An orally administered microcapsule system for treating chronic renal failure patients

Ingestible adsorbents for the removal of uremic metabolites are being investigated as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of chronic uremia. In particular, a microcapsule product containing urease and zirconium phosphate (UZP) has been investigated for removing urea. A dog model, simulating chronic uremia, was developed to investigate: (1) the concentration of various nitrogenous metabolites (urea, creatinine, and uric acid) in the GI tract, (2) flux rates of H₂O and various nitrogenous metabolites in the GI tract, and (3) the efficacy of the microcapsule product. The results of these perfusion studies suggest that urea and creatinine can be removed from the GI tract via ingestible adsorbents. In addition, the model may be useful in investigating suspect uremic toxins, e.g., guanidinosuccinic acid (GSA). The reduction of blood urea nitrogen levels in the dog model when the animal was fed the microcapsule product was limited by the capacity of the zirconium phosphate to bind ammonium ion. Preliminary clinical studies with the microcapsule product indicate that it may be of potential adjunctive therapy in patients suffering from chronic renal failure.     

黄芪口服液降低大鼠顺铂毒性作用机制的尿液代谢组学研究

采用基于液相色谱-飞行时间质谱联用(LC-TOF-MS)技术的代谢组学方法,分析大鼠尿液内源性代谢物的变化,研究黄芪口服液(HO)降低大鼠顺铂(CDDP)毒性的作用机制.采用低剂量多次腹腔注射CDDP的方法建立CDDP染毒大鼠模型,并连续给予16天HO.于第18天收集正常对照(Control)组、顺铂模型(CDDP)组和黄芪口服液(HO)组大鼠的24 h尿液, 进行LC-TOF-MS分析,以获取尿液代谢物组数据集,对所得数据进行主成分分析(PCA)和正交偏最小二乘法-判别分析(OPLS-DA)等多元统计分析,以筛选潜在生物标志物.于第20天采集大鼠血清测定肌酐和尿素氮水平.血清指标测定结果表明, HO可以显著降低CDDP染毒大鼠的肌酐和尿素氮水平(p<0.05).PCA得分图显示,3组可分别聚类,HO组位于Control组和CDDP组中间,表明HO可部分改善CDDP所致大鼠尿液代谢产物的异常变化.综合OPLS-DA分析、t检验和倍数变化分析结果,最终共筛选并初步鉴定出35个尿液代谢产物作为HO减毒相关的潜在生物标记物.代谢通路分析结果表明,HO可通过纠正体内氨基酸代谢、能量代谢和核苷酸代谢等通路的紊乱,降低CDDP所致机体毒性.     

Biological Fuel Cell Incorporating a Selective Anode Catalyst

Abstract

A fuel cell detector has been constructed with an activated carbon anode. The detector responds to creatinine, uric acid and lactic acid but not to glucose or urea. It is therefore suitable as the basis of a selective detector for certain blood metabolites. Methods for improving the selectivity are discussed.     

UHPLC-MS-Based Serum and Urine Metabolomics Reveals the Anti-Diabetic Mechanism of Ginsenoside Re in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Panax ginseng was employed in the treatment of “Xiao-Ke” symptom, which nowadays known as diabetes mellitus, in traditional Chinese medicine for more than a thousand years. Ginsenoside Re was the major pharmacologic ingredient found abundantly in ginseng. However, the anti-diabetic of Ginsenoside Re and its underlying mechanism in metabolic level are still unclear. Serum and urine metabolomic method was carried out to investigate the anti-diabetic pharmacological effects and the potential mechanism of Ginsenoside Re on high-fat diet combined streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole exactive orbitrap mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS). Serum and urine samples were collected from the control group (CON), T2DM group, metformin (MET) treatment group, and ginsenoside Re treatment group after intervention. The biochemical parameters of serum were firstly analyzed. The endogenous metabolites in serum and urine were detected by UHPLC-MS. The potential metabolites were screened by multivariate statistical analysis and identified by accurate mass measurement, MS/MS, and metabolite databases. The anti-diabetic-related metabolites were analyzed by KEGG metabolic pathway, and its potential mechanism was discussed. The treatment of ginsenoside Re significantly reduced the blood glucose and serum lipid level improved the oxidative stress caused by T2DM. Biochemical parameters (urea nitrogen, uric acid) showed that ginsenoside Re could improve renal function in T2DM rats. Respective 2 and 6 differential metabolites were found and identified in serum and urine of ginsenoside Re compared with T2DM group and enriched in KEGG pathway. Metabolic pathways analysis indicated that the differential metabolites related to T2DM were mainly involved in arachidonic acid metabolism, Vitamin B6, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and bile secretion metabolic pathways. This study verified the anti-diabetic and anti-oxidation effects of ginsenoside Re, elaborated that ginsenoside Re has a good regulation of the metabolic disorder in T2DM rats, which could promote insulin secretion, stimulated cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB₁), and CaMKK β to activate AMPK signaling pathway, inhibited insulin resistance, and improved blood glucose uptake and diabetic nephropathy, so as to play the role of anti-diabetic.     

