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Science Advances Jun 2024Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of malignancy-related deaths, with rapid development of drug resistance driven by pancreatic cancer stem cells....
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of malignancy-related deaths, with rapid development of drug resistance driven by pancreatic cancer stem cells. However, the mechanisms sustaining stemness and chemotherapy resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that Bicaudal C homolog 1 (BICC1), an RNA binding protein regulating numerous cytoplasmic mRNAs, facilitates chemoresistance and stemness in PDAC. Mechanistically, BICC1 activated tryptophan catabolism in PDAC by up-regulating indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-1 (IDO1) expression, a tryptophan-catabolizing enzyme. Increased levels of tryptophan metabolites contribute to NAD synthesis and oxidative phosphorylation, leading to a stem cell-like phenotype. Blocking BICC1/IDO1/tryptophan metabolism signaling greatly improves the gemcitabine (GEM) efficacy in several PDAC models with high BICC1 level. These findings indicate that BICC1 is a critical tryptophan metabolism regulator that drives the stemness and chemoresistance of PDAC and thus a potential target for combinatorial therapeutic strategy against chemoresistance.
Topics: Tryptophan; Humans; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Animals; Mice; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal; Gemcitabine; Deoxycytidine; RNA-Binding Proteins; Indoleamine-Pyrrole 2,3,-Dioxygenase
PubMed: 38896624
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj8650 -
Brain and Behavior Jun 2024Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with dysfunctional reward processing, which involves functional circuitry of the habenula (Hb) and nucleus accumbens (NAc)....
INTRODUCTION
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with dysfunctional reward processing, which involves functional circuitry of the habenula (Hb) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Since ketamine elicits rapid antidepressant and antianhedonic effects in MDD, this study sought to investigate how serial ketamine infusion (SKI) treatment modulates static and dynamic functional connectivity (FC) in Hb and NAc functional networks.
METHODS
MDD participants (n = 58, mean age = 40.7 years, female = 28) received four ketamine infusions (0.5 mg/kg) 2-3 times weekly. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and clinical assessments were collected at baseline and 24 h post-SKI. Static FC (sFC) and dynamic FC variability (dFCv) were calculated from left and right Hb and NAc seeds to all other brain regions. Changes in FC pre-to-post SKI, and correlations with changes with mood and anhedonia were examined. Comparisons of FC between patients and healthy controls (HC) at baseline (n = 55, mean age = 32.6, female = 31), and between HC assessed twice (n = 16) were conducted as follow-up analyses.
RESULTS
Following SKI, significant increases in left Hb-bilateral visual cortex FC, decreases in left Hb-left inferior parietal cortex FC, and decreases in left NAc-right cerebellum FC occurred. Decreased dFCv between left Hb and right precuneus and visual cortex, and decreased dFCv between right NAc and right visual cortex both significantly correlated with improvements in mood ratings. Decreased FC between left Hb and bilateral visual/parietal cortices as well as increased FC between left NAc and right visual/parietal cortices both significantly correlated with improvements in anhedonia. No differences were observed between HC at baseline or over time.
CONCLUSION
Subanesthetic ketamine modulates functional pathways linking the Hb and NAc with visual, parietal, and cerebellar regions in MDD. Overlapping effects between Hb and NAc functional systems were associated with ketamine's therapeutic response.
Topics: Humans; Ketamine; Male; Depressive Disorder, Major; Nucleus Accumbens; Adult; Female; Habenula; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Middle Aged; Antidepressive Agents; Anhedonia
PubMed: 38894648
DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3511 -
Clinical and Translational Science Jun 2024Genetic screening for HLA-B*15:02 before prescribing carbamazepine is standard practice to prevent severe cutaneous adverse reactions in Asian populations. These...
