Inhibitory interaction of flavonoids with organic anion transporter 3 and their structure-activity relationships for predicting nephroprotective effects.

The organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), an important renal uptake transporter, is associated with drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Screening and identifying potent OAT3 inhibitors with little toxicity in natural products, especially flavonoids, in reducing OAT3-mediated AKI is of great value. The five strongest OAT3 inhibitors from the 97 flavonoids markedly decreased aristolochic acid I-induced cytotoxicity and alleviated methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity. The pharmacophore model clarified hydrogen bond acceptors and hydrophobic groups are the critical pharmacophores. These findings would provide valuable information in predicting the potential risks of flavonoid-containing food/herb-drug interactions and optimizing flavonoid structure to alleviate OAT3-related AKI.

The effects of implicit emotion on the use of theory of mind among college students in China.

This research aims to study the impact of implicit emotion on the use of theory of mind and enrich the research on emotions and the use of theory of mind, thus allowing adults to apply theory of mind more effectively in the context of social interaction. This study includes 120 college students as participants. A two (level of theory of mind: high vs. low) * three (implicit emotional state: implicit positive emotion, implicit neutral emotion, or implicit negative emotion) * two (private knowledge: endowed vs. unendowed) between-subjects three-factor design was employed. This study obtained the following results: (1) The main effect of different implicit emotional states on college students' use of theory of mind is significant. College students with implicit positive emotions use theory of mind much less than those with implicit neutral and negative emotions. (2) In cases of implicit positive emotions, college students with a low level of theory of mind use theory of mind substantially less than students with a high level of theory of mind. In cases of implicit neutral and negative emotions, college students with the high and low theory of mind do not exhibit substantial differences in their use of theory of mind. This study concludes that different emotional states affect college students' use of theory of mind.

Structure-Switchable Hairpin-Powered Exponential Replications for Sensing Attomolar microRNA-Related Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Human Cancer Tissues with Zero Background.

MicroRNA (miRNA)-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (miR-SNPs) are a novel class of genetic variations involved in multiple cellular functions, and they have emerged as promising biomarkers for cancer diagnostics and prognostics. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time the structure-switchable hairpin-powered exponential replications for sensing attomolar miR-SNPs in human cancer tissues with zero background. In the presence of target miR-196a2T, hairpin probes (i.e., HP1 and HP2) are splinted together to construct the dumbbell-shaped probe (DSP) with SplintR ligase catalysis. Once the DSP is formed, the self-primed polymerization extension and linear FIP/BIP-primed strand displacement DNA synthesis (SDS) are automatically repeated to activate self-circulated exponential amplification, producing large amounts of double-stranded DNAs (dsDNAs) which can be real-time monitored using SYBR Green I. This nanodevice can detect miR-196a2T with an ultralow detection limit of 2.46 aM; distinguish rare miR-196a2 SNP with a selectivity factor of 0.001%; and even profile miR-196a2T in human tissues for nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) diagnosis, risk assessment, and cancer type prediction. Notably, this nanodevice can be rapidly and homogeneously used in one tube in a real-time and label-free manner, providing a powerful point-of-care platform for noninvasive diagnostics and prognostics of miR-SNPs-related human cancers.

Prevalence and risk factors of relapse in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis receiving cyclophosphamide induction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of large observational studies.

BACKGROUND: Clinical relapses are common in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). The aim of this systematic review was to estimate time-point prevalence and risk factors of relapse. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from their inception to March 30, 2020. Cohorts and post-hoc studies were included for the estimation of summary cumulative relapse rates (CRRs) and adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sensitivity and meta-regression analyses were also performed. RESULTS: Of the 42 eligible studies, 24 studies with 6236 participants were used for the pooled analyses of CRRs. The summary 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year CRRs were 0.12 (95% CI, 0.10-0.14), 0.33 (0.29-0.38), and 0.47 (0.42-0.52), respectively. In meta-regressions, the baseline age was positively associated with 1-year CRR. The proportion of granulomatosis with polyangiitis was positively associated with 5-year CRR. Twenty-eight studies with 5390 participants were used for the meta-analysis of risk factors for relapse, including a lower level of baseline serum creatine, proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA positivity at diagnosis, an ANCA rise, extrarenal organ involvement (including lung, cardiovascular, upper respiratory, and gastrointestinal involvement), intravenous (vs oral) cyclophosphamide induction, a shorter course of immunosuppressant maintenance, and maintenance with mycophenolate mofetil (vs azathioprine). CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review demonstrated that the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year cumulative probabilities of relapse were ∼12%, 33%, and 47% in AAV patients receiving cyclophosphamide induction, respectively. Early identification of risk factors for relapse is helpful to the risk stratification of patients so as to achieve personalized treatment.

