An approach to address Candida rugosa lipase regioselectivity in the acylation reactions of trytilated glucosides

Candida rugosa lipase crude preparations (CRL) catalyse the regioselective acylation of methyl 6-O-trytil beta-d-glucopyranoside in organic solvents, using vinyl acetate as acyl donor. The ratio of the two products formed, namely methyl 2-O acetyl 6-O-trytil beta-d-glucopyranoside and methyl 3-O acetyl 6-O-trytil beta-d-glucopyranoside was found to be markedly affected by the nature of the reaction medium. In hydrophobic solvents values up to 80% of the monoacetylated product in position C-3 were obtained compared to less than 30% in solvents with low hydrophobicity. Computational studies were carried out to simulate the interactions between methyl 6-O-trytil beta-d-glucopyranoside and both CRL and the solvents, in order to rationalize the experimental results.     

Selective gray matter staining of human brain slices: optimized use of cadaver materials

We report a novel staining technique for human brain slices that distinguishes clearly gray from white matter. Previously described techniques using either Prussian blue (Berlin blue) or phthalocyanine dyes usually have included a hot phenol pretreatment to prevent white matter staining. The technique we describe here does not require hot phenol pretreatment and allows the use of brains stored for postmortem periods of one to two years prior to staining. Our technique involves staining with copper(II) phthalocyanine-tetrasulfonic acid tetrasodium salt 1% in water for 2 h followed by acetic acid treatment; this produces excellent blue staining of gray matter with little white matter staining. The stained brain slices are excellent for teaching human brain anatomy and/or pathology, or for research purposes.     

Investigations on the 2-thiazolylhydrazyne scaffold: Synthesis and molecular modeling of selective human monoamine oxidase inhibitors

A new series of [4-(3-methoxyphenyl)-thiazol-2-yl]hydrazyne derivatives were synthesized in good yield (71–99%) and characterized by elemental analysis and ¹H NMR studies. The compounds were assayed for their in vitro human monoamine oxidase (hMAO) inhibitory activity and selectivity and most of them showed IC₅₀ values in the nanomolar range, thus demonstrating our interest in this privileged scaffold. The most active and selective derivative (20), bearing a pyridine moiety on the CN, displayed IC₅₀ = 3.81 ± 0.12 nM and selectivity ratio = 119 toward hMAO-B. Molecular modeling studies were carried out on recent and high resolution hMAO-A and hMAO-B crystallographic structures to better justify the enzyme–inhibitor interaction toward hMAO isoforms and to explain the structure–activity relationship of this kind of inhibitors.     

Rheumatoid synovial fluid interleukin-17-producing CD4 T cells have abundant tumor necrosis factor-alpha co-expression,but little interleukin-22 and interleukin-23R expression

Introduction  

Th17 cells have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The aim of this study was to systematically analyse the phenotype, cytokine profile and frequency of interleukin-17 (IL-17) producing CD4-positive T cells in mononuclear cells isolated from peripheral blood, synovial fluid and synovial tissue of RA patients with established disease, and to correlate cell frequencies with disease activity.     

Transition of healthy to diseased synovial tissue in rheumatoid arthritis is associated with gain of mesenchymal/fibrotic characteristics

The healthy synovial lining layer consists of a single cell layer that regulates the transport between the joint cavity and the surrounding tissue. It has been suggested that abnormalities such as somatic mutations in the p53 tumor-suppressor gene contribute to synovial hyperplasia and invasion in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, expression of epithelial markers on healthy and diseased synovial lining tissue was examined. In addition, we investigated whether a regulated process, resembling epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)/fibrosis, could be responsible for the altered phenotype of the synovial lining layer in RA. Synovial tissue from healthy subjects and RA patients was obtained during arthroscopy. To detect signs of EMT, expression of E-cadherin (epithelial marker), collagen type IV (indicator of the presence of a basement membrane) and alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-sma; a myofibroblast marker) was investigated on frozen tissue sections using immunohistochemistry. Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) from healthy subjects were isolated and subjected to stimulation with synovial fluid (SF) from two RA patients and to transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta. To detect whether EMT/fibrotic markers were increased, expression of collagen type I, alpha-sma and telopeptide lysylhydroxylase (TLH) was measured by real time PCR. Expression of E-cadherin and collagen type IV was found in healthy and arthritic synovial tissue. Expression of alpha-sma was only found in the synovial lining layer of RA patients. Stimulation of healthy FLSs with SF resulted in an upregulation of alpha-sma and TLH mRNA. Collagen type I and TLH mRNA were upregulated after stimulation with TGF-beta. Addition of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-7 to healthy FLS stimulated with SF inhibited the expression of alpha-sma mRNA. The finding that E-cadherin and collagen type IV are expressed in the lining layer of healthy and arthritic synovium indicates that these lining cells display an epithelial-like phenotype. In addition, the presence of alpha-sma in the synovial lining layer of RA patients and induction of fibrotic markers in healthy FLSs by SF from RA patients indicate that a regulated process comparable to EMT might cause the alteration in phenotype of RA FLSs. Therefore, BMP-7 may represent a promising agent to counteract the transition imposed on synoviocytes in the RA joint.     

