4-Hydroxy-β-damascone and 4-Hydroxy-dihydro-β-damascone from Cigar Tobacco

The cDNA encoding a putative xylose reductase (xyrA) from Aspergillus oryzae was cloned and coexpressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae with A. oryzae xylitol dehydrogenase cDNA (xdhA). XyrA exhibited NADPH-dependent xylose reductase activity. The S. cerevisiae strain, overexpressing the xyrA, xdhA, endogenous XKS1, and TAL1 genes, grew on xylose as sole carbon source, and produced ethanol.     

Orally available and efficacious α4β1/α4β7 integrin inhibitors

A series of potent α4β1/α4β7 integrin inhibitors is reported, including an inhibitor 12d with remarkable oral exposure and efficacy in rat models of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.     

6β-Hydroxy-4-stigmasten-3-one and 6β-hydroxy-4-campesten-3-one

The first naturally occurring 6-hydroxylated Δ⁴-3-oxo steroids with intact sterol side chains have been isolated as a molecular complex from the bark extracts of Melia azedarach L. The complex has been characterized by UV, IR, NMR and MS analyses to consist of 6β-hydroxy-4-stigmasten-3-one and 6β-hydroxy-4-campesten-3-one, and these structures confirmed by partial synthesis.     

Synthesis,structure and anti-acetylcholinesterase activity of 4β-methoxymethyl-4β-demethyl territrem B

4β-Methoxymethyl-4β-demethyl territrem B [5] was synthesized from 4β-hydroxymethyl-β-demethyl territrem B [4] by treatment with dimethyl sulfate in methanolic NaOH. The structure of 5 was elucidated by uv, nmr and mass spectra. The IC50 of 5 on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was 6.30 × 10-5 M, which indicated 0.4% of the anti-AChE activity of territrem B [2]. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Syntheses of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-βD-galacto-pyranosyl-D-mannose and -D-glucose and of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-βD-mannopyranosyl-D-mannose and -D-glucose

2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-mannose (6) and -D-glucose (7) were prepared by addition of nitromethane to 3-O-β-D-galactopyranosyl-D-arabinose, followed by acetylation, ammonolysis, and application of the Nef reaction. Similarly, 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-O-β-D-mannopyranosyl-D-mannose (14) and -D-glucose (15) were prepared by the same scheme from 3-O-β-D-mannopyranosyl-D-arabinose. In the two series of experiments, 6 and 14 were the respective major products. Epimerization of the 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-mannose residue in 6 and 14 yielded 7 and 15, respectively.     

Design and synthesis of 4β-Acetamidobenzofuranone-podophyllotoxin hybrids and their anti-cancer evaluation

A new series of amide derivatives of 4β-Acetamidobenzofuranone-podophyllotoxin hybrids (14a–g) were synthesized and their chemical structures were confirmed by ¹H, ¹³C NMR and mass spectral data. Further, all the synthesized Acetamidobenzofuranone-podophyllotoxin hybrids were evaluated for in vitro cytotoxic activity against a panel of four human cancer cell lines i.e., human breast (MCF-7, MDA MB-231), lung (A549), and prostrate (DU-145). Among benzofuranone-podophyllotoxin hybrid compounds, 14b and 14e were exhibited more potent activity than standard drug and 14c and 14f were showed anticancer activity equivalent to etoposide.     

Effect of vitamin A deficiency on thymosin-β4 and CD4 concentrations

Vitamins are evaluated for their role in immunity. Recently, vitamin A received a particular attention as a critical micronutrient for regulating immune system. Therefore, the present study aimed to search for new about vitamin A. Forty-eight Egyptian adults aged from 18 to 42?years old from both sexes were subjected to clinical examination and nutrition questionnaire and were screened for vitamin A by using ELISA method. Forty subjects were selected and subdivided into two groups. Group 1 with vitamin A at level >200?µg/dl consists of 10 healthy subjects. Group 2 with vitamin A deficiency at level <50?µg/dl consists of 30 subjects. Tβ4 and CD4 levels were also determined by a commercial ELISA kit. Results showed a significant decrease in serum levels of Tβ4 and CD4 in group 2 than group 1 at P < .003 and P < .019 respectively. Both of Tβ4 and CD4 had positive correlation with vitamin A level at P < .000 and P < .003 respectively as well as with each other at p < .000. We concluded that vitamin A deficiency may be influence the levels of Tβ4 and CD4.     

Syntheses of p-nitrophenyl 3- and 4-thio-β-D-glycopyranosides

Thioglycosides have proved to be useful, enzymatically stable analogs of glycosides for structural and mechanistic studies and their synthesis is considerably simplified through the use of thioglycoligases. As part of an investigation into the use of thioglycosides as potential pharmacological chaperones, and as components of glycoproteins and glycolipids, the syntheses of p-nitrophenyl 3-thio-β-d-galactopyranoside, phenyl 1,4-dithio-β-d-glucopyranoside, p-nitrophenyl 4-thio-β-d-mannopyranoside and p-nitrophenyl 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-4-thio-β-d-mannopyranoside are described.     

