Antiproliferative effects of zerumbone-pendant derivatives on human T-cell lymphoid cell line Jurkat cells

Zerumbone is the major component of the essential oil of wild ginger, Zingiber zerumbet Smith. It is not only highly reactive but also has diverse bioactivities. Those effects derive from two conjugated double bonds of zerumbone and a carbonyl group in between, and we had already established a synthetic scheme for zerumbone-pendant derivatives without disturbing the conjugation system. Herein, twelve conjugates with salicylic acid or various benzoic acid derivatives were synthesized for evaluations of their antiproliferative effects on Jurkat cells as salicylic acid is bioactive and has a carboxylic group for coupling. Most of them resulted in IC₅₀ values as low as 1–10?μM, validating the utility of this activity-conserving strategy.     

The effect of pulse repetition frequency on the uptake into electropermeabilized cells in vitro with possible applications in electrochemotherapy

Electrochemotherapy is a technique where electric pulses in combination with chemotherapeutic agents are applied to tumor cells. In general, patients find electrochemotherapy tolerable, in spite of unpleasant sensations associated with contraction of muscles located beneath or in the vicinity of the electrodes. These contractions are due to the intensity of the electric pulses required for effective electropermeabilization of tumor cell membranes. Since a train of eight electric pulses with repetition frequency of 1 Hz is usually applied to the tumors, each pulse in the train excites underlying nerves and provokes muscle contractions. Therefore, for patients involved in electrochemotherapy, the use of pulses with repetition frequency higher than the frequency of tetanic contraction would represent reduced number of muscle contractions and associated unpleasant sensations. Our results of the uptake of Lucifer Yellow into electropermeabilized cells in vitro show that with increased repetition frequency the uptake stays at similar levels even at frequencies up to 8.3 kHz. On the basis of these results the possibilities for the clinical use of pulses with high repetition frequency in electrochemotherapy are considered.     

Effects of several compounds on the chromium uptake from surrounding medium by HeLa cells (author's transl)

Radiochromium uptake from surrounding by HeLa cells was examined, the results were as follows: 1) The chromium uptake by the cells after a certain period of incubation in Ca-Mg free phosphate buffered solution (PBS) with radiosodiumchromate (Na251CrO4) was higher than that in serum free Eagle's minimum essential medium with the same concentration of the radiochromate. 2) When the various amount of L-ascorbic acid was added to the above rabiochromate containing PBS, the chromium uptake by the cells decreased with dependence on the concentration of the acid in the surrounding medium. However, when sodiumthiosulfate was added to the medium, no remarkable effect was found. 3) When cells were incubated in the radiochromic chloride(51CrCl3)containing medium with 6.5 microgram/ml of sodium oxalate, sodium acetate or sodium nitrate, the chromium uptake by the cells increased in comparison with the control. Above results suggested that the chromium uptake by the HeLa cells from surrounding medium was affected by several chemicals and the uptake or binding capacity of chromium was closely related to the reported cytotoxicity of the chromium compounds.     

Inhibitory effects of some natural products on the activation of hyaluronidase and their anti-allergic actions.

The anti-allergic drugs disodium cromoglycate (DSCG) and tranilast are strong inhibitors of hyaluronidase. In the development of new anti-allergic drugs, we studied the inhibitory effects of some natural products on the activation of hyaluronidase. Among the compounds tested, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin and baicalein showed dose-related inhibitory effects. Anti-allergic activities of these compounds were evident from the facts that they inhibited the histamine release from rat peritoneal exudate cells induced by antigen, compound 48/80 and calcium ionophore A-23187, and from their inhibitory effect on Shultz-Dale reaction using sensitized guinea pig ileum.     

