Psychoactive Plant Database - Neuroactive Phytochemical Collection

1. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2024 Oct 22;15:1401260. doi: 
10.3389/fendo.2024.1401260. eCollection 2024.

Causal relationships of familial hypercholesterolemia with the risk of multiple 
vitamin deficiencies: a Mendelian randomization study.

Zhang C(1), Wei G(2), Zhou H(1), Liu L(1).

Author information:
(1)National Drug Clinical Trial Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu 
Medical University, Bengbu, Anhui, China.
(2)Beijing Key Laboratory of Diabetes Research and Care, Department of 
Endocrinology, Beijing Diabetes Institute, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital 
Medical University, Beijing, China.

BACKGROUND: The causal relationship between familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) 
and various vitamin deficiencies has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, this 
study investigated the cause-and-effect relationship between FH and the risk of 
multiple vitamin deficiencies in humans.
METHODS: Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed by extracting six 
datasets for FH, FH with ischemic heart disease (IHD), and vitamin deficiency 
(vitamin A, thiamine, other B-group vitamins, and vitamin D) from the FinnGen 
study, covering a total of 329,115; 316,290; 354,932; 354,949; 355,411 and 
355,238 individuals, respectively.
RESULTS: FH was suggestively associated with higher odds of thiamine deficiency 
[inverse variance weighted odds ratio (ORIVW) 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.62 
(1.03, 2.55), P = 0.036] and vitamin D deficiencies [ORIVW CI: 1.35 (1.04, 
1.75), P = 0.024], low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) rs112898275 variant, 
rs11591147 and rs499883 in proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9), 
rs9644862 in cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2 B antisense RNA1 (CDKN2B-AS1), 
and rs142834163 in dedicator of cytokinesis 6 (DOCK6) and rs115478735 in ABO 
blood group (ABO) strongly influenced the risk of thiamine deficiency, while the 
rs7412 variant in apolipoprotein E (APOE) mostly influenced the risk of vitamin 
D deficiency. FH with IHD was suggestively associated with higher odds of 
vitamin D deficiency (ORIVW, weighted median [WM][95%CI]: 1.31 [1.05, 1.64]; 
1.47 [1.10, 1.97]) (P = 0.018; 0.010) without any single significant SNPs 
observed.
CONCLUSION: FH was positively associated with increased risks of thiamine and 
vitamin D deficiencies, revealing a prospective and unfortunate complication of 
FH.

Copyright © 2024 Zhang, Wei, Zhou and Liu.

DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1401260
PMCID: PMC11534809
PMID: 39502567 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that the research was 
conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could 
be construed as a potential conflict of interest.


2. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen. 2024 Nov 4. doi: 
10.2174/0113862073322752241016110001. Online ahead of print.

Research on the Therapeutic Effect of Qizhu Anti Cancer Recipe on Colorectal 
Cancer Based on RNA Sequencing Analysis.

Zhai P(1)(2), Qian X(3), Liu G(4), Wang J(2), Xie L(2), Tang D(1).