Enantioselective recognition of 2,3-benzodiazepin-4-one derivatives with anticonvulsant activity on several polysaccharide chiral stationary phases

The dimeric pyrrolobenzodiazepine SJG-136 (NSC 694501) has potent in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo antitumor activity. SJG-136 binds in the minor groove of DNA and produces G-G interstrand cross-links via reactive N(10)-C(11)/N(10')-C(ll') imine/carbinolamine moieties. We have developed a sensitive, specific liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method for the quantitative determination of SJG-136 in plasma. SJG-136 was isolated by solid phase extraction through a C8 column, reverse-phase HPLC separation was accomplished on a C18 column with isocratic elution and MS/MS detection, monitoring the m/z 557-m/z 476 transition after electrospray ionization. The linear range and lower limit of quantitation from plasma standard curves were 2.8-1800 nM, and 5 nM, respectively. SJG-136 plasma protein binding was species-dependent. Values of the unbound fraction in human, rat and mouse were 25%, 16.2% and <1%, respectively. Protein binding was saturable in dog plasma where the unbound fraction increased from 10.8% to 22.3% over a 22-720 nM concentration range. SJG-136 pharmacokinetics after a single intravenous dose were best fit to a two-compartment open model with elimination half-life and plasma clearance values of 97 min and 6.1 mL/min/kg, respectively. SJG-136 did not accumulate in plasma following intravenous administration of 1.0 microg/kg doses for five consecutive days.     

N-Alkyl dien- and trienamides from the roots of Otanthus maritimus with binding affinity for opioid and cannabinoid receptors

Two new thienylheptatrienamides (1, 5) and one new neo-lignan (12), together with thirteen known compounds (2, 3, 4, 6–11, 13–16) were isolated from the roots of Otanthus maritimus. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR experiments as well as high resolution mass spectrometry. All the isolated amides (1–10), the known pontica epoxide (11) and the new neo-lignan (12) were evaluated for their binding affinity to the CB1 and CB2 as well as to the μ and δ opioid receptors. Some alkylamides showed moderately high binding affinity for CB2 receptors and 1-[(2E,4E,8Z)-tetradecatrienoyl]piperidine (10) resulted the most active one with a K_i value of 160 nM. As far as we know, this is the first example of a tertiary alkylamide that binds CB2 receptors with significant potency. Compounds that showed the highest affinity for cannabinoid receptors (6–8, 10) were much less potent against opioid receptors. Primary structure–activity relationship is discussed. Docking experiments were carried out with the aim to understand the key interactions of the most active compounds with CB2 receptor.     

Distinct transthyretin oxidation isoform profile in spinal fluid from patients with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment

Background

Transthyretin (TTR), an abundant protein in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), contains a free, oxidation-prone cysteine residue that gives rise to TTR isoforms. These isoforms may reflect conditions in vivo. Since increased oxidative stress has been linked to neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) it is of interest to characterize CSF-TTR isoform distribution in AD patients and controls. Here, TTR isoforms are profiled directly from CSF by an optimized immunoaffinity-mass spectrometry method in 76 samples from patients with AD (n = 37), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 17)), and normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH, n = 15), as well as healthy controls (HC, n = 7). Fractions of three specific oxidative modifications (S-cysteinylation, S-cysteinylglycinylation, and S-glutathionylation) were quantitated relative to the total TTR protein. Results were correlated with diagnostic information and with levels of CSF AD biomarkers tau, phosphorylated tau, and amyloid β_1-42 peptide.

Results

Preliminary data highlighted the high risk of artifactual TTR modification due to ex vivo oxidation and thus the samples for this study were all collected using strict and uniform guidelines. The results show that TTR is significantly more modified on Cys(10) in the AD and MCI groups than in controls (NPH and HC) (p ≤ 0.0012). Furthermore, the NPH group, while having normal TTR isoform distribution, had significantly decreased amyloid β peptide but normal tau values. No obvious correlations between levels of routine CSF biomarkers for AD and the degree of TTR modification were found.

Conclusions

AD and MCI patients display a significantly higher fraction of oxidatively modified TTR in CSF than the control groups of NPH patients and HC. Quantitation of CSF-TTR isoforms thus may provide diagnostic information in patients with dementia symptoms but this should be explored in larger studies including prospective studies of MCI patients. The development of methods for simple, robust, and reproducible inhibition of in vitro oxidation during CSF sampling and sample handling is highly warranted. In addition to the diagnostic information the possibility of using TTR as a CSF oxymeter is of potential value in studies monitoring disease activity and developing new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases.     

Hes1 Increases the Invasion Ability of Colorectal Cancer Cells via the STAT3-MMP14 Pathway

The Notch pathway contributes to self-renewal of tumor-initiating cell and inhibition of normal colonic epithelial cell differentiation. Deregulated expression of Notch1 and Jagged1 is observed in colorectal cancer. Hairy/enhancer of split (HES) family, the most characterized targets of Notch, involved in the development of many cancers. In this study, we explored the role of Hes1 in the tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer. Knocking down Hes1 induced CRC cell senescence and decreased the invasion ability, whereas over-expression of Hes1 increased STAT3 phosphorylation activity and up-regulated MMP14 protein level. We further explored the expression of Hes1 in human colorectal cancer and found high Hes1 mRNA expression is associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. These findings suggest that Hes1 regulates the invasion ability through the STAT3-MMP14 pathway in CRC cells and high Hes1 expression is a predictor of poor prognosis of CRC.