EGCG Inhibits Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiation into Adipocytes and Prevents a STAT3-Mediated Paracrine Oncogenic Control of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cell Invasive Phenotype

Obese subjects have an increased risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), in part associated with the chronic low-grade inflammation state. On the other hand, epidemiological data indicates that increased consumption of polyphenol-rich fruits and vegetables plays a key role in reducing incidence of some cancer types. Here, we tested whether green tea-derived epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) could alter adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into adipocytes, and how this impacts the secretome profile and paracrine regulation of the TNBC invasive phenotype. Here, cell differentiation was performed and conditioned media (CM) from preadipocytes and mature adipocytes harvested. Human TNBC-derived MDA-MB-231 real-time cell migration was performed using the exCELLigence system. Differential gene arrays and RT-qPCR were used to assess gene expression levels. Western blotting was used to assess protein expression and phosphorylation status levels. In vitro vasculogenic mimicry (VM) was assessed with Matrigel. EGCG was found to inhibit the induction of key adipogenic biomarkers, including lipoprotein lipase, adiponectin, leptin, fatty acid synthase, and fatty acid binding protein 4. Increased TNBC-derived MDA-MB-231 cell chemotaxis and vasculogenic mimicry were observed in response to mature adipocytes secretome, and this was correlated with increased STAT3 phosphorylation status. This invasive phenotype was prevented by EGCG, the JAK/STAT inhibitors Tofacitinib and AG490, as well as upon STAT3 gene silencing. In conclusion, dietary catechin-mediated interventions could, in part through the inhibition of adipogenesis and modulation of adipocytes secretome profile, prevent the onset of an obesogenic environment that favors TNBC development.     

Bioassay-Guided Identification of the Antiproliferative Compounds of Cissus trifoliata and the Transcriptomic Effect of Resveratrol in Prostate Cancer Pc3 Cells

The bioassay-guided fractionation of a CHCl₃-MeOH extract from the stems of Cissus trifoliata identified an active fraction against PC3 prostate cancer cells. The treatment for 24 h showed an 80% reduction in cell viability (p ≤ 0.05) by a WST-1 assay at a concentration of 100 μg/mL. The HPLC-QTOF-MS analysis of the fraction showed the presence of coumaric and isoferulic acids, apigenin, kaempferol, chrysoeriol, naringenin, ursolic and betulinic acids, hexadecadienoic and octadecadienoic fatty acids, and the stilbene resveratrol. The exposure of PC3 cells to resveratrol (IC₂₅ = 23 μg/mL) for 24 h induced significant changes in 847 genes (Z-score ≥ ±2). The functional classification tool of the DAVID v6.8 platform indicates that the underlying molecular mechanisms against the proliferation of PC3 cells were associated (p ≤ 0.05) with the process of differentiation and metabolism. These findings provide experimental evidence suggesting the potential of C. trifoliata as a promising natural source of anticancer compounds.     

Inhibition of NF-kB/IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Breast Cancer Cells by Azilsartan

Metastatic breast cancer is an incurable form of breast cancer that exhibits high levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Angiotensin II has been linked to various signaling pathways involved in tumor cell growth and metastasis. The aim of this study is to investigate, for the first time, the anti-proliferative activity of azilsartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, against breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 at the molecular level. Cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, colony formation, and cell migration assays were performed. RT-PCR and western blotting analysis were used to explain the molecular mechanism. Azilsartan significantly decreased the cancer cells survival, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, and inhibited colony formation and cell migration abilities. Furthermore, azilsartan reduced the mRNA levels of NF-kB, TWIST, SNAIL, SLUG and bcl2, and increased the mRNA level of bax. Additionally, azilsartan inhibited the expression of IL-6, JAK2, STAT3, MMP9 and bcl2 proteins, and increased the expression of bax, c-PARP and cleaved caspase 3 protein. Interestingly, it reduced the in vivo metastatic capacity of MDA-MBA-231 breast cancer cells. In conclusion, the present study revealed, for the first time, the anti-proliferative, apoptotic, anti-migration and EMT inhibition activities of azilsartan against breast cancer cells through modulating NF-kB/IL-6/JAK2/STAT3/MMP9, TWIST/SNAIL/SLUG and apoptosis signaling pathways.     

