Serum Pro-oxidant-antioxidant Balance in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

Diabetes mellitus is associated with inflammation and increased oxidative stress. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and serum pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) in a large populationbased study.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 7888 individuals were recruited as part of the Mashhad Stroke and Heart Atherosclerotic Disorders (MASHAD) cohort study. Participants were divided into three groups based on their serum PAB values (levels < 36.4, 36.4-82.6 and > 82.6 HK). Serum PAB values were measured using a colorimetric method and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

Serum PAB in subjects with and without diabetes was reported 76.85 ± 61.07 HK and 69.51 ± 55.50 HK. In subjects with a serum PAB > 82.6 HK the risk of T2DM was 1.2 fold higher in comparison to subjects with a serum PAB < 36.4 HK (OR: 1.26, 95% CI: 1.09 - 1.47, P-value: 0.002). This association remained significant after adjustment for confounding factors in multivariable analysis (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02 - 1.38, P-value: 0.027).

CONCLUSION

Increased pro-oxidant levels may be a major complication of T2DM in our study subjects and PAB could be an indicator of higher oxidative stress in T2DM patients from northeastern Iran.

Gap Junction Protein Beta 2 Gene Variants and Non-Syndromic Hearing Impairment among Couples Referred For Prenatal Diagnosis in the Northeast of Iran

INTRODUCTION

Hearing impairment is a complex medical disorder which has genetic and non-genetic causes. Gap Junction Protein Beta 2 (GJB2) gene variant is a well-known disease-causing gene among patients with hearing impairment. The frequencies of genetic variants in the GJB2 gene are different in each population. This study aimed to discuss the GJB2 gene status in an Iranian population with hearing impairment who referred for prenatal testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted in a genetic laboratory affiliated with Mashhad Jahad Daneshgahi, Mashhad, Iran. A total number of 21 bilateral hearing impaired patients were enrolled in this study. The exons for target GJB2 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction after the confirmation of the hearing impairment and the exclusion of the acquired causes of hearing loss.

RESULTS

The c.35delG and c.79G>A variants were the first and second most common variants in the study population, respectively. The mean age of the patients was 27.5 (8.7) years and 12 cases were male. There was no significant association between hearing impairment degree and age and heterozygosity status (P=0.376 and P=.074 respectively).

CONCLUSION

The c.35delG and c.79G>A variants were determined as the first and second most common variants in the GJB2 gene, respectively. The mean age of 26 years in this study population indicates the late referral for the evaluation of the hearing difficulty. Furthermore, it highlights the further need to encourage families with a history of hearing impairment to engage in genetic counseling.

Serum inflammatory cytokines and depression in coronary artery disease

Background:

Severe depression may be accompanied by immune dysregulation and is also associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD).

Objectives:

We investigated serum levels of 10 cytokines and their relationship with depression in patients with cardiovascular diseases as well as healthy subjects in northeast of Iran.

Patients and Methods:

The study was carried out on 462 subjects (120 healthy subjects and 342 candidates undergoing angiography). The healthy subjects were referred for routine annual checkups or pre-employment examinations; they did not have clinically evident CAD. A questionnaire was used to obtain demographic data and the Beck depression inventory (BDI) was applied to assess depression. The Evidence Investigator^® platform was used for cytokines assays for IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, MCP-1 and IFN-γ, using sandwich chemiluminescent method. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 11.5.

Results:

The mean age was 53.3 ± 11.5, 54.8 ± 11.3, and 59.5 ± 11.3 in healthy, angiography (-), and angiography (+) subjects, respectively (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in serum levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and MCP-1 cytokines, comparing subjects with CAD and healthy persons (P < 0.05). When all subjects were divided to with and without depression regardless of their cardiovascular status, there was a significant difference in serum levels of IL-8 and IL-6 between the groups (P < 0.05). When the subgroup with features of CAD was selected and divided to those with and without depression, there was also a significant difference in serum levels of IL-8 and TNF-α (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:

The positive interaction between depression and CAD was probably mediated by inflammatory mechanisms.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel nucleoside and nucleotide analogues as agents against DNA viruses and/or retroviruses

