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Mitochondrial DNA mutations have been reported to be associated with essential hypertension. The present study reported the clinical and molecular features of a Chinese pedigree with maternally inherited hypertension. A total of 6 matrilineal relatives in this pedigree presented with variable degrees of hypertension; the age of onset ranged between 39 and 63 years, and the average age of onset was 53 years. Analysis of the mitochondrial genome in members of this family demonstrated the occurrence of a homoplasmic T4363C mutation in the transfer (t)RNAGln gene and 25 genetic polymorphisms belonging to mitochondrial haplogroup B4. Notably, the T4363C mutation was localized at the anticodon stem of tRNAGln, which is highly conserved across various species (conventional position 38). To determine its potential pathogenicity, RNA Fold software was used to predict the secondary structure of tRNAGln with and without this mutation. The results indicated that the T4363C mutation induced a significant alteration in the secondary structure of tRNAGln, and may reduce the steady‑state levels of tRNAGln. Furthermore, matrilineal relatives carrying the T4363C mutation exhibited different age of onset and variable degrees of blood pressure, thus indicating that the T4363C mutation itself was insufficient to produce the clinical phenotype. Therefore, other modified factors, including environmental factors, and nuclear gene and epigenetic modifications, may be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension. In conclusion, the present study provided valuable information regarding the association between tRNA mutations and hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increase in the use of iodinated contrast media, such as iohexol, iodixanol, iopamidol and iopromide, occasionally causes contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The present study aimed to assess the effects of low levels of hemoglobin on the development of CIN in patients with normal renal function following CAG/PCI. A total of 841 consecutive patients undergoing CAG/PCI were divided into two groups: Patients with low levels of hemoglobin (male, <120 g/l; female, <110 g/l; n=156) and normal levels of hemoglobin (male, 120-160 g/l; female, 110-150 g/l; n=685). Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for CIN, which developed in 14.7% of patients with low levels of hemoglobin (relative risk, 3.07) and 5% of patients with normal levels of hemoglobin (P<0.01). Independent risk factors for developing CIN in patients with low levels of hemoglobin were a contrast media volume ≥200 ml, diuretic usage, low levels of hemoglobin and diabetes mellitus. For the patients with normal hemoglobin levels, the independent risk factors for developing CIN were a contrast media volume ≥200 ml and diuretic usage. The change in serum creatinine in patients with low levels of hemoglobin was significantly greater compared with patients with normal levels of hemoglobin (7.35±22.60 vs. 1.40±12.00; P<0.01). A similar incidence of developing CIN was observed when patients were administered each type of contrast media: Iohexol, iodixanol, iopamidol and iopromide. The optimal cut-off point at which the serum hemoglobin concentration resulted in a high probability of developing CIN was determined as 111.5 g/l in females and 115.5 g/l in males. In conclusion, low levels of hemoglobin were observed to be an independent risk factor for developing CIN. Patients with reduced hemoglobin levels should, therefore, be closely monitored prior to, and during, the administration of iodinated contrast media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neonatal mortality reduction in China over past two decades was reported from nationwide sampling surveys, however, how high risk pregnancy affected neonatal outcome is unknown. The objective of this study was to explore relations of pregnancy complications and neonatal outcomes from a regional birth population. Methods: In a prospective, cross-sectional survey of complete birth population-based data file from 151 level I-III hospitals in Huai'an region in 2010, pregnancy complications were analyzed for perinatal morbidity and mortality in association with maternal and perinatal characteristics, hospital levels, mode of delivery, newborn birth weight and gestational age, using international definition for birth registry and morbidities. Results: Pregnancy complications were found in 10% of all births, in which more than 70% were delivered at level II and III hospitals associated with higher proportions of fetal and neonatal death, preterm birth, death at delivery and congenital anomalies. High Cesarean section delivery was associated with higher pregnancy complications, and more neonatal critical illnesses. The pregnancy complications related perinatal morbidity and mortality in level III were 2-4 times as high as in level I and II hospitals. By uni- and multi-variate regression analysis, impact of pregnancy complications was along with congenital anomalies and preterm birth, and maternal child-bearing age and school education years contributing to the prevalence. Conclusions: This survey revealed variable links of pregnancy complications to perinatal outcome in association with very high Cesarean section deliveries, which warrants investigation for causal relations between high risk pregnancy and neonatal outcome in this emerging region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase1 (NQO1) is an important detoxification enzyme that can protect mammalian cells against toxic quinones and reduce the risk of tumorigenesis. In this study, it was found that salvianolic acid B (SaB), lithospermic acid (LA), and rosmarinic acid (RA), three main hydrophilic constituents in Danshen, conjugated with glutathione (GSH) easily in vitro but exhibited no NQO1-inducing activities in Hepa 1c1c7 cells, which might attribute to their poor absorptions. After a simple methylation strategy that aimed at improving the liposolubility, both the NQO1-inducing activities and the absorptions in cells of the phenolic acids improved obviously, without losing the GSH-conjugating abilities. The concentration to double the specific activity of NQ01 values of methylated products of lithospermic acid and rosmarinic acid were 17.86 ± 2.34 μg/mL and 11.97 ± 0.60 μg/mL, respectively. The findings indicated that methylation is an effective strategy to improve the NQO1-inducing activities of phenolic acids in Danshen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roridin E is a well-known macrocyclic trichothecene mycotoxin possessing potent antiproliferative activity against cancer cell lines. 