3,5-Bis(benzylidene)-4-piperidones and related N-acyl analogs: A novel cluster of antimalarials targeting the liver stage of Plasmodium falciparum

Drug resistance is a major challenge in antimalarial chemotherapy. In addition, a complete cure of malaria requires intervention at various stages in the development of the parasite within the host. There are only a few antimalarials that target the liver stage of the Plasmodium species which is an essential part of the life cycle of the malarial parasite. We report a series of antimalarial 3,5-bis(benzylidene)-4-piperidones and related N-acyl analogs 1–5, a number of which exhibit potent in vitro growth-inhibiting properties towards drug-sensitive D6 and drug-resistant C235 strains of Plasmodium falciparum as well as inhibiting the liver stage development of the malarial life cycle. The compounds 2b (IC₅₀: 165 ng/mL), 3b (IC₅₀: 186 ng/mL), 5c (IC₅₀: 159 ng/mL) and 5d (IC₅₀: 93.5 ng/mL) emerged as lead molecules that inhibit liver stage Plasmodium berghei and are significantly more potent than chloroquine (IC₅₀: >2000 ng/mL) and mefloquine (IC₅₀: >2000 ng/mL) in this screen. All the compounds that showed potent inhibitory activity against the P. berghei liver stage were nontoxic to human HepG2 liver cells (IC₅₀: >2000 ng/mL). The compounds 5a and 5b exhibit comparable metabolic stability as chloroquine and mefloquine in human plasma and the most potent compound 5d demonstrated suitable permeability characteristics using the MDCK monolayer. These results emphasize the value of 3,5-bis(benzylidene)-4-piperidones as novel antimalarials for further drug development.     

Crystallographic determination of the structures of human alpha-thrombin complexed with BMS-186282 and BMS-189090.

The crystallographic structures of the ternary complexes of human alpha-thrombin with hirugen (a sulfated hirudin fragment) and the small-molecule active site thrombin inhibitors BMS-186282 and BMS-189090 have been determined at 2.6 and 2.8 A. In both cases, the inhibitors, which adopt very similar bound conformations, bind in an antiparallel beta-strand arrangement relative to the thrombin main chain in a manner like that reported for PPACK, D-Phe-Pro-Arg-CH2Cl. They do, however, exhibit differences in the binding of the alkyl guanidine moiety in the specificity pocket. Numerous hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions serve to stabilize the inhibitors in the binding pocket. Although PPACK forms covalent bonds to both serine and the histidine of the catalytic triad of thrombin, neither BMS-186282 nor BMS-189090 bind covalently and only BMS-186282 forms a hydrogen bond to the serine of the catalytic triad. Both inhibitors bind with high affinity (Ki = 79 nM and 3.6 nM, respectively) and are highly selective for thrombin over trypsin and other serine proteases.     

NMR and CD studies on the conformation of a synthetic peptide containing epitopes of the human immunodeficiency virus 1 transmembrane protein gp41

CD and nmr characterizations are reported for the 23-mer peptide CMC3, corresponding to residues 577–599 of gp41, the transmembrane glycoprotein of the human immunodeficiency virus 1. Concentration, temperature, and pH dependencies of CD and nmr spectra are indicative of self-association with a consequent stabilization of secondary structural elements in water. The addition to the water solution of small amounts of trifluoroethanol induces a secondary structure, mostly due to the presence of helical elements. The amphipathic character of the helix and the presence of three hydrophobic 4/3 heptad repeats suggest that the peptide could be structured in a symmetric association of helices, such as in a coiled-coil structure. This behavior is discussed in terms of a possible role of this segment in the gp41 envelope oligomerization. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Clinical Characteristics,Etiology and Antimicrobial Susceptibility among Overweight and Obese Individuals with Diarrhea: Observed at a Large Diarrheal Disease Hospital,Bangladesh

Background

The present study aimed to determine the clinical characteristics and etiology of overweight and obese (OO) individuals with diarrhea attending an urban Dhaka Hospital, International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research (icddr,b), Bangladesh.

Methods

Total of 508 under-5 children, 96 individuals of 5–19 years and 1331 of >19 years were identified as OO from the Diarrheal Disease Surveillance System (DDSS) between 1993–2011. Two comparison groups such as well-nourished and malnourished individuals from respective age stratums were selected.

