Fully Biocatalytic Rearrangement of Furans to Spirolactones

A multienzymatic pathway enables the preparation of optically pure spirolactone building blocks. In a streamlined one-pot reaction cascade, the combination of chloroperoxidase, an oxidase, and an alcohol dehydrogenase renders an efficient reaction cascade for the conversion of hydroxy-functionalized furans to the spirocyclic products. The fully biocatalytic method is successfully employed in the total synthesis of the bioactive natural product (+)-crassalactone D, and as the key module in a chemoenzymatic route yielding lanceolactone A.

Highly Efficient and Mild Gold (I) Catalyzed Synthesis of 3,8-Diarylidene-2,7-dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane-1,6-diones

The gold-catalyzed cyclization of 2,2-bis(3-arylprop-2-yn1-yl)malonic acid has been proposed as an efficient approach to substituted 3,8-dibenzyl-2,7-dioxaspiro[4.4]nonane-1,6-diones. The reaction proceeds smoothly in mild reaction conditions to give the desired products in quantitative yields in the presence of variously substituted starting materials. In addition, the synthesis of γ-arylidene spirobislactone bearing different substituents on the two aromatic rings has been achieved. This kind of compound could be of great interest in pharmaceutical science given the widespread presence of this scaffold in bioactive natural and synthetic products.

[Effectiveness of spirolactone on the treatment of laryngeal edema and complications after H-uvulopalatopharyngoplasty for patients with obstructive sleep apnea]

Objective:To determine whether taking spirolactone orally after H-UPPP may relieve laryngeal edema and complications for patients with obstructive sleep apnea（OSA）. Method:Fifty patients with OSA to undergo H-UPPP operation were randomly divided equally to the intervention group（taking spirolactone 20 mg orally twice a day for 7 days after H-UPPP） or the control group, all patients received conventional therapy after H-UPPP including anti-infection, hemostatic treatment, fluid replacement and expectorant by fogged absorption. The pharyngeal wound, diet, sleep and speaking pronunciation of all patients in each group were evaluated every other day in 7 days postoperation. The minimum oxygen saturation of blood（SaO2） during sleep at night each day and the period needed for staphyledema resolution of all patients were recorded and compared between each group. Result:Postoperatively, the intervention group had significantly slighter bleeding at wound site, better sleep and more legible speaking pronunciation than the control group after 3 days to 5 days（P<0.05）. The wound dehiscence of the intervention group was significantly slighter than the control group within 7 days after operation（P<0.05）. During 3 days to 7days after operation, the intervention group had a significantly better diet than the control group（P<0.05）. The average minimum SaO2during sleep at night in the intervention group was significantly higher than that in the control group from 3 days to 5 days post operation（P<0.05）. Period needed for staphyledema resolution in the intervention group（4.1±1.5） days was significantly shorter than that in the control group（5.9±1.8） days （P<0.05）. Conclusion:Taking spirolactone orally after H-UPPP may relieve laryngeal edema and complications for OSA patients, and it will also shorten the period needed for staphyledema resolution.

Cyclosporin population pharmacokinetics in pediatric refractory nephrotic syndrome based on real-world studies: Effects of body weight and spirolactone administration

Different models of population pharmacokinetics (PPK) of cyclosporin have been established in various populations. However, the cyclosporin PPK model in patients with pediatric refractory nephrotic syndrome (PRNS) has yet to be constructed. The present study aimed to establish the cyclosporin PPK model in PRNS, and to identify factors that may account for any variability. Chinese patients with PRNS treated with cyclosporin between June 2014 and June 2018 at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China) were retrospectively analyzed. The impact of demographic features, laboratory parameters and concomitant medications was evaluated. A total of 18 PRNS patients from real-world studies were analyzed by non-linear mixed-effects modeling. A one-compartment model with first-order absorption and elimination was selected as the appropriate model in PRNS. Body weight (WT) and spirolactone intake were included as significant covariates for the apparent oral clearance (CL/F), and the WT was revealed to significantly influence the apparent volume of distribution (V/F). The final covariate models were as follows: CL/F=80.7 × (WT/70)^0.75 × (1-0.265×θ_spirolactone), and V/F=2,030 × (WT/70), where θ_spirolactone is the coefficient of spirolactone. The inter-individual variability in CL/F and V/F was 44.6 and 53.1%, respectively. In conclusion, in the present study, a cyclosporin PPK model for patients with PRNS was successfully constructed, and the presence of a clinically significant interaction between spirolactone and cyclosporin in PRNS patients was determined based on real-world studies, indicating that concomitant medication with spirolactone was able to reduce cyclosporin clearance in the patients with PRNS.

Comparison of the chemistry and diversity of endophytes isolated from wild-harvested and greenhouse-cultivated yerba mansa (Anemopsis californica)

With this study, we explored the identity and chemistry of fungal endophytes from the roots of yerba mansa [Anemopsis californica (Nutt.) Hook. & Arn. (Saururaceae)], a botanical traditionally used to treat infection. We compared the diversity of fungal endophytes isolated from a wild-harvested A. californica population, and those from plants cultivated for one year in a greenhouse environment. The wild-harvested population yielded thirteen fungal strains (eleven unique genotypes). Of the extracts prepared from these fungi, four inhibited growth of Staphylococcus aureus by >25% at 20 µg/mL, and three inhibited growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa by ≥20% at 200 µg/mL. By comparison, A. californica roots after one year of cultivation in the greenhouse produced only two unique genotypes, neither of which displayed significant antimicrobial activity. The fungus Chaetomium cupreum isolated from wild-harvested A. californica yielded a new antimicrobial spirolactone, chaetocuprum (1). An additional fourteen known compounds were identified using LC-MS dereplication of the various fungal endophytes. This study provides new insights into the identity and chemistry of A. californica fungal endophytes, and demonstrates the importance of considering growing conditions when pursuing natural product drug discovery from endophytic fungi.