Selective Chromo-Fluorogenic Chemoprobe for nM Al3+ Recognition: Experimental and Living-Cell Applications

A rhodamine based chemoprobe BESN was engineered and employed as a selective ''OFF-ON'' chromo-fluorogenic sensor for Al3+ in H2O:MeOH (1:9, v:v). Notable changes in the absorption and emission spectra of BESN were clearly detectable upon the addition of Al3+. Sensitivity and binding mechanism studies demonstrated a good sensing performance of BESN with nanomolar detection limit (130 nM), and it was found to be highly selective towards interfering metal ions. Besides, the binding constant between BESN and Al3+ was found to be 3.19 × 103 M-1. Then, the validation study of BESN for Al3+ was performed based on significant analytical parameters and statistical tests. The binding of Al3+ with BESN (1:1) was probed via infrared, high-resolution mass and emission (Job's plot) spectroscopy measurements. The sensing performance of BESN could make it ideal chemosensor for real applications including vegetable, tuna fish and water samples, also for Smartphone and test-kit applications. The recovery values of the BESN to Al3+ were estimated within a range from 95.13% to 105.30% for water, 94.63% to 109.62% for tuna fish and 94.80% to 109.80% for vegetable samples. Additionally, the BESN has very low cytotoxicity and was triumphantly utilized for the recognition of Al3+ in living-cells.

Evaluation of the Effect of Favipiravir on QT Intervals in COVID-19 Patients with and without Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of favipiravir administered to diabetic and non-diabetic COVID-19 patients on the QT/QTc interval.

STUDY DESIGN

Analytical study. Place and Duration of the Study: Republic of Turkey, Ministry of Health, State Hospital, Corlu, Tekirdag, Turkiye, from March to September 2021.

METHODOLOGY

Electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis was performed on all participants (n=180) divided into four groups. Group 1 included only healthy volunteers. Group 2 included only cases diagnosed with T2DM. Group 3 included only severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2) cases. Group 4 included cases diagnosed with both SARS and T2DM. Favipiravir was administered only to the cases in Group 3 and Group 4. In the cases that were administered favipiravir, the QT/QTc interval was calculated and recorded at different time intervals on the first and fifth days of the therapy. The difference between groups was determined by Tukeye's test after ANOVA. Pearson's correlation test was used to determine whether there was a linear relationship between two numericals. The alpha significance value was determined to be <0.05 in all statistical analyses.

RESULTS

When all groups were compared, it was seen that both QT and QTc values ​​increased in Groups 3 and 4, which were administered favipiravir (p <0.05). Favipiravir may cause an increased risk of ventricular and atrial arrhythmias.

CONCLUSION

Favipiravir may cause QT interval prolongation, particularly in SARS-Cov-2 patients diagnosed with T2DM.

KEY WORDS

COVID-19, Drug-induced long QT syndrome, Intra-infarct haemorrhage; Favipiravir, Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Effectiveness of Peripheral Nerve Block in Terms of Search for a Standardized Treatment Protocol in Diabetic Foot Patients Using Anticoagulants: A Double-Center Study

BACKGROUND

Lower-extremity amputation for a diabetic foot is mainly performed under general or central neuraxial anesthesia. Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block (PNB) can be a good alternative, especially for patients who require continuous anticoagulation treatment and patients with additional comorbidities. We evaluated bleeding due to PNB application in patients with diabetic foot receiving antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy. Perioperative morbidity and mortality and the need for intensive care hospitalization were analyzed.

METHODS

This study included 105 patients with diabetic foot or debridement who underwent distal foot amputation or debridement between February and October 2020. Popliteal nerve block (17 mL of 5% bupivacaine and 3 mL of saline) and saphenous nerve block (5 mL of 2% lidocaine) were applied to the patients. Postoperative pain scores (at 4, 8, 12, and 24 hours) and complications due to PNB were evaluated. Intensive care admission and 1-month mortality were recorded.

RESULTS

The most common diseases accompanying diabetes were hypertension and peripheral artery disease. No complications due to PNB were observed. Mean ± SD postoperative first analgesic need was determined to be 14.1 ± 4.1 hours. Except for one patient, this group was followed up without the need for postoperative intensive care. In 16 patients, bleeding occurred as leakage from the surgical area, and it was stopped with repeated pressure dressing. Mean ± SD patient satisfaction score was 8.36 ± 1.59. Perioperative mortality was not observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-guided PNB can be an effective and safe anesthetic technique for diabetic patients undergoing distal foot amputation, especially those receiving antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy and considered high risk.

