Redox active or thiol reactive? Optimization of rapid screens to identify less evident nuisance compounds

Compounds that exhibit assay interference or undesirable mechanisms of bioactivity are routinely encountered in assays at various stages of drug discovery. We observed that assays for the investigation of thiol-reactive and redox-active compounds have not been collected in a comprehensive review. Here, we review these assays and subject them to experimental optimization to improve their reliability. We demonstrate the usefulness of our assay cascade by assaying a library of bioactive compounds, chemical probes, and a set of approved drugs. These high-throughput assays should complement the array of wet-lab and in silico assays during the initial stages of hit discovery campaigns to pursue only hit compounds with tractable mechanisms of action.     

肾病综合征患儿血红细胞磷脂过氧化氢谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活力的研究

本文对１７例肾病综合征（ＮＳ）患儿和１５例健康对照组儿童血红细胞磷脂过氧化氢谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（ＰＨＧＰｘ）活力，脂溶性荧光色素（ＬＳＦＰ）含量进行了研究。结果表明，ＮＳ急性期ＰＨＧＰｘ活力明显降低．ＬＳＦＰ含量增加；恢复期ＰＨＧＰｘ活力较急性期明显提高，但仍低于正常对照组，ＬＳＦＰ虽较急性期下降，但仍高于正常对照组。说明ＮＳ存在ＰＨＧＰｘ和ＬＳＦＰ的改变，但可逐渐恢复。     

ASSOCIATION OF PLASMA HOMOCYSTEINE LEVEL AND N^5,N^10—METHYLENETETRAHYDROFOLATE REDUCTASE GENE POLYMORPHISM WITH CEREBRAL INFARCTION

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level to stroke and genetic factor to elevated plasma Hcy level. METHODS: The plasma Hcy level was measured by capillary electrophoresis-ultraviolet detection and the gene polymorphism of N5,N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) was studied with PCR-RFLP assay in 43 patients with cortical cerebral infarction and 42 healthy control. RESULTS: The plasma Hcy level of the patients (19.3 +/- 6.0 micromol/L) was markedly higher than that of the controls (13.7 +/- 5.4 micromol/L) (t = 4.16, P < 0.001). There are 3 genotypes, C/C, C/T and T/T, about base-variation of MTHFR gene at locus 677. The plasma Hcy level of the subjects with T/T genotype was higher than that of subjects with other genotypes. However, the frequencies of each genotype and allele were not significantly different between the patients and the controls. CONCLUSIONS: The elevated plasma Hcy level is a risk factor for atherothrombotic cerebral infarction, and is related to the C-->T mutation at locus 677 of MTHFR gene.     

还原型谷胱甘肽在预防糖尿病大鼠勃起功能障碍中的研究

目的探讨还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)在预防糖尿病大鼠勃起功能障碍中的作用。方法通过腹腔注射链脲佐菌素65mg/kg建立糖尿病大鼠模型,然后随机分成DM组和DM+GSH组,DM+GSH组每天肌肉注射GSH200mg/kg。10周后观察大鼠勃起功能,并获取海绵体组织检测其谷胱甘肽、一氧化氮合酶(NOS)与丙二醛(MDA)水平,用TUNEL法检测细胞凋亡。结果成功建立糖尿病大鼠模型。与未注射GSH的DM组相比,DM+GSH组和正常对照组(C组)勃起功能更好,勃起率分别是20%,62.5%和100%。GSH水平DM+GSH组和C组明显比DM组高,其3组含量每克蛋白分别是(75.83±15.62)、(61.47±8.65)和(35.03±12.29)mg(P<0.05);NOS水平在DM+GSH组每毫克蛋白为(133.9±31.9)U,与正常对照组每毫克蛋白为(142.2±31.2)U相当,但较DM组每毫克蛋白为(58.4±18.9)U高(P<0.05);MDA含量在DM组每毫克蛋白为(3.71±0.62)nmol,明显高于正常对照组和DM+GSH组(P<0.05),这两组每毫克蛋白为(2.08±0.34)nmol和(2.44±0.28)nmol;细胞凋亡率在DM组、DM+GSH组和C组的分别是(22.6±3.6)%、(10.8±1.7)%和(7.2±2.1)%(P<0.05)。结论还原型谷胱甘肽对糖尿病大鼠阴茎组织有较好的抗氧化作用,能减少细胞凋亡,对延缓糖尿病性ED的发生有一定的作用。     

