Advances in Studies of Chiglitazar Sodium, a Novel PPAR Pan-Agonist, for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Chiglitazar sodium is a new peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pan-agonist with independent intellectual property rights in China. It can treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and regulate metabolism by modestly activating PPARα, PPARγ, and PPARδ to improve insulin sensitivity, regulate blood glucose, and promote fatty acid oxidation and utilization. Chiglitazar sodium has a significant insulin-sensitizing effect and is advantageous in reducing fasting and postprandial blood glucose levels, particularly at the 48 mg dose in patients with concomitant high triglycerides in terms of blood glucose and triglyceride level control.

Acaricidal Activity of Cyclodipeptides from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens W1 against Tetranychus urticae.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the supernatant of the biocontrol strain Bacillus amyloliquefaciens W1 led to the isolation of eight acaricidal cyclodipeptides from the active fractions by column chromatography separation and HPLC purification. The chemical structures of these compounds were identified as cyclo-(Gly-l-Phe), 2, cyclo-(l-Phe- trans-4-OH-l-Pro), 3, cyclo-(Gly-l-Tyr), 4, cyclo-(l-Ala-l-Pro), 5, cyclo-(l-Pro- trans-4-OH-l-Pro), 6, cyclo-(Gly-l-Pro), 7, cyclo-(l-Pro-l-Pro), 8, and cyclo-(l-Tyr- trans-4-OH-l-Pro), 9. Those cyclodipeptides displayed significant acaricidal activities with LC50 values of 13.85-98.24 µM. Cyclo-(l-Tyr- trans-4-OH-l-Pro) (LC50 13.85 µM) was five times more effective than the positive control abamectin (LC50 72.06 µM). The results indicated that the hydroxyl group is an important component. This is the first report on the acaricidal capabilities of cyclodipeptides against Tetranychus urticae. The results revealed that the acaricidal activity of the biocontrol strain B. amyloliquefaciens W1 was dependent on its constituent cyclodipeptides, which have the potential to be safe and environmentally friendly acaricides.

Updated findings of the association and functional studies of DRD2/ANKK1 variants with addictions.

Both nicotine and alcohol addictions are severe public health hazards worldwide. Various twin and family studies have demonstrated that genetic factors contribute to vulnerability to these addictions; however, the susceptibility genes and the variants underlying them remain largely unknown. Of susceptibility genes investigated for addictions, DRD2 has received much attention. Considering new evidence supporting the association of DRD2 and its adjacent gene ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 (ANKK1) with various addictions, in this paper, we provide an updated view of the involvement of variants in DRD2 and ANKK1 in the etiology of nicotine dependence (ND) and alcohol dependence (AD) based on linkage, association, and molecular studies. This evidence shows that both genes are significantly associated with addictions; however the association with ANKK1 appears to be stronger. Thus, both more replication studies in independent samples and functional studies of some of these variants are warranted.

Impact of maternal nicotine exposure on expression of myelin-related genes in zebrafish larvae.

BACKGROUND: Although maternal smoking during pregnancy disrupts offspring development, it is not clear whether smoking before pregnancy has any effect on the next generation. Given that nicotine, the major psychoactive component in cigarettes, is toxic to many organs, we hypothesized that maternal smoking even before a pregnancy affects offspring development. Myelin is an important structure in the nervous system, and deficits in myelin are related to many psychiatric disorders and drug addiction. We therefore examined the effect of maternal exposure to nicotine on the expression of myelin genes in the offspring using zebrafish as a model. METHODS: Female adult zebrafish were exposed to nicotine through water at a concentration of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 µM (nicotine base) for either 1 h or a continuous 24 h each day for 4 months. The nicotine-treated females were then bred with drug-naive males, and the embryos and larvae were grown in a nicotine-free environment. Maternal survival rates were calculated. Larvae of those exposed to nicotine at a dose of 1, 5, 10, 15, or 20 µM for 24 h each day were collected at 4, 7, or 14 days postfertilization (dpf). The mRNA expression of myelin-related genes was examined using quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: The mRNA expression of most genes encoding myelin major proteins increased with age. These genes were generally downregulated by maternal nicotine exposure in 4 dpf larvae, whereas they were upregulated in 14 dpf larvae. The expression of myelin-related transcription regulators correlated well with that of myelin major proteins. CONCLUSIONS: Prepregnancy nicotine exposure altered myelin gene expression in the offspring, implying that maternal smoking before pregnancy affects the next generation.

Identification and characterization of poly(I:C)-induced molecular responses attenuated by nicotine in mouse macrophages.

