Parasite‐Based Screening and Proteome Profiling Reveal Orlistat,an FDA‐Approved Drug,as a Potential Anti Trypanosoma brucei Agent[ ]

Trypanosoma brucei is a parasite that causes African sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in livestock and is transmitted by the tsetse fly. There is an urgent need for the development of new drugs against African trypanosomiasis due to the lack of vaccines and effective drugs. Orlistat (also called tetrahydrolipstatin or THL) is an FDA‐approved antiobesity drug targeting primarily the pancreatic and gastric lipases within the gastrointestinal tract. It shows potential activities against tumors, mycobacteria, and parasites. Herein, we report the synthesis and evaluation of an expanded set of orlistat‐like compounds, some of which showed highly potent trypanocidal activities in both the bloodstream form (BSF) and the procyclic form (PCF) of T. brucei. Subsequent in situ parasite‐based proteome profiling was carried out to elucidate potential cellular targets of the drug in both forms. Some newly identified targets were further validated by the labeling of recombinantly expressed enzymes in Escherichia coli lysates. Bioimaging experiments with a selected compound were carried out to study the cellular uptake of the drug in T. brucei. Results indicated that orlistat is much more efficiently taken up by the BSF than the PCF of T. brucei and has clear effects on the morphology of mitochondria, glycosomes, and the endoplasmic reticulum in both BSF and PCF cells. These results support specific effects of orlistat on these organelles and correlate well with our in situ proteome profiling. Given the economic challenges of de novo drug development for neglected diseases, we hope that our findings will stimulate further research towards the conversion of orlistat‐like compounds into new trypanocidal drugs.     

A simple and smart telemedicine device for developing regions: a pocket-sized colorimetric reader

We have proposed a novel mobile healthcare platform, combining a pocket-sized colorimetric reader (13.5 × 6.5 × 2.5 cm(3)) and commercially available 10-parameter urinalysis paper strips (glucose, protein, glucose, bilirubin, urobilinogen, ketones, nitrite, pH, specific gravity, erythrocytes, and leukocytes), capable of sending data with a smart phone. The reader includes a novel colorimetric multi-detection module, which consists of three-chromatic light-emitting diodes, silicon photodiodes and a novel poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) optical splitter. We employed data reading methods using conversions of the signal data (red, blue, and green) to the hue (H) color map or the Y model data, and used a curve-fitting method for the quantification. The reader is battery-powered, inexpensive, light-weight, and very speedy in analysis. And, it was applied to detection of a thousand of human urine samples and demonstrated reliable quantification of urinary glucose and protein. The features can be used by unskilled people on-site to transfer the analyzed data to experts off-site.     

氯化三有机基锡和氯化三有机基铅与三苯基氧胂配合物的合成和晶体结构研究

描述了一事三苯基氧胂Ｐｈ３ＡｓＯ．Ｈ２Ｏ（１）及其与氯化三苯基锡,氯化三对氯苯基锡及氯化三苯基铅配合物「Ｐｈ３ＳｎＣｌ（ＯＡｓＰｈ３）」（２）,「（ＣｌＰｈ）３ＳｎＣｌ（ＯＡｓＰＨ３）」（３）和」Ｐｈ３ＰｂＣｌ（ＯＡｓＰｈ３）（４）的合成和晶体结构,晶体数据分别为（１）单斜晶系,空间群Ｐ２、／ｎ,ａ＝９．４６０４（７）,ｂ＝１６．６３４７（７）,ｃ＝１１．１５４４（１１）Ａ,Ｂ＝１１３．２３３（６     

Mechanistic study on the effect of PEG molecules in a trivalent chromium electrodeposition process

The mechanism of chromium metal deposition from a trivalent chromium bath containing formic acid and polyethylene glycol 1000 (PEG) was studied on an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and a technique for measuring pH on the cathode surface. Reactions of PEG molecules with trivalent chromium ions and their influence on the plating process of trivalent chromium were investigated. EQCM studies at low trivalent chromium ion concentrations show that chromium electrodeposition occurs via the formation of an adsorption layer on the electrode surface, which is called a cathodic film. Cathodic films hinder the penetration of ions from bulk solution to the cathode surface. In the inner portion of the cathodic film and at the cathode surface, intermediate complexes were formed during the deposition process. ESI-MS revealed that the PEG molecules were stable in a trivalent chromium bath containing potassium formate. During electroplating, the PEG molecules decreased the reductive current of hydrogen compared with solutions without PEG; an effect that was also observed due to the pH on the electrode surface. PEG plays a decisive role in the formation of intermediate compounds during electrodeposition.     

Metal-Containing initiator Systems. XXXVI. Synthesis of Block Copolymer of Methyl Acrylate and α-Methylbenzyl Methacrylate with Binary Initiator System of Cobaltocene and Bis(ethyl acetoacetato)copper(II)

Polymerizations of methyl acrylate (MA) and (DL)-α-methyl-benzyl methacrylate (MBMA) with binary initiator system of cobaltocene [Co(C₅H₅)₂] and bis(ethyl acetoacetato)copper(II) [Cu(eacac)₂] were studied in acetonitrile at 25°C. The molecular weight of the polymers obtained by MA was found to increase with time in the early stage of polymerization. Although MBMA was also polymerized by this system, asymmetric selective polymerization was not induced in the presence of (-)-sparteine. The synthesis of the block copolymer of MA and MBMA was attempted by using this initiator system. The block copolymer was obtained in 90% yield in the polymerization of MBMA with a polymer radical which prepared from MA with this system for 1 day. The yield of the block copolymer depended on the prepolymeriza-tion time of MA by this system. The resulting block copolymer was characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, and gel-permeation chromatography.