The first oxalamide‐bridged ferrocene: Facile synthesis,preliminary conformational analysis and biological evaluation

tert ‐Butyl‐1′‐methoxycarbonyl‐1‐ferrocenecarbamate ( 1 ) was Boc‐deprotected to give free amine which underwent oxalyl chloride‐mediated dimerization. The structure of the so‐obtained oxalamide‐bridged ferrocene 2 was elucidated using infrared and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, COSY, NOESY, HSQC, HMBC) spectroscopies, crystal structure analysis, and electrospray ionization and high‐resolution mass spectrometry. The preliminary conformational analysis in solution suggested the intramolecular engagement of oxalamide protons, while single‐crystal analysis revealed an intermolecular hydrogen‐bonding pattern. Also, the effect of oxalamide‐bridged ferrocene 2 on cell viability of three human cell lines (HEK293T, HeLa and HepG2) was tested. In vitro screening revealed proliferative as well as cytotoxic effects of the tested compound in the applied concentration range (1–350 μM) on HEK293T and HepG2 cells. Stimulatory effect on cell growth was the most pronounced for normal HEK293T cells, while the highest cytotoxic effect was observed towards HeLa tumour cells and it was dose‐dependent. The observed dual biological activity of 2 implies its potential application in drug development.     

Synthesis of lightly crosslinked zwitterionic polymer‐based bioinspired adhesives for intestinal tissue sealing

In this report, we have developed a new bioinspired medical adhesive capable of providing a leak‐proof barrier for application to intestinal anastomoses. The newly synthesized adhesive is a terpolymer possessing three different repeating units: (1) A zwitterionic polymer, poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (polySBMA), for increased hydrophilicity and biocompatibility, (2) a 3,4‐dihydroxy‐L‐phenylalanine (DOPA) segment which contains the catechol group, and (3) poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) for light crosslinking, which will be used to strengthen the polymer adhesion properties by providing debonding resistance. The chemical structure of the terpolymer, poly(N‐methacryloyl‐3,4‐dihydroxyl‐L‐phenylalanine‐co‐sulfobetaine methacrylate‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate) (poly(MDOPA‐co‐SBMA‐co‐PEGDMA)), synthesized following a convenient and reproducible radical polymerization was clearly confirmed by ¹H NMR. The terpolymer adhesive displayed the optimal adhesion properties when containing 1.5–2.5 mol % of crosslinker, PEGDMA, according to the measured maximum adhesion strength and work of adhesion, characterized by lap shear strength tests utilizing porcine skin. The adhesive did not show cytotoxicity when tested with human embryonic kidney (HEK293A) cells. Ex vivo anastomosis experiments using porcine intestine demonstrated that the new poly(MDOPA‐co‐SBMA‐co‐PEGDMA) is a promising biomedical adhesive which successfully prevents leakage from the sutured intestinal tissue. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 1564–1573     

Photoprotective and Antigenotoxic Effects of the Flavonoids Apigenin,Naringenin and Pinocembrin

This work evaluated the photoprotective and antigenotoxic effects against ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation of flavonoid compounds apigenin, naringenin and pinocembrin. The photoprotective efficacy of these compounds was estimated using in vitro photoprotection indices, and the antigenotoxicity against UVB radiation was evaluated using the SOS chromotest and an enzymatic (proteinase K/T4 endonuclease V enzyme) comet assay in UV‐treated Escherichia coli and human (HEK‐293) cells, respectively. Naringenin and pinocembrin showed maximum UV‐absorption peak in UVC and UVB zones, while apigenin showed UV‐absorption capability from UVC to UVA range. These compounds acted as UV filters reducing UV‐induced genotoxicity, both in bacteria and in human cells. The enzymatic comet assay resulted highly sensitive for detection of UVB‐induced DNA damage in HEK‐293 cells. In this work, the photoprotective potential of these flavonoids was widely discussed.     