A biospectroscopic approach toward colorectal cancer diagnosis from bodily fluid samples via ATR-MIR spectroscopy combined with multivariate data analysis

In this study, a biospectroscopic approach was reported for the detection of spectral changes and biomarkers for the diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CC) cases from different bodily fluids (blood plasma, blood serum, saliva and colonoscopy disinfection/wash fluids) by using attenuated total reflection-mid infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy. To recognize the molecular level changes in the spectral characteristics of CC and their healthy/control (CH) groups, different multivariate data analyses (HCA, LDA, PCA and SIMCA) were successfully performed over the data of ATR-MIR spectroscopy. Two hundred specimens were characterized in detail over the data of spectral regions (4000-650 cm-1 and regions V-XXII). The findings revealed that significant changes were clearly observed in the concentrations of lipid, protein, nucleic acid and carbohydrate biomolecules for cancer cases based upon their necessity to overcome energy requirements. Supervised multivariate data methodology SIMCA, presented an excellent classification for the studied groups; similarly 100% of the specimens from different bodily fluids were correctly classified by supervised methodology LDA. As a result, the developed ATR-MIR methodology for the classification of CC and their healthy groups highlighted a rapid cancer diagnosis approach from different bodily fluids; therefore, it could be guide to make well decision before histopathological assessment and to screen CC populations existing in society.

Determination of the cryoprotective effect of n-methylacetamide in rabbit semen

BACKGROUND

Amides are low molecular weight cryoprotectants. N-methylacetamide (MA) is one of the cryoprotectant agents in this group.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the cryoprotective effect of MA in rabbit semen.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

For this purpose, six ejaculates from six New Zealand rabbits were collected and pooled using an artificial vagina. Pooled semen was divided into four equal parts and diluted with TCG+ egg yolk. CPA was added to form the following groups: Control with 6% DMSO; Group 1 with 1% MA; Group 2 with 2% MA; and Group 3 with 3% MA. After the addition of CPA, the semen eqilibration procedure was started. Sperm were then drawn into 0.25 mL straws, frozen by automatic semen freezing and stored in a liquid nitrogen container. Pipettes were thawed after 24 h and analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Total, progressive and rapid motility values of the Control group were higher than those of the MA groups (p<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference between the Control and Group 2 in terms of these parameters. While there was no statistical difference between the groups in terms of acrosome damage and mitochondrial membrane potential, the best results were observed in Control, Group 2, Group 1 and Group 3, respectively. When we compared all groups, no difference was found in terms of MDA, CAT and GSH-Px. There was a statistical difference between Group 3 and the Control in terms of GSH level (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

DMSO appeared to be more useful for the cryopreservation of rabbit semen compared to MA. Doi.org/10.54680/fr23610110812.

Artificial Intelligence Advances in Transplant Pathology

Transplant pathology plays a critical role in ensuring that transplanted organs function properly and the immune systems of the recipients do not reject them. To improve outcomes for transplant recipients, accurate diagnosis and timely treatment are essential. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered digital pathology could help monitor allograft rejection and weaning of immunosuppressive drugs. To explore the role of AI in transplant pathology, we conducted a systematic search of electronic databases from January 2010 to April 2023. The PRISMA checklist was used as a guide for screening article titles, abstracts, and full texts, and we selected articles that met our inclusion criteria. Through this search, we identified 68 articles from multiple databases. After careful screening, only 14 articles were included based on title and abstract. Our review focuses on the AI approaches applied to four transplant organs: heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys. Specifically, we found that several deep learning-based AI models have been developed to analyze digital pathology slides of biopsy specimens from transplant organs. The use of AI models could improve clinicians' decision-making capabilities and reduce diagnostic variability. In conclusion, our review highlights the advancements and limitations of AI in transplant pathology. We believe that these AI technologies have the potential to significantly improve transplant outcomes and pave the way for future advancements in this field.

