Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Reveal Changes in Cell Homeostasis and Energy Metabolism in Trachinotus ovatus in Response to Acute Hypoxic Stress.

Trachinotus ovatus is an economically important mariculture fish, and hypoxia has become a critical threat to this hypoxia-sensitive species. However, the molecular adaptation mechanism of T. ovatus liver to hypoxia remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute hypoxic stress (1.5 ± 0.1 mg·L-1 for 6 h) and re-oxygenation (5.8 ± 0.3 mg·L-1 for 12 h) in T. ovatus liver at both the transcriptomic and metabolic levels to elucidate hypoxia adaptation mechanism. Integrated transcriptomics and metabolomics analyses identified 36 genes and seven metabolites as key molecules that were highly related to signal transduction, cell growth and death, carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism, and all played key roles in hypoxia adaptation. Of these, the hub genes FOS and JUN were pivotal hypoxia adaptation biomarkers for regulating cell growth and death. During hypoxia, up-regulation of GADD45B and CDKN1A genes induced cell cycle arrest. Enhancing intrinsic and extrinsic pathways in combination with glutathione metabolism triggered apoptosis; meanwhile, anti-apoptosis mechanism was activated after hypoxia. Expression of genes related to glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, amino acid metabolism, fat mobilization, and fatty acid biosynthesis were up-regulated after acute hypoxic stress, promoting energy supply. After re-oxygenation for 12 h, continuous apoptosis favored cellular function and tissue repair. Shifting from anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis) during hypoxia to aerobic metabolism (fatty acid ß-oxidation and TCA cycle) after re-oxygenation was an important energy metabolism adaptation mechanism. Hypoxia 6 h was a critical period for metabolism alteration and cellular homeostasis, and re-oxygenation intervention should be implemented in a timely way. This study thoroughly examined the molecular response mechanism of T. ovatus under acute hypoxic stress, which contributes to the molecular breeding of hypoxia-tolerant cultivars.

Study on Microfluidic Chip Flow Rate Uniformity for Cell Activity Detection.

During the cell viability detection process inside a microfluidic chip, the more uniform the distribution of medium flow rates, the higher the accuracy of detection results. In order to achieve this goal, a multichannel microfluidic chip with uniform distribution of medium flow rates has been successfully designed. The multichannel microfluidic chip is designed with cell injection channels, vascular network-shaped medium injection channels, buffer zones, and a culture chamber. The medium flow rates inside culture chambers of the multichannel microfluidic chip and the common single-channel microfluidic chip are compared by COMSOL Multiphysics software and particle velocimetry experiment. The simulation and experimental results show that the medium flow rate distribution inside the culture chamber of the multichannel microfluidic chip is more uniform and changes more smoothly. When the medium perfusion flow rate is 0.5 µL/min, the maximum flow rate difference inside the culture chamber of the single-channel microfluidic chip is more than 13 times that of the multichannel microfluidic chip. Therefore, the multichannel microfluidic chip can ensure a uniform supply of medium inside the culture chamber, which is beneficial to improve the accuracy of cell viability detection.

A novel process using immobilized engineered strain HC01 cells with co-expressed D-hydantoinase and D-N-carbamoylase as biocatalyst for the production of D-Valine.

The demand for D-Valine increases because of its wide range of use. A whole-cell biocatalyst for the production of D-Valine from 5'-isopropyl hydantoin by co-expression of the D-hydantoinase (hyd) gene from Pseudomonas putida YZ-26 and D-N-carbamoylase (cab) gene from Sinorhizobium sp. SS-ori in Escherichia coli BL 21 (DE3) was developed. The expression condition of the engineered strain HC01 co-expressing D-hydantoinase (HYD) and D-N-carbamoylase (CAB) was optimized. HYD and CAB reached the highest activities (4.65 and 0.75 U/ml-broth) after inducing for 8-12 h. Subsequently, the cells of HC01 were immobilized in the form of Ca2+-alginate beads, and the optimal conditions for immobilizing were obtained as 2.5% gel concentration and 0.029 g/mL cell concentration in the presence of 3% CaCl2. The thermostability of immobilized cells was 5 ℃ higher than that of free cells in the same condition. And the divalent metal ions such as Mn2+, Mg2+, Cu2+, Co2+, and Ni2+ did not significantly affect the enzymatic activity of HYD and CAB in immobilized cells. Bioconversion rate reached to 91% after a 42-h reaction when the substrate concentration was 50 mmol/L with the initial pH of 9.0 under the nitrogen protection. This method provides D-Valine with optical purity of 97% and an overall yield of 72%. Furthermore, the immobilized cells can be reused for more than 7 cycles and maintain their capacity of over 70%. Hence the immobilized cells of engineered strain HC01 could potentially be used to prepare D-Valine.

