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As a member of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzyme family, PDE10A is in charge of the degradation of cyclic adenosine (cAMP) and guanosine monophosphates (cGMP). While PDE10A is primarily expressed in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, it has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Indeed, inhibition of PDE10A has proven to be of potential use for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies caused by dysfunction of the basal ganglia–of which the striatum constitutes the largest component. A PDE10A-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand would enable a better assessment of the pathophysiologic role of PDE10A, as well as confirm the relationship between target occupancy and administrated dose of a given drug candidate, thus accelerating the development of effective PDE10A inhibitors. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel 18F-aryl PDE10A PET radioligand, codenamed [18F]P10A-1910 ([18F]9), in high radiochemical yield and molar activity via spirocyclic iodonium ylide-mediated radiofluorination. [18F]9 possessed good in vitro binding affinity (IC50 = 2.1 nmol/L) and selectivity towards PDE10A. Further, [18F]9 exhibited reasonable lipophilicity (logD = 3.50) and brain permeability (Papp > 10 × 10‒6 cm/s in MDCK-MDR1 cells). PET imaging studies of [18F]9 revealed high striatal uptake and excellent in vivo specificity with reversible tracer kinetics. Preclinical studies in rodents revealed an improved plasma and brain stability of [18F]9 when compared to the current reference standard for PDE10A-targeted PET, [18F]MNI659. Further, dose-response experiments with a series of escalating doses of PDE10A inhibitor 1 in rhesus monkey brains confirmed the utility of [18F]9 for evaluating target occupancy in vivo in higher species. In conclusion, our results indicated that [18F]9 is a promising PDE10A PET radioligand for clinical translation.

Alterations in brain cholesterol homeostasis have been broadly implicated in neurological disorders. Notwithstanding the complexity by which cholesterol biology is governed in the mammalian brain, excess neuronal cholesterol is primarily eliminated by metabolic clearance via cytochrome P450 46A1 (CYP46A1). No methods are currently available for visualizing cholesterol metabolism in the living human brain; therefore, a noninvasive technology that quantitatively measures the extent of brain cholesterol metabolism via CYP46A1 could broadly affect disease diagnosis and treatment options using targeted therapies. Here, we describe the development and testing of a CYP46A1-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, 18 F-CHL-2205 ( 18 F-Cholestify). Our data show that PET imaging readouts correlate with CYP46A1 protein expression and with the extent to which cholesterol is metabolized in the brain, as assessed by cross-species postmortem analyses of specimens from rodents, nonhuman primates, and humans. Proof of concept of in vivo efficacy is provided in the well-established 3xTg-AD murine model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), where we show that the probe is sensitive to differences in brain cholesterol metabolism between 3xTg-AD mice and control animals. Furthermore, our clinical observations point toward a considerably higher baseline brain cholesterol clearance via CYP46A1 in women, as compared to age-matched men. These findings illustrate the vast potential of assessing brain cholesterol metabolism using PET and establish PET as a sensitive tool for noninvasive assessment of brain cholesterol homeostasis in the clinic.

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) is a 33 kDa serine protease primarily responsible for hydrolyzing 2-arachidonoylglycerol into the proinflammatory eicosanoid precursor arachidonic acid in the central nervous system. Inhibition of MAGL constitutes an attractive therapeutic concept for treating psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Herein, we present the design and synthesis of multiple reversible MAGL inhibitor candidates based on a piperazinyl azetidine scaffold. Compounds 10 and 15 were identified as the best-performing reversible MAGL inhibitors by pharmacological evaluations, thus channeling their radiolabeling with fluorine-18 in high radiochemical yields and favorable molar activity. Furthermore, evaluation of [18F]10 and [18F]15 ([18F]MAGL-2102) by autoradiography and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in rodents and nonhuman primates demonstrated favorable brain uptakes, heterogeneous radioactivity distribution, good specific binding, and adequate brain kinetics, and [18F]15 demonstrated a better performance. In conclusion, [18F]15 was found to be a suitable PET radioligand for the visualization of MAGL, harboring potential for the successful translation into humans.