Significance of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin as a Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a promising marker for the diagnosis of diabetic kidney disease (DKD), but its utility is currently debated. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of NGAL for DKD. METHOD: MEDLINE, Embase, -Cochrane Library, CNKI, and CBM databases were searched up to April 13, 2019. In bivariate random-effect models, the diagnostic performance of NGAL for DKD was assessed using pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and hierarchical summary receiver-operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: Nineteen studies were eligible for the meta-analysis. Serum NGAL had a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 0.79 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.60-0.91) and 0.87 (0.75-0.93) (7 studies, 1,238 patients). The pooled positive likelihood ratio (LR+) and negative likelihood ratio (LR-) were 5.97 (3.03-11.76) and 0.24 (0.11-0.51). For urine NGAL, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, LR+, and LR- were 0.85 (0.74-0.91), 0.74 (0.57-0.86), 3.26 (1.87-5.67), and 0.21 (0.12-0.35), respectively (10 studies, 1,369 patients). The pooled sensitivity and specificity for kidney disease in normoalbuminuric patients with diabetes was 0.90 (0.82-0.95) and 0.97 (0.90-0.99) for both serum NGAL and 0.94 (0.87-0.98) and 0.90 (0.81-0.96) for urine NGAL (4 studies, 221 patients). NGAL appeared to perform similarly in subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis has shown that NGAL may be useful for DKD classification and also has a potential diagnostic value for normoalbuminuric kidney disease. Large-scale prospective studies are required to clarify its role in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with DKD.

Red blood cell distribution width and peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis prognosis.

Objective: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a parameter of the heterogeneity of circulating erythrocyte size. Recent researches have pointed out a link among RDW, chronic kidney disease, and inflammation. We sought to investigate the prognostic value of baseline RDW in patients with peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis (PDAP).Methods: Our study included 337 peritonitis episodes experienced by 202 patients who were undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) at a single center from 2013 to 2018. Episodes were categorized according to the tertiles of baseline RDW levels (T1, <13.2%; T2, 13.2-14.3%; T3, >14.3%). Routine logistic regression and generalized estimating equation (GEE) were used to estimate the association between RDW and treatment failure, which was defined as relapse/recurrent episodes, catheter removal, or death during therapy.Results: After adjusting for other potential predictors, RDW exhibited an incremental relationship with the risk of treatment failure. The baseline RDW of T3 indicated a 43% and 52% increased venture of treatment failure in logistic and GEE analyses, respectively, compared with T1. As a continuous variable, the fitting curve based on restricted cubic spiline showed that the relationship was nonlinearly but positively correlated. The multivariate model A (combined RDW with baseline age, albumin, serum ferritin, and duration on CAPD) showed an area under the curve of 0.671 (95% confidence interval, 0.5920.749) for the prediction of treatment failure.Conclusions: A Higher baseline level of RDW was significantly associated with a greater rate of treatment failure among PDAP episodes independent of other potential predictors.

The involvement of blood cells in the phosphorylation of the selective sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 agonist SYL-927.

SYL-927 is a selective sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1) agonist for autoimmune diseases. It undergoes phosphorylation to the active SYL-927-P in vivo, which activates S1P1 on lymphocytes, causing lymphopenia by retention of lymphocytes in the lymph nodes. The aim of this study was to identify the involvement of blood cells in the phosphorylation of SYL-927. In addition, pharmacokinetics of SYL-927 and SYL-927-P in blood and plasma were compared in rats. The results demonstrated that SYL-927 can be converted to SYL-927-P in rat blood, but not in rat plasma. However, both rat blood and plasma are capable of dephosphorylating SYL-927-P to SYL-927. SYL-927-P generation and release were observed after incubating SYL-927 with rat and human erythrocytes and platelets. The addition of sphingosine kinases (SPHKs) inhibitors N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS) and FTY720 significantly inhibited SYL-927-P generation, indicating the involvement of SPHKs. In addition, SYL-927 and SYL-927-P levels in blood were significantly higher than those in plasma after oral administration of SYL-927 in rats, suggesting the blood cells for the production of SYL-927-P. In summary, the blood cells such as erythrocytes and platelets contribute to the generation and release of SYL-927-P, which is important for maintaining plasma active phosphate levels for prolonged effects.

