The pharmacokinetics of nitazoxanide active metabolite (tizoxanide) in goats and its protein binding ability in vitro

The pharmacokinetics of tizoxanide (T), the active metabolite of nitazoxanide (NTZ), and its protein binding ability in goat plasma and in the solutions of albumin and alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein were investigated. The plasma and protein binding samples were analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay with UV detection at 360 nm. The plasma concentration of T was detectable in goats up to 24 h. Plasma concentrations vs. time data of T after 200 mg/kg oral administration of NTZ in goats were adequately described by one-compartment open model with first order absorption. As to free T, the values of t(1/2Ka), t(1/2Ke), T(max), C(max), AUC, V/F((c)), and Cl((s)) were 2.51 +/- 0.41 h, 3.47 +/- 0.32 h, 4.90 +/- 0.13 h, 2.56 +/- 0.25 microg/mL, 27.40 +/- 1.54 (microg/mL) x h, 30.17 +/- 2.17 L/kg, and 7.34 +/- 1.21 L/(kg x h), respectively. After beta-glucuronidase hydrolysis to obtain total T, t(1/2ke), C(max), T(max), AUC increased, while the V/F((c)) and Cl((s)) decreased. Study of the protein binding ability showed that T with 4 microg/mL concentration in goat plasma and in the albumin solution achieved a protein binding percentage of more than 95%, while in the solution of alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein, the percentage was only about 49%. This result suggested that T might have much more potent binding ability with albumin than with alpha-1-acid-glycoprotein, resulting from its acidic property.

Distinct host-related dendritic cell responses during the early stage of Plasmodium yoelii infection in susceptible and resistant mice

The diverse outcomes of experimental murine infection with Plasmodium parasites, ranging from spontaneous cure to death, depend largely on the establishment of an effective Th1 immune response during the early stages of infection. However, the molecular and cellular factors responsible for the induction and regulation of this response are poorly understood. As immunity is initiated by dendritic cells (DCs), we compared their phenotype and function during the early stages of infection with Plasmodium yoelii 17XL (P.y 17XL) strain in susceptible (BALB/c) and resistant (DBA/2) mice. Resistant DBA/2 mice developed a greater number of myeloid (CD11c(+)CD11b(+)) and mature DCs, which were fully functional and capable of secreting IL-12p40. In contrast, susceptible BALB/c mice produced more plasmacytoid (CD11c(+)CD45R/B220(+)) and less mature DCs, resulting in high levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta1. In addition, an in vitro experiment confirmed that splenic DCs from the two strains of mice differ in their ability to prime CD4(+)T cells in response to P.y 17XL stimulation. These findings indicate that the subset, the phenotype and the type of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory signals of splenic DCs are critical factors responsible for the discrepancy in the ability to induce or regulate Th1 immune responses in different hosts.

Near-infrared Raman spectroscopy for early diagnosis and typing of adenocarcinoma in the stomach

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using near-infrared (NIR) Raman spectroscopy for early diagnosis and typing of intestinal and diffuse adenocarcinoma of the stomach.

Methods

A dispersive-type NIR Raman system was used for tissue measurements. One hundred gastric tissue samples from 62 patients who underwent endoscopy or gastrectomy were used (70 normal tissue specimens and 30 adenocarcinomas). Principal components analysis (PCA) and multinomial logistic regression (MNLR) were used to develop diagnostic algorithms for tissue classification.

Results

High-quality Raman spectra ranging from 800 to 1800 cm−1 were acquired from gastric tissue within 5 s. There were significant differences in Raman spectra between normal stomach and the two gastric adenocarcinoma subtypes, particularly in the spectral ranges 850–1150, 1200–1500 and 1600–1750 cm−1, which contain signals related to proteins, nucleic acids and lipids. PCA–MNLR achieved predictive accuracies of 88, 92 and 94 per cent for normal stomach, and intestinal- and diffuse-type gastric adenocarcinomas respectively.

Conclusion

NIR Raman spectroscopy can detect gastric malignancy and identify the subtype of gastric adenocarcinoma.

The modulation of electronic and optical properties of OXD-X through introduction of the electron-withdrawing groups: a DFT study

A comparative study using density functional theory (DFT) on the molecular structure, electronic structure and relative properties of 1,3,4-oxadiazole dimers 1,3-bis[2-(4-methylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazol-5-yl]benzene (OXD-X) and its derivatives with alkoxy substituents -O(CH(2))(n-1)CH(3) (OXD-An, n=1, 2) and electron-withdrawing substituents -CN (OXD-C), -CF(3) (OXD-TFM), -NO(2) (OXD-N) added at meta-substitution in the phenyl ring are presented. The ground state structures of the title complexes are optimized at B3LYP/6-31G level of theory. In addition, the time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) method is applied to calculate the absorption and emission spectra of the derivatives based on the ground state geometries. Comparing with the alkoxy substituents, the results show that the electron-withdrawing substituents have remarkable influences on the energy levels of the frontier molecular orbitals, the spectra and the transition compositions. Especially, -NO(2) group plays the prominent role and the fluorine improves the energy level of LUMO further. The experimental absorption wavelengths for OXD-X, OXD-A3 and OXD-A7 are well reproduced by the TDDFT technique. Moreover the absorption wavelengths and the transition compositions can be effectively adjusted through introducing electro-withdrawing groups in the phenyl ring. The reorganization energies for hole and electron are smaller than that of typical hole and electron transport materials.