The effects of pH and calcium on the diffusion coefficient of humic acid

Humic acid is a major component of natural organic matter in surface water and can cause serious fouling problems in membrane filtration processes for drinking water treatment. The transport of humic acid to the membrane surface and within membrane pores is related to its diffusivity. Thus, the diffusion coefficient of humic acid is an important mass transport parameter. Clark and Lucas [J. Membr. Sci. 143 (1998) 13–25] studied the diffusion and partitioning of humic acid into a porous ultrafiltration membrane and developed a model to predict how humic acid diffusivity changes under different pH and calcium concentration conditions. In this work, the diffusion coefficient of humic acid was directly measured and compared to the predictions of the Clark and Lucas model. The experiments were conducted in a two-chamber diffusion cell separated by a track-etched membrane. The results show that the diffusivity of humic acid increases with decreasing pH and increasing calcium concentration, which can be explained by the compaction of humic acid molecules at low pH and high ionic strength. The experimental measurements strongly support the predictions of the Clark and Lucas model.     

Xanthones with antiproliferative effects on prostate cancer cells from the stem bark of Garcinia xanthochymus

Investigations of the constituents of the stem barks of Garcinia xanthochymus have yielded two new compounds, garcinenones X (1) and Y (2), along with five known xanthones, 1,4,5,6-tetrahydroxy-7-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone (3), 1,4,6-trihydroxy-5-methoxy-7-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone (4), 1,4,5,6-tetrahydroxy-7,8-di(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone (5), 1,3,5,6-tetrahydroxy-4,7,8-tri(3-methylbut-2-enyl)xanthone (6), and 1,5,6-trihydroxy-7,8-di(3-methylbut-2-enyl)-6',6'dimethylpyrano(2',3':3,4)xanthone (7). The structures of the compounds were determined by spectroscopic methods. The cell growth inhibitory activity of the isolated compounds against the PC-3 cell line was measured. Among them, compounds 2, 3, 5, and 6 exhibited significant inhibitory effects with IG50 values of 14.3, 15.5, 11.1, and 6.8 microM, respectively.     

The effects of polyelectrolytes on the inhibition and aggregation of calcium oxalate crystallization

The influence of polyelectrolytes with different architecture on spontaneous batch crystallization of calcium oxalate was investigated. A series of acidic acrylate block copolymers were been made, by radical polymerization, with defined molecular weight and structure. Radical polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) was carried out in the presence of α‐thiopolyethylene glycol monomethylether as a chain transfer agent to produce poly(ethylene glycolblockacrylic acid) copolymers. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block length in the copolymers was controlled by using three different molecular weight chain transfer agents (M_n = 350, 750 and 2000 g/mol). The presence of copolymers inhibited the crystal growth of calcium oxalate possibly through adsorption onto the active growth sites for crystal growth due to the charge and hydrophilic effects. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selective uptake of plutonium (IV) on calcium alginate gel polymer and TBP microcapsule

The uptake behavior of Pu(IV) has been investigated by using calcium alginate gel polymer (CaALG) and TBP microcapsules (TBP-CaALG). The characterization of CaALG and TBP-CaALG was examined by SEM and IR, and the uptake properties and distribution of Pu(IV) ions were estimated by batch method. The uptake rate of Pu(IV) on CaALG and TBP-CaALG in the presence of 5 M HNO₃ was attained within 6 and 4 h, respectively, and K _d values for CaALG and TBP-CaALG after 7 h-shaking were 50.2 and 53.2 cm³/g, respectively. Relatively large K _d values (90.3–425 cm³/g) were obtained for fresh CaALG and TBP-CaALG in the presence of 0.5–2 M HNO₃. Thus CaALG and TBP-CaALG are effective for the separation of Pu(IV) in the presence of highly concentrated HNO₃.     

A possible steady state kinetic model for the atomization and excitation processes during inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: Application to interference effects of lithium on calcium

A possible steady state kinetic model is presented for the atomization and excitation processes during inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The model takes into account the relative rates of (a) thermal dissociation of analyte salt, (b) recombination of counter atom and analyte atoms, (c) charge transfer between analyte and interferent species, (d) charge transfer between analyte and argon species, and (e) ion/electron collisional de-ionization. Number density ratio data, n_u′/n_u, where n_u denotes the excited state and the prime denotes the presence of an interferent element, are presented showing that the predictions of the model are consistent with the signal enhancement observed at low analyte concentrations when Ca is determined by ICP in the presence of excess Li.     