[Screening and expression analysis of transcription factors involved in genuineness of Codonopsis pilosula in Shanxi].

This study aims to mine the transcription factors that affect the genuineness of Codonopsis pilosula in Shanxi based on the transcriptome data of C. pilosula samples collected from Shanxi and Gansu, and then analyze the gene expression patterns, which will provide a theoretical basis for the molecular assisted breeding of C. pilosula. Gene ontology(GO) functional annotation, conserved motif prediction, and gene expression pattern analysis were performed for the differential transcription factors predicted based on the transcriptome data of C. pilosula from different habitats. A total of 61 differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were screened out from the transcriptome data. Most of the DEGs belonged to AP2/ERF-ERF family, with the conserved motif of [2X]-[LG]-[3X]-T-[3X]-[AARAYDRAA]-[3X]-[RG]-[2X]-A-[2X]-[NFP]. Forty-three of the DEGs showed significantly higher gene expression in C. pilosula samples from Shanxi than in the samples from Gansu, including 11 genes in the AP2/ERF-ERF family, 5 genes in the NAC fa-mily, 1 gene in the bHLH family, and 2 genes in the RWP-RK family, while 18 transcription factors showed higher expression levels in the samples from Gansu. GO annotation predicted that most of the DEGs were enriched in GO terms related to transcriptional binding activity(103), metabolic process(26), and stress response(23). The expression of transcription factor genes, CpNAC92, CpNAC100, CpbHLH128, and CpRAP2-7 was higher in the samples from Shanxi and in the roots of C. pilosula. CpNAC92, CpbHLH128, and CpRAP2-7 responded to the low temperature, temperature difference, and iron stresses, while CpNAC100 only responded to low temperature and iron stresses. The screening and expression analysis of the specific transcription factors CpNAC92, CpNAC100, CpbHLH128, and CpRAP2-7 in C. pilosula in Shanxi laid a theoretical foundation for further research on the mechanism of genuineness formation of C. pilosula.

Analysis of Forty-Two Psychoactive Substances in a Single Hair by Micro-Segmental Technique.

OBJECTIVES: To establish an LC-MS/MS method based on single hair micro-segmental technique, and verify the detection of 42 psychoactive substances in 0.4 mm hair segments. METHODS: Each piece of single hair was cut into 0.4 mm segments and extracted by sonication and the segments were immersed in dithiothreitol-containing extraction medium. Mobile phase A was the aqueous solution containing 20 mmol/L ammonium acetate, 0.1% formic acid, and 5% acetonitrile. Mobile phase B was acetonitrile. An electrospray ionization source in positive ion mode was used for data acquisition in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. RESULTS: The 42 psychoactive substances in hair had a good linear relationship within their respective linear ranges (r>0.99), the limits of detection were 0.2-10 pg/mm, the limits of quantification were 0.5-20 pg/mm, the intra-day and inter-day precisions were 1.5%-12.7%, the intra-day and inter-day accuracies were 86.5%-109.2%, the recovery rates were 68.1%-98.2%, and the matrix effects were 71.3%-111.7%. The method was applied to hair samples collected from one volunteer at 28 d after a single dose of zolpidem, with zolpidem detected in 5 hairs was 1.08-1.60 cm near the root tip, and the concentration range was 0.62-20.5 pg/mm. CONCLUSIONS: The micro-segmental technique of single hair analysis can be applied to the investigation of drug-facilitated sexual assault cases.

