Synergistic effect rescue animal model from NASH caused by diet-inflammation inducer

Excessive intake of pro-inflammatory fatty acids is related to the development of insulin resistance, impaired oxidative stress enzymes, and lipid disorders, leading to inflammation and development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Diet and physical exercise are considered to prevent and treat metabolic disorders caused by chronic inflammatory states (responsible for insulin resistance and diabetes type 2) in individuals with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD). Our investigation tested the hypothesis that Hass avocado oil, a monounsaturated fatty acid and a source of phytosterol, may improve liver and metabolic parameters without adverse effects when combined with physical exercise. Rats ingested a high-fat diet for seven weeks and were then subjected to more six weeks with a standard diet, Hass avocado-oil ingestion, and swimming. The intervention showed significantly improvements by synergistic effect between Hass avocado-oil and swimming exercise (P < 0.05), including improving adiponectin, leptin, and fasting blood glucose levels, alleviating insulin resistance, reducing serum TNF-α, improving glutathione enzyme levels, and decreasing lipotoxicity in the liver and blood and serum triacylglycerides in blood (P < 0.05). Liver tissue markers of apoptosis and necrosis such as CK-18 filaments and dimethylamine (DMA) were significantly higher in the intervention group (P < 0.05). We were unable to fully confirm our hypothesis. Although the synergistic effects between Hass avocado-oil and the swimming regimen offer a promising chance of recovering liver health by improving 10 health biological markers, we must not ignore the cellular damage due to apoptosis and necrosis in liver cells and DMA. The data on metabolomic profile and avocado-oil-treated livers highlight the need for further investigation.

Rectal Cancer Tissue Lipidome Differs According to Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy

Rectal cancer (RC) is a gastrointestinal cancer with a poor prognosis. While some studies have shown metabolic reprogramming to be linked to RC development, it is difficult to define biomolecules, like lipids, that help to understand cancer progression and response to therapy. The present study investigated the relative lipid abundance in tumoral tissue associated with neoadjuvant therapy response using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry lipidomics. Locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) patients (n = 13), clinically staged as T3-4 were biopsied before neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). Tissue samples collected before nCRT (staging) and afterwards (restaging) were analyzed to discover lipidomic differences in RC cancerous tissue from Responders (n = 7) and Non-responders (n = 6) to nCRT. The limma method was used to test differences between groups and to select relevant feature lipids from tissue samples. Simple glycosphingolipids and differences in some residues of glycerophospholipids were more abundant in the Non-responder group before and after nCRT. Oxidized glycerophospholipids were more abundant in samples of Non-responders, especially those collected after nCRT. This work identified potential lipids in tissue samples that take part in, or may explain, nCRT failure. These results could potentially provide a lipid-based explanation for nCRT response and also help in understanding the molecular basis of RC and nCRT effects on the tissue matrix.

Mass-Spectrometry-Based Lipidomics Discriminates Specific Changes in Lipid Classes in Healthy and Dyslipidemic Adults

Triacylglycerols (TAGs) and cholesterol lipoprotein levels are widely used to predict cardiovascular risk and metabolic disorders. The aim of this study is to determine how the comprehensive lipidome (individual molecular lipid species) determined by mass spectrometry is correlated to the serum whole-lipidic profile of adults with different lipidemic conditions. The study included samples from 128 adults of both sexes, and they were separated into four groups according to their lipid profile: Group I-normolipidemic (TAG < 150 mg/dL, LDL-C < 160 mg/dL and HDL-c > 40 mg/dL); Group II-isolated hypertriglyceridemia (TAG ≥ 150 mg/dL); Group III-isolated hypercholesterolemia (LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL) and Group IV-mixed dyslipidemia. An untargeted mass spectrometry (MS)-based approach was applied to determine the lipidomic signature of 32 healthy and 96 dyslipidemic adults. Limma linear regression was used to predict the correlation of serum TAGs and cholesterol lipoprotein levels with the abundance of the identified MS-annotated lipids found in the subgroups of subjects. Serum TAG levels of dyslipidemic adults have a positive correlation with some of the MS-annotated specific TAGs and ceramides (Cer) and a negative correlation with sphingomyelins (SMs). High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels are positively correlated with some groups of glycerophosphocholine, while low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) has a positive correlation with SMs.