Chemical speciation of MeHg+ and Hg2+ in aqueous solution and HEK cells nuclei by means of DNA interacting fluorogenic probes

Selected new fluorogenic probes that interact in different ways with Hg²⁺ and MeHg⁺ have been prepared and used for the chemical speciation of both cations in aqueous solution as well as in HEK293 cells. The best selective speciation of Hg²⁺ and MeHg⁺ has been achieved by in vitro approaches based on fluorogenic probes supported in cultured cells, due to the particular sensitivity of the HEK293 cells to permeation by Hg²⁺, MeHg⁺ and the fluorogenic probes. In particular, MeHg⁺ was selectively detected in cell nuclei by probe JG45.     

Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Tosylates of 4-Methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole and 2-(6-Methoxy-1-cycloalken-1-yl)anilines

The reaction of N-tosylates of 2-(1-cycloalken-1-yl)anilines and 2,3,9a,9-tetrahydro-1H-carbazole with methanol in the presence of CuBr₂ proceeds with high regioselectivity leading to the corresponding tosylates of 2-(6-methoxy-1-cycloalken-1-yl)anilines and 4-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole. The latter as well as N-mesyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole showed moderate cytotoxic activity with respect to HEK293 cell line.     

T4-Lysozyme Fusion for the Production of Human Formyl Peptide Receptors for Structural Determination

T4-lysozyme (T4L) fusion was introduced in the intracellular loop of a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) of human formyl peptide receptor 3 (FPR3), and the ability of T4L fusion to be used in the production of human FPR3 for structural determination was evaluated in this work. The T4L variant of human FPR3 termed FPR3-T4L was expressed in stable tetracycline-inducible HEK293 cells. A systematic detergent screening showed that fos-choline-14 was the optimal detergent to solubilize and subsequently purify FPR3-T4L from HEK293 cells. Immunoaffinity purification in combination with gel filtration was employed to purify the T4L-fused receptor to high homogeneity. The final yield of the human FPR3-T4L monomer from 2 g of cells was 0.2 mg. Circular dichroism spectroscopy indicated that the receptor adopted a correct secondary structure after purification, while ligand binding measurement indicated that the receptor was functional. Thus, the presence of T4L fusion did not evidently disturb the expression in HEK293 cells, proper folding, and functionality of human FPR3. Our study of evaluating T4L fusion for the recombinant production of human formyl peptide receptor would facilitate ongoing efforts in the structural characterization of GPCRs.     

4,5-Bis(arylethynyl)-1,2,3-triazoles—A New Class of Fluorescent Labels: Synthesis and Applications

Cu-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of ethyl 2-azidoacetate to iodobuta-1,3-diynes and subsequent Sonogashira cross-coupling were used to synthesize a large series of new triazole-based push–pull chromophores: 4,5-bis(arylethynyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazoles. The study of their optical properties revealed that all molecules have fluorescence properties, the Stokes shift values of which exceed 150 nm. The fluorescent properties of triazoles are easily adjustable depending on the nature of the substituents attached to aryl rings of the arylethynyl moieties at the C4 and C5 atoms of the triazole core. The possibility of 4,5-bis(arylethynyl)-1,2,3-triazoles’ application for labeling was demonstrated using proteins and the HEK293 cell line. The results of an MTT test on two distinct cell lines, HEK293 and HeLa, revealed the low cytotoxicity of 4,5-bis(arylethynyl)triazoles, which makes them promising fluorescent tags for labeling and tracking biomolecules.     

Oxy-Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers from the Indonesian Marine Sponge,Lamellodysidea herbacea: X-ray,SAR, and Computational Studies

Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) compounds, derived from marine organisms, originate from symbiosis between marine sponges and cyanobacteria or bacteria. PBDEs have broad biological spectra; therefore, we analyzed structure and activity relationships of PBDEs to determine their potential as anticancer or antibacterial lead structures, through reactions and computational studies. Six known PBDEs (1–6) were isolated from the sponge, Lamellodysdiea herbacea; ¹³C NMR data for compound 6 are reported for the first time and their assignments are confirmed by their theoretical ¹³C NMR chemical shifts (RMSE < 4.0 ppm). Methylation and acetylation of 1 (2, 3, 4, 5-tetrabromo-6-(3′, 5′-dibromo-2′-hydroxyphenoxy) phenol) at the phenol functional group gave seven molecules (7–13), of which 10, 12, and 13 were new. New crystal structures for 8 and 9 are also reported. Debromination carried out on 1 produced nine compounds (1, 2, 14, 16–18, 20, 23, and 26) of which 18 was new. Debromination product 16 showed a significant IC₅₀ 8.65 ± 1.11; 8.11 ± 1.43 µM against human embryonic kidney (HEK293T) cells. Compounds 1 and 16 exhibited antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae with MID 0.078 µg/disk. The number of four bromine atoms and two phenol functional groups are important for antibacterial activity (S. aureus and K. pneumoniae) and cytotoxicity (HEK293T). The result was supported by analysis of frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs). We also propose possible products of acetylation and debromination using analysis of FMOs and electrostatic charges and we confirm the experimental result.     