Intramolecular (4+3) Cycloadditions of Pyrroles and Application to the Synthesis of the Core of Class II Galbulimima Alkaloids

The first intramolecular (4+3) cycloaddition of pyrroles with epoxy enolsilanes as the electrophiles was developed and used to generate optically‐enriched cycloadducts containing the nortropane substructure in good yields. Using this pyrrole cycloaddition as the key step, we achieved the asymmetric synthesis of a nortropane compound bearing the BCDEF ring structure common to the Class II galbulimima alkaloids.     

普利沙星与Co(phen)2+3及DNA间结合作用的电化学和光谱

利用电化学和紫外光谱法研究了邻菲咯啉合钴(Co(phen)2+3)与普利沙星(PLFX)及DNA间在pH=7.4的三羟甲基氨基甲烷-盐酸缓冲溶液中的结合作用. 紫外光谱测量结果表明,普利沙星与Co(phen)2+3发生了结合作用形成二元络合物,结合常数为2.0×104 L/mol. 电化学测量表明,在Co(phen)2+3-普利沙星络合物中加入DNA后,Co(phen)2+3-普利沙星络合物的峰电流下降,峰电位差增大了17 mV,式电位负移了3.5 mV,推断络合物与DNA作用方式主要为静电作用.     

普利沙星与Co(phen)_3~(2+)及DNA间结合作用的电化学和光谱

利用电化学和紫外光谱法研究了邻菲咯啉合钴(Co(phen)32+)与普利沙星(PLFX)及DNA间在pH=7.4的三羟甲基氨基甲烷-盐酸缓冲溶液中的结合作用。紫外光谱测量结果表明,普利沙星与Co(phen)32+发生了结合作用形成二元络合物,结合常数为2.0×104L/mol。电化学测量表明,在Co(phen)32+-普利沙星络合物中加入DNA后,Co(phen)32+-普利沙星络合物的峰电流下降,峰电位差增大了17 mV,式电位负移了3.5 mV,推断络合物与DNA作用方式主要为静电作用。     

Induction of Apoptosis and Regulation of MicroRNA Expression by (2E,6E)-2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-cyclohexanone (BHMC) Treatment on MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells

(2E,6E)-2,6-bis-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzylidene)-cyclohexanone (BHMC) is a synthetic curcumin analogue, which has been reported to possess anti-tumor, anti-metastatic, and anti-invasion properties on estrogen receptor (ER) negative breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. However, the cytotoxic effects of BHMC on ER positive breast cancer cells were not widely reported. This study was aimed to investigate the cytotoxic potential of BHMC on MCF-7 cells using cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptotic assays. Besides, microarray and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were performed to identify the list of miRNAs and genes, which could be dysregulated following BHMC treatment. The current study discovered that BHMC exhibits selective cytotoxic effects on ER positive MCF-7 cells as compared to ER negative MDA-MB-231 cells and normal breast cells, MCF-10A. BHMC was shown to promote G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. Microarray and qPCR analysis demonstrated that BHMC treatment would upregulate several miRNAs like miR-3195 and miR-30a-3p and downregulate miRNAs such as miR-6813-5p and miR-6132 in MCF-7 cells. Besides, BHMC administration was also found to downregulate few tumor-promoting genes like VEGF and SNAIL in MCF-7. In conclusion, BHMC induced apoptosis in the MCF-7 cells by altering the expressions of apoptotic-regulating miRNAs and associated genes.     