Anti-Migratory Effect of Dipotassium Glycyrrhizinate on Glioblastoma Cell Lines: Microarray Data for the Identification of Key MicroRNA Signatures

The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathway has been reported to be responsible for the aggressive disease phenomenon observed in glioblastoma (GBM). Dipotassium glycyrrhizinate (DPG), a dipotassium salt of glycyrrhizic acid isolated from licorice, has recently demonstrated an anti-tumoral effect on GBM cell lines U87MG and T98G through NF-κB suppression by IRAK2- and TRAF6-mediating microRNA (miR)-16 and miR-146a, respectively. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the expression profiles of miRNAs related to NF-κB suppression in T98G GBM cell line after DPG exposure using miRNA microarray (Affymetrix Human miRNA 4.0A), considering only predicted miRNAs as NF-κB regulator genes. Additional assays using U251 and U138MG cells were performed to validate the array results. DPG cytotoxicity was determined by (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay, and cellular apoptosis was quantified by DNA fragmentation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. The anti-proliferative effect was observed by cell proliferation and wound-healing assays, and the sphere formation assay examined whether DPG reduced stem cell subpopulation formation. The most over-expressed miRNAs were miR-4443 and miR-3620. The cytotoxic effect of DPG in U251 and U138MG was observed with an IC50 of 32 and 20 mM for 48 h, respectively. The IC50 of each cell line was used in all further assays. DPG treatment-induced apoptosis is observed by DNA fragmentation and increased TUNEL-positive cells. Cell proliferation and wound-healing assays showed an anti-proliferative and anti-migratory effect by DPG on the evaluated cell lines. In addition, DPG treatment led to a 100% reduction in sphere formation. The qPCR results in U251 and U138MG cells showed that DPG increased miR-4443 (2.44 vs. 1.11, p-value = 0.11; 8.27 vs. 1.25, p-value = 0.04) and miR-3620 expression (1.66 vs. 1.00, p-value = 0.03; 8.47 vs. 1.01, p-value = 0.03) and decreased CD209 (0.44 vs. 1.10, p-value = 0.03; 0.49 vs. 1.07, p-value = 0.04) and TNC (0.20 vs. 1.03, p-value = 0.001; 0.39 vs. 1.06, p-value = 0.01) mRNA levels compared to controls. Our results suggest that DPG inhibits cell viability by activating apoptosis and inhibiting cell proliferation and stem cell subpopulation formation through miR-4443 and miR-3620 upregulation. Both miRNAs are responsible for the post-transcriptional inhibition of NF-κB by CD209 and TNC modulation.

Serum Predose Metabolic Profiling for Prediction of Rosuvastatin Pharmacokinetic Parameters in Healthy Volunteers

Rosuvastatin is a well-known lipid-lowering agent generally used for hypercholesterolemia treatment and coronary artery disease prevention. There is a substantial inter-individual variability in the absorption of statins usually caused by genetic polymorphisms leading to a variation in the corresponding pharmacokinetic parameters, which may affect drug therapy safety and efficacy. Therefore, the investigation of metabolic markers associated with rosuvastatin inter-individual variability is exceedingly relevant for drug therapy optimization and minimizing side effects. This work describes the application of pharmacometabolomic strategies using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to investigate endogenous plasma metabolites capable of predicting pharmacokinetic parameters in predose samples. First, a targeted method for the determination of plasma concentration levels of rosuvastatin was validated and applied to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters from 40 enrolled individuals; then, predose samples were analyzed using a metabolomic approach to search for associations between endogenous metabolites and the corresponding pharmacokinetic parameters. Data processing using machine learning revealed some candidates including sterols and bile acids, carboxylated metabolites, and lipids, suggesting the approach herein described as promising for personalized drug therapy.