Influence of a zwitterionic surfactant on the chromogenic behavior of a dye‐containing aqueous PVA–polyether gel network

The effect of the addition of a zwitterionic sulfobetaine to a dye‐containing polymer gel composed of two polymers – poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and polyether – was investigated. With increasing sulfobetaine content a remarkable reduction of the UV‐vis‐absorption intensity of the longest wavelength absorption band of Phenol Red in the aqueous polymer network was observed, even for sulfobetaine concentrations below its critical micelle concentration (cmc). It can be assumed that this effect is based on the formation of ionic complexes between dye molecules and either single sulfobetaine molecules or aggregates of sulfobetaine. Furthermore, thermotropic behavior occurs in the investigated polymer gel system even at a polyether concentration as low as 0.8 wt%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization and cytotoxicity and antihuman renal cell carcinoma potentials of starch capped-copper oxide nanoparticles synthesized by ultrasonic irradiation: Introducing a novel chemotherapeutic drug

In this research article we have demonstrated the sustainable green synthesis of a novel starch templated CuO NP following a clean and non-hazardous pathway. Ultrasonic irradiation was used to promote the reaction in alkaline medium. The numerous hydroxyl groups present in starch was exploited in the green reduction of immobilized copper ions in situ. They also helped to stabilize the as synthesized Cu NPs by encapsulation or capping. The morphology and physicochemical characteristics were ascertained over an array of analytical techniques like Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Elemental Mapping, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES). Biologically, the nanocomposite exhibited excellent cytotoxicity against human renal cell carcinoma (RCC-GH, CaKi-2 and HEK293) cell lines without affecting the normal (HUVEC) cell line. IC₅₀ values of the nanocomposite were found at 139, 208and 125 against RCC-GH, CaKi-2 and HEK293 cell lines respectively and accordingly, HEK293 afforded the best adenocarcinoma activity.     

The Proteins from Sika deer antler as potential modulators on cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in human embryonic kidney 293 cells

Our study aimed to investigate the protective role of SDAPR on cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity and its’ possible mechanism in HEK293 cells. Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Oxidative stress (SOD, GSH, LDH and MDA), inflammatory factors (TNF-α and IL-6) and apoptosis-related proteins (caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2) expression were measured. The apoptotic cells were observed by TUNEL staining. Our study results indicated that non-cytotoxic levels of SDAPR significantly increased viability rate (LD₅₀ value of cisplatin is 20 μM), which improved antioxidant defence, attenuated apoptosis by decreasing expression levels of cleaved-caspase-3 and Bax, increasing Bcl-2 expression and inhibiting apoptotic positive cells in HEK 293 cells. In addition, SDAPR treatment markedly inhibited the levels of TNF-α and IL-6. In conclusion, Sika deer antler protein, a potential modulator, could alleviate cisplatin-induced cytotoxicity in HEK 293 cells.     

Synthesis of a new sulfobetaine surfactant with double long alkyl chains and its performances in surfactant-polymer flooding

A new zwitterionic surfactant with double long alkyl chains, 3-((3-((1,3-bis (decyloxyl) propane-2-yl) oxy) -2-hydroxypropyl) dimethylamonio) -2-hydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (diC₁₀GE-HSB), was synthesized, and its performances in Surfactant-Polymer (SP) flooding were studied. As a hydrophobic surfactant diC₁₀GE-HSB solely cannot reduce Daqing crude oil/connate water IFT to ultralow, but ultralow IFT can be achieved by using binary mixtures of diC₁₀GE-HSB with various conventional hydrophilic surfactants such as α–olefin sulfonates, dodecyl polyoxyethylene (10) ether, and cetyl dimethyl hydroxypropyl sulfobetaine, over a wide total concentration range (0.625?～?10?mM) at reservoir temperature. This new sulfobetaine surfactant is therefore a good candidate for SP flooding free of alkali.     