Aims Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is now very prevalent in China. Due to the lower rate of controlled diabetes in China compared to that in developed countries, there is a higher incidence of serious cardiovascular complications, especially acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of this study was to establish a potent risk predictive model in the economically disadvantaged northwest region of China, which could predict the probability of new-onset ACS in patients with T2DM. Methods Of 456 patients with T2DM admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from January 2018 to January 2019 and included in this study, 270 had no ACS, while 186 had newly diagnosed ACS. Overall, 32 demographic characteristics and serum biomarkers of the study patients were analysed. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression was used to select variables, while the multivariate logistic regression was used to establish the predictive model that was presented using a nomogram. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the discriminatory capacity of the model. A calibration plot and Hosmer–Lemeshow test were used for the calibration of the predictive model, while the decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate its clinical validity. Results After random sampling, 319 and 137 T2DM patients were included in the training and validation sets, respectively. The predictive model included age, body mass index, diabetes duration, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, serum uric acid, lipoprotein(a), hypertension history and alcohol drinking status as predictors. The AUC of the predictive model and that of the internal validation set was 0.830 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.786–0.874] and 0.827 (95% CI 0.756–0.899), respectively. The predictive model showed very good fitting degree, and DCA demonstrated a clinically effective predictive model. Conclusions A potent risk predictive model was established, which is of great value for the secondary prevention of diabetes. Weight loss, lowering of SBP and blood uric acid levels and appropriate control for DBP may significantly reduce the risk of new-onset ACS in T2DM patients in Northwest China.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most burdening diseases of the century with no disease-modifying treatment yet. Non-human primates (NHPs) share genetic, anatomical and physiological similarities with humans, making them an ideal model for investigating the pathogenesis and therapeutics of AD. However, the applications of NHPs in AD research have been hindered by the paucity of spontaneous or induced monkey models for AD due to their long generation time, ethical considerations and technical challenges in making genetically modified monkeys. Here we developed an AD-like NHP model by overexpressing human tau in bilateral hippocampi of adult rhesus macaque monkeys. We evaluated the pathological features of these monkeys with immunostaining, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and behavioral tests. We demonstrated that after hippocampal overexpression of human tau, the rhesus macaque monkeys displayed multiple pathological features of AD, including neurofibrillary tangle formation, neuronal loss, hippocampal atrophy, neuroinflammation, Aβ clearance deficit, blood vessel damage and cognitive decline. This work establishes a human tau-induced AD-like NHP model that may facilitate mechanistic studies and therapeutic treatments for AD.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a basket term for neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by marked impairments in social interactions, repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, and restricted interests and activities. Subtypes include (A) disorders with known genetic abnormalities including fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis and (B) idiopathic ASD, conditions with unknown etiologies. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a molecular imaging technology that can be utilizedin vivofor dynamic and quantitative research, and is a valuable tool for exploring pathophysiological mechanisms, evaluating therapeutic efficacy, and accelerating drug development in ASD. Recently, several imaging studies on ASD have been published and physiological changes during ASD progression was disclosed by PET. This paper reviews the specific radioligands for PET imaging of critical biomarkers in ASD, and summarizes and discusses the similar and different discoveries in outcomes of previous studies. It is of great importance to identify general physiological changes in cerebral glucose metabolism, cerebral blood flow perfusion, abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems, and inflammation in the central nervous system in ASD, which may provide excellent points for further ASD research.

Background Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a serious chronic complication of diabetes. This study aimed to establish weighted risk models for determining DFU occurrence and severity in diabetic patients. Methods This was a multi-center hospital-based cross-sectional study. A total of 1488 diabetic patients with or without an ulcer from three tertiary hospitals were included in the study. Random forest method was used to develop weighted risk models for assessing DFU risk and severity. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to validate the models and calculate the optimal cut-off values of the important risk factors. Results We developed potent weighted risk models for evaluating DFU occurrence and severity. The top eight important risk factors for DFU onset were plasma fibrinogen, neutrophil percentage and hemoglobin levels in whole blood, stroke, estimated glomerular filtration rate, age, duration of diabetes, and serum albumin levels. The top 10 important risk factors for DFU severity were serum albumin, neutrophil percentage and hemoglobin levels in whole blood, plasma fibrinogen, hemoglobin A1c, estimated glomerular filtration rate, hypertension, serum uric acid, diabetic retinopathy, and sex. Furthermore, the area under curve values in the models using plasma fibrinogen as a single risk factor for determining DFU risk and severity were 0.86 (sensitivity 0.74, specificity 0.87) and 0.73 (sensitivity 0.76, specificity 0.58), respectively. The optimal cut-off values of plasma fibrinogen for determining DFU risk and severity were 3.88 g/L and 4.74 g/L, respectively. Conclusions We have established potent weighted risk models for DFU onset and severity, based on which precise prevention strategies can be formulated. Modification of important risk factors may help reduce the incidence and progression of DFUs in diabetic patients.

