Elevated Interleukin-37 Associated with Dengue Viral Load in Patients with Dengue Fever.

Dengue remains a public health issue worldwide. Similar to chronic infectious diseases, stimulation of cytokine production is not enough to drive immune effector cells for effective virus clearance. One possible mechanism is the virus induces a large number of negative stimulatory cytokines inhibiting immune response. Interleukin 37 (IL-37) plays a crucial regulatory role in infection and immunity, inhibits innate and adaptive immunity as an anti-inflammatory cytokine by inhibiting proinflammatory mediators and pathways. To date, there are few studies reporting correlations between dengue fever (DF) and IL-37. In this study we found that the serum IL-37b and IL-37b-producing monocytes in patients were significantly increased in DF patients. A majority of the IL-37b produced by DF patients was produced by monocytes, not lymphocytes. Increased levels of IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-α were also found in DF patients. However, we failed to detect IL-1ß, IL-17A and TNF-α in plasma, because of off-target. In our study, there was no relation between IL-6, IL-10, and IFN-α expressions and IL-37b in serum (P > 0.05). The IL-37b-producing monocytes were negatively correlated with the level of IFN-α in serum and platelet count, and positively correlated with lymphocytes percentage (P < 0.05, respectively). Additionally, serum DENV nonstructural protein 1 levels were positively correlated with monocytes percentages (P < 0.05). Our data represents findings for IL-37b expression and its potential mechanisms in DF patients' immune response.

Stressors, social support, depressive symptoms and general health status of Taiwanese caregivers of persons with stroke or Alzheimer's disease.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study examined the relationships among stressors, social support, depressive symptoms and the general health status of Taiwanese caregivers of individuals with stroke or Alzheimer's disease. BACKGROUND: Caring for a disabled or cognitively impaired person can be extremely stressful and often has adverse effects on caregivers' health. While research on caregiving in Taiwan has examined caregivers' characteristics, caregivers' need and caregivers' burden in caring for older people in general, little is known about Taiwanese caregivers of individuals with stroke or Alzheimer's disease. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive correlation design. METHODS: Data were obtained from a convenience sample of 103 Taiwanese informal caregivers in the South of Taiwan and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, multiple and hierarchical regressions and t-tests. RESULTS: Caregivers who had lower household incomes and were taking care of individuals with more behaviour problems had more depressive symptoms. In addition, caregivers who were older and were taking care of individuals with more behaviour problems had worse general health. Caregivers who had more emotional support had less depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Caregivers of persons with Alzheimer's disease had more depressive symptoms and worse general health than caregivers of persons with stroke. Only emotional support moderated the relationship between one of the stressors (household income) and depressive symptoms. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The findings of this study may be helpful for nurses and other health care professionals in designing effective interventions to minimise the negative impacts of stressors on the psychological and general health of caregivers in Taiwan.

[Chemical constituents of Oxytropis falcate].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Oxytropis falcate. METHOD: The air-dried whole plants of O. falcate were extracted with EtOH (90%) three times at room temperature. The compounds were isolated by silica-gel, polyamide, C-18 and Sphadex LH-20 columns. The structures were identified based on spectral elucidation. RESULT: Fourteen compounds were isolated from O. falcate and identified as, (-)-7-methoxy-dihydroflavone (1), (-)-5-hydroxy-7-methyoxy-dihydroflavone (2), (-)-pinocembrin (3), (-)-7-hydroxy-dihydroflavone (4), 4'-methoxy-2'-hydroxy-chalcone (5), 2', 4'-dihydroxy-dihydrochalcone (6), 2',4'-dihydroxy-chalcone (7), (-)-maackiain (8), tetrahydroflemichapparin-B (9), dalbergin (10), N-benzoyl-2-phenylethylamine (11), n-tetracosanol (12), rhamnocitrin-3-O-beta-neohesperidoside (13), beta-sitosterol (14). CONCLUSION: All the compounds were isolated from O. falcate for the first time.

[Chemical constituents of Oxytropis chiliophylla].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents of Oxytropis chiliophylla. METHOD: The air-dried whole plants of O. chiliophylla were extracted with EtOH (90%) three times at room temperature. The compounds were isolated by silica-gel, polyamide, C-18 and Sphadex LH -20 columns. The structures were identified based on spectral analysis. RESULT: 8 compounds were isolated from O. chiliophylla and identified as azukisapogenol (1), (22E, 24R) -24-methyl-5alpha-cholesta-7, 22-diene-3beta, 5alpha, 6beta-triol (2), apigein (3), 3', 4'-dimethoxy-quercetin-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranoside (4), 7, 3', 4'-trimethoxy-quercetin-3-O-alpha-L-rhamopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-glucopyranoside (5), (2S, 3S, 4R)-N-[(R)-2'-hydroxytetracosanoyl]-1, 3, 4-trihydroxy-2-amino-octadeca-6-ene (6), beta-sitosterol (7), daucosterol (8). CONCLUSION: All the compounds were isolated from O. chiliophylla for the first time.

Mulberrofuran G and isomulberrofuran G from Morus alba L.: anti-hepatitis B virus activity and mass spectrometric fragmentation.

Mulberrofuran G (1) and isomulberrofuran G (2), a pair of isomeric Diels-Alder-type adducts, were isolated from the root bark of Morus alba L. Isomulberrofuran G (2) as a new IIB-type Diels-Alder-type adduct, was elucidated by extensive (1)H, (13)C, and two-dimensional (2D) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass spectrometry (MS) spectroscopic analyses. A fragmentation study on compounds 1 and 2 was performed by high-resolution electrospray ionization (ESI) multistage tandem mass spectrometry linked with ion-trap (IT) and time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzers (ESI-MS(n)/IT-TOF) in negative mode, which resulted in obviously different fragmentations. In the MS(2) experiments, the characteristic ions at m/z 451 and 439 could be revealed as their respective diagnostic ions. Mulberrofuran G (1) showed moderate activity, inhibiting hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA replication with the IC(50) value of 3.99 µM, according to the anti-HBV assay on the HepG 2.2.15 cell line in vitro.

Two new quaternary alkaloids and anti-hepatitis B virus active constituents from Corydalis saxicola.

Two new quaternary isoquinoline alkaloids, saxicolalines A (1) and N-methylnarceimicine (2), together with sixteen known alkaloids (3 - 18) were isolated from Corydalis saxicola Bunting. The structures of saxicolalines A (1) and N-methylnarceimicine (2) were established based on spectral methods including 1D, 2D NMR (COSY, HMQC, HMBC) and HR-ESI-MS. The anti-HBV activities of ten main alkaloids were evaluated. Among the tested compounds, dihydrochelerythrine (8) exhibited the most potent activity against HBsAg and HBeAg secretions with IC50 < 0.05 microM, SI > 3.5, respectively.

Two new alkaloids and active anti-hepatitis B virus constituents from Hypserpa nitida.

Two new alkaloids, hypserpanines A and B (1, 11), together with eleven known compounds, phenolbetain (2), acutumine (3), acutumidine (4), dechloroacutumine (5), dauricumine (6), dauricumidine (7), pronuciferine (8), glaziovine (9), S-reticuline (10), magnoflorine (12) and laurifoline(13), were isolated from Hypserpa nitida Miers. (Menispermaceae) and chemically elucidated through spectral analyses. All the isolated alkaloids were evaluated for their anti-HBV activities in vitro using the HBV transfected Hep G2.2.15 cell line. The most active compound, dauricumidine (7), exhibited an IC(50) value of 0.450 mM (SI=4.13) on hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) secretion of the Hep G2.2.15 cell line.