Role of Gold in Inflammation and Tristetraprolin Activity

The zinc finger protein tristetraprolin (TTP) regulates inflammation by downregulating cytokine mRNAs. Misregulation results in arthritis, sepsis and cancer, and there is an interest in modulating TTP activity with exogenous agents. Gold has anti-inflammatory properties and has recently been shown to modulate the signaling pathway that produces TTP, suggesting that TTP may be a target of gold. The reactivity of [Au^III(terpy)Cl]Cl₂ with TTP was investigated by UV/Vis spectroscopy, spin-filter inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, X-ray absorption spectroscopy and native electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Au^III was found to replace zinc in the protein active site in the reduced Au^I form, with the Au^I ion coordinated to two cysteine residues in a linear geometry. The replacement of Zn^II with Au^I results in loss of both secondary structure and RNA binding function. In contrast, when Zn^IITTP is bound to its RNA target, no replacement of Zn^II with Au^I is observed, even in the presence of excess Au^IIIterpy. This discovery of differential reactivity of gold with TTP versus TTP/RNA offers a potential strategy for selective targeting with gold complexes to control inflammation.     

Dos(e)Age: Role of Dose and Age in the Long-Term Effect of Cannabinoids on Cognition

Cannabis is still the most widely used illicit drug around the world. While its use has always been prevalent among adolescents, recent evidence suggests that its consumption is also increasing among other population groups, such as pregnant women and aged people. Given the known impact of cannabis on brain development and behavior, it is important to dissect the possible long-term impact of its use across different age groups, especially on measures of cognitive performance. Animal models of cannabinoid exposure have represented a fundamental tool to characterize the long-lasting consequences of cannabinoids on cognitive performance and helped to identify possible factors that could modulate cannabinoids effects in the long term, such as the age of exposure and doses administered. This scoping review was systematically conducted using PubMed and includes papers published from 2015 to December 2021 that examined the effects of cannabinoids, either natural or synthetic, on cognitive performance in animal models where exposure occurred in the prenatal period, during adolescence, or in older animals. Overall, available data clearly point to a crucial role of age in determining the long-term effect of cannabinoid on cognition, highlighting possible detrimental consequences during brain development (prenatal and adolescent exposure) and beneficial outcomes in old age. In contrast, despite the recent advances in the field, it appears difficult to clearly establish a possible role of dosage in the effects of cannabinoids on cognition, especially when the adolescent period is taken into account.     

Voltammetry of Immobilized Particles of Cannabinoids

A new electrochemical method for the detection of cannabinoids in food products is proposed. The method is based on the voltammetry of microparticles at a paraffin‐impregnated graphite electrode. In square‐wave voltammetry, in 0.1 M KNO₃ at pH 7, the responses of delta‐9‐tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol and cannabidiol consist of a single peak with the maximum at 0.55 V±0.01 V. This peak is ascribed to the electrooxidation of the phenol group to phenoxy radical. In microparticles of hemp and marijuana cannabinoids can be detected in pure drug as well as in the mixture with foreign insoluble powders.     

Immunoregulatory Role of the Mechanosensitive Ion Channel Piezo1 in Inflammation and Cancer

Piezo1 was originally identified as a mechanically activated, nonselective cation ion channel, with significant permeability to calcium ions, is evolutionally conserved, and is involved in the proliferation and development of various types of cells, in the context of various types of mechanical or innate stimuli. Recently, our study and work by others have reported that Piezo1 from all kinds of immune cells is involved in regulating many diseases, including infectious inflammation and cancer. This review summarizes the recent progress made in understanding the immunoregulatory role and mechanisms of the mechanical receptor Piezo1 in inflammation and cancer and provides new insight into the biological significance of Piezo1 in regulating immunity and tumors.     

合成大麻素类新精神活性物质检验方法研究进展

近几年,合成大麻素类新精神活性物质备受关注。合成大麻素可在人体内模拟四氢大麻酚发挥作用,同时还具有易用性、难被检测等特点,在世界范围内被越来越多人非法使用,严重影响人类身心健康。为此,各国科研人员针对合成大麻素类新精神活性物质进行了诸多相关研究。本文介绍了合成大麻素类新精神活性物质的结构、分类、毒理毒性,对其体内代谢机理和检验方法研究进展进行了综述。同时介绍了合成大麻素成分检验领域的一些新的探索思路,并对该领域的发展作了简要展望。     