Towards an integrated device that utilizes adherent cells in a micro-free-flow electrophoresis chip to achieve separation and biosensing

We immobilized adherent human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells—which are able to trace adenosine triphosphate (ATP) —inside a microfluidic free-flow electrophoresis (μFFE) chip in order to develop an integrated device combining separation and biosensing capabilities. HEK 293 cells loaded with fluorescent calcium indicators were used as a model system to enable the spatially and temporally resolved detection of ATP. The local position of a 20 μM ATP stream was successfully visualized by these cells during free-flow electrophoresis, demonstrating the on-line detection capability of this technique towards native, unlabeled compounds.     

Characterization of Interactions Between Taspine Derivate TPD7 and EGF Receptor by Cell Membrane Chromatography with Zonal Elution and Frontal Analysis

In this study, a high epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression cell membrane chromatography method was established to investigate the interactions between ligands and EGFR. The affinity of ligands for EGFR was evaluated by frontal analysis. Competition study using afatinib as the marker was used to evaluate the interactions that occurred at specific binding sites on EGFR. The results indicated that TPD7, HMQ1611 and afatinib may have direct competition at a single common binding site on EGFR. From the model of frontal analysis, the dissociation equilibrium constants (K _D) were 6.05 × 10⁻⁷ M for afatinib, 6.91 × 10⁻⁷ M for TPD7, and 9.68 × 10⁻⁷ M for HMQ1611. In cells, HMQ1611 and TPD7 could both inhibit the growth of HEK293/EGFR cells and significantly decrease EGFR phosphorylation in HEK293/EGFR cells in a dose-dependent manner. The studies showed that TPD7 and HMQ1611 could bind EGFR as afatinib. TPD7 exhibited higher inhibitory effect than HMQ1611 while TPD7 and HMQ1611 had a similar effect in HEK293/EGFR cells, thus indicating that TPD7 might be the novel blocker for cancer with high-EGFR expression.

     

Synthesis and cell activity of novel galactosylated chitosan as a gene carrier

It is important for gene carrier to transport DNA into target cells. Although viral vectors are very efficient gene-transfer vehicles, significant drawbacks limit their applications. Chitosan (CS) has been researched widely as a non-viral vector. However, the low cell specificity and low transfection efficiency of chitosan need to be overcome. In order to conquer the drawback of chitosan, the present paper is concerned with the synthesis of novel galactosylated chitosan (GC) through etherization of chitosan and galactose in THF using BF₃·OEt₂ as promoter. The final product was characterized and confirmed by FT-IR and ¹H NMR. The degree of O-substitution (DS) of chitosan by galactose was measured to be 10.38% using anthrone-sulfuric acid colorimetric method. The mean particle diameter and average zeta potential of the GC/DNA complex were 350 nm and +22.1 mV, respectively. The GC/DNA nanoparticle was tested to transfect HEK293 cells, and the viability of HEK293 cells was not affected by the GC/DNA nanoparticle compared to that of the control.     

Glycyrrhizin (Glycyrrhizic Acid) HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1) inhibitor upregulate mitochondrial function in adipocyte,cell viability and in-silico study

BackgroundMitochondrial plays a vital role in regulating obesity and related comorbidity. Targeting mitochondrial function could be a potent therapeutic approach to inhibit metabolic-related diseases like obesity, liver disease. Prolonged use of existing drug moieties demonstrated severe adverse effects.MethodsWe apply Ucp1-A-GFP immortalized reporter cell lines and HEK293T cell lines to evaluate cell viability, mitochondrial ATP production, and the in-silico model.ResultsWe found Glycyrrhizin, an HMGB1 (high mobility group box 1) inhibitor, plays a significant role in modulating mitochondrial function against obesity. At the cellular level, the adipocytes treated with Glycyrrhizin have increased mitochondrial function. Further analysis shows that compared with the control group, the cells in the treatment group contain more mitochondria. Glycyrrhizin demonstrated a nontoxic effect on the HEK293T cell line, upregulating mitochondrial DNA and reducing mitochondrial ATP production levels. In-silico study exhibited drug-protein interaction and binding side with UCP1.ConclusionGlycyrrhizin improves mitochondrial function that would be an effective drug candidate to treat metabolic diseases and obesity-related diseases. Further investigation will require both the human and animal models to reveal new insight into the mechanism against obesity, metabolic diseases or mitochondrial dysfunction-related diseases.     