Safety and radiation-enhancing effect of sodium glycididazole in locoregionally advanced laryngeal cancers previously treated with platinum-containing chemotherapy regimens: A preliminary report

PURPOSE

To determine the safety and radiation-enhancing effect of sodium glycididazole in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (stage T3-4,N0-3,M0) with conventional radiotherapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients with locoregional advanced laryngeal cancer (stage T3-4,N0-3,M0) were included: group 1(control, n=30)were not administered of sodium glycididazole; group 2 (test, n=30) received sodium glycididazole at a dose of 700 mg/m(2) intravenous infusion 30 minutes before radiotherapy three times a week. Surrogate end-points of efficacy were tumor and nodal size. Safety parameters were vomiting, nausea, mucositis, laryngeal edema, esophagus and skin reaction, dysphagia, dyspnea, neurological deficit. Patients were evaluated weekly during treatment for 7 weeks and thereafter monthly for 3 months.

RESULTS

In the test, the overall response rate was 88.89% (95%CI, 71.00-97.00%) at 7 weeks and 92.59% (95%CI, 76.00 to 99.00%) at 1 month of follow-up. In the control, the overall response rate was 62.5% (95%CI, 41.00 to 81.00%) at 7 weeks and 58.33% (95%CI, 37.00 to 78.00%) at 1 month of follow-up. The short-term locoregional response rate was better in the test group at 7 weeks (p=0.027) and at 1 month (p=0.005) of follow-up. The test group had significantly more nausea and vomiting in weeks 1 (p=0.047), 2 (p=0.007), and 3 (p=0.01) of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicates sodium glycididazole is an effective radiation-enhancing agent that improves short-term locoregional control and is well tolerated in patients with locoregionally advanced laryngeal cancer.

Consequence of excess configurational entropy on fragility: the case of a polymer-oligomer blend

By taking advantage of the molecular weight dependence of the glass transition of polymers and their ability to form perfectly miscible blends, we propose a way to modify the fragility of a system, from fragile to strong, keeping the same glass properties, i.e., vibrational density of states, mean-square displacement, and local structure. Both slow and fast dynamics are investigated by calorimetry and neutron scattering in an athermal polystyrene-oligomer blend, and compared to those of a pure 17-mer polystyrene considered to be a reference, of the same Tg. Whereas the blend and the pure 17-mer have the same heat capacity in the glass and in the liquid, their fragilities differ strongly. Thus, the difference in fragility is related to an extra configurational entropy created by the mixing process and acting at a scale much larger than the interchain distance, without affecting the fast dynamics and the structure of the glass.

A study on alkaline heat treated Mg-Ca alloy for the control of the biocorrosion rate

To reduce the biocorrosion rate by surface modification, Mg-Ca alloy (1.4wt.% Ca content) was soaked in three alkaline solutions (Na(2)HPO(4), Na(2)CO(3) and NaHCO(3)) for 24h, respectively, and subsequently heat treated at 773K for 12h. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive spectroscopy results revealed that magnesium oxide layers with the thickness of about 13, 9 and 26microm were formed on the surfaces of Mg-Ca alloy after the above different alkaline heat treatments. Atomic force microscopy showed that the surfaces of Mg-Ca alloy samples became rough after three alkaline heat treatments. The in vitro corrosion tests in simulated body fluid indicated that the corrosion rates of Mg-Ca alloy were effectively decreased after alkaline heat treatments, with the following sequence: NaHCO(3) heated<Na(2)HPO(4) heated<Na(2)CO(3) heated. The cytotoxicity evaluation revealed that none of the alkaline heat treated Mg-Ca alloy samples induced toxicity to L-929 cells during 7days culture.

Occupational risk of lung cancer among lifetime non-smoking women in Shanghai, China

OBJECTIVES

Occupational lung carcinogens have been primarily studied in men. The aim of this study was to investigate occupational lung cancer risk in a cohort of Chinese non-smoking women.

METHODS

In 1996-2000, 71 067 non-smoking women who had held a job outside the home were interviewed for the prospective Shanghai Women's Health Study in China. Exposure to lung carcinogens was assessed by matching occupation and industry titles from lifetime occupational histories with lists of jobs identified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer to have potential exposure to: (1) known (A-list); or (2) suspected (B-list) carcinogens. In addition, similar occupational titles were grouped independent of the a priori defined lists. Relative risks (RRs) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression.

RESULTS

During follow-up through 2005, 219 incident lung cancer cases were diagnosed. Jobs on the A-list and B-list were held by 0.8-6.7% and 2.7-9.4% of the cohort, respectively. Overall, ever holding any job on the A-list or B-list was not associated with lung cancer incidence. Indications of excess risk were found for two subgroups: painters (A-list) and rubber workers (B-list) (RR = 2.0 and 1.7, respectively, p<or=0.1). An exploratory analysis of 35 occupational categories independent of the lists showed significantly increased risks for leather products/shoes, wood/paper products and miscellaneous production/transportation. The former two of these categories were similar to subgroups of the B-list, but broader than the specific a priori defined jobs.

