Cytotoxic acridone and indoloquinazoline alkaloids from Zanthoxylum poggei

Two new alkaloids, poggeicridone (1) and 2-methoxy-7,8- dehydroruteacarpine (6), together with nine known compounds, were isolated from the dichloromethane (DCM) extract of the bark of Zanthoxylum poggei (Engl.) P. G. Waterman. The structures of all compounds were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic analyses (1D and 2D NMR and EI- and ESI–MS). Compounds 5-9 exhibited strong suppressive effects on the phagocytosis response upon activation with serum opsonized zymosan in the in vitro oxidative burst studies using whole blood. The IC50 values were in the range of 12.0–25.9 μM. These compounds displayed a moderate level of cytotoxic activity against the human Caucasian prostate adenocarcinoma cell line PC-3, with IC50 values of 15.8 and 22.1 μM (the IC50 value of the positive control standard doxorubicin was IC50 0.9 μM). All isolated compounds were also tested against plant pathogenic bacteria, fungi and oomycetes using the paper disk agar diffusion assay, resulting in no significant activities (MICs > 1 mg/mL). © 2016 Phytochemical Society of Europ

Early Stem Cell Transplantation for Refractory Acute Leukemia after Salvage Therapy with High-Dose Etoposide and Cyclophosphamide

AbstractPrimary refractory acute leukemia (AL) has a poor prognosis, although some patients can be salvaged with allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Induction of complete remission (CR) with conventional chemotherapy before SCT may improve outcome in this patient population. Between March 1991 and October 2003, 59 adults with primary refractory AL were treated with continuous-infusion etoposide (VP) 2.4 to 3.0 g/m2 followed by cyclophosphamide (Cy) 6.0-7.2 g/m2 intravenously over 3 to 4 days with the intention of proceeding to SCT in CR1. Forty-two patients had acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), 13 patients had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and 4 patients had acute biphenotypic leukemia. The most frequent nonhematologic toxicities were oral mucosal, gastrointestinal, and hepatic toxicities (44%, 20%, and 15% of patients, respectively). Thirty-two (57%) of 56 evaluable patients entered CR1 with a median time to platelet and neutrophil recovery of 22 and 26 days, respectively. CR1 rates were similar in AML (54%) and ALL/acute biphenotypic leukemia (67%; P = .52), and analysis of baseline characteristics did not reveal any predictors of response to VP/Cy. Twenty-nine of 32 CR1 patients subsequently underwent SCT (24 allogeneic and 5 autologous). Estimated 5-year event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival for the entire cohort are 23% and 26%, respectively. In the allogeneic SCT group, 5-year EFS was 52% for AML patients and 14% for ALL patients (P = .04), and only male sex was predictive of a favorable outcome (P = .03). VP/Cy is able to induce CR1 in most patients with primary refractory AL with an acceptable toxicity profile. Subsequent allogeneic SCT can lead to long-term EFS in a significant proportion of patients

The risky womb and the unthinkability of the pregnant man: addressing trans masculine hysterectomy

In April 2017, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that requiring trans people to undergo sterilisation in order to grant legal gender recognition was a breach of human rights. In the UK, sterilisation has never been a legal requirement for trans people. However, hysterectomy and salpingo-oopherectomy have been strongly encouraged for trans masculine people on medical grounds, although the clinical evidence for current recommendations is weak. Within this article I analyse the issue from a feminist perspective and argue that current presumptions in favour of surgical intervention are influenced by the history of medical interventions to “fix” bodies perceived as female, coupled with a strong social taboo against the pregnant man. As a consequence, medical and legal frameworks are not necessarily facilitating optimal outcomes for the individual. I suggest that practices in this regard should be critically examined, with a view to developing more tailored, person-centred practices and facilitating informed choice

Inhibition of growth of Legionella species by heterotrophic plate count bacteria isolated from chlorinated drinking water

The ability of heterotrophic plate count bacterial strains isolated from chlorinated drinking water on low-nutrient media to inhibit the growth of Legionella species was examined. Between 16% and 32% of these strains were able to inhibit the growth of Legionella species when tested on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar. The exact proportion of inhibiting strains varied with the individual Legionella species. Two strains that inhibited the growth of several Legionella species could also stimulate the growth of the same species when both the test strain and the Legionella species were grown on buffered charcoal yeast extract agar that lacked the essential amino acid l-cysteine