Genetic screening for HLA-B*15:02 before prescribing carbamazepine is standard practice to prevent severe cutaneous adverse reactions in Asian populations. These reactions are associated not only with this allele but also with closely related HLA-B75 serotype markers-HLA-B*15:11 and HLA-B*15:21-which are prevalent in several Asian countries. However, a reliable method for identifying HLA-B75 serotype markers is still not available. We developed an in-house quantitative PCR (qPCR) for HLA-B75 screening and validated it using 303 anonymized DNA samples. Due to inadequate quality control, the qPCR results for 11 samples were excluded. We analyzed the sensitivity and specificity of the test using 93 HLA-typed samples. The concordance between the qPCR method and an established screening method was assessed using 199 HLA-screened samples tested for HLA-B*15:02 at Songklanagarind Hospital, Songkhla, Thailand. All discordant results were confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The qPCR method demonstrated a sensitivity of 100% (95% confidence interval = 83.16%-100.00%) and a specificity of 100% (95% confidence interval = 95.07%-100.00%). Concordance analysis revealed a 96.5% agreement between methods (192/199; 44 positive and 148 negative results). All discordant results were due to HLA-B75 markers not being HLA-B*15:02 (two samples with HLA-B*15:11 and five samples with HLA-B*15:21). In conclusion, this qPCR method could be useful for identifying HLA-B75 carriers at risk of carbamazepine-induced reactions in Asian populations where carriers of HLA-B*15:02, HLA-B*15:11, or HLA-B*15:21 are common.
Topics: Humans; Carbamazepine; HLA-B15 Antigen; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Thailand; Anticonvulsants; Asian People; Pharmacogenetics; Serogroup; Sensitivity and Specificity; Alleles
PubMed: 38894615
DOI: 10.1111/cts.13867 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Quasi-bound state in the continuum (QBIC) can effectively enhance the interaction of terahertz (THz) wave with matter due to the tunable high-Q property, which has a...
Quasi-bound state in the continuum (QBIC) can effectively enhance the interaction of terahertz (THz) wave with matter due to the tunable high-Q property, which has a strong potential application in the detection of low-concentration biological samples in the THz band. In this paper, a novel THz metamaterial sensor with a double-chain-separated resonant cavity structure based on QBIC is designed and fabricated. The process of excitation of the QBIC mode is verified and the structural parameters are optimized after considering the ohmic loss by simulations. The simulated refractive index sensitivity of the sensor is up to 544 GHz/RIU, much higher than those of recently reported THz metamaterial sensors. The sensitivity of the proposed metamaterial sensor is confirmed in an experiment by detecting low-concentration lithium citrate (LC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions. The limits of detection (LoDs) are obtained to be 0.0025 mg/mL (12 μM) for LC and 0.03125 mg/mL (0.47 μM) for BSA, respectively, both of which excel over most of the reported results in previous studies. These results indicate that the proposed THz metamaterial sensor has excellent sensing performances and can well be applied to the detection of low-concentration biological samples.
Topics: Serum Albumin, Bovine; Biosensing Techniques; Limit of Detection; Animals; Terahertz Radiation; Cattle; Terahertz Spectroscopy; Refractometry; Lithium Compounds; Citric Acid
PubMed: 38894440
DOI: 10.3390/s24113649 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024L-tryptophan is an amino acid that is essential to the metabolism of humans. Therefore, there is a high interest for its detection in biological fluids including blood,...
L-tryptophan is an amino acid that is essential to the metabolism of humans. Therefore, there is a high interest for its detection in biological fluids including blood, urine, and saliva for medical studies, but also in food products. Towards this goal, we report on a new electrochemiluminescence (ECL) method for L-tryptophan detection involving the in situ production of hydrogen peroxide at the surface of boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes. We demonstrate that the ECL response efficiency is directly related to HO production at the electrode surface and propose a mechanism for the ECL emission of L-tryptophan. After optimizing the analytical conditions, we show that the ECL response to L-tryptophan is directly linear with concentration in the range of 0.005 to 1 µM. We achieved a limit of detection of 0.4 nM and limit of quantification of 1.4 nM in phosphate buffer saline (PBS, pH 7.4). Good selectivity against other indolic compounds (serotonin, 3-methylindole, tryptamine, indole) potentially found in biological fluids was observed, thus making this approach highly promising for quantifying L-tryptophan in a broad range of aqueous matrices of interest.