Author information:
(1)College of traditional Chinese medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese 
Medicine, Jiangsu, 210023, China.
(2)Oncology Department, Taizhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 
Jiangsu, 210023, China.
(3)Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 
Jiangsu, 210023, China.
(4)Department of Pathology, Taizhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 
Jiangsu, 210023, China.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is one of the common malignant tumors in clinical 
practice, and traditional Chinese medicine, as an important adjuvant treatment 
method, plays important roles in the treatment of malignant tumors.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the mechanism of action of the Qizhu 
anti-cancer recipe on colorectal cancer through transcriptome sequencing.
METHODS: The control group and Qizhu anti-cancer recipe group were established 
separately, and sequencing of the cells of the two groups was performed using 
the Illumina sequencing platform. Two sets of Differentially Expressed Genes 
(DEGs) were screened using the DESeq2 algorithm, and Principal Component 
Analysis (PCA), Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes 
(KEGG), Reactome, Disease Ontology (DO), and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) 
were used to comprehensively analyze the molecular functions and signaling 
pathways enriched by DEGs.
RESULT: A total of 122 DEGs were identified through differential analysis, 
including 24 upregulated genes and 98 downregulated genes. GO analysis showed 
that DEGs were mainly enriched in functions such as alkaline phase activity, ion 
transport, cell differentiation, etc.; KEGG analysis showed that DEGs were 
mainly enriched in pathways such as Thiamine metabolism, apoptosis, signaling 
pathways regulating pluripotency of stem cells, cellular senescence and so on. 
Reactom analysis showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in response pathways such 
as EGR1,2,3 bind to the NAB2 promoter, EGR binds ARC gene, EGR-dependent NAB2 
gene expression, etc.; DO analysis showed that differentially expressed genes 
were mainly enriched in diseases such as disease of cellular proliferation, 
disease of anatomical entity, organ system cancer, etc.; PPI analysis identified 
key differentially expressed genes, including DDIT3, CHAC1, TRIB3, and ASNS.
CONCLUSION: Based on transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, it 
was found that the Qizhu anti-cancer recipe may involve DEGs and signaling 
pathways in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Our study may provide potential 
drug targets for developing new treatment strategies for colorectal cancer.

Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at 
epub@benthamscience.net.

DOI: 10.2174/0113862073322752241016110001
PMID: 39501961


3. Intensive Care Med Exp. 2024 Nov 4;12(1):97. doi: 10.1186/s40635-024-00673-0.

Cellular oxygen consumption in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis.

Vine J(#)(1), Lee JH(#)(1)(2), Balaji L(1)(2), Grossestreuer AV(1)(2), Morton 
A(1)(3), Peradze N(1)(4), Antony N(1)(2), Berlin N(1)(5), Kravitz MS(1)(2), 
Leland SB(1)(6), Berg K(1)(7), Moskowitz A(1)(8)(9), Donnino MW(1)(2)(7), Liu 
X(10)(11).

Author information:
(1)Center for Resuscitation Science, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 
Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
(2)Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 
Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
(3)Department of Microbiology and Pathology at Brigham Women's Hospital, Boston, 
MA, USA.
(4)Invicro, Needham, MA, USA.
(5)Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at 
Tufts University, North Grafton, MA, USA.
(6)Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston 
Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
(7)Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel 
Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
(8)Division of Critical Care Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, 
USA.
(9)Bronx Center for Critical Care Outcomes and Resuscitation Research, The 
Bronx, NY, USA.
(10)Center for Resuscitation Science, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 
Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. xliu4@bidmc.harvard.edu.
(11)Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 
Brookline Ave, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. xliu4@bidmc.harvard.edu.
(#)Contributed equally

BACKGROUND: Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life-threatening 
disorder associated with severe alterations in metabolism and acid-base status. 
Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with diabetes and its complications. 
Thiamine and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) are important factors in aerobic metabolism. 
In this study, we measured cellular oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) and the 
effects of in vitro administration of thiamine and CoQ10 on OCRs in patients 
with DKA versus healthy controls.
METHODS: Blood samples were collected from a prospective cohort of patients with 
DKA and from controls. Cellular OCRs were measured in peripheral blood 
mononuclear cells (PBMC) without treatment and after treatment with thiamine, 
CoQ10, or both. The mitochondrial profile was measured using an XFe96 
Extracellular Flux Analyzer and XF Cell Mito Stress Test Kit (Seahorse 
Bioscience). A linear quantile mixed model was used to compare OCRs and estimate 
treatment effects.
RESULTS: A total of 62 patients with DKA and 48 controls were included in the 
study. The median basal and maximal OCRs were lower in the DKA group than in the 
control group (basal: 4.7 [IQR: 3.3, 7.9] vs. 7.9 [5.0, 9.5], p = 0.036; 
maximal: 16.4 [9.5, 28.1] vs. 31.5 [20.6, 46.0] pmol/min/µg protein, p < 0.001). 
In DKA samples, basal and maximal OCRs were significantly increased when treated 
with thiamine, CoQ10, or both. In controls, basal and maximal OCR were 
significantly increased only with thiamine treatment.
CONCLUSION: Mitochondrial metabolic profiles of patients with DKA demonstrated 
lower cellular oxygen consumption when compared to healthy controls. Oxygen 
consumption increased significantly in cells of patients with DKA treated with 
thiamine or CoQ10. These results suggest that thiamine and CoQ10 could 
potentially have therapeutic benefits in DKA via their metabolic effects on 
mitochondrial cellular respiration.

