Urinary Melamine Levels and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease

 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a global public health problem. The etiology of development and progression of early CKD is multifactorial. Some cross-sectional studies have associated environmental melamine exposure with kidney diseases, but evidence is limited. Professor Yi-Chun Tsai and colleagues at Division of Nephrology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, and Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University demonstrated urinary melamine as a predictor of rapid decline in kidney function in patients with CKD stages 1-3.

This is the first study to find an association between environmental melamine exposure and adverse kidney outcomes in a clinical setting. Over a median follow-up period of 7.0 years, subjects in the highest tertile of urinary melamine level had a 2.30 hazard risk for doubling of serum creatinine, compared to those in the lowest tertile. Similar significant dose-response results were found in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline > 3 ml/min/1.73m2 per year and 30% decline in eGFR in the first two years. Urinary melamine level is significantly associated with kidney function deterioration in early stage CKD patients. Moreover, research team performed subgroup analysis and demonstrated the association between urinary melamine and kidney function deterioration in subjects with baseline eGFR ≥ 45 ml/min/1.73m2 and in subjects with diabetes mellitus.

CKD patients with the highest tertile of urinary melamine was associated with rapid decline in kidney function including doubling of serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline > 3 ml/min/1.73m² per year and 30% decline in eGFR in the first two years compared to those in the lowest tertile. Figure source was from https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/14/8/1133.long 

This article-“Urinary Melamine Levels and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease” , written by Rept. Author Professor Yi-Chun Tsai, from College of Medicine, is award for Kaohsiung Medical University 2019 Monthly Excellent Paper Award in Aug. The authors of this article include Dr. Yi-Chun Tsai and her colleagues at Division of Nephrology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (Dr. Yi-Wen Chiu, Professor Shang-Jyh Hwang, and Professor Dr. Hung-Chun Chen and colleagues at Research Center for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (Professor Ming-Tsang Wu, PhD Chia-Fang Wu, Professor Chia-Chu Liu, and Associate Professor Tusty-Jiuan Hsieh).

This study was published online in Clinical Journal of American Society of Nephrology the 7th August 2019. The full research article entitled “ Urinary Melamine Levels and Progression of Chronic Kidney Disease”

is available online through CJASN at https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/14/8/1133.long.

Application for the Construction of Oxolinic Acid and BQCA

A copper-catalyzed three-component environmentally benign synthetic method has been developed for the synthesis of substituted 4-quinolone derivatives. In recent study, the researchers at Kaohsiung Medical University have developed a series of 4-quinolones. This method has been successfully applied for the synthesis of available oxolinic acid and BQCA drugs. Traditional synthetic methods limited their applicability due to the requirement of crucial starting precursors, harsh reaction conditions, side product formation and utilization of organic solvents. Thus, considering this facts, the scientist Jeh-Jeng Wang and his colleagues reported water mediated three-component green and sustainable protocol from substituted 3‐(2‐halophenyl)‐3‐oxopropanes, aq. NH_3, and aldehydes for the synthesis of valuable N-heterocyclic compounds. In addition, the researchers also demonstrated the synthetic practicality and synthetic application of this strategy; a gram scale reaction and late stage modification of designed product performed. The researchers utilized aq. ammonia as a N1 synthon for the construction of 4-quinolones. Moreover, the researchers extended this reaction with formaldehyde, and other functionalities such as -CN, -NO₂, -SO₂Ar, -COAr and heterocyclic compounds.

Scheme: Synthesis of 4-Quinolone analogues.

This work was published online in Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis the 1^st April 2019. The full name of article entitled “Copper‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Substituted 4‐Quinolones using Water as a Benign Reaction Media: Application for the Construction of Oxolinic Acid and BQCA” is available online through the Adv. Synth. Catal. at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/adsc.201900286.

The lead author of this work “Copper‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Substituted 4‐Quinolones using Water as a Benign Reaction Media: Application for the Construction of Oxolinic Acid and BQCA” are Dr. Babasaheb Sopan Gore, Chein-Chung Lee, Jessica Lee and corresponding author include Jeh-Jeng Wang. ( Professor, Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Taiwan)

This article-“Copper-Catalyzed Synthesis of Substituted 4-Quinolones using Water as a Benign Reaction Media: Application for the Construction of Oxolinic Acid and BQCA” , written by Rept. Author Jeh-Jeng Wang fom Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, is award for Kaohsiung Medical University 2019 Monthly Excellent Paper Award in July.

The contact Information:

Prof. Dr. Jeh-Jeng Wang, Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, No. 100, Shih-Chuan 1st Rd, Sanmin district, Kaohsiung City, 807 (Taiwan), Tel: (886)-7-3121101 Fax: (886)-7-3125339, E-mail: jjwang@kmu.edu.tw

Dr. Babasaheb Sopan Gore, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kaohsiung Medical University,

Tel: (886)-9-68930195, E-mail: gorepranav99@gmail.com