4-Nitro-6-[(8-quinolyl­amino)­methyl­idene]cyclo­hexa-2,4-dien-1-one

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C16H11N3O3, exists in the keto form and the C=O and N—H bonds are mutually cis in the crystal structure. There are two crystallographically independent mol­ecules per asymmetric unit with broadly similar structural data. The only noticeable difference between the two is the dihedral angles between the benzene and the quinoline rings: 1.04 (4) and 3.07 (4)°. In the structure, intra­molecular N—H⋯O(carbon­yl) and N—H⋯N(pyridine) hydrogen bonds exist but there is no evidence of formal inter­molecular hydrogen-bonding associations

Development of a novel tocopheryl ester for suppression of lipid accumulation without cytotoxicity by optimization of dicarboxylic ester moiety

Tocopheryl succinate (Tsuc) is a succinic acid ester of the well-known antioxidant α-tocopherol (T). Tsuc exhibits various biological activities, including tumor growth suppression via activation of cell signaling and prevention of lipid accumulation in mouse adipocyte 3T3-L1 cells. The latter findings suggest that Tsuc may be a drug candidate for the treatment of obesity. However, Tsuc was found to induce apoptosis of normal cells (in addition to cancer cells), demonstrating the need to reduce the cytotoxicity of Tsuc without losing the suppression effect on lipid accumulation. Based on our previous findings, we focused on the ester structure of Tsuc for controlling cytotoxicity. Herein, we examined the cytotoxicity and lipid accumulation suppression effect of various T ester derivatives. We found that the terminal carboxylic group is necessary for suppression of lipid accumulation. We synthesized tocopheryl glutarate (Tglu) and tocopheryl adipate (Tadi) by elongation of carbon atoms 1 and 2 of the dicarboxylic moiety, respectively. Tglu and Tadi did not show any cytotoxicity, and both esters suppressed lipid accumulation, although their suppression activities were weaker than that of Tsuc. Tadi showed a more potent lipid accumulation inhibitory effect than Tglu. Although Tadi inhibited lipogenesis and promoted lipolysis, lipolysis was induced at lower concentrations than inhibition of lipogenesis, suggesting that Tadi mainly affects lipolysis. Taken together, we succeeded in the reduction of cytotoxicity, without loss of the suppression effect on lipid accumulation, by elongation of the dicarboxylic moiety of Tsuc. Tadi may be a promising candidate as an anti-obesity drug

Development of a Combined Real Time Monitoring and Integration Analysis System for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

A combined integration analysis and real time monitoring (Peak Capture System) system was developed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Individual integration analysis and real time monitoring can be used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze VOCs in the atmosphere and in indoor environments and determine the variation in total VOC (TVOC) concentration with time, respectively. In the Peak Capture System, real time monitoring was used to predict future elevations in the TVOC concentration (peak), and this was used an indicator of when to collect (capture) ambient air samples for integration analysis. This enabled qualitative and quantitative analysis of VOCs when the TVOC concentration was high. We developed an algorithm to predict variation in the TVOC concentration, and constructed an automatic system to initiate air sampling for integration analysis. With the system, auto-sampling and analysis of VOCs in a conventional house were conducted. In comparison with background concentrations, the results of peak analysis enabled identification of compounds whose concentration rose. This also enabled an evaluation of possible VOC emission sources

Human papillomavirus DNA in plasma of patients with HPV16 DNA-positive uterine cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVES: The squamous cell carcinoma antigen is considered the most accurate serologic tumor marker for uterine cervical carcinoma. However, serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels were found to correlate significantly with clinical severity of atopic dermatitis and chronic renal failure. The present study was conducted in patients with human papillomavirus 16 DNA-positive uterine cervical cancer to determine the plasma level of human papillomavirus 16 DNA and the diagnostic values of plasma human papillomavirus DNA in these patients. METHODS: Forty-three human papillomavirus 16-positive patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma were recruited in this study. The diagnosis was cervical cancer in 20 patients, high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in 21, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in 1 and negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy in 3 patients. Before any treatment, blood samples were collected from all patients. For analysis of human papillomavirus DNA in plasma of patients with cervical cancer, quantitative polymerase chain reaction fluorescent assay for human papillomavirus 16 was performed using human papillomavirus 16 primers and SYBR Green dye using the LightCycler 480 SW1.5 apparatus. RESULTS: Plasma human papillomavirus 16 DNA was detected in only 30.0% of the patients with human papillomavirus 16-positive cervical cancer and in none of normal controls. The copy number of plasma human papillomavirus 16 DNA was higher in patients with invasive cancer than in those with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN3), micro-invasive cancer and in normal individuals. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that the plasma human papillomavirus DNA level could be potentially used as a marker of low-invasive cervical cancer tumors in patients with normal squamous cell carcinoma antigen levels before treatment

Association between Hardness (Difficulty of Chewing) of the Habitual Diet and Premenstrual Symptoms in Young Japanese Women

