Determination of 1,3-Diphenylguanidine, 1,3-Di-o-tolylguanidine, and 1,2,3-Triphenylguanidine in Human Urine Using Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

1,3-Diphenylguanidine (DPG), 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG), and 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine (TPG) are rubber additives widely present in the indoor environment. Nevertheless, little is known about their human exposure. We developed a method for the quantification of DPG, DTG, and TPG in human urine, using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The quantitative analysis of target analytes at parts-per-trillion levels in urine was optimized using hydrophilic-lipophilic balanced solid-phase extraction and isotopic dilution. The method limits of detection and quantification were in the range of 0.002-0.02 and 0.005-0.05 ng/mL, respectively. The recoveries of all analytes in human urine fortified at 1, 5, 10, and 20 ng/mL concentrations were in the range of 75.3-111%, with standard deviations of 0.7-4%. The repeated measurement of similarly fortified human urine yielded intra-day and inter-day variations of 0.47-3.90 and 0.66-3.76%, respectively. The validated method was applied in the measurement of DPG, DTG, and TPG in real human urine samples, which revealed the occurrence of DPG in children's urine samples (n = 15) with a detection frequency of 73% and at a median concentration of 0.05 ng/mL. DPG was found in 20% of adults' urine samples (n = 20).

Occurrence of 1,3-Diphenylguanidine, 1,3-Di-o-tolylguanidine, and 1,2,3-Triphenylguanidine in Indoor Dust from 11 Countries: Implications for Human Exposure

1,3-Diphenylguanidine (DPG), 1,3-di-o-tolylguanidine (DTG), and 1,2,3-triphenylguanidine (TPG) are synthetic chemicals widely used in rubber and other polymers. Nevertheless, limited information is available on their occurrence in indoor dust. We measured these chemicals in 332 dust samples collected from 11 countries. DPG, DTG, and TPG were found in 100%, 62%, and 76% of the house dust samples, at median concentrations of 140, 2.3, and 0.9 ng/g, respectively. The sum concentrations of DPG and its analogues varied among the countries in the following decreasing order: Japan (median: 1300 ng/g) > Greece (940) > South Korea (560) > Saudi Arabia (440) > the United States (250) > Kuwait (160) > Romania (140) > Vietnam (120) > Colombia (100) > Pakistan (33) > India (26). DPG accounted for ≥87% of the sum concentrations of the three compounds in all countries. DPG, DTG, and TPG exhibited significant correlations (r: 0.35-0.73; p < 0.001). Elevated concentrations of DPG were found in dust from certain microenvironments (e.g., offices and cars). Human exposure to DPG through dust ingestion were in the ranges 0.07-4.40, 0.09-5.20, 0.03-1.70, 0.02-1.04, and 0.01-0.87 ng/kg body weight (BW)/day for infants, toddlers, children, teenagers, and adults, respectively.

Identification and characterization of MAM03055A: A novel bivalent sigma-2 receptor/TMEM97 ligand with cytotoxic activity

Sigma-2 receptor/transmembrane protein 97 (TMEM97) is upregulated in cancer cells compared to normal cells. Traditional sigma-2 receptor agonists induce apoptosis and autophagy, making them of interest in cancer therapy. Recently, we reported a novel metabolically stimulative function of the sigma-2 receptor, showing increased 3-(4,5 dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) reduction and stimulation of glycolytic hallmarks. 6-Substituted analogs of the canonical sigma-2 receptor antagonist, 6-acetyl-3-(4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one (SN79), produce both metabolically stimulative and cytotoxic effects. Here, we compare the activities of two related compounds: 6-amino-3-(4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)benzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one (CM571), the 6-amino derivative of SN79, which binds with high affinity to both sigma-1 and sigma-2 receptors, and 1,3-bis(3-(4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)-2-oxo-2,3-dihydrobenzo[d]oxazol-6-yl)thiourea (MAM03055A), a homo-bivalent dimer of CM571. MAM03055A resulted from the degradation of 3-(4-(4-(4-fluorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)-6-isothiocyanatobenzo[d]oxazol-2(3H)-one (CM572), the cytotoxic 6-isothiocyanato SN79 derivative. MAM03055A exhibited high affinity and strong preference for sigma-2 receptors (sigma-1 K_i = 3371 nM; sigma-2 receptor K_i = 55.9 nM). Functionally, MAM03055A treatment potently induced cell death in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma, MDA-MB-231 breast, and both SW48 and SW480 colorectal cancer cell lines, causing proapoptotic BH3 interacting-domain death agonist (BID) cleavage in SK-N-SH cells. Conversely, CM571 induced metabolic stimulation. CM571 bound reversibly to both receptors, while MAM03055A bound pseudo-irreversibly to sigma-2 receptors and caused residual cytotoxic activity after acute exposure and removal of the compound from the media. Interestingly, MAM03055A induced a time-dependent loss of sigma-2 receptor/TMEM97 protein from cells, whereas monomer CM571 had no effect on receptor levels. These results suggest that monovalent and bivalent sigma-2 receptor ligands in this series interact differently with the receptor, thus resulting in divergent effects.