[Determination of nine aromatic amines in water by cloud point extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry].

Aromatic amines are a class of compounds bearing amino groups on their benzene rings; these compounds are important raw materials for the industrial production of rubber chemicals, pesticides, dyes, pharmaceuticals, photosensitive chemicals, and agricultural chemicals. Research has revealed that some aromatic amines teratogenetic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic properties. Given the high toxicity and potential harm caused by aromatic amines, monitoring their levels in water sources is critical. Aromatic amines are among the 14 strategic environmental pollutants blacklisted in China, and assessing their exposure levels is essential for protecting human health and the environment. At present, the standard method for detecting aromatic amines in water is liquid-liquid extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LLE-GC-MS). However, this method has the disadvantages of large sample size requirement, complex operation, long analysis time, and high reagent consumption. In this study, instead of traditional LLE technology, cloud point extraction (CPE) technology was used in combination with GC-MS to establish an efficient, sensitive, and environment-friendly method for the detection of nine aromatic amines, namely, 2-chloramine, 3-chloramine, 4-chloramine, 2-nitroaniline, 3-nitroaniline, 4-nitroaniline, 1-naphthylamine, 2-naphthylamine, and 4-aminobenzene, in water. Triton X-114 was used as the extraction agent. The main experimental parameters were optimized using a single-factor optimization method. The aromatic amines in various water samples were quantitatively analyzed using GC-MS. The nine aromatic amines were separated on a DB-35 MS capillary column (30 m×0.25 mm×0.25 µm). The mass spectrometer was operated in selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode, and quantitative analysis was performed using the internal standard method. The results demonstrated that all nine aromatic amines could be completely separated within 16 min and had good linearities within accurate mass concentration ranges, with correlation coefficients (R2) greater than 0.998. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) of these aromatic amines in water were 0.12-0.48 and 0.40-1.60 µg/L, respectively. The accuracy and precision of the method were assessed via the determination of aromatic amines in surface water of drinking water sources, offshore seawater, wastewater of the typical printing and dyeing industry at levels of 2.0 and 10.0 µg/L. The recoveries of the aromatic amines in surface water of drinking water sources were 81.1%-109.8%, with intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.7%-5.2% (n=6) and 1.6%-6.2% (n=3), respectively. The recoveries of the aromatic amines in offshore seawater were 83.0%-115.8%, with intra-day RSDs (n=6) of 1.5%-8.6% and inter-day RSDs (n=3) of 2.4%-12.2%. The recoveries of the nine aromatic amines in wastewater of the typical printing and dyeing industry were 91.0%-120.0%, with intra-day RSDs (n=6) of 2.9%-12.9% and inter-day RSDs (n=3) of 2.5%-13.1%. The established method was used to detect nine aromatic amines in actual water samples. No aromatic amines were detected in the surface water of drinking water sources or offshore seawater samples. However, 2-chloramine, 4-chloramine, and 4-aminobenzene, which are frequently used in the printing and dyeing industry, were detected in the wastewater of the typical printing and dyeing industry samples. The proposed method offers the advantages of simple operation, high sensitivity, low cost, low organic reagent requirement, and good repeatability. Thus, this method provides reliable technical support for studying the residual status and environmental behavior of aromatic amines in water.

Establishment of a dipeptidyl peptidases (DPP) 8/9 expressing cell model for evaluating the selectivity of DPP4 inhibitors.

INTRODUCTION: Dipeptidyl peptidases (DPPs) 8 and 9 are homologous, cytoplasmic postproline-cutting enzymes, which have similar enzymatic activity and preferred substrates as DPP4. DPP4 is a well-known target for treating diabetes mellitus. With the increased concern of non-selectivity and toxicities caused by DPP4 inhibitors, it is essential to establish new ex vivo system to investigate DPP4 inhibitors' effect on DPP8 and DPP9. METHOD: Here we reported a newly established cell model system by cloning and transfecting human DPP8/9 genes into HEK 293 cells. We then used this model to evaluate the clinically applied DPP4 inhibitors' effect on DPP8/9, by direct enzymatic activity assay. Given the difference of cellular locations between DPP4 and DPP8/9, we also evaluated the influence of these drugs on intracellular DPP8/9 activity and cell viability by extracellular treatment with different inhibitors. RESULTS: Direct enzymatic activity assay revealed significant and concentration-dependent inhibition effect of vildagliptin, saxagliptin on DPP8/9. Extracellular incubation of DPP8/9 over expressed cells with sitagliptin, vildagliptin, saxagliptin, alogliptin and linagliptin, showed only mild inhibition on DPP8/9. Moreover, all of these drugs showed no significant influence on cell viability. DISCUSSION: Our results demonstrated that the DPP8/9 over-expressing cell model system is a very useful and promising system for investigating the selectivity and associated toxicity of DPP4 inhibitors on DPP8/9.