[The drug development based on sphingosine-1-phosphate signaling pathway].

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a bioactive sphingolipid produced by the metabolism of sphingomyelin, regulates cell proliferation, migration, survival and cell-cell contacts. The sphingosine-1- phosphate signaling pathway can regulate the trafficking of lymphocyte, angiogenesis, the progress of cancer and many other cellular functions. The formation of S1P is catalyzed by sphingosine kinases (SPHK), and degraded by lyases(S1PL), therefore S1P level is subject to a dynamic balance in the physiological environment. S1P can act as a second messenger or couple with S1P receptors (S1PR) to exert effects. The targets in the S1P signaling pathway have received considerable attention. Here we review the physiological function and drug development of S1P signaling pathway.

[Interaction of butylphthalide with rat and human liver CYP450 isoenzymes].

The work aims to study the drug metabolizing enzymes involved in the metabolism of butylphthalide and evaluate the induction and inhibition activities of butylphthalide on CYP450 isoenzymes by using in vitro (liver microsome incubation system of rats and human) and in vivo (CYP induced model of rats) method. Butylphthalide was incubated with selective inhibitors of CYP450, and its metabolic rate was determined to identify the metabolizing isoenzymes of NBP in rat (normal and induced rats) and human liver microsomes. The in vitro inhibition effect of butylphthalide on 6 main liver microsomal CYP450 isoenzymes was evaluated by using probe drugs; the induction and inhibition activities in vivo of butylphthalide on CYP450 isoenzymes were evaluated by NBP ig dosing (160 mg x kg(-1)) and iv dosing (20 mg x kg(-1)) in rats. After adding the specific inhibitors of CYP2C11, 2E1 and 3A 1/2 for rat, CYP2C19, 2E1 and 3A4/5 for human, the metabolism of NBP in rat and human liver microsomes were reduced 38.8%, 86.2%, 78.4% and 51.0%, 92.0%, 58.9% of control, respectively. The metabolic rates of NBP in CYP2E1 and 3A 1/2 induced rat liver microsomes were increased 25.5% and 68.9%. High concentration of NBP (≥ 200 µmol x L(-1), in vitro) could inhibit the activities of CYP1A2, 2C6, 2C11 and 2D2 in rats, and high concentration of NBP ( ≥ 15 µmol x L(-1), in vitro) could inhibit the activity of CYP2C19 in human. All the results indicated that NBP should be mainly metabolized by CYP2E1, 2C11 and 3A 1/2 in rats and CYP2E1, 2C19 and 3A4/5 in human. High concentration of NBP could inhibit human CYP2C19 in vitro. No significant induction/inhibition effects of NBP were observed on rat liver CYP450 isoforms after ig 160 mg x kg(-1) NBP or iv 20 mg x kg(-1) NBP.

[Effect of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma combined with Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma on p53 and p21 gene expression of IEC-6 cells].

To study the effect of the combined administration of different doses of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma on the proliferation of DFMO-treated intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6) and p53, p21 mRNA and protein expressions, in order to define the molecular basis for the effect of the combined administration of different doses of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma on the cell proliferation. The effect of the drugs on the cell division rate and cell cycle of IEC-6 cells was detected by FCM. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the effect of the drugs on mRNA of p2l and p53 related to IEC-6 proliferation. Western blot was used to analyze the effect of the drugs on p2l and p53 protein expressions of IEC-6 cells. Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma could increase p53, p21 mRNA and proteins expression in DFMO-treated IEC-6 cells. The combined administration of different ratios of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma could significantly down-regulate Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma's effect on p53, p21 mRNA and proteins expression in DFMO-treated IEC-6 cells and promote the proliferation of IEC-6 cells. The combined administration of Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma and Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma could down-regulate Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma's effect on DFMO-treated intestinal epithelial cells (IEC-6).

[Resistance reversal effect of a novel taxane compound NPB304 and its collaboration with verapamil].