As a member of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (PDE) enzyme family, PDE10A is in charge of the degradation of cyclic adenosine (cAMP) and guanosine monophosphates (cGMP). While PDE10A is primarily expressed in the medium spiny neurons of the striatum, it has been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders. Indeed, inhibition of PDE10A has proven to be of potential use for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) pathologies caused by dysfunction of the basal ganglia-of which the striatum constitutes the largest component. A PDE10A-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) radioligand would enable a better assessment of the pathophysiologic role of PDE10A, as well as confirm the relationship between target occupancy and administrated dose of a given drug candidate, thus accelerating the development of effective PDE10A inhibitors. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel

This study aimed to assess the association between PAM single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and T2DM risk in the Chinese population. We performed the genotype of PAM SNPs using Agena MassARRAY in 1002 subjects. The effect of PAM polymorphisms on T2DM occurrence was evaluated by logistic regression analysis. False-positive report probability (FPRP) was utilized to assess the noteworthiness of the significant results. This study showed that PAM rs406761, rs17154889, and rs6889592 were related to an increased risk of T2DM. The similar results were also in subjects with ≤ 60 years. Rs2431320 and rs406761 were related to an increased risk of T2DM in males, and rs6889592 was only found to be associated with T2DM risk in females. Rs2431320 and rs406761 increased T2DM risk in people with BMI 24, and rs6889592 and rs26431 significantly correlated with T2DM risk in people with BMI ≤ 24. By comparing patients with no retinopathy with controls, the correlation between PAM rs406761 and rs17154889 and T2DM risk was observed. The significant association between T2DM risk and PAM SNPs was remarkable by FPRP values. PAM SNPs were correlated with T2DM risk in the Chinese population, illustrating the importance of PAM SNPs in the pathogenesis of T2DM.

BackgroundDysfunction of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 7 (PDE7) has been associated with excess intracellular cAMP concentrations, fueling pathogenic processes that are implicated in neurodegenerative disorders. The aim of this study was to develop a suitable PDE7-targeted positron emission tomography (PET) probe that allows non-invasive mapping of PDE7 in the mammalian brain.MethodsBased on a spiro cyclohexane-1,4’-quinazolinone scaffold with known inhibitory properties towards PDE7, we designed and synthesized a methoxy analog that was suitable for carbon-11 labeling. Radiosynthesis was conducted with the respective desmethyl precursor using [11C]MeI. The resulting PET probe, codenamed [11C]26, was evaluated by cell uptake studies, ex vivo biodistribution and radiometabolite studies, as well as in vivo PET experiments in rodents and nonhuman primates (NHP).ResultsTarget compound 26 and the corresponding phenolic precursor were synthesized in 2-3 steps with overall yields of 49.5% and 12.4%, respectively. An inhibitory constant (IC50) of 31 nM towards PDE7 was obtained and no significant interaction with other PDE isoforms were observed. [11C]26 was synthesized in high molar activities (170 - 220 GBq/µmol) with radiochemical yields of 34±7%. In vitro cell uptake of [11C]26 was 6-7 folds higher in PDE7 overexpressing cells, as compared to the controls, whereas an in vitro specificity of up to 90% was measured. Ex vivo metabolite studies revealed a high fraction of intact parent in the rat brain (98% at 5 min and 75% at 30 min post injection). Considerable brain penetration was further corroborated by ex vivo biodistribution and PET imaging studies – the latter showing heterogenic brain uptake. While marginal specific binding was observed by PET studies in rodents, a moderate, but dose-dependent, blockade was observed in the NHP brain following pretreatment with non-radioactive 26.ConclusionIn this work, we report on the preclinical evaluation of [11C]26 (codename [11C]P7-2104), a PDE7-targeted PET ligand that is based on a spiroquinazolinone scaffold. [11C]26 displayed promising in vitro performance characteristics, a moderate degree of specific binding in PET studies with NHP. Accordingly, [11C]26 will serve as a valuable lead compound for the development of a new arsenal of PDE7-targeted probes with potentially improved in vivo specificity.

