Patterns of drug abuse among drug users with regular and irregular attendance for treatment as detected by comprehensive UHPLC‐HR‐TOF‐MS

The most severe consequences of drug abuse include infectious diseases, overdoses, and drug‐related deaths. As the range of toxicologically relevant compounds is continually changing due to the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPS), laboratories are encountering analytical challenges. Current immunoassays are insufficient for determining the whole range of the drugs abused, and a broad‐spectrum screening method is therefore needed. Here, the patterns of drug abuse in two groups of drug users were studied from urine samples using a comprehensive screening method based on high‐resolution time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. The two groups comprised drug abusers undergoing opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) or drug withdrawal therapy and routinely visiting a rehabilitation clinic, and drug abusers with irregular attendance at a harm reduction unit (HRU) and suspected of potential NPS abuse. Polydrug abuse was observed in both groups, but was more pronounced among the HRU subjects with a mean number of concurrent drugs per sample of 3.9, whereas among the regularly treated subjects the corresponding number was 2.1. NPS and pregabalin were more frequent among HRU subjects, and their abuse was always related to drug co‐use. The most common drug combination for an HRU subject included amphetamine, cannabis, buprenorphine, benzodiazepine, and alpha‐pyrrolidinovalerophenone. A typical set of drugs for treated subjects was buprenorphine, benzodiazepine, and occasionally amphetamine. Abuse of several concurrent drugs poses a higher risk of drug intoxication and a threat of premature termination of OMT. Since the subjects attending treatment used fewer concurrent drugs, this treatment could be valuable in reducing polydrug abuse. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

酶抑制剂类抗糖尿病药物的分子水平筛选方法研究进展

酶抑制剂类抗糖尿病药物是目前药物研究的热点,而药物筛选技术是制约此类抗糖尿病新药研发速度的关键步骤。主要从分子水平总结近年来报道的与糖尿病相关的酶抑制剂类候选药物的筛选方法,包括传统方法和前沿方法,着重介绍极具潜力的毛细管电泳法、质谱法、生物传感法和微通道筛选方法等。     

Palladium(II) Complexes with N‐Heteroaromatic Bidentate Hydrazone Ligands: The Effect of the Chelate Ring Size and Lipophilicity on in vitro Cytotoxic Activity

Novel Pd(II) complex with N‐heteroaromatic Schiff base ligand, derived from 8‐quinolinecarboxaldehyde (q8a) and ethyl hydrazinoacetate (haOEt), was synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectroscopy methods. The structure of novel complex, as well as structures of its quinoline and pyridine analogues, was optimized by density functional theory calculations, and theoretical data show good agreement with experimental results. A cytotoxic action of the complexes was evaluated on cultures of human promyelocytic leukemia (HL‐60), human glioma (U251), rat glioma (C6), and mouse fibrosarcoma (L929) cell lines. Among investigated compounds, only complexes with quinoline‐based ligands reduce the cell numbers in a dose‐dependent manner in investigated cell lines. The observed cytotoxic effect of two isomeric quinoline‐based complexes is predominantly mediated through the induction of apoptotic cell death in HL‐60 cell line. The cytotoxicity of most efficient novel Pd(II) complex is comparable to the activity of cisplatin, in all cell lines investigated.     

α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制剂微量筛选模型的正交法构建和筛选

目的为新药发现阶段α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制剂的筛选提供实用的微量筛选方法。方法以α-葡萄糖苷酶为酶源,96孔板为载体,在生理pH值和温度的条件下,用正交试验法研究酶浓度、底物浓度、反应时间对酶活力的影响,确定酶反应最佳条件。在确定筛选模型运行条件后,对阳性药物和492种贵州民族药植物提取物进行筛选研究。结果采用正交试验法成功构建了实用灵敏的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制剂微量筛选模型。492种植物提取物筛选结果表明,有145种提取物的抑制率达到了50%以上。结论本研究构建的α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制剂微量筛选模型具备了简便、快速、灵敏、高效、经济的优点,适用于大规模筛选α-葡萄糖苷酶抑制剂。     

Newborn Screening for Hemoglobinopathies and Red Cell Enzymopathies in Tripura State: A Malaria-Endemic State in Northeast India

Hemoglobinopathies are a group of inherited single gene disorders. There are reports on hemoglobin (Hb) variants identified in the tribal and non-tribal populations of Tripura State in northeastern India. This study aimed to determine the spectrum of hemoglobinopathies and enzymopathies by newborn screening in Tripura State and assess the extent of neonatal jaundice. A total of 2400?cord blood samples were collected and analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Further confirmation of any abnormal HPLC was done by DNA analysis. The samples were also screened for deficiency of enzymopathies, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and pyruvate kinase. Of 2400?cord blood samples screened, 225 (9.3%) were Hb E (HBB: c.79G>A) heterozygotes, 80 (3.3%) were Hb E homozygotes and one carried Hb E-β-thalassemia (β-thal). Other Hb abnormalities were also detected including 15 Hb S (HBB: c.20A>T) heterozygotes, two Hb D-Punjab (HBB: c.364G>C) heterozygotes and two compound heterozygotes for Hb D-Punjab and Hb E. Of the 80 homozygous Hb E babies, four were non-tribal and 76 babies were tribal, and 225 patients carried Hb E trait, 141 were tribal, while 84 were non-tribal. Of 40 G6PD deficient babies identified, 13 had coinherited Hb E and two babies had pyruvate kinase deficiency. α Genotyping was performed in 162 affected babies, 50 of them carried α gene deletions. Newborn screening programs for Hb E, other hemoglobinopathies and G6PD deficiency must be encouraged in the malaria-endemic northeastern region of India. Drug-induced hemolysis can also be avoided by screening for G6PD deficiency at birth.