Triterpene saponins from Schefflera abyssinica

Constituents of the leaves of Eucalyptus saligna

PRRT2 mutations are the major cause of benign familial infantile seizures.

Mutations in PRRT2 have been described in paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) and infantile convulsions with choreoathetosis (PKD with infantile seizures), and recently also in some families with benign familial infantile seizures (BFIS) alone. We analyzed PRRT2 in 49 families and three sporadic cases with BFIS only of Italian, German, Turkish, and Japanese origin and identified the previously described mutation c.649dupC in an unstable series of nine cytosines to occur in 39 of our families and one sporadic case (77% of index cases). Furthermore, three novel mutations were found in three other families, whereas 17% of our index cases did not show PRRT2 mutations, including a large fami…

Immunohistochemical analysis of KCNQ3 potassium channels in mouse brain.

KCNQ-type potassium channels generate the so-called M-current regulating excitability in many neurons. Mutations in KCNQ2/KCNQ3 channels can cause benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC). We describe the immunohistochemical staining of adult and developing mouse brain using an antibody directed against the N-terminus of KCNQ3 channels (KCNQ3N). A widespread KCNQ3N immunoreactivity predominantly of neuropil but also of somata was detected in different regions of the adult mouse brain, in particular in the hippocampus, cortex, thalamus and cerebellum. This staining pattern appeared gradually and became more intense during development. In the pyramidal cell layer of the hippocampus, the im…

Immunohistochemical analysis of KCNQ2 potassium channels in adult and developing mouse brain

The syndrome of benign familial neonatal convulsions (BFNC) is characterized by seizures starting within the first days of life and disappearing within weeks to months. BFNC is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the potassium channels KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 which can well explain the resulting neuronal hyperexcitability. However, it is not understood why seizures predominantly occur in the neonatal period. A potential explanation might be a change in the expression pattern of these channels during development. We therefore performed an immunohistochemical analysis of mouse brain slices at different stages of postnatal development using an antibody recognizing the C-terminus of the KCNQ2 chann…

Mutant Plasticity Related Gene 1 (PRG1) acts as a potential modifier in SCN1A related epilepsy

ABSTRACTPlasticity related gene 1 encodes a cerebral neuron-specific synaptic transmembrane protein that modulates hippocampal excitatory transmission on glutamatergic neurons. In mice, homozygous Prg1-deficiency results in juvenile epilepsy. Screening a cohort of 18 patients with infantile spasms (West syndrome), we identified one patient with a heterozygous mutation in the highly conserved third extracellular phosphatase domain (p.T299S). The functional relevance of this mutation was verified by in-utero electroporation of a mutant Prg1 construct into neurons of Prg1-knockout embryos, and the subsequent inability of hippocampal neurons to rescue the knockout phenotype on the single cell l…

Constituents of the rhizome of Homalomena occulta

Constituents of the rhizome of Homalomena occulta Mohamed Elbandy , Holger Lerche , Hildebert Wagner , Marie-Aleth Lacaille-Dubois a, a Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie, Unite de Molecules d’Interet Biologique (UMIB EA 3660), Faculte de Pharmacie, Universite de Bourgogne, 7 Bd Jeanne d’Arc, BP 87900, 21079 Dijon Cedex, France b Department of Pharmacy, Centre of Pharmaresearch, Butenandtstr. 5-13, University of Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany

Foetidissimosides C—F, Novel Glycosides from the Roots of Cucurbita foetidissima.

Two novel echinocystic acid (=(3β,16α)-3,16-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid) glycosides, foetidissimosides C (1), and D (2), along with new cucurbitane glycosides, i.e., foetidissimosides E/F (3/4) as an 1 : 1 mixture of the (24R)/(24S) epimers, were obtained from the roots of Cucurbita foetidissima. Their structures were elucidated by means of a combination of homo- and heteronuclear 2D-NMR techniques (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC), and by FAB-MS. The new compounds were characterized as (3β,16α)-28-{[O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(13)-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(14)-O-6-deoxy-α-L-mannopyranosyl-(12)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]oxy}-16-hydroxy-28-oxoolean -12-en-3-yl β-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid (1…

Foetidissimosides C–F, Novel Glycosides from the Roots ofCucurbita foetidissima

Two novel echinocystic acid (=(3β,16α)-3,16-dihydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid) glycosides, foetidissimosides C (1), and D (2), along with new cucurbitane glycosides, i.e., foetidissimosides E/F (3/4) as an 1 : 1 mixture of the (24R)/(24S) epimers, were obtained from the roots of Cucurbita foetidissima. Their structures were elucidated by means of a combination of homo- and heteronuclear 2D-NMR techniques (COSY, TOCSY, NOESY, ROESY, HSQC, and HMBC), and by FAB-MS. The new compounds were characterized as (3β,16α)-28-{[O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(13)-O-β-D-xylopyranosyl-(14)-O-6-deoxy-α-L-mannopyranosyl-(12)-α-L-arabinopyranosyl]oxy}-16-hydroxy-28-oxoolean -12-en-3-yl β-D-glucopyranosiduronic acid (1…