Effect of adenine arabinoside and alpha-interferon in patients with HBeAg-positive chronic active hepatitis

To evaluate and compare the therapeutic efficacy of adenine arabinoside (Ara-A) and alpha-interferon (alpha-INF), 40 patients with biopsy proven chronic active hepatitis B were chosen at random to receive Ara-A (15 mg/Kg, iv, for 10 day) or alpha-INF (3 million unit, sc, every other day for 12 wks) and followed up to 12 months after completion of the therapy. All patients were HBeAg positive. The clinical effects of Ara-A and alpha-INF on seroconversion of HBeAg positive. The clinical effects of Ara-A AND alpha-INF on seroconversion of HBeAg and the levels of serum aminotransferase (ALT) were closely matched and compared with those of the untreated control group (20 cases). Eighteen out of 20 patients received Ara-A, 19 patients received alpha-INF, and 19 out of 20 control cases were evaluated at 12 months after completion of treatment. Seroconversion of HBeAg in the alpha-INF treated group (19 cases) was observed in seven cases (36.8%), showing a higher seroconversion rate as compared to Ara-A-treated (2/18 cases, 11.1%) and to the control patients (1/19 cases, 5.3%). There were no effects of Ara-A on serum ALT levels in the treated patients compared with the untreated control patients. However there was a remarkable drop in serum ALT levels in the INF-treated patients (p less than 0.005, ALT levels at 12 months after treatment; 87.4 +/- 98.8 IU/L) compared to the pretreatment levels (256.7 +/- 175.8 IU/L).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Degradation of ginseng saponins under mild acidic conditions

Ginseng saponins, ginsenosides Rg (1), Re and Rb (1), decomposed under mild acidic conditions to yield prosapogenins. The structures of the prosapogenins were investigated by (13)C-NMR spectroscopy and Rg (1)-prosapogenin II was shown to be a mixture of ginsenoside Rh (1), and its C-20 epimer, produced by hydrolysis followed by epimerization at C-20. Rg (1)-prosapogenin III, the other prosapogenin derived from ginsenoside Rg (1); was a C-25,26 hydrated derivative of Rg (1)-prosapogenin II. Re-prosapogenin II was identified as a mixture of ginsenoside Rg (2) and its C-20 epimer, and Re-prosapogenine III as a C-25,26 hydrated derivative of Re-prosapogenin II.