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For the exploration of pharmacophoric moiety of malloapelta B (1) possessing the inhibitory activity of NF-kappaB activation, structural variation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl motif was attempted. 1 was reduced by catalytic hydrogenation, sodium borohydride, and lithium aluminumhydride. Catalytic hydrogenation with 30 psi or 15 psi of H2 gas of 1 generated 8-butyl-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchroman (2) and 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchroman-8-yl)butan-1-one (3), respectively. Reduction with sodium borohydride occurred at the double bond of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone of 1 to give 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)butan-1-one (4). Reduction of 1 with lithium aluminumhydride and then quenched with methanol and water produced unexpected products, 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)-3-methoxy-1-butene (5) and 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)-3-hydroxy-l-butene (6). These are formed from the isomerization of initial product 9 through the continuous conjugate carbocation intermediate 11. Addition of ethylmagnesium bromide and dimethyl malonate anion to 1 gave the conjugate adducts 7 and 8. Ethylmagesium bromide and sodium borohydride reduction unusually gave the conjugate addition due to steric congestion around carbonyl group of 1. Compound 2 exhibits the reduced inhibitory activity against NF-kappaB activation and the others do not show the activity. Therefore alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group of 1 should be important for its inhibitory activity.

The fruits of Evodia rutaecarpa Benth (Rutaceae) has long been used for inflammatory disorders and some anti-inflammatory actions of its constituents such as dehydroevodiamine, evodiamine and rutaecarpine were previously reported. Since the pharmacological data is not sufficient to clearly establish the scientific rationale of anti-inflammatory medicinal use of this plant material and the search for its active principles is limited so far, three major constituents (evodiamine, rutaecarpine, goshuyuamide II) were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory cellular action mechanisms in the present study. From the results, evodiamine and rutaecarpine were found to strongly inhibit prostaglandin E2 synthesis from lipopolysaccharide-treated RAW 264.7 cells at 1-10 microM. Evodiamine inhibited cyclooxygenase-2 induction and NF-kappaB activation, while rutaecarpine did not. On the other hand, goshuyuamide II inhibited 5-lipoxygenase from RBL-1 cells (IC50 = 6.6 microM), resulting in the reduced synthesis of leukotrienes. However, these three compounds were not inhibitory against inducible nitric oxide synthase-mediated nitric oxide production from RAW cells up to 50 micorM. These pharmacological properties may provide the additional scientific rationale for anti-inflammatory use of the fruits of E. rutaecarpa.

A new sorbicillinoid polyketide, dihydrotrichodimerol (2), along with known trichodimerol (1), and rezishanones C (3) and D (4) were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation from an unidentified fungal strain. Dihydrotrichodimerol (2) specifically activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma with an ED50 value of 80 ng/ml as measured by a transactivation assay using a chimeric hPPAR/GAL4 system without affecting peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha and sigma. On the other hand, compounds 1 and 2 suppressed the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells to a similar extent.

Two new benzopyrans 6-[1'-oxo-3'(R)-hydroxy-butyl]-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran (1) and 6-[1'-oxo-3'(R)-methoxy-butyl]-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran (2) were isolated from the leaves of Mallotus apelta Muell.-Arg., (Euphorbiaceae). Their chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analyses, especially by 1 D-, 2D-NMR and MS spectra. Compound 1 was found to have strong cytotoxic effect against two human cancer cell lines as human hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep-2, IC50: 0.49 microg/mL) and rhabdosarcoma (RD, IC50: 0.54 microg/mL), while compound 2 showed moderate activity against Hep-2 cell line (IC50, 4.22 microg/mL) by in vitro assay.

Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and the signaling pathways that regulate its activity have become a focal point for intense drug discovery and development efforts. NF-kappaB regulates the transcription of a large number of genes, particularly those involved in immune, inflammatory, and antiapoptotic responses. In our search for NF-kappaB inhibitors from natural resources, we identified cardamomin, 2',4'-dihydroxy-6'-methoxychalcone, as an inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation from Alpinia conchigera Griff (Zingiberaceae). In present study, we demonstrated the effect of cardamomin on NF-kappaB activation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells and LPS-induced mortality. This compound significantly inhibited the induced expression of NF-kappaB reporter gene by LPS or tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in a dose-dependent manner. LPS-induced production of TNF-alpha and NO as well as expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 was significantly suppressed by the treatment of cardamomin in RAW264.7 cells. Also, cardamomin inhibited not only LPS-induced degradation and phosphorylation of inhibitor kappaBalpha (IkappaBalpha) but also activation of inhibitor kappaB (IkappaB) kinases and nuclear translocation of NF-kappaB. Further analyses revealed that cardamomin did not directly inhibit IkappaB kinases, but it significantly suppressed LPS-induced activation of Akt. Moreover, cardamomin suppressed transcriptional activity and phosphorylation of Ser536 of RelA/p65 subunit of NF-kappaB. However, this compound did not inhibit LPS-induced activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase, but significantly impaired activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. We also demonstrated that pretreatment of cardamomin rescued C57BL/6 mice from LPS-induced mortality in conjunction with decreased serum level of TNF-alpha. Together, cardamomin could be valuable candidate for the intervention of NF-kappaB-dependent pathological condition such as inflammation.

