In silico targeting PAD4 for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Structural Chemistry - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disorder that causes chronic inflammation with periodic bursts of activity in multiple synovial joints which lead to irreversible...     

Titanium dioxide-tetra sulphonatophenyl porphyrin nanocomposites for target cellular bio-imaging and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of the latest biomedical technologies used for treatment of various neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. However, there still exist some well-known problems regarding its efficacy, e.g. effective concentration of the drug at the desired sites, the irradiation light dosimetry and biocompatibility of the photosensitizer. The introduction of nanotechnology and nanomaterial like biocompatible nano-titania (i.e., nano-TiO₂) may facilitate to solve some of these problems. In this study we have explored the possibility of combining tetra sulphonatophenyl porphyrin (TSPP) with nano-titania (PT) for efficient PDT with least adverse effects. The spectroscopic properties of these nano-composites were characterized by using fluorescence and UV-Vis absorption spectroscopic study. The singlet oxygen quantum yield was determined by using 2,5-diphenyl-3,4-benzofuran (DPBF), while the effect of nano TiO₂ with TSPP on the synovial fibroblast cells from human (HSC) and rat models (RSC) were investigated by confocal laser microscopy and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Our results suggest that nano TiO₂ with TSPP can be readily utilized for effective PDT treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).     

Homotherapy for heteropathy active components and mechanisms of Qiang-Huo-Sheng-Shi decoction for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

Qiang-Huo-Sheng-Shi decoction (QHSSD), a classic traditional Chinese herbal formula, which has been reported to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). However, the concurrent targeting mechanism of how the aforementioned formula is valid in the two distinct diseases OA and RA, which represents the homotherapy-for-heteropathy principle in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), have not yet been clarified. In the present study, network pharmacology was adopted to analyze the potential molecular mechanism, and therapeutic effective components of QHSSD on both OA and RA. A total of 153 active ingredients in QHSSD were identified, 142 of which associated with 59 potential targets for the two diseases were identified. By constructing the protein-protein interaction network and the compound-target-disease network, 72 compounds and 10 proteins were obtained as the hub targets of QHSSD against OA and RA. The hub genes of ESR1, PTGS2, PPARG, IL1B, TNF, MMP2, IL6, CYP3A4, MAPK8, and ALB were mainly involved in osteoclast differentiation, the NF-κB and TNF signaling pathways. Moreover, molecular docking results showed that the screened active compounds had a high affinity for the hub genes. This study provides new insight into the molecular mechanisms behind how QHSSD presents homotherapy-for-heteropathy therapeutic efficacy in both OA and RA. For the first time, a two-disease model was linked with a TCM formula using network pharmacology to identify the key active components and understand the common mechanisms of its multi-pathway regulation. This study will inspire more innovative and important studies on the modern research of TCM formulas.     

Simultaneous determination of acetaminophen, dextromethorphen hydrobromide and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in a new drug formulation for cold treatment by HPLC

Summary A rapid and accurate HPLC method is described for the simultaneous determination of acetaminophen, dextromethorphen hydrobromide and pseudoephedrine hydrochloride in a new cold formulation. Chromatographic separation of the three pharmaceuticals was performed on a Hypersil CN column (150×5.0 mm, 5 μm) with a mobile phase mixture of an ion-pairing solution, methanol and acetonitrile (25:57:18, v/v), at a flow rate of 1.0 mL min⁻¹, with detection at 220 nm. Separation was complete in less than 10 min. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of quantitation and robustness. Linearity, accuracy, and precision were found to be acceptable over the ranges of 2.06∼20.6 μg·mL⁻¹ for acetaminophen, 0.202∼2.02 mg·mL⁻¹ for pseudoephedrine hydrochloride and 0.042∼1.06 mg·mL⁻¹ for dextromethorphen hydrobromide.     

