The Role and Regulation of Thromboxane A2 Signaling in Cancer-Trojan Horses and Misdirection

Over the last two decades, there has been an increasing awareness of the role of eicosanoids in the development and progression of several types of cancer, including breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancers. Several processes involved in cancer development, such as cell growth, migration, and angiogenesis, are regulated by the arachidonic acid derivative thromboxane A₂ (TXA₂). Higher levels of circulating TXA₂ are observed in patients with multiple cancers, and this is accompanied by overexpression of TXA₂ synthase (TBXAS1, TXA₂S) and/or TXA₂ receptors (TBXA2R, TP). Overexpression of TXA₂S or TP in tumor cells is generally associated with poor prognosis, reduced survival, and metastatic disease. However, the role of TXA₂ signaling in the stroma during oncogenesis has been underappreciated. TXA₂ signaling regulates the tumor microenvironment by modulating angiogenic potential, tumor ECM stiffness, and host immune response. Moreover, the by-products of TXA₂S are highly mutagenic and oncogenic, adding to the overall phenotype where TXA₂ synthesis promotes tumor formation at various levels. The stability of synthetic enzymes and receptors in this pathway in most cancers (with few mutations reported) suggests that TXA₂ signaling is a viable target for adjunct therapy in various tumors to reduce immune evasion, primary tumor growth, and metastasis.     

Solvent Dependent Spin‐Crossover and Photomagnetic Properties in an Imidazolylimine FeII Complex

The synthesis and physico‐chemical characterization of an Fe^II complex [Fe( L1 )₃](ClO₄)₂?CH₃CN?0.5H₂O, 1 , incorporating a bidentate imidazolylimine‐based ligand are reported. Complex 1 crystallises as the mer‐isomer and the crystal lattice is replete with hydrogen bonding interactions between ClO₄^? anions, solvent molecules and imidazole N‐H groups. Variable‐temperature structural, magnetic, photomagnetic and optical reflectivity techniques have been deployed to fully characterise the spin‐crossover (SCO) behaviour in 1 along with its desolvated phase, 1?desolv . Variable‐temperature (1.8–300 K) magnetic‐susceptibility measurements reveal a broad two‐step full SCO for 1 (T_1/2=158 and 184 K) and photomagnetic experiments at 10 K under white‐light irradiation revealed complete photo‐induced SCO. 1?desolv displays considerably different magnetic behaviour with sharp single‐step SCO accompanied by a thermal hysteresis (T_1/2↑=105 K, T_1/2↓=95 K) in addition to full photo‐induced SCO at lower temperatures.     

Homogeneous geodesics in solvable Lie groups

After the second author and J. Szenthe [10] proved that every homogeneous Riemannian manifold admits a homogeneous geodesic, several authors studied the set of all homogeneous geodesics in various homogeneous spaces. In this paper, we consider special examples of homogeneous spaces of solvable type of arbitrary odd dimension given in [1] and [7] and we show that their sets of homogeneous geodesics have an interesting structure, closely connected to the notion of Hadamard matrices.     

Phenolics from Castanea sativa leaves and their effects on UVB-induced damage

The phytochemical investigation of the methanol extract of the leaves of Castanea sativa Mill., source of the Italian PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) product ‘Marrone di Roccadaspide’ (Campania region) afforded as main compounds crenatin (1), chestanin (2), gallic acid (3), cretanin (4), 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid (5), p-methylgallic acid (6) and quercetin-3-O-glucoside (7). To quantify the isolated compounds a LC-ESI(QqQ)MS method working with a very sensitive and selective mass tandem experiment called Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) has been developed. Moreover the antioxidant capacity by TEAC assay and the ability of compounds 1–7 to protect HaCaT human keratinocytes from UVB-induced damage has been investigated.     

Nonautonomous locally Lipschitz continuous functional differential equations in spaces of continuous functions

A local existence and uniqueness result for the functional differential equation in a Banach space X (FDE) $$\begin{gathered} x\prime (t) \in f(t)x(t) + g(t)x_t ,0 \leqslant t \leqslant T, \hfill \\ x_0 = \phi \in C( - R,0;X) \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ is obtained, for the case where the operatorsf(t) satisfy only a local dissipativity condition and the operatorsg(t) are only locally Lipschitz continuous. The conditions include equations defined on cones.     

Synthesis and Structure of New Cobalt–Carbonyl Complexes Containing Tellurium Atoms

Co₂(CO)₈ and Te₂O react to form the well known Co₄(CO)₁₀Te₂, Co₄(CO)₁₁Te₂ complexes and the two new cluster complexes CCo₆(CO)₁₂Te₂(1), and CCo₆(CO)₁₀Te₂(Te₃) (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by X-ray analysis, together with the triphenylphosphine derivative of 1, CCo₆(CO)₁₁(PPh₃)Te₂(3), which was analyzed to clarify the disordered structure of the parent compound. Complex 1 is formed by a prismatic cluster of cobalt atoms with a carbon embedded in the cage; two tellurium atoms cap the triangular faces of the prism and each cobalt atom links two terminal carbonyl groups. The complex 2 has a similar prismatic cage CCo₆; two ₄-Te atoms cap two rectangular faces of the prism, while other two Te atoms bridge two edges of the triangular faces and are linked each other through a third Te atom. Electron counting gives for complex 2 92 electrons: the presence of two long Co–Co distances suggests that the two excess electrons are located on Co–Co antibonding orbitals. Crystal data for 1, space group C2/c, a = 12.845(2) Å, b = 13.449(2) Å, c = 13.246(2) Å, = 91.95(2)°, Z = 4, R = 0.097 for 2555 reflections; for 2, space group Pnna, a = 17.219(5) Å, b= 14.969(6) Å, c = 9.178(4) Å, Z = 4,R = 0.037 for 3103 reflections; for 3, space group P2₁/c, a = 9.288(2) Å, b = 14.920(6) Å, c = 26.300(9) Å, = 99.99(2)°, Z = 4, R = 0.037 for 4300 reflections. The vibrational analysis of the complex 1 was performed and most of the (CO), (₆C–Co), (Co–Co) and (Co–Co) modes were assigned. The (Co–Te) modes were interpreted on the basis of the intermolecular coupling, due to the close contact between neighboring clusters in one distinct direction in the crystal.     