Aims: To identify a new fungal strain, Hypocrea sp. F000527 producing a trichothecene metabolite, harzianum A, and to evaluate its cytotoxicity to tumour cell lines. Methods and Results: A fungal strain, F000527, with cytotoxic activity was identified as a new Hypocrea strain based on morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacers rDNA sequence data. Harzianum A was isolated from wheat bran culture by 50% acetone extraction, silica gel chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 chromatography and HPLC. The chemical structures were determined by ESI- or HRFAB-MS and 1H and 13C-NMR analyses. Harzianum A showed cytotoxicity to HT1080 and HeLa cell lines with IC50 value of 0·65 and 5·07 μg ml−1 respectively. Conclusions: Harzianum A with a chemical formula of C23H28O6 was isolated from a new Hypocrea strain and showed moderate to strong cytotoxicity to human cancer cell lines. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report of the production of cytotoxic harzianum A by a new Hypocrea strain.

Highly dispersed CoMoS/Al2O3 was prepared by dispersing MoS2 crystallites on Al2O3 by a sonochemical method, followed by the selective deposition of Co on the resulting MoS2 crystallites. The newly prepared catalyst contained larger amounts of CoMoS phase, a known active site for hydrodesulfurization (HDS), than a catalyst prepared by sequential impregnation and, as a result, exhibited a two to three times higher activity than that of the impregnated one for the HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). The former catalyst promoted hydrogenation (HYD) route to a greater extent than direct desulfurization (DDS) route. Therefore, the extent of activity increase for the new catalyst was larger for 4,6-DMDBT HDS, which proceeds largely via the HYD route, than for DBT HDS, which proceeds largely by DDS.

The performance of MoS 2 /Al 2 O 3 catalysts, prepared by a sonochemical method and containing different amounts of fluorine, was investigated for hydrodesulfurization (HDS), using dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) as model compounds. The activity of sonochemically synthesized MoS 2 catalysts was higher than that of impregnated ones due to the improved dispersion of the Mo species. The addition of fluorine to the catalyst further increased the activity, reaching a maximum at the optimum fluorine content, due to an increase in acidity at the catalyst surface. The optimum amount of fluorine for maximum HDS activity was higher for the sonochemically prepared catalysts than for impregnated ones and, therefore, the activity of the former catalysts can be enhanced by fluorine addition to a greater extent than that of the latter types. The two promoting factors, sonochemical synthesis and fluorine addition, led to an increase in the hydrogenation (HYD) rates, compared to the direct-desulfurization (DDS) rates, in the HDS of both DBT and 4,6-DMDBT. However, the enhancement in overall activity was greater for the HDS of 4,6-DMDBT, which proceeds mainly via the HYD route, than for the HDS of DBT. The above reaction results, obtained using different catalysts, can be explained based on the surface properties of the catalysts, as characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nitric oxide chemisorption and infrared spectra of adsorbed pyridine.

A new triterpene (1) and six known pentacyclic terpenoids (2-7) were isolated from the methanol extract of the dried leaves from Mallotus apelta. Based on the spectral and chemical evidence, their structures were determined to be 3alpha-hydroxyhop-22(29)-ene (1), hennadiol (2), friedelin (3), friedelanol (4), epifriedelanol (5), taraxerone (6), and epitaraxerol (7).

Two triterpenoids (1,4) and two triterpenoid glycosides (2,3) were isolated from the root of Acanthopanax koreanum (Araliaceae). Their structures were identified as impressic acid (1), acankoreoside A (2), 3-epi-betulinic acid 28-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl(1 --> 4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1 --> 6)]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] ester (3), and ursolic acid (4) by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. Of these compounds, impressic acid (1) exhibited a potent inhibitory activity against NFAT transcription factor (IC50: 12.65 microM).

Three guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones, 3alpha,4alpha-epoxyrupicolins C-E, together with six known sesquiterpenes, artemisolide, 3-methoxytanapartholide, deacetyllaurenobiolide, moxartenolide as well as arteminolides B and D were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation from the methanol extract of the aerial parts of Artemisia sylvatica using the NF-kappaB mediated reporter gene assay. All isolated compounds displayed inhibitory activity on the LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation, NO production, and TNF-alpha production with IC50 values of 0.49-7.17, 1.46-6.16, and 3.19-27.76 microM, respectively, in RAW264.7 cells. It was also established that arteminolide B suppressed the expression of NF-kappaB target genes such as iNOS and COX-2. This is the first report of NF-kappaB inhibitory activities of these compounds and supports the pharmacological use of Artemisia sylvatica, which has been employed as an herbal medicine for the treatment of inflammation.