Nanotechnology for diagnosis and therapy of rheumatoid arthritis: Evolution towards theranostic approaches

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA),as a chronic autoimmune disease,damages the bone and cartilage of patients,and even leads to disability.Therefore,the diagnosis and treatment of RA is particularly important.However,due to the complexity of RA,it is difficult to make effective early diagnosis of RA,which is detrimental to RA treatment.Besides,long-term intake of anti-RA drugs can also cause damage to patients' organs.The emergence of nanotechnology provides the new train of thoughts for the diagnosis and treatment of RA.And the combination of diagnosis and therapy is an ideal method to solve the problem of disease management of RA patients.In this review,we summarize the mechanism and microenvironment of RA,discuss the commonly used diagnostic techniques and therapeutic drugs for RA,and review their advantages and disadvantages.New nanotherapy strategies such as drug-carrying nanoparticles,PTT,PDT are listed,and their applications in RA treatment are also summarized.In addition,multimodal imaging,combined therapy and responsive diagnosis and treatment are also summarized as important contents.At last,we also review typical nanocarriers that can be used in the integration of diagnosis and therapy,and discussed their potential applications in RA theranostics.     

A validated high-performance thin-layer chromatography method for the simultaneous quantification of 6-gingerol,guggulsterone E and guggulsterone Z in coded formulation AYUSH SG-5 prepared for rheumatoid arthritis

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - A new, simple, selective, sensitive, precise, and robust high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) method for the...     

IL-17 induces the production of IL-16 in rheumatoid arthritis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of IL-16 in the rheumatoid synovium and the role of inflammatory cytokines and Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands in IL-16 production by fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Immunohistochemical staining was performed with a monoclonal antibody to IL-16 in synovial tissues from patients with RA and likewise in patients with osteoarthritis (OA). FLS were isolated from RA synovial tissues and stimulated with IL-15, IL-1beta, IFN-gamma, and IL-17. The IL-16 mRNA level was assessed by semiquantitative RT-PCR and real time (RT) PCR and a comparison was made between IL-16 mRNA levels produced by RA-FLS and OA-FLS. Production of IL-16 was identified by a western blot assay, and IL-16 production after stimulation by specific ligands of TLR2 and TLR4 was assessed by RT-PCR. While immunohistochemical staining demonstrated strong expression of IL-16 mRNA in synovial tissues from patients with RA, similar findings were not present in the OA group. Moreover, mRNA expression of IL-16 by RA-FLS increased after treatment with IL-17 but not with IL-15, IL-1beta, and IFN-gamma. Specifically, IL-17 increased IL-16 mRNA level by RA-FLS and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, IL-17 did not stimulate IL-16 production in OA-FLS. Peptidoglycan, a selective TLR2 ligand, also increased production of IL-16 by RA-FLS dose- dependently, whereas LPS, a selective TLR4 ligand, had no such stimulatory effect. The results from our data demonstrate that IL-17 and TLR2 ligands stimulate the production of IL-16 by RA-FLS.     

Capillary electrophoresis for rapid identification of monoclonal antibodies for routine application in hospital

mAbs are widely used in cancer therapy. Their compounding, performed just before their administration to patients, is executed in a production unit of the hospital. Identification of these drugs, individually prepared in bags for infusion before patient administration, is of paramount importance to detect potential mistakes during compounding stage. A fast and reliable analytical method based on CZE combined to a cationic capillary coating (hexadimethrine bromide) was developed for identification of the most widely used compounded therapeutic for cancer therapy (bevacizumab, cetuximab, rituximab, and trastuzumab). Considering the high structural and physico‐chemical similarities of these mAbs, an extensive optimization of the BGE composition has been performed. The addition of perchlorate ions and polysorbate in the BGE greatly increased the resolution. To validate the method, an internal standard was used and the relative migration times (RTm) were estimated. Very satisfactory RSDs of the RTm for rituximab (0.76%), cetuximab (0.46%), bevacizumab (0.31%), and trastuzumab (0.60%) were obtained. The intraday and interday RSD of the method were less than 0.32 and 1.3%, respectively for RTm. Significant differences between theses RTms have been demonstrated allowing mAbs identification. Finally, accurate mAbs identification has been demonstrated by a blind test.     