Attempts of Ranking in a Series of Synthetic Nonpsychotropic Cannabinoids

Abstract

Dexanabinol and other synthetic 6aS-trans cannabinoids are devoid of cannabimimetic activity, as they do not have affinity toward cannabinoid receptors. On the other hand, these compound bind to the NMDA receptor and possess neuroprotective properties. A ranking of 6aS trans cannabinoids based on their NMDA receptor binding affinity and by using a variety of calculated properties included in a fully computerized expert system has been attempted. The results of the study indicate that either the present isosteric-isoelectronic-based ranking criteria is not adequate to reproduce NMDA receptor binding or that some other members of the series rather than dexanabinol are the true lead compounds of 6aS-trans cannabinoids.     

Cannabinoids in Breast Cancer: Differential Susceptibility According to Subtype

Although cannabinoids have been used for centuries for diverse pathological conditions, recently, their clinical interest and application have emerged due to their diverse pharmacological properties. Indeed, it is well established that cannabinoids exert important actions on multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and pain relief. Regarding cancer, cannabinoids were first introduced to manage chemotherapy-related side effects, though several studies demonstrated that they could modulate the proliferation and death of different cancer cells, as well as angiogenesis, making them attractive agents for cancer treatment. In relation to breast cancer, it has been suggested that estrogen receptor-negative (ER⁻) cells are more sensitive to cannabinoids than estrogen receptor-positive (ER⁺) cells. In fact, most of the studies regarding their effects on breast tumors have been conducted on triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Nonetheless, the number of studies on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2⁺) and ER⁺ breast tumors has been rising in recent years. However, besides the optimistic results obtained thus far, there is still a long way to go to fully understand the role of these molecules. This review intends to help clarify the clinical potential of cannabinoids for each breast cancer subtype.     

Cannabinoids,Phenolics, Terpenes and Alkaloids of Cannabis

Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest medicinal plants in the world. It was introduced into western medicine during the early 19th century. It contains a complex mixture of secondary metabolites, including cannabinoids and non-cannabinoid-type constituents. More than 500 compounds have been reported from C. sativa, of which 125 cannabinoids have been isolated and/or identified as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are C₂₁ terpeno-phenolic compounds specific to Cannabis. The non-cannabinoid constituents include: non-cannabinoid phenols, flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids and others. This review discusses the chemistry of the cannabinoids and major non-cannabinoid constituents (terpenes, non-cannabinoid phenolics, and alkaloids) with special emphasis on their chemical structures, methods of isolation, and identification.     

13C-NMR. Spectra of Natural and Semi-synthetic Cannabinoids

The ¹³C-NMR. spectra of one natural and ten semi-synthetic cannabinoids were analyzed in detail. Assignments of the signals are based on their chemical shifts, splitting patterns in ¹H-off-resonance decoupling experiments and comparison with ¹³C-NMR. data of related cannabinoids. With some compounds final assignments were made by selective ¹H-decoupling experiments and incremental calculations.     

Cannabinoids: structures,effects, and classification

The data on the chemical structures, biological effects, and use of cannabinoids on the illegal market of new psychoactive substances were generalized. An extended classification comprising new classes, groups, and subgroups of cannabinoids was proposed for better representation of their structural variety. The emergence of new synthetic cannabinoids which belong to the groups of cycloalkanecarbonylindoles, indole- and indazole-3-carboxamides, and indoleand indazole-3-carboxylates is closely associated with the market of new psychoactive substances.     

Analysis of Cannabinoids and Metabolites in Dried Urine Spots (DUS)

Dried urine spots (DUS) represent a potential alternative sample storage for forensic toxicological analysis. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometric procedure for the detection and quantitative determination of cannabinoids and metabolites in DUS. A two-step extraction was performed on DUS and urine samples. An LC-MS/MS system was operated in multiple reaction monitoring and positive polarization mode. The method was checked for sensitivity, specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, recovery, matrix effects and carryover. The method was applied to 70 urine samples collected from healthy volunteers and drug addicts undergoing withdrawal treatment. The method was successfully developed for DUS. LODs lower than 2.0 ng/mL were obtained for all the monitored substances. All the validation parameters fulfilled the acceptance criteria either for DUS or urine. Among the real samples, 45 cases provided positive results for at least one compound. A good quali-quantitative agreement was obtained between DUS and urine. A good stability of THC, THCCOOH and THCCOOH-gluc was observed after a 24 h storage, in contrast to previously published results. DUS seems to provide a good alternative storage condition for urine that should be checked for the presence of cannabinoids and metabolites.     

