Hyaluronidase inhibitory active 6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-ones from the feces of Trogopterus xanthipes

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the MeOH extract of Pteropi faeces (the feces of Trogopterus xanthipes Milne-Edwards) furnished three hyaluronidase inhibitory active 6H-dibenzo[b,d]-pyran-6-ones (1-3), together with a new compound, 3,8,10-trihydroxy-6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one (4). Their structures were established on the basis of the spectroscopic methods.

Transcript quantitation in total yeast cellular RNA using kinetic PCR

Kinetically monitored, reverse transcriptase-initiated PCR (kinetic RT-PCR, kRT-PCR) is a novel application of kinetic PCR for high throughput transcript quantitation in total cellular RNA. The assay offers the simplicity and flexibility of an enzyme assay with distinct advantages over DNA microarray hybridization and SAGE technologies for certain applications. The reproducibility, sensitivity and accuracy of the kRT-PCR were assessed for yeast transcripts previously quantitated by a variety of methods including SAGE analysis. Changes in transcript levels between different genetic or physiological cell states were reproducibly quantitated with an accuracy of +/-20%. The assay was sufficiently sensitive to quantitate yeast transcripts over a range of more than five orders of magnitude, including low abundance transcripts encoding cell cycle and transcriptional regulators.

A patient with undifferentiated carcinoma of gallbladder presenting with hemobilia

Hemobilia is relatively rare among hemorrhages in the digestive tract, and hemobilia caused by tumors of the biliary tract is particularly rare. We treated a 74-year-old-man with undifferentiated carcinoma of the gallbladder presenting with hemobilia. During hospitalization for neurogenic bladder at the Department of Urology, he showed progressive anemia. Since hemorrhage in the digestive tract was suspected, endoscopy of the upper gastrointestinal tract was performed, and bleeding from the papilla of Vater was observed. On ultrasound examination, findings were indicative of cholecystic cancer, and hemorrhage from the cystic duct was found on percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy. On perioral cholecystoscopy, however, masses of coagulated blood were found only in the gallbladder. Abnormalities such as dense staining of tumors or extravasation were not found on angiography. The patient died of hepatic failure due to rapid invasion of the liver by the tumor, associated with biliary infection and disseminated intravascular coagulation. At autopsy, a nodal tumor was found in the gallbladder, and the cavity of the gallbladder was filled with coagulated masses of blood. Direct invasion of the tumor to the liver, diaphragm, and transverse colon was found. The histopathological diagnosis was undifferentiated carcinoma (pleomorphic large-cell type).

Constituents of holothuroidea.9. Isolation and structure of a new ganglioside molecular species from the sea cucumber Holothuria pervicax

A new ganglioside molecular species, HPG-7 (1) was obtained from the polar fraction of the chloroform/methanol extract of the sea cucumber, Holothuria pervicax. On the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidence, the structure of 1 was determined, and the major component was 1-O-[alpha-L-fucopyranosyl-(1-->4)-(N-acetyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl) - (2-->11)-(N-glycolyl-alpha-D-neuraminosyl)-(2-->4)-(N-acetyl -alpha-D- neuraminosyl)-(2-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(2S,3S,4R)-2-[(2R)-2- hydroxytetracosanoylamino]-14-methyl-hexadecane-1,3,4-triol. This is the first report on the isolation and structure elucidation of trisialo-ganglioside from sea cucumber. 1 showed neuritogenic activity toward the rat pheochromocytoma cell line, PC-12 cell.

Glyceroglycolipids preventing tert-butylhydroperoxide-induced cell death from Microbacterium sp. and Corynebacterium aquaticum strains

Galactosyl diacylglycerols M874B and S365B obtained from the recently isolated bacteria identified as Microbacterium sp. M874 and Corynebacterium aquaticum S365 were found to prevent oxidative cell death induced by tert-butylhydroperoxide. Their structures were determined to be 1,2-di-O-(12-methyltetradecanoyl)-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-sn-glycerol and 1-O-(14-methylhexadecanoyl)-2-O-(12-methyltetradecanoyl)-3-O-beta-D-galactopyranosyl-sn-glycerol, respectively.

In vitro inducible nitric oxide synthesis inhibitory active constituents from Fraxinus rhynchophylla

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an H2O extract of the barks of Fraxinus rhynchophylla has furnished two inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitory compounds, ferulaldehyde (1) and scopoletin (3) together with a coumarin, fraxidin (2). Compounds 1 and 3 showed inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in a dose-dependent manner by murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The inhibition of NO synthesis of 1 was reflected in the decreased amount of iNOS protein, as determined by Western blotting.

Structural elucidation of the ceramide moiety of starfish gangliosides by collision-induced dissociation of the sodium ion complex

Collision-induced dissociation (CID) spectra of sodium ion complexes ([M+Na]+ ions), produced by FAB-MS of methyl ester derivatives of ganglioside, indicate the length of the fatty acyl chain of the ceramide moieties without chemical degradation. In the case of a genuine ganglioside, only the fission of the glycosyl linkage of sialic acid was prominently observed.