The effect of fluorine added to NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts on their poisoning by basic (quinoline) and non-basic (carbazole) nitrogen compounds during the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) was investigated. Fluorinated NiMo catalysts had a higher activity than fluorine-free catalysts, and this superior activity of fluorinated catalysts was maintained even after poisoning by nitrogen compounds, as confirmed by NO chemisorption and FTIR spectroscopy. The HDS rate was retarded to a greater extent by quinoline than by carbazole. In the HDS of DBT, the difference between the activities of the two types of catalysts remained constant even when the poisoning was extensive. This is in contrast to the case of 4,6-DMDBT HDS, in which the difference in activity decreased when the catalysts were extensively poisoned. The product distribution changed with poisoning showing a characteristic trend that was dependant on the combination of reactants and nitrogen compounds. In DBT HDS, the hydrogenation (HYD) route was poisoned to a more significant extent than the direct desulfurization (DDS) route by both quinoline and carbazole, and was independent of catalyst fluorination. In the HDS of 4,6-DMDBT, quinoline retarded HYD more than DDS but carbazole retarded DDS more than HYD.

Sauchinone, a known lignan, was isolated from the root of Saururus chinensis as an active principle responsible for inhibiting the production of NO in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells by activity-guided fractionation. Sauchinone dose-dependently inhibited not only the production of NO, but also the expression of iNOS mRNA and protein in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, sauchinone prevented LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation, which is known to play a critical role in iNOS expression, assessed by a reporter assay under the control of NF-kappaB. However, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) demonstrated that sauchinone did not suppress the DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB or the degradation of IkappaB-alpha induced by LPS. Further analysis revealed that transactivation activity of RelA subunit of NF-kappaB was dose-dependently suppressed in the presence of sauchinone. Taken together, our results suggested that sauchinone could inhibit production of NO in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells through the suppression of NF-kappaB by inhibiting transactivation activity of RelA subunit.

A new type of nanoporous carbon with a large surface area and mesoporosity was prepared and used as a support for a hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalyst. The overall activity of CoMoS catalysts for the HDS of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) is affected by the type of support used for preparing the catalyst and decreases in the order of CoMo /( nanoporous carbon )> CoMo /( activated carbon )> CoMo / Al 2 O 3 . The surface area of activated carbon is the largest among these three types of supports but is significantly lowered after metal loading during the preparation of the catalyst. On the other hand, the surface areas of the other two supports are largely preserved after metal loading. The intrinsic activity of the catalysts, estimated by dividing the overall HDS rate by the amount of NO adsorbed on the catalyst, shows a trend that is different from that for the overall activity, and follows the order of CoMo /( nanoporous carbon )≈ CoMo / Al 2 O 3 > CoMo /( activated carbon ) . The low intrinsic activity of CoMo/(activated carbon) compared to that of the other two catalysts, particularly in the case of 4,6-DMDBT HDS, is obtained because the diffusion of reactants into the catalyst pores is significantly limited. This is not observed with other catalysts supported on nanoporous carbon and alumina. From the results of this study, we conclude that nanoporous carbon is a promising support for HDS catalysts, compared to conventional supports such as alumina and activated carbon, because it has a large surface area and a high mesoporosity, both of which are beneficial to the preparation of highly dispersed metal catalysts without significant pore blocking due to the dispersed metal particles.

The sesquineolignans, saucerneol D and saucerneol E were isolated from the roots of Saururus chinensis together with four known lignans, manassantin A, manassantin B, (-)-saucerneol methyl ether, and (+)-saucernetin. Structure elucidation was based on the analysis of spectroscopic data and anti-inflammatory activity was studied using HeLa cells transfected with NF-kappaB reporter construct. All compounds except for (+)-saucernetin inhibited NF-kappaB dependent reporter gene expression with IC50 values of 2.5-16.9 microM.