CONCLUSIONS

Significantly elevated lung cancer risk was associated with employment in some broad occupational categories that also included jobs with potential exposure to suspected carcinogens (B-list). The results suggest that although similar exposures to those described on the B-list may play a role in this cohort of Chinese women, carcinogenic exposure may not be restricted only to the jobs on the B-list.

Evaluation of AGR2 and AGR3 as candidate genes for inflammatory bowel disease

Linkage analyses have implicated chromosome 7p21.3 as a susceptibility region for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Recently, the mouse phenotype with diarrhea and goblet cell dysfunction caused by anterior gradient protein 2 dysfunction was reported (European patent WO2004056858). The genes encoding for the human homologues AGR2 and AGR3 are localized on chromosome 7p21.3. The gene structures were verified and mutation detection was performed in 47 IBD patients. A total of 30 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were tested for association to ulcerative colitis (UC, N = 317) and Crohn's disease (CD, N = 631) in a German cohort and verified in a UK cohort of 384 CD and 311 UC patients. An association signal was identified in the 5' region of the AGR2 gene (most significant SNP hcv1702494, nominal P(TDT) = 0.011, P(case/control) = 0.0007, OR = 1.34, combined cohort). The risk haplotype carried an odds ratio of 1.43 in the German population (P = 0.002). AGR2 was downregulated in UC patients as compared to normal controls (P < 0.001) and a trend toward lower expression was seen in carriers of the risk alleles. Luciferase assays of the AGR2 promoter showed regulation by the goblet cell-specific transcription factors FOXA1 and FOXA2. In summary, AGR2 represents an interesting new avenue into the etiopathophysiology of IBD and the maintenance of epithelial integrity.

ZNT7 and Zn2+ are present in different cell populations in the mouse testis

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relation of the spatial distribution between ZNT7 and chelatable zinc ions in the mouse testis. Immunohistochemical results demonstrated a wide distribution of ZNT7 in both seminiferous tubules and interstitial tissues of the testis. The spermatocytes and spermatids in the seminiferous tubules showed strong ZNT7 immunoreactivity whereas zinc autometallographic (AMG) staining was absent. Spermatozoa showed a high level of free zinc, but were void of ZNT7 immunoreactivity. No ZNT7 immunoreactivity and AMG grains were found in spermatogonia. Both ZNT7 and chelatable zinc were detected in Sertoli and Leydig cells. Furthermore, double immunofluorescence study demonstrated that the ZNT7 staining overlapped with that of TGN38 (a trans-Golgi marker), suggesting that ZNT7 was localized in the Golgi apparatus in the ZNT7-positive cells. In conclusion, ZNT7 and chelatable zinc were distributed in different cell populations except for Sertoli and Leydig cells in the mouse testis. ZNT7 may be involved in zinc transportation into the Golgi apparatus for protein packaging in the mouse testis.

Regulation of non-AU-rich element containing c-fms proto-oncogene expression by HuR in breast cancer

The role of RNA-binding proteins in cancer biology is recognized increasingly. The nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and AU-rich RNA-binding protein HuR stabilizes several cancer-related target mRNAs. The proto-oncogene c-fms, whose 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) is not AU-rich, is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. Using a large breast-cancer tissue array (N=670), we found nuclear HuR expression to be associated with nodal metastasis and independently with poor survival (P=0.03, RR 1.45), as well as to be co-expressed with c-fms in the breast tumors (P=0.0007). We described c-fms mRNA as a direct target of HuR in vivo, and that HuR bound specifically to a 69-nt region containing 'CUU' motifs in 3'UTR c-fms RNA. Overexpressing or silencing HuR significantly up- or down-regulated c-fms RNA expression, respectively. We also found that known glucocorticoid stimulation of c-fms RNA and protein is largely dependent on the presence of HuR. HuR, by binding to the 69-nt wild type, but not mutant, c-fms sequence can regulate reporter gene expression post-transcriptionally. We are the first to describe that HuR can regulate gene expression by binding non-AU-rich sequences in 3'UTR c-fms RNA. Collectively, our findings suggest that HuR plays a supportive role for c-fms in breast cancer progression by binding a 69-nt element in its 3'UTR, thus regulating its expression.

Quantitative structure-activity relationship of terpenoid aphid antifeedants

A series of terpenoid compounds containing a six-member-ring were synthesized from alpha- and beta-pinenes. Antifeedant activity of these terpenoid compounds were tested on the aphid, Lipaphis erysimi (Kalt.), with promising results. Stepwise regression was applied to study the quantitative structure-activity relationship of these compounds. The statistically best model showed that the relative number of O atoms, molecular volume, HOMO-LUMO energy gap, and total charge on the positively charged fragments were the most statistically significant descriptors to predict the antifeedant activity. The possible mechanism of interaction between the antifeedant and aphid chemoreceptor was discussed.