Abstract: It provides a gene-entrapping liposome preparation which can be preserved over a long period of time, and a process for the preparation of the same. The preparation can be prepared by adding an aqueous solution of disaccharide to gene-entrapping liposomes. The frozen preparation can be preserved for 6 months or more at preservation temperature of −20° C., and the preparation shows excellent restoration ability in water and does not show reduction in biological activity. In the case of the lyophilized preparation, it can be preserved for longer time of about 1 year, shows excellent restoration ability in water, and does not show reduction in biological activity.

Abstract: It provides a gene-entrapped liposome preparation which can be preserved over a long period of time, and a process for the preparation of the same. The preparation can be prepared by adding an aqueous solution of disaccharide to gene-entrapped liposomes. The frozen preparation can be preserved for 6 months or more at preservation temperature of −20° C., and the preparation shows excellent restoration ability in water and does not show reduction in biological activity. In the case of the lyophilized preparation, it can be preserved for longer time of about 1 year, shows excellent restoration ability in water, and does not show reduction in biological activity.

Abstract: There are disclosed a composition containing 9-cis .beta.-carotene in high-purity and an industrially applicable method of obtaining the same from an alga. The composition can be obtained through steps of washing with ethanol dry powder of the alga belonging to Dunaliella, adding hexane to the washed algal powder, stirring the same, subjecting the same to filtration to obtain a filtrate, concentrating the filtrate to obtain a semi-solidic concentrate, adding hexane to the semi-solidic concentrate in an amount of 10-18 ml of hexane to 1 g of the semi-solidic concentrate, stirring the same, subjecting the same to filtration to obtain a filtrate, concentrating the filtrate to obtain an oily concentrate, adding hexane to the oily concentrate in an amount of 2-4.5 ml of hexane to 1 g of the oily concentrate to dissolve the same, and leaving the solution, as it is, under lower temperature condition to cause a separation of the composition. The composition is a rubiginous powder or crystals and contains 9-cis .beta.

Abstract: A plasmid entrapping multilamellar liposome for introducing a gene into cells, which liposome has constitutive lipids of N-(.alpha.-trimethylammonioacetyl)-didodecyl-D-glutamate chloride (TMAG); dioctanoylphosphatidyl choline (DOPC) or didecanoylphosphatidyl choline (DDPC); and dioleoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE) or dilauroylphosphatidyl ethanolamine (DLPE) and in a molar ratio of 1:2-3:2-1 in case of lipid combination of TMAG, DOPC and DOPE, or 1:2:2 in case of lipid combination of TMAG, DDPC or DOPC and DLPE.

Abstract: There are described novel glycosides of catechol estrogen, a method of preparing the same, and a medicament comprising one of the glycosides as an active ingredient. The glycosides are shown by the formula of ##STR1## wherein X is carbonyl group or ##STR2## R.sub.10 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group, and R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom or ethynyl group; R.sub.11 is a hydrogen atom, hydroxyl group, or glycosyloxy group; R.sub.12 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group; and R.sub.13 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group, in which glycosyloxy group is selected from the group consisting of glycosyloxy, galactosyloxy, mannosyloxy, arabinosyloxy, ribosyloxy, xylosyloxy, fructosyloxy, rhamnosyloxy, fucosyloxy, maltosyloxy, cellobiosyloxy, lactosyloxy, sucrosyloxy, maltotriosyloxy, maltotetraosyloxy, maltopentaosyloxy, maltohexaosyloxy, maltoheptaosyloxy, and sialosyloxy, and in this case, at least one of R.sub.10, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, and R.sub.13 is glycosyloxy group as defined above.

Abstract: For increasing gene entrapping efficiency, it is preferable that liposome membrane to be formed is positively charged. For this purpose, a lipid with quaternary amine has been employed as one of constitutional lipids, but the such lipid may show toxicity to cells to be transformed with the gene for expression. The invention selects, as constitutional lipids for liposomes, N-(.alpha.-trimethylammonioacetyl)-didodecyl-D-glutamate chloride (TMAG), dilauroylphosphatidylcholine (DLPC), and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) with molar ratio of 1:2:2, and vortex treatment for preparing the liposomes with multi-layers to entrap the gene therein.

Abstract: There are described novel glycosides of catechol estrogen, a method of preparing the same, and a medicament comprising one of the glycosides as an active ingredient. The glycosides are shown by the formula of ##STR1## wherein X is carbonyl group or ##STR2## R.sub.10 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group, and R.sub.2 is a hydrogen atom or ethynyl group; R.sub.11 is a hydrogen atom, hydroxyl group, or glycosyloxy group; R.sub.12 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group; and R.sub.13 is hydroxyl group or glycosyloxy group,in which glycosyloxy group is selected from the group consisting of glucosyloxy, galactosyloxy, mannosyloxy, arabinosyloxy, ribosyloxy, xylosyloxy, fructosyloxy, rhamnosyloxy, fucosyloxy, maltosyloxy, cellobiosyloxy, lactosyloxy, sucrosyloxy, maltotriosyloxy, maltotetraosyloxy, maltopentaosyloxy, maltohexaosyloxy, maltoheptaosyloxy, and sialosyloxy, and in this case, at least one of R.sub.10, R.sub.11, R.sub.12, and R.sub.13 is glycosyloxy group as defined above.

Abstract: The present invention relates to intermediates for synthesizing BH.sub.4 and derivatives thereof. The intermediates are shown as follows; ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom, alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group; R.sub.2 is an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, or polyhydroxyalkyl group; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are the same or different and represent alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group; R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, and R.sub.8 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or acyl group; R.sub.9 is an alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group; R.sub.10 and R.sub.11 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or acyl group; n is an integer of 5 or less; and HX is an acid. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of L-biopterin.

Abstract: An agent for inhibiting the binding of 5.alpha.-dihydrotestosterone with androgen receptor, which comprises at least one extract from herbs or one of specific xanthone compounds, and a process for obtaining the agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to intermediates for synthesizing BH.sub.4 and derivatives thereof. The intermediates are shown as follows: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is a hydrogen atom, alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group; R.sub.2 is an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, or polyhydroxyalkyl group; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 are the same or different and represent alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group; R.sub.5, R.sub.6, R.sub.7, and R.sub.8 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or acyl group; R.sub.9 is an alkyl, aralkyl, or aryl group; R.sub.10 and R.sub.11 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or acyl group; n is an integer of 5 or less; and HX is an acid. The invention also relates to a process for the preparation of L-biopterin.