Response of Bioactive Metabolite and Biosynthesis Related Genes to Methyl Jasmonate Elicitation in Codonopsis pilosula.

Bioactive metabolites in Codonopsis pilosula are of particular interest as an immunostimulant. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) plays an important role in the elicitation of metabolite biosynthesis. Here, we explored the response of metabolites to MeJA elicitation in C. pilosula adventitious roots and multiple shoots. The results showed that the biomass, polysaccharide, and lobetyolin content of adventitious roots exhibited the highest increases with 100 µmol·L-1 MeJA at the 16th day of subculture, whereas the atractylenolide III (a terpenoid) content increased extremely with 50 µmol·L-1 MeJA treatment at the 7th day of subculture. In addition, the biomass and lobetyolin content significantly increased at the 4th day after treatment. Similarly, the polysaccharide and lobetyolin content increased in multiple shoots. Further identification of different metabolites responding to MeJA by ¹H-NMR showed an extremely significant increase of the lobetyolinin level, which coincided with lobetyolin. Accordingly, the precursor, fatty acids, showed a highly significant decrease in their levels. Furthermore, a significant increase in ß-d-fructose-butanol glycoside was detected, which was accompanied by a decrease in the sucrose level. Accordingly, the enzyme genes responsible for terpenoid and carbohydrate biosynthesis, CpUGPase, and CpPMK, were up regulated. In conclusion, MeJA promoted culture growth and accelerated bioactive metabolite accumulation by regulating the expression of the metabolite biosynthesis related genes, CpUGPase and CpPMK in C. pilosula.

Pioglitazone Use and Risk of Bladder Cancer: an In Vitro Study.

Aims: Whether pioglitazone (PIO), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist, increases the risk of developing bladder cancer has been debated for several years. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effects of PIO on normal urothelial transitional epithelium (NUTE) cells and bladder cancer (J82) cells to further evaluate the risk. Methods: NUTE cells were obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats. NUTE and J82 cells were treated with different concentrations of PIO for various time periods. Cell proliferation was tested by the MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The expressions of p53, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and Bax were determined by qRT-PCR and western blots. Results: After 24 hours, the treatment of NUTE cells with 10 µmol/L PIO led to morphological changes, without changes in J82 cells. Moreover, PIO inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis of NUTE cells, but not J82 cells, in a time- and dose-dependent manner. However, PIO did not alter the growth of cells from other tissues. In addition, treatment with PIO for up to 72 hours did not result in changes in the expressions of p53, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and Bax in NUTE cells and J82 cells. Interestingly, PIO significantly downregulated the protein levels of p53 and cyclin D1 in J82 cells, but not NUTE cells after more than 192 hours of treatment. Conclusions: PIO did not promote malignant alterations of NUTE cells or stimulate proliferation of J82 cells. PIO decreased the expression of p53 and cyclin D1 in J82 cells after long-term culture, which suggested that PIO may be helpful for diabetic patients with bladder cancer.

[Clone and expression of CpGAPDH gene in Codonopsis pilosula].

GAPDH(glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) gene is a key enzyme gene in carbohydrate metabolism and always used as reference gene. To clarify and complete the biosynthetic pathway of polysaccharide, the GAPDH gene in Codonopsis pilosula, named CpGAPDH, was cloned according to the transcriptome of pilosula, using the GAPDH gene in potato as query. The CpGAPDH contained a 1 014 bp open reading frame(ORF) and encoded a protein with 337 amino acids. Bioinformatic analysis clearly suggested that CpGAPDH shared high similarity with GAPDH among other plants, and had the closest relatives to potato and danshen. The predicted protein did not have signal peptide, which indicated that it might be located in the cytoplasm. According to the existing of several phosphorylation sites and the conserved domains analysis, we predicted that it belonged to Gp_dh_N superfamily. Prokaryotic expression showed that the recombinant expressed a 44.3 kDa protein, which was corresponding to the theoretical relative molecular mass. However, the relative transcript level of the CpGAPDH did not have significant differences in different tissues and roots at different developmental stages of pilosula. Moreover, the stability of the CpGAPDH was analyzed by BestKeeper, geNorm, and NormFinder and RefFinder software, which showed that the CpGAPDH was more stable and could be used as a new reference gene. All these lay a foundation for the expression analysis of the gene relative to the polysaccharide synthesis.

