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Phytochemical investigation of the polar extracts of the aerial parts of Origanum dictamnus afforded 15 secondary metabolites. One new depside was isolated, to which the trivial name salvianolic acid P (1) was given, in addition to the known depsides rosmarinic acid (2) and rosmarinic acid methyl ester (3), as well as two monoterpenes, thymoquinone (4) and thymoquinol 2-O-beta-glucopyranoside (5); two simple phenolic acids, oresbiusin A (6) and E-caffeic acid (7); six flavonoids, namely, apigenin (8), kaempferol (9), quercetin (10), eriodictyol (11), taxifolin (12), naringenin (13); and two alicyclic derivatives, that is, 12-hydroxyjasmonic acid (14) and its 12-O-beta-d-glucoside (15). The structures of all isolated compounds were established by spectroscopic methods, mainly 1D and 2D NMR, as well as HPLC-DAD-MS and HR-MS spectrometric analyses. The absolute configuration of compound 1 was determined by CD measurements as 7'R, 7''S, 8''S. Compound 1 is interesting as it contains a benzodioxane ring, which is unusual in natural products. Moreover, it has been proved to be active against the Gram-negative clinical strains Acinetobacter hemolyticus , Empedobacter brevis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Klebsiella pneumoniae .

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Summary.Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is characterized by the t(11;14) translocation that juxtaposes the bcl-1 locus to immunoglobulin (Ig) gene sequences and leads to deregulation of cyclin D1 gene. t(11;14) is thought to result from an error of the recombinase during D-J H Ig gene assembly; however, data on the underlying mechanism and candidate recombination-targeting motifs in the major translocation cluster (MTC) of the bcl-1 gene are lacking.bcl-1/IgH junctional sequences from seven MCL patients were amplified by PCR using primers targeting MTC and J H sequences on chromosomes 11q13 and 14q32, respectively. PCR products were directly sequenced and junctional sequences were searched for homology to known germline D genes. bcl-t MTC breakpoints were searched for the presence of possible recombination target motifs; heptamers, nonamers, binding sequence of the bp45 nuclease, x-like sequences and D gene segments. bcl-1/J H junctions were found to bear homology to D gene segments (DLR3, DM and DIR5) in 3/7 MCL samples. A computer-based search in previously published and/or submitted to GenBank bcl-1/J H junctional sequences identified homology to D genes in 1/4 MCL tumour samples and 1/4 MCl cell lines; DXP4 or D23/7 and DHQ52 or D22/21 or DXP5, respectively. The MTC locus contained motifs with homology to bp45 nuclease binding sequence, x-like sequences, heptamers/nonamers, D-like DIR genes and nonhomologous recombination short (6 bp) DNA sequences. The above data indicate that the t(11;14) translocation in MCL may also occur at a more mature stage of B-cell ontogeny than previously thought, i.e. during V H -to-DJ H rearrangement. Various known recombination motifs within MTC may contribute to an illegitimate recombination event between bcl-1 and DJ H .

Mechanisms of ischemic stroke in young adults are poorly understood. The aim of the study was to investigate and compare the frequency of common variations in prothrombotic genes between young patients with ischemic stroke and controls. Fifty-one cases of first-ever ischemic stroke and 70 community-based controls aged below 50 years were studied. In both groups, the insertion/deletion 4G/5G variation (-675 4G/5G PAI-1) as well as the single-nucleotide polymorphism-844 G/A of the PAI-1 (-844 G/A PAI-1) gene promoter, factor V Leiden (FVL) G1691Α, the prothrombin variant (allele 20210A, FIIG20210A), factor XIII-A Val34Leu polymorphism (FXIII-AVal34Leu) and C677T methylenotetrahydrofolate reductase (C677T MTHFR) polymorphism have been assessed. The -675 4G/5G PAI-1 allele distribution differed significantly between patients and controls (P = 0.020), but no difference was found regarding the distribution of -844 G/A PAI-1 (P = 0.493), FVL (P = 0.199), FIIG20210A (P = 0.410), FXIII-AVal34leu (P = 0.160) and C677T MTHFR (P = 0.788). A lower frequency of 5G/5G genotype and a higher frequency of the 4G/5G genotype of the PAI -675 4G/5G polymorphism was found in young ischemic stroke patients compared to healthy controls. Further epidemiological studies are needed to investigate the differences between different geographic areas, and prospective cohort studies are needed to investigate the possible protective role of 5G/5G polymorphism.