Synthesis and evaluation of the cell cycle arrest and CT DNA interaction properties of 4β-amino-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxins

A series of 4β-amino-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives were synthesized, and their cytotoxicities against several human cancer cell lines, including HepG2, A549, HeLa and HCT-8 cells, evaluated. Some of these compounds exhibited higher levels of cytotoxicity than the anticancer drug etoposide. 4β-N-(4-Nitrophenyl piperazinyl)-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin (11) was found to be the most potent synthesized compound in the current study, and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in HeLa cells, which was accompanied by apoptosis. Furthermore, this compound activated the expression of cdc2, cyclin B1, p53 and caspase-3 in HeLa cells, leading to changes in the conformation of calf thymus DNA from the B-form to a more compact C-form.     

Action of rat liver Galβ1-4GlcNAc α(2-6)-sialyltransferase on Manβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe,GalNAcβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe,Glcβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe and GlcNAcβ1-4GlcNAcβ-OMe as synthetic substrates

Incubation of synthetic Man\1-4GlcNAc-OMe, GalNAc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, Glc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, and GlcNAc1-4GlcNac-OMe with CMP-Neu5Ac and rat liver Gal1-4GlcNAc (2-6)-sialyltransferase resulted in the formation of Neu5Ac2-6Man1-4GlcNAc-OMe, Neu5Ac2-6GalNAc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, Neu5Ac2-6Glc1-4GlcNAc-OMe and Neu5Ac2-6GlcNAc1-4GlcNAc-OMe, respectively. Under conditions which led to quantitative conversion of Gal1-4GlcNAc-OEt into Neu5Ac2-6Gal1-4GlcNAc-OEt, the aforementioned products were obtained in yields of 4%, 48%, 16% and 8%, respectively. HPLC on Partisil 10 SAX was used to isolate the various sialyltrisaccharides, and identification was carried out using 1- and 2-dimensional 500-MHz¹H-NMR spectroscopy.Abbreviations 2D 2-dimensional - CMP cytidine 5-monophosphate - CMP-Neu5Ac cytidine 5-monophospho--N-acetylneuraminic acid - COSY correlation spectroscopy - DQF double quantum filtered - HOHAHA homonuclear Hartmann-Hahn - MLEV composite pulse devised by M. Levitt - Neu5Ac N-acetylneuraminic acid - Neu5Ac2en 2-deoxy-2,3-didehydro-N-acetylneuraminic acid     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of 4-Carbamoyl-2-β-D-Ribofuranosyl-Pyridine

Abstract

D-Allo/D-altro 2-(2,4:3, 5-di-O-benzylidenepentitol-1-y1)-4-(4,4-dimethyloxazolin-2-y1)pyridine was synthesized from 2-lithio-4-(4,4-dimethyloxazolin-2-y1)pyridine and 2, 4:3,5-di-O-benzylidenealdehydo-D-ribose. After mesylation and subsequent treatment of the adduct with CF₃COOH/H₂O and then ammonia, 4-carbamoyl-2-D-ribofuranosylpyridine was formed. The α- and β-anomers were separated by semipreparative hplc on a LICHROSORB 10 DIOL column. The β-anomer had no antiviral activity, but it had modest cytostatic activity against tumor cells.     

Nox4 and redox signaling mediate TGF-β-induced endothelial cell apoptosis and phenotypic switch

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) triggers apoptosis in endothelial cells, while the mechanisms underlying this action are not entirely understood. Using genetic and pharmacological tools, we demonstrated that TGF-β induced a moderate apoptotic response in human cultured endothelial cells, which was dependent upon upregulation of the Nox4 NADPH oxidase and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In contrast, we showed that ectopic expression of Nox4 via viral vectors (vNox4) produced an antiapoptotic effect. TGF-β caused ROS-dependent p38 activation, whereas inhibition of p38 blunted TGF-β-induced apoptosis. However, vNox4, but not TGF-β, activated Akt, and inhibition of Akt attenuated the antiapoptotic effect of vNox4. Akt activation induced by vNox4 was accompanied by inactivation of the protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP1B) function and enhanced vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR)-2 phosphorylation. Moreover, we showed that TGF-β enhanced Notch signaling and increased expression of the arterial marker EphrinB2 in a redox-dependent manner. In summary, our results suggest that Nox4 and ROS have pivotal roles in mediating TGF-β-induced endothelial apoptosis and phenotype specification. Redox mechanisms may influence endothelial cell functions by modulating p38, PTP1B/VEGFR/Akt and Notch signaling pathways.     

