Antibodies to squalene in recipients of anthrax vaccine

We previously reported that antibodies to squalene, an experimental vaccine adjuvant, are present in persons with symptoms consistent with Gulf War Syndrome (GWS) (P. B. Asa et al., Exp. Mol. Pathol 68, 196-197, 2000). The United States Department of Defense initiated the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP) in 1997 to immunize 2.4 million military personnel. Because adverse reactions in vaccinated personnel were similar to symptoms of GWS, we tested AVIP participants for anti-squalene antibodies (ASA). In a pilot study, 6 of 6 vaccine recipients with GWS-like symptoms were positive for ASA. In a larger blinded study, only 32% (8/25) of AVIP personnel compared to 15.7% (3/19) of controls were positive (P > 0.05). Further analysis revealed that ASA were associated with specific lots of vaccine. The incidence of ASA in personnel in the blinded study receiving these lots was 47% (8/17) compared to an incidence of 0% (0/8; P < 0.025) of the AVIP participants receiving other lots of vaccine. Analysis of additional personnel revealed that in all but one case (19/20; 95%), ASA were restricted to personnel immunized with lots of vaccine known to contain squalene. Except for one symptomatic individual, positive clinical findings in 17 ASA-negative personnel were restricted to 4 individuals receiving vaccine from lots containing squalene. ASA were not present prior to vaccination in preimmunization sera available from 4 AVIP personnel. Three of these individuals became ASA positive after vaccination. These results suggest that the production of ASA in GWS patients is linked to the presence of squalene in certain lots of anthrax vaccine.     

竹节参鲨烯环氧酶基因的克隆及生物信息学分析

目的 克隆竹节参Panax japonicus鲨烯环氧酶基因（squalene epoxidase,PjSE）的全长cDNA序列,进行生物信息学分析和原核表达。方法 设计特异性引物,从竹节参中克隆得到PjSE序列;以PjSE基因序列作为输入数据,利用多序列同源比对等生物信息学分析工具进行序列分析;构建重组原核表达载体pCold-PjSE,转化至大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)中进行蛋白诱导表达;采用实时荧光定量PCR技术分析该基因在竹节参不同组织中的相对表达量。结果 PjSE基因开放阅读框长度为1884 bp,编码627个氨基酸,PjSE蛋白相对分子质量为68 639.49,初步预测其具有跨膜结构域,可能定位在叶绿体上;聚丙烯凝胶电泳结果显示诱导表达蛋白的相对分子质量大小与预期结果一致;该基因在竹节参叶中表达量最高,须根次之,根中表达量最低。结论 PjSE基因的克隆、生信分析及原核表达研究,不仅有助于丰富竹节参中该类功能蛋白的种类和数量,完善竹节参皂苷类成分的生物合成途径,也为后期开展竹节参皂苷的异源合成提供了可供选择的关键基因元件。     

Effects of valproate on xenobiotic biotransformation in rat liver

Male Wistar rats werein vivo exposed for 2 weeks to 100 g/ml sodium valproate by subcutaneous implantation of osmotic pumps and hepatocytes were isolated. As anin vitro model co-cultures of rat hepatocytes with epithelial cells were daily treated with valproate (25, 50, 100, 200g/ml) for 2 weeks. In both models the cytochrome P-450 content and the enzymatic activities of 7-ethoxycoumarinO-deethylase, aldrin epoxidase and glutathioneS-transferase were determined in valproate-treated hepatocytes, in controls and in phenobarbital-induced cells. It appeared that in both systems the cytochrome P-450 content and the 7-ethoxycoumarinO-deethylase activity increased significantly after valproate treatment. On the other hand, the activities of aldrin epoxidase and glutathioneS-transferase decreased. A cDNA probe, encoding rat P450IIB2 was used to determine whether mRNAs encoding the P450IIB subfamily were induced by valproate. It became clear that the inducing effect of valproate was even more pronouncedin vitro thanin vivo.     

白念珠菌耐药株角鲨烯环氧化酶基因的开放读框突变探讨

目的 从特比萘芬作用的靶酶即角鲨烯环氧化酶编码的基因人手，探讨白念珠菌对特比萘芬耐药的可能机制。方法 对3株特比萘芬耐药的白念珠菌菌株，用聚合酶链反应（PCR），扩增其角鲨烯环氧化酶基因的开放读框（ORF），并进行测序。将测序结果与Genbank中序列登录号U69674、D88252白念珠菌进行比较，有无碱基突变，翻译成氨基酸后再进行比较。结果 对所选3株耐药菌株成功地进行了序列测定，序列分析表明，3株菌中，共有5处碱基突变，但无氨基酸发生置换。结论 未发现由基因突变引起的氨基酸置换导致的白念珠菌对特比萘芬耐药。     

Effects of emulsifier concentration,composition, and order of addition in squalene-phosphatidylcholine oil-in-water emulsions

Development and characterization of stable and biocompatible oil-in-water emulsions is important for improved drug and vaccine delivery. In this work, two-component emulsions consisting of squalene and phosphatidylcholine have been developed. The reproducibility of the manufacturing process is established and production efficiency is improved by altering the order of component addition. The effects of emulsifier concentration and composition on emulsion stability and biocompatibility are assessed through dynamic light scattering, zeta potential measurement, viscosity, and hemolytic activity. High concentrations of egg phosphatidylcholine emulsifier decreased initial particle size and increased initial size polydispersity. However, high emulsifier concentrations also appeared to decrease long-term emulsion stability as well as absolute zeta potential values. Substitution of naturally derived egg phosphatidylcholine with synthetic 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) produced an emulsion with similar physicochemical properties and stability.     

