseases.

Two undescribed benzopyran derivatives from Ranunculus sceleratus L. with their in vitro anti-inflammatory activity in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW 264.7 cells.

Previous studies on Ranunculus sceleratus L. have shown the existence of coumarins and their anti-inflammatory effect. Phytochemical work was conducted to investigate the bioactive compounds, leading to the isolation of two undescribed benzopyran derivatives, namely ranunsceleroside A (1) and B (3), together with two known coumarins (2, 4) from the whole plant of R. sceleratus L. All compounds were structurally identified by extensive spectroscopic analysis and then investigated for their inhibitory effect on nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages, repectively. As a result, compound 1-4 presented inhibitory effects on the production of NO, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in a concentration-dependent manner, which provides a potential chemical basis for the traditional use of R. sceleratus L. as an anti-inflammatory plant.

The intramolecular SN2 reaction tautomeric ent-Kauranoids isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon amethystoides.

As our ongoing searching for the bioactive natural terpenoids, nine ent-kauranoids (1-9), including three previously undescribed ones (1, 2, and 9), were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon amethystoides. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, including NMR, MS, and ECD. Compounds 1 and 2 were a pair of tautomeric compounds, which was confirmed by the HPLC analysis and low temperature NMR testing. The underlying mechanism of the tautomer was proposed as an intramolecular SN2 reaction, which was explained by quantum chemical calculation. The HOMO-LUMO gap and the free energy revealed the spontaneous of the tautomeric of the 1 and 2. Additionally, the similar phenomena were also found in the two groups of known compounds 3 and 4 and 6 and 7, respectively. Apart from the tautomer, compounds 3 and 4 can be hydrolyzed into 5 through ester hydrolysis in CDCl3, while compounds 6, 7 can be hydrolyzed into 8 through ester hydrolysis. These phenomena were also confirmed through HPLC analysis and low temperature nuclear magnetic resonance tests and the mechanism was studied using quantum chemical calculation.

JunB: a paradigm for Jun family in immune response and cancer.

Jun B proto-oncogene (JunB) is a crucial member of dimeric activator protein-1 (AP-1) complex, which plays a significant role in various physiological processes, such as placental formation, cardiovascular development, myelopoiesis, angiogenesis, endochondral ossification and epidermis tissue homeostasis. Additionally, it has been reported that JunB has great regulatory functions in innate and adaptive immune responses by regulating the differentiation and cytokine secretion of immune cells including T cells, dendritic cells and macrophages, while also facilitating the effector of neutrophils and natural killer cells. Furthermore, a growing body of studies have shown that JunB is involved in tumorigenesis through regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, senescence and metastasis, particularly affecting the tumor microenvironment through transcriptional promotion or suppression of oncogenes in tumor cells or immune cells. This review summarizes the physiological function of JunB, its immune regulatory function, and its contribution to tumorigenesis, especially focusing on its regulatory mechanisms within tumor-associated immune processes.