Estimation of the time of zolpidem intake and differentiation between consumption and external contamination using MALDI-MSI for investigations on single hair samples.

Estimation of drug ingestion time (event time) and distinguishing between drug ingestion and external contamination are important for interpreting hair analysis results in forensics practice. Here, we present a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) method for in situ analysis of intact hair. We applied a longitudinal cutting method for a single hair to analysis authentic hair samples from a victim of a drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) case and zolpidem-soaked hair. MALDI-MSI showed that zolpidem-positive segments distributed at 4-6 mm or 6-8 mm from the root in three single hairs of a DFSA victim collected 25 days after the event, at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 5.7 pg mm-1, in agreement with the results from segmental analysis using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The estimation of drug intake time was about 20-30 days before sampling, which was consistent with the known time of drug intake. This MALDI-MS method allows imaging analysis of trace substances in a single hair and can realize the intuitive reflection of drug taking time. In addition, zolpidem applied by soaking was mainly distributed on both sides of the longitudinal hair shaft, whereas ingested zolpidem was found only in the middle of the hair shaft of the DFSA victim. The MALDI-MS images of unwashed and washed hair suggested that the amount of externally applied drug was decreased by washing, it was still present on surface layer (cuticle) sides although. Visualization using MALDI-MSI could therefore distinguish between drug ingestion and contamination by reflecting the distribution and deposition site of the drug in hair.

LC-MS-MS Determination of 88 Psychotropic Drugs in 1,865 Hair Samples from Addicts in Drug Abstinence.

The emergence of novel drugs and the continuous expansion of the scope of the types of drugs under control have greatly increased requests for screening of a range of drugs in hair. Here, a multi-analyte method for the detection and quantification of 88 psychotropic drugs in the hair of addicts in drug abstinence was developed and fully validated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Hair samples (25 mg) were washed, cut into pieces, cryogenically ground and extracted in methanol. The extracted analytes were separated on an Allure PFP Propyl column (100 × 2.1 mm, 5 mm inside diameter, Restek, USA) and analyzed by LC-MS-MS in multiple reaction monitoring modes. The limits of detection and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.1 to 20 pg/mg and 0.2 to 50 pg/mg, respectively. The intra- and inter-assay precisions (relative standard deviation (RSD)) of all analyses ranged from 0.9% to 14.9% and 1.9% to 15.9%, respectively. Accuracy values were 100 ± 20%. The extraction recovery of quality control samples ranged from 50.9% to 99.6% for all analytes. The matrix effects for all analytes ranged from 46.8% to 99.7%. The method was successfully used to analyze 1,865 hair samples from addicts in drug rehabilitation at their own communities. Among the samples, 129 cases were positive; the majority of positive cases were from males (78.29%), 92.25% of whom were >35 years old. Traditional drugs, like methamphetamine and opioids, accounted for most positive cases, and 27 of the abstinence cases with a use history of methamphetamine were still positive. In addition to abused drugs, like methamphetamine, morphine and cocaine, the sedative-hypnotic and psychotherapeutic drugs, including clonazepam, alprazolam, estazolam, zolpidem and quetiapine, were detected in 26% of the hair samples, suggesting that these addicts may have insomnia and mental problems such as depression and psychosis, probably due to the long-term effects of drugs and withdrawal reactions. Three synthetic cannabinoids were also detected in four (2.7%) cases. A total of 37 cases were positive for methadone, tramadol and dextromethorphan, reflecting a new trend of alternative drug use when traditional drugs were not easy to obtain during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak.

Micro-segmental analysis of the entry pathway and distribution of zolpidem in hair from different scalp regions after a single dose.

