Serum sphingolipids aid in diagnosing adult HIV-negative patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis: a clinical cohort study.

Background: Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) contributes to the ongoing global disease burden in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative populations. Since some PC patients are misdiagnosed under existing diagnostic guidelines, new diagnostic markers are needed to improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic efficacy and reduce disease risk.

Methods: Our previously established sphingolipidomic approach was employed to explore the use of serum sphingolipids (SPLs) in diagnosing HIV-negative patients with PC.

Hydroxyapatite-based nano-drug delivery system for nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN): significantly enhancing NMN bioavailability and replenishing in vivo nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) levels.

Objectives: This study addresses the bioavailability challenges associated with oral nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) administration by introducing an innovative NMN formulation incorporated with hydroxyapatite (NMN-HAP).

Methods: The NMN-HAP was developed using a wet chemical precipitation and physical adsorption method. To assess its superiority over conventional free NMN, we examined NMN, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), and nicotinamide riboside (NR) levels in mouse plasma and tissues following oral administration of NMN-HAP.

CERS4 predicts positive anti-PD-1 response and promotes immunomodulation through Rhob-mediated suppression of CD8Tim3 exhausted T cells in non-small cell lung cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the main malignant tumors with high mortality and short survival time. Immunotherapy has become the standard treatment for advanced NSCLC, but it has the problems of drug resistance and low response rate. Therefore, obtaining effective biomarkers to predict and enhance immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) efficacy in NSCLC is important.

Discrimination of Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et radix and its adulterant species and establishment of an assay method for quality control.

Background: Baphicacanthis Cusiae Rhizoma et Radix, commonly known as Nan-Ban-Lan-Gen (NBLG), is an essential traditional Chinese medicine that possesses diverse bioactivities, particularly noteworthy for its antiviral properties. Although NBLG has been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as an independent Chinese medicine, the establishment of a comprehensive quality standard for NBLG remains elusive. The absence of assay for marker compound in its quality standards has led to the lack of corresponding quality control measures for NBLG-containing preparations, and its discrimination from adulterant species in the market which thereby can significantly impact the efficacy and safety of NBLG-containing products.

Robust quantitation of gangliosides and sulfatides in human brain using UHPLC-MRM-MS: Method development and application in Alzheimer's disease.

Gangliosides (GAs) and sulfatides (STs) are acidic glycosphingolipids that are particularly abundant in the nervous system and are closely related to aging and neurodegenerative disorders. To explore their roles in brain diseases, in-depth molecular profiling, including structural variations of sphingoid backbone, fatty acyl group, and sugar chain of GAs and STs was performed. A total of 210 GAs and 38 STs were characterized in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) of human brain, with 90 GAs discovered in brain tissues for the first time.

Identification of Cannabidivarin Metabolites in Different Mouse Organs Using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to a Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer.

As a natural analog of cannabidiol (CBD), nonpsychoactive cannabidivarin (CBDV) has therapeutic potential. However, the precise metabolism of CBDV either or has not been fully understood. Therefore, mice were intragastrically administered CBDV, and metabolite-rich and potential target organs and tissues were collected and analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Improvement of tissue-specific distribution and biotransformation potential of nicotinamide mononucleotide in combination with ginsenosides or resveratrol.

Decreased Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD ) level has received increasing attention in recent years since it plays a critical role in many diseases and aging. Although some research has proved that supplementing nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) could improve the level of NAD , it is still uncertain whether the NAD level in specific tissues could be improved in combination with other nutrients. So far, a variety of nutritional supplements have flooded the market, which contains the compositions of NMN coupled with natural products.

Characterization of deglycosylated metabolites of platycosides reveals their biotransformation after oral administration.

Platycodon grandiflorus is a well-known edible and medicinal plant that has been developed for dietary supplements or functional foods to relieve pulmonary disorders. Platycosides are the main active constituents of P. grandiflorus with multiple pharmacological activities.

Glycomic Analysis Reveals That Sialyltransferase Inhibition Is Involved in the Antiviral Effects of Arbidol.

Due to the high mutation rate of influenza virus and the rapid increase of drug resistance, it is imperative to discover host-targeting antiviral agents with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. Considering the discrepancy between the urgent demand of antiviral drugs during an influenza pandemic and the long-term process of drug discovery and development, it is feasible to explore host-based antiviral agents and strategies from antiviral drugs on the market. In the current study, the antiviral mechanism of arbidol (ARB), a broad-spectrum antiviral drug with potent activity at early stages of viral replication, was investigated from the aspect of hemagglutinin (HA) receptors of host cells.

Serum Sphingolipids Aiding the Diagnosis of Adult HIV-Negative Patients with Infection.

Increasing attention has been directed to () infection in HIV-negative patients due to its high mortality rate. However, nonspecific symptoms and biological characteristics similar to those of other common pathogenic fungi complicate the rapid and accurate diagnosis of infection. Sphingolipids (SPLs) are bioactive lipids involved in the regulation of various physiological and pathological processes and have been identified as serum biomarkers for several diseases.

Cough Inhibition Activity of in Guinea Pigs.

Chronic cough is very common in respiratory clinics, and no effective drugs are available. (Turcz.) Baill.

Comparative Research of Chemical Profiling in Different Parts of by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Hybrid Quadrupole-Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry.

The roots of (FO) are widely used as medicine with the effect of dispelling wind and dampness, promoting blood circulation and relieving pains, and its fruits are considered delicious. However, Hakka people always utilize its above-ground parts as a famous folk medicine, Xiangteng, with significant differences from literatures. Studies of chemical composition showed there were multiple aristolactams that possessed high nephrotoxicity, pending evaluation research about their distribution in FO.