Selective chemiluminescence method for monitoring of vitamin K homologues in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin involved in blood coagulation and bone metabolism. The detection and monitoring of vitamin K homologues in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is a challenging problem due to the smaller concentrations of vitamin K and the presence of several interfering medications. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a new highly sensitive and selective chemiluminescence (CL) method designated to quantify vitamin K homologues in plasma of RA patients including phylloquinone (PK, vitamin K₁), menaquinone-4 (MK-4, vitamin K₂) and menaquinone-7 (MK-7, vitamin K₂). The method was based on the unique photochemical properties of vitamin K homologues that were exploited for selective luminol CL reaction. The correlation coefficients of 0.998 or more were obtained in the concentration ranges of 0.1-100 ng mL⁻¹ vitamin K homologues. The detection limits were 0.03-0.1 ng mL⁻¹ in human plasma for vitamin K homologues. The developed HPLC-CL system was successfully applied for selective determination of vitamin K homologues in plasma of RA patients. The developed method may provide a useful tool for monitoring vitamin K homologues in different clinical studies such as RA, osteoporosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in which vitamin K is intervented.     

A rapid spectrophotometric method for the determination of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in freshwater

A simple and rapid spectrophotometric method is proposed for the determination of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) in freshwater samples. In this method, TEP reacts with excess of alcian blue solution yielding a low solubility dye-TEP complex. After centrifugation, the concentration of the remaining dye in the supernatant was determined at 602 nm and its concentration was related to the concentration of TEP in freshwater. The effect of alcian blue concentration from 1.5×10⁻³ to 9.0×10⁻³% (m/v), solution pH from 2.5 to 6.9 and stirring time from 20 to 120 s on the analytical curve was investigated. Under the optimum conditions established, such as alcian blue concentration of 3.0×10⁻³% (m/v); pH of 4.0 (0.2 mol l⁻¹ acetate buffer solution) and stirring time of 1 min, the analytical curve was linear from 0.50 to 10 μg ml⁻¹ (A=0.34−0.037[GX]; r²=0.9999; where A is the absorbance and [GX] the gum xanthan concentration in μg ml⁻¹) with a detection limit of 0.10 μg ml⁻¹. The recovery of TEP (as gum xanthan) for two samples ranged from 95.3 to 108 and the relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) were lower than 0.8% for gum xanthan solutions at concentrations of 1.0 and 1.5 μg ml⁻¹ (n=8). The results obtained for TEP in freshwater samples using the proposed spectrophotometric method and those obtained using a literature method are in agreement at the 95% confidence level and within an acceptable range of error.     

Biological regulation on synovial fibroblast and the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis by nobiletin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids cargo tank

The hyperplasia and destruction of synovial tissue have an important impact on the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the abnormal proliferation and migration of synovial fibroblast in synovial tissue is similar to tumor cells. Targeting anomalous synovial fibroblast and designing a high bioavailability nano drug delivery system can reduce the dosage for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and it is of great significance to reduce toxic and side effects and improve curative effect. In this experiment, the nobiletin-loaded tetrahedral framework nucleic acids cargo tank was established, carrying anti-inflammatory small molecule monomer drug nobiletin with minimal bioavailability. Both in vitro cell experiments and in vivo animal studies proved the nano cargo tank enhance the role of nobiletin in reducing the invasiveness of pathological synovial fibroblast and promote their apoptosis, effectively alleviate the disease development of rheumatoid arthritis.     

Effect of non-specific chromogens on the determination of the 17-ketosteroid content in rheumatoid arthritis

Summary The excretion of total, neutral, 17-ketosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis has been determined photometrically by Zimmermann's reaction and by application of various procedures for the elimination of the effect of non-specific chromogens. Among the applied procedures the method including formaldehyde was the most practical and efficient for the estimation of the true content of urinary 17-ketosteroids. Thus, determining the exact content of 17-ketosteroids in rheumatoid arthritis a decreased excretion of the urinary metabolites of androgen hormones was established.