Introduction: Hair testing is well established for the assessment of past drug exposure; however, more research is needed to understand drug incorporation mechanisms and drug entry pathways into hair. Method: In this study, a micro-segmental LC-MS/MS method was used to analyze a 0.4 mm segment of hair after a single oral administration of zolpidem. Five single hairs were plucked at 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, and 28 days after administration from the vertex posterior of three subjects, and 5 single hairs were also plucked from the parietal, left temporal, and right temporal regions of the head at 28 days. Results and discussion: Proximal S1 (0-0.4 mm) in hair plucked at 1 day had the highest level of zolpidem at 1.5-2.4 pg/mm; much lower concentrations (< 1 pg/mm) were detected at proximal S2-S8 (0.4-3.2 mm). The drug concentration decreased gradually in S1 for 7 days after drug intake and disappeared by 28 days, suggesting that the drug from the bloodstream initially combined with the hair follicle and then gradually moved to the hair tip as the hair grew. The zolpidem concentration-hair segment profiles exhibited a large peak (root side) and a small peak (tip side) for the four sampling times in all three subjects, indicating that drug incorporation in the hair bulb occurred mainly from the blood but probably also entered the hair through sweat and sebum. Zolpidem was also detected in all hairs from the vertex posterior in all three subjects but was not detected in 1 hair from the parietal region and 2 hairs from the left temporal region. The consistency in drug detection, drug concentration level, and peak position was better in hair from the vertex posterior than from the other three regions, indicating that the vertex posterior is a suitable sampling region for estimating drug intake.

Chiral analysis of dextromethorphan and levomethorphan in human hair by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

PURPOSE: Methorphan exists in two enantiomeric forms including dextromethorphan and levomethorphan. Dextromethorphan is an over-the-counter antitussive drug, whereas levomethorphan is strictly controlled as a narcotic drug. Chiral analysis of methorphan could, therefore, assist clinicians and forensic experts in differentiating between illicit and therapeutic use and in tracing the source of the drug. METHODS: A method for enantiomeric separation and quantification of levomethorphan and dextromethorphan in human hair was developed and validated using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Hair was extracted in hydrochloric acid/methanol (1:20, v/v). The supernatant were separated using a Supelco Astec Chirobiotic™ V2 column (250 × 2.1 mm, i.d., 5 µm particle size) and analyzed on a triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer in multiple reaction monitoring mode. RESULTS: The limits of detection for dextromethorphan and levomethorphan were 2 and 1 pg/mg, respectively; the lower limit of quantification was 2 pg/mg for both drugs. Good linearity (r > 0.995) was observed for both analytes over the linear range. Precision values were below 10% for both analytes; accuracy values ranged from 87.5 to 101%. The extraction recoveries were 78.3-98.4%, and matrix effects were 70.5-88.6%. This method was applied to human hair samples from 120 people suspected of methorphan use to further distinguish the drug chirality. Dextromethorphan was detected in all 120 samples at a concentration range of 2.7-19,100 pg/mg, whereas levomethorphan was not detected in any sample. CONCLUSIONS: A sensitive quantitative method was established for the enantiomeric separation of dextromethorphan and levomethorphan in hair. This is the first study to achieve chiral analysis of methorphan in human hair.

Establishment of a genetic transformation system for Codonopsis pilosula callus.

Codonopsis pilosula, a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant, contains several bioactive components. However, the biosynthetic mechanism is unclear because of the difficulties associated with functional gene analysis. Therefore, it is important to establish an efficient genetic transformation system for gene function analysis. In this study, we established a highly efficient Agrobacterium-mediated callus genetic transformation system for C. pilosula using stems as explants. After being pre-cultured for 3 days, the explants were infected with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 harboring pCAMBIA1381-35S::GUS at an OD600 value of 0.3 for 15 min, followed by co-cultivation on MS induction medium for 1 day and delayed cultivation on medium supplemented with 250 mg l-1 cefotaxime sodium for 12 days. The transformed calli were selected on screening medium supplemented with 250 mg l-1 cefotaxime sodium and 2.0 mg l-1 hygromycin and further confirmed by PCR amplification of the GUS gene and histochemical GUS assay. Based on the optimal protocol, the induction and transformation efficiency of calli reached a maximum of 91.07%. The establishment of a genetic transformation system for C. pilosula calli lays the foundation for the functional analysis of genes related to bioactive components through genetic engineering technology.

