Efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin for treating sialorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Sialorrhea often happens in patients with neurologic disorders, and botulinum toxin (BoNT), which inhibits acetylcholine activation, may be an effective treatment for drooling. This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized control trials aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BoNT in adults and children with sialorrhea due to neurological disorders. METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant studies published before August 2021. The pooled estimate of outcomes was calculated using a random effect model. RESULTS: The review included 17 studies involving 981 patients. Compared with placebo, both BoNT type A (BoNT-A) and BoNT type B (BoNT-B) alleviated drooling frequency and severity (mean difference, 95% CI; BoNT-A: -1.20, -1.89 to -0.51; BoNT-B: -1.62, -2.07 to -1.17), reduced saliva weight (BoNT-A: -1.70, -2.30 to -1.10; BoNT-B: -1.12, -1.97 to -0.27), and improved global impression of change (BoNT-A: -1.30, -1.73 to -0.86; BoNT-B: -1.58, -1.95 to -1.21) in adults 4 weeks postinjection. BoNT-B remained effective at 12 weeks. In children, BoNT-A and BoNT-B alleviated sialorrhea symptoms (BoNT-A: -1.63, -2.42 to -0.85; BoNT-B: -5.20, -6.03 to -4.37) and BoNT-A reduced saliva weight (-0.77, -1.54 to 0.00) at 4 weeks postinjection. After 12 weeks, BoNT-B remained efficacious. Most adverse effects (AEs) were mild to moderate and self-limited. CONCLUSIONS: There is moderate certainty of evidence (COE) that either BoNT-A or BoNT-B could relieve sialorrhea after 4 and 12 weeks of follow-up without significantly more severe AEs in adults. However, the COE is very low to low in children.

Probing the interaction between prostacyclin synthase and prostaglandin H2 analogues or inhibitors via a combination of resonance Raman spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation approaches.

In an aim to probe the structure-function relationship of prostacyclin synthase (PGIS), resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation approaches have been exploited to characterize the heme conformation and heme-protein matrix interactions for human PGIS (hPGIS) and zebrafish PGIS (zPGIS) in the presence and absence of ligands. The high-frequency RR (1300-1700 cm(-1)) indicates that the heme group is in the ferric, six-coordinate, low-spin state for both resting and ligand-bound hPGIS/zPGIS. The low-frequency RR (300-500 cm(-1)) and MD simulation reveal a salient difference in propionate-protein matrix interactions between hPGIS and zPGIS, as evident by a predominant propionate bending vibration at 386 cm(-1) in resting hPGIS, but two vibrations near 370 and 387 cm(-1) in resting zPGIS. Upon binding of a substrate analogue (U46619, U51605, or U44069), both hPGIS and zPGIS induce a distinctive perturbation of the propionate-protein matrix interactions, resulting in similar Raman shifts to ~381 cm(-1). On the contrary, the bending vibration remains unchanged upon binding of inhibitor/ligand (minoxidil, clotrimazole, or miconazole), indicating that these inhibitors/ligands do not interfere with the propionate-protein matrix interactions. These results, together with subtle changes in vinyl bending modes, demonstrate drastically different RR shifts with heme conformational changes in both hPGIS and zPGIS upon different ligand bindings, suggesting that PGIS exhibits a ligand-specific heme conformational change to accommodate the substrate binding. This substrate-induced modulation of the heme conformation may confer high product fidelity upon PGIS catalysis.

A new coordination polymer exhibiting unique 2D hydrogen-bonded (H2O)16 ring formation and water-dependent luminescence properties.

A new coordination polymer, [Zn(dpe)(bdc)]·4H(2)O (ZndB; dpe=1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, bdc(2-)=dianion of benzenedicarboxylic acid), which possesses a 3D metal-organic framework (MOF) has been synthesized and structurally characterized. This 3D MOF is constructed by the assembly of helical channels filled with guest water molecules in both inner and outer regions of the channel. The resulting network also creates a 2D water layer containing hydrogen-bonded (H(2)O)(16) rings as the basic building units. Thermogravimetric and powder X-ray diffraction measurements of ZndB revealed a two-step weight loss of water molecules with a reversible water adsorption/desorption process in the inner channel for the first stage, and irreversible water desorption in the outer channel for the second stage. This spongelike property is manifested by the excimer emission originating from interaction between dpe (π*) and the other dpe (π) of the proximal helical channel, which is highly sensitive to the environmental perturbation. Powder X-ray analyses reveal that the dehydration process induces the readjustment of dpe π-π stacking distance/orientation, which results in dramatic luminescence changes from dim pale blue (λ(em)≈470 nm) upon hydration to bright white-light generation (broad, λ(em)≈500-550 nm) upon water depletion, accompanied by a ≈100-fold increase in the emission intensity.

New series of ruthenium(II) and osmium(II) complexes showing solid-state phosphorescence in far-visible and near-infrared.