Chemerin isoform analysis in human biofluids using an LC/MRM-MS-based targeted proteomics approach with stable isotope-labeled standard.

Targeted proteomics has advantages over earlier conventional technologies for protein detection. We developed and validated an LC/MRM-MS-based targeted proteomic method combined with immunoaffinity precipitation for the enrichment and detection of low abundance chemerin isoforms in human biofluids. After tryptic digestion, each chemerin isoform was characterized by isoform-specific peptides, and the absolute quantification was achieved by using stable isotope-labeled peptides as internal standards.

Characterization and Evolutionary Analysis of a Novel H3N2 Influenza A Virus Glycosylation Motif in Southern China.

An influenza A (H3N2) virus epidemic occurred in China in 2017 and the causative strain failed to bind red blood cells (RBCs), which may affect receptor binding and antibody recognition. The objective of this study was to analyze the genetic characteristics and glycosylation changes of this novel H3N2 strain. We directly sequenced the hemagglutinin (HA) genes of H3N2 clinical specimens collected from patients with acute respiratory tract infection during 2017 in Guangdong, China.

Comprehensive Glycomic Profiling of Respiratory Tract Tissues of Tree Shrews by TiO-PGC Chip Mass Spectrometry.

Due to its relatively small size, homology to humans, and susceptibility to human viruses, the tree shrew becomes an ideal alternative animal model for the study of human viral infectious diseases. However, there is still no report for the comprehensive glycan profile of the respiratory tract tissues in tree shrews. In this study, we characterized the structural diversity of N-glycans in the respiratory tract of tree shrews using our well-established TiO-PGC chip-Q-TOF-MS method.

Improved approach for comprehensive profiling of gangliosides and sulfatides in rat brain tissues by using UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

Gangliosides (GAs) and sulfatides (STs) are major acidic glycosphingolipids (GSLs) that are particularly abundant in the central nervous system and associated with substantial neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we developed an improved approach for the comprehensive profiling of GAs and STs in rat brain tissues by adopting a pre-fractionation step before the LC-MS analysis. The pre-fractionation step allows the efficient enrichment of different types of acidic GSLs and the removal of high-abundance interferences, thereby greatly enhanced the detection sensitivity and accuracy of low-abundance acidic GSLs.

An integrated approach for comprehensive profiling and quantitation of IgG-Fc glycopeptides with application to rheumatoid arthritis.

Glycosylation plays an important role in the maintenance of the structure and function of glycoproteins, while aberrant protein glycosylation is correlated with various diseases. Human immunoglobulin G (IgG), which is composed of four subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4), is one of the most dominant and significant glycoprotein in human serum. The glycosylation on IgG-Fc moiety is known to be alternated with various physiological and pathological states.

Alterations of Sphingolipid Metabolism in Different Types of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

The roles of sphingolipids in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the sphingolipid characteristics for different types of PCOS using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). A total of 107 women with PCOS and 37 healthy women as normal controls were studied.

LC-MS based sphingolipidomic study on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line and its taxol-resistant strain.

Background: Resistance to chemotherapy drugs (e.g. taxol) has been a major obstacle in successful cancer treatment.

A method to identify trace sulfated IgG N-glycans as biomarkers for rheumatoid arthritis.

N-linked glycans on immunoglobulin G (IgG) have been associated with pathogenesis of diseases and the therapeutic functions of antibody-based drugs; however, low-abundance species are difficult to detect. Here we show a glycomic approach to detect these species on human IgGs using a specialized microfluidic chip. We discover 20 sulfated and 4 acetylated N-glycans on IgGs.

LC-MS Based Sphingolipidomic Study on A2780 Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line and its Taxol-resistant Strain.

Drug resistance elicited by cancer cells continue to cause huge problems world-wide, for example, tens of thousands of patients are suffering from taxol-resistant human ovarian cancer. However, its biochemical mechanisms remain unclear. Sphingolipid metabolic dysregulation has been increasingly regarded as one of the drug-resistant mechanisms for various cancers, which in turn provides potential targets for overcoming the resistance.

Chemical profiling and cytotoxicity assay of bufadienolides in toad venom and toad skin.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Toad venom and toad skin have been widely used for treating various cancers in China. Bufadienolides are regarded as the main anticancer components of toad venom, but the difference on composition and anticancer activities of bufadienolides between toad venom and toad skin remains unclear.

Methods: Fractions enriched with free and conjugated bufadienolides were prepared from toad venom and toad skin.

Characterization of oxygenated metabolites of ginsenoside Rg1 in plasma and urine of rat.

This study describes the characterization of oxygenated metabolites of ginsenoside Rg1 in rat urine and plasma. These in vivo metabolites were profiled by using UHPLC-QTOF MS-based method. On the basis of high-resolution MS/MS data, and comparison with chemically synthesized authentic compounds, nine oxygenated metabolites of Rg1 were characterized as vinaginsenosides 21 and 22 (M1 and M2), vinaginsenoside R15 (M3), 6-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl)-20-O-(β-d-glucopyranosyl) 3β, 6α, 12β, 20(S)-tetrahydroxy-24ξ-hydroxydammar-25-ene (M4 and M5), floralginsenoside A (M7 and M8), floralginsenoside B (M9) and epoxyginsenoside Rg1 (M13), respectively.

Microfluidic Chip-LC/MS-based Glycomic Analysis Revealed Distinct N-glycan Profile of Rat Serum.

The rat is an important alternative for studying human pathology owing to certain similarities to humans. Glycomic studies on rat serum have revealed that variations in the N-glycans of glycoproteins correlated with disease progression, which is consistent with the findings in human serum. Therefore, we comprehensively characterized the rat serum N-glycome using microfluidic chip-LC-ESI-QTOF MS and MS/MS techniques.