Osteoclastogenesis Regulation Metabolites from the Coral-Associated Fungus Pseudallescheria boydii TW-1024-3.

Three new compounds (9-11) were isolated together with eight known analogues from the fungus Pseudallescheria boydii associated with the South China Sea soft coral Sinularia sandensis. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of the spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations including the sulfur stereogenic center of a sulfoxide moiety were determined by comparison of experimental ECD spectra to TDDFT/ECD calculations. Epimeric chiral sulfoxides differing in the absolute configuration of the sulfur chirality center could be efficiently distinguished and assigned by comparing the experimental ECD to those of calculations for the sulfur epimers. In the in vitro biotests for osteoclastogenesis effects, compounds 1, 5, 7, and 10 exhibited a stimulatory activity, while compound 3 displayed an inhibitory activity.

Curcumin inhibits proliferation and enhances apoptosis in A549 cells by downregulating lncRNA UCA1.

OBJECTIVE: Curcumin has been reported to possess anti-tumor effects on multiple cancers, including lung cancer. However, the mechanisms of its anti-tumor effect on lung cancer have not been fully elucidated. Our study attempted to identify the effect of curcumin on A549 cells and further explore the potential mechanism. METHODS: Different concentrations of curcumin were exposed to A549 cells for 24 h and cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay. The expression of UCA1 was overexpressed in A549 cells by transfection with pEX-UCA1. Cell proliferation was determined by BrdU staining and assessing the expression of CyclinD1 using western blot and RT-PCR assay. Apoptotic cells were measured by flow cytometry assay. Western blot was performed to assess the expression of apoptosis-related, Wnt and mTOR pathways-related factors. RESULTS: Curcumin incubation dramatically reduced viability of A549 cells in a dosage-dependent manner. Curcumin (0.6 µM) significantly reduced BrdU+-positive cells, declined the expression of CyclinD1, and enhanced cell apoptosis. Interestingly, we found that curcumin inhibited the expression of UCA1 and UCA1 overexpression abolished the effect of curcumin on cell apoptosis. In addition, we also found that curcumin inhibited Wnt and mTOR pathways through down-regulation of UCA1. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that curcumin inhibited the growth of A549 cells through downregulation of UCA1, which might provide new insight for the treatment of lung cancer.

Immunomodulatory Polyketides from a Phoma-like Fungus Isolated from a Soft Coral.

Fourteen new polyketides with a trans-fused decalin ring system, libertalides A-N (3-16), together with two known analogues, aspermytin A and its acetate (1, 2), were isolated from the fermentation extract of a coral-derived Libertasomyces sp. fungus. Their relative configurations were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis, and the absolute configurations were determined by TDDFT-ECD and optical rotation (OR) calculations. The OR of 1 and 2 were found to have opposite signs in CH3CN and CHCl3, which was in agreement with the OR calculations producing alternating signs for the optical rotation depending on the applied conditions. Because the signs of the OR for 1 and 2 showed high solvent dependence, they may not be used alone to correlate the absolute configurations. Compound 16 displayed structural novelty characterized by an α-enol ether bridge conjugated with an aldehyde group. In in vitro immunomodulatory screening, compounds 1, 4, and 10 significantly induced the proliferation of CD3+ T cells, while compounds 2, 7, 11, and 14 significantly increased the CD4+/CD8+ ratio at 3 µM. A preliminary structure-activity analysis revealed a crucial role of Δ7 and a terminal OH group in the regulation of CD3+ T cell proliferation. This is the first report of immunoregulatory activity for metabolites of this kind.

A familial cluster of COVID-19 infection in a northern Chinese region.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide and become a global health concern. Here, we report a familial cluster of six patients infected with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in a northern Chinese region and share our local experience with regard the control of COVID-19. METHODS: The demographic data, clinical features, laboratory examinations, and epidemiological characteristics of enrolled cases were collected and analyzed. Two family members (Cases 1 and 2) had Hubei exposure history and were admitted to the hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19; eight familial members who had contact with them during the incubation period underwent quarantine in a hospital. We closely followed up all the family members and analyzed their clinical outcome. RESULTS: Case 3 had negative SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) results but was suspected to have COVID-19 because of radiographic abnormalities. Cases 4 and 5 developed symptomatic COVID-19. Case 6 was considered an asymptomatic carrier as his SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR result was positive. The other four family members with close contacts to COVID-19 patients had no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that COVID-19 has infectivity during the incubation period and preventive quarantine is effective for controlling an outbreak of COVID-19 infection.