Sensitive quantification of iodide by ion-exchange chromatography with electrochemical detection at a modified platinum electrode

A rapid and very sensitive method for the accurate determination of free iodide in real samples is described. The method is based on anion-exchange chromatographic separation coupled with amperometric detection at a modified platinum electrode under constant applied potential (+0.85 V vs. Ag AgCl). An experimental setup with an in-line and very effective method of electrode modification is proposed using an amperometric thin-layer cross-flow detector and a flowing solution 300 mg/L of iodide; the working electrode is polarised to the limiting current for oxidation of iodide to iodine in acidic solutions with the consequent formation of an iodine-based film. The results indicated that the modified electrode exhibits high analytical response for iodide electrooxidation with good stability and long-life. The signal intensity of daily experimental sessions (8 h), during which standards and real samples were repeatedly injected, exhibits a moderate lowering (i.e. <6%). Using a mixture of 25 mM HNO₃ and 50 mM NaNO₃ as an eluent phase in ion-exchange chromatography, the detection limit of iodide was estimated to be 0.5 g/L (S/N=3) with an injection volume of 50 L. This method was applied successfully to quantify the iodide content of milk samples and in wastewaters as well as trace amounts in common vegetables and solutions containing high chloride levels.     

Diastereoselectivity in the alkylation of 4-fluoroproline methyl esters

The reaction of alkylation of cis- and trans-4-fluoro-N-Boc-l-proline methyl esters has been examined by exposing their lithium enolates to a range of alkylating agents. The process showed a high degree of facial diastereoselectivity (except when methyl iodide was used as alkylating agent), invariably giving rise to products bearing the alkyl group in anti with respect to the fluorine atom. A tentative model to account for the observed stereoselectivity is also proposed.     

Structural and infrared spectroscopic characterization of Co6C(CO)12S2: a high-nuclearity carbido carbonyl cluster spontaneously formed from dicobalt octacarbonyl and carbon disulphide

Co₆C(CO)₁₂S₂ (I) has been isolated in crystalline form from the mixture of more than a dozen of carbonyl products formed when Co₂(CO)₈ reacts at room temperature with CS₂. Crystals of I are monoclinic with space group Cc, and lattice constants a  16.250(5), b  9.413(4), c  16.036(5) Å, β  116.77(4)°. Structure refinement gave R  0.034 for 1974 reflections. The CCo₆S₂ core of the molecule possesses idealized D_3h geometry. It is composed of a Co₆ trigonal prism, enclosing a C atom in the centre, and the triangular faces are capped symmetrically by the two S atoms. The core contains two sorts od CoCo distances: short one (2.432 Å) along the triangular edges, and long ones (2.669 Å) along the lateral edges. The average CoC distance is 1.94 Å, and the average CoS distance 2.192 Å.¹³CO-enriched samples were prepared photochemically and their IR spectra used in the assignment of the CO stretching frequencies. The CO stretching force constant was calculated to be 1670(2) Nm^-1.By the use of ¹³CS₂, I has also been obtained in a selectively carbido-¹³C-labelled form. The vibrational frequencies of the carbide atom were observed, and that at 819 cm^-1 (¹³C: 790 cm^-1) assigned to the species

, and that at 548 cm^-1 (¹³C: 535.5 cm^-1) to species E′. For the Co-C(carbide) force constant a value of 155 Nm^-1 was calculated. The cobalt—sulphur stretching frequencies were found at 309 cm^-1 (

) and 239 cm^-1 (E′). The CoS stretching force constant, 78 Nm^-1, is considerably lower than that obtained for SCo₃-(CO)₉, viz. 112 Nm^-1.     

HPLC‐ESI‐MS analysis of oral human fluids reveals that gingival crevicular fluid is the main source of oral thymosins β4 and β10

Thymosin β₄ (Tβ₄), its sulfoxide, and thymosin β₁₀ (Tβ₁₀) were detected in human saliva and identified by different strategies based on RP HPLC coupled to electrospray multidimensional IT MS. Tβ₄ was almost always detected in whole saliva, its sulfoxide sporadically, Tβ₁₀ rarely. Tβ₄ was undetectable in parotid saliva and less concentrated in submandibular/sublingual saliva than in whole saliva. Analysis of gingival crevicular fluid revealed high relative amounts of Tβ₄, Tβ₄ sulfoxide, and Tβ₁₀ in all the samples. Tβ₄ mean concentration was 200 times higher in crevicular fluid (20 μmol/L, N = 9) than in whole saliva (0.1 μmol/L, N = 9). Crevicular fluid concentration of Tβ₄ (ca. 5% represented by its sulfoxide) and β₁₀ significantly correlated (r = 0.856; N = 9), and their ratio was about 5. A significant correlation was also observed between Tβ₄ concentrations in whole saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (r = 0.738; N = 9). Immunohistochemical analysis of the major salivary glands showed that immunoreactivity for Tβ₄ is restricted to ductal cells, with minor degree of focal positivity in some acinar cells. On the whole, results indicate that gingival sulcus is a main, although not the sole, source for oral Tβ₄ and Tβ₁₀.