Topics: Tryptophan; Boron; Electrodes; Diamond; Electrochemical Techniques; Luminescent Measurements; Humans; Limit of Detection; Biosensing Techniques; Hydrogen Peroxide
PubMed: 38894416
DOI: 10.3390/s24113627 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Sigma receptors (SRs), including SR1 and SR2 subtypes, have attracted increasing interest in recent years due to their involvement in a wide range of activities,...
Sigma receptors (SRs), including SR1 and SR2 subtypes, have attracted increasing interest in recent years due to their involvement in a wide range of activities, including the modulation of opioid analgesia, neuroprotection, and potential anticancer activity. In this context, haloperidol (HAL), a commonly used antipsychotic drug, also possesses SR activity and cytotoxic effects. Herein, we describe the identification of novel SR ligands, obtained by a chemical hybridization approach. There wereendowed with pan-affinity for both SR subtypes and evaluated their potential anticancer activity against SH-SY5Y and HUH-7 cancer cell lines. Through a chemical hybridization approach, we identified novel compounds (, , , and ) with dual affinity for SR1 and SR2 receptors. These compounds were subjected to cytotoxicity testing using a resazurin assay. The results revealed potent cytotoxic effects against both cancer cell lines, with IC values comparable to HAL. Interestingly, the cytotoxic potency of the novel compounds resembled that of the SR1 antagonist HAL rather than the SR2 agonist siramesine (SRM), indicating the potential role of SR1 antagonism in their mechanism of action. The further exploration of their structure-activity relationships and their evaluation in additional cancer cell lines will elucidate their therapeutic potential and may pave the way for the development of novel anticancer agents that target SRs.
Topics: Receptors, sigma; Haloperidol; Humans; Antineoplastic Agents; Cell Line, Tumor; Drug Design; Structure-Activity Relationship; Molecular Structure; Cell Survival; Ligands; Cell Proliferation; Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
PubMed: 38893570
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112697 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Validamycin A (VA) is an antibiotic fungicide that inhibits trehalase activity and is...
Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures. Validamycin A (VA) is an antibiotic fungicide that inhibits trehalase activity and is widely used for crop protection in agriculture. In this study, we identified a novel function of VA as a potential anti-seizure medication in a zebrafish epilepsy model. Electroencephalogram (EEG) analysis demonstrated that VA reduced pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in the brains of larval and adult zebrafish. Moreover, VA reduced PTZ-induced irregular movement in a behavioral assessment of adult zebrafish. The developmental toxicity test showed no observable anatomical alteration when the zebrafish larvae were treated with VA up to 10 µM within the effective range. The median lethal dose of VA in adult zebrafish was > 14,000 mg/kg. These results imply that VA does not demonstrate observable toxicity in zebrafish at concentrations effective for generating anti-seizure activity in the EEG and alleviating abnormal behavior in the PTZ-induced epileptic model. Furthermore, the effectiveness of VA was comparable to that of valproic acid. These results indicate that VA may have a potentially safer anti-seizure profile than valproic acid, thus offering promising prospects for its application in agriculture and medicine.
Topics: Animals; Zebrafish; Anticonvulsants; Disease Models, Animal; Pentylenetetrazole; Epilepsy; Seizures; Electroencephalography; Valproic Acid; Larva; Brain; Inositol
PubMed: 38893448
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112572 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Depression is a chronic, severe, and often life-threatening neurological disorder. It not only causes depression in patients and affects daily life but, in severe cases,...
