Long noncoding RNA ANRIL up-regulates CCND1 via sponging miR-98-5p to promote TGF-β1-induced human airway smooth muscle cell proliferation, migration, and extracellular matrix deposition.

Excessive proliferation and migration of airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) contribute to asthma pathogenesis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are reported to take part in asthma pathogenesis. This study is targeted at deciphering the role of the lncRNA antisense noncoding RNA in the INK4 locus (ANRIL) in ASMC proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition.

Metal-Free Synthesis of 2-Substituted Quinazolines Green Oxidation of -Aminobenzylamines: Practical Construction of -Containing Heterocycles Based on a Salicylic Acid-Catalyzed Oxidation System.

Conventional quinazoline synthesis methods involve a highly multistep reaction, and often require excess amounts of substrate to control the product selectivity, leading to significant resource wastage. Hence, in this study, from the viewpoint of green chemistry, we developed a novel metal-free synthetic method for 2-substituted quinazoline derivatives by the 4,6-dihydroxysalicylic acid-catalyzed oxidative condensation of -aminobenzylamines and benzylamines using atmospheric oxygen. In this system, the use of a catalytic amount of BF‧EtO (10 mol%) as a Lewis acid successfully led to the efficient oxidative condensation and intramolecular cyclization of these amines, followed by aromatization to afford the corresponding 2-arylquinazolines in up to 81% yield with excellent atom economy and environmental factor.

4,6-Dihydroxysalicylic Acid-Catalyzed Oxidative Condensation of Benzylic Amines and Aromatic Ketones for the Preparation of 2,4,6-Trisubstituted Pyridines and Its Application to Metal-Free Synthesis of G-Quadruplex Binding Ligands.

4,6-Dihydroxysalicylic acid was activated under air to catalyze the one-pot oxidative condensation reaction of benzylamines with acetophenones in the presence of BF·EtO, affording 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyridines in yields of 59-91%. During this metal-free oxidative condensation reaction, the benzylamines not only provided the aryl moiety at the 4-position of the pyridines but also acted as the nitrogen donor. This method can be applied to the metal-free synthesis of G-quadruplex binding ligands by the sequential addition of 4-chlorobutyryl chloride and pyrrolidine to the reaction system of the 2,4,6-trisubstituted pyridine synthesis.

Synthesis of Aryl Iodides from Arylhydrazines and Iodine.

A metal- and base-free method is developed for the synthesis of aryl iodides from arylhydrazine hydrochlorides and iodine. A wide variety of aryl iodides can be conveniently synthesized by an equimolar reaction of arylhydrazine hydrochlorides and I in dimethyl sulfoxide at 60 °C for 6 h. In the iodination step, arylhydrazines are oxidized by iodine to form arenediazonium salts, which undergo single-electron transfer from iodide anion to give aryl and iodine radicals; subsequent combination of them affords the corresponding aryl iodides.

2,4,6-Trihydroxybenzoic Acid-Catalyzed Oxidative Ugi Reactions with Molecular Oxygen via Homo- and Cross-Coupling of Amines.

Metal-free, oxidative four-component Ugi reactions (U-4CRs) were conducted to synthesize dipeptides from two different amines, isocyanides, and carboxylic acids using 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzoic acid catalyst in O atmosphere. The organocatalytic U-4CRs proceed via oxidative cross-coupling of benzylamines with other aliphatic or aromatic amines to form imines, followed by condensation with isocyanides and carboxylic acids. The U-4CRs via cross-coupling of amines are rare, and the simple, metal-free procedures are advantageous for further applications in drug and heterocycle syntheses.

Efficacy of low-protein diet in diabetic nephropathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: We aimed to systematically assess the efficacy of low-protein diet preventing progression of diabetic nephropathy based on randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: A systematic and electronic search was conducted. Initial searches of literature updated to September 2018 were made using the following databases including CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, Cochrane, PubMed, and Embase using the index words for qualified RCTs.