Scopoletin: an inducible nitric oxide synthesis inhibitory active constituent from Artemisia feddei

Bioassay-guided fractionation of an H2O extract of Artemisia feddei has furnished an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitory coumarin, scopoletin (1) and one of the inactive sesquiterpenes, achillin (2). Compound 1 showed inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in a dose-dependent manner in murine macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) plus lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The inhibition of NO synthesis of 1 was due to suppression of iNOS mRNA and iNOS protein, as determined by Northern and Western blotting, respectively.

Norlignans with Hyaluronidase Inhibitory Activity from Anemarrhena asphodeloides

Assay-guided fractionation of an MeOH extract of ANEMARRHENA ASPHODELOIDES Bunge has furnished two hyaluronidase inhibitory norlignans, CIS-hinokiresinol ( 1) and 1,3-di- P-hydroxyphenyl-4-penten-1-one ( 2), and an inactive norlignan 4'-methyl- CIS-hinokiresinol ( 3). Compound 2 is a new compound.

Single-tube genotyping without oligonucleotide probes

We report the development of a self-contained (homogeneous), single-tube assay for the genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which does not rely on fluorescent oligonucleotide probes. The method, which we call Tm-shift genotyping, combines allele-specific PCR with the discrimination between amplification products by their melting temperatures (Tm). Two distinct forward primers, each of which contains a 3'-terminal base that corresponds to one of the two SNP allelic variants, are combined with a common reverse primer in a single-tube reaction. A GC-tail is attached to one of the forward allele-specific primers to increase the Tm of the amplification product from the corresponding allele. PCR amplification, Tm analysis, and allele determination of genomic template DNA are carried out on a fluorescence-detecting thermocycler with a dye that fluoresces when bound to dsDNA. We demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of Tm-shift genotyping on 100 samples typed for two SNPs, and recommend it both as a simple and inexpensive diagnostic tool for genotyping medically relevant SNPs and as a high-throughput SNP genotyping method for gene mapping.

[A case of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV diagnosed following the development of acute encephalopathy due to heat stroke]

A fourteen-month-old girl, who had shown remittent fever frequently from the neonatal period, hypohidrosis, frequent change of face color and self-mutilation of the 1st and 2nd fingers of both hands and tongue in the first months of her life, developed an acute encephalopathy with generalized tonic convulsion outdoors on a sunny hot day. Generalized tonic convulsion subsided within two days, but doll's eye phenomenon, loss of pupillary reaction to light, palpebral myoclonus, and ballismus of arms and legs followed L-dopa showed some effect on the ballismus 1 month after the attack. During the hospital stay, biopsy of sural nerve was performed. Morphometric and ultrastructural studies of the sural nerve demonstrated decreased numbers of unmyelinated and small myelinated fibers. Skin biopsy of the leg revealed sweat glands with no nerve terminals, axons and Schwann cells around them. She was diagnosed as having hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV based on the histological and clinical findings. After discharge, bone fracture was found three times without any evidence of trauma. Acute encephalopathy, probably produced in relation to the underlying neuropathy, was considered to be due to heat stroke.

Multiple dermoid cysts on the forehead. Case report

A 41-year-old man presented with multiple tumours on the forehead which had developed over a 20-year period. Preoperative computed tomography of the brain showed multiple subcutaneous lesions in the frontal region with no intracranial extension. Histological examination of a biopsy specimen from one of the tumours showed a dermoid cyst. The patient underwent excision of the tumours, and the resulting skin defect was covered with a full-thickness skin graft. His postoperative course was uneventful. Dermoid cysts of the head and neck are relatively rare, and usually occur in childhood as solitary lesions.

Biotin deficiency in an infant fed with amino acid formula and hypoallergenic rice

An amino acid formula produced in Japan is not supplemented with biotin since biotin is not permitted as a food additive. Biotin deficiency developed in an 11-month-old Japanese infant who had been diagnosed as a neonate with cow milk and soy bean allergy and fed with an amino acid formula and hypoallergenic rice processed by protease. Serum levels of zinc, essential fatty acids and biotinidase were within the normal range while that of biotin was below the normal range. Urinary 3-hydroxy-isovalerate and slightly elevated levels of plasma branched-chain amino acids disappeared 1 week after oral supplementation with 1 mg day-1 of biotin as did the symptoms of orificial skin lesions, lethargy, hypotonia and alopecia later. In summary, to prevent biotin deficiency, biotin should be added to the Japanese amino acid formula.

Bioactive diterpenoids from Octocorallia, 2. Deoxyxeniolide B, a novel ichthyotoxic diterpenoid from the soft coral Xenia elongata

An ichthyotoxic diterpenoid, deoxyxeniolide B [1], was isolated from the soft coral Xenia elongata. It has also been shown that deoxyxeniolide B [1] is gradually oxidized in solution to give the oxidation products 2 and 3. The structures of these compounds were elucidated on the basis of spectral analysis.