Phenotypic modification of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neuronsrepresents an important mechanism underlying neuropathic pain. However, the nerve injury-induced molecular changes are not fully identified. To determine the molecular alterations in a broader way, we have carried out cDNA array on the genes mainly made from the cDNA libraries of lumbar DRGs of normal rats and of rats 14 days after peripheral axotomy. Of the 7,523 examined genes and expressed sequence tags (ESTs), the expression of 122 genes and 51 expressed sequence tags is strongly changed. These genes encompass a large number of members of distinct families, including neuropeptides, receptors, ion channels, signal transduction molecules, synaptic vesicle proteins, and others. Of particular interest is the up-regulation of ␥-aminobutyric acidA receptor ␣5 subunit, peripheral benzodiazepine receptor, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor ␣7 subunit, P2Y1 purinoceptor, Na ؉ channel ␤2 subunit, and L-type Ca 2؉ channel ␣2␦-1 subunit. Our findings therefore reveal dynamic and complex changes in molecular diversity among DRG neurons after axotomy. N europathic pain is caused by nervous system lesions, persists long after the initiating event has healed, and may result from a pathological operation of the nervous system. Available therapies are often inadequate. Therefore, it is essential to identify the molecular changes that may lead to neuropathic pain, both for understanding underlying mechanisms and developing new therapies.The peripherally axotomized animal represents one model to study the mechanisms of neuropathic pain (1). After the finding that vasoactive intestinal polypeptide is up-regulated after axotomy (2), many subsequent studies have reported dramatic changes in individual molecules in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) after nerve injury, and some molecules are implicated in generation and maintenance of pain (3-5). For example, downregulation of -opioid receptor and up-regulation of cholecystokinin B receptor (6, 7) may contribute to the attenuated analgesic effect of opioids in neuropathic pain. Up-regulation of adrenoreceptor ␣2A (A-R␣2A) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y2-R enhances sympathetically maintained pain (8, 9). The increase in Na ϩ channel (Ch) III mediates ectopic activity in injured neurons (10). Moreover, hyperalgesia appearing during the course of nerve regeneration suggests a correlation between regeneration and pain. Neurotrophins play important roles in both nerve regeneration and regulation of the expression of some neuropeptides and ion channels (11,12). Taken together, current knowledge suggests that changes in gene expression in DRGs may contribute to the generation and development of neuropathic pain. However, although in situ hybridization and other methods have been extensively used to study the changes of individual genes in DRG, a limiting factor with these methods is the lack of a comprehensive overview of the alteration of gene expression. Here, we took a broader approach, a cDNA array (13), to gain a global view of the chang...

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ABATRACTNatural products have long been regarded as excellent sources for drug discovery given their structure diversity and wide variety of biological activities. Phenylethanoid glycosides are naturally occurring compounds of plant origin and are structurally characterized with a hydroxyphenylethyl moiety to which a glucopyranose is linked through a glycosidic bond. To date several hundred compounds of this type have been isolated from medicinal plants and further pharmacological studies in vitro or in vivo have shown that these compounds possess a broad array of biological activities including antibacterial, antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, neuro-protective, antioxidant, hepatoprotective, immunomodulatory, and tyrosinase inhibitory actions. Given their extensive activity profile, structure-activity relationships analyses of these compounds have been performed in a number of studies to reveal potential leads for future drug design. This article will summarize the major developments in phenylethanoid glycosides-based research in the past decade. The progresses made in phytochemistry and biological activity studies of these compounds will be reviewed. Particular attention will be given to the novel structures identified to date and the prominent therapeutic values associated with these molecules.

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JAK/STAT pathway transmits signals from the cell membrane to the nucleus in response to extracellular growth factors and cytokines. Activation of this pathway has been found in certain types of human tumors. The goal of this study was to investigate the correlation between the JAK/STAT pathway in human gliomas and patients' prognosis, which currently is unknown. Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemical staining were performed to detect JAK-1, phosphorylated JAK-1, and STAT-3 expression patterns in the biopsies from 96 patients with primary gliomas. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the prognosis of patients. Western blotting analysis and immunohistochemical staining both indicated that the expression levels of JAK-1, phosphorylated JAK-1, and STAT-3 in primary glioma tissues were significantly higher than those in normal brain tissues (P < 0.001). Especially, the positive expression rates of JAK-1, phosphorylated JAK-1, and STAT-3 were significantly higher in patients with higher grade (P = 0.001, 0.001, and 0.002, respectively) and lower KPS score (P = 0.01, 0.008, and 0.01, respectively). Statistical analysis showed that patients with gliomas expressing JAK-1 and STAT-3 have lower overall survival rates relative to those not expressing these proteins. Cox multi-factor analysis showed that KPS (P = 0.03), WHO grade (P = 0.008), JAK-1 (P = 0.005), and STAT-3 (P = 0.006) were independent prognosis factors for human gliomas. These results provide convincing evidence for the first time that the JAK/STAT pathway may play a role in the progression of human gliomas. Its activated state might be a potent tool for predicting the clinical prognosis of patients with glioma.

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A new unique isoflavone derivatives with a cyclic-monoterpene-substituent, ficusin C (1), together with five known compounds (2-6), were isolated from the rhizomes of Ficus tikoua. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation, mass spectrometric analysis and comparison with literature data of related compounds. Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities of these compounds were evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging assay and α-glucosidase inhibitory experiment, respectively.