Plasminogen endowed with magnetic property

Plasminogen was modified with an activated magnetic modifier, which consists of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) and a polyethylene glycol derivative. The magnetic plasminogen was activated with urokinase and became a magnetic derivative of plasmin. The magnetic plasmin exhibited specific activity which is 32% of the native plasmin; 7.0 versus 22 casein units mg⁻¹ protein. It was readily attracted by a magnet (250 Oe). It is particularly worth mentioning that the magnetic plasmin was more resistant to plasmin inhibitor(s) in plasma than plasmin. By applying magnetic force, the magnetic plasmin was attracted at the site of fibrin clot and local fibrinolysis was achieved in saline-circulating system.     

Inhibition of angiogenesis by THAM-derived cotelomers endowed with thalidomide moieties

The synthesis of a tris(hydroxymethyl)acrylamidomethane (THAM)-derived cotelomer endowed with thalidomide units and a preliminary assessment of its biological activity are described. 4-Carboxy thalidomide and 4-(N-acryloyl) lysine thalidomide derivatives were prepared. The polymerization of these compounds with THAM in the presence of octanethiol as transfer reagent provided a water-soluble telomer bearing several thalidomide units. The ability of this telomer to inhibit angiogenesis in a mouse model of corneal neovascularization was compared to 4-carboxy thalidomide and thalidomide. A significant inhibition in area of neovascularization stimulated by a bFGF pellet was observed only in the mice treated with the telomer.     

双专－性抗体介导的纤溶作用

用双功能团试剂将抗尿激酶单克隆抗体Ｎ３４的ＩｇＧ和抗人活化血小板α－颗粒膜蛋白ＧＭＰ－１４０单克隆抗体ＳＺ－５１的Ｆａｂ片段通过二硫键共价偶联,偶联的抗体保留了对各自抗原的亲和性。这种对尿激酶和血栓同时具有亲和活性的双专一性抗体（Ｎ３４－ＳＺ－５１）提高低分子量尿激酶的溶栓效率３８倍,且对血浆中纤维蛋白原的含量基本上不影响。     

Benzimidazole derivatives endowed with potent antileishmanial activity

Two sets of benzimidazole derivatives were synthesised and tested in vitro for activity against promastigotes of Leishmania tropica and L. infantum. Most of the tested compounds resulted active against both Leishmania species, with IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar/sub-micromolar range. Among the set of 2-(long chain)alkyl benzimidazoles, whose heterocyclic head was quaternised, compound 8 resulted about 100-/200-fold more potent than miltefosine, even if the selectivity index (SI) versus HMEC-1 cells was only moderately improved. In the set of 2-benzyl and 2-phenyl benzimidazoles, bearing a basic side chain in position 1, compound 28 (2-(4-chlorobenzyl)-1-lupinyl-5-trifluoromethylbenzimidazole) was 12-/7-fold more potent than miltefosine, but exhibited a further improved SI. Therefore, compounds 8 and 28 represent interesting hit compounds, susceptible of structural modification to improve their safety profiles.     

Regulation of urokinase/urokinase receptor interaction by heparin-like glycosaminoglycans

We show here that the interaction between the urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor, which plays a critical role in cell invasion, is regulated by heparan sulfate present on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix. Heparan sulfate oligomers showing a composition close to the dimeric repeats of heparin (glucosamine-NSO(3)(6-OSO(3))-iduronic acid(2-OSO(3))) n = 5 and n > 5, where iduronic acid may alternate with glucuronic acid, exhibit affinity for urokinase plasminogen activator and confer specificity on urokinase/urokinase receptor interaction. Cell surface clearance of heparan sulfate reduces the affinity of such interaction with a parallel decrease of specific urokinase binding in the presence of an unaltered expression of receptor. Transfection of human urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in normal Chinese hamster ovary fibroblasts and in Chinese hamster ovary cells defective for the synthesis of sulfated glycosaminoglycans results in specific urokinase/receptor interaction only in nondefective cells. Heparan sulfate/urokinase and receptor/urokinase interactions exhibit similar K(d) values. We concluded that heparan sulfate functions as an adaptor molecule that confers specificity on urokinase/receptor binding.     