A series of fluorinated NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts containing different amounts of fluorine were prepared and their activity with respect to the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) was compared with that of fluorinated CoMo/Al2O3 catalysts. Fluorine modifies two properties of NiMo/Al2O3 catalysts: metal dispersion and catalyst acidity. In the HDS of DBT, the catalytic activity is enhanced up to 0.5 wt.% added fluorine due to increased dispersion of the metal, and lowered by further fluorine addition because the catalysts lose a significant amount of initial surface area. The hydrogenation of the DBT aromatic ring is enhanced to a greater extent than the hydrogenolysis of the CS bond due to the fluorine addition. In the HDS of 4,6-DMDBT, however, the catalytic activity is enhanced in proportion to the fluorine content up to 5.0 wt.% added fluorine. The hydrogenolysis of the CS bond is enhanced to a greater extent than the hydrogenation of aromatic rings, in contrast to the trend observed in the HDS of DBT. A facilitated migration of methyl groups in the aromatic ring of 4,6-DMDBT due to an increase in the amounts of acidic sites of the catalysts is responsible for the enhanced hydrogenolysis of the CS bond. The optimum fluorine content to yield the maximum amounts of either the direct desulfurization (DDS) or ring-hydrogenated (HYD) products is different depending on the reactants, DBT or 4,6-DMDBT, as well as the catalysts, NiMo/Al2O3 or CoMo/Al2O3. The characteristic reaction results obtained in this study can be explained by considering the relative contributions of the rates of ring hydrogenation and methyl-group migration to product distribution for different cases of reactants and fluorinated catalysts.

Four ent-kaurane diterpenoids including two known, ent-7alpha,14beta-dihydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (1) and ent-18-acetoxy-7alpha-hydroxykaur-16-en-5-one (2), and two new, ent-1beta-acetoxy-7alpha,14beta-dihydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (3) and ent-18-acetoxy-7alpha,14beta-dihydroxykaur-16-en-15-one (4), were isolated from the leaves of Croton tonkinensis in a search for inhibitors of NF-kappaB activation and nitric oxide production. These ent-kauranoids inhibited LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells at IC50 values between 0.07 and 0.42 microM. Consistently, the ent-kauranoids markedly reduced LPS-induced NO production in a comparable concentration-dependent manner.

Highly dispersed MoS 2 /Al 2 O 3 catalysts containing various amounts of MoS 2 were prepared by the sonochemical decomposition of molybdenum hexacarbonyl in the presence of sulfur and alumina, and tested for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT) and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT). The sonochemically synthesized catalysts exhibit an HDS activity about five-fold higher than that of catalysts prepared by a conventional impregnation method over a wide range of MoS 2 loadings. The difference in HDS activity between the two types of catalysts is large, particularly at high loadings of MoS 2 , because, in the case of the former catalysts, the activity increases with the amount of MoS 2 to the point where the latter is as high as 25 wt.% while, on the latter catalysts, the activity reaches a saturation level when the amounts of MoS 2 are larger than about 15 wt.%. The enhanced HDS activity of the sonochemically synthesized catalysts can be attributed to the improved dispersion of catalytically active species on the support, which is preserved up to high Mo loadings, and the absence of poisoning by sulfur chemisorbed on the catalyst. In both the cases of DBT HDS and 4,6-DMDBT HDS, hydrogenated products are obtained in larger amounts on the sonochemically synthesized catalysts than on the impregnated ones. With respect to the HDS of DBT and 4,6-DMDBT, the latter is enhanced more than the former on the sonochemically synthesized catalysts, which is again due to the high hydrogenation activity of the catalysts.

An open reading frame, rub52, has been identified as a gene encoding thymidine diphospho-glucose 2,3-dehydratase by sequence analysis of the rubradirin biosynthetic gene cluster of Streptomyces achromogenes var. nibradiris NRRL3061. The gene codes for a protein consisting of 458 amino acids with calculated molecular mass of 50862 Da. The gene was amplified and heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli as a soluble His-tagged fusion protein. C-2 deoxygenation functionality of thymidine diphospho-4-keto-6-deoxyglucose was assigned to the rub52 gene product from in vitro enzyme assay.

Two new lupane-triterpene carboxylic acids, called acantrifoic acid A (1) and acantrifoside C (2) have been isolated from the leaves of Acanthopanax trifoliatus. Based on extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic data, their chemical structures were determined as 3 alpha-acetoxy-30-hydroxylup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid and 3 alpha-acetoxy-30-hydroxylup-20(29)-ene-23,28-dioic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1--4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1--6)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester.

Two human breast cancer cell lines of differing invasive and metastatic potential, MDA-MB-435 and MCF7, were examined using subtractive suppression hybridization in a search for any genes associated with metastasis. Of the 17 cDNAs identified as being differentially expressed genes, it was determined that syntenin was overexpressed in metastatic MDA-MB-435 cells. Expression analysis showed that the expression level of syntenin was well correlated with invasive and metastatic potential in various human breast and gastric cancer cell lines. Moreover, gastric tumor tissues exhibited a much higher syntenin mRNA expression than their normal counterparts. Syntenin-transfected MCF7 cells migrated more actively, and showed an increased invasion rate relative to vector-transfectants or parental MCF7 in vitro, without evidencing any effect on the adhesion to fibronectin, type I collagen and laminin. Similarly, the forced expression of syntenin to human gastric cancer cell line Az521 increased its migratory and invasive potential in vitro. Syntenin-expressing MCF7 cells were associated with the appearance of numerous cell surface extensions and with pseudopodia formation on collagen I, suggesting that syntenin may be involved in the signaling cascade to actin-reorganization. Mutation study suggested that PDZ2 domain of syntenin could be an essential role in its stimulatory effect on the cell migration. This is the first demonstration that syntenin, a PDZ motif-containing protein, can be overexpressed during the metastatic progression of human breast and gastric cancer cells and that it can function as a metastasis-inducing gene.