Development of Gas-Chromatographic Method for Simultaneous Determination of Cannabinoids and Terpenes in Hemp

An original gas chromatographic method has been developed for simultaneous determination of major terpenes and cannabinoids in plant samples and their extracts. The main issues to be addressed were the large differences in polarity and volatility between both groups of analytes, but also the need for an exhaustive decarboxylation of cannabinoid acidic forms. Sample preparation was minimised, also by avoiding any analyte derivatisation. Acetone was found to be the most appropriate extraction solvent. Successful chromatographic separation was achieved by using a medium polarity column. Limits of detection ranged from 120 to 260 ng/mL for terpenes and from 660 to 860 ng/mL for cannabinoids. Parallel testing proved the results for cannabinoids are comparable to those obtained from established HPLC methods. Despite very large differences in concentrations between both analyte groups, a linear range between 1 and 100 µg/mL for terpenes and between 10 and 1500 µg/mL for cannabinoids was determined.     

High-Throughput Quantitation of Cannabinoids by Liquid Chromatography Triple-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry

The high-throughput quantitation of cannabinoids is important for the cannabis industry. As medicinal products increase, and research into compounds that have pharmacological benefits increase, and the need to quantitate more than just the main cannabinoids becomes more important. This study aims to provide a rapid, high-throughput method for cannabinoid quantitation using a liquid chromatography triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer (LC-QQQ-MS) with an ultraviolet diode array detector (UV-DAD) for 16 cannabinoids: CBDVA, CBDV, CBDA, CBGA, CBG, CBD, THCV, THCVA, CBN, CBNA, THC, Δ8-THC, CBL, CBC, THCA-A and CBCA. Linearity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantitation (LOQ), accuracy, precision, recovery and matrix effect were all evaluated. The validated method was used to determine the cannabinoid concentration of four different Cannabis sativa strains and a low THC strain, all of which have different cannabinoid profiles. All cannabinoids eluted within five minutes with a total analysis time of eight minutes, including column re-equilibration. This was twice as fast as published LC-QQQ-MS methods mentioned in the literature, whilst also covering a wide range of cannabinoid compounds.     

Analysis of Fragmentation Pathways of New-Type Synthetic Cannabinoids Using Electrospray Ionization

Recently, dozens of new psychoactive substances have appeared on the European drug market every year. The most abundant group of these compounds is synthetic cannabinoids. In the first few years of the “legal highs” phenomenon, JWH (John W. Huffman) compounds were especially popular among drug users. However, the group of synthetic cannabinoids is constantly expanding, as new compounds are created by replacing known structural elements with different chemical groups. The problem with the identification of novel substances in forensic laboratories results from the structural similarity of the compounds and the rapid introduction of newer designer drugs on the black market. In this study, the fragmentation patterns of 29 new-type synthetic cannabinoids using electrospray ionization were investigated. The analysis was performed using quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Based on measurements carried out under various conditions, the way of fragmentation of the tested compounds that were divided into groups due to their chemical structure was established. The study showed that the bond between the carbon atom of the carbonyl group and the ring or NH group attached to the ring was mainly cleaved. This mechanism was adequate for the fragmentation of first-generation synthetic cannabinoids. This paper presents characteristic ions formed by synthetic cannabinoids (i.e., ions originating from an indole/indazole ring and an adamanyl/naphthalene/quinoline ring) using electrospray ionization. Knowledge of these specific fragments can be used in forensic laboratories to determine the structure of novel compounds from the group of synthetic cannabinoids.

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缴获电子烟油样品中75种合成大麻素的1H qNMR定量分析研究

通过考察75种合成大麻素（SCRAs）的关键定量参数,首次建立了可用于电子烟油样品中75种SCRAs定量分析的核磁共振氢谱定量分析方法（1H qNMR）。以1,3,5-三甲氧基苯为内标,将烟油样品经氘代甲醇稀释后直接进行分析。方法的定量下限为0.03%（质量分数）,日内相对标准偏差（RSD）小于0.90%,日间RSD小于1.5%,基质加标回收率为93.3%～100%。采用1H qNMR法对19份缴获烟油样品中的4种合成大麻素3,3-二甲基-2-[1-(5-氟戊基)吲唑-3-甲酰氨基]丁酸甲酯（5F-ADB）、2-[1-(5-氟戊基)-1H-吲哚-3-甲酰氨基]-3,3-二甲基丁酸甲酯（5F-MDMB-PICA）、2-[1-(4-氟丁基)-1H-吲唑-3-甲酰氨基]-3,3-二甲基丁酸甲酯（4FMDMB-BUTINACA）、N-(1-氨基-3,3-二甲基-1-氧代丁-2-基)-1-丁基-1H-吲唑-3-甲酰胺（ADB-BUTINACA）进行定量分析,得到其含量范围为0.072%～2.056%。19份烟油样品的1H qNMR定量结果与高效液相色谱法定量结果无显著性差异。该研究所建立的电子烟...     