胸腺肽β4研究进展

β胸腺肽是一个多肽家族,由高度保守的极性氨基酸组成,相对分子质量约5000.研究表明,在绝大多数哺乳动物组织中,胸腺肽β4都是该家族丰度最高的成员。1991年发现胸腺肽β4是人血小板中主要的肌动蛋白隐蔽肽,随后发现它在创伤愈合和血管生成、角膜修复、抑制炎症及肿瘤转移等方面具有重要作用。我们简要综述胸腺肽β4的上述作用及临床应用的研究进展。     

胸腺肽Tβ4

胸腺肽Tβ4是具有多重生物功能的小肽,是肌动蛋白的结合蛋白之一,该多肽的基因差异性表达与肿瘤恶变和转移、胚胎发育等关系密切,本综述了胸腺肽Tβ4的研究进展。     

整合素β4研究进展

整合素又名整联蛋白,是一种介导细胞与其外环境如细胞外基质之间连接的跨膜受体。整合素β4因其特殊的结构,发挥着诸多功能:与整合素α6亚单位组成α6β4,参与构成半桥粒;介导细胞与细胞外基质相互作用、细胞与细胞间相互作用;介导细胞的增殖与存活,迁移和侵袭;通过激活多条信号通路参与各种疾病进程。本文将对整合素β4的结构组成、生理功能及其在呼吸系统、肿瘤、神经系统等相关疾病中的作用进行综述。     

Identification of a negative allosteric site on human α4β2 and α3β4 neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Acetylcholine-based neurotransmission is regulated by cationic, ligand-gated ion channels called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). These receptors have been linked to numerous neurological diseases and disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and nicotine addiction. Recently, a class of compounds has been discovered that antagonize nAChR function in an allosteric fashion. Models of human α4β2 and α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) extracellular domains have been developed to computationally explore the binding of these compounds, including the dynamics and free energy changes associated with ligand binding. Through a blind docking study to multiple receptor conformations, the models were used to determine a putative binding mode for the negative allosteric modulators. This mode, in close proximity to the agonist binding site, is presented in addition to a hypothetical mode of antagonism that involves obstruction of C loop closure. Molecular dynamics simulations and MM-PBSA free energy of binding calculations were used as computational validation of the predicted binding mode, while functional assays on wild-type and mutated receptors provided experimental support. Based on the proposed binding mode, two residues on the β2 subunit were independently mutated to the corresponding residues found on the β4 subunit. The T58K mutation resulted in an eight-fold decrease in the potency of KAB-18, a compound that exhibits preferential antagonism for human α4β2 over α3β4 nAChRs, while the F118L mutation resulted in a loss of inhibitory activity for KAB-18 at concentrations up to 100 μM. These results demonstrate the selectivity of KAB-18 for human α4β2 nAChRs and validate the methods used for identifying the nAChR modulator binding site. Exploitation of this site may lead to the development of more potent and subtype-selective nAChR antagonists which may be used in the treatment of a number of neurological diseases and disorders.     

Identification of N-acyl 4-(3-pyridonyl)phenylalanine derivatives and their orally active prodrug esters as dual acting α4β1 and α4β7 receptor antagonists

From a series of N-acyl 4-(3-pyridonyl)phenylalanine derivatives of 4, the trifluoromethyl derivative 28 was identified as a potent, dual acting alpha4 integrin antagonist with activity in primate models of allergic asthma. Investigation of a series of prodrug esters led to the discovery of the morpholinopropyl derivative 48 that demonstrated good intestinal fluid stability, solubility and permeability. Compound 48 gave high blood levels of 28 when dosed orally in cynomolgus monkeys. Surprisingly, hydrolysis of 48 was rapid in liver microsomes from the pharmacological species, mouse, rat and monkey, but slow in dog and human; in vivo studies also indicated there was prolonged exposure to unchanged prodrug in dogs.     

A novel series of [3.2.1] azabicyclic biaryl ethers as α3β4 and α6/4β4 nicotinic receptor agonists

We report the synthesis of a series of [3.2.1]azabicyclic biaryl ethers as selective agonists of α3- and α6-containing nicotinic receptors. In particular, compound 17a from this series is a potent α3β4 and α6/4β4 receptor agonist in terms of both binding and functional activity. Compound 17a also shows potent in vivo activity in CNS-mediated animal models that are sensitive to antipsychotic drugs. Compound 17a may thus be a useful tool for studying the role of α3β4 and α6/4β4 nicotinic receptors in CNS pharmacology.     

Tissue distribution and age-dependent expression ofβ-4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase in guinea-pig

Guinea-pig kidney contains -4-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase which may be involved in the biosynthesis of the Sd a determinant expressed on Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein. In the present study we show that this enzyme is expressed far more in the medulla than in the cortex of the kidney and that, among the other organs tested, is expressed only in colon and caecum. This transferase is ontogenically regulated, in that its activity is low at birth and increases as a function of age. From several aspects, the tissue distribution and the ontogenic expression of -4-N-acetylgalactosaminyl-transferase and Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein are similar.