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Einfluß unspezifischer Chromogene auf die 17-Ketosteroid-Bestimmung bei rheumatoider Arthritis

Zusammenfassung Die bei rheumatoider Arthritis ausgeschiedenen neutralen Gesamt-17-Ketosteroide wurden mit Hilfe der Zimmermann-Reaktion photometrisch bestimmt. Die unspezifischen Chromogene wurden durch verschiedene Verfahren beseitigt, wobei sich das Formaldehydverfahren zur genauen Bestimmung als das zweckmäßigste und leistungsfähigste erwies. Auf Grund von Vergleichen der 17-Ketosteroidgehalte von gesunden und kranken Personen wurde eine Verringerung der Ausscheidung von Androgen-Metaboliten bei rheumatoider Arthritis festgestellt.

     

The changes in particle charge distribution during rapid growth of particles in the plasma reactor

The changes in particle charging were investigated during the rapid growth of particles in the plasma reactor by the discrete-sectional model and the Gaussian charge distribution function. The particle size distribution becomes bimodal in the plasma reactor and most of the large particles are charged negatively, but some fractions of small particles are in a neutral state or even charged positively. As the particles accumulate in the plasma reactor, the amount of electrons absorbed onto the particles increases, while the electron concentration in the plasma decreases. As the mass generation rate of small particles (monomers) decreases or as the initial electron concentration increases, the electron concentration in the plasmas increases and the particle charge distribution is shifted in the negative direction and the fraction of particles charged negatively and the average number of electrons per particle increase. With the decrease in monomer diameter, the electron concentration decreases in the beginning of plasma discharge, but, later, increases. For high mass generation rate of monomers or for low initial electron concentration or for small monomer diameter, the fraction of particles in a neutral state increases and the particle size distribution becomes broader.     

The application of quantitative NMR for the facile,rapid and reliable determination of clindamycin phosphate in a conventional tablet formulation

Spectroscopic tools such as NMR can be applied to the quantitative analysis of active pharmaceutical ingredients with relative ease and accuracy. Here, we demonstrate the quantification of clindamycin phosphate (CLP) in a conventional tablet formulation, performed using potassium hydrogen phthalate (KHP) as the internal standard and deuterium oxide (D₂O) as the NMR solvent. The methyl protons signal of CLP at 0.72 ppm (triplet) relative to the signal of KHP at 7.37–7.40 ppm (multiplet) was used for quantification purposes using ¹H NMR. This method was shown to be specific and linear (r = 0.9997) within the CLP concentration range from 7.2 to 23.1 mg per 0.5 ml of D₂O. The maximum relative standard deviation (RSD) of accuracy and precision was calculated at 0.39% and 0.64%, respectively. The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification were 0.04 and 0.11 mg/ml, respectively. The method was highly stable with a calculated RSD of 0.03%. The robustness of the method was demonstrated by changing four different parameters, and the difference among each parameter was ≤ 0.78%. The findings of this work were in good agreement with previously reported conventional HPLC‐based approaches, highlighting its applicability in the determination of other active pharmaceutical ingredients in conventional formulations for quality control purposes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Generalized and rapid supramolecular solvent-based sample treatment for the determination of annatto in food

A supramolecular solvent (SUPRA) made up of octanoic acid aggregates is proposed for the microextraction of bixin and norbixin, the two major components of the natural food colouring annatto, in food. The procedure involved the extraction of sub-gram quantities (200mg) of homogenized food with 0.8mL of the supramolecular solvent. The overall sample treatment took about 20 min, and several samples could be simultaneously treated using conventional lab equipment. No clean-up or solvent evaporation were required. Extraction efficiencies mainly depended on the major components making up the SUPRAS (i.e. octanoic acid and tetrahydrofuran) and were not affected by the pH or the temperature in the ranges studied (1-4 and 10-80°C, respectively). Bixin and norbixin in the extracts were quantified by liquid chromatography (LC) and diode array detection (DAD). They were separated in a Hypersil C18 column using a mobile phase consisting of 5% acetic acid and methanol (15:85, v/v). The retention times for norbixin and bixin standards were 5.1 and 8.6 min, respectively. Recoveries in samples ranged between about 78% and 113%. The precision of the method, expressed as relative standard deviation, was about 1.5% and the quantitation limits for bixin and norbixin were 0.19 and 0.23 mg kg(-1), respectively, which were far below the maximum limits permitted by the European Union for the level of addition to food. Concentration of norbixin in samples belonging to the five major groups of food commodities defined in the literature, ranged between 3.75 and 43.8 mg kg(-1) whereas bixin was only found in one snack sample (6.6 mg kg(-1)). The method is simple and rapid, while delivering accurate and precise results, and can be used for the routine determination of annatto in food for the control of the compliance of current legislation.     

