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Four new phenolic glucosides, cannabifolins G-J (1-4), together with four known ones (5-8), were isolated from the leaves of Vitex negundo var. cannabifolia. Their structures were established by comprehensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR data and comparison of their spectroscopic and physical data with the literature values. Compound 7 exhibited weak inhibition of nitric oxide production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide in BV-2 microglial cells with IC

Background Central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities are a group of serious birth defects associated with high rates of stillbirths, infant death, or abnormal development, and various disease‐causing copy number variations play a much more important role in the etiology of CNS abnormalities. This study intends to present a retrospective study of the prenatal diagnosis and the pregnancy outcome of fetuses diagnosed with CNS abnormalities, and evaluate the clinical value of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in prenatal diagnosis of CNS abnormalities. Methods A total of 356 fetuses with CNS abnormalities with or without other ultrasound abnormalities subjected to invasive prenatal diagnosis at the first affiliated hospital of Air Force Medical University from January 2015 to August 2018. All cases have performed both karyotyping and CMA concurrently, but 20 fetuses with chromosome aneuploidy were excluded in the current study. Results The CMA identified pathogenic copy number variants (pCNVs) in 27/336 (8.03%) fetuses, likely pCNVs in 8/336 (2.38%) fetuses, and variants of unknown significance (VOUS) in 11/336 (3.27%) fetuses. A total of 222 cases had single CNS abnormalities and the pCNVs detection rate was 5.86% (13/222), the remaining 114 cases including CNS abnormalities plus other structural abnormalities, ultrasonographic soft markers and two or more CNS abnormalities, the pCNVs detection rate was 12.3% (14/114). Conclusions Fetuses with CNS abnormalities have a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities, our study showed that CNVs play an important role in the etiology of CNS abnormalities. The application of CMA could increase the detection rate of pCNVs causing CNS abnormalities.

Background Corneal transplantation is a common surgical intervention for restoring vision loss due to corneal damages. However, for cultural reasons, there is a huge shortage of donor corneas in China. Acellular porcine corneal stromas (APCSs) can be used as corneal substitutes in lamellar keratoplasty for corneal ulcers. This study was conducted to analyze the results of APCS use for herpes simplex keratitis (HSK). Methods The study involved HSK patients who underwent keratoplasty with APCSs from February 2016 to October 2017 in the second affiliated hospital of Zhejiang University. Patient data were collected at 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and at the last follow‐up (7‐25 months) postoperative. The corneal transparency, neovascularization, visual acuity, and graft stability were observed. Results Thirteen patients with HSK including five patients with corneal perforation were included in this study, nine patients underwent deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) and five perforation patients underwent double lamellar keratoplasty. There were nine men and four women with an average age of 62.5 ± 5.6 years old (ranging from 52 to 70 years old). The mean postoperative follow‐up duration was 15.1 ± 5.8 months (ranging from 7 to 25 months). At the last visit, visual acuity improved in nine patients (69.2%) compared with preoperative (P = 0.008).The grafts of seven individuals (53.8%) were completely transparent or slightly opaque; their corneal transparency score had improved significantly compared with before the surgery (P = 0.010). Various degrees of neovascularization were present in 11 of the 13 patients (84.6%), most neovascularization gradually stabilized. Graft dissolution occurred in three eyes (23.1%) during the observation period, two underwent regrafting, the other one became stable after treatment. Three patients underwent second allograft transplantation, two of which encountered APCS graft dissolution and one of the patients requested a human donor allograft transplantation due to transparency issues despite the absence of adverse issues. Conclusion Acellular porcine corneal stroma seems to be effective in the treatment of HSK and can be used in HSK with corneal perforation by using double lamellar keratoplasty in an emergency.

Background With the increasing availability of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) for congenital heart defect (CHD), genetic testing now faces new challenges due to results with uncertain clinical impact. Studies are needed to better define the penetrance of genetic variants. The aim of the study was to examine the association between CMA and CHDs in fetuses with normal karyotype. Methods This was a retrospective study of 190 fetuses with normal karyotype that underwent CMA after a diagnosis of CHD by fetal ultrasound. Invasive prenatal diagnosis was performed between January 2015 and December 2016 at the first affiliated hospital of Air Force Medical University. Results Chromosomal microarray analysis detected pathogenic copy number variants (pCNVs) in 13/190 (6.84%) fetuses, likely pCNVs in 5/190 (2.63%), and variants of unknown significance (VOUS) in 14/190 (7.37%). Among those with pCNVs, none (0%) yielded a normal live birth. Among those with likely pCNVs, 2/5 (40.0%) yielded a live birth. Among the fetuses with VOUS, 10/14 (71.5%) yielded a live birth. Conclusion These results highlight the usefulness of CMA for prenatal genetic diagnosis of fetuses with CHDs and normal karyotype. In fetuses with CHD, the application of CMA could increase the detection rate of pCNVs causing CHDs. In this study, some VOUS were likely pathogenic, but additional studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

AIM: To study the chemical constituents from the leaves of Ilex pernyi. METHODS: The chemical constituents were isolated by various column chromatographic methods and their structures were identified by spectral data together with physicochemical analysis. RESULTS Nine known compounds were isolated and identified as 2α 3β, 23-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (1), hederagenin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside (2), hederagenin 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (3), hederagenin 3-O-β-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4), 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-23-hydroxyursolic acid (5), chikusetsusaponin Ⅳa (6), 3β-23-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oic acid 3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranoside 6'-O-methyl ester (7), ilexoside XXXVII (8), 3-O-β-D-glucuronopyranosyl-2α, 3β 23-trihydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid β-D-glucopyranosyl ester (9). CONCLUSION: The nine compounds were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Sixteen alkaloids have been isolated from the fruits of Kopsia officinalis Tsiang and P. T. Li (Apocynaceae), a plant commonly used in folk medicine for treating tonsillitis and rheumatism. Ten of them were identified as known alkaloids — eburnamenine (1), kopsanone (2), 5, 18-dioxokopsan (3), kopsinilam (4), kopsinine (5), pleiocarpine (6), kopsamine (7), N-carbomethoxy-12-methoxykopsinaline (8), N-carbomethoxy-11, 12-dimethoxykopsinaline (9) and (+)-vincadifformine (13). The other three have now been proved to be new. They are N-carbomethoxy-11-hydroxy-12-methoxy-kopsinaline (10), N-carbomethoxy-11-methoxy-12-hydroxykopsinaline (11) and kopsamine N-oxide (12).