A possible steady state kinetic model for the atomization and excitation processes during inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry: application to interference effects of lithium on calcium

A possible steady state kinetic model is presented for the atomization and excitation processes during inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The model takes into account the relative rates of (a) thermal dissociation of analyte salt, (b) recombination of counter atom and analyte atoms, (c) charge transfer between analyte and interferent species, (d) charge transfer between analyte and argon species, and (e) ion/electron collisional de-ionization. Number density ratio data, n(u)'/n(u), where n(u) denotes the excited state and the prime denotes the presence of an interferent element, are presented showing that the predictions of the model are consistent with the signal enhancement observed at low analyte concentrations when Ca is determined by ICP in the presence of excess Li.     

Tracking of the effects of the plasticizer on the water uptake and free volume changes of methylcellulose

The structural changes in methylcellulose containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG 400) as plasticizer caused by water absorption during storage were evaluated. In order to elucidate the structural changes in the polymer, water‐uptake measurements and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) were utilized. The PEG concentrations relative to the total polymer content were varied within the range 0–75% w/w. The Doppler‐spectra were characterized by means of the conventional parameters S and W. A transition from a single phase to two phases was found in the methylcellulose films above PEG; a content of 33% w/w. The first step of ageing is merely a conformational change, after which the electron structure remains more or less the same, while both S and W indicate significant changes during the second slow step of ageing. Accurate determination of the plasticizer concentration relating to the single‐phase to two‐phase transition of Metolose‐PEG films has a great impact from the aspect of the application of a stable composition for coating of solid dosage forms. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of a simple calorimetric data analysis on the binding study of calcium ions by human growth hormone

A simple graphical linear method was introduced for isothermal titration calorimetric data analysis in the protein-ligand interaction. The number of binding sites, the dissociation binding constant and the molar enthalpy of binding site can be obtained by using this new isothermal titration calorimetric data analysis method. The method was applied to the study of the interaction of human growth hormone (hGH) with divalent calcium ion at 27°C in NaCl solution, 50 mM. hGH has a set of three identical and independent binding sites for Ca ²⁺ . The intrinsic dissociation equilibrium constant and the molar enthalpy of binding are 52 μMand -17.4, respectively. Results obtained by this new calorimetric data analysis are in good agreement with results obtained using our previous method.     

A new flavonol triglycoside derived from Anoectochilus elwesii on stimulating glucose uptake in insulin-induced human HepG2 cells

A novel flavonol triglycoside (4), isorhamnetin-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl (1→2)-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl (1→6)-β-d-glucopyranoside, named elwesoside A, together with six known flavonols (1–3, 5–7) was isolated from Anoectochilus elwesii (Clarke ex Hook. f.) King et Pantl. and its structure was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods and comparison with the literature data. All compounds were first reported in this plant and two of them (4 and 5) were the first examples of flavonol triglycosides isolated from Anoectochilus genus. The effects of 1–7 were evaluated on insulin-treated human HepG2 cells under high glucose conditions for stimulating glucose uptake activities. The novel compound (4) displayed highly potent dose-dependent effect on the stimulation of glucose uptake in insulin-resistant human HepG2 cells.     

Effect of light on calcium transport in bull sperm cells.

The effect of light on calcium transport was studied. Bull sperm cells were irradiated with an He-Ne (630 mm) laser and a 780 nm diode laser at various energy doses, and 45Ca2+ uptake was measured by the filtration technique. It was found that there is an accelerated Ca2+ transport in the irradiated cells, which means that laser light can stimulate Ca2+ exchange through the cell membrane. This may cause transient changes in the cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration which, in spermatozoa, has a regulatory role in control of motility and acrosome reaction, and in other cells can trigger mitosis.