Recent evidence suggests that voluntary rhythmic movements such as chewing may increase blood serotonin and subsequently brain serotonin, which in turn acts to alleviate premenstrual symptoms. In this observational cross-sectional study, we tested the hypothesis that hardness (difficulty of chewing) of the habitual diet (i.e. dietary hardness) is associated with decreased premenstrual symptoms. Subjects were 640 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18–22 years. Dietary hardness was assessed as an estimate of masticatory muscle activity for the habitual diet (i.e. the difficulty of chewing the food). The consumption of a total of 107 foods was estimated by means of a self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire, and masticatory muscle activity during the ingestion of these foods was estimated according to published equations. Menstrual cycle symptoms were assessed using the retrospective version of the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, from which total score and subscale scores (i.e. pain, concentration, behavioral change, autonomic reactions, water retention, and negative affect) in the premenstrual phase were calculated and expressed as percentages relative to those in the intermenstrual phase. Dietary hardness was not associated with total score in the premenstrual phase (P for trend = 0.48). Further, no association was seen for any subscale score in the premenstrual phase (P for trend = 0.18–0.91). In conclusion, this preliminary study failed to substantiate a hypothesized inverse relationship between hardness of the habitual diet and premenstrual symptoms. Considering the plausibility of the putative mechanism, however, further investigation using more relevant measures of chewing and premenstrual symptoms is warranted

Elevated C-reactive protein associates with early-stage carotid atherosclerosis in young subjects with type 1 diabetes

WSTĘP. Celem badania była ocena wpływu procesu zapalnego o małym nasileniu na wczesną fazę rozwoju zaawansowanej miażdżycy tętnic szyjnych u młodych chorych na cukrzycę typu 1. MATERIAŁ I METODY. U 55 chorych na cukrzycę typu 1 (22 mężczyzn i 33 kobiety, w wieku 22,1 &plusmn; 3,6 lat (&plusmn; SD), z cukrzycą trwającą 14,2 &plusmn; 5,7 lat) oraz u 75 osób bez cukrzycy z tej samej grupy wiekowej (28 mężczyzn i 47 kobiet) wykonano pomiar średniej i maksymalnej grubości kompleksu błony wewnętrznej i środkowej (IMT, intima-media thickness) w tętnicy szyjnej przy użyciu ultrasonograficznej prezentacji B. Stężenie białka C-reaktywnego dużej czułości (hs-CRP, high-sensitive C-reactive protein) oznaczano za pomocą immunonefelometru z zastosowaniem lateksu. WYNIKI. U chorych na cukrzycę typu 1 stężenie hs-CRP (mediana 0,35, zakres 0,05&#8211;1,47 mg/l u chorych na cukrzycę; mediana 0,14, zakres 0,05&#8211;1,44 mg/l u osób bez cukrzycy; p = 0,001) oraz średnia i maksymalna IMT (średnia IMT 0,76 &plusmn; 0,09 vs. 0,72 &plusmn; 0,04 mm, p = 0,003; maksymalna IMT 0,84 &plusmn; 0,11 vs. 0,77 &plusmn; 0,06, p < 0,0001) były wyraźnie większe niż u osób bez cukrzycy. Stężenie hs-CRP wykazywało wyraźną zależność ze średnią i maksymalną IMT u chorych na cukrzycę typu 1 oraz z maksymalną IMT u osób bez cukrzycy. Analiza metodą regresji wielowymiarowej przeprowadzona łącznie dla grupy chorych na cukrzycę oraz osób bez cukrzycy wykazała, że stężenie hs-CRP niezależnie koreluje ze średnią oraz maksymalną IMT (odpowiednio: p = 0,002 i p = 0,023), jak również z rozkurczowym ciśnieniem tętniczym, płcią i czasem trwania cukrzycy. WNIOSKI. Dane uzyskane w badaniu wskazują, że u młodych chorych na cukrzycę typu 1 stężenie hs- -CRP jest podwyższone, co może mieć związek z wczesną fazą rozwoju zaawansowanej miażdżycy tętnic szyjnych.INTRODUCTION. To evaluate whether low-grade inflammation contributes to early-stage advanced carotid atherosclerosis in young subjects with type 1 diabetes. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The mean and maximum (max) intima-media thicknesses (IMT) of the carotid artery were assessed using ultrasound B-mode imaging in 55 patients with type 1 diabetes (22 men and 33 women, aged 22.1 &#177; 3.6 years (&#177; SD), duration of diabetes 14.2 &#177; 5.7 years) and 75 age-matched healthy nondiabetic subjects (28 men and 47 women). High-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured with a latex-enhanced immunonephelometer. RESULTS. The patients with type 1 diabetes had significantly higher hs-CRP levels (median 0.35, range 0.05&#8211;1.47 mg/l vs. median 0.14, range 0.05&#8211;1.44 mg/l; P = 0.001) as well as significantly higher mean IMT and max IMT than the nondiabetic subjects (mean IMT 0.76 &#177; 0.09 vs. 0.72 &#177; 0.04 mm, P = 0.003; max IMT 0.84 &#177; 0.11 vs. 0.77 &#177; 0.06 mm, P < 0.0001). Hs-CRP levels were significantly correlated with the mean and max IMT of patients with type 1 diabetes and with the max IMT of nondiabetic patients. Multivariate regression analyses for both diabetic and nondiabetic subjects as a single group showed that hs-CRP levels are independently correlated with the mean IMT and max IMT levels (P = 0.002 and P = = 0.023, respectively) as well as with diastolic blood pressure, sex, and duration of diabetes. CONCLUSIONS. Our data indicate that hs-CRP levels are elevated in young patients with type 1 diabetes, possibly corresponding with early-stage advanced carotid atherosclerosis