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Two new pregnane alkaloids, (20S)-20α-cinnamoylamino-3β-dimethylamino-5-en-pregnane (1) and (20S)-20α-cinnamoylamino-3β-dimethylamino-pregnane (2), and four known alkaloids (+)-(20S)-20-(dimethylamino)-3-(3’R-isopropyl)-lactam-5α-pregn-2-en-4-one (3), axillaridine A (4), pachysamine M (5) and 20α-dimethylamino-16β-hydroxy-3β-senecioylamino-pregn-5-ene (6) were obtained from the whole herb of Pachysandra terminalis Sieb. et Zucc. Their structures were determined by various spectral techniques and computed electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Compounds 1-4 were tested for cytotoxicity against three human tumor cell lines and a human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) line. Compound 4 exhibited moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7, U251 and A549 cells with IC50 values of 15.01 ± 0.47 μM, 20.13 ± 1.34 μM and 20.04 ± 1.16 μM, respectively; compounds 1-3 showed weak cytotoxic activity against three tumor cells.A novel 2-thiopyrimidine/chalcone hybrid was designed, synthesised, and evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against three different cell lines, K-562, MCF-7, and HT-29. The most active cytotoxic derivatives were 9d, 9f, 9n, and 9p (IC50=0.77-1.74 µM, against K-562 cell line), 9a and 9r (IC50=1.37-3.56 µM against MCF-7 cell line), and 9a, 9l, and 9n (IC50=2.10 and 2.37 µM against HT-29 cell line). Compounds 9a, 9d, 9f, 9n, and 9r were further evaluated for their cytotoxicity against normal fibroblast cell line WI38. Moreover, STAT3 and STAT5a inhibitory activities were determined for the most active derivatives 9a, 9d, 9f, 9n, and 9r. Dual inhibitory activity was observed in compound 9n (IC50=113.31 and 50.75 µM, against STAT3 and STAT5a, respectively). Prediction of physicochemical properties, drug likeness score, pharmacokinetic and toxic properties was detected.Objective The aim of this study was to compare the treatment effects of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and laparoscopic excision (LE) in patients with adenomyosis and infertility.Materials and methods A total of 93 patients with adenomyosis and infertility who were treated with HIFU (50 patients) or LE (43 patients) from January 2012 to January 2017 at the Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics including dysmenorrhea severity pain score, menorrhagia severity scores, reproductive outcomes, complications during pregnancy and delivery, adverse effects, surgical complications, and other clinical variables were compared between the HIFU and LE groups.Results Of the total 93 patients with adenomyosis and infertility, 50 were treated with HIFU and 43 underwent LE. Both HIFU and LE treatments achieved significant relief of dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia. FICZ The total hospital stay was shorter in patients treated with HIFU than in those who underwent LE surgery. Neither HIFU nor LE treatment led to severe complications after treatment. Most importantly, patients treated with HIFU showed significantly higher pregnancy rates and natural conception rates than those who underwent LE surgery. Notably, in the HIFU treatment group, those with diffuse adenomyotic lesions had significantly lower postoperative pregnancy rates than those with focal adenomyosis.Conclusion HIFU showed a safe and effective profile as a therapeutic management option for patients with adenomyosis. In comparison with LE, HIFU treatment achieved better postoperative reproductive outcomes. HIFU treatment should be encouraged and implemented in clinical practice.The aim of the study was to compare demographic, hormonal and clinical parameters in patients with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and women with early menopause in Greece. One hundred thirty-nine women of Greek origin, aged 14-45 years, referring for oligomenorrhea and having elevated FSH concentrations were divided into three groups regarding the age of menstrual disturbances onset [POI1 less then /=30 years (n = 42); POI2 31-39 years (n = 36); early menopause 40-45 years (n = 61)]. The mean age of menstrual disturbances onset and that of diagnosis in all POI and early menopause patients were 28.7 years (28.7 ± 7.7) versus 42.1 years (42.1 ± 1.5) and 33.8 years (33.8 ± 7.2) versus 43.3 years (43.3 ± 1.4), respectively. POI patients and women with early menopause were diagnosed, respectively, five years and approximately four to six months later than the age of menstrual disturbances onset. Moreover, FSH2 (second confirmatory FSH measurement at 4-to-6-weeks interval) was greater in all POI patients than in early menopause women (55.4 ± 33.9 vs. 32.4 ± 19.4; p  less then  .05) whereas mean age of menarche was greater in early menopause women than in POI patients (13 ± 1.3 vs. 12 ± 2.2; p  less then  .05). Furthermore, FSH2 was increased in all POI and decreased in early menopause patients.Two previously undescribed 7, 20-epoxy-ent-kauranes along with six known ent-kauranoids, were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon eriocalyx. The structures of new compounds were established on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses. Compound 2 could inhibit the production of interleukin – 1β (IL – 1β) in monosodium urate (MSU) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced macrophages.The ability to catalyse a reaction acting on different substrates, known as “broad-specificity” or “multi-specificity”, and to catalyse different reactions at the same active site (“promiscuity”) are common features among the enzymes. These properties appear to go against the concept of extreme specificity of the catalytic action of enzymes and have been re-evaluated in terms of evolution and metabolic adaptation. This paper examines the potential usefulness of a differential inhibitory action in the study of the susceptibility to inhibition of multi-specific or promiscuous enzymes acting on different substrates. Aldose reductase is a multi-specific enzyme that catalyses the reduction of both aldoses and hydrophobic cytotoxic aldehydes and is used here as a concrete case to deal with the differential inhibition approach.