We used a series of reactive cyclostreptin analogues, 6-chloroacetyl-cyclostreptin, 8-chloroacetyl-cyclostreptin, and [(14)C-acetyl]-8-acetyl-cyclostreptin, to characterize the cellular target of the compound and to map the binding site. The three analogues were cytotoxic and stabilized microtubules...

Gomisin N is a bioactive compound and a prominent anti-allergic agent found in the fruits of tree Schizandra chinensis. However, its effects on the bone marrow-derived mast cell (BMMC)-mediated allergy and inflammation mechanism remain unknown. In this study, the biological effects o...

Funding injections by British Petroleum this summer are fueling studies in the Gulf Coast, raising hopes that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill might provide answers to long-standing questions on the nature of cellular toxicity. Rebecca Alvania investigates. Copyright ...

Schisandrin B, an active ingredient isolated from the fruit of Schisandra chinensis, increased serum and hepatic triglyceride levels in mice. In the present study, the effective kinetics of schisandrin B on serum/hepatic triglyceride and total cholesterol levels in mice without and w...

We examined whether STA-21, a small Stat3 inhibitor, could be useful in ameliorating the skin lesions not only in the model mouse but also in human psoriasis. Treatment with STA-21 markedly inhibited the cytokine-dependent nuclear translocation of Stat3 in normal human keratinocytes in vitro. Kerati...

We evaluated the anti-asthmatic effects of schizandrin and its underlying mechanisms in an in vivo murine asthmatic model. To accomplish this, female BALB/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA), and examined for the following typical asthmatic reactions: increased numbers of eosi...

Despite 7-epi-nemorosone and plukenetione A sharing some structural core elements, the mechanism of action involved in their antiretroviral activity seems to be different. We propose that 7-epi-nemorosone inhibits the viral replication by interrupting the Akt/PKB signaling cascade, as was demonstrat...

The present study examined the ability of three chemical estimation methods to predict toxicity and nontoxicity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) -contaminated sediment to the freshwater benthic amphipod Hyalella azteca for 192 sediment samples from 12 field sites. The first m...

We show that monochloramine also leads to disturbances in intracellular free zinc concentration ([Zn(2+)](i)) in the gastric gland of the rabbit and that the increased Zn(2+) within the cell causes an independent decrease in cell viability. Changes in [Zn(2+)](i) were measured by using the fluoresce...