巫山淫羊藿的化学研究

从小檗科Berberidaceae淫羊藿属Epimedium植物巫山淫羊藿Epimedium wushanense T.S.Ying的地上部分中分得两种黄酮甙单体,经理化性质鉴定及紫外、红外、质谱、氢谱、碳谱等光谱分析,确定甙Ⅰ是新化合物,命名为巫山淫羊藿甙(wushanicariin)。甙Ⅱ是已知化合物淫羊藿甙(icariin),系首次从该种植物中分离。     

Analytical, ultrastructural, autoradiographic and biochemical studies on [3H]dicarboxylic acid added to cultures of melanoma cells

Lentigo maligna and malignant melanoma can be treated by dicarboxylic acids (C9 and C12), which are competitive inhibitors of tyrosinase. We therefore studied the intracellular location and possible sites of action of dodecanedioic acid (C12) in murine melanoma cells, using EM autoradiography and biochemical analysis of lipid extracts by HPLC. Significant levels of radioactivity were found in the mitochondria and in the nuclei but not in association with membranes of rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi-associated endoplasmic reticulum, or Golgi apparatus, and not in coated vesicles or melanosomes. Biochemical analysis revealed that the diacid underwent beta-oxidation, which occurs only in mitochondria. The results suggest that the toxicity of dicarboxylic acids in melanoma cells is not related to anti-tyrosinase activity but may be due to interference with oxidoreductase enzymes in the mitochondria and possibly to inhibition of DNA synthesis in the nucleus.     

Pediatric patients with achondroplasia: CT evaluation of the craniocervical junction

Twenty-six patients (4 months to 6 years old) with achondroplasia complicated by sleep apnea and/or other neurologic manifestations underwent plain computed tomography (CT) of the craniocervical junction; six also underwent CT myelography. For objectification, multiplanar reconstruction was used to complement axial plane measurements by providing coronal and sagittal measurements; multiplanar reconstruction also improved perception of the longitudinal relationships between the brain stem and subarachnoid space. A narrow subarachnoid space was found in all 26 patients; marked cord compression was present in nine, six of whom underwent CT myelography. These six had marked focal obliteration of the subarachnoid space on both plain CT and CT myelography. Since the subarachnoid space immediately above and below the craniocervical junction is normally capacious, when marked constriction was present, no additional information could have been gained from CT myelography. Thus, plain CT was shown to be sufficient for surgical planning (suboccipital decompression) in nine patients with cord compression due to achondroplasia.