Discovery of Dipyridamole Analogues with Enhanced Metabolic Stability for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Dipyridamole, apart from its well-known antiplatelet and phosphodiesterase inhibitory activities, is a promising old drug for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. However, dipyridamole shows poor pharmacokinetic properties with a half-life (T_1/2) of 7 min in rat liver microsomes (RLM). To improve the metabolic stability of dipyridamole, a series of pyrimidopyrimidine derivatives have been designed with the assistance of molecular docking. Among all the twenty-four synthesized compounds, compound (S)-4h showed outstanding metabolic stability (T_1/2 = 67 min) in RLM, with an IC₅₀ of 332 nM against PDE5. Furthermore, some interesting structure–activity relationships (SAR) were explained with the assistance of molecular docking.     

A UPLC‐TOF/MS‐based metabolomics study of rattan stems of Schisandra chinensis effects on Alzheimer's disease rats model

A UPLC‐TOF/MS‐based metabolomics method was established to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of rattan stems of S. chinensis (SCS) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Experimental AD model was induced by intra‐hippocampal Aβ_1–42 injection in rats. Cognitive function and oxidative stress condition in brain of AD rats were assessed using Morris water maze tests and antioxidant assays [malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px)], respectively. UPLC‐TOF/MS combined with multivariate statistical analysis were conducted to study the changes in metabolic networks in serum of rats. The results indicated that the AD model was established successfully and the inducement of Aβ_1–42 caused a decline in spatial learning and memory of rats. The injection of Aβ_1–42 in rat brains significantly elevated the level of MDA, and reduced SOD and GSH‐Px activities. In addition, SCS showed significant anti‐AD effects on model rats. A total of 30 metabolites were finally identified as potential biomarkers of AD and 14 of them had a significant recovery compared with the AD model after SCS administration. Changes in AD metabolite profiling were restored to different levels through the regulation of 13 pathways. This is first report on the use of the UPLC‐TOF/MS‐based serum metabolomics method to investigate therapeutic effects of SCS on AD, and enrich potential biomarkers and metabolic networks of AD.     

Global quantification of phosphoproteins combining metabolic labeling and gel‐based proteomics in B. pumilus

Differential proteomics targeting the protein abundance is commonly used to follow changes in biological systems. Differences in localization and degree of post‐translational modifications of proteins including phosphorylations are of tremendous interest due to the anticipated role in molecular regulatory processes. Because of their particular low abundance in prokaryotes, identification and quantification of protein phosphorylation is traditionally performed by either comparison of spot intensities on two‐dimensional gels after differential phosphoprotein staining or gel‐free by stable isotope labeling, sequential phosphopeptide enrichment and following LC‐MS analysis. In the current work, we combined in a proof‐of‐principle experiment these techniques using ¹⁴N/¹⁵N metabolic labeling with succeeding protein separation on 2D gels. The visualization of phosphorylations on protein level by differential staining was followed by protein identification and determination of phosphorylation sites and quantification by LC‐MS/MS. This approach should avoid disadvantages of traditional workflows, in particular the limited capability of peptide‐based gel‐free methods to quantify isoforms of proteins. Comparing control and stress conditions allowed for relative quantification in protein phosphorylation in Bacillus pumilus exposed to hydrogen peroxide. Altogether, we quantified with this method 19 putatively phosphorylated proteins.     

Light‐Driven Shape‐Memory Porous Films with Precisely Controlled Dimensions

Shape‐memory polymers (SMPs) are an intriguing class of smart materials possessing reversible shape change and recovery capabilities. Effective routes to shape‐memory porous films (SMPFs) are few and limited in scope owing to the difficulty in manipulating the shape change of pores by conventional methods. Herein we report an unconventional strategy for crafting light‐driven SMPFs by judiciously constructing highly ordered porous films via a facile “breath figure” approach, followed by sequential vapor crosslinking and nondestructive directional light manipulation. Micropores can thus be transformed into other shapes including rectangle, rhombus and size‐reduced micropores at room temperature. The transformed micropores can be reverted to their original shapes by either thermal annealing or UV irradiation. As such, this strategy expands the rich diversity of SMPs accessible.     

生物法制备2,3-丁二醇的最新进展

2,3-丁二醇及其衍生物作为重要的液体燃料和化工原料,具有广阔的工业应用前景。高效、经济的2,3-丁二醇生物制备方法,对我国低碳经济和循环经济的建设具有重要的促进作用。针对近三年间生物法制备2,3-丁二醇领域的最新研究成果,本文综述了当前国内外学者在该领域研究的热点,即关键基因和酶的鉴定、新菌种的开发和代谢工程改造、同步糖化和共培养等发酵条件的优化、耦合工艺等分离纯化技术改进等。使用非致病的高产单一2,3-丁二醇手性异构体的代谢工程菌株,作为细胞炼制工厂,利用廉价的非粮原料作底物,采用经济、简单、环保的分离纯化方式,是2,3-丁二醇产业化发展的可靠保障。     

Characterization and tentative identification of new flunitrazepam metabolites in authentic human urine specimens using liquid chromatography‐Q exactive‐HF hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QE‐HF‐MS)

Flunitrazepam (FNZ) is a potent hypnotic, sedative, and amnestic drug used to treat severe insomnia. In our recent study, FNZ metabolic profiles were investigated carefully. Six authentic human urine samples were purified using solid phase extraction (SPE) without enzymatic hydrolysis, and urine extracts were then analyzed by liquid chromatography‐Q exactive‐HF hybrid quadrupole‐Orbitrap‐mass spectrometry (LC‐QE‐HF‐MS), using the full scan positive ion mode and targeted MS/MS (ddms2) technique to make accurate mass measurements. There were 25 metabolites, including 13 phase I and 12 phase II metabolites, which were detected and tentatively identified by LC‐QE‐HF‐MS. In addition, nine previously unreported phase II glucuronide conjugates and four phase I metabolites are reported here for the first time. Eight metabolic pathways, including N‐reduction and O‐reduction, N‐glucuronidation, O‐glucuronidation, mono‐hydroxylation and di‐hydroxylation, demethylation, acetylation, and combinations, were implicated in this work, and 2‐O‐reduction together with dihydroxylation were two novel metabolic pathways for FNZ that were identified tentatively. Although 7‐amino FNZ is widely considered to be the primary metabolite, a previously unreported metabolites (M12) can also serve as a potential biomarker for FNZ misuse.     

一株红球菌脱硫菌株脱硫特性的研究

从炼油厂污水排放口取得的土样中筛选到一株能降解二苯并噻吩 (DBT)的菌株 ,用GC/MS方法 ,证明其降解DBT走硫专一脱除途径 ,即“4S途径” .该菌株被命名为SDUZAWQ ,用微生物生理生化实验及 16SrDNA序列分析初步鉴定为红球菌属 (Rhodococcussp .) .实验结果表明 ,红球菌SDUZAWQ可有效降解苯并噻吩 (BT)和DBT及其甲基衍生物 .在 2d内 ,BT与DBT可同时完全降解 ,0 .5mmol·L-1的BT在 1d内可降解掉 86% ,降解速度高于DBT的降解 .5 MBT的降解率也高于 4,6 DMDBT和 4 MDBT .4 MDBT较 4,6 DMDBT更难降解 ,在 2d内 ,红球菌SDUZAWQ可降解 62 %的 4,6 DMDBT ,而相同条件下 ,4 MDBT仅能被降解 3 6% .