Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors sensitize tumor cells to nutlin-induced apoptosis: a potent drug combination

Current chemotherapy focuses on the use of genotoxic drugs that may induce general DNA damage in cancer cells but also high levels of toxicity in normal tissues. Nongenotoxic activation of p53 by targeting specific molecular pathways therefore provides an attractive therapeutic strategy in cancers with wild-type p53. Here, we explored the antitumor potential of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors in combination with a small molecule inhibitor of p53-murine double minute 2 (MDM2) interaction. We show that low doses of CDK inhibitors roscovitine and DRB synergize with the MDM2 antagonist nutlin-3a in the induction of p53 activity and promote p53-dependent apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Statistical measurement of the combination effects shows that the drug combination is additive on the reduction of cell viability and synergistic on inducing apoptosis, a critical end point of cytotoxic drugs. The degree of apoptosis observed 24 to 48 h after drug treatment correlated with the accumulation of p53 protein and concomitant induction of proapoptotic proteins Puma and PIG3. The antiproliferative and cytotoxic effects of this drug combination are validated in a range of tumor-derived cells including melanoma, colon carcinoma, breast adenocarcinoma, and hepatocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, this drug combination does not induce phosphorylation of Ser(15) on p53 and does not induce genotoxic stress in the cell. Given that many cytotoxic drugs rely on their ability to induce apoptosis via DNA damage-mediated activation of p53, the data presented here may provide a new therapeutic approach for the use of CDK inhibitors and MDM2 antagonists in combinatorial drug therapy.     

Synthesis and cytotoxic activities of chloropyridylimineplatinum(II) and chloropyridyliminecopper(II) surface-functionalized poly(amidoamine) dendrimers

The preparations of novel platinum and copper metallodendrimers are reported. Surface modified first generation (G0) poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendritic Schiff base, prepared via a condensation reaction was coordinated with platinum chloride and copper chloride yielding [G0-Py₄-[PtCl₂]₄] (4D) and [G0-Py₄-[CuCl₂]₇] (7E) respectively. These functionalized hyper-branched complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy and CHN analysis. 4D was further characterized through ¹H and ¹³C spectroscopy, while 7E was characterized using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI/TOF) Mass Spectrometer. The cytotoxic effects of the compounds against cells of neoplastic origin (MOLT-4, MCF-7) and cells of benign origin (Chang Liver) were studied. Their cytotoxicities were then compared to their mono-nuclear analogues, [(MeCONHCH₂CH₂NCHPy)(PtCl₂)] (1D) and [(MeCONHCH₂CH₂NCHPy)(CuCl₂)] (1E). The multi-nuclear complexes showed increased cytotoxic activities as compared to their respective mono-nuclear compounds. Most notably, significant inhibitions were observed for 7E on all cell lines, in which its IC₅₀ values were 11.1 ± 0.6, 10.2 ± 1.5 and 8.7 ± 0.7 μM against MOLT-4, MCF-7 and Chang Liver cells respectively. The multi-nuclear copper-based complexes (7E) are therefore most effective against a cancer cell line (MOLT-4) and a cisplatin-resistant cell line (MCF-7).     

海南鹦哥岭自然保护区的珍稀濒危植物与保育

对鹦哥岭的珍稀濒危植物进行野外调查表明,本区共有野生分布的珍稀濒危植物79种,隶属于47科71属。其中属于1999年国家重点一级保护4种,如海南苏铁(Cycas hainansis)、坡垒(Hopea hainansis)、台湾苏铁(Cy-cas taiwaniana)和伯乐树(Bretschneidera sinensis),国家二级保护14种。建议将18种列入国家保护名录中,20种列入省级保护名录,其中有30种为海南特有种。鹦哥岭珍稀濒危植物面临的威胁主要有原始森林面积的减少、人为毁林开荒和分布区限制。针对珍稀濒危植物的现状和受到的威胁,提出了应重点加强保护的6个地点及相应的保护对策和建议。     

Saliva affects the antifungal activity of exogenously added histatin 3 towards Candida albicans

Antifungal activity of histatin 3 against two Candida albicans clinical isolates was determined in assays containing rabbit submandibular gland saliva. Histatin 3 inhibited the cell growth and germination of both isolates dose-dependently (10-100 microg ml(-1)) with maximum inhibition occurring after 60 min incubation. Adding fresh histatin 3 after 60 min caused further reduction in the viable cell count. Higher histatin 3 concentrations (50-100 microg ml(-1)) and prolonged exposure to peptide were required to inhibit germination. Histatin 3 was rapidly degraded in rabbit submandibular gland saliva and this may explain why fresh addition of histatin 3 increases candidacidal activity.     