© 2024. The Author(s).

DOI: 10.1186/s40635-024-00673-0
PMCID: PMC11535118
PMID: 39497011

Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing 
interests.


4. Chem Commun (Camb). 2024 Nov 4. doi: 10.1039/d4cc05182c. Online ahead of
print.

Installation of an organocatalyst into a protein scaffold creates an artificial 
Stetterase.

MacAulay A(1), Klemencic E(1), Brewster RC(1), Ünal SM(2), Notari E(1)(2), Wood 
CW(2), Jarvis AG(1), Campopiano DJ(1).

Author information:
(1)School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Joseph Black Building, King's 
Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK. Dominic.Campopiano@ed.ac.uk.
(2)School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Roger Land Building, 
King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK.

Using a protein scaffold covalently functionalised with a thiamine-inspired 
N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC), we created an artificial Stetterase (ArtiSt) which 
catalyses a stereoselective, intramolecular Stetter reaction. We demonstrate 
that ArtiSt functions under ambient conditions with low catalyst loading. 
Furthermore, activity can be increased >20 fold by altering the protein 
scaffold.

DOI: 10.1039/d4cc05182c
PMCID: PMC11533139
PMID: 39494563

Conflict of interest statement: There are no conflicts to declare.


5. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc. 2023 Oct 25;306:123570. doi: 
10.1016/j.saa.2023.123570. Online ahead of print.

Dual signal AA detection based on fluorescence and local surface plasmon 
resonance absorption technology.

Huang L(1), Qin S(1), Yang K(2), Xu Y(3), Wu X(1), Lin Z(1), Wang Y(4).

Author information:
(1)School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Colleges and 
Universities Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry Technology and Resource 
Development, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China.
(2)Technical Center of Nanning Customs District, Nanning 530200, China.
(3)School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Colleges and 
Universities Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry Technology and Resource 
Development, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China. Electronic address: 
yjxu@gxu.edu.cn.
(4)School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangxi Colleges and 
Universities Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry Technology and Resource 
Development, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China. Electronic address: 
theanalyst@163.com.

The core/shell Au@MnO2 nanoparticles (Au@MnO2 NPs) were prepared and 
characterized by UV-vis spectrum, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 
X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). It was found that MnO2 in the shell of 
Au@MnO2 NPs could oxidize thiamine (VB1) into blue fluorescent thiochrome (TC). 
The reduction of MnO2 in the shell layer could lead to a decrease of Au@MnO2 NPs 
size along with a blue shift of the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) 
peak. Once ascorbic acid (AA) was introduced, MnO2 in the shell was rapidly 
reduced to Mn2+ ions. Accordingly, the oxidation of VB1 was inhibited and the 
fluorescence of TC was weakened. Based on these phenomena, we have established a 
dual signal method for AA determination with the help of UV-vis and fluorescence 
spectrophotometer. Under the optimum conditions, the LSPR absorption peak shift 
(Δλ) of Au@MnO2 NPs and the decrease in fluorescence of TC correlated well with 
AA concentration ranging from 0.75 to 17.5 μM. The detection limits of LSPR 
absorption assay and fluorescence assay were 0.18 and 0.47 μM, respectively. 
More importantly, this dual-signal detection method has been used for the 
determination of AA in vitamin C tablets with high accuracy and precision, 
indicating its promising potential applications.

Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2023.123570
PMID: 39492385

Conflict of interest statement: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors 
declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal 
relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this 
paper.