Capillary Electrophoresis as A Diagnostic Tool: Determination of Biological Constituents Present in Urine of Normal and Pathological Individuals

Abstract

A quantitative ultraviolet detection method for the determination of urinary metabolites is described using capillary zone electrophoresis. The determination of these metabolites is simple, fast. reproducible and utilizes very small amounts of sample. This method is linear between 1.0 × 10^?4 and 1.0 × 10^?2 M for creatinine and between 1.0 × 10^?1 and 1.0 M for urea. The ultraviolet method shows detection limits for creatinine in the picogram (femtomol) range, and for urea in the nanogram (picomol) range.     

CE Determination of Creatinine and Uric Acid in Saliva and Urine During Exercise

A simple and reliable method based on capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection (CE–ED) was applied to study the effect of aerobic exercises on creatinine and uric acid concertration in saliva and urine. The pH value, the running buffer concentration, the SDS concentration, separation voltage, injection time and the potential applied to the working electrode were investigated to find the optimum conditions. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for creatinine and uric acid were 3.6 μmol L^?1 and 0.86 μmol L^?1, respectively. This method was successfully used in the rapid analysis of creatinine and uric acid in saliva samples. After aerobic exercises, creatinine concentration decreased, and uric acid concentration increased in saliva. In urine, the concentrations of creatinine and uric acid both increased after exercise.     

Chromatographic Properties of Ethanol/Water Mobile Phases on Silica Based Monolithic C18

A simple and reliable method based on capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detection (CE–ED) was applied to study the effect of aerobic exercises on creatinine and uric acid concertration in saliva and urine. The pH value, the running buffer concentration, the SDS concentration, separation voltage, injection time and the potential applied to the working electrode were investigated to find the optimum conditions. The detection limits (S/N = 3) for creatinine and uric acid were 3.6 μmol L⁻¹ and 0.86 μmol L⁻¹, respectively. This method was successfully used in the rapid analysis of creatinine and uric acid in saliva samples. After aerobic exercises, creatinine concentration decreased, and uric acid concentration increased in saliva. In urine, the concentrations of creatinine and uric acid both increased after exercise.

     

Determination of orotic acid, uric acid, and creatinine in milk by liquid chromatography

A simultaneous determination of orotic acid, uric acid, and creatinine in milk is described. Following deproteinization, the sample was analyzed by reversed-phase liquid chromatography, using a highly aqueous cationic ion-pair eluent and photodiode array UV detection. In view of their potential dietary significance, the validated method was applied to survey the influence of species, season, and lactation on their contribution to the nonprotein nitrogen pool in milk. Mature bovine milk contained orotic acid, uric acid, and creatinine in the range of 30-70, 9-24, and 6-12 microg/mL, respectively. Although uric acid and creatinine were present in all milks, orotic acid was essentially absent in nonruminant milks. In contrast to urate and creatinine, expression of orotic acid in bovine milk was strongly dependent on stage of early lactation. The co-existence in mammalian milks of related nucleoside and nucleotide components was also determined.     

Fraxinellone Induces Hepatotoxicity in Zebrafish through Oxidative Stress and the Transporters Pathway

Fraxinellone (FRA), a major active component from Cortex Dictamni, produces hepatotoxicity via the metabolization of furan rings by CYP450. However, the mechanism underlying the hepatotoxicity of FRA remains unclear. Therefore, zebrafish larvae at 72 h post fertilization were used to evaluate the metabolic hepatotoxicity of FRA and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results showed that FRA (10–30 μM) induced liver injury and obvious alterations in the metabolomics of zebrafish larvae. FRA induces apoptosis by increasing the level of ROS and activating the JNK/P53 pathway. In addition, FRA can induce cholestasis by down-regulating bile acid transporters P-gp, Bsep, and Ntcp. The addition of the CYP3A inhibitor ketoconazole (1 μM) significantly reduced the hepatotoxicity of FRA (30 μM), which indicated that FRA induced hepatotoxicity through CYP3A metabolism. Targeted metabolomics analysis indicates the changes in amino acid levels can be combined with molecular biology to clarify the mechanism of hepatotoxicity induced by FRA, and amino acid metabolism monitoring may provide a new method for the prevention and treatment of DILI from FRA.     

