Glycyrrhetinic acid blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection by activating the cGAS-STING signalling pathway.

Background And Purpose: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) played an important role in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scientific basis and its active ingredients are still weakly studied. This study aims to decipher the underlying anti-SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA).

Experimental Approach: GA's anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect was verified both in vitro and in vivo.

Improved Pharmacokinetics of Icariin (ICA) within Formulation of PEG-PLLA/PDLA-PNIPAM Polymeric Micelles.

Icariin (ICA) is a major flavonoid that contains the active compound . However, ICA's pharmacokinetic characteristics remain unsatisfactory due to its low bioavailability, and hence limited drugability. In order to improve its pharmacokinetics and achieve prolonged blood circulation time, a novel polymeric micelle, made of the self-assembled micelle between poly (ethylene glycol)-poly (-lactic acid) (PEG-PLLA) and poly (-lactic acid)-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PDLA-PNIPAM), was designed to encapsulate ICA.

Relationship between Tissue Distributions of Modified Wuzi Yanzong Prescription () in Rats and Meridian Tropism Theory.

Objective: To investigate the relationship between tissue distributions of modified Wuzi Yanzong prescription (, MWP) in rats and meridian tropism theory.

Methods: A high-performance liquid chromatography with Fourier transform-mass spectrometry (HPLC-FT) method was used to identify the metabolites of MWP in different tissues of rats after continued oral administration of MWP for 7 days. The relationship between MWP and meridian tropism theory was studied according to the tissue distributions of the metabolites of MWP in rats and the relevant literature.

Serum sphingolipids reflect the severity of chronic HBV infection and predict the mortality of HBV-acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Patients with HBV-acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) have high mortality and frequently require liver transplantation; few reliable prognostic markers are available. As a class of functional lipids, sphingolipids are extensively involved in the process of HBV infection. However, their role in chronic HBV infection remains unknown.

Metabolic studies of four soy isoflavones in rats by HPLC-HR-MS.

In this paper, the metabolites of four soy isoflavones, daidzein, daidzin, genistein, and genistin, on perfused rat intestine-liver model were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometer/tandem mass spectrometer. Totally 16 metabolites were detected and identified based on accurate mass, fragmentation patterns, and multiple-stage mass data (MS(n)). The metabolic site of dadzein-7-methyl ether (D-7-M) was further confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance.

Lipidomic profiling of plasma in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health issue. Although its progression is reported to be closely associated with lipids, the way in which the plasma lipidome changes during the development of chronic HCV infection in humans is currently unknown. Using an improved quantitative high-throughput lipidomic platform, we profiled 284 lipids in human plasma samples obtained from healthy controls (n = 11) and patients with chronic HCV infection (n = 113).

Identification of impurities in methotrexate drug substances using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Rationale: Methotrexate (MTX) is an antineoplastic therapeutic medicine that acts as an antimetabolite of folic acid. In this study we identified the impurities in MTX drug substances produced by different manufacturers and in different batches using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a photodiode array detector and Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA/FTICR-MS).

Methods: MTX and its impurities were separated on a Restek Pinnacle II C18 column (250 × 4.

A new strategy for the discovery of epimedium metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry.

In this paper, a new strategy of drug metabolite discovery and identification was established using high-performance liquid chromatography with high resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC-HRMS) and a mass spectral trees similarity filter (MTSF) technique. The MTSF technique was developed as a means to rapidly discover comprehensive metabolites from multiple active components in a complicated biological matrix. Using full-scan mass spectra as the stem and data-dependent subsequent stage mass spectra to form branches, the HRMS and multiple-stage mass spectrometric data from detected compounds were converted to mass spectral trees data.

Sphingolipids as new biomarkers for assessment of delayed-type hypersensitivity and response to triptolide.

Background: Hypersensitivity diseases are associated with many severe human illnesses, including leprosy and tuberculosis. Emerging evidence suggests that the pathogenesis and pathological mechanisms of treating these diseases may be attributable to sphingolipid metabolism.

Methods: High performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was employed to target and measure 43 core sphingolipids in the plasma, kidneys, livers and spleens of BALB/c mice from four experimental groups: control, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) model, DTH+triptolide, and control+triptolide.

Identification and characterization of flavonoids from semen zizyphi spinosae by high-performance liquid chromatography/linear ion trap FTICR hybrid mass spectrometry.

Semen zizyphi spinosae (SZS) has been used to treat insomnia and anxiety for thousands of years. In this paper, a novel high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with the photodiode array detector/linear ion trap-MS(n) (HPLC-PDA/LTQ-MS(n)) method was established to separate and identify flavonoids from the extract of SZS. Separation was performed on an HYPERSIL C(18) column by gradient elution using CH(3)CN/H(2)O-CH(3)COOH as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 0.

Mass spectral fragmentation analysis of triterpene saponins from Ardisia crenata Sims by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

We used the electrospray ionization (ESI) Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICR-MS) technique to study the characteristic mass fragmentation patterns of eight triterpene saponins from Ardisia crenata Sims. Eight triterpene saponins were analyzed using parent mass list-triggered data-dependent multiple-stage accurate mass analysis at a resolving power of 100,000 in the external calibration mode. The chemical formula with unsaturation numbers was calculated from accurate m/z values of precursor, and product ions were obtained and used to assign the structures of eight triterpene saponins and two trace unknown compounds.