A New Synthesis of Xanthones. 2,4,7-Trichloronorlichexanthone and 4,5,7-Trichloronorlichexanthone, Two New Lichen Xanthones

A new synthetic route to norlichexanthone (1,3,6-trihydroxy-8-methyl- 9H-xanthen-9-one) derivatives has been developed by using a Smiles rearrangement of an appropriately substituted depside in the key step. 2,4,7-Trichloronorlichexanthone (22) and 4,5,7- trichloronorlichexanthone (29) have been prepared by this method. The former xanthone (22) was shown to be a constituent of the lichens Lecanora sulphurata and L. flavo-pallescens and the latter (29) a constituent of Micarea austroternaria var. isabellina.

Structure and Synthesis of the Lichen Xanthone Isoarthothelin (2,5,7-Trichloronorlichexanthone)

The structure of isoarthothelin (2,5,7-trichloro-1,3,6-trihydroxy-8-methyl-9H-xanthen-9-one or 2,5,7-trichloronorlichexanthone)(2), a metabolite of an Australian Buellia species and Lecanora broccha, was confirmed by total synthesis. Previous reports of the natural occurrence of (2) refer for the most part to an isomeric compound.

5,7-Dichloro-3-O-methylnorliche-xanthone, a New Xanthone From the Lichen Lecanora broccha

5,7-Dichloro-1,6-dihydroxy-3-methoxy-8-methyl-9H-xanthen-9-one (7) (5,7-dichloro-3-O-methylnorlichexanthone) has been synthesized and shown to cooccur with 2,5,7-trichloro-3-O-methylnorlichexanthone (6) in the lichen Lecanora broccha.

[Influence of finger pressing massage on cAMP and cGMP in the cerebrospinal fluid in prolapsed intervertebral disc]

This paper used RIA method to observe 11 cases of prolapsed intervertebral disc patients, detect the change of cAMP and cGMP in the cerebrospinal fluid before and after finger pressing massage in acupuncture point Weizhong and Chengshan in order to discuss the mechanism of analgesia of finger pressing massage. The results showed that the pain was relieved after finger pressing massage. cAMP of the cerebrospinal fluid increased from 0.51 +/- 0.19 to 0.63 +/- 0.13 pm/ml, in average 32% higher than that before the therapy (P less than 0.05). Since cGMP decreased from 30.52 +/- 26.42 to 23.20 +/- 16.91 pm/ml, it showed that the mechanism of analgesia of finger pressing massage might be due to the fact that the therapy excited selectively endogenous analgesia system, caused the increase of endorphin releasing, and was accompanied by the regulation of cAMP and cGMP.

Elucidation of a protease-sensitive site involved in the binding of calcium to C-reactive protein

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a Ca2+-binding protein composed of five identical 23-kDa subunits arranged as a cyclic pentamer, present in greatly elevated concentration in the blood during the acute phase of processes involving tissue injury and necrosis. In the present work, it was found that treatment of human CRP with Pronase or Nagarse protease produces two major fragments which remain associated in physiological buffers but are separable under denaturing conditions. To localize the cleavage site(s), the fragments were characterized according to molecular mass, amino acid composition, partial amino acid sequence, and reactivity with monoclonal antibodies specific for the fragments and for defined CRP epitopes including residues 147-152 and 199-206. Nagarse protease cleaves the CRP subunit between residues 145 and 146, producing two fragments, 16 and 6.5 kDa (calculated molecular mass). Pronase cleaves the CRP subunit between residues 146 and 147, producing a 16-kDa fragment (A1) and a 6.5-kDa fragment (B); an additional fragment (A2) approximately 1 kDa smaller than fragment A1 is also apparently produced due to a secondary cleavage site in fragment A1. Cleavage appears to be completely inhibited in the presence of 1 mM CaCl2. Ca2+ does not protect cleaved CRP from heat-induced aggregation (i.e., precipitation) as it does the intact protein. Protease-cleaved CRP loses the ability to bind to the Ca2+-dependent ligand phosphorylcholine but remains the ability to bind to the Ca2+-independent ligand arginine-rich histone. Equilibrium dialysis indicates that intact CRP binds 2 mol of Ca2+/mol of subunit with a Kd of 6 X 10(-5) M.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Preservation of cytomegalovirus by lyophilization]

