Yamogenin-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest,Oxidative Stress,and Apoptosis in Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line

Steroidal saponins are a group of compounds with complex structures and biological activities. They have anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, fungicidal, and antitumor properties. Yamogenin is one of the spirostane saponins and occurs in Trigonella foenum-graecum, Asparagus officinalis, and Dioscorea collettii. It is a stereoisomer of diosgenin—a well-known compound whose activity and mechanisms of action in cancer cells are determined. However, the antitumor effect of yamogenin is still little known, and the mechanism of action has not been determined. In this study, we evaluated the effect of yamogenin on human ovarian cancer SKOV-3 cells in vitro by determining the cellular factors that trigger cell death. The viability of the cells was assessed with a Real-Time xCELLigence system and the cell cycle arrest with flow cytometry. The activity of initiator and executioner caspases (-8, -9, and -3/7) was estimated with luminometry and flow cytometry, respectively. The mitochondrial membrane depolarization, the level of oxidative stress, and DNA damage in the yamogenin-treated cells were also evaluated by flow cytometry. Genes expression analysis at the mRNA level was conducted with Real-Time PCR. Bid activation and chromatin condensation were estimated with fluorescent microscopy. The obtained results indicate that yamogenin has cytotoxic activity in SKOV-3 cells with an IC₅₀ value of 23.90 ± 1.48 µg/mL and strongly inhibits the cell cycle in the sub-G1 phase. The compound also triggers cell death with a significant decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, an increase in the level of oxidative stress (over two times higher in comparison to the control), and activation of caspase-8, -9, -3/7, as well as Bid. The results of genes expression indicate that the Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) Receptor Superfamily Members (TNF, TNFRSF10, TNFRSF10B, TNFRSF1B, and TNFRSF25), Fas Associated via Death Domain (FADD), and Death Effector Domain Containing 2 (DEDD2) were significantly upregulated and their relative expression was at least two times higher than in the control. Our work shows that yamogenin induces apoptosis in ovarian cancer cells, and both the extrinsic and mitochondrial—intrinsic pathways are involved in this process.     

Time allocation to topics in a course of study

The paper presents a stochastic method of optimization of a curriculum based on a new model of the education process, where sequential teaching may cause non-sequential learning.     

Photocrosslinkable smart terpolymers responding to pH,temperature, and ionic strength

A series of copolymers of acrylic acid, N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM), and cinnamoyloxyethyl acrylate were synthesized and studied. The polymers were responsive to four stimuli: UV light, temperature, pH, and ionic strength. The polymeric cinnamoyl chromophores underwent efficient photodimerization with concomitant photocrosslinking of the polymeric micelles. Because of the content of NIPAM, the terpolymers displayed a lower critical solution temperature, which could be controlled by the polymer composition, pH, and ionic strength. The ability to respond to the pH resulted from the content of acrylic carboxyl groups, which became protonated at low pHs. The changes in the polymer properties due to the application of the aforementioned stimuli were studied with pyrene and perylene as fluorescent probes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3879–3886, 2004     

Generalized stability of the Cauchy and the Jensen functional equations on spheres

We study a generalized stability problem for Cauchy and Jensen functional equations satisfied for all pairs of vectors x,y from a linear space such that γ(x)=γ(y) or γ(x+y)=γ(x−y) with a given function γ.     

Reaction of singlet oxygen with styrene-butadiene copolymer: 2. Determination of kinetic parameters of photo-oxidation

The rate constant of the reaction of styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBR) with singlet oxygen and its reactivity index were estimated from an investigation of the influence of SBR on the quantum efficiency of the photo-peroxidation of 1,3-diphenylisobenzofuran (DPBF).     

Analysis of Selected Macrocyclic Antibiotics by HPTLC with Non-Aqueous Binary Mobile Phases

JPC – Journal of Planar Chromatography – Modern TLC - The retention behavior of selected macrocyclic antibiotics (ery-thromycin, troleandomycin, tylosin, vancomycin, rifamycin B, and...     

Thermoanalytical studies of the ceramic-metal composites obtained by gel-centrifugal casting

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry - Composite material with a gradient concentration of the metallic phase was prepared by the novel gel-centrifugal casting method. This method combines...     