To further our understanding of the effects of nicotine on the molecular responses of macrophages during virus or virus-like infections, poly(I:C)-stimulated macrophage-like RAW264.2 cells or mouse primary peritoneal macrophages were challenged with nicotine; and their molecular responses were evaluated using a qRT-PCR array, antibody array, ELISA, Western blotting, and Ca(2+) imaging. Of 51 genes expressed in the Toll-like receptor (TLR) and RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) pathways, mRNA expression of 15 genes in RAW264.7 cells was attenuated by nicotine, of which mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1ß was confirmed to be attenuated in peritoneal macrophages. Concurrently, nicotine treatment attenuated the release of IL-6 and TNF-α from poly(I:C)-stimulated macrophages. However, when poly(I:C)-stimulated macrophages were challenged with nicotine plus α-bungarotoxin (α-BTX), secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α was found to be in a level seen with poly(I:C) stimulation only, indicating that α7-nAChR, a highly Ca(2+) permeable ion channel sensitive to blockade by α-BTX, is involved in this process. Furthermore, results from an antibody array indicated that nicotine treatment attenuated the phosphorylation of 82 sites, including Thr286 on CaMKIIα, from poly(I:C)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, of which 28 are expressed in the downstream cascade of Ca(2+) signaling. Coincidentally, poly(I:C)-stimulated macrophages showed attenuated expression of phosphorylated CaMKIIα when pretreated with nicotine. In addition, nicotine attenuated intracellular Ca(2+) signal from poly(I:C)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. Collectively, these results indicate that poly(I:C)-induced molecular responses of macrophages could be significantly attenuated by nicotine.

Genotypic variants at 2q33 and risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in China: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies.

Genome-wide association studies have identified susceptibility loci for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We conducted a meta-analysis of all single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that showed nominally significant P-values in two previously published genome-wide scans that included a total of 2961 ESCC cases and 3400 controls. The meta-analysis revealed five SNPs at 2q33 with P< 5 × 10(-8), and the strongest signal was rs13016963, with a combined odds ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.29 (1.19-1.40) and P= 7.63 × 10(-10). An imputation analysis of 4304 SNPs at 2q33 suggested a single association signal, and the strongest imputed SNP associations were similar to those from the genotyped SNPs. We conducted an ancestral recombination graph analysis with 53 SNPs to identify one or more haplotypes that harbor the variants directly responsible for the detected association signal. This showed that the five SNPs exist in a single haplotype along with 45 imputed SNPs in strong linkage disequilibrium, and the strongest candidate was rs10201587, one of the genotyped SNPs. Our meta-analysis found genome-wide significant SNPs at 2q33 that map to the CASP8/ALS2CR12/TRAK2 gene region. Variants in CASP8 have been extensively studied across a spectrum of cancers with mixed results. The locus we identified appears to be distinct from the widely studied rs3834129 and rs1045485 SNPs in CASP8. Future studies of esophageal and other cancers should focus on comprehensive sequencing of this 2q33 locus and functional analysis of rs13016963 and rs10201587 and other strongly correlated variants.

Genetics of GABAergic signaling in nicotine and alcohol dependence.

Both nicotine and alcohol addictions are common chronic brain disorders that are of great concern to individuals and society. Although genetics contributes significantly to these disorders, the susceptibility genes and variants underlying them remain largely unknown. Many years of genome-wide linkage and association studies have implicated a number of genes and pathways in the etiology of nicotine and alcohol addictions. In this communication, we focus on current evidence, primarily from human genetic studies, supporting the involvement of genes and variants in the GABAergic signaling system in the etiology of nicotine dependence and alcoholism based on linkage, association, and gene-by-gene interaction studies. Current efforts aim not only to replicate these findings in independent samples, but also to identify which variant contributes to the detected associations and through what molecular mechanisms.

Large-scale genome-wide association study of Asian population reveals genetic factors in FRMD4A and other loci influencing smoking initiation and nicotine dependence.

Diseases related to smoking are the second leading cause of death in the world. Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for several diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular and respiratory disorders. Despite increasing evidence of genetic determination, the susceptibility genes and loci underlying various aspects of smoking behavior are largely unknown. Moreover, almost all reported genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been performed on samples of European origin, limiting the applicability of the results to other ethnic populations. In this first GWAS on smoking behavior in an Asian population, after analyzing 8,842 DNA samples from the Korea Association Resource project with 352,228 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped for each sample, we identified 8 SNPs significantly associated with smoking initiation (SI) and 4 with nicotine dependence (ND). Because of the current unavailability of an independent Asian smoking sample, we replicated the discoveries in independent samples of European-American and African-American origin. Of the 12 SNPs examined in the replicated samples, we identified two SNPs, in the regulator of G-protein signaling 17 gene (rs7747583, p value(meta) = 6.40 × 10(-6); rs2349433, p value(meta) = 5.57 × 10(-6)), associated with SI. Also, we found two SNPs significantly associated with ND; one in the FERM domain containing 4A (rs4424567, p value(meta) = 2.30 × 10(-6)) and the other at 7q31.1 (rs848353, p value(meta) = 9.16 × 10(-8)). These SNPs represent novel targets for examination of smoking behavior and warrant further investigation using independent samples.

