Chemical composition and antiproliferative activity of essential oil from the leaves of a medicinal herb, Schefflera heptaphylla

Schefflera heptaphylla (L.) Frodin is a medicinal herb widely used as a main ingredient of the popular health tea formulation against infections in Southern China. Twenty-seven volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS analysis from the essential oil obtained from the leaves of S. heptaphylla, and 17 of them belonged to monoterpenes or sesquiterpenes. The main volatile constituent in S. heptaphylla was found to be a monoterpene, beta-pinene, comprising about 22% of the total volatile components. The essential oil showed significant antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines, MCF-7, A375 and HepG2 cells, with IC50 values of 7.3 microg/mL, 7.5 microg/mL and 6.9 microg/mL, respectively. The result of the cytotoxicity assay indicates that (-)-beta-pinene and (+)-beta-pinene (commercially available from Sigma) also possessed antiproliferative activity against the cancer cells MCF-7, A375 and HepG2 with IC50 values ranging from 147.1 to 264.7 microm.     

Disturbance of systemic antioxidant profile in nonsmall cell lung carcinoma.

The present study aimed to determine the alterations of antioxidant activities in erythrocytes from patients with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). A comparative study of the systemic antioxidant activities in red blood cell lysate from subjects with NSCLC and healthy control subjects was conducted. The antioxidants catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured using chemical kinetic reactions under spectrophotometry. In total, 189 cases of mostly advanced-stage IIIB or stage IV NSCLC and 202 healthy controls were studied. In subjects with lung cancer, there was similar catalase activity, lower SOD activity (median (interquartile range) 13.4 (9.0-27.2) versus 48.7 (27.0-64.3) U x (ghaemoglobulin(Hb)(-1)), and higher GPx activity (175.2 (126.6-288.3) versus 49.2 (39.5-59.2) mU x (gHb)(-1)) compared with controls. The antioxidant activities in lung cancer subjects were not associated with age, sex, smoking status, or tumour cell types. However, more advanced disease (stage IV compared with stage IIIB) was associated with lower SOD activity. Using multivariable analysis, the presence of lung cancer independently predicted SOD and GPx activities. In conclusion, nonsmall cell lung carcinoma in Chinese subjects is associated with alterations in systemic antioxidant activities, which may play an important role in carcinogenesis.     

Progesterone for the prevention of preterm birth in women with multiple pregnancies: the AMPHIA trial

Background

Adequate vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy are necessary to neonatal calcium homeostasis, bone maturation and mineralization. The aim of study is to evaluate serum vitamin D concentrations in mothers and their newborns and effect of vitamin D deficiency on pregnancy outcomes.

Methods

552 pregnant women were recruited from Tehran University educating hospitals in the winter of 2002. Maternal and cord blood samples were taken at delivery. The serum was assayed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone.

Results

The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in maternal and cord blood samples were 66.8% and 93.3%, respectively (<35 nmol/l). There was significant correlation between maternal and cord blood serum concentrations of vitamin D. In mothers with vitamin D deficiency, cord blood vitamin D concentrations was lower than those from normal mothers (P = .001). Also, a significant direct correlation was seen between maternal vitamin D intake and weight gain during pregnancy.

Conclusion

Consideration to adequate calcium and vitamin D intake during pregnancy is essential. Furthermore, we think it is necessary to reconsider the recommendation for vitamin D supplementation for women during pregnancy.     

Rebound elevation of cortisol following cyproheptadine withdrawal in Cushing's disease from a pituitary macroadenoma

A 44-year-old female with Cushing's disease associated with a pituitary macroadenoma was treated with cyproheptadine, 24 mg per day, after partial surgical resection of the tumor. A large residual tumor remained. There was no clear suppression of serum and urinary cortisol during therapy, but both levels rose markedly to beyond pre cyproheptadine levels, on withdrawal of the drug. This is the first report on the use of cyproheptadine in Cushing's disease associated with a pituitary macroadenoma. The response in this patient indicates an influence of cyproheptadine on ACTH secretion by the macroadenoma.     

大孔树脂富集三裂叶蟛蜞菊倍半萜内酯A和B的研究

目的 大量富集三裂叶蟛蜞菊倍半萜内酯A，B(WTA，WTB)。方法 采用气相色谱法测定WTA和WTB，并以WTA和WTB的含量、洗脱率、精制度为考察指标，研究D101大孔树脂吸附WTA和WTB的工艺条件及参数。结果 通过大孔树脂吸附后，WTA和WTB的洗脱率达90％，50％乙醇洗脱部分中WTA和WTB的含量为总固物的4．01％～4．09％。结论 可以采用大孔树脂富集WTA和WTB。     

INVOLVEMENT OF NON-NMDA AND NMDA RECEPTORS IN GLUTAMATE-INDUCED PRESSOR OR DEPRESSOR RESPONSES OF THE PONS AND MEDULLA

1. Fifty-five intact and six baroreceptor denervated and vagotomized cats of either sex were anaesthetized intraperito-neally with urethane (400 mg/kg) and a-chloralose (40 mg/kg). Responses of the systemic arterial pressure (SAP), mean SAP (MSAP) and sympathetic vertebral nerve (VNA) and renal nerve activities (RNA) were recorded. 2. In intact animals, monosodium L-glutamate (Glu, 0.1 mol/L, 50 nL) was microinjected into pressor areas of the locus coeruleus (LC), gigantocellular tegmental field (GTF), rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and dorsomedial medulla (DM), and the depressor areas of caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM). The induced actions were compared before and after microinjection of either glutamate antagonists, glutamate diethylester (GDEE, 0.5 mol/L, 50–100nL), a competitive AMPA receptor blocker, or 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (D-AP5, 0.025 mol/L, 50–100 nL), a competitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker. GDEE completely blocked the increases of SAP and VNA elicited from all pressor areas. D-AP5 only partially blocked the pressor but slightly blocked VNA and RNA responses from LC, GTF and DM, particularly those from RVLM. Neither GDEE nor D-AP5 blocked the depressor responses of SAP and two nerve activities elicited from CVLM. 3. In baroreceptor denervated animals, NMDA (2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) and AMPA (0.2 mmol/L, 50–100 nL) were micro-injected into the same pressor areas of GTF, RVLM and DM and the depressor area of CVLM responsive to Glu activation (0.1 mol/L, 30 nL). In RVLM, DM and CVLM, the results of either NMDA or AMPA were similar to those induced by Glu. However, in GTF, microinjection of either NMDA or AMPA did not induce similar responses to Glu. This suggests that the nature of GTF may differ from RVLM and DM. 4. The above results suggest that the Glu-induced pressor responses from LC, GTF, DM and especially RVLM, are primarily mediated through AMPA receptors. The Glu-induced depressor responses from CVLM may not be predominantly mediated by either AMPA or NMDA receptors. 5. In both baroreceptor-intact and -denervated cats stimulation of the pressor areas often produced an increase of VNA and a decrease of RNA, while in the depressor CVLM decreased both VNA and RNA. The VNA, but not RNA were positively correlated with the pressor responses, while both VNA and RNA were positively correlated with the depressor responses. This may suggest that neurons of the sympathetic vertebral and renal nerves are topographically organized in the brain.