Application of organolithium and related reagents in synthesis,Part X. Metallation-electrophilic substitution sequence of secondary chlorobenzamides

Summary The lithiation (Bu ⁿLi/THF) of 2-chloro- (1), 3-chloro- (2) and 4-chlorobenzanilides (3) and the subsequent reactions of the corresponding bis-lithiated anilides4–6 with electrophiles (MeI, CH₂=CH-CH₂Br,Me ₃SiCl,MeCHO,o-MeOC₆H₄CHO,p-MeOC₆H₄CHO,Me ₂NCHO andp-MeOC₆H₄CONMe ₂) towards the synthesis of theortho substituted chlorobenzoesic acids derivatives12–14 have been described. The effect of the chlorine substituent upon the generation and stability of the bis-lithiated chloro-anilides4–6 has been studied. It has been found that the bis-lithiated chloro-anilide5 derived fromm-chloro-benzanilide (2) at a temperature above –30°C converts into the corresponding benzyne9. The anilide moiety (masking group) of the formedortho-substituted chlorobenzanilides appeared to be effectively removable on acid-driven hydrolysis.

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Anwendungen von Organolithium und verwandten Reagenzien in organischen Synthesen, 10. Mitt. Metallierung und nachfolgende elektrophile Substitution sekundärer Chlorbenzamide

Zusammenfassung Die Lithiierung (Bu ⁿLi/THF) der 2-Chlor-(1), 3-Chlor- (2) and 4-Chlorbenzanilide (3) und nachfolgende Reaktion der entsprechenden doppellithiierten Anilide4–6 mit elektrophilen Reagenzien (MeI, CH₂=CH-CH₂Br,Me ₃SiCl,MeCHO,o-MeOC₆H₄CHO,p-MeOC₆H₄CHO,Me ₂NCHO undp-MeOC₆H₄CONMe ₂) zur Synthese vonortho-substituierten Benzoesäurederivaten12–14 wird beschrieben. Der Einfluß des Chlorsubstituierten auf die Bildung und Stabilität der doppellithiierten Chloranilide4–6 wurde untersucht. Es wurde festgestellt, daß das doppellithiierte, vomm-Chlorbenzanilid erhaltene Chloranilid5 bei Temperaturen über –30°C das entsprechende Arin9 bildet. Der Anilidrest (eine maskierende Gruppe) der gebildetenortho-substituierten Chloranilide kann durch saure Hydrolyse abgespalten werden.

     

Interaction of isomeric forms of xanthophyll pigment zeaxanthin with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine studied in monomolecular layers

Two-component monomolecular layers were formed with DPPC and two stereoisomers of zeaxanthin 9-cis and 13-cis at the argon-water interface. Very distinct over-additivity which represents affection of a lipid arrangement in the membrane has been observed in the case of zeaxanthin 9-cis (maximum at 20 mol%) but not in the case of zeaxanthin 13-cis. The differences in the organization of the isomers of zeaxanthin-DPPC monolayers are interpreted in terms of the different orientation of both xanthophylls at the interface observed at relatively high surface pressures (>25 mN/m) comparable to the surface pressures of biomembranes. The results are consistent with the model according to which zeaxanthin 9-cis adopts a vertical orientation at the polar-nonpolar interface in contrast to zeaxanthin 13-cis, which is oriented horizontally owing to the fact that it interacts by two hydroxyl groups with the same hydrophobic-hydrophilic interface in the monolayer. The findings are discussed in comparison with the behavior of zeaxanthin in the conformation all-trans in the same system. Zeaxanthin all-trans forms efficiently molecular aggregates in the mixed monolayers in contrast to cis isomers. Circular dichroism measurements show the formation of molecular structures by zeaxanthin 13-cis that are interpreted as dimers. FTIR measurements show that these dimers are stabilized by van der Waals interactions unlike aggregated structures formed by all-trans zeaxanthin that are stabilized by hydrogen bonding. Physiological importance of the differences in aggregation and orientation of stereoisomers of zeaxanthin in lipid environment is discussed.