The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) transcription factors control many physiological processes including inflammation, immunity, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. In our search for NF-κB inhibitors from natural resources, we identified amorfrutin A as an inhibitor of NF-κB activation from the fruits of Amorpha fruticosa L. In present study, this compound significantly inhibited the TNF-α-induced expression of NF-κB reporter gene. Further analysis revealed that amorfrutin A was a potent inhibitor of NF-κB activation by the suppression of TNF-α-induced inhibitor of κBα (IκBα) degradation, p65 nuclear translocation, and DNA-binding activity of NF-κB. We also demonstrated that pretreatment of cells with this compound prevented the TNF-α-induced expression of NF-κB target genes, such as antiapoptosis (cIAP-1 and FLIP), proliferation (COX-2 and cyclinD1), invasion (MMP-9), angiogenesis (VEGF), and major inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-8, and MCP1). Furthermore, our results suggest that amorfrutin A potentiates TNF-α-induced apoptosis. Taken together, amorfrutin A could be a valuable candidate for the intervention of NF-κB-dependent pathological conditions such as inflammation.

The poisoning effect of carbazole and quinoline on the performance of sulfided CoMo/Al2O3 in the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT), 4-methyldibenzothiophene (4-MDBT), and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT) has been examined. The HDS of 4-MDBT or 4,6-DMDBT is retarded by the presence of the nitrogen compounds in the reaction stream even at low concentrations, e.g. 50 ppm, while the HDS of DBT remains nearly unaffected by these compounds unless the concentrations are high, in excess of 500 ppm. The nitrogen compounds suppress the ring-hydrogenation step (HYD) more than the direct desulfurization step (DDS) in the HDS of DBT, while an opposite trend is observed in the HDS of 4-MDBT or 4,6-DMDBT, i.e. DDS is suppressed to a greater extent than HYD. The nitrogen compounds poison acidic sites on the catalyst, as confirmed by the reduced amounts of pyridine adsorbed and by the suppressed isomerization of 2,2′-dimethylbiphenyl on the poisoned catalyst. Quinoline exhibits a stronger poisoning effect than carbazole. The HDS of the three DBT compounds studied in this work are suppressed to different extents by the nitrogen compounds because the extent of steric hindrance to the CSC bond by methyl groups attached to the ring structure is different depending on the DBT compounds.

In the search for new naturally occurring angiogenic inhibitor, we found that culture broths from two unidentified fungal strains exerted potent inhibitory activities on capillary-like tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) in vitro. Two active compounds were isolated by bioassay-guided separation and their structures were identified as gliotoxin (1) and its derivative methylthiogliotoxin (2) by spectroscopic analyses. These compounds significantly inhibited the migration of HUVEC assessed by in vitro wounding migration assay and exhibited at least 10 times more potent inhibition of proliferation of HUVECs as compared with that of cancer cell lines such as HeLa, MCF-7, and KB 3-1 cells. Especially, gliotoxin having disulfide group exerted more potent activities than methylthiogliotoxin, suggesting that gliotoxin could be a useful compound for further study as an anti-angiogenic agent.

A methanolic extract of the whole plant of Isodon japonicus (Labiatae) showed potent inhibition on the LPS-induced nitric oxide (NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in RAW264.7 cells. Four known kaurane diterpenes were isolated by activity-guided fractionation and their structures were identified as kamebanin (1), kamebacetal A (2), kamebakaurin (3), excisanin A (4). All compounds also inhibited the LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation as assessed by NF-kappaB reporter assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Compounds 2-4 showed comparable inhibitory effects on the LPS-induced production of NO and PGE2, and activation of NF-kappaB without affecting cell viability. These results suggest that kaurane diterpenes could exert their inhibitory effects on the production of NO and PGE2 through the suppression of NF-kappaB activation, and be partially responsible for the anti-inflammatory activities of the genus Isodon.

