Ya Dai

Plasma miRNAs might be promising biomarkers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

We previously showed that microRNAs (miRNAs) in plasma are potential biomarkers for cigarette smoking‐related lung fibrosis. Here, we want to find out promising miRNAs for early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Preparation of molecularly imprinted polymers using theanine as dummy template and its application as SPE sorbent for the determination of eighteen amino acids in tobacco.

In this paper, a novel dummy template molecularly imprinted polymer (DMIP) based on a vinyl-SiO2 microspheres surface for the simultaneous selective recognition and enrichment of 18 amino acids was prepared via a surface molecular imprinting technique using theanine as a dummy template. Compared to the imprinted polymers prepared using traditional polymerization techniques, the obtained DMIPs exhibited a regular spherical shape and were relatively monodisperse. The maximal sorption capacity (Qmax) of the resulting DMIPs for the 18 amino acids was up to 1444.3 mg g(-1). A kinetic binding study showed that the sorption capacity reached 85.40% of Qmax in 25 min and sorption equilibrium at 30 min. The imprint factors of the sorbents ranged from 2.86 to 6.9 for the 18 amino acids, which indicated that the DMIP sorbents have high selectivity. An HPLC-UV method for the simultaneous determination of 18 amino acids in tobacco and tobacco smoke was developed using the DMIPs as sorbents for solid phase extraction (SPE) in the sample pretreatment procedure. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the materials had enrichment factors of up to 200 for the amino acids, and the recoveries of the 18 amino acids in tobacco smoke were in the range from 79% to 104% with relative standard deviations of less than 7.4%. It indicated that the obtained DMIP sorbents could specifically recognize the amino acids from complicated samples.

Circulating microRNAs as potential biomarkers for smoking-related interstitial fibrosis.

Numerous efforts have been made to indentify reliable and predictive biomarkers to detect the early signs of smoking-induced lung disease. Using 6-month cigarette smoking in mice, we have established smoking-related interstitial fibrosis (SRIF). Microarray analyses and cytokine/chemokine biomarker measurements were made to select circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) biomarkers. We have demonstrated that specific miRNAs species (miR-125b-5p, miR-128, miR-30e, and miR-20b) were significantly changed, both in the lung tissue and in plasma, and exhibited mainstream (MS) exposure duration-dependent pathological changes in the lung. These findings suggested a potential use of specific circulating miRNAs as sensitive and informative biomarkers for smoking-induced lung disease.

MicroRNAs as promising biomarkers for diagnosing human cancer.

Yuchuan Huang,1,2 Shujuan Yang,3 Jie Zhang,2 Lanlan Tan,1 Fenglin Jiang,2 Ning Li,1 Jingqiu Cheng,2 Yanrong Lu,2 and Ya Dai1 Technology Research and Development Center, China Tobacco Chuanyu Industrial Corporation, Chengdu, China,1 Key Laboratory of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China,2 Department of Epidemiology Huaxi Public Health School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China3

Tissue‐specific and plasma microRNA profiles could be promising biomarkers of histological classification and TNM stage in non‐small cell lung cancer

In a previous study, we determined that plasma miRNAs are potential biomarkers for cigarette smoking‐related lung fibrosis. Herein, we determine whether tissue‐specific and plasma miRNA profiles could be promising biomarkers for histological classification and TNM stage in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Plasma miRNA profiling preoperatively and seven days postoperatively, and cancer and normal tissue miRNA profiling were performed in NSCLC patients and matched healthy controls. There was a > twofold change for all signature miRNAs between the NSCLC patients and controls, with P values of < 0.05. We found that tissue‐specific and plasma miR‐211‐3p, miR‐3679‐3p, and miR‐4787‐5p were promising biomarkers of different staging lung squamous cell carcinoma, and miR‐3613‐3p, miR‐3675‐3p, and miR‐5571‐5p were promising biomarkers of different staging lung adenocarcinoma. These results suggest that tissue‐specific and plasma miRNAs could be potential biomarkers of histological classification and TNM stage in NSCLC.

