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Three new sesquiterpene dimers 1–3 were isolated from Resina commiphora and possessed the 10/6/5/3 framework, which reduce cellular lipid accumulation in metabolism of fatty acids by regulating the AMPK/ACC pathway in hepatocytes.

Commiphorane K (1), a new dinorditerpenoid, commiphoranes L-N (2-4), three new germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids, and commiphorane O (5), one new guaiane-type sesquiterpenoid, were isolated from Resina Commiphora. Their structures were characterized by spectroscopic and computational methods. In particular, the structure of 4 was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. Compounds 2-5 were evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activities. The result shows that compound 2 suppresses lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated production of TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells in a dose-dependent manner.

Five new compounds (xuejieins A–E), including three new phenolic glycosides (1, 2, and 5) and two new flavonoids (10 and 11), together with six known compounds were isolated from the resins of Dracaena cochinchinensis (Chinese dragon's blood). The structures of the new compounds were confirmed by extensive spectroscopic methods and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analysis. Especially, the absolute configurations of the sugar moieties in compounds 1, 2, and 5 were clarified by GC analysis after acid hydrolysis. All isolated compounds have been tested for antifungal and wound healing promoting activities, The results showed that compound 9 shows significant antifungal activities against Botrytis cinerea, Magnaporthe grisea, Penicillium digitatum, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. In addition, compound 4 could significantly stimulate human keratinocytes (HaCAT) proliferation, mobility, and human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) tube formation at 40 μM.

Two new cembrane diterpenoids, named populeuphrines A and B (

Populusone (1), a cembrane-type macrocyclic trinorditerpenoid, was isolated from the exudates of Populus euphratica and shown to have an unprecedented carbon skeleton, The structure was identified using spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. A possible pathway for the biosynthesis of 1 was proposed. Populusone (10 μM) was found to promote proliferation and differentiation of umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells into keratinocyte like cells.

Expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in brain of atherosclerotic rats and effects of Ginkgo biloba extract

To evaluate the effect and possible mechanisms of diabetes control after small intestine exclusion surgery in Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat with non-obese type 2 diabetes mellitus.Forty GK rats with non-obese type 2 diabetes mellitus underwent duodenal bypass (Group A, n = 8), which creates a shortcut for ingested nutrients bypassing duodenum alone; duodenal-jejunal bypass (Group B, n = 8), a stomach-preserving RYGB that excludes the duodenum and proximal jejunum; duodenum and total jejunum exclusion (Group C, n = 8); sub-total small intestine exclusion (Group D, n = 8), which creates a shortcut for ingested nutrients bypassing duodenum, jejunum and sub-total ileum; controls were pair-fed (PF) sham-operated and untreated GK rats (Group SO, n = 8). The rats were observed for 24 weeks after surgery. Body weight, food intake and fasting blood glucose level were tested at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 weeks after the operation in those groups. The concentrations of insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) concentrations were measured before (baseline) and then 30, 60, 120, and 180 minutes after OGTT at 0, 12, 24 weeks after the operation.Mean operating time of all groups was similar. The mean body weight and food intake decreased significantly at 1 week after surgery (P0.01) and with no differences among the groups. Fasting blood glucose level decreased significantly after surgery in all the operation groups through the entire follow-up period (P0.05). No significant changes in fasting blood glucose level in SO group was found in 12 weeks after the operation, and it increased at 12 and 24 weeks after. Fasting blood glucose levels in group B decreased significantly compared with group A (P0.05), but no difference was found among group B, C and D (P0.05). Oral glucose-stimulated peak (30 min) levels of blood insulin and GLP-1 increased markedly in operation groups (A, B, C and D) after surgery (P0.01). Compared with group A, peak levels of blood insulin and GLP-1 in group B were strikingly higher (P0.05), but no difference was found when compared with group C or D (P0.05).In spontaneously non-obese type 2 diabetes mellitus rats, small intestinal exclusion including proximal gut is effective in terms of glucose control and has no direct relation with body weight and food intake loss. Restoration of the first-phase insulin secretion and high secretion of GLP-1 in type 2 diabetic subjects after gastrointestinal bypass surgery seem to be helpful to diabetes control. Taking intestinal nutrient absorption into consideration, duodenal-jejunal bypass may be a better surgery for diabetes control.

This study is to investigate the protein and mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in U937 foam cells and effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GbE) on the cytokines. U937 cells were cultured with different concentrations of GbE (0.1, 1, and 10 microg x L(-1)), and stimulated by 100 mg x L(-1) oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) for 24 h. The expressions of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in culture solution were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The results showed that incubated with 100 mg x L(-1) ox-LDL for 24 h, the U937 cells became foam cells, the protein or mRNA expressions of IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, IL-10, and its receptor IL-10R in U937 foam cells were higher markedly than those in normal U937 cells. When the cells were pretreated with GbE (0.1, 1, and 10 microg x L(-1)), the increases of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha in U937 foam cells were remarkably inhibited, but IL-10 expression increased greatly. Especially when cells were pretreated with 10 microg x L(-1) GbE, the protein and mRNA expressions of IL-1beta and TNF-alpha were markedly lower than those in U937 foam cells. The protein expression of IL-10 and mRNA expressions of IL-10 and its receptor IL-10R were markedly higher than those in U937 foam cells. GbE inhibited production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-alpha, but up-regulated the production of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 and its receptor IL-10R in U937 foam cells, which might be related with its anti-atherosclerotic actions.