Background: Recent studies have identified some genetic polymorphisms of CYP2C8 and CYP2D6 related to disease susceptibility. However, it has not been reported whether polymorphisms in CYP2C8 and CYP2D6 are associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We designed a case-control study to evaluate the relationship between those CYP polymorphisms and T2DM risk. Methods: Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CYP2C8 and CYP2D6 were genotyped from 512 patients and 515 healthy controls using Agena MassARRAY. The chi-square test was used to compare the differences in allele and genotype frequencies between the two groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by logistic regression analysis to evaluate the relationship between polymorphism and T2DM risk. Results: The results found that the rs1065852 in CYP2D6 was correlated with the T2DM risk in overall (A vs. G: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 1.03–1.45, P = 0.024; AA vs.GG: OR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.04–2.06, P = 0.031; AA-AG vs. GG: OR = 1.36, 95% CI: 1.04–1.79, P = 0.026; additive: OR = 1.21, 95% CI: 1.02–1.44, P = 0.027). Gender stratification analysis results demonstrated that the rs1065852 in CYP2D6 was related with an increased the risk of T2DM in male and age < 59 years old. However, no statistical significance relation was found between CYP2C8 SNPs and T2DM risk. Conclusions: This study revealed that CYP2D6 (rs1065852) could be potential genetic markers of susceptibility to T2DM. Further studies are required to confirm our findings.

// Qingbin Zhao 1 , Huiyi Wei 1 , Dandan Liu 2 , Baolan Shi 3 , Lei Li 3 , Mengdan Yan 4 , Xiyang Zhang 5 , Fengjiao Wang 5 , Yongri Ouyang 4 1 Department of Geratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710061, China 2 Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710061, China 3 Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, 010050, China 4 School of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710069, China 5 Xi’an Tiangen Precision Medical Institute, Xi’an, Shaanxi 710075, China Correspondence to: Qingbin Zhao, email: zhaoqingbin8244693@163.com Keywords: coronary artery disease (CAD), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), PHACTR1, SLC22A3, case-control study Received: September 22, 2016 Accepted: November 12, 2016 Published: November 22, 2016 ABSTRACT Previous studies showed that PHACTR1 and SLC22A3 are involved in coronary vascular development and are key determinants of cardiovascular disease risk. We conducted a case-control study to examine the effect of SLC22A3 and PHACTR1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on CAD risk among 376 male CAD patients and 388 male healthy controls from China. Eleven SLC22A3 and PHACTR1 SNPs were selected and genotyped using Sequenom Mass-ARRAY technology. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using unconditional logistic regression adjusting for age. The rs9381439 minor allele “A” (OR = 0.72; 95% CI = 0.54–0.96; p = 0.024) in an allelic model was associated with reduced CAD risk, as were the rs2048327 “C/C” (OR = 0.60; 95% CI: 0.37–0.97; p = 0.036) and rs1810126 “T/T” (OR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.36–0.93; p = 0.024) genotypes. Likewise, the rs9349379 “A/G” genotype in a dominant model ( p = 0.041), the rs1810126 “T/C” genotype in additive ( p = 0.041) and recessive ( p = 0.012) models, and the rs2048327 “C/T” genotype in a recessive model were associated with decreased CAD risk ( p = 0.016). These results suggest several PHACTR1 and SLC22A3 polymorphisms are associated with decreased CAD risk in the male Chinese Han population.

// Qingbin Zhao 1 , Shudan Liao 2 , Huiyi Wei 1 , Dandan Liu 3 , Jingjie Li 4,5 , Xiyang Zhang 5 , Mengdan Yan 4,5 and Tianbo Jin 4,5 1 Department of Geratology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 2 Department of Cardiology, Xi’an Center Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 3 Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 4 Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Northwest University), Ministry of Education, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China 5 Xi’an Tiangen Precision Medical Institute, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China Correspondence to: Qingbin Zhao, email: // Keywords : coronary heart disease; single nucleotide polymorphisms; CDKN2BAS; case-control,Gerotarget Received : September 01, 2016 Accepted : October 05, 2016 Published : October 11, 2016 Abstract The goal of our study was to determine whether CDKN2BAS polymorphisms are associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in a Han Chinese population. Eight SNPs were genotyped in 676 men and 465 women. We used χ 2 tests and genetic model analyses to evaluate associations between the SNPs and CHD risk. We found that rs10757274 was associated with an increased risk of CHD in both men (allele G: Odds ratio [OR] = 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05-1.61, P = 0.018; codominant model: P = 0.042; recessive model: OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.10-2.62, P = 0.016; log-additive model: OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.05-1.71, P = 0.019) and women (dominant model: OR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.28-3.99, P = 0.004). In addition, rs7865618 was associated with an 8.10-fold increased risk of CHD in women under a recessive model (OR = 8.10, 95% CI: 1.74-37.68, P = 0.006). Interestingly, the haplotype AA (rs10757274 and rs1333042) of CDKN2BAS was associated with decreased the risk of CHD in men (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.55 - 0.95, P = 0.022).