Silyl Modification of Biologically Active Compounds. 8. Trimethylsilyl Ethers of Hydroxyl-containing Thiazole Derivatives

Trimethylsilyl ethers of various hydroxyl-containing thiazole derivatives have been synthesized. The psychotropic activity (in vivo) and the cytotoxicity (in vitro on tumor cell lines HT-1080 and MG-22A) of these ethers and of their unsilylated precursors have been studied. It was discovered that the obtained compounds possess a sedative action. A moderate cytotoxic effect was detected for piperidine-containing thiazoles, displayed most strongly in relation to MG-22A cells.     

Structure-Activity Relationship, Cytotoxicity and Mode of Action of 2-Ester-substituted 1,5-Benzothiazepines as Potent Antifungal Agents

Our studies examined the structural features responsible for the antifungal activity of 2-ethoxycarbonyl-1,5- benzothiazepine （7a）. Three series of 1,5-benzothiazepine derivatives were synthesized and screened for their antifungal activity. The results suggested that the ethoxycarbonyl group at the 2 position and the imine moiety on the seven-membered ring are essential for activity. The most potent of the synthesized analogues （7a, 7b） were further studied by evaluating their cytotoxicity and mode of action （for 7a）. The results showed that compounds 7a and 7b were relatively safe for BV2 cells, but compound 7a interfered with Cryptococcus neoformans cell wall integrity by increasing the chitinase activity. Therefore, compound 7a was considered safe as an antifungal agent for animal cells.     

Poly(trimethylene carbonate)/Poly(malic acid) Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers as Biocompatible Nanoparticles

Amphiphilic polycarbonate–poly(hydroxyalkanoate) diblock copolymers, namely, poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC)‐b‐poly(β‐malic acid) (PMLA), are reported for the first time. The synthetic strategy relies on commercially available catalysts and initiator. The controlled ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of trimethylene carbonate (TMC) catalyzed by the organic guanidine base 1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (TBD), associated with iPrOH as an initiator, provided iPrO?PTMC?OH, which served as a macroinitiator in the controlled ROP of benzyl β‐malolactonate (MLABe) catalyzed by the neodymium triflate salt (Nd(OTf)₃). The resulting hydrophobic iPrO?PTMC‐b‐PMLABe?OH copolymers were then hydrogenolyzed into the parent iPrO?PTMC‐b‐PMLA?OH copolymers. A range of well‐defined copolymers, featuring different sizes of segments (M_n,NMR up to 9300 g mol^?1; Ð_M=1.28–1.40), were thus isolated in gram quantities, as evidenced by NMR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and contact angle analyses. Subsequently, PTMC‐b‐PMLA copolymers with different hydrophilic weight fractions (11–75 %) self‐assembled in phosphate‐buffered saline upon nanoprecipitation into well‐defined nano‐objects with D_h=61–176 nm, a polydispersity index <0.25, and a negative surface charge, as characterized by dynamic light scattering and zeta‐potential analyses. In addition, these nanoparticles demonstrated no significant effect on cell viability at low concentrations, and a very low cytotoxicity at high concentrations only for PTMC‐b‐PMLA copolymers exhibiting hydrophilic fractions over 47 %, thus illustrating the potential of these copolymers as promising nanoparticles.     

Poly(2‐oxazoline) hydrogels crosslinked with aliphatic bis(2‐oxazoline)s: Properties,cytotoxicity, and cell cultivation

A series of hydrogels from 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline and three bis(2‐oxazoline) crosslinkers—1,4‐butylene‐2,2′‐bis(2‐oxazoline), 1,6‐hexamethylene‐2,2′‐bis(2‐oxazoline), and 1,8‐octamethylene‐2,2′‐bis(2‐oxazoline)—are prepared. The hydrogels differ by the length of aliphatic chain of crosslinker and by the percentage of crosslinker (2–10%). The influence of the type and the percentage of the crosslinker on swelling properties, mechanical properties, and state of water is studied. The equilibrium swelling degree in water ranges from 2 to 20. With a proper selection of the crosslinker, Young's modulus can be varied from 10 kPa to almost 100 kPa. To evaluate the potential for medical applications, the cytotoxicity of extracts and the contact toxicity toward murine fibroblasts are measured. The hydrogels with the crosslinker containing a shorter aliphatic exhibit low toxicity toward fibroblast cells. Moreover, the viability and the proliferation of pancreatic β‐cells incubated inside hydrogels for 12 days are analyzed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016 , 54, 1548–1559     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Ferrocenyl and Ruthenocenyl Analogues of Etoposide: Discovery of a Novel Dual Inhibitor of Topoisomerase II Activity and Tubulin Polymerization

Two series of the ferrocenyl and ruthenocenyl analogues of etoposide bearing 1,2,3-triazolyl or aminoalkyl linker were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic properties, influence on the cell cycle, ability to induce tubulin polymerization, and inhibition of topoisomerase II activity. We found that the replacement of the etoposide carbohydrate moiety with a metallocenyl group led to organometallic conjugates exhibiting differentiated antiproliferative activity. Biological studies demonstrated that two ferrocenylalkylamino conjugates were notably more active than etoposide, with submicromolar or low-micromolar IC₅₀ values towards SW620, etoposide-resistant SW620E, and methotrexate-resistant SW620M cancer cell lines. Moreover, the simplest ferrocenylmethylamino conjugate exerted dual inhibitory action against tubulin polymerization and topoisomerase II activity while other studied compounds affected only topoisomerase II activity.     