The Distribution of Quetiapine and 7-Hydroxyquetiapine in Guinea Pig Hair Roots and Shafts after Repeated Administration: Exploration of the Mechanism of Drug Entry and Retention in Hair.

This study investigated the distribution of quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine in guinea pig hair roots and shafts after five repeated intragastric administrations at three doses (5, 10 and 25 mg/kg) by segmental analysis to explore the mechanism of drug entry and retention in hair. Hair root samples were collected after 7, 10, 14, 21, 28 and 35 d in area A after the first dose, and a hair shaft was plucked 35 d after the first dose. The maximum concentrations of quetiapine in hair roots in the low-, medium- and high-dose groups occurred at 50, 74 and 98 h after the first administration, and the maximum concentrations were 0.71 ng/mg (range: 0.54-0.84 ng/mg), 6.72 ng/mg (range: 4.59-9.75 ng/mg) and 12.72 ng/mg (range: 10.74-15.76 ng/mg), respectively. The maximum concentrations of 7-hydroxyquetiapine in the low-, medium- and high-dose groups were 0.67 ng/mg (0.23-1.15 ng/mg), 1.07 ng/mg (0.44-1.19 ng/mg) and 3.92 ng/mg (0.656.14 ng/mg), respectively, at 26 h. The maximum concentrations of quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine in hair roots were significantly positively correlated with the dose (n = 18; r2 = 0.84; P < 0.0001 for quetiapine and n = 18; r2 = 0.61; P = 0.0001 for 7-hydroxyquetiapine). The concentrations of quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine in hair roots were higher than those in hair shafts 10 d after administration, indicating drug and metabolite entry into the hair through the roots in the first few days after administration. The highest concentrations of quetiapine in the hair shaft in the low-, medium- and high-dose groups were found at the hair ends, and 7-hydroxyquetiapine in the hair shaft showed no obvious peak concentration. Combined with previous studies, we think, by analyzing the drug concentrations in the hair roots and shaft, that the most important way for drugs to enter into and be retained in hair is that the drug enters the hair through the blood circulation from hair root, then spreads and redistributes as the hair grows.

CUL3 (cullin 3)-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of BECN1 (beclin 1) inhibit autophagy and promote tumor progression.

Macroautophagy/autophagy plays an important role during the development of human cancer. BECN1 (beclin 1), a core player in autophagy regulation, is downregulated in many kinds of malignancy. The underlying mechanism, however, has not been fully illuminated. Here, we found that CUL3 (cullin 3), an E3 ubiquitin ligase, could interact with BECN1 and promote the K48-linked ubiquitination and degradation of this protein; In addition, CUL3 led to a decrease in autophagic activity through downregulating BECN1. We also found that KLHL38 was a substrate adaptor of the CUL3 E3 ligase complex-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of BECN1. In breast and ovarian cancer, CUL3 could promote the proliferation of tumor cells, and the expression of CUL3 was related to poor prognosis in patients. Our study reveals the underlying mechanism of BECN1 ubiquitination and degradation that affects autophagic activity and subsequently leads to tumor progression, providing a novel therapeutic strategy that regulates autophagy to combat cancer.Abbreviations: ATG: autophagy-related BECN1: beclin 1 CHX: cycloheximide CoIP: co-immunoprecipitation CUL3: cullin 3 IP: immunoprecipitation MS: mass spectrometry PtdIns3K: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase UPS: ubiquitin-proteasome system.

Characteristics of quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine in hair roots and blood after a single dose of quetiapine.