The preservation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) by lyophilization was first developed in China. In 4 to 10 days the typical CPE was up to + in the HEL cell line which was inoculated only 0.2 ml suspension of lyophilized strain AD169 or CMV isolated from milk breast. After preserved for 1 year the lyophilized cytomegalovirus strain still contained 1.5-2.0 lgTCID50/0.1 ml in titer of viral infection. The lyophilized strains have been used in the preparation of diagnostic antigen of cytomegalovirus in our department, also the strains were supplied to the whole country.

The discrete dynamics of symmetric competition in the plane

We consider the generalized Lotka-Volterra two-species system xn + 1 = xn exp(r1(1 - xn) - s1yn) yn + 1 = yn exp(r2(1 - yn) - s2xn) originally proposed by R. M. May as a model for competitive interaction. In the symmetric case that r1 = r2 and s1 = s2, a region of ultimate confinement is found and the dynamics therein are described in some detail. The bifurcations of periodic points of low period are studied, and a cascade of period-doubling bifurcations is indicated. Within the confinement region, a parameter region is determined for the stable Hopf bifurcation of a pair of symmetrically placed period-two points, which imposes a second component of oscillation near the stable cycles. It is suggested that the symmetric competitive model contains much of the dynamical complexity to be expected in any discrete two-dimensional competitive model.

Hormone-stimulated polyphosphoinositide breakdown in rat liver plasma membranes. Roles of guanine nucleotides and calcium

Calcium-sensitive inositide release in a purified rat liver plasma membrane preparation is increased by calcium-mobilizing hormones in the presence of guanine nucleotides. Vasopressin-stimulated inositide release is evident in the presence of GTP or its nonhydrolyzable analogs guanyl-5'-yl imidodiphosphate and guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S). The stimulation of inositide release by (-)-epinephrine (alpha 1), angiotensin II, or vasopressin in the presence of either 1 microM or 10 microM GTP gamma S correlates with the number of receptors present for each hormone. The guanine nucleotide and hormonal stimulation is evident on both inositol trisphosphate production and phosphatidylinositol bisphosphate degradation. Ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (1 mM) completely abolishes stimulation by guanine nucleotides and hormone. Prior treatment of plasma membranes with cholera toxin or islet activating protein or prior injection of animals with islet activating protein does not affect stimulation of inositide release by GTP gamma S or GTP gamma S plus vasopressin. Stimulation by GTP gamma S is dependent upon magnesium and is inhibitable by guanosine 5'-(2-O-thio) diphosphate. Inositide release from the plasma membrane exhibits half-maximal stimulation by calcium at approximately 100 nM free calcium in the presence of 1.5 mM MgCl2 and at approximately 10 microM free calcium in the presence of 10 mM MgCl2. Addition of guanine nucleotides decreases the requirement for calcium and also increases the activity at saturating calcium. The results presented suggest that calcium-mobilizing hormones stimulate polyphosphoinositide breakdown in rat liver plasma membranes through a novel guanine nucleotide binding protein.

Regulation of a liver plasma membrane phosphoinositide phosphodiesterase by guanine nucleotides and calcium

Rat liver plasma membranes are enriched in a Ca2+-dependent phosphodiesterase active on phosphatidylinositol 4,5-P2 and phosphatidylinositol 4-P, but not phosphatidylinositol. Inositol-P3 is the first product of the reaction, but is rapidly degraded. Micromolar concentrations of GTP and its nonhydrolyzable analogues stimulate the reaction, whereas GDP, GMP and other nucleoside triphosphates are inactive. GTP and its analogues decrease the requirement of the reaction for Ca2+ and also increase its activity at saturating Ca2+. These results support the hypothesis that guanine nucleotides and a guanine nucleotide binding regulatory protein are involved in coupling the receptors for Ca2+-mediated agonists to the breakdown of plasma membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-P2.