Synthesis and antitumor activities of a series of novel quinoxalinhydrazides

Recently, we discovered a novel class of anticancer compounds with remarkable potency in a panel of cancer cell lines. A prototype compound, SC144, showed significant in vivo efficacy in mice xenograft models of human breast cancer cells. Herein, we report on a new synthetic route to SC144 and the synthesis of several of its analogues in order to understand required features for activity. A one-step coupling of 7-fluoro-4-chloropyrrolo[1,2-a]quinoxaline with pyrazin-2-carbohydrazide improved the yield significantly. Although several of the analogues showed significant activities, modification of the heteroacyl moiety had a dramatic effect on potency.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel 5(H)-phenanthridin-6-ones, 5(H)-phenanthridin-6-one diketo acid, and polycyclic aromatic diketo acid analogs as new HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

A new series of phenanthridinone derivatives, and diketo acid analogs, as well as related phenanthrene and anthracene diketo acids have been synthesized and evaluated as HIV integrase (IN) inhibitors. Several new beta-diketo acid analogs with the phenanthridinone scaffold replaced by phenanthrene, anthracene or pyrene exhibited the highest IN inhibitory potency. There is a general selectivity against the integrase strand transfer step. The most potent IN was 2,4-dioxo-4-phenanthren-9-yl-butyric acid (27f) with an IC(50) of 0.38microM against integrase strand transfer. The phenanthrene diketo acids 27d-f were more potent (IC(50)=2.7-0.38microM) than the corresponding phenanthridinone diketo acid 16 (IC(50)=65microM), suggesting that the polar amide bridge in the phenanthridinone system decreases inhibitory activity relative to the more lipophilic phenanthrene system. This might have to do with the possible binding of the aryl group of the compounds binding to a lipophilic pocket at the integrase active site as suggested by the docking simulations. Molecular modeling also suggested that effectiveness of chelation of the active site Mg(2+) contributes to IN inhibitory potency. Finally, some of the potent compounds inhibited HIV-1 replication in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with EC(50) down to 8microM for phenanthrene-3-(2,4-dioxo)butyric acid (27d), with a selectivity index of 10 against PBMCs.     

Exosome-based intercellular communication in female reproductive microenvironments

Different strategies are applied for cellular cross-talk and organization in multicellular organisms. Exosomes are a homogenous population of biological nanoparticles (30–100 nm), originated from multivesicular bodies. The exosomes (Exos) could regulate and affect both cellular physiology and pathophysiology in various organs, such as the female reproductive tract, by altering gene pathways and/or epigenetic programming. Besides, engineered Exos have the potential to be used as a novel drug and gene delivery tools. Here in this review, we discussed various aspects of exosome-based intercellular communication in female reproductive microenvironments. Furthermore, we addressed the findings and issues related to Exos in reproductive biology to give a better view of the involved molecular mechanisms. Moreover, clinical applications of the Exos and their isolation source/methods have been considered to throw some light on the progression of new biological, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches in clinical embryology.     

Luteinizing hormone and androstendione are independent predictors of ovulation after laparoscopic ovarian drilling: a retrospective cohort study

Background  

Our objective was to investigate luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, testosterone, and androstenedione as predicitve markers for ovulation after laparoscopic ovarian drilling.     

Acoustic technology for high-performance disruption and extraction of plant proteins

Acoustic technology shows the capability of protein pellet homogenization from different tissue samples of soybean and rice in a manner comparable to the ordinary mortar/pestle method and far better than the vortex/ultrasonic method with respect to the resolution of the protein pattern through two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE). With acoustic technology, noncontact tissue disruption and protein pellet homogenization can be carried out in a computer-controlled manner, which ultimately increases the efficiency of the process for a large number of samples. A lysis buffer termed the T-buffer containing TBP, thiourea, and CHAPS yields an excellent result for the 2D-PAGE separation of soybean plasma membrane proteins followed by the 2D-PAGE separation of crude protein of soybean and rice tissues. For this technology, the T-buffer is preferred because protein quantification is possible by eliminating the interfering compound 2-mercaptoethanol and because of the high reproducibility of 2D-PAGE separation.     

Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction Develops at the Onset of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis,and Can Be Induced by Adoptive Transfer of Auto-Reactive T Cells

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a pathogenesis involving a dysfunctional blood-brain barrier and myelin-specific, autoreactive T cells. Although the commensal microbiota seems to affect its pathogenesis, regulation of the interactions between luminal antigens and mucosal immune elements remains unclear. Herein, we investigated whether the intestinal mucosal barrier is also targeted in this disease. Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the prototypic animal model of MS, was induced either by active immunization or by adoptive transfer of autoreactive T cells isolated from these mice. We show increased intestinal permeability, overexpression of the tight junction protein zonulin and alterations in intestinal morphology (increased crypt depth and thickness of the submucosa and muscularis layers). These intestinal manifestations were seen at 7 days (i.e., preceding the onset of neurological symptoms) and at 14 days (i.e., at the stage of paralysis) after immunization. We also demonstrate an increased infiltration of proinflammatory Th1/Th17 cells and a reduced regulatory T cell number in the gut lamina propria, Peyer''s patches and mesenteric lymph nodes. Adoptive transfer to healthy mice of encephalitogenic T cells, isolated from EAE-diseased animals, led to intestinal changes similar to those resulting from the immunization procedure. Our findings show that disruption of intestinal homeostasis is an early and immune-mediated event in EAE. We propose that this intestinal dysfunction may act to support disease progression, and thus represent a potential therapeutic target in MS. In particular, an increased understanding of the regulation of tight junctions at the blood-brain barrier and in the intestinal wall may be crucial for design of future innovative therapies.     

Incidence and detection of negative-stranded RNA viruses infecting apple and pear trees in California

Novel negative-stranded RNA (nsRNA) viruses have been recently identified in multiple agronomic crops, including pome fruit trees. Citrus concave gum-associated virus (CCGaV), citrus virus A (CiVA) and apple rubbery wood viruses 1 and 2 (ARWV1 and 2) are examples of such viruses. Given the novelty and lack of information about these pathogens in Californian orchards, in this study, real-time RT-PCR assays for CCGaV, CiVA, ARWV1 and 2 were developed and employed in a field survey. Initially, the new assays were challenged against a comprehensive set of positive and negative samples, previously analysed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS), to determine specificity. Aiming to investigate the presence of nsRNA viruses in California apple and pear orchards, 186 samples were collected from 21 different locations. As a result, 79 (42%) samples were found to be infected by these viruses in single or mixed infections. The incidence of each virus in relation to the total number of samples was 36%, 15%, 11% and 0% for ARWV2, CCGaV, ARWV1 and CiVA respectively. Overall, not considering the no detected CiVA, the other three nsRNA viruses were widely distributed among sampled orchards. To further validate the reliability of the new real-time RT-PCR assays, six samples tested positive during the survey were screened by previously described detection assays and HTS. This is the first detection of these nsRNA viruses in California, which may represent an issue in apple and pear production.