Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis of SQ Injection Using Multiple Chromatographic Technologies.

Quality control of Chinese medicine injections remains a challenge due to our poor knowledge of their complex chemical profile. This study aims to investigate the chemical composition of one of the best-selling injections, Shenqi Fuzheng (SQ) injection (SQI), via a full component quantitative analysis. A total of 15 representative small molecular components of SQI were simultaneously determined using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled with quadrupole tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF-MS); saccharide composition of SQI was also quantitatively determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with evaporative light scattering detector (ELSD) on an amino column before and after acid hydrolysis. The existence of polysaccharides was also examined on a gel permeation chromatography column. The method was well validated in terms of linearity, sensitivity, precision, accuracy and stability, and was successfully applied to analyze 13 SQI samples. The results demonstrate that up to 94.69% (w/w) of this injection product are quantitatively determined, in which small molecules and monosaccharide/sucrose account for 0.18%-0.21%, and 53.49%-58.2%, respectively. The quantitative information contributes to accumulating scientific evidence to better understand the therapy efficacy and safety of complex Chinese medicine injections.

Endotoxin molecule lipopolysaccharide-induced zebrafish inflammation model: a novel screening method for anti-inflammatory drugs.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an endotoxin molecule, has been used to induce inflammatory responses. In this study, LPS was used to establish an in vivo inflammation model in zebrafish for drug screening. We present an experimental method that conveniently and rapidly assesses the anti-inflammatory properties of drugs. The yolks of 3-day post-fertilization (dpf) larvae were injected with 0.5 mg/mL LPS to induce fatal inflammation. After LPS stimulation, macrophages were tracked by NR and SB staining and neutrophil migration was observed using the MPO:GFP line. Larval mortality was used as the primary end-point. Expression levels of key cytokines involved in the inflammatory response including IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α, were measured using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Macrophages and neutrophils were both recruited to the LPS-injected site during the inflammatory response. Mortality was increased by LPS in a dose-dependent manner within 48 h. Analyses of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α expression levels revealed the upregulation of the inflammatory response in the LPS-injected larvae. Further, the anti-inflammatory activity of chlorogenic acid (CA) was evaluated in this zebrafish model to screen for anti-inflammatory drugs. A preliminary result showed that CA revealed a similar effect as the corticosteroid dexamethasone (DEX), which was used as a positive control, by inhibiting macrophage and neutrophil recruitment to the LPS site and improving survival. Our results suggest that this zebrafish screening model could be applied to study inflammation-mediated diseases. Moreover, the Traditional Chinese Medicine CA displays potential anti-inflammatory activity.

Isolation and characterization of the citrinin biosynthetic gene cluster from Monascus aurantiacus.

Monascus aurantiacus produces high amounts of citrinin which is a mycotoxin with nephrotoxic activity. Six putative citrinin biosynthesis genes have been discovered in M. purpureus and at least 10 genes are responsible for its biosynthesis. However, the sequence of citrinin pathway gene cluster in M. aurantiacus has not been reported. Here, the putative sequence of citrinin biosynthetic gene cluster was obtained by a PCR-based strategy for screening a genome fosmid library of M. aurantiacus. A sequence of 43 kb revealed 16 ORFs including the six putative biosynthetic genes reported previous. The putative gene cluster consists of a polytekide synthetase encoding one PKS module, an oxidoreductase gene, three dehydrogenase genes, an acyl-coenzyme A synthetase gene, a membrane transport protein gene, a transcriptional activator gene as well as genes encoding proteins of undefined function.

[Preparation of immunoaffinity column of zearalenone].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare immunoaffinity column of zearalenone. METHODS: The zearalenone immunoaffinity column (IAC) was prepared by coupling CNBr-activated Sepharose 4 Fast Flow (4FF) with the anti-zearalenone monoclonal antibody which was purified by caprylic acid-ammonium sulfate method. The coupling reaction was identified by UV-absorbance measurements, and the IAC prepared was evaluated by indirect-competition ELISA and HPLC. RESULTS: The column capacity was determined to be 0.40 microg when using 0.5 ml of CNBr activated Sepharose 4FF and 350 microg of purified anti-zearalenone monoclonal antibody. The mean true recoveries were in the range 76.33% - 90.10% and RSD was 6.68% - 10.93% at levels of 60 microg/kg - 300 microg/kg. 30 samples of wheat and maize were detected by the anti-ZEN IAC produced by the laboratory, 17 samples were observed to be contaminated in a comparable range from 31.33 microg/kg - 377.84 microg/kg. Detection limit based on a signal-to-noise ratio 3:1 was 10. 00 microg/kg for ZEN in wheat and maize. CONCLUSION: IAC, a simple separating method which is used in ZEN extraction from cereals, is able to purify and condense ZEN in one step. The cost of detection can be lowered down because the IAC developed is hopefully to substitute the imported IAC.