The biological activity of avermectin B components is superior to that of avermectin A components, which are derived from avermectin B by avermectin B 5-O-methyltransferase. Gene disruption, targeting avermectin B 5-O-methyltransferase gene in Streptomyces avermitilis, was carried out to obtain a strain of avermectin B producer. Phenotype analysis of the mutant with the disrupted O-methyltransferase gene showed that only avermectin B components were produced with a significant increase in production

CoMoS/Al2O3 catalysts containing different amounts of fluorine have been tested for the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) of dibenzothiophene (DBT), 4-methyldibenzothiophene (4-MDBT), and 4,6-dimethyldibenzothiophene (4,6-DMDBT), and the results have been analyzed based on three fundamental reactions involved in the HDS mechanism: hydrogenation of the aromatic ring, hydrogenolysis of the C–S bond, and migration of methyl groups in the ring structure. Fluorine addition to the catalyst promotes all of these three reactions due to the enhancement of two factors: the metal dispersion and the catalyst acidity. The extents that the HDS rates are improved by fluorine addition increase in the order of DBT

Torilin is a sesquiterpene compound purified from fruits of Torilis japonica (Umbelliferae). In this study, we demonstrated the anti-angiogenic activity of torilin using in vivo and in vitro assay systems. Torilin decreased both neovascularization of chick embryos in the chorioallantoic membrane assay and basic fibroblast growth factor-induced vessel formation in the mouse Matrigel plug assay. Torilin also reduced the proliferation and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. In addition, the concentrated conditioned media obtained from torilin-treated HepG2 human hepatoblastoma cells blocked the angiogenic activation of torilin-untreated concentrated conditioned media, indicating that torilin may have an inhibitory effect on tumor-induced angiogenesis. To determine what molecules were involved in the anti-angiogenic activity, we examined the expression of hypoxia-inducible angiogenic factors in torilin-treated HepG2 cells. Torilin significantly down-regulated the expression of hypoxia-inducible vascular endothelial growth factor and insulin-like growth factor-II. Taken together, our data suggest that torilin may be a strong angiogenic inhibitor with the ability to decrease tube formation of vascular endothelial cells and to reduce expression of angiogenic factors of tumor cells.

A new compound, harzianum B (1), was isolated from the culture broth of a fungal strain, Hypocrea sp. F000527, together with a known trichothecene, harzianum A (2). Its structure was determined by spectroscopic analyses including HRFAB-MS and various (1)H NMR and (13)C NMR spectral data. Harzianum B (1) was characterised as (E,Z,E)-2', 4', 6'-octatriendioic acid esterified on the 4beta-hydroxyl group of trichodermol. Harzianums A (2) and B (1) showed cytotoxicity against several human cancer cell lines.

Seven known oleanolic acid glycosides (1-7) were isolated from the MeOH extract of Tiarella polyphylla. The structures were identified to be 3-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl) oleanolic acid (1), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1--3)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] oleanolic acid (2), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1--2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] oleanolic acid (3), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1--3)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (4), 3-O-[beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1--2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl] oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (5), 3-O-[a-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1--3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl] oleanolic acid (6), and 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1--3)-beta-D-glucuronopyranosyl] oleanolic acid 28-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl ester (7) on the basis of physicochemical and spectral data. These triterpene glycosides were tested for the anticomplement activity and hemolytic activity. Bisdesmosidic saponins, 4, 5, and 7, showed anticomplement activity; in contrast, monodesmosidic saponins, 1-3, and 6, showed direct hemolytic activity. Methyl esterified monodesmosidic saponins showed anticomplement activity at a low concentration and hemolytic activity at a high concentration.

Six new (1-6) and three known (7-9) sesquiterpene esters were isolated from the roots of Celastrus orbiculatus. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated as 1beta-acetoxy-6alpha-furoyloxy-9alpha-benzoyl oxydihydro-beta-agarofur an (1), 1beta-acetoxy-6alpha-benzoyloxy-9alpha-furoyloxydih ydro-beta-agarofur an (2), 1beta-acetoxy-6alpha, 9alpha-difuroyloxydihydro-beta-agarofuran (3), 1beta, 2beta-diacetoxy-6alpha-furoyloxy-9alpha-benzo yloxydihydro-beta-agarof uran (4), 1beta-acetoxy-2beta, 6alpha-difuroyloxy-9alpha-benzoyloxydihydro-beta -agarofuran (5), and 1beta-acetoxy-2beta,6alpha, 9alpha-tribenzoyloxydihydro-beta-agarofuran (6). Compounds 4, 5, and 7-9 were shown to be more active than verapamil in reversing vinblastine resistance in multidrug-resistant KB-V1 cells.

The methanol-soluble extracts of the roots of Cynanchum wilfordii showed a significant multidrug-resistance-reversing activity, and four known pregnane glycosides were isolated by bioassay-directed fractionation and separation. Their structures were identified as gagaminin 3-O-beta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-oleandropyranosyl- (1-->4)-b eta-D-cymaropyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-cymaropyranoside (1), wilfoside K1N (2), wilfoside C1N (3), and cynauricuoside A (4). In particular, compound 1, at a concentration level of 1 microM, was found to completely reverse the multidrug-resistance of KB-V1 and MCF7/ADR cells to adriamycin, vinblastine, and colchicine.