Strong enhancement of the chemiluminescence of the Cu(II)-H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> system on addition of carbon nitride quantum dots,and its application to the detection of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> and glucose

The authors report that carbon nitride quantum dots (CN QDs) exert a strong enhancing effect on the Cu(II)/H₂O₂ chemiluminescent system. Chemiluminescence (CL) intensity is enhanced by CN QDs by a factor of ~75, while other carbon nanomaterials have a much weaker effect. The possible mechanism of the effect was evaluated by recording fluorescence and CL spectra and by examining the effect of various radical scavengers. Emitting species was found to be excited-state CN QDs that produce green CL peaking at 515 nm. The new CL system was applied to the sensitive detection of H₂O₂ and glucose (via glucose oxidase-catalyzed formation of H₂O₂) with detection limits (3σ) of 10 nM for H₂O₂ and 100 nM for glucose. The probe was employed for glucose determination in human plasma samples with satisfactory results.

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Graphical abstract The effect of carbon nitride quantum dots (CN QDs) on Cu(II)-H₂O₂ chemiluminescence reaction was studied and the new CL system was applied for sensitive detection of glucose based on the glucose oxidase (GOx)-catalyzed formation of H₂O₂.

     

Synthesis,characterization and anticancer activity of a series of curcuminoids and their half‐sandwich ruthenium(II) complexes

A series of curcuminoids (L¹–L⁷) and their corresponding (η⁶‐p ‐cymene)Ru^II(Cur)Cl complexes ( 1 – 7 ) were synthesized and characterized using ¹H NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and high‐resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of L², L⁴, 1 and 4 were determined using single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The stability of 1 – 7 was investigated by monitoring their UV profiles. The compounds were further evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative activities against the HepG2 human liver and HeLa human cervical cancer cell lines and HEK‐293 T noncancerous cell line.     

Cytotoxic gold compounds: synthesis, biological characterization and investigation of their inhibition properties of the zinc finger protein PARP-1

The new gold(III) complexes: [Au{2-(2'-pyridyl)imidazolate}Cl(2)] and [Au{2,6-bis(2'-benzimidazolate)pyridine}(OCOCH(3))] and the mono- and binuclear gold(I) complexes: [Au{2-(2'-pyridyl)imidazole}(PPh(3))](PF(6)), [Au(2-phenylimidazolate)(DAPTA)] (DAPTA = 3,7-diacetyl-1,3,7-triaza-5-phosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane), [(PPh(3)Au)(2)(2-R-imidazolate)](PF(6)) (R = 2-C(5)H(4)N, Ph) have been synthesized and characterized. The structure of the [(PPh(3)Au)(2){2-(2'-pyridyl)imidazolate)](PF(6)) complex was also characterized by X-ray crystallography. The antiproliferative properties of the complexes were assayed against human ovarian carcinoma cell lines, either sensitive (A2780) or resistant to cisplatin (A2780cisR), human mammary carcinoma cells (MCF7) and non-tumorigenic human kidney (HEK293) cells. Most of the studied compounds showed important cytotoxic effects. Interestingly, the compounds containing the 2-(2'-pyridyl)imidazolate ligand showed selectivity towards cancer cells with respect to the non-tumorigenic ones, with the dinuclear compound [(PPh(3)Au)(2){2-(2'-pyridyl)imidazolate)](PF(6)) being the most active. Some compounds were also screened for their inhibitory effect of the zinc-finger protein PARP-1, essential for DNA repair and relevant to the mechanisms of cancer cell resistance to cisplatin. Interaction studies of the compounds with the model protein ubiquitin were undertaken by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI MS). The results are discussed in relation to the putative mechanisms of action of the cytotoxic gold compounds.