Cancer cells undergoing epigenetic transition show short-term resistance and are transformed into cells with medium-term resistance by drug treatment

To elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms of drug resistance, epigenetically reprogrammed H460 cancer cells (R-H460) were established by the transient introduction of reprogramming factors. Then, the R-H460 cells were induced to differentiate by the withdrawal of stem cell media for various durations, which resulted in differentiated R-H460 cells (dR-H460). Notably, dR-H460 cells differentiated for 13 days (13dR-H460 cells) formed a significantly greater number of colonies showing drug resistance to both cisplatin and paclitaxel, whereas the dR-H460 cells differentiated for 40 days (40dR-H460 cells) lost drug resistance; this suggests that 13dR-cancer cells present short-term resistance (less than a month). Similarly, increased drug resistance to both cisplatin and paclitaxel was observed in another R-cancer cell model prepared from N87 cells. The resistant phenotype of the cisplatin-resistant (CR) colonies obtained through cisplatin treatment was maintained for 2–3 months after drug treatment, suggesting that drug treatment transforms cells with short-term resistance into cells with medium-term resistance. In single-cell analyses, heterogeneity was not found to increase in 13dR-H460 cells, suggesting that cancer cells with short-term resistance, rather than heterogeneous cells, may confer epigenetically driven drug resistance in our reprogrammed cancer model. The epigenetically driven short-term and medium-term drug resistance mechanisms could provide new cancer-fighting strategies involving the control of cancer cells during epigenetic transition.Subject terms: Tumour heterogeneity, Epigenetics     

Reversed-phase liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of aminoglycoside antibiotics using pre-column derivatization with phenylisocyanate

A pre-column derivatization liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the analysis of aminoglycoside antibiotics using phenylisocyanate as a derivatization reagent. Derivatives including kanamycin, neomycin and gentamicin were formed by reaction of the analytes with phenylisocyanate in the presence of triethylamine. Phenylisocyanato groups were attached to corresponding amino groups of aminoglycoside and their molecular mass was confirmed by liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS). The experimental conditions for derivatization and separation of aminoglycoside derivatives were optimized and validated. A simple liquid chromatographic method for the determination of aminoglycoside antibiotics was demonstrated.     

Determination of Levofloxacin in Human Urine with Capillary Electrophoresis and Fluorescence Detector

In this study, we developed an analytical method for the enantioseparation of ofloxacin, using capillary electrophoresis with fluorescence detection. The optimum background electrolyte was obtained to be 60 mM hydroxylpropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) in 50 mM phosphate buffer at pH 2.30. Under these conditions, the (+) and (‐) ofloxacin were completely separated, with the detection limit of 10 nM when the sample was prepared in deionized water. The linear ranges of levofloxacin in deionized water and untreated urine were 10^?7 to 5 × 10^?3 M with R² = 0.9989 and 5 × 10^?6to 5 × 10^?3 M with R² = 0.9943, respectively. We also applied this method to investigate the purity of a commercial drug. The results revealed that the ratio between (+)‐ofloxacin and (‐)‐ofloxacin (levofloxacin) was 99.9:0.1, and there is about 93 mg levofloxacin per tablet (200 mg). The concentration of levofloxacin in patient's urine was founded to be 7.9 × 10^?4M, and the ratio between the two optical isomers was 99.3:0.7.     

Synthesis and crystal structures of novel calix[4]azacrowns

A series of novel 1,3‐altemate calix[4]arene azacrowns having mono and bis crown ethers on the lower rim of the calix[4]arene framework were synthesized. Solid‐state structures confirmed the three dimensional conformation of compounds 1–3.     

Differential conductance switching of planar tunnel junctions mediated by oxidation/reduction of functionally protected ferrocene

Planar tunnel junctions were fabricated by self-assembling 1,1'- ferrocenedicarboxylic acid (FDCA) onto native oxides of thermally deposited aluminum films and subsequently depositing a second aluminum film. Junctions were characterized using Reflection-Absorption Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (RAIRS) and current-voltage (I-V) spectroscopy. Before deposition of the second aluminum film, RAIRS of FDCA and ferrocenecarboxylic acid (FCA) films revealed COO(-), C=O, and Fc ring stretching modes, indicating that both types of molecules can interact strongly with the oxide and remain intact. After deposition, systems exhibited prominent COO(-) modes and weakened C=O modes, indicating further reaction with aluminum/aluminum oxide. Fc ring modes persisted in FDCA systems but disappeared in FCA systems, suggesting that the second COOH group in the FDCA molecule can act as a protecting group for the ferrocene moiety. Cyclic I-V measurements of FDCA tunnel junction systems revealed very strong ( approximately 10-fold) hysteretic differential conductance switching that was both reversible and stable. Control measurements using as prepared junctions, as well as junctions containing 1,6-hexanedioic acid, 1,9-nonanedioic acid, 1,4-dibenzoic acid, or FCA revealed only very weak ( approximately 10%) differential conductance changes. We attribute FDCA junction switching to barrier profile modifications induced by oxidation/reduction of the functionally protected ferrocene moieties.     

Sample preparation of human serum for the analysis of tumor markers. Comparison of different approaches for albumin and gamma-globulin depletion

LC-MS is a powerful method for the sensitive detection of proteins and peptides in biological fluids. However, the presence of highly abundant proteins often masks those of lower abundance and thus generally prevents their detection and identification in proteomic studies. In human serum the most abundant proteins are albumin and gamma-globulins. We tested several approaches to specifically reduce the level of these proteins based on either specific antibodies, dye ligands (for albumin) and protein A or G (for gamma-globulins). The resulting, depleted serum was analyzed by sodium dodecylsulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and LC-MS for the residual presence of these abundant proteins as well as for other serum proteins that should remain after depletion. To test the applicability of this method to real-life samples, depleted serum of a cervical cancer patient was analyzed for the presence of a specific tumor marker protein SCCA1 (squamous cell carcinoma antigen 1; P29508), which is present at ng/ml concentrations. The results demonstrate that SCCA1 can be detected by LC-MS in patient serum following depletion of albumin and gamma-globulins thus opening the possibility of screening patient sera for other, so far unknown, tumor markers.     

Calix[4]crown in dual sensing functions with FRET

A new calix[4]crown chemosensor based on dual sensing probes reveals Pb²⁺ ion selectivity over other metal ions, which arises from a hypsochromic shift of azo units in UV spectrum as well as a fluorescence enhancement of pyrenyl parts in fluorescence spectrum via a suppressed FRET.     

Spherical molecularly imprinted polymer particles: a promising tool for molecular recognition in capillary electrokinetic separations

Spherical molecularly imprinted polymer particles obtained via precipitation polymerization, were introduced as a pseudostationary phase in capillary electrophoresis (CE) to study molecular recognition. Analyses were performed via a partial filling technique using (+)-ephedrine-imprinted microspheres (100-200 nm) which were polymerized from methacrylic acid and 1,1,1-Tris(hydroxymethyl)propanetrimethacrylate using acetonitrile as the solvent. The influence of pH and the modifier content on the separation was investigated. A 0.1% w/v suspension in an aqueous 10 mM phosphate buffer (pH 2.5 with 40% acetonitrile) was hydrodynamically injected into the CE system (80% of the effective capillary length) and led to full baseline separation of racemic ephedrine within 10 min.     

Enhancement of facilitated olefin transport by amino acid in silver-polymer complex membranes

Silver ions dissolved in a polymer matrix are additionally coordinated by carbonyl oxygens of asparagines and their counter anions interact with cationic sites, resulting in the enhanced activity of the silver ion as an olefin carrier for facilitated olefin transport.