Pharmacokinetics study of a supersaturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for ellagic acid by UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS.

To evaluate the bioavailability of ellagic acid loaded super-saturatable self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (S-SMEDDS), its pharmacokinetic properties were studied in rats with an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. The plasma samples were treated by solid-phase extraction method, and gallic acid was used as the internal standard when determining the concentration of ellagic acid. Results showed that the established analytical method was sensitive and accurate, which is applicable to the pharmacokinetic study of ellagic acid.

Insight into nucleophilic fragmentation mechanisms by glutamic acid side chain in singly protonated glutathione and related peptidyl ions.

Fragmentation mechanisms of the singly protonated glutathione (-ECG) and its synthetic analogue peptides (ECG and PPECG) have been investigated by liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry and theoretical calculations. In the mass spectra, similar fragmentation patterns were observed for -ECG and ECG, but a completely different one was found in the case of PPECG. The E-C amide bond cleavage is the predominant pathway for the fragmentation of -ECG and ECG, whereas the additional -terminal prolyl residues in PPECG significantly suppress the E-C amide bond cleavage.

Structure and magnetic properties of a copper(II) coordination polymer based on azide, pyridine and homophthalic acid.

The azide anion is a short bridging ligand that has been used extensively to construct magnetic coordination polymers, and fundamental magneto-structural correlations have been substantiated by theoretical calculations. The copper(II) coordination polymer poly[bis(μ-azido-κ(2)N(1):N(1))(μ4-homophthalato-κ(4)O:O':O'':O''')bis(pyridine-κN)dicopper(II)], [Cu2(C9H6O4)(N3)2(C5H5N)2]n, was synthesized from homophthalic acid (2-carboxyphenylacetic acid), pyridine and azide (N3(-)) by a hydrothermal reaction. Single-crystal structure analysis indicated that it features a one-dimensional chain structure which is comprised of (μ1,1-N3(-))(μ-syn-syn-COO(-))2- and (μ1,1-N3(-))2-bridged tetranuclear Cu(II) units.

Humoral Immune Response against Nontargeted Tumor Antigens after Treatment with Sipuleucel-T and Its Association with Improved Clinical Outcome.

Purpose: Antitumor activity of cancer immunotherapies may elicit immune responses to nontargeted (secondary) tumor antigens, or antigen spread. We evaluated humoral antigen spread after treatment with sipuleucel-T, an immunotherapy for asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), designed to target prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP; primary antigen).

Experimental Design: Serum samples from patients with mCRPC enrolled in the placebo-controlled phase III IMPACT study (evaluable n = 142) were used to assess humoral antigen spread after treatment with sipuleucel-T.

Rapid preparation and characterization of methacrylate-based monoliths for chromatographic and electrophoretic separation.

Butyl-methacrylate-based porous monoliths were rapidly prepared in the fused-silica capillary with a 10-cm stripe of polyimide removed from its exterior. The photopolymerization could be carried out in 150 s using ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linking agent; 1-propanol, 1,4-butanediol, and water as tri-porogenic solvents; and Irgacure 1800 as a photo-initiator. The effect of different morphologies on the efficiency and retention properties was investigated using pressure-assisted CEC (p-CEC), CEC, and low pressure-assisted liquid chromatography modes (LPLC).

Regulation of phase I and phase II steroid metabolism enzymes by PPAR alpha activators.

Peroxisome proliferators (PP) are a large class of structurally diverse chemicals that mediate their effects in the liver mainly through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha). Exposure to some PP results in alterations of steroid levels that may be mechanistically linked to adverse effects in reproductive organs. We hypothesized that changes in steroid levels after PP exposure are due to alterations in the levels of P450 enzymes that hydroxylate testosterone and estrogen.

PPARalpha activators down-regulate CYP2C7, a retinoic acid and testosterone hydroxylase.

Peroxisome proliferators (PP) are a large class of structurally diverse chemicals that mediate their effects in the liver mainly through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARalpha). Exposure to PP results in down-regulation of CYP2C family members under control of growth hormone and sex steroids including CYP2C11 and CYP2C12. We hypothesized that PP exposure would also lead to similar changes in CYP2C7, a retinoic acid and testosterone hydroxylase.

Molecular and immunological evaluation of the transcription factor SOX-4 as a lung tumor vaccine antigen.

The developmental transcription factor SOX-4 has been shown to be highly and differentially overexpressed in primary small cell lung carcinomas (SCLC). To examine the potential of SOX-4 for broad use as a lung cancer vaccine, we have evaluated the expression of SOX-4 in a panel of primary adenocarcinoma, squamous, and large cell tumor samples as well as in a panel of established small cell and non-small cell lung carcinoma tumor cell lines. SOX-4 mRNA is shown to be overexpressed in a substantial fraction of each of these lung tumor types.

Opposing mechanisms of NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase regulation by peroxisome proliferators.

Peroxisome proliferators (PPs) regulate a battery of rodent P450 genes, including CYP2B, CYP2C, and CYP4A family members. We hypothesized that other components of the P450-metabolizing system are altered by exposure to PPs, including NADPH-cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (P450R), an often rate-limiting component in P450-dependent reactions. In this study, we determined whether exposure to structurally diverse PPs alters the expression of P450R mRNA and protein.

Identification of genes over-expressed in small cell lung carcinoma using suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA microarray expression analysis.

To identify genes that are differentially over-expressed in Small Cell Lung Carcinoma (SCLC) we have used a combination of suppression subtractive hybridization and cDNA microarray to analyse the expression profiles of 2400 cDNAs clones. Genes that are over-expressed in SCLC were identified using 32 pairs of fluorescence-labeled cDNA samples representing various lung tumors and normal tissues. This comprehensive approach has resulted in the identification of 209 genes that are differentially over-expressed in SCLC.