The anticomplementary activity of stilbenes from medicinal plants in Korea was investigated in vitro. 3,5-Dihydroxy-4'-methoxystilbene (3) was most potent with IC50 value of 1.5 x 10(-4) M followed by rhapontigenin (4), oxyresverastrol (2), 2,3,4',5-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-beta-glucoside (9), rhaponticin (8), resverastrol (1), and piceid (7). The activity was found to be increased by a methylation on a hydroxy group of C-4' of 1, but decreased by further methylation on hydroxy groups of C-3 and C-5 and glucosylation on any hydroxy group of 1. Addition of hydroxy group on C-2' of 1 or C-3' of 3 was little affected on the anticomplementary activity but the activity was increased by O-glucosylation on C-2 of 1.

From the Chinese crude drug shin-i, the flower buds of Magnolia fargesii, a new cycloeudesmane-type sesquiterpene, 5α,7α(H)-6,8-cycloeudesma-1β,4β-diol, was isolated. The structure was elucidated by means of various NMR techniques. This compound has biogenetic significance because it is a plausible intermediate of the oppositol-type compound such as homalomenol A reported from this plant.

In a search for platelet-activating-factor (PAF) antagonists, two new lignan compounds were isolated from the Chinese crude drug shin-i, the flower buds of Magnolia fargesii. Their structures were elucidated as (2S,3R,4R)-tetrahydro-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-4-(3, 4-dimethoxybenzoyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)furan (magnone A, 1) and (2S,3R, 4R)-tetrahydro-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)-4-(3, 4-dimethoxybenzoyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)furan (magnone B, 2). Magnones A and B showed antagonistic activity against PAF in the [3H]PAF receptor binding assay with the IC50 values of 3.8 x 10(-5) M and 2.7 x 10(-5) M, respectively.

Avermectin O-methyltransferase gene was cloned from a cosmid clone covering the first module of polyketide synthase gene cluster of avermectin biosynthesis. Streptomyces lividans transformed with a DNA fragment containing avermectin O-methyltransferase gene efficiently convert milbemycin D to milbemycin G, indicating that biosynthetic genes of milbemycin and avermectin might complement each other. © Rapid Science Ltd. 1998

From the Chinese crude drugshin-i, the flower buds ofMagnolia fargesii, four sesquiterpene, oplopanone (1), oplodiol (2), homalomenol A (3) and 1beta,4beta,7alpha-trihydroxyeudesmane (4) were isolated. These structures were elucidated and the(13)C-NMR chemical, shifts of these compounds were revised by means of various 2D-NMR techniques.

The current study was conducted to investigate the anti-fibrotic effect and its possible underlying mechanisms of thymoquinone (TQ) against hepatic fibrosis in vivo. TQ is the major active compound derived from the medicinal Nigella sativa. Liver fibrosis was induced in male Kunming mice by intraperitoneal injections of thioacetamide (TAA, 200 mg/kg). Mice were treated concurrently with TAA alone or TAA plus TQ (20 mg/kg or 40 mg/kg) given daily by oral gavage. Our data demonstrated that TQ treatment obviously reversed liver tissue damage compared with TAA alone group, characterized by less inflammatory infiltration and accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. TQ significantly attenuated TAA-induced liver fibrosis, accompanied by reduced protein and mRNA expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen-І and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). TQ downregulated the expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and remarkably decreased proinflammatory cytokine levels as well. TQ also significantly inhibited phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) phosphorylation. Furthermore, TQ enhanced the phosphorylation adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and liver kinase B (LKB)-1. In conclusion, TQ may reduce ECM accumulation, and it may be at least regulated by phosphorylation of AMPK signaling pathways, suggesting that TQ may be a potential candidate for the therapy of hepatic fibrosis.

Cucurbitacin B is a triterpenoid compound isolated from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maximowicz, which has been used in oriental medicine for its antitumor activities. However, the mechanisms by which cucurbitacin B inhibits tumor growth are not fully understood. We here demonstrated the effect of cucurbitacin B on hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) activation. Cucurbitacin B showed the potent inhibitory activity against HIF-1 activation induced by hypoxia in various human cancer cell lines. This compound markedly decreased the hypoxia-induced accumulation of HIF-1α protein dose-dependently, whereas it did not affect the expressions of HIF-1β. Further analysis revealed that cucurbitacin B inhibited HIF-1α protein synthesis, without affecting the expression level of HIF-1α mRNA or degradation of HIF-1α protein. Rather, we found that suppression of HIF-1α accumulation by cucurbitacin B correlated with strong dephosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and its effectors ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K) and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein-1 (4E-BP1) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2), a pathway known to regulate HIF-1α expression at the translational level. Cucurbitacin B also activated Akt, a mechanistic feature exhibited by established mTOR inhibitors in many tumor cells. Furthermore, cucurbitacin B prevented hypoxia-induced expression of HIF-1 target genes and suppresses the invasiveness of tumor cells. In vivo studies further confirmed the inhibitory effect of cucurbitacin B on the expression of HIF-1α proteins, leading to a decrease growth of HeLa cells in a xenograft tumor model. These results show that cucurbitacin B is an effective inhibitor of HIF-1 and provide new perspectives into the mechanism of its anticancer activity.

