Identifying biomarkers for nasopharyngeal carcinoma diagnosis and chemoradiotherapy response using serum endogenous small molecules profiling.

Changes in metabolic characteristics are important features of tumor progression and prognosis, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Identifying serum metabolites as potential diagnostic and chemoradiotherapy response biomarkers for NPC is therefore crucial. In this study, ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with linear ion trap quadrupole orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS) was used to analyze metabolic variations among controls, NPC patients, and NPC patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

UGT1A1 and UGT1A9 Are Responsible for Phase II Metabolism of Tectorigenin and Irigenin In Vitro.

Tectorigenin and irigenin are biologically active isoflavones of (L.) DC. Previous studies indicated that both compounds could be metabolized in vivo; however, the kinetic parameters of enzymes involved in the metabolization of tectorigenin and irigenin have not been identified.

Simultaneous quantitation of 23 bioactive compounds in Tanreqing capsule by high-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Tanreqing capsule (TRQC) is a formulation frequently used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat pyrexia, cough, expectoration and pharyngalgia. Since the pharmacological action of traditional Chinese medicines is closely related to their complex and diverse constituents, understanding the exact composition of TRQC is important to elucidate its clinical effectiveness and mechanism of action as well as to establish quality control methods and resolve safety issues. Herein, we employed high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry for the simultaneous quantitation of 23 bioactive compounds in five batches of TRQC; the analytes could be categorized into five types: organic acids (seven compounds), flavonoids (10 compounds), iridoids (two compounds), phenylethanoid glycosides (two compounds) and bile acids (two compounds).

Organic cation transporter and multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 co-mediated interaction between metformin and berberine.

Metformin and berberine are often combined for treating diabetes. In the present study, we evaluated the drug-drug pharmacokinetic interaction between metformin and berberine after oral co-administration in vivo and the underlying mechanism. As revealed by comparison with the metformin-only group, berberine significantly decreased the maximum plasma concentration (C), area under the curve from 0 to 4 h (AUC), and urinary and bile excretion, and increased the kidney tissue concentration of metformin in rats.

Renal vectorial transport of berberine mediated by organic cation transporter 2 (OCT2) and multidrug and toxin extrusion proteins 1 (MATE1) in rats.

Berberine, a well-known plant alkaloid derived from Rhizoma coptidis, has potential applications as a therapeutic drug for diabetic nephropathy. However, the transporter-mediated renal transport of berberine remains largely unclear. This study aimed to investigate the renal transport mechanism of berberine using transfected cells, kidney slices and animal experiments.