Results

Isolation rate of rotavirus was higher among OO under-5 children compared to malnourished group (46% vs. 28%). Rotavirus infection among OO individuals aged 5–19 years (9% vs. 3%) (9% vs. 3%) and >19 years (6% vs. 4%) (6% vs. 3%) was higher compared to well-nourished and malnourished children. Conversely, Vibrio cholerae was lower among all OO age groups compared to well-nourished and malnourished ones. Shigella (4% vs. 6%) (4% vs. 8%), and Campylobacter (3% vs. 5%) (3% vs. 5%) were lower only among OO in >19 years individuals compared to their counterparts of the same age stratum. Salmonella was similarly isolated in all age strata and nutritional groups. In multinomial logistic regression among under-5 children, significant association was observed only with use of antimicrobials at home [OR-1.97] and duration of hospital stay [OR-0.68]. For individuals aged 5–19 years, use of antimicrobials at home (OR-1.83), some or severe dehydration (OR-3.12), having received intravenous saline (OR-0.46) and rotavirus diarrhea (OR-2.96) were found to be associated with OO respectively. Moreover, significant associations were also found for duration of diarrhea before coming to hospital (>24 hours) (OR-1.24), Shigella (OR-0.46), and Campylobacter (OR-0.58) among >19 years OO individuals along with other associated co-variates in 5–19 years group (all p<0.05).

Conclusion and significance

Higher proportion of OO were infected with rotavirus and a greater proportion of them used antimicrobials before coming to the hospital.     

Microbial Dynamics and Diversity of Bacillus thuringiensis in Textile Effluent Polluted and Non-polluted Rice Field Soils of Orissa, India

Microbial diversity was assessed in the soils of non-polluted rice fields of Central Rice Research Institute and Choudwar, and textile effluent contaminated (about 30 years) rice fields of Choudwar about 4 years after cessation of pollution. The soils contained 0.62–1.01 % organic C and 0.07–0.12 % total N, and measured 6.18–8.24 pH and 0.6–2.68 mS/cm Eh which were more in the polluted Choudwar soil. The microbial populations (×10⁶ cfu/g soil) in the soils were: heterotrophs 1.21–10.9, spore formers 0.9–2.43, Gram (−)ve bacteria 4.11–8.0, nitrifiers 0.72–1.5, denitrifiers 0.72–2.43, phosphate solubilizers 0.14–0.9, asymbiotic nitrogen fixers 0.34–0.59, actinomycetes 0.07–0.11, fungi 0–0.5 and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) 0.4–0.61 which predominated in the polluted soil of Choudwar. The fungi were scarce in the polluted rice fields. The Bt isolates belonged to three motile and one non-motile group. Two motile Bt isolates were phenotyped as Bt subsp. sotto and israelensis, whereas, the non-motile isolate was Bt subsp. wahuensis. All Bt isolates produced extracellular protease, lipase and amylase enzymes. The microbial guilds had positive correlation among themselves, as well as, with soil physico-chemical characters but the fungi had negative relation and the nitrogen fixers were unrelated with the biotic and abiotic components.     

Reduced impact of ocean acidification on growth and swimming performance of newly hatched tropical sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum)

ABSTRACT

Sharks have been facing unprecedented pressure over the last decades, and ocean acidification may represent an additional threat, particularly during their most susceptible life stages. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of ocean acidification (control pCO₂ ~ 400 μatm; high pCO₂ ~ 900 μatm) on the growth, swimming performance and cholinergic system of juvenile white-spotted bamboo sharks (Chiloscyllium plagiosum). After 45 days of exposure, we observed that high CO₂ did not affect most of the end-points studied. However, somatic growth rate and the percentage of time that sharks spent swimming was significantly reduced under high CO₂ conditions. Moreover, AChE activity decreased in two of the seven brain macroareas analyzed, the telencephalon and optic lobes. As this near-threatened shark species showed small sub-lethal effects to high CO₂ levels, we argue that within a longer time-frame they can potentially reduce individual performance with cascading consequences to shark population dynamics.     