Modulation of innate immune-related pathways in nicotine-treated SH-SY5Y cells.

Although nicotine has a broad impact on both the central and peripheral nervous systems, the molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown, especially at the signaling pathway level. To investigate that aspect, we employed both conventional molecular techniques, such as quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting analysis, and high-throughput microarray approach to identify the genes and signaling pathways that are modulated by nicotine. We found 14 pathways significantly altered in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Of these, the Toll-like receptor pathway (TLR; p = 2.57 × 10(-4)) is one of the most important innate immune pathways. The death receptor pathway (DR; p = 8.71 × 10(-4)), whose transducers coordinate TLR signals and help conduct the host immune response to infection, was also significantly changed by nicotine. Furthermore, we found that several downstream pathways of TLR and DR signaling, such as PI3K/AKT signaling (p = 9.55 × 10(-6)), p38 signaling (p = 2.40 × 10(-6)), and ERK signaling (p = 1.70 × 10(-4)), were also significantly modulated by nicotine. Interestingly, most of the differentially expressed genes in these pathways leading to nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation and those important inhibitors of pathways leading to apoptosis, including FLIP and Bcl-2, were up-regulated by nicotine. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that nicotine can regulate multiple innate immune-related pathways, and our data thus provide new clues to the molecular mechanisms underlying nicotine's regulatory effects on neurons.

Genome-wide association study of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese subjects identifies susceptibility loci at PLCE1 and C20orf54.

We performed a genome-wide association study of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) by genotyping 1,077 individuals with ESCC and 1,733 control subjects of Chinese Han descent. We selected 18 promising SNPs for replication in an additional 7,673 cases of ESCC and 11,013 control subjects of Chinese Han descent and 303 cases of ESCC and 537 control subjects of Chinese Uygur-Kazakh descent. We identified two previously unknown susceptibility loci for ESCC: PLCE1 at 10q23 (P(Han combined for ESCC) = 7.46 x 10(-56), odds ratio (OR) = 1.43; P(Uygur-Kazakh for ESCC) = 5.70 x 10(-4), OR = 1.53) and C20orf54 at 20p13 (P(Han combined for ESCC) = 1.21 x 10(-11), OR = 0.86; P(Uygur-Kazakh for ESCC) = 7.88 x 10(-3), OR = 0.66). We also confirmed association in 2,766 cases of gastric cardia adenocarcinoma cases and the same 11,013 control subjects (PLCE1, P(Han for GCA) = 1.74 x 10(-39), OR = 1.55 and C20orf54, P(Han for GCA) = 3.02 x 10(-3), OR = 0.91). PLCE1 and C20orf54 have important biological implications for both ESCC and GCA. PLCE1 might regulate cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. C20orf54 is responsible for transporting riboflavin, and deficiency of riboflavin has been documented as a risk factor for ESCC and GCA.

Nicotinic modulation of innate immune pathways via α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor.

The major addictive component of tobacco, nicotine, exerts anti-inflammatory effects in multiple cell types and may benefit neurons in various degenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, in which an inflammation-related mechanism is implicated. Among the various nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, α7, which has been identified in both neurons and immune cells and has high permeability to calcium, is believed to contribute significantly to nicotinic anti-inflammatory and neuron-protective effects. Although nicotine has been used in clinical trials for the treatment of some inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis, the molecular mechanisms of its actions are largely unknown. In this review, we provide current evidence for nicotine's modulation of multiple immune pathways via α7 nAChRs in both neurons and immune cells. Understanding the mechanism of the nicotinic anti-inflammatory effect and neuron-protective function may guide the development of novel medicines for infectious and neuron-degenerative diseases.

[FTIR studies of chlorobenly-5-fluorouracil porphyrin].

In this paper new kind of porphyrin compounds was prepared, which combined well the affinity of prophyrin to malignant tumour with anticancer of 5-fluorouracil porphyrin. The IR spectra of m- and p-chlorophenyl-5-fluorouracil prophyrin were obtained and analyzed. The IR absorption peaks were investigated and concluded in detail. The IR absorption rule of chloropenly-5-fluorouracil prophyrin which occurred when m-substitution and p-substitution appeared respectively on phenyl, and single substitution of N1 and double substitution of N1 appeared respectively on phenyl or N1 and N1, N3 positions on pyrimidine ring was also discussed. The results show that the relative intensity of nu c-o stretching vibration changed obviously by field-effect when the substitution was strong electro-negative group. Meanwhile, the IR spectral characteristics of the compounds mentioned above were revealed, and this can be used to deduce the stereochemistry structure of them.