Nanogold Particles Suppresses 5-Flurouracil-Induced Renal Injury: An Insight into the Modulation of Nrf-2 and Its Downstream Targets,HO-1 and γ-GCS

The development of the field of nanotechnology has revolutionized various aspects in the fields of modern sciences. Nano-medicine is one of the primary fields for the application of nanotechnology techniques. The current study sheds light on the reno-protective impacts of gold nano-particles; nanogold (AuNPs) against 5-flurouracil (5-FU)-induced renal toxicity. Indeed, the use of 5-FU has been associated with kidney injury which greatly curbs its therapeutic application. In the current study, 5-FU injection was associated with a significant escalation in the indices of renal injury, i.e., creatinine and urea. Alongside this, histopathological and ultra-histopathological changes confirmed the onset of renal injury. Both gene and/or protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf-2) and downstream antioxidant enzymes revealed consistent paralleled anomalies. AuNPs administration induced a significant renal protection on functional, biochemical, and structural levels. Renal expression of the major sensor of the cellular oxidative status Nrf-2 escalated with a paralleled reduction in the renal expression of the other contributor to this axis, known as Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap-1). On the level of the effector downstream targets, heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) and gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS) AuNPs significantly restored their gene and protein expression. Additionally, combination of AuNPs with 5-FU showed better cytotoxic effect on MCF-7 cells compared to monotreatments. Thus, it can be inferred that AuNPs conferred reno-protective impact against 5-FU with an evident modulatory impact on Nrf-2/Keap-1 and its downstream effectors, HO-1 and γ-GCS, suggesting its potential use in 5-FU regimens to improve its therapeutic outcomes and minimize its underlying nephrotoxicity.     

Biological Insights of Fluoroaryl-2,2′-Bichalcophene Compounds on Multi-Drug Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Resistance of bacteria to multiple antibiotics is a significant health problem; hence, to continually respond to this challenge, different antibacterial agents must be constantly discovered. In this work, fluoroaryl-2,2′-bichalcophene derivatives were chemically synthesized and their biological activities were evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). The impact of the investigated bichalcophene derivatives was studied on the ultrastructural level via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), molecular level via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) method and on the biofilm inhibition via the electrochemical biosensors. Arylbichalcophenes’ antibacterial activity against S. aureus was affected by the presence and location of fluorine atoms. The fluorobithiophene derivative MA-1156 displayed the best minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 16 µM among the tested fluoroarylbichalcophenes. Over a period of seven days, S. aureus did not develop any resistance against the tested fluoroarylbichalcophenes at higher concentrations. The impact of fluoroarylbichalcophenes was strong on S. aureus protein pattern showing high degrees of polymorphism. SEM micrographs of S. aureus cells treated with fluoroarylbichalcophenes displayed smaller cell-sizes, fewer numbers, arranged in a linear form and some of them were damaged when compared to the untreated cells. The bioelectrochemical measurements demonstrated the strong sensitivity of S. aureus cells to the tested fluoroarylbichalcophenes and an antibiofilm agent. Eventually, these fluoroarylbichalcophene compounds especially the MA-1156 could be recommended as effective antibacterial agents.     

DNA-Mediated Stack Formation of Nanodiscs

Membrane-scaffolding proteins (MSPs) derived from apolipoprotein A-1 have become a versatile tool in generating nano-sized discoidal membrane mimetics (nanodiscs) for membrane protein research. Recent efforts have aimed at exploiting their controlled lipid protein ratio and size distribution to arrange membrane proteins in regular supramolecular structures for diffraction studies. Thereby, direct membrane protein crystallization, which has remained the limiting factor in structure determination of membrane proteins, would be circumvented. We describe here the formation of multimers of membrane-scaffolding protein MSP1D1-bounded nanodiscs using the thiol reactivity of engineered cysteines. The mutated positions N42 and K163 in MSP1D1 were chosen to support chemical modification as evidenced by fluorescent labeling with pyrene. Minimal interference with the nanodisc formation and structure was demonstrated by circular dichroism spectroscopy, differential light scattering and size exclusion chromatography. The direct disulphide bond formation of nanodiscs formed by the MSP1D1_N42C variant led to dimers and trimers with low yield. In contrast, transmission electron microscopy revealed that the attachment of oligonucleotides to the engineered cysteines of MSP1D1 allowed the growth of submicron-sized tracts of stacked nanodiscs through the hybridization of nanodisc populations carrying complementary strands and a flexible spacer.     