A cyanobiphenyl-based fluorescent ''lighting-up'' sensor for highly selective and sensitive recognition of Al3+: Theoretical, practical and bioimaging studies

The recognition of toxic Al³⁺ in foods and biosystems has of great interest to researchers. Herein, a novel cyanobiphenyl-based chemosensor CATH (E)-N'-((4'-cyano-4-hydroxy-[1,1'-biphenyl]-3-yl)methylene)thiophene-2-carbohydrazide was fabricated and shown to recognize Al³⁺ in HEPES buffer:EtOH (90:10, v:v, pH = 7.4) by ''lighting-up'' fluorescence sensing. The CATH evidenced high sensitivity (LOD = 13.1 nM) and excellent selectivity to Al³⁺ over competing cations. The Job's plot, TOF-MS and theoretical computation studies were performed to probe the binding mechanism of Al³⁺ to CATH. Additionally; CATH was successfully utilized to practical applications and employed to recover of Al³⁺ from different food samples. More importantly, it was employed to intracellular Al³⁺ detection in living cells including THLE2 and HepG2.

Evaluation of Calciferol, Cobalamin, and Stromelysin-1 in Patients with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy due to Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the relationship between calciferol (vitamin D), cobalamin (vitamin-B12), and Stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) circulating levels in patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), patients with DM type 2 (T2DM) without neuropathy, and healthy control groups.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY

Department of Internal Medicine, Namik Kemal University of Medicine, Tekirdag, Turkey, between November 2020 and February 2022.

METHODOLOGY

Healthy, age, and gender matched volunteers who were admitted to the hospital for a check-up with no health problem constituted the control group (n=30). Cases diagnosed with T2DM (n=30) and those with DPN (n=30) comprised the experimental group. Stromelysin-1, calciferol, and cobalamin levels were analysed from blood samples from all groups using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with a commercial kit. Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD) test was performed after one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for intergroup comparisons. Alpha significance level was accepted as.

Can transcription factors in the intervertebral disc of lopinavir/ritonavir prevent degeneration in the nucleus pulposus by mediating the regulation of inflammation through signaling pathways?

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to examine whether lopinavir/ritonavir (Lop/r), an HIV protease inhibitor, can improve disc physiology and slow down intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration through in vitro experimental methods, as well as whether it can suppress inflammation with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and sex-determining region Y (SRY) protein-related high-mobility group box genes-9 (SOX9) through hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α) and the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. The aim was to investigate whether Lop/r application is toxic to IVD cells and the microenvironment simultaneously.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Human primary cell cultures were prepared using herniated IVD tissues obtained from patients with lumbar disc hernia who were unresponsive to conservative and medical treatment, and thereby, were operated on. The untreated culture samples served as control group, and the samples treated with Lop/r served as study group. Microscopic evaluations were performed simultaneously using fluorescent and supravital dyes in all groups. In addition to cell viability, toxicity, and proliferation analysis through a commercial kit, IL-1β, SOX9, HIF-1α, and NF-κB protein expressions were evaluated using Western blotting. In the statistical comparison of the obtained data, an alpha value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

Cell proliferation decreased in the Lop/r group, but no cell death was observed (p < 0.05). Moreover, at the end of 72 hours after Lop/r application, IL-1β and NF-kB protein expressions decreased by 40% and 52%, respectively, while HIF-1α and SOX9 protein expressions increased by 4% and 59%, respectively (p< 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although these data were obtained from an in vitro experimental study, it is believed that these findings could make significant contributions to the pharmaco-regenerative treatment modalities of IVD degeneration. Lop/r suppresses the IL-1β and NF-κB and induces SOX9 and HIF-1α, since these signaling pathways may be related to human IVD degeneration.

Does oseltamivir protect human chondrocyte and nucleus pulposus cells from degeneration by inhibiting senescence and proinflammation mediated by the NLRP3 inflammasome and NF-κB?

OBJECTIVE

Recent drug design studies suggest that inflammation is among the most important factors in the development of both intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD) and osteoarthritis (OA) due to cartilage damage. This study aimed to investigate whether the anti-inflammatory drug oseltamivir has a toxic effect on IVD and cartilage tissue cells. It assessed what effect oseltamivir has on hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha (HIF1α), which plays an important role in anabolic pathways in IVD and cartilage tissue. In addition, the study analyzed whether oseltamivir could inhibit the release of inflammatory interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) via the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway by activating the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain and leucine-rich repeat protein-3 (NLRP3) inflammasome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human lumbar IVD (n = 8) tissues were isolated for annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) primary cell cultures, and human tibial and femoral cartilage tissues (n = 8) were isolated for primary chondrocyte cultures. Untreated groups served as the control and oseltamivir-treated groups as the study sample. Cell viability and cytotoxicity were evaluated at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h in all groups for changes in HIF-1α, IL-1β, NF-κB, and the NLRP3-inflammasome protein expressions using Western blotting. The α significance value was < 0.05.