血脂调节剂的研究——Ⅰ.HMG-CoA还原酶抑制剂M-8614A及MH-2688B产生菌的筛选

利用酶联免疫吸附测定法,酶标β-羟基β-甲基-戊二酸单酰铺酶A(HMG-CoA)还原酶抑制剂Compactin抗体,定向筛选血脂调节剂。从青霉M-8614菌株发酵液中分离到M-8614A。该物质理化性质及波谱解释表明与Mevastatin为同一物质。 M-8614菌株用亚硝酸盐等诱变剂处理,从诱变株MH-2688发酵液中分离到MH-2688B。该物质理化性质及波谱解释表明与Lovastatin为同一物质。     

Elevation of plasma thioredoxin levels in HIV-infected individuals

Thioredoxin (Trx), a ubiquitous protein intimately involvedin redox and protein disulfide reductions, has been shown tobe released from cells and to have cytokine-like activities.In addition, Trx has been implicated in the redox regulationof immunological responses and shown to be deficient in tissuesfrom AIDS patients. In studies presented here, plasma Trx levelswere measured by ELISA in plasma samples from HIV-infected individuals(n = 136) and HIV-negative controls (n = 47). To account forthe release of Trx into plasma due to hemolysis, the Trx measurementswere corrected according to the level of hemoglobin in the plasmasample. Data presented show that, in contrast to tissue Trxlevels, corrected plasma Trx levels are significantly higherin HIV-infected individuals than in controls (P < 0.0001).Furthermore, {small tilde}25% of the HIV-infected individualsstudied have plasma Trx levels greater than the highest levelfound in controls (37 ng/ml). Detailed multiparameter FACS analysisof peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from the infectedindividuals demonstrates that those with higher plasma Trx levels(37 ng/ml or greater) tend to have lower overall CD4 counts.In addition, increases in plasma Trx levels correlate with decreasesin monochlorobimane staining (indicative of lower intracellularglutathione levels in PBMC) and with changes in surface antigenexpression (CD62L, CD38 and CD20) that occur in the later stagesof HIV infection. These correlations suggest that elevationof plasma Trx levels may be an important component of advancedHIV disease, perhaps related to the oxidative stress that oftenoccurs at this stage.     

Treatment of diabetic autonomic neuropathy with an aldose reductase inhibitor

To evaluate the effects of the aldose reductase inhibitor Ponalrestat (Statil) on diabetic autonomic neuropathy, a double-blind placebo controlled trial was carried out on a group of 34 diabetic patients with documented cardiac autonomic neuropathy. After a 4-week, placebo run-in period, patients were randomised for treatment with 600 mg Statil or placebo for another 24 weeks. Moreover, the reliability of the autonomic nerve function tests was investigated by comparing the results at onset and at week 4. Fifteen patients treated with Statil and 12 with placebo completed the study. Neither symptom scores nor cardiovascular reflexes, pupil reflexes and skin vasomotor reflexes improved after Statil therapy, which led us to conclude that Statil is not effective in the treatment of diabetic autonomic neuropathy. Reliability coefficients for cardiovascular reflexes and pupil reflex showed high values, ranging from 60% to 80%. Therefore these methods are recommended in future therapy trials.     

Are common mutations of cystathionine β-synthase involved in the aetiology of neural tube defects?

Mildly elevated maternal plasma homocysteine (Hcy) levels (hyperhomocysteinemia) have recently been observed in some neural tube defect (NTD) pregnancies. Plasma levels of Hcy are governed by both genetic and nutritional factors and the aetiology of NTDs is also known to have both genetic and nutritional components. We therefore examined the frequency of relatively common mutations in the enzyme cystathionine β-synthase (CBS), which is one of the main enzymes that controls Hcy levels, in the NTD population. Neither the severely dysfunctional G307S CBS allele nor the recently reported 68 bp insertion/I278T CBS allele was observed at increased frequency in the cases relative to controls. We therefore conclude that loss of function CBS alleles do not account for a significant proportion of NTDs in Ireland.