A new Ru(II) complex, [Ru(fpbpymH)(2)]Cl(2) (1), in which fpbpymH = [5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazol-3-yl](2,2'-bipyrid-6-yl)methane, was prepared by the treatment of [Ru(DMSO)(4)Cl(2)] with 2 equiv of the terdentate chelate fpbpymH in refluxing ethanol. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of 1 revealed a distorted octahedral Ru(II) framework, showing strong N-H...Cl hydrogen bonding between the fpbpymH ligand and Cl anions. In the presence of Na(2)CO(3), the methylene linkers of chelates in 1 underwent stepwise oxygenation, forming the charge-neutral complexes [Ru(fpbpym)(fpbpyk)] (2) and [Ru(fpbpyk)(2)] (3) [fpbpykH = [5-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazol-3-yl](2,2'-bipyrid-6-yl) ketone] in sequence. The respective charge-neutral Os(II) complex [Os(fpbpyk)(2)] (4) was also isolated by the treatment of OsCl(3).3H(2)O with 2 equiv of the terdentate chelate fpbpymH. Electrochemical analysis indicated that the introduction of the electron-withdrawing ketone group in 2-4 increased the metal-based oxidation potential in sequence. For the photophysical properties, complexes 1-4 are essentially nonluminescent in solution (e.g., CH(2)Cl(2) or MeOH) at room temperature, but all exhibit 600-1100 nm phosphorescence with moderate intensity for the powdery, solid sample at room temperature. The trend in terms of the emission peak wavelength of 1 (666 nm) < 3 (795 nm) < 2 (810 nm) < 4 (994 nm) among titled complexes is in agreement with the corresponding onset of absorption spectra as well as the time-dependent density functional theory calculation of 1 < 3 < 2 < 4.

Blue-emitting Ir(III) phosphors with ancillary 4,6-difluorobenzyl diphenylphosphine based cyclometalate.

Treatment of difluorobenzyldiphenylphosphine with the Ir(III) dimer [(dfppy)2Ir(mu-Cl)]2 gives (N,N)-trans-[Ir(dfppy)2(dfbdpH)Cl], followed by skeletal isomerization to form its (N,N)-cis analogue, and then the fully cyclometalated complex [Ir(dfppy)2(dfbdp)]; the last complex and its derivative are suitable for fabrication of true-blue phosphorescent OLEDs.

Dual fluorescent photochromic colorants bearing pyrano[3,2-c]chromen-5-one moiety.

In this study, the photochromic processes of 8-N,N-dimethylamino-2,2-dimethyl-2H-pyrano[3,2-c]chromen-5-one (1) and its derivatives (2, 3) are investigated with steady-state, temperature-dependent and time-resolved absorption and emission spectroscopy. The differences among compounds 1-3 lie in their various substituents anchored at the pyran moiety that is subject to the photoinduced ring-opening reaction. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibit salient photochromism with a very unique phenomenon, in which fluorescence is observed in 1 for both the ring-closed form (1-CF, lambda(max) approximately 445 nm) and the ring-open form (1-OF, lambda(max) approximately 650 nm in CH2Cl2). The yields of forward and reverse photochromism processes were determined to be 0.40 and 1.0% for 1. Along with fluorescence quantum yields of 9.5 x 10(-2) and 5.8 x 10(-3) for 1-CF and 1-OF, respectively, 1 enables fluorescence detection while it exhibits photochromism in both directions, that is, a photoinduced on/off fluorescence switch. An increase in on/off ratiometric fluorescence between 1-OF and 1-CF can reach a factor of 4.0 upon excitation at the absorption isosbestic point. The activation energies for the ground-state OFtrans --> CF thermal bleaching processes were determined to be 58.2 and 54.8 kJ/mol, with frequency factors of 1.7 x 10(5) and 3.6 x 10(5) s(-1) for 1 and 2, respectively. Conversely, bromo-substituted 3 did not undergo photochromic reaction, as evidenced by the lack of changes in the absorption spectrum after a prolonged (2 h) 354 nm (0.2 W/cm2) photolysis, manifesting the fact that other relaxation processes, such as enhanced intersystem crossing, may govern the deactivation of 3 (3-CF) upon excitation.

Blue to true-blue phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes bearing a nonconjugated ancillary phosphine chelate: strategic synthesis, photophysics, and device integration.

We report the design and synthesis of Ir(III) complexes functionalized with substituted pyridyl cyclometalate or azolate chromophores, plus one newly designed nonconjugated phosphine chelate, which not only greatly restricts its participation in the lowest-lying electronic transition but also enhances the coordination strength. These two key factors lead to fine-tuning of the phosphorescence chromaticity toward authentic blue and simultaneously suppress, in part, the nonradiative deactivation. This conceptual design presents a novel strategy in achieving heretofore uncommon, high-efficiency blue and true-blue phosphorescence. The fabrication of the organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) employing phosphorescent dopants [Ir(dfpbpy)(2)(P(wedge)N)] (1b) and [Ir(fppz)(2)(P(wedge)N)] (3) was successfully made, for which the abbreviations (dfpbpy)H, (fppz)H, and (P(wedge)N)H represent 2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)-4-tert-butylpyridine, 3-(trifluoromethyl)-5-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole, and 5-(diphenylphosphinomethyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazole, respectively. Of particular interest is the 3-doped OLEDs, which exhibit remarkable maximum efficiencies of 6.9%, 8.1 cd A(-1), and 4.9 lm W(-1), together with a true-blue chromaticity CIE(x,y) = 0.163, with 0.145 recorded at 100 cd m(-2).