Depression is a chronic, severe, and often life-threatening neurological disorder. It not only causes depression in patients and affects daily life but, in severe cases, may lead to suicidal behavior and have adverse effects on families and society. In recent years, it has been found that sub-anesthetic doses of ketamine have a rapid antidepressant effect on patients with treatment-resistant depression and can significantly reduce the suicidal tendencies of patients with major depressive disorder. Current studies suggest that ketamine may exert antidepressant effects by blocking NMDAR ion channels, but its anesthetic and psychotomimetic side effects limit its application. Here, we report efforts to design and synthesize a novel series of ketamine derivatives of NMDAR antagonists, among which compounds and have improved activity compared with ketamine, introducing a new direction for the development of rapid-acting antidepressant drugs.
Topics: Ketamine; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; Antidepressive Agents; Drug Design; Humans; Animals; Structure-Activity Relationship; Mice
PubMed: 38893335
DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112459 -
Nutrients May 2024Pre-workout supplements are popular among sport athletes and overweight individuals. Phenethylamines (PEAs) and alkylamines (AA) are widely present in these supplements....
Pre-workout supplements are popular among sport athletes and overweight individuals. Phenethylamines (PEAs) and alkylamines (AA) are widely present in these supplements. Although the health effects of these analogues are not well understood yet, they are hypothesised to be agonists of adrenergic (ADR) and trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs). Therefore, we aimed to pharmacologically characterise these compounds by investigating their activating properties of ADRs and TAAR1 . The potency and efficacy of the selected PEAs and AAs was studied by using cell lines overexpressing human ADRα/α/α/α/α/β/β or TAAR1. Concentration-response relationships are expressed as percentages of the maximal signal obtained by the full ADR agonist adrenaline or the full TAAR1 agonist phenethylamine. Multiple PEAs activated ADRs (EC = 34 nM-690 µM; E = 8-105%). Almost all PEAs activated TAAR1 (EC = 1.8-92 µM; E = 40-104%). Our results reveal the pharmacological profile of PEAs and AAs that are often used in food supplements. Several PEAs have strong agonistic properties on multiple receptors and resemble potencies of the endogenous ligands, indicating that they might further stimulate the already activated sympathetic nervous system in exercising athletes via multiple mechanisms. The use of supplements containing one, or a combination of, PEA(s) may pose a health risk for their consumers.
Topics: Phenethylamines; Humans; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; Dietary Supplements; Receptors, Adrenergic; HEK293 Cells
PubMed: 38892500
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111567 -
Nutrients May 2024The relative availability of the essential amino acid tryptophan in the brain, as indicated by the tryptophan index, which is the ratio of tryptophan to its competing...
BACKGROUND
The relative availability of the essential amino acid tryptophan in the brain, as indicated by the tryptophan index, which is the ratio of tryptophan to its competing amino acids (CAAs) in circulation, has been related to major depression. However, it remains unknown whether tryptophan availability is involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke.
AIMS
We aimed to investigate the relationship between the tryptophan index and the risk of ischemic stroke.
METHODS
We performed a nested case-control study within a community-based cohort in eastern China over the period 2013 to 2018. The analysis included 321 cases of ischemic stroke and 321 controls matched by sex and date of birth. The plasma levels of tryptophan and CAAs, including tyrosine, valine, phenylalanine, leucine, and isoleucine, were measured by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Conditional logistic regression analyses were employed to determine incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
After adjustment for body mass index, current smoking status, educational attainment, physical activity, family history of stroke, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, an elevated tryptophan index was significantly associated with a reduced risk of ischemic stroke in a dose-response manner (IRR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.93, per standard deviation increment). The plasma tryptophan or CAAs were not separately associated with the risk of ischemic stroke.
CONCLUSIONS
The tryptophan index was inversely associated with the risk of ischemic stroke. Our novel observations suggest that the availability of the essential amino acid tryptophan in the brain is involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke.
Topics: Humans; Case-Control Studies; Female; Male; Tryptophan; Middle Aged; Ischemic Stroke; Aged; Risk Factors; China
PubMed: 38892478
DOI: 10.3390/nu16111544