Proteome investigation of the global regulatory role of sigma 54 in response to gentisate induction in Pseudomonas alcaligenes NCIMB 9867

Pseudomonas alcaligenes NCIMB 9867 (strain P25X) utilizes the gentisate pathway for the degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons. The gene encoding the alternative sigma (sigma) factor sigma(54), rpoN, was cloned from strain P25X and a rpoN knock-out strain, designated G54, was constructed by insertional inactivation with a kanamycin resistance gene cassette. The role of sigma(54) in the physiological response of P. alcaligenes P25X to gentisate induction was assessed by comparing the global protein expression profiles of the wild-type P25X with the rpoN mutant strain G54. Analysis of two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis gels showed that 39 out of 355 prominent protein spots exhibited differential expression as a result of the insertional inactivation of rpoN. Identification of the protein spots by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight/time of flight revealed a wide diversity of proteins that are affected by the sigma(54) mutation, the largest group being proteins that are involved in carbon metabolism. The strictly inducible gentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, one of two isofunctional copies of the key enzyme in the gentisate pathway, and enzymes of the TCA cycle, pyruvate metabolism and gluconeogenesis were part of this group. Other proteins that are part of the sigma(54) regulon include enzymes implicated in nitrogen metabolism, transport proteins, stress-response proteins and proteins involved in cell motility. The results of this study showed that sigma(54) plays a global regulatory role in the expression of a wide variety of genes in P. alcaligenes, including the wild-type response to the presence of the aromatic inducer, gentisate.     

3,4-Diarylpiperidines as potent renin inhibitors

The discovery and SAR of a series of potent renin inhibitors possessing a novel 3,4-diarylpiperidine scaffold are described herein. The resulting compound 38 exhibit low nanomolar plasma renin IC(50), had a clean CYP 3A4 profile and displayed micromolar affinity for the hERG channel. Furthermore, it was found to be efficacious in the double transgenic rat hypertension model and show good to moderate oral bioavailability in two animal species.     

Inhibition of enterovirus 71 (EV-71) infections by a novel antiviral peptide derived from EV-71 capsid protein VP1

Enterovirus 71 (EV-71) is the main causative agent of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). In recent years, EV-71 infections were reported to cause high fatalities and severe neurological complications in Asia. Currently, no effective antiviral or vaccine is available to treat or prevent EV-71 infection. In this study, we have discovered a synthetic peptide which could be developed as a potential antiviral for inhibition of EV-71. Ninety five synthetic peptides (15-mers) overlapping the entire EV-71 capsid protein, VP1, were chemically synthesized and tested for antiviral properties against EV-71 in human Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cells. One peptide, SP40, was found to significantly reduce cytopathic effects of all representative EV-71 strains from genotypes A, B and C tested, with IC(50) values ranging from 6-9.3 μM in RD cells. The in vitro inhibitory effect of SP40 exhibited a dose dependent concentration corresponding to a decrease in infectious viral particles, total viral RNA and the levels of VP1 protein. The antiviral activity of SP40 peptide was not restricted to a specific cell line as inhibition of EV-71 was observed in RD, HeLa, HT-29 and Vero cells. Besides inhibition of EV-71, it also had antiviral activities against CV-A16 and poliovirus type 1 in cell culture. Mechanism of action studies suggested that the SP40 peptide was not virucidal but was able to block viral attachment to the RD cells. Substitutions of arginine and lysine residues with alanine in the SP40 peptide at positions R3A, R4A, K5A and R13A were found to significantly decrease antiviral activities, implying the importance of positively charged amino acids for the antiviral activities. The data demonstrated the potential and feasibility of SP40 as a broad spectrum antiviral agent against EV-71.     

Dynamic spatial coding within the dorsal frontoparietal network during a visual search task

To what extent are the left and right visual hemifields spatially coded in the dorsal frontoparietal attention network? In many experiments with neglect patients, the left hemisphere shows a contralateral hemifield preference, whereas the right hemisphere represents both hemifields. This pattern of spatial coding is often used to explain the right-hemispheric dominance of lesions causing hemispatial neglect. However, pathophysiological mechanisms of hemispatial neglect are controversial because recent experiments on healthy subjects produced conflicting results regarding the spatial coding of visual hemifields. We used an fMRI paradigm that allowed us to distinguish two attentional subprocesses during a visual search task. Either within the left or right hemifield subjects first attended to stationary locations (spatial orienting) and then shifted their attentional focus to search for a target line. Dynamic changes in spatial coding of the left and right hemifields were observed within subregions of the dorsal front-parietal network: During stationary spatial orienting, we found the well-known spatial pattern described above, with a bilateral hemifield representation in the right hemisphere and a contralateral preference in the left hemisphere. However, during search, the right hemisphere had a contralateral preference and the left hemisphere equally represented both hemifields. This finding leads to novel perspectives regarding models of visuospatial attention and hemispatial neglect.     

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