RESULTS

In the oseltamivir-treated groups, cell proliferation decreased in both AF/NP cell and chondrocyte cultures obtained from IVD cartilage tissues. After Western blotting analysis, changes were observed in the protein expressions of HIF-1α, IL-1β, NF-κB, and the NLRP3 inflammasome in both AF/NP cells and chondrocytes. The results were statistically significant (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Oseltamivir treatment may be a promising regenerative strategy to manage IVDD and osteoarthritic cartilage tissues.

The shortest distance between the skin and the peritoneal cavity is obtained with fascial elevation: a preliminary prospective laparoscopic entry study

The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare the measurement of skin-to-fascia distances in the neutral state, during manual elevation and by fascial elevation in patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. In 53 patients, the distance between the skin and anterior wall of the rectus sheath was measured prospectively in following three different ways: (1) in neutral position, (2) during manual elevation and (3) during elevation of the fascia using forceps following an infraumbilical vertical skin incision. In all patients, subcutaneous tissue up to the fascia was dissected after a vertical skin incision. The skin-to-fascia distance of 30.9 mm (14.0-52.0 mm) in the neutral position decreased to 11.1 mm (0.0-26.0 mm) during the fascial elevation, while the mean distance increased to 40.1 mm (19-70 mm) during manual elevation (p < 0.001). In the closed laparoscopic entry technique in which a Veress needle is inserted into the peritoneum through a small incision, the needle should be introduced from the shortest distance between the skin and the peritoneum. Lifting the fascia with a proper surgical instrument in suitable patients could enable us to achieve this goal.

Coexistence of SARS-CoV-2 and cerebrovascular diseases: does COVID-19 positivity trigger cerebrovascular pathologies?

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of cerebrovascular diseases caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and to assess the pharmacological agents used in such cases as reported in the literature. Patient files were retrospectively scanned to determine the prevalence of neurological symptoms of the central nervous system (headache, dizziness, lack of smell and taste, numbness in arms and legs, change in consciousness, muscle weakness, loss of urine and stool control) and cerebrovascular diseases (ischemic cerebrovascular diseases, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid/subdural hemorrhage) in 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) disease (COVID-19) cases (n = 20,099). The diagnostic laboratory, radiology examinations and treatments applied to these cases were recorded. The data from studies presenting cerebrovascular diseases associated with SARS-Cov-2, which constituted 0.035% of all cases, were systematically evaluated from electronic databases. During the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, it was discovered that high doses of enoxaparin sodium anti-Xa are combined with apixaban or acetylsalicylic acid or clopidogrel or piracetam, and mannitol, in addition to SARS-CoV-2 treatment modalities. While neurological symptoms of the central nervous system are uncommon in cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, cerebrovascular diseases are far less common, according to the findings of this study. Acute cerebral ischemia was discovered to be the most common cerebrovascular disease associated with SARS-CoV-2. The mortality rate increases with the association between SARS-CoV-2 and cerebrovascular disease.

Effects of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist on inflammation and degeneration of the nucleus pulposus

OBJECTIVE

The study aimed to examine the effects of two drugs, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI) and an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist, on degenerated annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure in vitro.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Tissue samples were obtained from patients with intervertebral disc herniation (four males and four females; classified as Pfirmann stage IV) and used to prepare cell cultures. Untreated cell culture samples served as the control group. Study group samples were treated with donepezil, memantine or a combination of the two drugs. Cell viability, toxicity and proliferation were evaluated in all groups. Western blotting was used to examine changes in protein expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), phospho-STAT3 (ser727), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain (NOD) leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-containing proteins (NLR) family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. The alpha significance value was < 0.05.

RESULTS

Analysis of the microscopy and commercial kit results revealed that cell proliferation was suppressed, and no cell death was observed. The protein expression levels of NLRP3, STAT3, ser727 and HIF-1α were lower in the samples treated with donepezil and memantine at 72 h (p < 0.05). The protein expression levels of NLRP3, STAT3, ser727 and HIF-1α were higher in the samples treated with the combination of donepezil and memantine (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The combined administration of memantine a NMDAR antagonist which can prevent neurodegeneration and donepezil an AChEI used for pain relief increased the protein expression levels in the anabolic pathway. However, it did not reduce the protein expression levels in the catabolic pathway. Therefore, further studies are needed to provide extensive insight into whether it may be among the potential targets for the therapy of intervertebral disc (IVD) diseases.