Green and one‐pot surface coating of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with natural amino acids and biocompatibility investigation

We report the synthesis of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles (IONPs) coated with various natural amino acids (AAs) using a one‐pot reaction in an aqueous medium. Several AAs, which contained hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups, were selected to study their effects on size, morphology and toxicity of IONPs. Functionalized IONPs were characterized using X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopies. Furthermore, vibrating sample magnetometry analysis shows these nanoparticles have excellent magnetic properties. Cellular toxicity of IONPs was also investigated on HFF2 cell lines. The AA‐coated IONPs are non‐toxic and biocompatible. Natural AA‐coated IONPs show a potential for their development in in vitro and in vivo biomedical fields due to their non‐toxicity, good ζ‐potential and related small size and narrow size distribution.     

Preparation and in vitro investigations of triphenyl[ω‐(tetrahydro‐2H‐pyran‐2‐yloxy)alkyl]tin(IV) compounds

The reaction of SnPh₃Li with X(CH₂)_n O–THP (THP = tetrahydro‐2H ‐pyran‐2‐yl; n  = 3, 4, 6, 8, 11; X = Cl, Br) afforded organotin(IV) compounds with the general formula Ph₃Sn(CH₂)_n O–THP ( 1 – 5 ). The tetraorganotin(IV) compounds were characterized using multinuclear NMR and infrared spectroscopies and high‐resolution mass spectrometry. Anticancer activity of the synthesized compounds was tested in vitro against the A2780 (ovarian), A549 (lung), HeLa (adenocarcinoma) and SW480 (colon) tumour cell lines with SRB assay. The in vitro investigations revealed that when a shorter chain was present a higher activity was achieved; however compounds 1 – 5 were found to be less active than cisplatin. In addition, the most active compound, 1 , enters A2780 cells and causes apoptosis by triggering both intrinsic and extrinsic caspase pathways.     

Iron(III) diacetylmonoxime‐2‐hydrazinopyridine complex: A new prospective antitumor drug

Because of the side effects and drug resistance of cisplatin, a basic clinically approved chemotherapeutic drug, a new attempt is reported to develop a novel antitumor drug based on complexation of iron metal ion with organic moiety that may be effective and safer. A newly synthesized iron(III) diacetylmonoxime‐2‐hydrazinopyridine complex was tested firstly for its cytotoxicity and superoxide dismutase (SOD)‐mimic activity in vitro then for its antitumor activity against Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and the related biochemical alterations in vivo in comparison with cisplatin. The complex showed 80.88% SOD‐mimic activity and IC₅₀ of 2.6 μg ml⁻¹. In EAC‐bearing mice, in a dose‐dependent manner, Fe(III) complex treatment exhibited significant hematological profile improvements, tumor volume, viable cell count and hepatic lipid peroxidation level decreases, life span extension, hepatic glutathione and total antioxidant capacity levels enhancements, hepatic SOD and catalase activities augmentations, liver function tests alterations attenuations, and hepatocyte nucleic acids content normalization. Thus, the Fe(III) diacetylmonoxime‐2‐hydrazinopyridine complex is a novel, promising, less toxic antitumor agent. Its killing of tumor cells may be via a reactive oxygen species scavenging mechanism.     

Anticancer activity of novel 3-azaxanthenes

Novel 3-azaxanthenes have been synthesized via acid-catalyzed one-pot Friedel–Crafts reaction of pyridoxal/pyridoxal-5'-phosphate with naphthols followed by dehydration of the intermediate bis(2-hydroxyaryl)-(pyridin-4-yl)methane derivatives. The cytotoxicity of the obtained 3-azaxanthenes against M-HeLa and HuTu-80 tumor cell lines is comparable to that of tamoxifen, whereas the cytotoxicity against normal cell line is absent in the tested concentrations range, which makes this class of compounds interesting for further studies.     

Two-Photon-Induced CO-Releasing Molecules as Molecular Logic Systems in Solution,Polymers, and Cells

Phototherapeutic applications of carbon monoxide (CO)-releasing molecules are limited because they require harmful UV and blue light for activation. We describe two-photon excitation with NIR light (800 nm)-induced CO-release from two Mn^I tricarbonyl complexes bearing 1,8-naphthalimide units ( 1 , 2 ). Complex 2 behaves as a logic OR gate in solution, nonwovens, and in HeLa cells. CO release, indicated by fluorescence enhancement, was detected in solution, nonwoven, and HeLa cells by single- (405 nm) and two-photon (800 nm) excitation. The photophysical properties of 1 and 2 have been measured and supported by DFT and TDDFT quantum chemical calculations. Both photoCORMs are stable in the dark in solution and noncytotoxic, leading to promising applications as phototherapeutics with NIR light.