20种中药基原植物鲨烯合酶基因的生物信息学分析

目的鲨烯合酶(squalene synthase,SQS)是三萜化合物合成途径中的关键限速酶,对其蛋白特性进行分析与预测。方法利用生物信息学相关分析工具对20种《中国药典》2015年版收录中药基原植物SQS的理化性质、结构特征及功能特点进行分析。结果20种中药基原植物有关各条SQS氨基酸序列,其在氨基酸长度、氨基酸组成、相对分子质量及平均亲水系数方面基本一致;所有的SQS均未发现信号肽;二级结构具有明显的一致性,并且α-螺旋和无规则卷曲是主要的结构元件;所有SQS蛋白均含有4个高度保守的结构域和在氨基酸的C端有1~2个跨膜结构;系统进化树结果与植物系统分类学结果基本一致。结论这20种中药基原植物的SQS的特性差别不大,进化距离也比较近,显示SQS具有较高的保守性和稳定性。分析结果为SQS的功能和作用机制研究提供依据。     

Bio-Based Crosslinked Polymers Synthesized from Functionalized Soybean Oil and Squalene by Thiol–Ene UV Curing

The development of polymers photopolymerized from renewable resources are extensively growing as fulfills green chemistry and green engineering principles. With the rapid growth of consumerism, research on innovative starting materials for the preparation of polymers may help to reduce the negative impact of petroleum-based plastic materials on the global ecosystem and on animal and human health. Therefore, bio-based crosslinked polymers have been synthesized from functionalized soybean oil and squalene by thiol–ene ultra-violet (UV) curing. First, thiol–ene UV curing of squalene was performed to introduce thiol functional groups. Then, hexathiolated squalene was used as a crosslinker in click UV curing of acrylated epoxidized soybean oil. Two photoinitiators, 2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiophenone and ethylphenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphinate, were tested in different quantities. Rheological properties of the resins were monitored by real-time photorheometry. The characterization of obtained polymers was performed by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and Shore A hardness measurements. Polymers possessed higher storage modulus, thermal characteristics, Shore A hardness, and lower swelling value when ethylphenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphinate was used as photoinitiator.     

Lens cholesterol biosynthesis inhibition: A common mechanism of cataract formation in laboratory animals by pharmaceutical products

CJ‐12,918, a 5‐lipoxygenase (5‐LO) inhibitor, caused cataracts during a 1‐month safety assessment studies in rats whereas the structurally similar ZD‐2138 was without effect. For CJ‐12,918 analogs, blocking different sites of metabolic liability reduced (CJ‐13,454) and eliminated (CJ‐13,610) cataract formation in both rats and dogs. Using this chemical series as a test set, models and mechanisms of toxicity were first explored by testing the utility of ex vivo rat lens explant cultures as a safety screen. This model overpredicted the cataractogenic potential of ZD‐2138 due to appreciably high lens drug levels and was abandoned in favor of a mechanism‐based screen. Perturbations in lens sterol content, from a decline in lathosterol content, preceded cataract formation suggesting CJ‐12,918 inhibited lens cholesterol biosynthesis (LCB). A 2‐day bioassay in rats using ex vivo LCB assessments showed that the level of LCB inhibition was correlated with incidence of cataract formation in animal studies by these 5‐LO inhibitors. Thereafter, this 2‐day bioassay was applied to other pharmaceutical programs (neuronal nitric oxide synthase, sorbitol dehydrogenase inhibitor, squalene synthetase inhibitor and stearoyl‐CoA desaturase‐1 inhibitors/D₄ antagonists) that demonstrated cataract formation in either rats or dogs. LCB inhibition >40% was associated with a high incidence of cataract formation in both rats and dogs that was species specific. Bioassay sensitivity/specificity were further explored with positive (RGH‐6201/ciglitazone/U18666A) and negative (tamoxifen/naphthalene/galactose) mechanistic controls. This body of work over two decades shows that LCB inhibition was a common mechanism of cataract formation by pharmaceutical agents and defined a level of inhibition >40% that was typically associated with causing cataracts in safety assessment studies typically ≥1 month.     

Evaluating the efficacy of extracted squalene from seed oil in the form of microemulsion for the treatment of COVID-19: A clinical study

This study investigates the effect of the nanostructure of squalene in the form of microemulsion on COVID-19 patients. In this blinded clinical trial, a comparison was made between the efficacy of squalene treatment and controls. A total of 30 COVID-19 patients admitted to the emergency department, and the infection ward was equally allocated to case (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups according to their age and underlying diseases. The baseline characteristics of subjects, including age, gender, time of treatment onset, underlying condition, white blood cells count, and lymphocyte count were similar (p < 0.05). Baseline laboratory tests and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed for the study groups. The treatment group received 5 mg of intravenous squalene twice a day and standard treatment for 6 days, while controls received only standard treatment. After 6 days of treatment, clinical and CT scan changes were evaluated and compared in intervention and control groups. The need for oxygen therapy (p = 0.020), 2 days of no fever (p = 0.025), cough alleviation (p = 0.010), and lung high-resolution computed tomography improvement (p = 0.033) were significantly different between cases and controls within 7 days of admission. No adverse effects were observed in the treatment group. Our data suggest that squalene could be considered as a potential treatment for COVID-19, and further studies are required to confirm the results.