The tumor multidrug resistance reversal effect of NPB304, a novel taxane, was studied. MTT assay was used to determine the IC50 of chemotherapy drugs. Western blotting assay was applied to analyze the expression of P-glycoprotein (P-gp). The effect of compounds on the P-gp function and P-gp ATPase activity was determined by rhodamine 123 (Rh123) accumulation assay and analysis kit, respectively. Molecular docking was employed to predict the binding force between compounds and P-gp. Transmembrane transport of NPB304 was analyzed using MDCK II and MDR1-MDCK II cell model. NPB304 displayed multidrug resistance reversal effect on KBV cells and MCF-7/paclitaxel cells, NPB304 collaborative with P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inhibitors verapamil enhanced the reversal activity, specifically, 10 µmol x L(-1) verapamil in combination with paclitaxel reversed resistance by 56.5-fold, while combined with NPB304 increased the reversal fold; NPB304 synergistically increased Rh123 accumulation in the resistant cells when combined with verapamil, and NPB304 at 0-1 µmol x L(-1) enhanced the ATPase activity activated by verapamil was observed. NPB304 existed the hydrophobic interactions with the TM regions of P-gp, and the binding force between NPB304 and the A chain of the TM region was stronger. P-gp ATPase activity assay demonstrated NPB304 at lower concentrations (0-1.5 µmol x L(-1)) could activate the P-gp ATPase, playing a role on inhibition of P-gp function. However, NPB304 did not have an obvious feature of P-gp substrate. NPB304 exerted itself and synergy with verapamil activity on reversing tumor resistance via inhibiting the P-gp function.

[Short-term clinical efficacy observation of lesion removal, bone graft fusion, and external brace treatment for late-stage wrist tuberculosis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical efficacy of lesion removal, bone grafting, fusion, and external fixation in the treatment of late-stage wrist tuberculosis. METHODS: From October 2015 to May 2019, 25 patients with late-stage wrist tuberculosis were treated using lesion removal, bone grafting, fusion, and external fixation. Among these patients, there were 14 males and 11 females, aged from 40 to 74 years old, with an average age of (60.72±8.45) years old. The duration of the disease ranged from 5 to 24 months, with an average of (11.52±7.61) months. There were 11 cases of left wrist tuberculosis and 14 cases of right wrist tuberculosis, with 5 cases accompanied by sinus formation. Postoperative regular anti-tuberculosis treatment was continued. Visual analogue score (VAS), inflammatory indicators, Gartland-Werley wrist function score, and upper limb function score were observed before and after treatment. RESULTS: All 25 patients were followed up for ranging from 12 to 36 months with an average of (19.7±6.3) months. At the latest follow-up, all wounds were healed satisfactorily, and there was no recurrence of tuberculosis or infection. VAS at one week before operation and three months after operation were (5.16±1.14) score and (1.68±0.80) score respectively. One week before operation and three months after operation, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was (44.20±20.56) mm·h-1 and (14.44±1.14) mm·h-1, and C-reactive protein (CRP) was (12.37±7.95) mg·L-1 and (4.3±3.37) mg·L-1. The differences in all three data sets were statistically significant (P<0.01). According to Gartland-Werley wrist function scoring, the scores at one week before operation and one year after operation were (21.32±3.44) and (14.96±1.37) respectively, showed a statistically significant difference (P<0.01). According to the upper limb function score (disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand, DASH), the score was (70.52±7.95) at one week before operation and(28.84±2.30) at one year after operation. The difference was statistically significant (P<0.01). At the latest follow-up, no patient had a recurrence of tuberculosis. CONCLUSION: The short-term clinical efficacy of treating wrist tuberculosis with lesion removal, bone grafting, fusion, and external fixation is satisfactory.

Dysbiosis promotes recurrence of adenomatous polyps in the distal colorectum.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal polyps, which are characterized by a high recurrence rate, represent preneoplastic conditions of the intestine. Due to unclear mechanisms of pathogenesis, first-line therapies for non-hereditary recurrent colorectal polyps are limited to endoscopic resection. Although recent studies suggest a mechanistic link between intestinal dysbiosis and polyps, the exact compositions and roles of bacteria in the mucosa around the lesions, rather than feces, remain unsettled. AIM: To clarify the composition and diversity of bacteria in the mucosa surrounding or 10 cm distal to recurrent intestinal polyps. METHODS: Mucosal samples were collected from four patients consistently with adenomatous polyps (Ade), seven consistently with non-Ade (Pol), ten with current Pol but previous Ade, and six healthy individuals, and bacterial patterns were evaluated by 16S rDNA sequencing. Linear discriminant analysis and Student's t-tests were used to identify the genus-level bacteria differences between groups with different colorectal polyp phenotypes. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the correlation between intestinal bacteria at the genus level and clinical indicators. RESULTS: The results confirmed a decreased level of probiotics and an enrichment of pathogenic bacteria in patients with all types of polyps compared to healthy individuals. These changes were not restricted to the mucosa within 0.5 cm adjacent to the polyps, but also existed in histologically normal tissue 10 cm distal from the lesions. Significant differences in bacterial diversity were observed in the mucosa from individuals with normal conditions, Pol, and Ade. Increased abundance of Gram-negative bacteria, including Klebsiella, Plesiomonas, and Cronobacter, was observed in Pol group and Ade group, suggesting that resistance to antibiotics may be one risk factor for bacterium-related harmful environment. Meanwhile, age and gender were linked to bacteria changes, indicating the potential involvement of sex hormones. CONCLUSION: These preliminary results support intestinal dysbiosis as an important risk factor for recurrent polyps, especially adenoma. Targeting specific pathogenic bacteria may attenuate the recurrence of polyps.