Design,Docking, and Synthesis of Some New Pyrazoline and Pyranopyrazole Derivatives as Anti‐inflammatory Agents

Design and synthesis of some novel pyrazoline and pyranopyrazole derivatives as potential anti‐inflammatory agents are described. Most of the compounds were tested for their anti‐inflammatory (in vitro and in vivo) and ulcerogenic activities. In all tested compounds, it was found that pyrazolines, 2a , and pyrazolopyrano[2,3‐d]pyrimidine 9 are the potent anti‐inflammatory and selective cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitor. All compounds are mainly in the safe level. Docking study of 2a and 9 revealed higher affinity for binding with the active site of COX‐2 enzyme like SC‐558, a selective COX‐2 inhibitor.     

Thermal stresses in a rotating non-homogeneous orthotropic hollow cylinder

 In this paper the radial deformation and the corresponding stresses in a non-homogeneous hollow elastic cylinder rotating about its axis with a constant angular velocity is investigated. The material of the cylinder is assumed to the non-homogeneous and cylindrically orthotropic. The system of fundamental equations is solved by means of a finite difference method and the numerical calculations are carried out for the temperature, the components of displacement and the components of stress with the time t and through the thickness of the cylinder. The results indicate that the effect of inhomogeneity is very pronounced. Received on 21 December 2000     

On the numerical solution of integral equations of the second kind with weakly singular kernels

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the (Toeplitz) quadrature method for solving Fredholm integral equations of the second kind with mildly singular kernels. We are presented some numerical examples for the computation of the error estimate using the MathCad package.     

Synthesis of Certain Fused Thienopyrimidines of Biological Interest

4‐(4‐Acetylphenylamino)cycloocteno[4,5]thieno[2,3‐d]pyrimidine ( 4 ) was prepared and condensed with certain aldehydes, phenylhydrazine, malononitrile to obtain 5a‐d , 6 and 7 , respectively. 4‐Hydrazino & 4‐substituted amino derivatives of 2‐arylcycloocteno[4,5]thienopyrimidines 10a‐c & 11a‐i were synthesized. Cyclization of the hydrazino compounds 10a‐c with orthoalkanoate esters or the arylidene derivatives 12a‐c with bromine in acetic acid afforded the fused triazolo system 13a‐i . Reaction of the hydrazino compound 10c with acetic anhydride gave 15 while the reaction of 10b,c with acid chlorides gave 16a‐d . Furthermore, the tetrazolothienopyrimidines 17a‐c were synthesized. Some of the newly synthesized compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activity.     

Role of the ubiquitin proteasome system in Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder. Although a subject of intense research, the etiology of PD remains poorly understood. Recently, several lines of evidence have implicated an intimate link between aberrations in the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) and PD pathogenesis. Derangements of the UPS, which normally functions as a type of protein degradation machinery, lead to alterations in protein homeostasis that could conceivably promote the toxic accumulation of proteins detrimental to neuronal survival. Not surprisingly, various cellular and animal models of PD that are based on direct disruption of UPS function reproduce the most prominent features of PD. Although persuasive, new developments in the past few years have in fact raised serious questions about the link between the UPS and PD. Here I review current thoughts and controversies about their relationship and discuss whether strategies aimed at mitigating UPS dysfunction could represent rational ways to intervene in the disease. Publication history: Republished from Current BioData's Targeted Proteins database (TPdb; http://www.targetedproteinsdb.com).     

New Synthesis of Pyrido[2,3-d] and [3,2-d]Oxazines

N-Hydroxyquinolinimide 1 reacts with each of aromatic amines, hydrazine hydrate and aromatic hydrocarbons to give arylcarbamoyl pyridines 2, pyrrolopyridines 3, pyridopyridazines 4 and pyridooxazinones 5 and 6. The heterocycles 5 and 6 can be transformed to the condensed systems, triazolopyridopyridazines 14 and 15 through series of reactions.