Metal-Free Blue Dye Synthesis: Oxidative Coupling of Benzylamines and N,N-Dimethylanilines to Yield 4,4'-Diaminotriarylmethanes in the Presence of Salicylic Acid as a Co-oxidant.

A convenient, novel, and metal-free method for the synthesis of 4,4'-diaminotriarylmethanes (DTMs) is described. This process is based on a one-pot condensation of benzylamines with N,N-dimethylaniline derivatives using 4,6-dihydroxysalicylic acid as a co-oxidant and N-iodosuccinimide as an oxidant. To the best of our knowledge, the present method provides the first reported synthesis of DTMs from benzylamines via oxidative C-N bond cleavage and subsequent double C-C bond formations.

Development of Albumin Coupled, Cholesterol Stabilized, Lipid Nanoemulsion of Methotrexate, and TNF-α Inhibitor for Improved In Vivo Efficacy Against Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Methotrexate (MTX; an anti-folate) and etanercept (ET; a TNF-α inhibitor) are used against arthritis; however, limitations like short biological half-life, low cutaneous absorption, and acidic instability limit their clinical relevance. Therefore, the aim of the investigation was to develop albumin coupled lipid nanoemulsion of MTX and ET for improved efficacy by virtue of their controlled release and specificity at the arthritic site. This emulsion was prepared by high-speed homogenization and stabilized using cholesterol.

Metal-Free Oxidative Coupling of Benzylamines to Imines under an Oxygen Atmosphere Promoted Using Salicylic Acid Derivatives as Organocatalysts.

The oxidative coupling of benzylamines proceeds efficiently using salicylic acid derivatives as organocatalysts under an oxygen atmosphere, affording the corresponding -benzylidenebenzylamines in high yields. Electron-rich salicylic acid derivatives such as 4,6-dimethoxysalicylic acid and 4,6-dihydroxysalicylic acid exhibit excellent catalytic activities for the oxidative coupling of benzylamines to give the corresponding imines. This amine oxidation can also be applied to the synthesis of nitrogen-containing heterocycles such as benzimidazole derivatives.

[Analysis of urine screening results for school-age children in Zhucheng City of Shandong Province of China in 2013].

Objective: To study the significance of urine screening for school-age children by analyzing urine screening results of school-age children from Zhucheng City, Shandong Province, China, in 2013.

Methods: A total of 37 344 school-age children were randomly selected from children 6 to 12 years of age in Zhucheng City. Morning urine was tested by routine screening test, and the children who tested positive were re-tested after two weeks.

Highly stereoselective, one-pot synthesis of azetidines and 2,4-dioxo-1,3-diazabicyclo[3.2.0] compounds mediated by I2.

We report here a convenient method to construct polysubstituted azetidines and 2,4-dioxo-1,3-diazabicyclo[3.2.0] compounds with high stereoselectivities in a one-pot reaction mediated by I2.

DMAP-catalyzed [3 + 2] and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions between [60]fullerene and unmodified Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts in the presence of Ac2O.

One-step DMAP-catalyzed [3 + 2] and [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions between C(60) and unmodified Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts in the presence of Ac(2)O have been developed for the easy preparation of cyclopentene- and cyclohexene-fused [60]fullerene derivatives. When the MBH adducts bear an alkyl group, two different reaction pathways could be controlled selectively depending on the conditions.

[Association of the Pro12Ala and C1431T polymorphism of the PPAR gamma2 gene and their haplotypes with obesity and type 2 diabetes].

Objective: To study the association of the Pro12Ala and C1431T polymorphism of the PPAR gamma2 gene and their haplotypes with obesity and type 2 diabetes in Chinese population.

Methods: PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine the Pro12Ala and C1431T polymorphisms in 207 patients with type 2 diabetes and 101 non-diabetic control subjects.

Results: (1) In non-diabetic control population, the Ala allele frequency was 0.