Evaluation of the Antioxidant Properties of Propofol and its Nitrosoderivative. Comparison with Homologue Substituted Phenols

Propofol (2,6-diisopropylphenol), some substituted phenols (2,6-dimethylphenol and 2,6-ditertbutylphenol) and their 4-nitrosoderivatives have been compared for their scavenging ability towards 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl and for their inhibitory action on lipid peroxidation. These products were also compared to the classical antioxidants butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole. When measuring the reactivity of the various phenolic derivatives with 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl the following order of effectiveness was observed: butylated hydroxyanisole>propofol>2,6-dimethylphenol>2,6-di-tertbutylphenol?>?butylated hydroxytoluene. In cumene hydroperoxide-dependent microsomal lipid peroxidation, propofol acts as the most effective antioxidant, while butylated hydroxyanisole, 2,6-di-tertbutylphenol and butylated hydroxytoluene exhibit a rather similar effect, although lower than propofol. In the iron/ascorbate-dependent lipid peroxidation propofol, at concentrations higher than 10?μM, exhibits antioxidant properties comparable to those of butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole. 2,6-Dimethylphenol is scarcely effective in both lipoperoxidative systems. The antioxidant properties of the various molecules depend on their hydrophobic characteristics and on the steric and electronic effects of their substituents. However, the introduction of the nitroso group in the 4-position almost completely removes the antioxidant properties of the examined compounds. The nitrosation of the aromatic ring of antioxidant molecules and the consequent loss of antioxidant capacity can be considered a condition potentially occurring in vivo since nitric oxide and its derivatives are continuously formed in biological systems.     

Molecular chaperone-like properties of an unfolded protein, alpha(s)-casein.

All molecular chaperones known to date are well organized, folded protein molecules whose three-dimensional structure are believed to play a key role in the mechanism of substrate recognition and subsequent assistance to folding. A common feature of all protein and nonprotein molecular chaperones is the propensity to form aggregates very similar to the micellar aggregates. In this paper we show that alpha(s)-casein, abundant in mammalian milk, which has no well defined secondary and tertiary structure but exits in nature as a micellar aggregate, can prevent a variety of unrelated proteins/enzymes against thermal-, chemical-, or light-induced aggregation. It also prevents aggregation of its natural substrates, the whey proteins. alpha(s)-Casein interacts with partially unfolded proteins through its solvent-exposed hydrophobic surfaces. The absence of disulfide bridge or free thiol groups in its sequence plays important role in preventing thermal aggregation of whey proteins caused by thiol-disulfide interchange reactions. Our results indicate that alpha(s)-casein not only prevents the formation of huge insoluble aggregates but it can also inhibit accumulation of soluble aggregates of appreciable size. Unlike other molecular chaperones, this protein can solubilize hydrophobically aggregated proteins. This protein seems to have some characteristics of cold shock protein, and its chaperone-like activity increases with decrease of temperature.     

Moderate exercise training provides left ventricular tolerance to acute pressure overload

The present study evaluated the impact of moderate exercise training on the cardiac tolerance to acute pressure overload. Male Wistar rats were randomly submitted to exercise training or sedentary lifestyle for 14 wk. At the end of this period, the animals were anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and submitted to hemodynamic evaluation with biventricular tip pressure manometers. Acute pressure overload was induced by banding the descending aorta to induce a 60% increase of peak systolic left ventricular pressure during 120 min. This resulted in the following experimental groups: 1) sedentary without banding (SED + Sham), 2) sedentary with banding (SED + Band), and 3) exercise trained with banding (EX + Band). In response to aortic banding, SED + Band animals could not sustain the 60% increase of peak systolic pressure for 120 min, even with additional narrowing of the banding. This was accompanied by a reduction of dP/dt(max) and dP/dt(min) and a prolongation of the time constant tau, indicating impaired systolic and diastolic function. This impairment was not observed in EX + Band (P < 0.05 vs. SED + Band). Additionally, compared with SED + Band, EX + Band presented less myocardial damage, exhibited attenuated protein expression of active caspase-3 and NF-κB (P < 0.016), and showed less protein carbonylation and nitration (P < 0.05). These findings support our hypothesis that exercise training has a protective role in the modulation of the early cardiac response to pressure overload.