bims-polyam 2024-08-04 papers

Issue of 2024–08–04
three papers selected by
Sebastian J. Hofer, University of Graz

J Am Heart Assoc. 2024 Jul 31. e035837

Plasma Polyamines and Short-Term Adverse Outcomes Among Patients With Ischemic Stroke: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Pinni Yang, Mengyao Shi, Yiming Jia, Chongke Zhong, Hao Peng, Lulu Sun, Daoxia Guo, Jing Chen, Aili Wang, Tan Xu, Zhengbao Zhu, Yonghong Zhang, Jiang He.

BACKGROUND: Polyamines have been reported to be associated with neurological function, but the associations between polyamines and the prognosis of ischemic stroke remain unclear. We aimed to prospectively investigate whether elevated plasma polyamine levels are associated with adverse outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma polyamine levels were measured at admission in 3570 patients with acute ischemic stroke, and clinical outcomes were assessed at 3 months after stroke onset. The primary outcome was a composite outcome of death and major disability (modified Rankin Scale score≥3), and secondary outcomes included the individual outcomes of death and major disability. During a 3-month follow-up period, 877 participants (25.1%) experienced the primary outcome. Increased putrescines were associated with a decreased risk of the primary outcome (the highest versus the lowest tertile: odds ratio, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.58-0.91]; P=0.005) and major disability (odds ratio, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.47-0.74]; P<0.001). Conversely, increased spermidines were associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.86 [95% CI, 1.10-3.14]; P=0.020), and increased spermines were associated with an increased risk of the primary outcome (odds ratio, 1.36 [95% CI, 1.08-1.71]; P=0.009) and major disability (odds ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.01-1.59]; P=0.041).
CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with ischemic stroke, high plasma putrescine levels were associated with a decreased risk of adverse outcomes, whereas high plasma spermidine and spermine levels were associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Further studies are needed to investigate whether targeting these polyamines can improve the prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke.
REGISTRATION: https://clinicaltrials.gov. Identifier: NCT01840072.

Keywords: Spermine; ischemic stroke; polyamines; prognosis; putrescine; spermidine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.124.035837

Ann Surg. 2024 Aug 01.

Circulating Metabolic Markers Identify Patients at Risk for Tumor Recurrence: A Prospective Cohort Study in Colorectal Cancer Surgery.

Blanca Montcusí, Francisco Madrid-Gambin, Silvia Marin, Xavier Mayol, Marta Pascual, Marta Cascante, Óscar J Pozo, Miguel Pera.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the spermidine pathway capability to predict patients at risk for tumor recurrence following colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery.
SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Recurrence rates after CRC surgery remain about 20%, despite an optimal technique and adjuvant therapy when necessary. Identification of risk biomarkers of recurrence is an unmet need. The spermidine pathway is indispensable for cell proliferation and differentiation, and is suggested to accelerate tumor spread.
METHODS: Prospective cohort study of patients undergoing CRC surgery from 2015 to 2018. Plasma samples were collected before surgery and on postoperative day 4, and the spermidine pathway was assessed through mass spectrometry. Oncological outcomes were registered.
RESULTS: 146 patients were included and 24 (16.4%) developed tumor recurrence. Higher levels of preoperative spermidine pathway components (spermidine, spermine, spermidine synthase enzyme, and spermine/arginine balance) were positively associated with recurrence. Surgery promoted a decrease in these pathway elements. The greater the decline was, the lower the risk of recurrence. Preoperative spermidine over the cut-off 0.198 µM displayed a 4.69-fold higher risk of recurrence. The spermine synthase enzyme behaved in the opposite direction.
CONCLUSIONS: The spermidine pathway is associated with tumor recurrence following CRC surgery and, after confirmation in larger cohorts, could be translated as a risk biomarker of recurrence into clinical practice.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000006463

R Soc Open Sci. 2024 Jun;11(6): 231979

Advances in the synthesis and applications of macrocyclic polyamines.

Yongguang Gao, Lina Guo, Xinhua Liu, Na Chen, Xiaochun Yang, Qing Zhang.

Macrocyclic polyamines constitute a significant class of macrocyclic compounds that play a pivotal role in the realm of supramolecular chemistry. They find extensive applications across diverse domains including industrial and agricultural production, clinical diagnostics, environmental protection and other multidisciplinary fields. Macrocyclic polyamines possess a distinctive cavity structure with varying sizes, depths, electron-richness degrees and flexibilities. This unique feature enables them to form specific supramolecular structures through complexation with diverse objects, thereby attracting considerable attention from chemists, biologists and materials scientists alike. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive summaries on the synthesis methods for macrocyclic polyamines. In this review article, we provide an in-depth introduction to the synthesis of macrocyclic polyamines while analysing their respective advantages and disadvantages. Furthermore, we also present an overview of the recent 5-year advancements in using macrocyclic polyamines as non-viral gene vectors, fluorescent probes, diagnostic and therapeutic reagents as well as catalysts. Looking ahead to future research directions on the synthesis and application of macrocyclic polyamines across various fields will hopefully inspire new ideas for their synthesis and use.

Keywords: fluorescent probe; gene vector; macrocyclic polyamine; supramolecular chemistry

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.231979