[Study on the molecular recognition of perhydroxycucurbit[6] uril with methyl orange by spectroscopic methods].

The inclusion interaction of perhydroxycucurbit[6] uril (HOCB6) with methyl orange (MO) was studied by UV spectroscopic and fluorimetric methods. Several effect factors, such as pH values, common organic solvents and surfactants on the fluorescence intensity and the stability of the complex were investigated. The results indicate that the fluorescence intensity of MO was enhanced with a blue shift as host molecules were added, showing that MO was accommodated into the hydrophobic cavities of HOCB6 and an endo-inclusion complex was formed. The hydrophobic interaction between HOCB6 and MO mainly contributed to the formation of 1 : 1 type HOCB6-MO. Its complex constant was determined to be 1.41 x 10(2) L x mol(-1). The comparative study of HOCB6 with other supramolecules, such as cucurbit[6] uril (CB6), p-(N,N-dimethyl-aminomethyl) calix [8]arene and beta-cyclodextrin, was also carried out by using MO as a guest probe. The spectra changes showed that cucurbit[6] uril (CB6) can also form 1 : 1 type endo-inclusion complex with MO, which is similar to HOCB6, but its complex constant (34.65 L x mol(-1)) is small. The spectra changes also showed that the endo-inclusion complex with 2 : 1 type was formed between beta-cyclodextrin and MO, While the exo-inclusion complex was formed between p-(N,N-dimethyl-aminomethyl) calix[8] are-ne and MO, leading to fluorescence quenching, and their complex constants were determined to be 6.14 x 10(6) L2 mol(-2) and 1.35 x 10(4) L x mol(-1), respectively.

[Study on the interaction between p-octacarboxyphenylazocalix[8]arene and norfloxacin by fluorescence spectrometry].

In the present paper, p-octacarboxyphenylazocalix[8]arene (CPAC) was used as supramolecular probe according to a reported method. The interaction of CPAC with drug norfloxacin (NFLX) was studied by fluorescence spectrometry. The results show that CPAC can strongly quench the fluorescence of NFLX because of the complex interaction between host and guest molecules in exo-inclusion complex. The spectral changes indicated that the quenching can be considered as static quenching mode. The hydrophobic interaction between the cavity of CPAC and the quinoline ring was the main force to consolidate the exo-inclusive complex CPAC-NFLX stability. The complex constant (K) and binding ratio (n) were determined to be 6. 38 X 10(5) L x mol(-1) and 1, respectively. Further experiment found that the calf thymus DNA and CPAC can combine, leading to the release of NFLX and the enhancement of fluorescence of the reaction system. It is expected that CPAC will be used as drug carrier and releaser.

Deleting the citrinin biosynthesis-related gene, ctnE, to greatly reduce citrinin production in Monascus aurantiacus Li AS3.4384.

For thousands of years, fermentation products of the filamentous fungi Monascus spp. have been used extensively in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, their development is limited because of the health threats from the mycotoxin citrinin, known to be produced by these fungi. Citrinin is recognized as a hepato-nephrotoxin which possesses potential genotoxicity, tumorigenicity, carcinogenicity, embryotoxicity, and teratogenicity. Studies have shown that citrinin biosynthesis is intimately related to pksCT, orf1, ctnA, orf3, ctnB and ctnG. The ctnE gene, which is located 3.3kb upstream of ctnA, encodes a protein that showed significant similarity to the dehydrogenase. In this study, the role of ctnE in citrinin biosynthesis was investigated by means of gene knockout technology. The ctnE disruptant significantly reduced citrinin production by 96%, which suggested that ctnE is important in citrinin biosynthesis. Moreover, the mutant produced 40% more pigments than the wild-type. This work contributes to the study of the citrinin biosynthesis pathway in Monascus, and the methodology described in this article can fundamentally lower the risk of citrinin contamination in Monascus aurantiacus Li AS3.4384 which has important significance for food safety.