The effects of gum arabic oral treatment on the metabolic profile of chronic renal failure patients under regular haemodialysis in Central Sudan

This study aimed at assessing the effect of gum arabic (Acacia senegal) oral treatment on the metabolic profile of chronic renal failure (CRF) patients. A total of 36 CRF patients (under regular haemodialysis) and 10 normal subjects participated in this study. The patients were randomly allocated into three groups-group A: 12 CRF patients under low-protein diet (LPD) (<40 g day(-1)) and gum arabic (50 g day(-1)) treatment; group B: 14 CRF patients under LPD and gum arabic, iron (ferrous sulphate, 200 mg day(-1)) and folic acid (5 mg day(-1)) treatment; group C (control group): 10 CRF patients under LPD and iron and folic acid treatment and group D: 10 normal volunteers (on normal diet) under daily dose of 50 g gum arabic. Each of the above treatments was continued for three consecutive months. Blood samples were collected from each subject before treatment and twice per month "pre-dialysis" for 3 months. Biochemical parameters measured were: serum urea, serum creatinine, serum uric acid, serum calcium and serum phosphorus. By the end of the 3 months of treatment, serum urea levels significantly decreased by 31.2 and 44.18% for group A and B, respectively, compared with the baseline (0.01 < p < 0.001) and control group (p < 0.05). Serum creatinine levels significantly decreased in the groups of gum users (A, B and D) by 9.94, 12.65 and 11.7%, respectively, compared with the control group (p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease (p < 0.05) in serum uric acid levels by 14 and 19.9% for group A and B, respectively, compared with the baseline. Serum calcium levels increased by 12.64, 15.75 and 8.75% for group A, B and D, respectively, and these increases were significantly different (0.05 < p < 0.001) from baseline and control group for groups A and B. Serum phosphorus levels significantly decreased by 22.54% for group A, 17.69% for group B and 7.71% for group D, compared with the baseline (0.05 < p < 0.001). From this study, we conclude that oral administration of gum arabic could conceivably alleviate adverse effects of CRF.     

Microchip capillary electrophoresis with electrochemical detector for precolumn enzymatic analysis of glucose, creatinine, uric acid and ascorbic acid in urine and serum

An integrated multiple-enzymatic assay was performed on a (microchip capillary electrophoresis) μCE-EC chip capable of precise intake of sample or reagents in nanoliters. Incorporating multiple-enzyme assay into the μCE chip is relatively new—rendering simultaneous analysis of creatinine and uric acid a snap.Added to the list of merits in this study are the enhanced sensitivity down to 1 μM and a broader spectrum of analytes—inclusive of glucose for the long-time sufferers of diabetes. The performance was orchestrated to attain the claimed level: employing the end-channel electrode mode to tame the noises and the precolumn enzymatic reaction to stabilize the baseline. The 10 μm embedded Pt electrode, deposited at the end of the 30 μm wide separation channel, benefited chip fabrication besides noise reduction. The optimized conditions were 20 mM phosphate buffer (pH 7.5), +1.5 kV separation voltage and +1.0 V detection potential (versus Ag/AgCl). The migration time was repeatable within the deviation of 0.5% R.S.D. (n=7), but the peak currents ranged from 1.5 to 2.2% R.S.D. The detection limits (S/N=3) ranged from 0.71 μM for ascorbic acid to 10 μM for glucose. The calibration curve was linear from 10 to 800 μM (R²>0.995). Glucose, creatinine, uric acid and ascorbic acid as model analytes, in pure form or in serum and urine samples, were tested to verify its feasibility.     

