Therapeutic Effect of Dimethyl Dimethoxy Biphenyl Dicarboxylate on Collagen-Induced Arthritis in Rats

Objective： To study the effect of oral administration of dimethyl dimethoxy biphenyl dicarboxylate （DDB） on adjusting angiogeneic/inflammatory mediators and ameliorating the pathology of bones in rats with collagen-induced arthritis （CIA）. Methods： Wistar rat model of CIA was set up using bovine collagen type H. Fifty rats were divided into five groups randomly： normal, CIA model, DDB treatment, methotrexate （MTX） treatment, and combined DDB＋MTX treatment. Ankle joints of rats were imaged with digital X-ray machine to show the destruction of joints. Fore and hind paw and knee joints were removed above the ankle joint then processed for haematoxylin and eosin staining. Plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）, platelet derived growth factor, interleukin-8 （IL-8）, IL-4, tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）, and cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nitric oxide levels were detected by Griess reagent. Results： Compared with the CIA model group, a remarkable reduction in various angiogenic （VEGF and IL-8） and inflammatory mediators （TNF-α, IL-4 and COX-2） after treatment with DDB either alone or combined with MTX （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）. Histopathological and X-ray findings were confirmatory to the observed DDB anti-arthritic effect. The DDB-treated group showed amelioration in signs of arthritis which appeared essentially similar to normal. Conclusion： Our data shed light on the therapeutic efficacy of DDB in experimental rheumatoid arthritis （RA） compared with a choice drug （MTX） and it may be offered as a second-line drug in the treatment of RA.

The study of anti-hepatitis drug dimethyl dicarboxylate biphenyl on invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-H cells and its active mechanisms

Objective： To assess the anti-invasive effect of DDB and its possible active mechanism in human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-H with high metastasis potential. Methods： MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of DDB to MHCC97-H cells and the anti-adhesion of DDB on MHCC97-H cells to laminin （LN） and fibronectin （FN）. The anti-invasive effect of DDB was detected by the transwell chamber experiment. VEGF, nm23-H1 and uPAR mRNA transcriptions were determined by RT-PCR assay. The secretion and expression of a-fetal protein （AFP） were analyzed by ELISA and flow cytometry, respectively. Results： DDB at non-cytotoxic concentrations （10, 50 and 100 μmol/L） obviously inhibited the adhesion of MHCC97-H on LN and FN. In the transwell chamber experiment, the inhibition rates of the invasion of DDB 50 and 100 μmol/L on MHCC97-H cells were 25.8% and 32.3%, respectively. By RT-PCR assay, DDB 50 and 100 μmol/L decreased VEGF, nm23-H1 and uPAR mRNA expressions in MHCC97-H cells. The ELISA assay showed that 50, 100 and 200 μmol/L DDB decreased the AFP secretion of MHCC97-H cells, the inhibitory rates were 16.5%, 17.5% and 48.5%, respectively. DDB also decreased the expression of AFP in MHCC97-H cells by flow cytometry assay. Conclusion： DDB, an anti-hepatitis drug, at non-cytotoxic concentrations showed significant anti-invasion effect in human hepatocellular carcinoma MHCC97-H cells, and the inhibition of VEGF, nm23-H1 and uPAR expression should contribute to the anti-invasion property of DDB.

The Synthesis of α-DDB, β-DDB and Theoretical Study with AM1

The present paper reports the synthesis of two analogs of Schzandrin C (-DDB, (-DDB with the gallic acid as the starting material. The key step is the synthesis of monomer of (-DDB and (-DDB for coupling. (-DDB, (-DDB have different yields in Ullmann coupling reaction under the same condition. The yield of (-DDB is little lower than that of (-DDB. The AM1 calculation demonstrates that ΔH of the Ullmann coupling reaction of (-DDB and (-DDB are different. The former is -175.76966KJ/mol and the later is -203.21246KJ/mol. This is in agreement with the fact that (-DDB has higher yield than (-DDB.