Examining the effects of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on anabolic and catabolic signaling pathway proteins associated with degenerative disc disease

OBJECTIVE

Recent evidence suggests that statins, among lipid-lowering drugs, can be used to lower serum cholesterol levels for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease in individuals with high cholesterol, as well as reducing DNA damage and having anti-ageing and pleiotropic effects. Additionally, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is reported to be suppressed in statin-administered nucleus pulposus (NP) cells for the prevention of interleukin (IL) -1 beta (IL-1β)-induced apoptosis and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. The purpose of this study is the examine whether it is possible for pharmacological synthetic statin agents added into primary cell cultures obtained from human intervertebral disc tissue (IVD) to stop and eliminate tissue degeneration through the anabolic/catabolic signaling pathways associated with inflammation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Pitavastatin and rosuvastatin were added to monolayer grown human primary annulus fibrosus (AF)/NP cells. Cytotoxicity and proliferation analyses were carried out. AF/NP cells and ECM structure were also examined microscopically. In addition, changes in transcription factors and protein expressions of proinflammatory cytokines, which play important roles in anabolic and catabolic pathways associated with inflammation, were analyzed.

RESULTS

Decreased proliferation and cell necrosis were observed at the end of 72 hours in the samples, in which statins were added, compared to the samples in the control group to which no pharmacological agent was administered. In addition to this, changes were observed in the expressions of proteins. All results were statistically significant (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

To better understand the regenerative effects of these two pharmacological agents on degenerated AF/NP cells, there is an urgent need for prospective studies in which different signaling pathways and receptors on these pathways are investigated, apart from IL-1β; NF-κB signaling pathway and SOX9.

Rational use of drugs in healthcare services: a sample of tertiary hospital

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed at evaluating physicians' attitudes towards the rational use of drugs (RUD) at a training and research hospital.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in a training and research hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health between December 2014 and April 2015. All 424 active-duty physicians were asked to participate in the survey study. Of these physicians, 193 (45.5%) volunteered to respond to a 64-item survey. A total of 193 (45.5%) physicians volunteered to participate in the study. The chi-squared test, ANOVA, and multiple logistic regression analysis were used for the evaluation of the study data.

RESULTS

Of the physicians who participated in the study, 58.0% were male. Prescriptions were dispensed for 52.73% (± 27.44) of the patients, with a mean of 2.67±0.98 items per prescription. The rational use of drugs was defined as prescribing an effective drug for the patient (85.4%), prescribing an appropriate drug for the patient (84.9%), and prescribing a safe drug for the patient (77.2%). Compared to residents, the prescription preferences of specialists were affected 2-fold by follow-up visit (p=0.010, β 0.694, CI 1.180 3.396), 1-fold by patient examination percentage (p=0.002, β 0.022, CI 1.008 1.037), and 3.5-fold by prescribing iron supplements (p=0.001, β 1.274, CI 1.644 7.774) (R2 0.259, p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study showed that tertiary hospital specialists and residents have similar attitudes towards patients, their prescribing preferences and RUD knowledge level. This study provides comprehensive information on physicians' attitudes towards RUD.

A rapid diagnostic approach for gastric and colon cancers via Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics from paraffin-embedded tissues

This paper describes the feasibility of Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform mid-infrared (ATR-MIR) spectroscopy method coupled with chemometrics for the rapid diagnostic approach and screening spectral changes for gastric and colon cancers from paraffin-embedded tissues. A total number of 82 tissue samples were analyzed by a simple ATR-MIR method combined with PCA, HCA, SIMCA and LDA methodologies. Spectral analyses showed significant differences for the molecular contents particularly about the lipid, nucleic acid, protein and other biomolecules in the samples of gastric cancer (GC) and colon cancer (CC) groups from their control/healthy groups. Significant changes in the characteristic of these molecules were only observed for cancer groups based upon the increment in their biosynthesis, and they could be utilized as diagnostic spectral biomarkers. Under the optimum conditions, SIMCA provided excellent classification for diseased and control groups, with 5% significance level. As well, 97.75% of the studied tissue samples were correctly discriminated on the basis of their origin by LDA. Consequently, the findings of this study highlighted the rapid diagnosis of gastric and colon cancer cases from paraffin-embedded tissues via ATR-MIR spectroscopy complemented with chemometrics.