12′-Hydroxyroridin E was isolated from a marine-derived fungus, Myrothecium roridum 98F42. The cytotoxicities of these two compounds were tested against human monocytic THP-1, human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60, and Chinese hamster V79 cells, and roridin E exhibited more than 1000-fold stronger cytotoxicity than its 12′-OH derivative; therefore, it was suggested that the 12′-position is closely involved in the cytotoxicity of these compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new homoisoflavanones, 1–3, together with a known one, 4, were obtained from the AcOEt extract of the tuberous roots of Ophiopogon japonicusLiliaceae. They were identified as 3R2,3dihydro7hydroxy5methoxy34methoxybenzyl6,8dimethyl4Hchromen4one 1, 3R31,3benzodioxol5ylmethyl2,3dihydro7hydroxy5methoxy6,8dimethyl4Hchromen4one 2, 3R31,3benzodioxol5ylmethyl2,3dihydro7hydroxy5methoxy6methyl4Hchromen4one 3, and ophiopogonanone A 4. Their structures were determined on the basis of extensive NMRspectroscopic and massspectrometric analyses. The three new compounds are rare homoisoflavanones which contain a MeO group at C5. Compounds 1and 2showed weak cytotoxicity against the HepG2 human hepatoma G2, KB human oral epidermoid carcinoma, and MCF7 human breast adenocarcinoma cell lines in an MTT assay. Compound 3exhibited weak cytotoxicity against HepG2 and MCF7, and moderate cytotoxicity against KB cell lines. Compound 4showed moderate cytotoxicity against HepG2, KB, and MCF7 cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1966, Auslander introduced the notion of the $G$-dimension of a finitely generated module over a Cohen-Macaulay noetherian ring and found the basic properties of these dimensions. His results were valid over a local Cohen-Macaulay ring admitting a dualizing module (also see Auslander and Bridger (Mem. Amer. Math. Soc., vol. 94, 1969)). Enochs and Jenda attempted to dualize the notion of $G$-dimensions. It seemed appropriate to call the modules with $G$-dimension 0 \textit{Gorenstein projective}, so the basic problem was to define Gorenstein injective modules. These were defined in Math. Z. \textbf{220} (1995), 611--633 and were shown to have properties predicted by Auslander's results. The way we define Gorenstein injective modules can be dualized, and so we can define Gorenstein projective modules (i.e. modules of $G$-dimension 0) whether the modules are finitely generated or not. The investigation of these modules and also Gorenstein flat modules was continued by Enochs, Jenda, Xu and Torrecillas. However, to get good results it was necessary to take the base ring Gorenstein. H.-B. Foxby introduced a duality between two full subcategories in the category of modules over a local Cohen-Macaulay ring admitting a dualizing module. He proved that the finitely generated modules in one category are precisely those of finite $G$-dimension. We extend this result to modules which are not necessarily finitely generated and also prove the dual result, i.e. we characterize the modules in the other class defined by Foxby. The basic result of this paper is that the two classes involved in Foxby's duality coincide with the classes of those modules having finite Gorenstein projective and those having finite Gorenstein injective dimensions. We note that this duality then allows us to extend many of our results to the original Auslander setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Let $R$ be a commutative Noetherian ring, and let $M$ be an $R$-module. In earlier papers by Bass (1963) and Roberts (1980) the Bass numbers $\mu_i(p,M)$ were defined for all primes $p$ and all integers $i\ge0$ by use of the minimal injective resolution of $M$. It is well known that $\mu_i(p,M)=\dim_{k(p)}\operatorname{Ext} _{R_p}^i(k(p),M_p)$. On the other hand, if $M$ is finitely generated, the \emph{Betti\/} numbers $\beta_i(p,M)$ are defined by the minimal free resolution of $M_p$ over the local ring $R_p$. In an earlier paper of the second author (1995), using the flat covers of modules, the invariants $\pi_i(p,M)$ were defined by the minimal flat resolution of $M$ over Gorenstein rings. The invariants $\pi_i(p,M)$ were shown to be somehow dual to the Bass numbers. In this paper, we use homologies to compute these invariants and show that \[\pi_i(p,M)= \dim_{k(p)}\operatorname{Tor}_i^{R_p}(k(p), \operatorname{Hom}_R(R_p,M))] for any cotorsion module $M$. Comparing this with the computation of the Bass numbers, we see that $\operatorname{Ext}$ is replaced by $\operatorname{Tor}$ and the localization $M_p$ is replaced by $\operatorname{Hom}_R(R_p,M)$ (which was called the colocalization of $M$ at the prime ideal $p$ by Melkersson and Schenzel). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical investigation of the EtOAc extract of an insect-associated fungus Letendraea sp. 5XNZ4-2 cultured in Potato Dextrose Broth (1/2 PDB) medium lead to the isolation of three new polyketides, named letendronol D (1), phomopsiketones H-I (2-3). The structures of new compounds were elucidated by the analysis of HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic data, and the absolute configurations were determined by modified Mosher's method, ECD calculation and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activities of 1 were assayed and regrettably 1 didn't display any cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity. 3 was the first phomopsiketone derivative obtaining the lactone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]