Physiologically relevant dissolution conditions towards improved in vitro - in vivo relationship - A case study with enteric coated pantoprazole tablets

There are many hurdles in the development of generic formulations. In vitro biopredictive dissolution conditions together with alternative in vitro - in vivo relationship (IVIVR) approaches can be a powerful tool to support the development of such formulations. In this study, we hypothesized that the release profile of enteric coated (EC) formulations of pantoprazole in physiologically relevant bicarbonate buffer (BCB) would detect possible performance differences between test and reference formulations resulting in more accurate IVIVR results and predictability when compared to a pharmacopeial dissolution test. We correlated the in vitro performance of test and reference formulations (both in BCB and pharmacopeial phosphate buffer) with the in vivo data from a failed bioequivalence study. Test and reference formulations of EC pantoprazole tablets passed the USP dissolution criteria. However, they failed statistical similarity in vitro both in compendial and BCB. Bicarbonate buffer was additionally more discriminative while being more physiologically relevant. Having BCB as an additional test to evaluate EC products in vitro might improve the comparison of formulations. This can de-risk the development of generic EC formulations.

Sensitive LC-MS/MS method for quantification of rivaroxaban in plasma: Application to pharmacokinetic studies

Rivaroxaban is an anticoagulant (orally active direct Xa inhibitor) considered to reduce the risk of stroke and systemic embolism and treat deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and other cardiovascular complications. Bioanalytical methods for rivaroxaban quantification in plasma are necessary for application in pharmacokinetic studies, as well as in drug therapeutic monitoring. In this work, we developed and validated a sensitive bioanalytical method using LC-MS/MS for rivaroxaban quantification in human plasma using an one-step liquid-liquid extraction. The linear concentration range was 1-600 ng/mL. The bioanalytical method was also applied to pharmacokinetic studies in healthy volunteers under fasting and fed conditions. The results demonstrated that the method is rapid, sensitive, and adequate for application in pharmacokinetic studies.

In Vivo Predictive Dissolution (IPD) for Carbamazepine Formulations: Additional Evidence Regarding a Biopredictive Dissolution Medium

The aim of the present study was to bring additional evidence regarding a biopredictive dissolution medium containing 1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) to predict the in vivo behavior of carbamazepine (CBZ) products. Twelve healthy volunteers took one immediate release (IR) dose of either test and reference formulations in a bioequivalence study (BE). Dissolution profiles were carried-out using the medium. Level A in vitro–in vivo correlations (IVIVC) were established using both one-step and two-step approaches as well as exploring the time-scaling approach to account for the differences in dissolution rate in vitro versus in vivo. A detailed step by step calculation was provided to clearly illustrate all the procedures. The results show additional evidence that the medium containing 1% SLS can be classified as a universal biopredictive dissolution tool, and that both of the approaches used to develop the IVIVC (one and two-steps) provide good in vivo predictability. Therefore, this biopredictive medium could be a highly relevant tool in Latin-American countries to ensure and check the quality of their CBZ marketed products for which BE studies were not requested by their regulatory health authorities.

Lipidomic Profiling of Plasma and Erythrocytes From Septic Patients Reveals Potential Biomarker Candidates

Background

Sepsis remains the primary cause of death from infection, despite advances in modern medicine. The identification of reliable diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of this disease is critical and may reduce the mortality rate as it could allow early treatment. The purpose of this study was to describe the changes in the plasma and red cells blood lipidome profiling of patients diagnosed with sepsis and septic shock with the aim to identify potentially useful metabolic markers.

Methods

Lipids from plasma and erythrocytes from septic patients (n = 20) and healthy controls (n = 20) were evaluated by electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the fatty acid composition of the phospholipids fraction of erythrocytes was determined by gas chromatography. The data were treated with multivariate data analysis, including principal component analysis and (orthogonal) partial least squares discriminant analysis.