A Fluorene based Fluorogenic ''Turn-off'' Chemosensor for the Recognition of Cu2+ and Fe2+: Computational Modeling and Living-cell Application

Background:

The traditional methods for the detection and quantification of Cu2+ and Fe3+ heavy metal ions are usually troublesome in terms of high-cost, non-portable, time-consuming, specialized personnel and complicated tools, so their applications in practical analyses is limited. Therefore, the development of cheap, fast and simple-use techniques/instruments with high sensitivity/selectivity for the detection of heavy metal ions is highly demanded and studied.

Methods:

In this study, a fluorene-based fluorescent 'turn-off' sensor, methyl 2-(2-((((9H-fluoren-9- yl)methoxy)carbonyl)amino)-3- phenylpropanamido) acetate (probe FLPG) was synthesized via onepot reaction and characterized by 1H-NMR, 13C-APT-NMR, HETCOR, ATR-FTIR and elemental analysis in detailed. All emission spectral studies of the probe FLPG have been performed in CH3CN/HEPES (9/1, v/v, pH=7.4) media at rt. The quantum (Φ) yield of probe FLPG decreased considerably in the presence of Cu2+ and Fe3+. The theoretical computation of probe FLPG and its complexes were also performed using density functional theory (DFT). Furthermore, bio-imaging experiments of the probe FLPG was successfully carried out for Cu2+ and Fe3+ monitoring in living-cells.

Results:

The probe FLPG could sense Cu2+ and Fe3+ with high selectivity and sensitivity, and quantitative correlations (R2>0.9000) between the Cu2+/Fe3+ concentrations (0.0−10.0 equiv). The limits of detection for Cu2+ and Fe3+ were found as 25.07 nM and 37.80 nM, respectively. The fluorescence quenching in the sensor is managed by ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT) mechanism. Job’s plot was used to determine the binding stoichiometry (1:2) of the probe FLPG towards Cu2+ and Fe3+. The binding constants with strongly interacting Cu2+ and Fe3+ were determined as 4.56×108 M-2 and 2.02×1010 M-2, respectively, via the fluorescence titration experiments. The outcomes of the computational study supported the fluorescence data. Moreover, the practical application of the probe FLPG was successfully performed for living cells.

Conclusion:

This simple chemosensor system offers a highly selective and sensitive sensing platform for the routine detection of Cu2+ and Fe3+, and it keeps away from the usage of costly and sophisticated analysis systems.

Crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis of (Z)-4-{[4-(3-methyl-3-phenyl-cyclo-but-yl)thia-zol-2-yl]amino}-4-oxobut-2-enoic acid

The title cyclo-butyl compound, C18H18N2O3S, was synthesized by the inter-action of 4-(3-methyl-3-phenyl-cyclo-but-yl)thia-zol-2-amine and maleic anhydride, and crystallizes in the ortho-rhom-bic space group P212121 with Z' = 1. The mol-ecular geometry is partially stabilized by an intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond forming an S 1 1(7) ring motif. The mol-ecule is non-planar with a dihedral angle of 88.29 (11)° between the thia-zole and benzene rings. In the crystal, the mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯N hydrogen bonds, forming supra-molecular ribbons with C 1 1(9) chain motifs. To further analyze the inter-molecular inter-actions, a Hirshfeld surface analysis was performed. The results indicate that the most important contributions to the overall surface are from H⋯H (43%), C⋯H (18%), O⋯H (17%) and N⋯H (6%), inter-actions.

The effects of rivaroxaban, an oral anticoagulant, on human IVD primary cultures

INTRODUCTION

The present study aimed to investigate the potential effects of rivaroxaban, an oral anticoagulant that inhibits the effects of factor Xa, on intact intervertebral disc tissue cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Rivaroxaban was applied to primary human cell cultures prepared from tissues of the intervertebral disc. Comparative molecular analyses were performed on non-drug-treated control group samples. Descriptive statistics were presented as the mean ± standard deviation. An analysis of variance test was performed to determine whether there were significant differences in the mean across the groups. When differences across groups were observed, Tukey's honestly significant difference post-hoc test was used for multiple pairwise comparisons. The significance of the obtained data was determined statistically. The α significance value was < 0.05.

RESULTS

The cells in the control group and in the rivaroxaban-treated group were viable, healthy, and proliferated (p < 0.05). However, the expression levels of the chondroadherin gene (CHAD), cartilage oligo matrix protein (COMP), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13, and MMP-19 genes were changed (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Although rivaroxaban does not suppress cell proliferation due to morphological, biological, and biochemical changes in the intervertebral disc tissue, it may change the expression of genes that are related to ECM maintenance.