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The influences of radiofrequency electromagnetic exposure on animal health, particularly on serotonin metabolism, are not well-elucidated. In this in vivo study, we studied the influences of exposure to radiofrequency identification (RFID) signals on serotonin metabolism. Twenty-two male Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to sham (n = 10) and RFID-exposed (n = 12) groups. Rats in the RFID-exposed group were exposed to RFID signals at an average whole-body specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg for 8 h/day, 5 days/week for 2 weeks. Before and after RFID exposure, 24-h urine was collected from each rat. Urinary tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan, serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid concentrations were examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and changes in the patterns of values were compared between the two groups. Urinary levels of serotonin decreased by 20% (p =.041, Student's t-test) and 40% (p =.024, Student's t-test) in both the sham and RFID-exposed groups, respectively. The level of 5-methoxyindole-3-acetic acid decreased by 30% in the RFID-exposed group (p =.039, Student's t-test). Our results indicate that exposure to RFID signals at a specific absorption rate of 2 W/kg is sufficient to alter serotonin metabolism in rats regardless of whether the exposure level is considered biohazardous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple and rapid method for the simultaneous determination of 35 non-derivatized metabolites was developed using liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry. Under the optimal conditions, linearity was achieved in the range from 0.05 to 10.0 ng (R2 ≥ 0.989). The repeatability provided percentage relative standard deviations ≤11.2 and a trueness expressed as percentage relative error from −10.7% to 12%. The recoveries ranged from 87.3% to 109.8% with good repeatability. When applied to mouse lung tissue, plasma, and urine samples, 30 amino acids, creatine, creatinine, and oxidized glutathione were positively identified and quantified. The described present method was useful for the simultaneous determination of amino acids, creatine, creatinine, and oxidized glutathione in biological samples, including tissue, plasma, and urine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

meta‐Xylene (m‐xylene) is one of three isomers of xylene, which is widely used as a solvent and detergent in various industries and medical technology. Exposure to volatile organic compounds, such as m‐xylene, causes pulmonary inflammation and airway inflammation, thereby contributing to the onset of asthma. Exposure to m‐xylene increases acute wheezing and intensity of asthma symptom. However, the mechanism of the onset of asthma by m‐xylene has not been studied yet. C57BL/6 mice were sensitized and challenged by m‐xylene at 100 or 300 mg/kg. The mice were then sacrificed after the last challenge. Exposure to m‐xylene increased the total number of inflammatory cells and the production of interleukin (IL)‐4, IL‐5, IL‐13, and immunoglobulin E related to the Th2 immune response. In contrast, the production of interferon‐γ related to the Th1 immune response was decreased. In addition, the airway resistance increased according to the airway hyper‐responsiveness measurements. Finally, a histological analysis revealed infiltration of inflammatory cells, mucus production, and lung fibrosis. These results suggest that m‐xylene is a potential risk factor for asthma and the onset of asthma is caused by TH2 cytokines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient method for the simultaneous profiling analysis of 44 fatty acids including 24 aliphatic, 12 hydroxyl, and eight methyl-branched fatty acids astert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivatives was developed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. In this study, new mass spectral databases of isolauric, 11-methyllauric, isomyristic, isopentadecylic, isopalmitic, isostearic, 17-methylstearic, and 19-methylarachidic acids were constructed as TBDMS derivatives. Under the optimal conditions, linearity in the range of 0.1–10.0 µg/mL (24 aliphatic fatty acids) and 0.01–1.0 µg/mL (eight methyl-branched and 12 hydroxy fatty acids) showed good correlation coefficients (r ≥ 0.997). The repeatability showed relative standard deviation of less than 11.2% and accuracy (percent relative error) varied from −11.0 to 7.8 for the 44 fatty acids studied. The recoveries ranged from 61.7 to 90.1% with good repeatability. When applied to human plasma sample, 18 aliphatic, three 2-hydroxy, three 3-hydroxy, and five methyl-branched fatty acids were positively identified and quantified. Therefore, the present method will be useful for profiling analysis of various fatty acids in biological samples including plasma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loxoprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the 2-arylpropionic acid type, which has used to treat musculoskeletal disorders in the horse racing industry. However, it has also used illicitly to mask clinical signs of inflammation and pain in racehorses. Thus, its accurate analysis has become an important issue in horse doping laboratories. In this study, an analytical method of loxoprofen was developed as tert-butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) derivative by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Characteristic fragment ions of [M-15], [M-57], and [M-139] permitted the accurate and selective detection of loxoprofen. Under optimal conditions, this method showed good linearity (r ≥ 0.999) in the range of 10-500 ng/mL, repeatability (% relative standard deviation = 5.6-8.5), and accuracy (% relative error = − 0.3-0.9) with a detection limit of 1.0 ng. When applied to the analysis of loxoprofen in tablet and patch products, loxoprofen was positively identified as TBDMS derivative by