A refined-JinQi-JiangTang tablet ameliorates prediabetes by reducing insulin resistance and improving beta cell function in mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Refined-JQ (JQ-R) is a mixture of refined extracts from three major herbal components of JinQi-JiangTang tablet: Coptis chinensis (Ranunculaceae), Astragalus membranaceus (Leguminosae), and Lonicera japonica (Caprifoliaceae). Our previous studies have indicated that JQ-R could decrease fasting blood glucose levels in diabetic mice and insulin resistance mice. Investigating the hypoglycemic effect of JQ-R on prediabetes has practical application value for preventing or delaying insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and possibly the development of clinical diabetes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The anti-diabetic potential of JQ-R was investigated using a high fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity mouse model. C57BL/6J mice (HFD-C57 mice) were fed with high-fat diet for 4 months. HFD-C57 mice were treated with either JQ-R (administered intragastrically once daily for 4 weeks) or metformin (as positive control), and the effects of JQ-R on body weight, blood lipids, glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and beta cell function were monitored. RESULTS: The body weight, serum cholesterol, and the Homeostasis Model Assessment ratio (insulin resistance index) were significantly reduced in JQ-R or metformin-treated mice, and the glucose tolerance was enhanced and insulin response was improved simultaneously. Moreover, both JQ-R and metformin could activate liver glycogen syntheses even under a relatively high glucose loading. Although glyconeogenesis was inhibited in the metformin treated mice, it was not observed in JQ-R treated mice. Similar to metformin, JQ-R could also improve the glucose infusion rate (GIR) in hyperglycemic clamp test. JQ-R was also shown to increase the levels of phosphorylated AMPKα and phosphorylated acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), similar to metformin. CONCLUSION: JQ-R could reduce HFD-induced insulin resistance by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, increasing insulin sensitivity through activating the AMPK signaling pathway, and subsequently improving ß cell function. Therefore, JQ-R may offer an alternative in treating disorders associated with insulin resistance, such as prediabetes and T2DM.

[Characteristics of out-of-hospital acute coronary heart disease deaths of Beijing permanent residents at the age of 25 or more from 2007 to 2009].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of out-of-hospital acute coronary heart disease (CHD) deaths in Beijing permanent residents at the age of 25 or more from 2007 to 2009. METHODS: We analyzed the gender, age, geographical distribution, occupation, marital status and the extent of different education characteristics of out-of-hospital acute CHD deaths of the Beijing permanent residents at the age of 25 or more from 2007 to 2009 using the mortality information database from the Beijing Vital Registration Monitoring System. RESULTS: Of the total 41 732 acute CHD deaths, 30 159 (72.27%) died out of hospital and out-of-hospital mortality was 2.61 times higher than in-hospital mortality. Majority out-of-hospital death occurred in males (72.30%, 16 068/22 224), in 25 - 34 years old people (91.75%, 89/97), in residents living in remoter suburbs and counties (82.43%, 13 513/16 393), in rural population (89.50%, 10 017/11 192), in non-marital single (80.76%, 592/733) and in people less than five-years of schooling (83.95%, 11 388/13 565). Most out-of-hospital acute CHD death occurred at home (78.80%, 23 765/30 159). CONCLUSIONS: Out-of hospital acute CHD mortality is high in Beijing permanent residents at the age of 25 and over from 2007 to 2009. Male, 25 - 34 years old, living in outer suburbs and counties, rural population, non-marital single, and less education years are major risk factors for out-of-hospital acute CHD death.

[Analysis of the quality of notifiable infectious disease report in Beijing medical treatment organizations].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the quality of the infectious diseases reporting via network in Beijing hospitals and to filtrate factors that affect the reporting quality. METHODS: We collected 5536 infectious disease cases randomly and investigated 52 medical treatment organizations. Information was collected by field questionnaire survey, interview and gathering routine reporting data for analyzing the quality. RESULTS: The result showed that the timeliness of the 52 medical treatment organizations was 94.18%, the consistency was 80.84%, the completeness was 88.47%, and the misreport was 13.73%. The reporting quality of the second level hospitals was higher than that of the first level hospitals, township health centers and the third level hospitals. The reporting quality of urban hospitals was higher than that of the suburb hospitals. The reporting quality of outpatient and inpatient departments was higher than that of the laboratory. The laboratory was the primary part of underreporting. CONCLUSION: Strengthening guidance, training and paying attention to each weak portion would certainly ameliorate the quality of infectious diseases reporting via network.

[Asialofetuin-hTERT-TK/GCV targeted gene therapy and its bystander effect on HepG2].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the targeted therapeutic effects of plasmid AF-pGL3-hTERT-TK on HepG2 cells. METHODS: HepG2 cells were cultured and pGL3-hTERT-TK and AF-liposome were constructed. HepG2 and L02 cells were transfected with AF-pGL3-hTERT-TK. The growth, apoptosis of the cells and the bystander effects were studied using liquid scintillation analysis and tunnel and flow cytometry. RESULTS: After the suicide gene was inserted into the downstream of hTERT, TK was effectively driven by the hTERT promoter, making the TK highly expressed in the HepG2 cells. The AF made the therapeutic gene enter the HepG2 cells more easily by recognizing and combining the ASGPR receptor protein on the HepG2 cell surfaces and induced their apoptosis and suicide with bystander effect. The apoptosis rate was 85%+/-3% in the HepG2 cells whereas in the normal L02 hepatic cells it was 16%+/-2%. CONCLUSION: AF-pGL3-hTERT-TK can target and attack HepG2 cells and has almost no influence on normal L02 hepatic cells. AF-pGL3-hTERT-TK has a potential in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas.