Simultaneous HPLC–UV determination of rhein and aceclofenac in human plasma

Diacerein and aceclofenac are prescribed for reducing the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis. We present a simple HPLC method with UV detection for simultaneous determination of rhein (the immediate metabolite of diacerein) and aceclofenac from human plasma samples. Sample preparation was accomplished through liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate and chromatographic separation was performed on a reversed-phase ODS column. Mobile phase consisted of a mixture of acetate buffer and acetonitrile run under gradient at flow rate of 1.0 ml/min. Wavelength was set at 258 nm. The method was validated for linearity, accuracy, precision and stability. The calibration was linear over the range of 0.1–7.0 μg/ml for rhein and 0.5–20 μg/ml for aceclofenac using 500 μl plasma samples. Extraction recoveries were 85% for rhein and 70% for aceclofenac. The method can easily be adopted for high-throughput clinical and pharmacokinetic studies of above two-drug fixed dose combination formulations.     

Transformation of L-Tyrosine to L-Dopa by a Novel Fungus, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acremonium rutilum</Emphasis>, Under Submerged Fermentation

The present study deals with the transformation of L-tyrosine to L-dopa by Acremonium rutilum, a fungal tyrosinase producer, isolated from decomposed banana stud. This appears to be the first report on A. rutilum as a polyphenoloxidase producer with both cresolase and catecholase activity. Enriched Czapek-Dox agar was used for plate assay screening. Enriched potato dextrose broth was used for optimization studies, which induced high levels of L-dopa under submerged fermentation. A. rutilum gave the maximum L-dopa production (0.89 mg/ml) and tyrosinase activity (1095 U/mg) under the optimized parameters, that is, a temperature of 25°C, pH 5.5, an inoculum size of 2.5 ml, and an incubation time of 72–120 h, with L-tyrosine (5 mg/ml) as substrate. Five resolved bands, with R_f values of 0.73, 0.60, 0.54, 0.37, and 0.26, were observed, which confirmed the presence of L-dopa. This study involves the elevated profile of L-dopa production. Such study is needed, as L-dopa has the ability to control Parkinson’s disease.     

Tetra substituted thiophenes as anti-inflammatory agents: exploitation of analogue-based drug design

A series of 17 novel tetra substituted thiophenes was designed, synthesized, and screened for anti-inflammatory activity in carrageenin induced rat paw edema model, an acute in vivo model. The lead molecule selected was Tenidap, a dual COX/LOX inhibitor. Compounds I (43%), III (60%), IV (60%), and VIII (64%) showed moderate to good anti-inflammatory activity. The best candidate among the whole series was VIII, which gave 64% protection to the inflamed paw. The side chain of candidate VIII had resemblance to that of Romazarit, a DMARD, which was withdrawn due to its toxicity profile. A probable reason for the metabolic stability of the proposed side chain not having the possibility of generating peroxy type radicals or acrylic acid moieties, unlike Romazarit, is discussed. The biological activity exhibited by the three designed series was in the order of methyl amino series > ethyl amino series > carbethoxy amino series. The –(CO)–CH₂–COOR side chain at the fifth position as in candidate VIII, the methyl amino group at the second position, and the ester at the third position of the thiophene can be considered as a three-point pharmacophore for designing better anti-inflammatory agents. The present study is a classical example of the exploitation of an analogue based drug design, which culminated in the development of good anti-inflammatory agents that have the potential of becoming dual inhibitors.     

Loss of Deoxycytidine Kinase Expression and Tetraploidization of HL60 Cells Following Long-Term Culture in 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3

Development of drug resistance is a major problem in attempts to control the growth of neoplastic cell populations. The resistance can be either inherent or acquired by an exposure to a chemotherapeutic drug. The available models for study of these phenomena have not led to major improvements in the therapy for human cancers. Therefore, in order to develop a new model for such studies, we have exposed human myeloid leukemia cells HL60 to increasing concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃(1,25D₃) and characterized the emerging new phenotypes of these cells over a period of 4 years. During the stepwise development of resistance only cells which did not adhere to the flask walls were passaged. Beginning at 30 nM1,25D₃the sublines became resistant to the differentiation-inducing and growth-retarding properties of 1,25D₃even at 400 nM.Also, their growth rates in 1,25D₃-free media increased. In addition, beginning at 40 nM1,25D₃the sublines acquired resistance to 5-β- -arabinocytosine (araC) due to the lack of expression of the deoxycytidine kinase gene. The araC-resistant sublines were also near-tetraploid, as judged by their DNA content. When grown in 1,25D₃-free long-term culture the phenotype was essentially stable. The development of cross-resistance to araC during growth in the presence of an unrelated compound (i.e., 1,25D₃) shows that in some instances an apparently inherent drug resistance may in fact be due to a metabolic defect resulting from an exposure to another agent.     

Transforming growth factor-beta modulates eicosanoid metabolism in osteogenic osteosarcoma cells

The metabolites of cycloxyegenase and lipoxygenase pathways are known to play an important role in the bone metabolism involving osteoclast and osteoblast interaction, bone resorption and morphogenesis. The recently discovered growth factor TGF-beta is abundant in bone and some of its intracellular and extracellular effects depend on de novo synthesis of eicosanoids. However, the effect of TGF-beta on the synthesis and the release of eicosanoid by bone cells is essentially unknown. In the present study we have identified the main eicosanoid metabolites produced by osteogenic osteosarcoma cell-line SAOS1 and investigated how production and release of these is affected by TGF-beta. We found that the leukotriene C4 is the main metabolite produced by these cells and that TGF-beta induces concentration-dependent, quantitative and qualitative alterations in eicosanoid production and release by human osteogenic osteosarcoma cells SAOS1.     

SIDE effects associated with use of nevirapine in HIV treatment naïve patients with respect to baseline CD4 count

The rapid growth of bioscience in China is considered.     

Translation inhibition during cell cycle arrest and apoptosis: Mcl-1 is a novel target for RNA binding protein CUGBP2

CUGBP2, a translation inhibitor, induces colon cancer cells to undergo apoptosis. Mcl-1, an antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family protein, interferes with mitochondrial activation to inhibit apoptosis. Here, we have determined the effect of CUGBP2 on Mcl-1 expression. We developed a HCUG2 cell line by stably expressing CUGBP2 in the HCT-116 colon cancer cells. HCUG2 cells demonstrate decreased levels of proliferation and increased apoptosis, compared with HCT-116 cells. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated higher levels of cells in the G(2)-M phase. Western blot analyses demonstrated that there was decreased Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 protein but increased expression of Bax, cyclin B1, and Cdc2. Immunocytochemistry also demonstrated increased levels of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 in the nucleus of HCUG2 cells. However, there was colocalization of phosphorylated histone H3 with transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL). Furthermore, immunostaining for alpha-tubulin demonstrated that there was disorganization of microtubules. These data suggest that CUGBP2 expression in HCUG2 cells induces the cells to undergo apoptosis during the G(2)-M phase of the cell cycle. We next determined the mechanism of CUGBP2-mediated reduction in Mcl-1 expression. Mcl-1 protein, but not Mcl-1 mRNA, was lower in HCUG2 cells, suggesting translation inhibition. CUGBP2 binds to Mcl-1 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) both in vitro and in HCUG2 cells. Furthermore, CUGBP2 increased the stability of both endogenous Mcl-1 and luciferase mRNA containing the Mcl-1 3'-UTR. However, luciferase protein expression from the luciferase-Mcl-1 3'-UTR mRNA was suppressed. Taken together, these data demonstrate that CUGBP2 inhibits Mcl-1 expression by inhibiting Mcl-1 mRNA translation, resulting in driving the cells to apoptosis during the G(2) phase of the cell cycle.     

Analysis of flavin oxidation and electron-transfer inhibition in Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase

Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (pfDHODH) is a flavin-dependent mitochondrial enzyme that provides the only route to pyrimidine biosynthesis in the parasite. Clinically significant inhibitors of human DHODH (e.g., A77 1726) bind to a pocket on the opposite face of the flavin cofactor from dihydroorotate (DHO). This pocket demonstrates considerable sequence variability, which has allowed species-specific inhibitors of the malarial enzyme to be identified. Ubiquinone (CoQ), the physiological oxidant in the reaction, has been postulated to bind this site despite a lack of structural evidence. To more clearly define the residues involved in CoQ binding and catalysis, we undertook site-directed mutagenesis of seven residues in the structurally defined A77 1726 binding site, which we term the species-selective inhibitor site. Mutation of several of these residues (H185, F188, and F227) to Ala substantially decreased the affinity of pfDHODH-specific inhibitors (40-240-fold). In contrast, only a modest increase in the Kmapp for CoQ was observed, although mutation of Y528 in particular caused a substantial reduction in kcat (40-100-fold decrease). Pre-steady-state kinetic analysis by single wavelength stopped-flow spectroscopy showed that the mutations had no effect on the rate of the DHO-dependent reductive half-reaction, but most reduced the rate of the CoQ-dependent flavin oxidation step (3-20-fold decrease), while not significantly altering the Kdox for CoQ. As with the mutants, inhibitors that bind this site block the CoQ-dependent oxidative half-reaction without affecting the DHO-dependent step. These results identify residues involved in inhibitor binding and electron transfer to CoQ. Importantly, the data provide compelling evidence that the binding sites for CoQ and species-selective site inhibitors do not overlap, and they suggest instead that inhibitors act either by blocking the electron path between flavin and CoQ or by stabilizing a conformation that excludes CoQ binding.