普利沙星与C0(phen)2+3及DNA间结合作用的电化学和光谱

普利沙星与C0(phen)2+3及DNA间结合作用的电化学和光谱;     

Polymeric Delivery of siRNA against Integrin‐β1 (CD29) to Reduce Attachment and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells

Cell surface integrins, which play important roles in the survival, proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells, are a viable target for treatment of metastatic breast cancer. This line of therapy still remains challenging due to the lack of proper identification and validation of effective targets as well as the lack of suitable therapeutic agents for treatment. The focus is on one such molecular target for this purpose, namely integrin‐β1, and effective lowering of integrin‐β1 levels on a breast cancer model (MDA‐MB‐231 cells) is achieved by delivering a dicer‐substrate short interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting integrin‐β1 with lipid‐modified low molecular weight polyethylenimine polymers. Reduction of integrin‐β1 levels leads to reduced adhesion of MDA‐MB‐231 cells to extracellular matrix component fibronectin as well as to human bone marrow cells. A reduced migration of the breast cancer cells is also observed after integrin‐β1 silencing in “scratch” and “transwell” migration assays. These results highlight the importance of integrin‐β1 for the migration of metastatic breast cancer cells by effectively silencing this target with a practical dose of siRNA.

     

Development and Validation of a Novel HPLC Method to Analyse Metabolic Reaction Products Catalysed by the CYP3A2 Isoform: In Vitro Inhibition of CYP3A2 Enzyme Activity by Aspirin (Drugs Often Used Together in COVID-19 Treatment)

Aspirin (also known as acetylsalicylic acid) is a drug intended to treat fever, pain, or inflammation. Treatment of moderate to severe cases of COVID-19 using aspirin along with dexamethasone has gained major attention globally in recent times. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) to evaluate the in vitro inhibition of CYP3A2 enzyme activity using aspirin in rat liver microsomes (RLMs). In this study, an efficient and sensitive HPLC method was developed using a reversed phase C18 column (X Bridge 4.6 mm × 150 mm, 3.5 µm) at 243 nm using acetonitrile and water (70:30 v/v). The linearity (r² > 0.999), precision (<15%), accuracy and recovery (80–120%), limit of detection (5.60 µM and 0.06 µM), limit of quantification (16.98 µM and 0.19 µM), and stability of the newly developed method were validated for dexamethasone and 6β-hydroxydexamethasone, respectively, following International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines. This method was applied in vitro to measure CYP3A2 activity. The results showed that aspirin competitively inhibits 6β-hydroxylation (CYP3A2 activity) with an inhibition constant (Ki) = 95.46 µM and the concentration of the inhibitor causing 50% inhibition of original enzyme activity (IC₅₀) = 190.92 µM. This indicated that there is a minimal risk of toxicity when dexamethasone and aspirin are co-administrated and a very low risk of toxicity and drug interaction with drugs that are a substrate for CYP3A2 in healthcare settings.     

QSAR Study on Binding Affinity of PATs (Rodenticides) to the [3H]-Mepyramine-Labelled H1 Receptor In Rat and Guinea Pig Brain

Abstract

The binding of a series of PAT analogues (rodenticides) to the [³H]-mepyramine-labelled H₁ receptor in rat and guinea pig brain was investigated topologically using negentropy (N), molecular redundancy (MRI), first-order molecular connectivity (¹X _v ), Wiener (W), and Szeged (Sz) indices. Multiple regression analyses showed that MRI provided excellent results upon introduction of indicator parameters. Predictive ability of the proposed models was discussed using cross-validation parameters.     

Novel Perbutyrylated Glucose Derivatives of (–)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Inhibit Cancer Cells Proliferation by Decreasing Phosphorylation of the EGFR: Synthesis,Cytotoxicity, and Molecular Docking

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancer mortality worldwide. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in cellular functions and has become the new promising target. Natural products and their derivatives with various structures, unique biological activities, and specific selectivity have served as lead compounds for EGFR. D-glucose and EGCG were used as starting materials. A series of glucoside derivatives of EGCG (7–12) were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activity against five human cancer cell lines, including HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW480. In addition, we investigated the structure-activity relationship and physicochemical property–activity relationship of EGCG derivatives. Compounds 11 and 12 showed better growth inhibition than others in four cancer cell lines (HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, and MCF), with IC₅₀ values in the range of 22.90–37.87 μM. Compounds 11 and 12 decreased phosphorylation of EGFR and downstream signaling protein, which also have more hydrophobic interactions than EGCG by docking study. The most active compounds 11 and 12, both having perbutyrylated glucose residue, we found that perbutyrylation of the glucose residue leads to increased cytotoxic activity and suggested that their potential as anticancer agents for further development.     