Background Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human idursulfase is effective for the treatment of Hunter syndrome, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type II. However, various adverse events can occur by the infusion of idursulfase. The purpose was to evaluate the occurrence of infusion-related allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, to idursulfase in patients with MPS II receiving ERT and to elucidate its possible mechanism. Methods A total of 34 patients with MPS II were enrolled to receive ERT with Elaprase® at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg intravenously once a week. Information regarding the symptoms, frequency, and timing of anaphylaxis during treatment was analyzed. Presence of anti-idursulfase IgE antibody was assessed by skin prick test (SPT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting was performed to confirm the reaction between idursulfase and specific IgE. Results Three patients (8.8%) showed anaphylaxis by infusion of idursulfase. No deaths occurred during the study. Anti-idursulfase IgE antibody was detected by SPT and ELISA. Immunoblotting with patients’ sera and Elaprase® showed a single band of specific IgE binding to the protein around 70 kD, and idursulfase did not display amino acid sequence homology to known allergens. SPT with idursulfase demonstrated positive results in all patients with anaphylaxis. However, we failed to reveal any risk factors for the development of infusion-related immediate-type allergic reactions. Conclusions Anaphylaxis related to infusion of idursulfase is mediated by anti-idursulfase IgE antibody, which might be produced by de novo synthesis. SPT is useful in predicting the occurrence of anti-idursulfase IgE-mediated anaphylaxis during infusion.

Deregulation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression caused the synthesis and release of many inflammatory mediators. It is involved in chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and malignancy.Stephania tetrandraS. Moore is a Chinese medicinal herb which has been used traditionary as a remedy for neuralgia and arthritis in China. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects ofS. tetrandraS. Moorein vitroandin vivo, its effects on the production of IL-6 and inflammatory mediators were analysed. When human monocytes/macrophages stimulated with silica were treated with 0.1–10 μg/mlS. tetrandaS. Moore, the production of IL-6 was inhibited up to 50%. At these concentrations, it had no cytotoxicity effect on these cells. It also suppressed the production of IL-6 by alveolar macrophages stimulated with silica. In addition, it inhibited the release of superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide from human monocytes/macrophages. To assess the anti-fibrosis effects ofS. tetrandraS. Moore, its effects onin vivoexperimental inflammatory models were evaluated. In the experimental silicosis model, IL-6 activities in the sera and in the culture supernatants of pulmonary fibroblasts were also inhibited by it.In vitroandin vivotreatment ofS. tetrandraS. Moore reduced collagen production by rat lung fibroblasts and lung tissue. Also,S. tetrandraS. Moore reduced the levels of serum GOT and GPT in the rat cirrhosis model induced by CCL4, and it was effective in reducing hepatic fibrosis and nodular formation. Taken together, these data indicate that it has a potent anti-inflammatory and antifibrosis effect by reducing IL-6 production.

Transformation of Streptomyces galilaeus ATCC 31133 with the aklavinone 11-hydroxylase gene (dnrF) resulted in the production of many red pigments. The new metabolites were purified and their structures were determined as 11-hydroxylated aclacinomycin A, B and T by spectral analysis. This result indicated that the dnrF was stably expressed in the strain S. galilaeus ATCC 31133 to give rise to hybrid aclacinomycins. In addition, a new aclacinomycin analog named 11-hydroxyaclacinomycin X was isolated from the same culture. Its structure was elucidated as 2'''-amino-11-hydroxyaclacinomycin Y. It showed strong cytotoxicity against several human tumor cell lines, especially leukemia and melanoma cell lines.

The aklavinone 11-hydroxylase gene and two doxorubicin resistance genes cloned from Streptomyces peucetius subsp. caesius ATCC 27952 were introduced into doxorubicin-sensitive Streptomyces galilaeus ATCC 31133, an aclacinomycin producer. The doxorubicin resistance genes drrA and drrB endowed S. galilaeus with high-level resistance to doxorubicin, indicating that the resistance mechanism for doxorubicin might be different from that for aclacinomycin A. Transformation of S. galilaeus ATCC 31133 with plasmid pMC213 containing the aklavinone 11-hydroxylase gene (dnrF) resulted in the production of many red pigments. A new metabolite was purified, and the position of the newly introduced hydroxyl group was determined. This result indicated that the aklavinone 11-hydroxylase gene was stably expressed in S. galilaeus ATCC 31133 and that it gave rise to a hybrid aclacinomycin A which showed highly specific in vitro cytotoxicity against leukemia and melanoma cell lines.