[Study on the inclusion interaction of water-soluble p-(N,N-dimethylamino)-calix[8]arene with diphenylamine-4-sulfonic sodium salt].

The inclusion interaction of water-soluble p-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)-calix[8]arene with diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt was investigated by fluorimetric method. When diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt was added into the p-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)-calix[8]arene solution, the emission spectrum of diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt occurred to a blue shift with the enhancement of the fluorescent intensity. The results show that the formation of the inclusion complex of the p-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)-calix[8]arene with diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt. The influence factors such as the pH value of solutions, solvents on the emission and excitation spectra of the inclusion complex were studied. It indicates that diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt penetrated the cavity of the calix[8]arene via the static action between the sulphonyl group of diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid sodium salt and nitrogen atom of p-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)-calix[8]arene and the hydrophobic interaction of the aromatic rings.

[Study on the interaction of water-soluble p-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl) calix[8] arene with DNA by fluorescent spectrometry].

The interaction of water-soluble p-(N, N-dimethylaminomethyl) calix [8] arene (CX8) with DNA was studied using adriamycin(ADM) as a probe by fluorescent spectrometry. The effect factors such as, pH of solution, salt effect and unlinking DNA on the spectra were also investigated. The interaction mechanism was proposed. The authors observed that the fluorescence of ADM was quenched by calf thymus DNA, and the fluorescence intensity of DNA-ADM enhanced with the increasing of the CX8 gradually. The result indicates that the strong electrostatic interaction between the oxyphosphate anion of DNA and the CX8 existed. According to the plot of scatchard, the results imply that the influence of CX8 on interaction of DNA-ADM belongs to mixed model, on the one hand, in the condition of neutral and acidity, the oxyphosphate anion of DNA can be neutralized by CX8 partially, which induced the contraction of DNA and the conformational change of DNA, which led to release ADM from DNA partially, on the other hand, the CX8 can also compete the electrostatic sites with ADM directly.

The ctnG gene encodes carbonic anhydrase involved in mycotoxin citrinin biosynthesis from Monascus aurantiacus.

Citrinin, a fungal secondary metabolite of polyketide origin, is moderately nephrotoxic to vertebrates, including humans. Citrinin is synthesised by condensation of acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA. Six genes involved in the citrinin biosynthesis, including pksCT, ctnA and ctnB, have been cloned in Monascus purpureus. The pksCT gene encodes a polyketide synthase; ctnA is a regulatory factor; and ctnB encodes an oxidoreductase. When the three genes were respectively disrupted, the disruption strains drastically decreased citrinin production or barely produced citrinin. Ten new genes have been discovered in Monascus aurantiacus besides the above six genes. One of these gene displayed the highest similarity to the ß-carbonic anhydrase gene from Aspergillus oryzae (74% similarity) and was designated ctnG. To learn more about the citrinin biosynthetic pathway, a ctnG-replacement vector was constructed to disrupt ctnG with the hygromycin resistance gene as the selection marker, then transformed into M. aurantiacus Li AS3.4384 by a protoplast-PEG method. The citrinin content of three disruptants was reduced to about 50%, meanwhile pigment production decreased by 23%, respectively, over those of the wild-type strains. ctnG was deduced to be involved in the formation of malonyl-CoA as a common precursor of red pigments and citrinin. Therefore, the disruption of the ctnG gene decreased citrinin and pigment production. M. aurantiacus Li AS3.4384 can produce higher concentrations of citrinin than other strains such as M. purpureus and M. ruber. Establishing the function of citrinin biosynthetic genes in M. aurantiacus is helpful in understanding the citrinin synthetic pathway and adopting some strategies to control contamination.

Lower citrinin production by gene disruption of ctnB involved in citrinin biosynthesis in Monascus aurantiacus Li AS3.4384.