Chemical-pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic fingerprints of Schisandra chinensis alcoholic extract.

It is valuable to establish a chemical-pharmacokinetic (PK)-pharmacodynamics (PD) fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for comprehensively understanding the TCM integrated conception and revealing the material foundation. The chemical, metabolic in vitro, and PK/PD in vivo fingerprints of Schisandra chinensis (SC) alcoholic extract were established and comparatively analyzed using HPLC-UV-MS method, rat liver microsomes in vitro and CCl4 intoxicated rats in vivo. Four known effective lignans, schisandrin, schisantherin A, deoxyschizandrin and gamma-schisandrin, were detected as the standard references in SC alcoholic extract with high concentration. SC alcoholic extract and four lignans when incubated with rat liver microsomes produced several metabolites in NAPDH-dependent manner. Chemical fingerprint of some components with bioactivities were also identified in PK and PD fingerprints in normal and ALI rats that explained the material foundation of SC alcoholic extract for multiple pharmacological effects. Schisandrin, schisantherin A, deoxyschizandrin and gamma-schisandrin could be considered as the "PK marker" of SC alcoholic extract or its relevant preparations, while two metabolites of the four lignans, 7, 8-dihydroxy-schizandrin and another one (M(W) 432), could be recognized as drug-metabolism (DM) Marker. This work provides experimental data for the further studies of metabolism or material foundation of SC components.

[Pharmacokinetics of tenofovir in Beagle dogs after oral dosing of tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate using HPLC-MS/MS analysis].

A simple, rapid and sensitive method was developed for the quantification of tenofovir in plasma of Beagle dogs using HPLC-MS/MS analysis. The analytes tenofovir and internal standard (IS) adefovir were separated on a Zorbax SB-C18 column (3.5 microm, 100 mm x 2.1 mm, Agilent, USA) with mobile phase of methanol/water containing 0.3% formic acid using a gradient elution mode at a flow rate of 0.2 mL x min(-1). The plasma sample preparation was a simple deproteinization by the addition of 20% trichloroacetic acid followed by centrifugation. The detection was performed in positive selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. The reactions monitored were m/z 288.1-176.2 for tenofovir and m/z 274.1-162.2 for adefovir (IS). Linear detection responses were obtained for tenofovir ranging from 10 to 5 000 ng x mL(-1). The intra- and inter-day precisions (RSD%) was no more than 6.3% with high recovery and good stability for the quantification, indicating the present method was specific, fast, accurate and reliable. The method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of two tenofovir agents. Tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate (BP0018, test agent) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (reference agent) were orally administrated to 8 Beagle dogs according to the 2 x 2 crossover design. Comparing with the reference agent, the longer MRT and t1/2 were obtained in the group of BP0018, while no significant difference was observed in AUC(0-t), AUC(0-infinity), C(max) and t(max) between them, suggesting that tenofovir dipivoxil fumarate was bioequivalent to the tenofovir disoproxil fumarate in Beagle dogs.

Proximity ligation-transcription circuit-powered exponential amplifications for single-molecule monitoring of telomerase in human cells.

We develop a new strategy for single-molecule monitoring of telomerase based on proximity ligation-transcription circuit-powered exponential amplifications. This strategy exhibits high sensitivity with a detection limit of 0.1 aM for the synthetic telomerase product TPC4 in vitro and 1 HeLa cell in vivo. Moreover, it can screen potential inhibitors, discriminate telomerase from interferents, and distinguish cancer cells from normal cells.

Oat Peptides Alleviate Dextran Sulfate Sodium Salt-Induced Colitis by Maintaining the Intestinal Barrier and Modulating the Keap1-Nrf2 Axis.

