Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Alice Ameline, Laurie Gheddar, Jean-Sebastien Raul, Pascal Kintz
Summary: Letrozole, a reversible aromatase inhibitor used in cancer treatment, has been observed to be abused as a doping agent in high level athletes, even though it has no medical indications for men. A specific method has been developed to identify Letrozole in human hair, providing a more precise means for anti-doping agencies to detect its presence in athletes.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B-ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Pascal Kintz, Laurie Gheddar, Jean-Sebastien Raul
Summary: Anabolic steroids, synthetic derivatives of testosterone, can have serious health consequences when abused. Their identification has applications in forensic toxicology, clinical settings, psychiatric disorders, and anti-doping violations. Nail clippings, despite lacking standard specimens, can serve as a unique alternative for testing, with a longer window of drug detection compared to head hair. A new method involving pulverization, sonication, extraction, and chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was developed to detect steroids in nail clippings, as demonstrated with authentic abuse cases showing low concentrations. The use of tandem mass spectrometry is essential for accurate testing.
JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Pascal Kintz, Laurie Gheddar, Jean-Sebastien Raul
Summary: Hair testing for anabolic steroids in body hair has advantages of higher concentration and longer detection window compared to head hair. This is demonstrated in eight authentic cases where body hair concentrations were consistently higher than head hair concentrations.
DRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Bahare Makvandi, Anton Pohanka, Mats Bergstrom, Annica Borjesson, Mikael Lehtihet, Lena Ekstrom, Yufang Zheng
Summary: A LC-MS/MS method for measuring anabolic androgenic steroids in serum was developed, and it was found that serum could be a valid complementary matrix to urine samples for testing.
DRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xavier de la Torre, Michele Iannone, Francesco Botre
Summary: This article introduces an analytical method for detecting testosterone and nandrolone esters in human serum, involving sample pre-treatment, derivatization, and validation. The Girard P hydrazones derivative was found to be the most effective. The method is specific for all compounds considered, linear within the investigated concentration range, with LODs ranging from 0.03 to 0.30 ng/mL, high extraction recovery, and minimal matrix effect.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Xhensila Shkembi, Mary Luz Botero, Vasso Skouridou, Miriam Jauset-Rubio, Marketa Svobodova, Pablo Ballester, Abdulaziz S. Bashammakh, Mohammad S. El-Shahawi, Abdulrahman O. Alyoubi, Ciara K. O. Sullivan
Summary: The illicit use of AAS as performance-enhancing drugs poses a threat to both competitive sports and public health. Current detection methods are limited to laboratory settings and cannot be performed on-site. However, the development of aptamer technology offers the potential for simple and cost-effective on-site analysis. In this study, a label-free colorimetric assay was developed using aptamers to detect the abuse of AAS.
ANALYTICAL BIOCHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Rebecca Rodrigues Matos, Carina de Souza Anselmo, Vinicius Figueiredo Sardela, Henrique Macelo Gualberto Pereira
Summary: Stanozolol metabolism was investigated in Zebrafish Water Tank, producing hydroxylated-sulfate, hydroxylated-glycoconjugate, and glucuronide metabolites. STAN-O-Glucuronide was the most intense phase II metabolite, requiring high concentrations of fish and substrate for formation.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Legal
Frederic Aknouche, Laurie Gheddar, Angeline Kernalleguen, Christophe Maruejouls, Pascal Kintz
Summary: A 32-year-old male confessed to killing his girlfriend with a kitchen knife, and blood tests revealed the presence of anabolic steroids. The aggression and violence exhibited may be attributed to the abuse of these steroids.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LEGAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Aoalheiour Dora Albertsdottir, Wim Van Gansbeke, Peter Van Eenoo, Michael Polet
Summary: The detection of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) is frequent among rule-breaking athletes. The long-term metabolites, particularly non-hydrolysed sulphated metabolites, have gained attention for their extended detection time. Liquid and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC- and GC-MS) have been used to investigate their potential. However, the most promising metabolite on one technique may not exhibit the same behavior on the other. Consequently, a comparison was carried out to identify the most likely long-term sulphated metabolites of metenolone, mesterolone, and 17-alpha-methyltestosterone on four mass spectrometric instruments.
DRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sabrina Krief, Alba Iglesias-Gonzalez, Brice M. R. Appenzeller, Lyna Rachid, Marielle Beltrame, Edward Asalu, John-Paul Okimat, Nicole Kane-Maguire, Petra Spirhanzlova
Summary: The study found that both wild and captive chimpanzees are exposed to a variety of organic pollutants through their diet. Captive chimpanzees had significantly higher concentrations of detected chemicals compared to wild chimpanzees. However, reducing exposure to pollutants in their environment resulted in a decrease in the number and concentrations of chemicals detected in captive chimpanzees.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Nadia Arbouche, Jean-Sebastin Raul, Pascal Kintz
Summary: Oral antidiabetics are drugs used to control blood sugar in diabetic subjects. The greatest risk of using these drugs is hypoglycemia, especially in individuals with no history of exposure to these medications. Hair testing for oral antidiabetics can help differentiate the cause of hypoglycemia and has a large detection window with long-term stability. A liquid-chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry method has been developed and successfully applied to analyze 13 oral antidiabetics in hair samples from diabetic patients.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B-ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Medical Laboratory Technology
E. G. W. M. Lentjes, H. N. Bui, L. R. Ruhaak, I. P. Kema, K. L. M. Coene, J. M. W. Van den Ouweland
Summary: LC-MS/MS methods have been increasingly used in hospital laboratories over the past decade. This switch from immunoassays to LC-MS/MS methods was driven by the promise of improved sensitivity and specificity, better standardization, and better between-laboratory comparison. However, it remains uncertain whether these expectations have been met.
CLINICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Peter Bond, Diederik L. Smit, Willem de Ronde
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of the working mechanism and potential side effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS). It discusses the absorption and transportation of AAS in the body and highlights the importance of understanding treatment options and self-medication practices for AAS users.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Nadia Arbouche, Adeline Blanchot, Jean-Sebastien Raul, Pascal Kintz
Summary: Sodium-glucose cotransporter 1 inhibitors are a new class of drugs used for the treatment of type II diabetes. Hair analysis can be useful for detecting past exposure to these substances, but there are no existing data on gliflozin testing in hair. This study developed a method to analyze gliflozin family molecules in hair and applied it to diabetic subjects under dapagliflozin treatment. One case showed a negative result, while the other had a concentration of 12 pg/mg. The absence of dapagliflozin in the first case could be explained by its poor incorporation into hair, making detection difficult.
DRUG TESTING AND ANALYSIS
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Marketa Simkova, Lucie Kolatorova, Pavel Drasar, Jana Vitku
Summary: A robust and rapid LC-MS/MS method for the quantification of 32 steroid hormones in human plasma was developed. The method was validated for the analysis of C18-, C19-, and C21- steroids, demonstrating its applicability in physiological and pathophysiological conditions. This method will serve as a useful tool for investigating steroid-related diseases and can be expanded to analyze other biological matrices.
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY B-ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES IN THE BIOMEDICAL AND LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Abolghassem Emamverdian, Yulong Ding, James Barker, Guohua Liu, Yang Li, Farzad Mokhberdoran
Summary: It has been found that sodium nitroprusside can effectively alleviate the stress of a bamboo plant under high manganese and chromium toxicity. By applying different concentrations of sodium nitroprusside, the antioxidant and non-antioxidant activities of the plant can be increased, stabilizing its growth and photosynthesis, reducing heavy metal accumulation and transportation, and enhancing its tolerance to manganese and chromium toxicity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Laura A. Martinelli, Sam N. Thrower, Andrew Heyes, Ian D. Boardley, Susan H. Backhouse, Andrea Petroczi
Summary: Protecting clean sport and athletes' rights to a clean sport environment is essential in anti-doping policies. This study used qualitative secondary analysis to explore how clean athletes are affected by doping and anti-doping rule violations and the current system. The results suggest that doping has a significant impact on clean athletes, and current approaches to anti-doping rule compliance undermine their legitimacy.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT POLICY AND POLITICS
(2023)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Jake Shelley, Sam N. Thrower, Andrea Petroczi
Summary: This study aims to address the omission of commercial stakeholders in the research on doping in elite distance running, exploring their influence on doping and potential solutions. Thirteen in-depth interviews were conducted and the results indicated the varying levels of responsibility among commercial stakeholders towards anti-doping.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT POLICY AND POLITICS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kashif Ali Khan, Afzal Shah, Jan Nisar, Abdul Haleem, Iltaf Shah
Summary: This review article focuses on the application of green-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) for the photocatalytic degradation of toxic food dyes. It discusses the synthesis methods, characterization techniques, and photocatalytic efficiency of various types of green-synthesized NPs, including metal and metal oxide NPs. The mechanisms involved in the photocatalytic degradation and the factors responsible for the photodegradation are also explored. The advantages, disadvantages, and economic cost are briefly discussed, making this review valuable for readers.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carla Nassour, Shereen Nabhani-Gebara, Stephen J. Barton, James Barker
Summary: Lebanon, despite being rich in water resources compared to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa, is facing water stress due to inadequate management. Previous studies in Lebanon mainly focused on heavy metals and microbiological analysis. This study evaluated the occurrence of six anticancer drugs in various water samples and confirmed weaknesses in wastewater management and treatment technologies in Lebanon.