Ribonucleases endowed with specific toxicity for spermatogenic layers

Bovine seminal ribonuclease (BS-RNase) is a dimer in which the subunits are cross-linked by disulfide bonds between Cys31 of one subunit and Cys32 of the other. Dimeric BS-RNase is resistant to ribonuclease inhibitor (RI), a protein endogenous to mammalian cells, and is toxic to a variety of cell types. Monomeric BS-RNase (like its homolog, RNase A) is bound tightly by RI and is not cytotoxic. The three-dimensional structure of the RI · RNase A complex suggests that carboxymethylation of C32S BS-RNase (to give MCM31) or C31S BS-RNase (MCM32) could diminish affinity for RI. We find that MCM31 and MCM32 are not only resistant to RI but are also aspermatogenic to mice. In contrast to the aspermatogenic activity of dimeric BS-RNase, that of MCM31 and MCM32 is directed only at spermatogenic layers. Intratesticular injection of MCM31 or MCM32 affects neither the diameter of seminiferous tubules nor the weight of testes. Also, in contrast to wild-type BS-RNase, MCM31 and MCM32 are not toxic to other cell types. Direct immunofluorescence reveals that MCM31 and MCM32 bind only to spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes. This cell specificity makes MCM31 and MCM32 of potential use in seminoma therapy and contraception.     

Fibrinolysis and fibrinogenolysis by Val442-plasmin

Elastase cleavage of Lys77-plasmin results in the formation of Val442-plasmin. This result suggests that small, active plasmin fragments can be produced even under conditions of high plasminogen activator levels such as occur in vivo. We examined the effect of the generation of such fragments by studying the degradation of fibrinogen and fibrin by Val442-plasmin. Val442-plasmin lysis of fibrinogen yielded the same products as obtained with Lys77-plasmin, but at a slightly lower rate. Lysine inhibited fibrinogenolysis by both Lys77-plasmin and Val442-plasmin. The marked inhibition observed at concentrations higher than 10 mM lysine occurred to the same extent for both proteases. In addition, the products and rate of fibrinolysis were the same for both proteases. These results indicate that the lysine binding regions present in Lys77-plasmin but absent in Val442-plasmin do not determine the rate, reaction products, or lysine inhibition of fibrinolysis and fibrinogenolysis by plasmin.     

Anti-Helicobacter pylori agents endowed with H2-antagonist properties

New anti-Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) agents endowed with H2-antagonists properties were obtained by combining the lamtidine derived pharmacophoric group with the antibiotic calvatic acid. All the compounds were tested for their irreversible H2-antagonist properties and for their ability to inhibit 20 H. pylori strains, two of them metronidazole resistant. The most active derivative (compound 4) displayed antimicrobial activity similar to metronidazole.     

Copper removal ability by Streptomyces strains with dissimilar growth patterns and endowed with cupric reductase activity

Morphological, physiological and molecular characterization of three copper-resistant actinobacterial strains (AB2A, AB3 and AB5A) isolated from copper-polluted sediments of a drainage channel showed that they belonged to the genus Streptomyces. These characteristics plus their distinctive copper resistance phenotypes revealed considerable divergence among the isolates. Highly dissimilar growth patterns and copper removal efficiency were observed for the selected Streptomyces strains grown on minimal medium (MM) added with 0.5 mM of copper sulfate (MM(Cu)). Strain AB2A showed an early mechanism of copper uptake/retention (80% until day 3), followed by a drastic metal efflux process (days 5-7). In contrast, Streptomyces sp. AB3 and AB5A showed only copper retention phenotypes under the same culture conditions. Particularly, Streptomyces sp. AB5A showed a better efficiency in copper removal (94%), although a longer lag phase was observed for this microorganism grown for 7 days in MM(Cu). Cupric reductase activity was detected in both copper-adapted cells and nonadapted cells of all three strains but this activity was up to 100-fold higher in preadapted cells of Streptomyces sp. AB2A. To our knowledge, this is the first time that cupric reductase activity was demonstrated in Streptomyces strains.     

Novel pyrrole-containing histone deacetylase inhibitors endowed with cytodifferentiation activity

A novel series of aroyl-pyrrolyl-hydroxy-amides (APHAs) active as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors has been reported. The new derivatives were designed by replacing the benzene ring of the prototype 1 with both aromatic and aliphatic, monocyclic and polycyclic rings (compounds 3a-i), or by inserting a number of substituents on the methylene linker of 1 (compounds 4a-l). Compounds 3a-i and 4a-l were active at sub-micromolar level against the maize deacetylases HD1-B (class I), HD1-A (class II), and HD2. Tested at 5 microM against human HDAC1 and HDAC4, 3b, 4a, and 4j showed significant HDAC1 inhibition, whereas on HDAC4 only 4a was highly effective. On the human leukemia U937 cell line, the same compounds did not alter the cell cycle phases and failed in inducing apoptosis. However, they displayed granulocytic differentiation at 5 microM, with 3b being the most potent (76% CD11c positive cells). Tested to evaluate their effects on histone H3 and alpha-tubulin acetylation, 3b and 4a showed high H3 acetylation, whereas 4a and 4b were the most potent with alpha-tubulin as a substrate.     