A novel strategy was developed for the synthesis of N(7)-purine acyclic nucleosides 9 and 14. The key step involved the reaction between [2-(p-methoxyphenyloxy)ethoxy]methyl chloride and N(9)-tritylated nucleobases 6 or 11 followed by concomitant self-detritylation. N(7)-Guanine acyclic nucleoside 9 exhibited antiviral activity, but was phosphorylated by both HSV and Vero cell thymidine kinases. Thus, it showed more potent cellular toxicity than acyclovir (2). N(7)-Adenine acyclic nucleoside 14 was found to be an excellent antiviral agent as well as a good inhibitor of calf mucosal adenosine deaminase. This inhibitory property allows for a greater expression of antiviral activity of antiviral agents, such as N(9)-adenine acyclic nucleoside 1 and ara-A (3). Compound 14 was phosphorylated neither by herpes simplex virus (HSV) thymidine kinase nor by Vero cell thymidine kinase, yet it enhanced the rate constant for the monophosphorylation of acyclovir (2) by HSV thymidine kinase. Consequently, the combination of acyclovir (2) and 14 exhibited greater antiviral activity than acyclovir alone. 7-[2-(Phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine (20) was also synthesized. The key step involved the reaction of 9-(2-cyanoethyl)adenine (15) with methyl iodoacetate in the presence of lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine in THF. Unlike 9-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]adenine (PMEA, 4), the N(7)-isomer 20 was not phosphorylated effectively by 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate synthetase (PRPP synthetase). Thus, it did not exhibit pronounced antiviral activity. Dinucleotide 5'-monophosphate 24 and its butenolide ester 25 were also synthesized. Compound 24 showed substrate activity toward PRPP synthetase and exhibited notable activity against DNA viruses. The antiviral activity of the ester derivative 25 was found to be higher than that of the parent molecule 24. Dinucleotide 5'-monophosphate 24 is susceptible to degradation by snake venom and spleen phosphodiesterases. However, its respective butenolide ester derivative 25 was completely resistant to snake venom and spleen enzymes. Butenolide ester derivatives 28 and 29 were also synthesized and exhibited notable anti-DNA virus and anti-retrovirus activity in vitro. Compounds 2, 4, 9, 14, 20, 24, 25, and 28 were also evaluated for their inhibitory effect on HSV-1-induced mortality in NMRI mice. N(7)-adenine acyclic nucleoside 14 [LD(50) (intraperitoneal, ip) 950 mg/kg], nucleotide-containing butenolide 25 [LD(50) (ip) 675 mg/kg], and butenolide 28 [LD(50) (ip) 710 mg/kg] were found to be potent anti-HSV-1 agents in vivo. In addition, butenolide 28 efficiently decreased tumor formation induced by Moloney murine sarcoma virus (MSV) in NMRI mice while significantly increasing the survival time of MSV-infected mice.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of purine-containing butenolides

6-Chloropurine derivatives of gamma-(Z)-ethylidene-2,3-dimethoxybutenolide 3a, gamma-(Z)-ethylidene-2-methoxy-3-(4-nitro)benzyloxybutenolide 3b, gamma-(Z)-ethylidene-2-(4-nitro)benzyloxy-3-methoxybutenolide 3c, gamma-(Z)-ethylidene-2,3-di(4-nitro)benzyloxybutenolide 3d, and dimethylphosphono-gamma-(Z)-ethylidene-2,3-dimethoxybutenolide 11 as well as the adenine derivative of gamma-(Z)-ethylidene-2,3-dimethoxybutenolide 6 were synthesized. The key steps in the high-yield synthesis of 6 involved hydration/dehydration of the C(4)=C(5) in the precursor 3a. In the presence of NH4OH at elevated temperature, 3a underwent a reverse Michael-type addition with water to produce hydrate 5. At 37 degrees C, 6 was also hydrated in the presence of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase to afford 5. Butenolide 6 exhibited an inhibitory property toward the enzyme. Such type II (enzyme-mediated addition of water across C(4)=C(5)) mechanism is the first example of "enzyme-substrate intermediate" inactivation of S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine hydrolase. In contrast with type I mechanism-based inactivation, reduction of enzyme-bound NADP(+) to NADPH was not observed. Upon treatment with HCl, stereoselective dehydration of 5 occurred to give the target molecule 6. At ambident temperature, 3a was hydrated in the presence of NH4OH or pig liver esterase to produce 6-chloropurine derivative 4. An unambiguous proof of the structures of 3-5 was obtained by X-ray crystallographic analysis. For the synthesis of phosphonate derivative 11, the key step involved chlorination of phosphonate 9 by use of CF3SO2Cl and 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene in CH2Cl2. 6-Chloropurine-containing butenolide 3d, 6-chloropurine derivative of 4-hydroxybutenolide 4, and adenine-containing 4-hydroxybutenolide 5 did not show anticancer and antiviral activities. 6-Chloropurine-containing ethylidene-2,3-dialkoxybutenolides 3a-c and phosphonate 11, however, exhibited inhibitory activity against murine leukemias (L1210 and P388), breast carcinoma (MCF7), and human T-lymphoblasts (Molt4/C8 and CEM/0) cell lines. They were also notably active toward thymidine kinase-deficient varicella-zoster virus (TK(-)VZV). Adenine-containing ethylidene-2,3-dimethoxybutenolide 6 exhibited marked selectivity in cytostatic activity against the murine leukemia (P388) cell line.