The filamentous fungi Monascus spp. have been used in the production of food colorants and health remedies for more than 1000 years in Asia. However, greater attention has been given to the safety of Monascus products because they contain citrinin, which is harmful to the hepatic and renal systems. The citrinin biosynthetic gene cluster has been characterized in Monasucs aurantiacus . The ctnB gene encoding an oxidoreductase is located between pksCT and ctnA. In this study, a ctnB replacement vector (pCTNB-HPH) was constructed to disrupt the ctnB gene with a hygromycin resistance gene as the selection marker. The linear vector was transformed into M. aurantiacus using the protoplast CaCl2/polyethylene glycol (PEG) method. Three ctnB-disrupted strains were obtained by homologous recombination. In comparison to the parental strain, the ΔctnB mutants barely produced citrinin. These data confirmed that the ctnB gene is directly involved in citrinin biosynthesis. Moreover, the yields of the pigments of two disruptants were similar to that of the wild-type strain, but the yield of another mutant was slightly higher than that of the latter strain. These results indicate that the production of the mycotoxin citrinin was successfully eliminated through genetic engineering.

Development of an immunoassay for rapid screening of vardenafil and its potential analogues in herbal products based on a group specific monoclonal antibody.

Vardenafil is a phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitor for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Undeclared vardenafil and related analogues adulterated in herbal products are a threat to public health. To screen vardenafil and its analogues in herbal matrix rapidly, an immunoassay based on a group specific monoclonal antibody (McAb) was developed. Glutaraldehyde was used to link vardenafil to immunogen and coating-antigen, respectively. Through the assessment of the structural specificity of eight anti-vardenafil McAbs, the McAb of 4B9 was characterized as being specific to the common structure of vardenafil and its analogues. An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ic-ELISA) was established based on this McAb, the limit of detection of vardenafil was 5.0 ng mL(-1), the calibration curve was linear from 5.0 to 40 ng mL(-1) (R(2)=0.952) with an IC(50) value of 18.2 ng mL(-1). In the extracts of 20 Chinese traditional drugs, the detection capability (CCbeta) of vardenafil was 0.08 mg g(-1), the recoveries were 76-116% and the coefficients of variation (CV%) were 9.7%-16.2%. The ic-ELISA was in good agreement with LC-UV when detected herbal products containing vardenafil and its analogue. The method is a suitable tool for screening vardenafil and its analogues as illegal additives in herbal products.

[Forward genetic screening for zebrafish mutants defective in myelopoiesis].

OBJECTIVE: To identify zebrafish mutants with myelopoiesis defects by ENU mutagenesis and large-scale forward genetic screening. METHODS: Male zebrafish were mutagenized with N-ethyl N-nitrosourea to induce mutations in the spermatogonial cells to generate the founders, which were outcrossed with AB to raise F1 fish. The F1 fish from different founders were mated to generate the F2 families. The F3 embryos from F2 sibling crosses were screened by Sudan black B staining and neutral red staining. RESULTS: A total of 350 F2 families from F1 sibling crosses were screened, and 1424 F2 crosses were analyzed. Six mutations were identified resulting in abnormal Sudan black B staining and neutral red staining, indicating the involvement of neutrophil deficiency or macrophage abnormalities. CONCLUSION: It is simple and cheap to induce and screen myelopoiesis deficiency in zebrafish by ENU chemical mutagenesis and Sudan black B staining and neutral red staining. These mutants shed light on the identification of the genes important to myelopoiesis in zebrafish.

[Regulation of resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of ventricular myocytes by beta(3)-adrenoceptor and its signaling pathway in rats with experimental heart failure].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of beta(3)-adrenoceptor (AR) in regulating resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of the ventricular myocytes and investigate the signaling pathway in rats with experimental heart failure. METHODS: Rat models of experimental heart failure were established by ligation of the anterior descending artery, and the myocytes were isolated by enzymatic digestion. The resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration was determined using laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) in the cells stimulated with 1 micromol/L BRL37344 (a selective beta(3)-AR agonist) alone or in combination with PTX, L-NAME, or methylene blue. RESULTS: In the ventricular myocytes from normal control rats, BRL373444 reduced the resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of by 45.5%, while the reduction increased to 59.4% in the cells from rats with heart failure. In combination with L-NAME (10 micromol/L), methylene blue (10 micromol/L), and PTX (2 microg/ml), BRL373444 caused a reduction in resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of the ventricle myocytes from normal control rats by 10.1%, 16.9%, and 15.4%, respectively in control group, while the rate was 16.9%, 19.3%, and 11.7% in the heart failure group. CONCLUSIONS: Beta(3)-AR agonist can decrease the resting intracellular Ca(2+) concentration of the ventricular myocytes, but the reduction is smaller in cells from rats with heart failure than in cells of normal rats. This effect is mediated through the PTX-NOS-NO pathway.