细胞核存在独立的钙运输系统

细胞核具有独立的钙运输系统,可以以依赖于胞质游离钙浓度而对核内钙浓度进行调节。核膜为核钙库,其外核膜上存在钙泵和ＩＰ４受体,内核膜上存在的ＩＰ３受体和利苦丁（ｒｙｎｏｄｉｎｅ）受体,核膜经外核膜摄入钙,并在ＩＰ３或环化二磷酸腺核糖（ｃＡＤＰＲ）介导了内核膜向核内释放钙,产生核内钙信号。     

Heterocycle-containing tranylcypromine derivatives endowed with high anti-LSD1 activity

As regioisomers/bioisosteres of 1a, a 4-phenylbenzamide tranylcypromine (TCP) derivative previously disclosed by us, we report here the synthesis and biological evaluation of some (hetero)arylbenzoylamino TCP derivatives 1b-6, in which the 4-phenyl moiety of 1a was shifted at the benzamide C3 position or replaced by 2- or 3-furyl, 2- or 3-thienyl, or 4-pyridyl group, all at the benzamide C4 or C3 position. In anti-LSD1-CoREST assay, all the meta derivatives were more effective than the para analogues, with the meta thienyl analogs 4b and 5b being the most potent (IC₅₀ values = 0.015 and 0.005 μM) and the most selective over MAO-B (selectivity indexes: 24.4 and 164). When tested in U937 AML and prostate cancer LNCaP cells, selected compounds 1a,b, 2b, 3b, 4b, and 5a,b displayed cell growth arrest mainly in LNCaP cells. Western blot analyses showed increased levels of H3K4me2 and/or H3K9me2 confirming the involvement of LSD1 inhibition in these assays.     

Metal-based carboxamide-derived compounds endowed with antibacterial and antifungal activity

Abstract

A series of three bioactive thiourea (carboxamide) derivatives, N-(dipropylcarbamothioyl)-thiophene-2-carboxamide (L¹), N-(dipropylcarbamothioyl)-5-methylthiophene-2-carboxamide (L²) and 5-bromo-N-(dipropylcarbamothioyl)furan-2-carboxamide (L³) and their cobalt(II), copper(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes (1)–(12) have been synthesized and characterized by their IR,¹H-NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis data. The Crystal structure of one of the ligand, N-(dipropylcarbamothioyl)thiophene-2-carboxamide (L¹) and its nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction data. All the ligands and metal(II) complexes have been subjected to in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activity against six bacterial species (Escherichia coli. Shigella flexneri. Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Salmonella typhi. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and for antifungal activity against six fungal strains (Trichophyton longifusus. Candida albicans. Aspergillus flavus. Microsporum canis. Fusarium solani and Candida glabrata). The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal bioactivity data showed the metal(II) complexes to be more potent than the parent ligands against one or more bacterial and fungal strains.     

New 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives endowed with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities

Two series of N-[5-oxo-4-(arylsulfonyl)-4,5-dihydro-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl]-amides were synthesized and tested in vivo for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. All the new compounds possess good antalgic action in the acetic acid writhing test and some terms of the series showed also fair anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan rat paw edema test. Ulcerogenic and irritative action on the gastrointestinal mucose, in comparison with indomethacin is low.     

Isolation of urokinase by affinity ultrafiltration

A water-soluble, ligand-bound polymer has been synthesized for the purpose of isolation of urokinase, an important plasminogen activator. The affinity polymer was formed by copolymerizing N-acryloyl-m-aminobenza-midine and acrylamide in the absence of oxygen. An affinity ultrafiltration process was then developed for isolating urokinase from an artificial solution containing peroxidase and urokinase and from a crude urine source. The process yields were determined to be 86% and 49%, respectively. The recovered urokinase exhibited a specfic activity close to that of the highest commercial grade. This article also presents a new technique for assaying urokinase by coupling plasminogen with L-benzoyl arginine-p-nitroanilide (L-BAPNA), an inexpensive chromogenic substrate.