Demonstration of In Vitro Host-Guest Complex Formation and Safety of para-Sulfonatocalix[8]arene as a Delivery Vehicle for Two Antibiotic Drugs

The macrocycle para-sulfonatocalix[8]arene, sCX[8], was examined with 2 antibiotic drugs, ciprofloxacin (CIP) and isoniazid. The drugs were shown to form complexes with sCX[8] using proton nuclear magnetic resonance, thermogravimetric analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular modeling. Both drugs form 1:1 hydrated (H₂O: 13%-14% w/w) host-guest complexes, with sCX[8] binding around the pyridine ring of isoniazid, and around the piperazine and cyclopropane rings of CIP. From proton nuclear magnetic resonance, the binding constant of isoniazid to sCX[8] was 6.8 (±0.3) × 10³ M^?1. Addition of 2 equivalents of sCX[8] to CIP resulted in a 58% decrease in fluorescence, and time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy of CIP doubles with sCX[8]. Each drug binds into the cavity of the macrocycle, with binding stabilized via combinations of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, π-π stacking, and hydrophobic effects. The safety of sCX[8] was examined in vitro with human embryonic kidney 293 cells. The IC₅₀ of sCX[8] was 559 μM, which is a minimum of 5-fold higher than the concentration that would be used in the clinic. The in vitro effect of sCX[8] on the action of CIP was examined on a panel of bacterial lines. The results showed that sCX[8] has no inherent antibiotic activity and had no negative effect on the action of CIP.     

Effects of squalene on expression of LDLR in HepG2 cells and its mechanism北大核心CSCD

Aim To investigate the effect of squalene on LDLR expression in HepG2 cells and its mechanism of down-regulated cholesterol. Methods The proliferation of HepG2 cells exposed to squalene at different concentrations was measured by MTT assay. The effect of squalene on the expression of LDLR in HepG2 cells was measured by flow cytometry and fluorescence mi-croscopy. The effect of different concentrations of squalene on the interaction between SCAP and Insig2, two key protein molecules of SREBP pathway, was assayed by FRET technology. Results MTT results showed that squalene had inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy results showed that squalene enhanced LDLR expression in HepG2 cells compared with the control group. The results of FRET technology revealed that compared with model control group, the YFP fluorescence value in Squalene group dramatically declined, and the YFP fluorescence value of each drug group decreased with the range of 5-25 |xmol L1 squalene concentration. Conclusions Squalene may promote the expression of LDLR in HepG2 cells through inhibiting the interaction between SCAP and Insig2 proteins in SREBP pathway, which may confirm that squalene is a potential novel drug for the down-regulation of cholesterol level. © 2018 Publication Centre of Anhui Medical University. All rights reserved.     

基于抗菌药物分级管理的我院抗菌药物医嘱评价

摘 要 目的：明确我院三级抗菌药物（非限制使用级、限制使用级、特殊使用级）不合理使用情况的特点及差异,为临床规范使用抗菌药物提供理论依据。 方法：对我院736份出院病历的1 228条抗菌药物医嘱逐条进行合理性点评,并对三级抗菌药物医嘱不合理使用率、分布特点、类型进行比较。 结果：我院三级抗菌药物不合理使用率差异不全相同,以限制使用级为最高（25.0%）,特殊使用级最低（9.8%）,两者比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.01）。以头孢菌素为主的β内酰胺类抗菌药物的不合理医嘱最多。三级抗菌药物不合理用药类型差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。“抗菌药物用法用量不适宜”、“围手术期预防性使用抗菌药物不合理”为非限制使用级及限制使用级抗菌药物的主要不合理医嘱构成。而“遴选抗菌药物不适宜”则为特殊使用级抗菌药物的主要不合理医嘱构成。结论：我院抗菌药物不合理使用情况较普遍。医院需针对各级抗菌药物使用中存在的主要问题加强抗菌药物的管理。     

A new strategy for choosing “Q-markers” via network pharmacology,application to the quality control of a Chinese medical preparation

Due to its chemical complexity, proper quality control for a Chinese medical preparation (CMP) has been a great challenge. Choosing the appropriate quality markers (Q-markers) for quality control of CMP is an important work. Best of all, the chosen Q-markers are the main chemical compounds from the herbals as well as the active constituents of this CMP. Only in this way the established quality control system can really achieve the purpose of controlling the quality of CMP and ensuring the safely and effectively use of CMP. To achieve the purpose, network pharmacology combined with the contents of chemical compounds in the CMP has been used in this research. We took an anti-arrhythmic CMP, Shenxian-Shengmai oral liquid (SSOL), as an example. Firstly, UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS method was used to analyze the main components of SSOL. A total of 64 compounds were unambiguously or tentatively identified and 32 of them were further validated by reference compounds. Secondly, the network was constructed based on the identified compounds to predict the effective compounds related to cardiac arrhythmias. Based on the existing database and the operation method of topology, a method of double network analysis (DNAA) was proposed, from which 10 important targets in the pathway of arrhythmia were screened out, and 26 compounds had good antiarrhythmic activity. Based on the prediction results of network pharmacology along with the contents of the compounds in this CMP, ten representative compounds were chosen as the Q-markers for the quality control of SSOL. We find that five of these ten compounds, including danshensu, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A, epimedin A and icariin, have antiarrhythmic activity. Then, the UPLC-DAD method was established as the control method for SSOL.     

Enzymatic glycosylation of oleanane-type triterpenoids

Abstract

Glycosylation is an effective approach to improve the druggability of natural products by increasing their water solubility. In this work, we report the glycosylation of oleanane-type triterpenoids by a recombinant microbial glycosyltransferase YjiC1. A preliminary screening test indicated YjiC1 exhibited robust capabilities for O-glycosylation of triterpenoids, based on LC/MS analysis. Among the products, two new compounds (2a and 3a), together with a known one (1a), were isolated and characterized. These products exhibited improved water solubility, and 3a showed moderate anti-HIV activities at 100 μM. This reaction provides a facile and efficient approach to synthesize the glucosides of triterpenoids.     

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for monoester-type aconitic alkaloids and its application in the pharmacokinetic study of benzoylhypaconine in rats

A new enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method for quantitative determination of monoester-type aconitic alkaloids was developed. The antibodies derived from the immunogen of benzoylmesaconine (BM) could be electively affined to benzoylaconitine-type alkaloids with an ester bond (14-benzoyl-), especially to benzoylhypaconine (BH, 140.02% of cross-reactivity). The effective working range of BH was 1 ng/ml to 5 μg/ml; the lower limit of detection and the quantification were 0.35 and 0.97 ng/ml, respectively. The values of CV for intra-day and inter-day assays and recovery ratios were in acceptable ranges. The results of stability experiments were also satisfactory. This validated method was employed for pharmacokinetic study of BH in rats and the bioavailability orally administered was estimated to be 16.3%.