Spatiotemporal patterns and influencing factors of dissolved heavy metals off the Yangtze River Estuary, East China Sea.

Dissolved heavy metal pollution in the ocean is becoming an environmental concern. Their distribution patterns are complex and influenced by multiple factors in the coastal ocean. Therefore, more investigations are needed to understand their behavior in the seawater. This study systematically investigated the distribution of Cu, Pb, Cd, As, Zn and seawater properties in the surface and bottom water off the Yangtze River Estuary, East China Sea in spring, summer and autumn, 2019. The results showed significant spatiotemporal distribution that three-zone-pattern of estuary, nearshore, and offshore can be divided. While sources, hydrodynamics, biological uptake and sediment resuspension affected the overall distribution, dissolved oxygen and pH dominantly influenced the estuary and offshore respectively, with more complex factors in the nearshore. Low ecological risks were assessed during the study, but global warming, ocean acidification and hypoxia are essential concerns to understand the biogeochemistry of dissolved heavy metals in the ocean.

Novel exenatide analogs with peptidic albumin binding domains: potent anti-diabetic agents with extended duration of action.

The design, synthesis and pharmacology of novel long-acting exenatide analogs for the treatment of metabolic diseases are described. These molecules display enhanced pharmacokinetic profile and potent glucoregulatory and weight lowering actions compared to native exenatide. [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABD is an 88 residue peptide amide incorporating an Albumin Binding Domain (ABD) scaffold. [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABP is a 53 residue peptide incorporating a short Albumin Binding Peptide (ABP). [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABD and [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABP exhibited nanomolar functional GLP-1 receptor potency and were metabolically stable in vitro in human plasma and in a pancreatic digestive enzyme mixture. Both molecules displayed picomolar and nanomolar binding association with albumin across multiple species and circulating half lives of 16 and 11 hours, respectively, post a single IV dose in rats. Unlike exenatide, both molecules elicited robust glucose lowering when injected 1 day prior to an oral glucose tolerance test, indicative of their extended duration of action. [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABD was compared to exenatide in a Lep (ob/ob) mouse model of diabetes. Twice-weekly subcutaneously dosed [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABD displayed superior glucose lowering and weight loss in diabetic mice when compared to continuously infused exenatide at the same total weekly dose. A single oral administration of each molecule via an enteric coated capsule to cynomolgus monkeys showed superior pharmacokinetics for [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABD as compared to [Leu(14)]exenatide-ABP with detectable exposure longer than 14 days. These studies support the potential use of these novel long acting exenatide analogs with different routes of administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Determination of the potency and subunit-selectivity of ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors with a recombinant-holoenzyme-based in vitro assay.

Ribonucleotide reductase (RR) is an important therapeutic target for anticancer drugs. The structure of human RR features a 1:1 complex of two homodimeric subunits, hRRM1 and hRRM2. p53R2 is a newly identified homologue of hRRM2. We have devised a holoenzyme-based in vitro assay for the determination of the potency and subunit-selectivity of small-molecule inhibitors of RR. The assay was implemented using two forms of recombinant RR (hRRM2/hRRM1 and p53R2/hRRM1) and based on their [(3)H]CDP reduction activity. Hydroxyurea was used to standardize the assay. We found that the activities of hRRM2/hRRM1 and p53R2/hRRM1 were decreased by hydroxyurea in a dose-dependent manner. The -NH-OH segment of hydroxyurea was shown to be essential for inhibition. In the presence of Fe(III) and reductants, less inhibition of enzymatic activity by hydroxyurea was observed, especially for p53R2/hRRM1. The potency of four hydroxyurea analogues (Schiff bases of hydroxysemicarbazide, SB-HSC) decreased in the order SB-HSC 21 > SB-HSC 24 > SB-HSC 2 > hydroxyurea (HU) > SB-HSC 29. SB-HSC 2 and SB-HSC 24 inhibited p53R2/hRRM1 significantly more than hRRM2/hRRM1, whereas SB-HSC 21 and SB-HSC 29 showed low subunit-selectivity. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements showed that inhibition of RR was accompanied by reduction of its tyrosyl radical. The method was validated by comparison with data obtained using cell-based assays. We suggest that this novel recombinant-holoenzyme-based in vitro assay is a useful tool for the discovery of more potent and subunit-selective inhibitors of RR.

Synthesis, biological evaluation, and quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis of new Schiff bases of hydroxysemicarbazide as potential antitumor agents.

Thirty Schiff bases of hydroxysemicarbazide (Ar-CH=NNHCONHOH) have been synthesized and tested against L1210 murine leukemia cells. The IC(50) values were found to be in a range from 2.7 x 10(-6) to 9.4 x 10(-4) M. A total of 17 out of the 30 compounds had higher inhibitory activities than hydroxyurea (an anticancer drug currently used for the treatment of melanoma, leukemia, and ovarian cancer) against L1210 cells. Six compounds with IC(50) values in micromolar range were 11- to 30-fold more potent than hydroxyurea (IC(50) = 8.2 x 10(-5) M). The partition coefficient (log P) and ionization constants (pK(a)) of a model compound [1-(3-trifluoromethylbenzylidene)-4-hydroxysemicarbazide, 1] were measured by the shake-flask method, and the measured log P was used to derive Hansch-Fujita pi constant of -CH=NNHCONHOH. On the basis of the newly derived pi and those of other moieties, the partition coefficients (SlogP) of the other 29 compounds were calculated by the summation of pi values. Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis showed that, besides the essential pharmacophore (-NHCONHOH), hydrophobicity (SlogP), molecular size/polarizability (calculated molar refractivity), and the presence of an oxygen-containing group at the ortho position (I) were important determinants for the antitumor activities. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study show that several Schiff bases of hydroxysemicarbazide are potent inhibitors of tumor cells and warrant further investigation as cancer chemotherapeutic agents.