GC-MS. The present method provided rapid and accurate determination of loxoprofen in patch and tablet products. Levels of loxoprofen were highest in equine urine at 0.5 and 1 h after oral administration with single dose (3 mg/kg) to three horses, and then rapidly reduced to below the lower limit of quantification at 24 h. Therefore, the present method will be useful for the pharmacokinetic study and doping tests for loxoprofen and other similar acidic drugs in horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multifactorial autoimmune disease with heterogeneous clinical manifestations mediated by immune dysregulation. Objectives: We aimed to analyze the metabolomic differences in free fatty acids (FFAs) between patients with SLE and healthy controls (HCs). Methods: In this study, the levels of 24 FFAs, as their tert-butyldimethylsilyl derivatives, in the plasma of 41 patients with SLE and 41 HCs, were investigated using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry in selected-ion monitoring mode. Results: The results showed that patients with SLE and HCs had significantly different levels of 13 of the 24 FFAs. The levels of myristic, palmitoleic, oleic, and eicosenoic acids were significantly higher, whereas the levels of caproic, caprylic, linoleic, stearic, arachidonic, eicosanoic, behenic, lignoceric, and hexacosanoic acids were significantly lower in patients with SLE, than in the HCs. In the partial-correlation analysis of the FFA profiles and markers of disease activity of SLE, several metabolic markers correlated with SLE disease activity. Conclusions: Our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between FFAs and markers of SLE disease activity. Thus, this approach has promising potential for the discovery of metabolic biomarkers of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is a long term inflammatory disease of the airway of lungs characterized by variable airflow obstruction and bronchospasm. Asthma is caused by a complex combination of environmental and genetic interactions. In this study, we conducted proteomic analysis of samples derived from control and OVA challenged mice for environmental respiratory disease by using 2-D gel electrophoresis. In addition, we explored the genes associated with the environmental substances that cause respiratory disease and conducted RNA-seq by next-generation sequencing. Proteomic analysis revealed 7 up-regulated (keratin KB40, CRP, HSP27, chaperonin containing TCP-1, TCP-10, keratin, and albumin) and 3 down-regulated proteins (PLC-α, PLA2, and precursor ApoA-1). The expression diversity of many genes was found in the lung tissue of OVA challenged moue by RNA-seq. 146 genes were identified as significantly differentially expressed by OVA treatment, and 118 genes of the 146 differentially expressed genes were up-regulated and 28 genes were downregulated. These genes were related to inflammation, mucin production, and airway remodeling. The results presented herein enable diagnosis and the identification of quantitative markers to monitor the progression of environmental respiratory disease using proteomics and genomic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated changes in PA levels by the treatment of human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) in ischemic stroke in rat brain model and in cultured neuronal SH-SY5Y cells exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). In ischemic rat model, transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) was performed for 2 h, followed by intravenous transplantation of hBM-MSCs or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) the day following MCAo. Metabolic profiling analysis of PAs was examined in brains from three groups: control rats, PBS-treated MCAo rats (MCAo), and hBM-MSCs-treated MCAo rats (MCAo + hBM-MSCs). In ischemic cell model, SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to OGD for 24 h, treated with hBM-MSCs (OGD + hBM-MSCs) prior to continued aerobic incubation, and then samples were collected after coculture for 72 h. In the in vivo MCAo ischemic model, levels of some PAs in brain samples of the MCAo and MCAo + hBM-MSCs groups were significantly different from those of the control group. In particular, putrescine, cadaverine, and spermidine in brain tissues of the MCAo + hBM-MSCs group were significantly reduced in comparison to those in the MCAo group. In the in vitro OGD system, N1-acetylspermidine, spermidine, N1-acetylspermine, and spermine in cells of the OGD + hBM-MSCs group were significantly reduced compared to those of OGD group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolomic analysis of urinary polyamines (PAs) from rat exposed to 915 MHz radiofrequency identification (RFID) signal for 8 h/day for 2 weeks was performed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as N-ethoxycarbonyl/ N-pentafluoropropionyl derivatives. Large alterations in nine PA levels including four aliphatic and five acetylated PAs were monitored in sham-exposed and RFID-exposed groups. Total PA and urinary levels of N-acetylputrescine, N-acetylcadaverine, putrescine, cadaverine, N-acetylspermidine, N-acetylspermidine, spermidine and spermine were reduced, whereas N-acetylspermine was significantly increased after sham and RFID exposure compared with those before exposure. Their levels were normalized to the corresponding group means before exposure and then plotted into star symbol patterns. N-Acetylspermine after RFID exposure was 54 % higher compared to the level before RFID exposure, while it was elevated by only 17 % in the sham group. The results suggest that 915 MHz RFID exposure may induce metabolic disturbance of PA. It may also elevate spermidine/spermine acetyltransferase (SSAT) activity. Thus, the present metabolic profiling combined with star pattern recognition method might be useful for understanding the complexity of biochemical events after exposure to RFID signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]