The Role of Allium subhirsutum L. in the Attenuation of Dermal Wounds by Modulating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Wistar Albino Rats

In our study, Allium subhirsutum L. (AS) was investigated to assess its phenolic profile and bioactive molecules including flavonoids and organosulfur compounds. The antioxidant potential of AS and wound healing activity were addressed using skin wound healing and oxidative stress and inflammation marker estimation in rat models. Phytochemical and antiradical activities of AS extract (ASE) and oil (ASO) were studied. The rats were randomly assigned to four groups: group I served as a control and was treated with simple ointment base, group II was treated with ASE ointment, group III was treated with ASO ointment and group IV (reference group; Ref) was treated with a reference drug “Cytolcentella^® cream”. Phytochemical screening showed that total phenols (215 ± 3.5 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (172.4 ± 3.1 mg QE/g) were higher in the ASO than the ASE group. The results of the antioxidant properties showed that ASO exhibited the highest DPPH free radical scavenging potential (IC50 = 0.136 ± 0.07 mg/mL), FRAP test (IC50 = 0.013 ± 0.006 mg/mL), ABTS test (IC50 = 0.52 ± 0.03 mg/mL) and total antioxidant capacity (IC50 = 0.34 ± 0.06 mg/mL). In the wound healing study, topical application of ASO performed the fastest wound-repairing process estimated by a chromatic study, percentage wound closure, fibrinogen level and oxidative damage status, as compared to ASE, the Cytolcentella reference drug and the untreated rats. The use of AS extract and oil were also associated with the attenuation of oxidative stress damage in the wound-healing treated rats. Overall, the results provided that AS, particularly ASO, has a potential medicinal value to act as effective skin wound healing agent.     

分析测试新成果(169~178)液相色谱-电喷雾离子阱质谱联用分析毛发中6种合成大麻素

作为第三代毒品中重要的一类, 合成大麻素类新精神活性物质被当做大麻的替代品而滥用严重, 已经引起社会的广泛关注.基于液相色谱-质谱联用技术的优势与特点, 建立了毛发样品中JWH-073、MAM-2201、JWH-015、JWH-203、JWH-018、JWH-007等6种合成大麻素类新精神活性物质的液相色谱-电喷雾离子阱质谱联用定性、定量分析方法.毛发样品经剪段、清洗后, 用甲醇超声提取, 进样分析, 6种目标化合物的质量浓度在3~200 ng/mg之间具有良好的线性关系, 相关系数大于0.990 1, 定量限小于3 ng/mg, 检出限小于1 ng/mg, 精密度小于9.99%, 提取回收率为90.69%~97.88%.建立的方法样品处理简便、检测灵敏度高、专属性强、重现性好, 可为打击新型毒品违法犯罪活动, 遏制新型毒品蔓延提供科学理论依据与技术支持, 具有重要的现实意义.     

吲唑酰胺类合成大麻素的EI质谱特征分析

采用气相色谱－质谱联用技术（GC－MS）对 9 种吲唑酰胺类合成大麻素（MDMB－CHMINACA、5F－AB－PINACA、5F－AMB、AB－CHMINACA、AB－FUBINACA、AB－PINACA、MDMB－FUBINACA、AMB－FUBINACA、ADB－BUTINACA）在电子轰击（EI）电离模式下产生的主要碎片离子和碎裂过程进行分析,并对所获得的质谱图进行解析,推测该类物质的EI碎裂规律。结果表明,在EI模式下,吲唑酰胺类合成大麻素的吲唑3号位酰胺基C—N键的断裂是主要碎裂方式,在碎裂过程中还存在麦氏重排。该研究总结了吲唑酰胺类合成大麻素在EI模式下的主要碎片离子和质谱特征,归纳了EI的特征碎裂规律,可为吲唑酰胺类合成大麻素的结构推断与鉴定提供参考。