Molecular mechanism of Xiaohuoluo wan for rheumatoid arthritis by integrating in vitro and in vivo chemomics and network pharmacology

The cause of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is unclear. Xiaohuoluo wan (XHLW) is a classical Chinese medicine that is particularly effective in the treatment of RA. Given the chemical composition of XHLW at the overall level has been little studied and the molecular mechanism for the treatment of RA is not clear, we searched for the potential active compounds of XHLW and explored their anti-inflammatory mechanism in the treatment of RA by flexibly integrating the high-resolution ultra-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS)-based in vitro and in vivo chemomics, network pharmacology, and other means. The results of the study identified that the active compounds of XHLW, such as alkaloids, nucleosides, and fatty acids, may play an anti-inflammatory role by regulating key targets such as IL-2, STAT1, JAK3, and MAPK8, inducing immune response through IL-17 signaling pathway, T-cell receptor, FoxO, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and so forth, inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors and resisting oxidative stress and other pathways to treat RA. The results of this study provide referable data for the screening of active compounds and the exploration of molecular mechanisms of XHLW in the treatment of RA.     

Amidase and peptidase activities of polyclonal immunoglobulin G present in the sera of patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Polyclonal Immunoglobulin (Ig) G from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy subjects hydrolyzed carbobenzoxy−Val−Gly−Arg p-nitroanilide and D−Pro−Phe−Arg p-nitroanilide. RA IgG exhibited higher activity against the former substrate, but not the latter. On the other hand, RA IgG showed reduced activity against D−Pro−Phe−Arg methylcoumarinamide, when compared with those of the healthy controls. These results suggest that RA IgGs differ from normal IgGs in the substrate specificity of amidase activity. Preliminary studies have shown that two out of three RA IgG samples cleaved a pentapeptide—Gln−Arg−Arg−Arg−Ala−Ala— which is assumed to be associated with the risk of developing RA (Gregersen, P. K. et al. (1987), Arthritis Rheum. 30, 1205–1213). By contrast, virtually no cleavage of the same peptide was observed with IgG from healthy controls. A peptide analog, Gln−Arg−Arg−Trp−Ala, was not cleaved at all by any IgGs examined either from RA patients or healthy controls.     

Synthesis of waterborne nanopolyanilne latexes and application of nanopolyaniline particles in epoxy paint formulation for smart corrosion resistivity of carbon steel

Polyaniline (PANI) latexes were synthesized by emulsion polymerization using dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant. Synthesized PANI–DBSA and PANI–SDS latexes were characterized by IR and UV‐visible spectroscopies, and surface morphology was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. The PANI–DBSA were found to be nanograin shaped whereas PANI–SDS were as nanofibers. In the second stage rheological properties of waterborne PANI latexes were characterized by viscosity measurement and their dispersion stability in water. The surface morphology of the coating was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The anti‐corrosion performance of uncoated carbon steel, PANI–DBSA and PANI–SDS coated carbon steel was evaluated by tafel slope analysis and immersion test studies of 0.5, 1, and 1.5% PANI/Epoxy coatings were done in 5% NaCl aqueous solution. The results indicated that the nanoPANI in epoxy coating might work as an adhesion promoter and corrosion inhibitor. The waterborne latexes, thus, were found to be highly suitable and avoid the use of organic solvents or strong acids under environmentally benign conditions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.