Millettia ferruginea extract attenuates cisplatin-induced alterations in kidney functioning,DNA damage,oxidative stress,and renal tissue morphology

This study aimed to investigate the beneficial role of Millettia ferruginea extract (MF) in preventing cisplatin (Cisp) induced nephrotoxicity in rats. A total of 55 metabolites were identified using LC-MS analysis. The in vivo results indicated that MF pretreatment for 4 weeks (20 mg/kg b.w.) remarkably attenuated the altered renal biomarkers by decreasing the levels of plasma creatinine, urea, and uric acid when compared to the Cisp-group. The nephroprotective capacity of MF was further strengthened by histopathological observations, where Cisp + MF treated rats showed lower number of inflammatory cells and tubular degenerative changes than the Cisp-group. The harmful effects of cisplatin on renal oxidative stress indicators (MDA, SOD, CAT, and GPx), were restored by the treatment of MF. In addition, the reduction of inflammatory markers (IL-6 and TNF-α), associated with alleviating DNA fragmentation, highlighted the preventive effect of MF in kidney tissue. Additionally, MF components presented lower binding energies when docked into the active site of TNF-α and IL-6. The present findings concluded that M. ferruginea extract exhibited nephroprotective potential, which may be attributed to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Further work is recommended to confirm the current results, explore the involved mechanism of action, and determine the therapeutic doses and time.     

Simultaneous determination of uric acid and creatinine in urine by an eco-friendly solvent-free high performance liquid chromatographic method

A simple, rapid, and eco-friendly analytical method for simultaneous determination of uric acid and creatinine in urine applying high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is described. After dilution, de-protein, and filtration, the sample solution was injected to separate the species with C-18 column by an eluent containing 0.05 M ammonium phosphate buffer at pH 7.4. An UV detector was used to monitor the separation of species at 235 nm. Optimum conditions for separation and detection were investigated. Results indicated that under optimized condition measurements were achieved within 13 min. The detection limits were 0.127 and 0.156 mug ml(-1) for uric acid and creatinine respectively. The recovery was 95% (0.57% RSD) for uric acid and 99.2% (0.98% RSD) for creatinine, from five measurements. Real urine specimens were tested.     

Simultaneous determination of uric acid and creatinine in biological fluids by column-switching liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection

A column-switching liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of uric acid and creatinine in human serum and urine was developed. Creatinine and uric acid were separated by size-exclusion chromatography on a hydrophilic gel column (C1) and creatinine eluted from Cl was separated from proteins by filtration through a longer hydrophilic gel column (C2). The creatinine fraction eluted from C2 was transferred to a weakly acidic cation-exchange column (C3) and then to a strongly acidic cation-exchange column (C4). Uric acid eluted from Cl after creatinine was transferred to an anion-exchange column (C5) and then to a hydrophilic gel column (C6). The mobile phase was a mixed buffer of pH 5.1 (propionic acid-succinic acid-NaOH, 60:15:60 mmol/1 in water). Diluted serum and urine could be injected onto C1, and Cl was backflushed after the transfer of uric acid from Cl to C5.

Creatinine and uric acid in the eluate were determined by measuring their ultraviolet absorption at 234 and 290 nm, respectively. The recovery of uric acid and creatinine added to diluted serum (20-fold dilution, concentration 20 and 5 μmol/1, respectively) was 98.9±0.56% and 100.9±1.29%, respectively. The recovery of uric acid and creatinine added to diluted urine (100-fold dilution, concentration 50 and 100 μmol/l, respectively) was 99.4±0.72% and 98.7±1.45%, respectively (mean±R.S.D., n=6).     

Identification of metabolites of rupestonic acid in rat urine by liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry

Rupestonic acid, a potential anti‐influenza agent, is an important and characteristic compound in Artemisia rupestris L., a well‐known traditional Uighur medicine for the treatment of colds. In the present study, high‐performance liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry was used to detect and identify the metabolites in rat urine after oral administration of rupestonic acid. A total of 10 metabolites were identified or partially characterized. The structure elucidations of the metabolites were performed by comparing the changes in accurate molecular masses and fragment ions with those of the parent compound. The results showed that the main metabolites of rupestonic acid in rat urine were formed by oxidation, hydrogenation and glucuronidation. A metabolism pathway was proposed for the first time based on the characterized structures. This metabolism study can provide essential information for drug discovery, design and clinical application of rupestonic acid. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

新型吸附剂——球形碳化树脂的研究Ⅰ.