This study investigated the kinetics of quetiapine and its metabolite 7-hydroxyquetiapine in guinea pig blood and hair roots during the whole time course of absorption and elimination after intragastric administration of three dosages (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg). The mean maximum concentration (Cmax) values of quetiapine in the blood of the low-, medium- and high-dose groups were 334.4, 849.0, and 2751.1 ng/mL, respectively, and those of 7-hydroxyquetiapine were 75.6, 175.5, and 173.7 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding mean Cmax values of quetiapine in hair roots were 2.0, 5.9, and 14.7 ng/mg, and those of 7-hydroxyquetiapine were 1.0, 1.8, and 6.4 ng/mg. The mean half-lives of quetiapine at the three dosages in blood were 3.8 h, 5.0 h, and 6.0 h, and those in hair roots were 48.2 h, 41.5 h, and 162.3 h; for 7-hydroxyquetiapine, the values were 2.9 h, 4.1 h, and 4.2 h in blood and 77.1 h, 103.6 h, and 385.9 h in hair roots. The levels of quetiapine in blood and hair roots were higher than those of 7-hydroxyquetiapine, and there were significant positive correlations (p<0.05) between the concentrations of quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine in hair roots and the respective doses within 24 h and 48 h. Quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine could still be detected in some guinea pigs even after 28 days, which means that drugs remain in the hair roots longer than in the blood. This finding shows that hair roots could be a good alternative or supplemental matrix to common biological samples such as blood and urine, as hair roots substantially extend the detection window from days to months. Moreover, quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine were detected within 15min after administration in hair roots, which also suggests that the drug enters the hair roots quickly. Therefore, hair root analysis may be a good choice to detect acute poisoning and single-dose administration if other matrices are unavailable or to provide complementary information for other matrices.

An LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous determination of 12 psychotropic drugs and metabolites in hair: Identification of acute quetiapine poisoning using hair root.

A rapid, sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination and quantification of 12 psychotropic drugs and metabolites in hair was developed and validated. After freeze grinding with methanol, the supernatant was determined by LC-MS/MS using an Allure PFPPropyl column (100 × 2.1 mm, 5 µm) with a gradient elution of acetonitrile and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate with 0.1% formic acid, and in the subsequent analysis using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode, two ion transitions were monitored for each analyte. The limits of detection ranged from 0.002 to 0.05 ng/mg, and the limits of quantitation were in the range of 0.005-0.1 ng/mg. Good linearity (r > 0.995) was observed for all analytes over the linear range. Acceptable intraday and interday precision (RSD ≤ 20%) and accuracy (85.3%-112.9%) were achieved. This method of detection was applied to the analysis of guinea pig hair roots after a single dose of quetiapine. Quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine were both detected in guinea pig hair roots from 5 min post administration. The concentration of quetiapine (10.3-1733.8 ng/mg) was much higher than that of 7-hydroxyquetiapine (0.1-40.6 ng/mg) in the hair roots of guinea pigs, and higher concentrations of quetiapine and 7-hydroxyquetiapine occurred in black hair root than in that of white and brown. The animal experiment demonstrated that hair roots may be a good specimen for proving acute quetiapine poisoning when other biological matrices are not available.

XIAP Limits Autophagic Degradation of Sox2 and Is A Therapeutic Target in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Stem Cells.