The interaction of a cobalt porphyrin with cancer-associated nitrosamines

A cobalt porphyrin (CY-B) was presented, and its interaction with tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) was investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry. The results revealed that the stoichiometry of the host-guest interaction was 1:2 and that the binding constant between CY-B and TSNAs was within the range of 0.78×10(8)-7.83×10(8)M(-2). The coordination strength between CY-B and TSNAs decreased in the sequence of NNN>NAB>NAT>NNK based on the binding constant. The interaction mechanism of CY-B with TSNAs involved a coordination interaction, and the π-π interaction between the porphyrin macrocycle and the aromatic frame of the TSNAs pyridines may also have been a driving force. The measured thermodynamic properties demonstrated that the reaction of CY-B with TSNAs was spontaneous and that the driving force for the interaction was a change in enthalpy. The reaction was exothermic, and an increasing temperature inhibited the interaction. The IR spectrum of the complex revealed that the NNO group of TSNAs and the metal cobalt of CY-B formed the six-coordinate complex.

Quantitative and Structure Analysis of Cellulose in Tobacco by 13C CP / MAS NMR Spectroscopy

SUMMARY A new method utilizing 13C cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra was developed for the simultaneous quantitative determination and structure analysis of tobacco cellulose from hot water or acid detergent extraction. A reference spectrum of tobacco noncellulose components was subtracted from the spectrum of each sample to obtain a subspectrum of the cellulose components. The NMR spectra in combination with spectral fitting were analyzed in detail and some parameters, such as the content of cellulose, crystallinity, allomorph composition and lateral dimensions for cellulose elementary fibrils and microfibrils were determined. The quantitative results showed that the average recovery was 94.0% with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.6–4.8%. The structure results obtained by the spectral fitting for the cellulose C1-region showed that the main allomorph composition in tobacco cellulose was Iβ. The cellulose crystallinity calculated by the spectral fitting in C4 -region was about 50%. The lateral dimensions for cellulose elementary fibrils and microfibrils were in the range of 3.0–6.0 nm and 6.0–13.0 nm, respectively. Therefore, this NMR method could provide important information on both amount and structure of cellulose in tobacco.

Gingko biloba extract and cobalt porphyrin additive to remove harmful components from cigarette smoke and reduce its toxicity

Cigarette filters were modified with a combination of gingko biloba extract and cobalt porphyrin (CGC) to remove harmful components from the cigarette smoke and reduce its toxicity. Smoke analysis results indicated that CGC eliminated up to 32% of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), 52% of N-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), 46% of N-nitrosoanabasine (NAB), 35% of 4-(methylnitrosamine)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), 31% of N-nitrosoanatabine (NAT), 30% of gas-phase free radicals, and 33% of solid-phase free radicals. Biological experiments, including the Ames test, neutral red cytotoxicity assay and chronic toxicity, were conducted for both CGC cigarettes and control cigarettes. Results showed that the toxicity of the CGC cigarettes was lower than those of the control cigarettes. The mechanism by which the CGC components could remove harmful components from cigarette smoke is discussed.

A Similarity Evaluation Model for Flue-cured Tobacco Based on the Chemical Composition and Grey Equal Weight Clustering Method

Grey equal weight clustering based on chemical composition was performed on 36 flue-cured tobacco samples collected from a growing area in Southeast China. The cluster that each tobacco sample belonged to was identified. Grey absolute incidence analysis was carried out on the tobacco samples in each cluster to obtain a grey absolute incidence degree matrix. A similarity evaluation model of the flue-cured tobacco based on the chemical composition was successfully established. This model was tested and verified using an original formula composed of six tobacco samples. Attempts were made to substitute one tobacco sample (target sample) with either a similar or dissimilar tobacco sample from the matrix. Total sensory quality scores indicated that the original formula and that containing a similar substitute tobacco had comparable quality, while that containing a dissimilar substitute tobacco had lower quality. These results demonstrate the successful application of the similarity evaluation model for flue-cured tobacco.

Grey Equal Weight Cluster Analysis of Flue-Cured Tobacco Based on Chemical Compositions

Grey optimum analysis and grey equal weight cluster analysis were used to compare the chemical compositions and quality of flue-cured tobacco leaf samples from southwest China. Results showed that the sugar–protein ratio, sugar–nicotine ratio, total amount of ether extract, total alkaloid content, pH, protein content, and potassium–chloride ratio were the chemical composition indices most closely related to the sensory quality. These were used to evaluate and compare the tobacco leaf quality by grey equal weight cluster analysis. Based on the grey equal weight cluster analysis, the 30 samples of flue-cure tobacco from southwest China were divided into two grey categories. The grey categories were verified by using them to selecting similar and different substitutes for a target tobacco in a mixed tobacco formula. The new formula with the similar substitute produced comparable sensory quality results to the original formula, and formula containing the different substitute had dissimilar sensory qualities to the original formula. These results confirm that the joint application of grey optimum analysis and grey equal weight clustering has a high degree of confidence for comparison of tobacco leaf quality.