Mechanistic Study on the Monofunctional Binding of Hydrolysis Products of Non-planar Heterocyclic Complexes Trans-[PtCl_2NH_3（piperidine）] and Trans-[PtCl_2（piperidine）_2] to DNA Purine Bases

The monofunctional substitution reactions between trans-[PtCl(H2O)(NH3)(pip)]+,trans-[Pt(H2O)2(NH3)(pip)]2+,trans-[PtCl(H2O)(pip)2]+,trans-[Pt(H2O)2(pip)2]2+ (pip = piperidine) and adenine/guanine nucleotides are explored by using B3LYP hybrid functional and IEF-PCM salvation models. For the trans-[Pt(H2O)2(NH3)(pip)]2+ and trans-[PtCl(H2O)(NH3)(pip)]+ complexes,the computed barrier heights in aqueous solution are 13.5/13.5 and 11.6/11.6 kcal/mol from trans-Pt-chloroaqua complex to trans/cis-monoadduct for adenine and guanine,and the corresponding values are 20.7/20.7 and 18.8/18.8 kcal/mol from trans-Pt-diaqua complex to trans/cis-monoadduct for adenine and guanine,respectively. For trans-[PtCl(H2O)(pip)2]+ and trans-[Pt(H2O)2(pip)2]2+,the corresponding values are 21.5/21.3 and 19.4/19.4 kcal/mol,and 26.0/26.0 and 20.7/20.8 kal/mol for adenine and guanine,respectively. Our calculations demonstrate that the barrier heights of chloroaqua are lower than the corresponding values of diaqua for adenine and guanine. In addition,the free energies of activation for guanine in aqueous solution are all smaller than that for adenine,which predicts a preference of 1.9 kcal/mol when trans-[PtCl(H2O)(NH3)(pip)]+ and trans-[Pt(H2O)2(NH3)(pip)]2+ are the active agents and ～1.9 and ～ 5.3 kcal/mol when trans-[PtCl(H2O)(pip)2]+ and trans-[Pt(H2O)2(pip)2]2+ are the active agents,respectively. For the reaction of trans-Pt-chloroaqua (or diaqua) to cis-monoadduct,we obtain the same transition-state structure as from the reaction of trans-Pt-chloroaqua (or diaqua) to trans-monoadduct,which seems that the trans-Pt-chloroaqua (or diaqua) complex can generate trans-or cis-monoadduct via the same transition-state.     

Controlling the Poly(ε‐caprolactone) Degradation to Maintain the Stemness and Function of Adipose‐Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Vascular Regeneration Application

Biodegradable poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds with adipose‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have been used in vascular regeneration studies. An evaluation method of the effect of PCL degradation products (DP) on the viability, stemness, and differentiation capacities of ADSCs is established. ADSCs are cultured in medium containing different concentrations of PCL DP before evaluating the effect of PCL DP on the cell apoptosis and proliferation, cell surface antigens, adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation capacities, and capacities to differentiate into endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells. The results demonstrate that PCL DP exceed 0.05 mg mL^?1 may change the stemness and differentiation capacities of ADSCs. Therefore, to control the proper concentration of PCL DP is essential for ADSCs in vascular regeneration application.     