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is progressively rising each year, emphasizing the significance of implementing rational dietary interventions for disease prevention. Oats, being a staple agricultural product, are abundant in protein content. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of oat peptides (OPs) in a mouse model of acute colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) and a Caco-2 cell model. The findings demonstrated that intervention with OPs effectively mitigated the symptoms associated with DSS-induced colitis. The physicochemical characterization analysis demonstrated that the molecular weight of the OPs was predominantly below 5 kDa, with a predominant composition of 266 peptides. This study provides further evidence of the regulatory impact of OPs on the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling axis and elucidates the potential role of WGVGVRAERDA as the primary bioactive peptide responsible for the functional effects of OPs. Ultimately, the results of this investigation demonstrate that OPs effectively mitigate DSS-induced colitis by preserving the integrity of the intestinal barrier and modulating the Keap1-Nrf2 axis. Consequently, these findings establish a theoretical foundation for the utilization of OPs as dietary supplements to prevent the onset of IBD.

Discovery, Optimization, and Evaluation of Novel N-(Benzimidazol-5-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine Analogues as Potent STAT3 Inhibitors for Cancer Treatment.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an attractive target for cancer therapy. However, identifying potent and selective STAT3 small-molecule inhibitors with drug-like properties remains challenging. Based on a scaffold combination strategy, compounds with a novel N-(benzimidazol-5-yl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-amine scaffold were designed and their inhibition of the interleukin-6 (IL-6)/JAK/STAT3 pathway was tested in HEK-Blue IL-6 reporter cells. After optimization of lead compound 12, compound 40 was identified as a selective STAT3 inhibitor that directly binds the SH2 domain to inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation, translocation, and downstream gene transcription. Compound 40 exhibited antiproliferative activities against STAT3-overactivated DU145 (IC50 value = 2.97 µM) and MDA-MB-231 (IC50 value = 3.26 µM) cancer cells and induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. In the DU145 xenograft model, compound 40 showed in vivo antitumor efficacy following intraperitoneal administration, with a tumor growth inhibition rate of 65.3% at 50 mg/kg, indicating promise for further development.

Effects of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin on human and rat liver microsomal CYP450 enzyme activities in vitro and in vivo.

Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, the two most abundant members of capsaicinoids in chili peppers, are widely used as food additives and for other purposes. In this study, we examined the inhibitory potentials of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin against CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, and CYP3A4/5 activities in human liver microsomes. The effects of these two capsaicinoids on CYP450 enzymes were also evaluated in vivo in rats. The results demonstrated that capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin moderately inhibited five isozymes (IC50) values ranging from 4.4 to 61.8 µM), with the exception of CYP2E1 (IC50 > 200 µM). Both capsaicinoids exhibited competitive, mixed, and noncompetitive inhibition on these isozymes (K (i) = 3.1 ± 0.5 - 78.6 ± 8.4 µM). Time-dependent inhibition of CYP3A4/5 by capsaicin was found. After multiple administrations of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin (1, 4, and 10 mg/kg) to rats, chlorzoxazone 6-hydroxylase activity and the expression of CYP2E1 were increased in liver microsomes. Our findings indicated that the possibility of food-drug interactions mediated by capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin could not be excluded, and provided the useful information for evaluating the anticarcinogenic potentials of these two capsaicinoids.

Pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion of buagafuran in rats.

The pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and excretion of buagafuran (BF, 4-butyl-α-agarofuran), a promising antianxiety drug isolated from Gharu-wood (Aquilaria agallocha Roxb), were investigated in rats. BF plasma concentration was determined in rats after oral and intravenous doses by GC-TOF-MS. BF showed nonlinear pharmacokinetics after oral and intravenous administration of 4, 16, and 64 mg/kg. The AUC(0-∞) and C(max) did not increase proportionally with doses, indicating the saturation in absorption kinetics of BF in rats after oral dosage. BF absorption was extremely poor with an absolute bioavailability below 9.5%. After oral administration of (3)H-BF (4 mg/kg) to rats, radioactivity was well distributed to the tissues examined. The highest radioactivity was found in gastrointestinal tract, followed by liver and kidney. Radioactivity in brain, as a target organ, was about 20-40% of that in plasma at all time points. Total mean percent recovery of radioactive dose was about 80% in rats (51.2% in urine; 28.7% in feces). Bile elimination was also the major excretion route of BF, and 45.4% of the radioactive dose was recovered in bile.