苯乙烯-二乙烯苯共聚物小球经浓硫酸处理后进行高温裂解,得到球形碳化树脂。测定球形碳化树脂的诸物理性质及其对肌酸酐、尿酸的吸附性能,并研究物理性质与吸附性能间的关系。裂解产品比表面可达800M~2/g以上,对肌酸酐和尿酸的吸附率可达98％以上。     

新型聚乙烯醇微囊的制备及其结构性能研究

采用低温物理交联法制备新型聚乙烯醇微囊,所得微囊机械强度好,克服了目前普遍采用的海藻酸钠-聚赖氨酸-海藻酸钠(APA)微囊易碎的缺点,在APA微囊已完全破碎的机械强度下,聚乙烯醇微囊的破碎率仅为3%.在体外模拟肠胃生理极限条件下可保持稳定的物理化学性质,对尿素、尿酸和肌酐等小分子具有良好的通透性,能在10min内完全通透.将高效分解尿素的脲酶基因工程菌E.coliDH5包埋于聚乙烯醇微囊之中,其工程菌仍具有很高的分解尿素能力,其活力约为自由菌的80%.     

Simultaneous Sensitive Determination of Dopamine and Uric Acid in the Presence of Excess Ascorbic Acid with a Magnetic Chitosan Microsphere/Thionine Modified Electrode

Magnetic chitosan microspheres (MCMS) and thionine were incorporated in a modified electrode for the simultaneous sensitive determination of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). Due to the unique properties of the MCMS and the electron mediation of thionine, this modified electrode showed excellent electrocatalytic oxidation toward dopamine and uric acid with a large separation of peak potentials and a significant enhancement of peak currents. However, the electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid may be depressed at the modified electrode. Differential pulse voltammetry was used for the simultaneous sensitive determination of dopamine and uric acid in the presence of excess ascorbic acid at this modified electrode. The current responses showed excellent linear relationships in the range of 2–30 µM and 9–100 µM for dopamine and uric acid, respectively. The detection limits were estimated to be 0.5 µM and 2.3 µM for dopamine and uric acid, respectively. In addition, this modified electrode showed excellent repeatability, good stability, and satisfactory reliability, thus indicating potential for the practical applications.     

The Nephroprotective Effect of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) Fruits in a Gentamicin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Model in Rats: A Biochemical and Histopathological Investigation

Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) (Z. lotus) is a medicinal plant largely distributed all over the Mediterranean basin and is traditionally used by Moroccan people to treat many illnesses, including kidney failure. The nephrotoxicity of gentamicin (GM) has been well documented in humans and animals, although the preventive strategies against it remain to be studied. In this investigation, we explore whether the extract of Zizyphus lotus L. (Desf.) Fruit (ZLF) exhibits a protective effect against renal damage produced by GM. Indeed, twenty-four Wistar rats were separated into four equal groups of six each (♂/♀ = 1). The control group was treated orally with distilled water (10 mL/kg); the GM treated group received distilled water (10 mL/kg) and an intraperitoneal injection of GM (80 mg/kg) 3 h after; and the treated groups received ZLF extract orally at the doses 200 or 400 mg/kg and injected intraperitoneally with the GM. All treatments were given daily for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, the biochemical parameters and the histological observation related the kidney function was explored. ZLF treatment has significantly attenuated the nephrotoxicity induced by the GM. This effect was indicated by its capacity to decrease significantly the serum creatinine, uric acid, urea, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase, albumin, calcium, sodium amounts, water intake, urinary volume, and relative kidney weight. In addition, this effect was also shown by the increase in the creatinine clearance, urinary creatinine, uric acid, and urea levels, weight gain, compared to the rats treated only with the GM. The hemostasis of oxidants/antioxidants has been significantly improved with the treatment of ZLF extract, which was shown by a significant reduction in malondialdehydes levels. Histopathological analysis of renal tissue was correlated with biochemical observation. Chemical analysis by HPLC-DAD showed that the aqueous extract of ZLF is rich in phenolic compounds such as 3-hydroxycinnamic acid, catechin, ferulic acid, gallic acid, hydroxytyrosol, naringenin, p- coumaric Acid, quercetin, rutin, and vanillic acid. In conclusion, ZLF extract improved the nephrotoxicity induced by GM, through the improvement of the biochemical and histological parameters and thus validates its ethnomedicinal use.     

高效毛细管区带电泳测定人尿液中尿酸、肌酐和伪尿核苷的含量

报道了采用高效毛细管区带电泳技术直接将人尿液注入毛细管进行尿液中肌酐、尿酸及伪尿核苷含量测定的新方法。试验表明,以磷酸盐（ｐＨ６．１）作缓冲液,对人体尿液中肌酐、尿酸及伪尿核苷进行直接分析具有较高的灵敏度和较好的重复性。