The role of the tubular biomarkers NAG, kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in patients with chest pain before contrast media exposition

Aim: We evaluated the role of the tubular biomarkers N-acetyl-ss-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in patients with chest pain. Methods: Serum and urine samples were collected of 223 patients and 47 healthy controls. None of them was exposed to contrast media. Results: NAG showed among others significant correlation with N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP), troponin I and creatinine. KIM-1 and NGAL showed weaker correlations. NAG was significantly elevated in all subgroups of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) compared with chest wall syndrome and controls. NAG was an independent predictor for the diagnosis of myocardial infarction. Conclusion: NAG may demonstrate the presence of acute tubular injury due to cardiac impairment already in the emergency department. NAG should be evaluated as marker of acute cardiorenal syndrome in patients with chest pain

Functionalization of Fatty Acid Vesicles through Newly Synthesized Bolaamphiphile-DNA Conjugates

The surface functionalization of fatty acid vesicles will allow their use as nanoreactors for complex chemistry. In this report, the tethering of several DNA conjugates to decanoic acid vesicles for molecular recognition and synthetic purposes was explored. Due to the highly dynamic nature of these structures, only one novel bola-amphiphile DNA conjugate could interact efficiently with or spontaneously pierce into the vesicle bilayers without jeopardizing their self-assembly or stability. This molecule was synthesized via a Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] azide–alkyne cycloaddition (click reaction), and consists of a single hydrocarbon chain of 20 carbons having on one end a triazole group linked to the 5′-phosphate of the nucleic acid and on the other side a hydroxyl-group. Its insertion was so effective that a fluorescent label on the DNA complementary to the conjugate could be used to visualize fatty acid structures