Article
Plant Sciences
Abolghassem Emamverdian, Yulong Ding, Mirza Hasanuzzaman, James Barker, Guohua Liu, Yang Li, Farzad Mokhberdoran
Summary: ZnO NPs, SiO2 NPs, and TiO2 NPs can enhance the tolerance of bamboo plants to arsenic contamination by inducing various antioxidants and glyoxalase defense systems, scavenging reactive oxygen species and methylglyoxal, increasing phytochelatins production, reducing arsenic accumulation and translocation, and improving photosynthetic pigments content.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Carla Nassour, Shereen Nabhani-Gebara, Stephen J. Barton, James Barker
Summary: To achieve environmental sustainability and protect public health, appropriate management and treatment strategies for healthcare waste are necessary. This study aimed to identify disparities in waste management of anti-cancer drugs and hospital wastewater in Lebanese hospitals. Questionnaires were used to evaluate hospital personnel's knowledge and awareness. The results showed a lack of transparency and awareness among participants, highlighting the need for a comprehensive waste management program in Lebanon.
JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY PHARMACY PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ahmed Z. Alanazi, Khalid Alhazzani, Aya M. Mostafa, James Barker, Sabrein H. Mohamed, Mohamed M. El-Wekil, Al-Montaser Bellah H. Ali
Summary: This study developed a new method for determining the active metabolite of molnupiravir, N-hydroxycytidine, and simultaneously monitoring the levels of the metabolite and the inhibitor verapamil in samples. The method showed high sensitivity, selectivity, and was able to quantify N-hydroxycytidine and verapamil levels in plasma samples. This method can be a useful tool for monitoring drug-drug interactions involving carboxylesterase-2 inhibitors.
MICROCHEMICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Muhammad Usman Sadiq, Afzal Shah, Abdul Haleem, Syed Mujtaba Shah, Iltaf Shah
Summary: The progress in nanotechnology has effectively addressed global issues and green chemistry has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional approaches. Plant extracts, such as Eucalyptus globulus, provide a environmentally friendly and sustainable route for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles.
Article
Agronomy
Abolghassem Emamverdian, Abazar Ghorbani, Yang Li, Necla Pehlivan, James Barker, Yulong Ding, Guohua Liu, Meisam Zargar
Summary: Bamboo is nutritionally valuable globally due to its high calorie and nutritional fiber content and low cholesterol. However, it has been found that bamboo shoots also contain significant amounts of heavy metals, including arsenic. In this study, researchers investigated the possible attenuation of arsenic toxicity in bamboo plants through the co-application of iron oxide nanoparticles and selenium nanoparticles. The results showed that the co-application significantly improved antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoid and phenolic content, and various physiological and growth parameters of the bamboo plants. The most effective approach for increasing bamboo's ability to recover from arsenic toxicity was the concurrent use of selenium nanoparticles and iron oxide nanoparticles.
Review
Substance Abuse
Philip Hurst, Lieke Schiphof-Godart, Maria Kavussanu, Vassilis Barkoukis, Andrea Petroczi, Christopher Ring
Summary: In the past decade, evidence has shown a relationship between dietary supplement use and the use of prohibited performance enhancing substances. The objectives of this review were to compare the prevalence of doping between dietary supplement users and non-users, and to identify whether supplement use is related to doping social cognitive factors.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY
(2023)
Article
Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism
Ellie F. Willmott, Sam N. Thrower, Toni L. Williams, Andrea Petroczi
Summary: Studies on competitive bodybuilding often pathologize the sport and overlook the broader motivations of individuals. This meta-ethnographic review of existing literature provides a novel understanding of the motivations and experiences of competitive bodybuilders. The study reveals how personality traits, life experiences, and situational factors influence competitors' participation and motivations.
INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF SPORT AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ahmed Z. Alanazi, Khalid Alhazzani, Aya M. Mostafa, James Barker, Mohamed M. El-Wekil, Al-Montaser Bellah H. Ali
Summary: A novel selective and reliable ratiometric fluorescence probe has been synthesized for the precise and sensitive quantitation of methotrexate (MTX). The probe showed a wide detection range and a low limit of detection, and was successfully applied to the quantification of MTX in real samples using a selective extraction method.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL AND BIOMEDICAL ANALYSIS
(2024)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Khalid Alhazzani, Ahmed Z. Alanazi, Aya M. Mostafa, James Barker, Mohamed M. El-Wekil, Al-Montaser Bellah H. Ali
Summary: This study investigates the interaction between the antihyperlipidemic drug fluvastatin (FLV) and the antidiabetic drug empagliflozin (EMP), finding that EMP can increase FLV concentrations in the blood. A natural deep eutectic solvent (NDES) is used as an extraction agent for the hydrophobic FLV, resulting in a highly efficient extraction process. The validated method is then applied to study the pharmacokinetic parameters of FLV after oral administration alone or in combination with EMP.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Khalid Alhazzani, Ahmed Z. Alanazi, Aya M. Mostafa, James Barker, Mohamed M. El-Wekil, Al-Montaser Bellah H. Ali
Summary: This research introduces a novel sensor that utilizes two fluorophores to simultaneously monitor GNT and KET. The sensor works by quenching the fluorescence of the fluorophores in the presence of the drugs, allowing for their simultaneous detection. The proposed method was highly sensitive and had a wide linear range for the determination of GNT and KET in rabbit plasma samples.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olexander M. Semenenko, Victoria V. Lipson, Alina O. Sadchenko, Olga V. Vashchenko, Natalia A. Kasian, Liliia Sviechnikova, Longin M. Lisetski, Mykola L. Babak, Volodymyr M. Vakula, Oleksandr Borysov, Yuliia Holota, Sergey O. Zozulya, Petro O. Borysko, Olexander Mazepa
Summary: An efficient protocol for the synthesis of novel methotrexate-betulonic acid hybrids has been developed and their structures and properties have been fully established. The hybrids showed inferior interactions with artificial lipid membranes, possibly due to their increasing lipophilicity.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mohadese Yaghoobi Anzabi, Piotr Cmoch, Roman Luboradzki, Zbigniew Pakulski
Summary: Friedelin and 3-acetoxyfriedel-3-en-2-one, known as friedelane triterpenoids, have been isolated from cork smoker wash solids and used as starting materials for the synthesis of new friedelane derivatives. Reduction reactions result in the formation of friedelinol and epi-cerin derivatives.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Detlef Thieme, Aniko Krumbholz, Martin Bidlingmaier, Christoph Geffert, Annika Hameder, Andreas Stoever, Matthias Graw, Annekathrin M. Keiler
Summary: Ethanol can affect testosterone metabolism and potentially influence steroid biosynthesis and blood steroid profiles. The study emphasizes the importance of sufficient time interval from food and ethanol intake during blood sampling, particularly for diagnostics in doping control.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masanobu Murao, Tetsuo Imano, Yoshinobu Sato, Masaaki Nakajima
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jingyuan Wang, Ye Feng, Brian Liu, Wen Xie
Summary: Sulfation and desulfation of steroids are opposing processes that regulate steroid homeostasis and are involved in steroid-related diseases. Cytosolic sulfotransferase and steroid sulfatase modify and regulate steroids to affect hormonal dysregulation, metabolic diseases, and cancer.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Noah K. Babel, Brian J. Feldman
Summary: Our research identified a previously unrecognized ADAMTS1-PTN-Wnt pathway in regulating adipose precursor cell behavior. The non-muscle myosin protein MYH9 was found to be a key target of this pathway for modulating adipogenesis. These findings offer potential for developing novel therapeutics for obesity and related metabolic disorders.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martiniano Bello
Summary: This study explores the structural and thermodynamic basis of molecular recognition between ERβ and DPN and its derivatives using molecular dynamics simulations and end-point methods. The results show that the MMGBSA approach is able to reproduce experimental trends and identify eight residues that strongly interact with the ligands.