Results

Potential biomarkers including lysophosphatidylcholines (lyso-PCs) and sphingomyelin (SMs) with specific fatty acid chains were identified. Both Lyso-PCs and SMs were downregulated, whereas the saturated and unsaturated phosphatidylcholines (PCs) were upregulated in the plasma and erythrocytes of septic patients. An increase in oleic acid (C18:1 n-9) accompanied by a decrease in the unsaturation index as well as in the levels on n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was observed in erythrocytes phospholipids patients as compared with healthy controls.

Conclusions

These results suggest that lipidome profiling has great potential in discovering potential clinical biomarkers for sepsis and helping to understand its underlying mechanisms.

Kinetic study on the inhibition of xanthine oxidase by acylated derivatives of flavonoids synthesised enzymatically

Studies have reported that flavonoids inhibit xanthine oxidase (XO) activity; however, poor solubility and stability in lipophilic media limit their bioavailability and applications. This study evaluated the kinetic parameters of XO inhibition and partition coefficients of flavonoid esters biosynthesised from hesperidin, naringin, and rutin via enzymatic acylation with hexanoic, octanoic, decanoic, lauric, and oleic acids catalysed by Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB). Quantitative determination by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS) showed higher conversion yields (%) for naringin and rutin esters using acyl donors with 8C and 10C. Rutin decanoate had higher partition coefficients (0.95), and naringin octanoate and naringin decanoate showed greater inhibitory effects on XO (IC₅₀ of 110.35 and 117.51 μM, respectively). Kinetic analysis showed significant differences (p < .05) between the flavonoids before and after acylation regarding K_m values, whereas the values for V_max were the same, implying the competitive nature of XO inhibition.

Characterization of the antioxidant activity of aglycone and glycosylated derivatives of hesperetin: an in vitro and in vivo study

The flavonoids are mainly present in Citrus fruits as their glycosyl derivatives. This study was conducted comparing in vitro xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of the aglycone hesperetin and its glycosylated forms (hesperidin and G-hesperidin) and their effects on the plasma lipid profile and the oxidative-antioxidative system (TBARS and antioxidant enzymes) in rats. The concentrations of the major conjugated metabolites in rat plasma after oral administration of these compounds were also determined. Wistar male rats were randomly assigned to three groups (n=6) supplemented for 30 days with 1 mmol/kg body mass of hesperetin, hesperidin or G-hesperidin. Hesperetin was a stronger xanthine oxidase inhibitor (IC50=53 μM and Ki=17.3 μM) than the glycosylate derivatives. Supplementation with the three compounds led to a lower (more favorable) atherogenic index, and an antioxidant preventive effect from the increase of hepatic superoxide dismutase was observed associated to HT supplementation, possibly because of the higher level of hesperetin-glucuronide in rat plasma.

Effects of methotrexate on inflammatory alterations induced by obesity: an in vivo and in vitro study

Immunosuppressant drugs, such as methotrexate, are able to inhibit cytokine production and leukocyte migration to inflammatory foci; therefore, they could modify the establishment of inflammation in adipose tissue during obesity. Thus, we studied the effects of methotrexate in vivo on high-fat diet induced-obesity in mice and in vitro in isolated and co-cultured adipocytes and macrophages. Obese mice treated with methotrexate presented reduced serum levels of TNF-α, insulin and glucose, and an improvement of insulin sensitivity. Adipose tissue from these mice produced less proinflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, leptin) and more anti-inflammatory adipokines (adiponectin and IL-10) associated with reduced macrophage infiltration and inflammation. Cytokine inhibition was also confirmed in isolated and co-cultured adipocytes and macrophages. Methotrexate presented anti-lipolytic effect in vivo and, in vitro through adenosine release. Drugs that combine anti-lipolytic effect and the ability to control inflammation in adipose tissue could play a role in the control of insulin resistance and other pathologies associated with obesity.