Rationale: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most frequent head and neck tumor in South China. The presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in NPC contributes to tumor maintenance and therapeutic resistance, while the ability of CSCs to escape from the apoptosis pathway may render them the resistant property to the therapies. Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins family proteins (IAPs), which are overexpressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma stem cells, may play an important role in maintaining nasopharyngeal cancer stem cell properties. Here, we develop a novel CSC-targeting strategy to treat NPC through inhibiting IAPs. Methods: Human NPC S-18 and S-26 cell lines were used as the model system in vitro and in vivo. Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) assay was used to detect nasopharyngeal SP cells and CD44+ cells. The characteristics of CSCs were defined by sphere suspension culture, colony formation assay and cell migration. The role of XIAP on the regulation of Sox2 protein stability and ERK1-mediated phosphorylation of Sox2 signaling pathway were analyzed using immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, phosphorylation mass spectrometry, siRNA silencing and plasmid overexpression. The correlation between XIAP and Sox2 in NPC biopsies and their role in prognosis was performed by immunohistochemistry. APG-1387 or chemotherapies-induced cell death and apoptosis in S-18 and S-26 were determined by WST, immunoblotting and flow cytometry assay. Results: IAPs, especially X chromosome-linked IAP (XIAP), were elevated in CSCs of NPC, and these proteins were critically involved in the maintenance of CSCs properties by enhancing the stability of Sox2. Mechanistically, ERK1 kinase promoted autophagic degradation of Sox2 via phosphorylation of Sox2 at Ser251 and further SUMOylation of Sox2 at Lys245 in non-CSCs. However, XIAP blocked autophagic degradation of Sox2 by inhibiting ERK1 activation in CSCs. Additionally, XIAP was positively correlated with Sox2 expression in NPC tissues, which were associated with NPC progression. Finally, we discovered that a novel antagonist of IAPs, APG-1387, exerted antitumor effect on CSCs. Also, the combination of APG-1387 with CDDP /5-FU has a synergistic effect on NPC. Conclusion: Our study highlights the importance of IAPs in the maintenance of CSCs in NPC. Thus, XIAP is a promising therapeutic target in CSCs and suggests that NPC patients may benefit from a combination treatment of APG-1387 with conventional chemotherapy.

Regulation of glycolytic metabolism by autophagy in liver cancer involves selective autophagic degradation of HK2 (hexokinase 2).

Impaired macroautophagy/autophagy and high levels of glycolysis are prevalent in liver cancer. However, it remains unknown whether there is a regulatory relationship between autophagy and glycolytic metabolism. In this study, by utilizing cancer cells with basal or impaired autophagic flux, we demonstrated that glycolytic activity is negatively correlated with autophagy level. The autophagic degradation of HK2 (hexokinase 2), a crucial glycolytic enzyme catalyzing the conversion of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate, was found to be involved in the regulation of glycolysis by autophagy. The Lys63-linked ubiquitination of HK2 catalyzed by the E3 ligase TRAF6 was critical for the subsequent recognition of HK2 by the autophagy receptor protein SQSTM1/p62 for the process of selective autophagic degradation. In a tissue microarray of human liver cancer, the combination of high HK2 expression and high SQSTM1 expression was shown to have biological and prognostic significance. Furthermore, 3-BrPA, a pyruvate analog targeting HK2, significantly decreased the growth of autophagy-impaired tumors in vitro and in vivo (p < 0.05). By demonstrating the regulation of glycolysis by autophagy through the TRAF6- and SQSTM1-mediated ubiquitination system, our study may open an avenue for developing a glycolysis-targeting therapeutic intervention for treatment of autophagy-impaired liver cancer.

Targeted Degradation of BET Proteins in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) remain clinically challenging with a lack of options for targeted therapy. In this study, we report the development of a second-generation BET protein degrader, BETd-246, which exhibits superior selectivity, potency, and antitumor activity. In human TNBC cells, BETd-246 induced degradation of BET proteins at low nanomolar concentrations within 1 hour of exposure, resulting in robust growth inhibition and apoptosis. BETd-246 was more potent and effective in TNBC cells than its parental BET inhibitor compound BETi-211. RNA-seq analysis revealed predominant downregulation of a large number of genes involved in proliferation and apoptosis in cells treated with BETd-246, as compared with BETi-211 treatment that upregulated and downregulated a similar number of genes. Functional investigations identified the MCL1 gene as a critical downstream effector for BET degraders, which synergized with small-molecule inhibitors of BCL-xL in triggering apoptosis. In multiple murine xenograft models of human breast cancer, BETd-246 and a further optimized analogue BETd-260 effectively depleted BET proteins in tumors and exhibited strong antitumor activities at well-tolerated dosing schedules. Overall, our findings show that targeting BET proteins for degradation represents an effective therapeutic strategy for TNBC treatment. Cancer Res; 77(9); 2476-87. ©2017 AACR.