Sulfur-containing optically active polymers. V. Synthesis and chiroptical properties of optically active poly(γ-ketosulfide)s prepared by polyaddition of 1,3-dimercaptobenzene to 4,4-dimethyl-2,5-cyclohexadien-1-one or to trans,trans-2,5-heptadien-3-one in the presence of chiral amines

Optically active poly(γ-ketosulfide)s having the asymmetric centers disposed along the main chain have been prepared by step polyaddition of 1,3-dimercaptobenzene to 4,4-dimethyl-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1-one, or to trans, trans-2,5-heptadiene-3-one, in the presence of catalytic amounts of chiral amines. The extent of asymmetric induction on the resulting polymeric product is found to be higher when the alicyclic ketone reagent is employed and is enhanced by lowering the catalyst concentration. The comparison of stereochemical features and chiroptical properties of appropriate low molecular weight analogues with those of the polymeric derivatives indicates that a comparable asymmetric induction occurs in polymers and model compounds, and that the former systems do not display appreciable evidence of ordered secondary structures, in agreement with a low stereoregularity degree along the macromolecular backbone. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Efficient one-pot synthesis of 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones from aromatic aldehydes and their one-pot oxidation to quinazolin-4(3H)-ones catalyzed by Bi(NO3)3·5H2O: Investigating the role of the catalyst

An efficient and novel synthesis of 2,3-disubstituted 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones via one-pot, three-component reaction of isatoic anhydride, primary amines and aromatic aldehydes catalyzed by Bi(NO₃)₃·5H₂O under solvent-free conditions is described. Oxidation of these 2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones to their quinazolin-4(3H)-ones was also successfully performed in the presence of Bi(NO₃)₃·5H₂O. This new method has the advantages of convenient manipulation, short reaction times, excellent yields, very easy work-up, and the use of commercially available, low cost and relatively non-toxic catalyst. The role of Bi(NO₃)₃·5H₂O was also investigated in these transformations.     

An Efficient Catalytic Procedure for the Selective Oxidation of Sulfides to Sulfoxides by Citric Acid/Al(NO3)3.9H2O/MBr Under Mild and Heterogeneous Conditions

A wide range of aliphatic or aromatic sulfides are selectively oxidized to the corresponding sulfoxides using Al(NO₃)₃.9H₂O, citric acid and a catalytic amount of KBr or NaBr in the presence of wet SiO₂ (50% w/w)in CH₂Cl₂ under mild and heterogeneous conditions in good to high yields.     

Preservation of Contractile Reserve and Diastolic Function by Inhibiting the NLRP3 Inflammasome with OLT1177® (Dapansutrile) in a Mouse Model of Severe Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Due to Non-Reperfused Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a product of the NLRP3 inflammasome, modulates cardiac contractility and diastolic function. We proposed that OLT1177^® (dapansutrile), a novel NLRP3 inhibitor, could preserve contractile reserve and diastolic function after myocardial infarction (MI). We used an experimental murine model of severe ischemic cardiomyopathy through the ligation of the left coronary artery without reperfusion, and after 7 days randomly assigned mice showing large anterior MI (>4 akinetic segments), increased left ventricular (LV) dimensions ([LVEDD] > 4.4 mm), and reduced function (LV ejection fraction < 40%) to a diet that was enriched with OLT1177^® admixed with the chow in the diet at 3.75 g/kg (Group 1 [n = 10]) or 7.5 g/kg (Group 2 [n = 9]), or a standard diet as the no-treatment control group (Group 3 [n = 10]) for 9 weeks. We measured the cardiac function and contractile reserve with an isoproterenol challenge, and the diastolic function with cardiac catheterization at 10 weeks following the MI surgery. When compared with the control (Group 3), the mice treated with OLT1177 (Group 1 and 2) showed significantly greater preservation of their contractile reserve (the percent increase in the left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] after the isoproterenol challenge was +33 ± 11% and +40 ± 6% vs. +9 ± 7% in the standard diet; p < 0.05 and p < 0.005 for Group 1 and 2, respectively) and of diastolic function measured as the lower left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (3.2 ± 0.5 mmHg or 4.5 ± 0.5 mmHg vs. 10.0 ± 1.6 mmHg; p < 0.005 and p < 0.009 respectively). No differences were noted between the resting LVEF of the MI groups. These effects were independent of the effects on the ventricular remodeling after MI. NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition with OLT1177^® can preserve β-adrenergic responsiveness and prevent left ventricular diastolic dysfunction in a large non-reperfused anterior MI mouse model. OLT1177^® could therefore be used to prevent the development of heart failure in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.