Role of phospholipases in myocardial ischemia: effect of cardioprotective agents on the phospholipases A of heart cytosol and sarcoplasmic reticulum in vitro

Increased breakdown of myocardial phospholipids to fatty acids and lysophosphoglycerides is an early feature of myocardial ischemic injury and many investigators believe that enhanced phospholipase action is an important factor in the process. Several recent reports indicate that inhibitors of phospholipase A, such as mepacrine, chloroquine and chlorpromazine, can prevent heart phosphoglyceride breakdown in vivo. We isolated the phospholipases A from rat heart cytosol and sarcoplasmic reticulum and examined the effects of various cardioprotective substances on their activity. Most of the cardioprotective agents studied inhibited the heart phospholipases in vitro, providing further evidence that phospholipid degradation in ischemic myocardial injury may be modulated by pharmacologic agents.     

Metallothionein induction by nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs

In the present study we report on the effects of commonly used nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs on metallothionein (MT) and MT-I mRNA levels. A single dose of chloroquine (100 mg/kg), diclofenac (100 mg/kg), indomethacin (10 mg/kg), or piroxicam (100 mg/kg) was administered ip to C57B1 mice. After 18 h, MT levels were determined with a Cd-saturation radioassay. MT-I mRNA levels were measured by Northern Blot analyses using a probe containing the mouse MT-I gene. All drugs tested caused an increase in the MT content of the liver but not of the kidneys and lung. The lowest and highest effects were observed with chloroquine (8 times the control value) and diclofenac (18 times), respectively. In accordance with the stimulation of MT synthesis, increased accumulation of hepatic MT-I mRNA could be demonstrated. These results indicate that elevated MT levels may contribute to the effectiveness of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).     

氯喹导致大鼠肌组织载脂蛋白E大量表达

载脂蛋白E(ApoE)与迟发的家族性及孤发性阿尔茨海默(Alzheimer)病密切相关. 氯喹慢性中毒可诱发某些肌病理改变, 出现β淀粉样蛋白(βAP)与tau蛋白等的沉积, 与Alzheimer脑中见到的病理改变类似. 为分析这一改变的机制, 用逆转录结合多聚酶链反应技术(RT-PCR)对氯喹处理的大鼠肌肉中ApoE表达的改变进行了研究. 在PCR定量中采用了一种稳定表达的内源性甘油醛-3-磷酸脱氢酶mRNA作为内部参照. PCR扩增在很宽的循环数范围内成线性, 且靶mRNA与参照mRNA的扩增效率相当. 氯喹处理后大鼠肌肉中ApoE mRNA的表达从第6周开始增加, 第8周后超过对照组的20多倍. 结果提示, ApoE在氯喹慢性中毒所致的大鼠肌病理改变中发挥某些作用.     

Revisiting autophagy addiction of tumor cells

Inhibition of autophagy has been widely explored as a potential therapeutic intervention for cancer. Different factors such as tumor origin, tumor stage and genetic background can define a tumor's response to autophagy modulation. Notably, tumors with oncogenic mutations in KRAS were reported to depend on macroautophagy in order to cope with oncogene-induced metabolic stress. Our recent report details the unexpected finding that autophagy is dispensable for KRAS-driven tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, we clarify that the antitumorigenic effects of chloroquine, a frequently used nonspecific inhibitor of autophagy, are not connected to the inhibition of macroautophagy. Our data suggest that caution should be exercised when using chloroquine and its analogs to decipher the roles of autophagy in cancer.     

Icariin promotes osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells and prevents bone loss in OVX mice via activating autophagy

Osteoporosis (OP) results from the impaired function of endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Icariin (ICA) has shown potential osteoprotective effects. However, the molecular mechanism for the anabolic action of ICA remains largely unknown. The objective of the present study is to investigate whether ICA prevents bone loss by acting on BMSCs via affecting the level of autophagy after ovariectomy (OVX). The BMSCs were extracted from BALB/c mice treated with ICA, chloroquine (CQ, an autophagy inhibitor) or ICA + CQ. The OVX mice were injected with ICA, CQ, or ICA + CQ for 1 month. We performed Alizarin Red staining and alkaline phosphatase staining to detect osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Micro-CT, hematoxylin and eosin staining, Oil Red O staining, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining were used to assess the bone mass, lipid droplets and osteoclasts in femurs. Autophagy activity in BMSCs from different groups was evaluated by Western blot analysis. The osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs from OVX-induced OP mice was decreased. Treatment with ICA reduced bone loss and formation of osteoclasts and increased osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in vitro and vivo. In addition, autophagy was enhanced in BMSCs of OVX mice treated with ICA. Our results indicate that ICA prevents OVX-induced bone loss possibly by strengthening the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via increasing autophagic activity.     

Synthesis and antimalarial activity in vitro of potential metabolites of ferrochloroquine and related compounds

In man, the two major metabolites of the antimalarial drug chloroquine (CQ) are monodesethylchloroquine (DECQ) and didesethylchloroquine (di-DECQ). By analogy with CQ, the synthesis and the in vitro tests of some amino derivatives of ferrochloroquine (FQ), a ferrocenic analogue of CQ which are presumed to be the oxidative metabolites of FQ, are reported. Desmethylferrochloroquine 1a and didesmethylferrochloroquine 2 would be more potent against schizontocides than CQ in vitro against two strains (HB3 and Dd2) of Plasmodium falciparum. Other secondary amino derivatives have been prepared and proved to be active as antimalarial agents in vitro, too.     

The pH of the Plasmodium falciparum digestive vacuole: holy grail or dead-end trail?

The maintenance of acidic pH in the digestive vacuole of the malaria parasite is thought to be crucial to the digestion of host cell haemoglobin and the subsequent process of heme detoxification. It may also be important in the mode of action of chloroquine and in the mechanism of resistance to the drug. Obtaining a definitive measurement of digestive vacuole pH has been surprisingly difficult. Some of the techniques for the measurement of pH in acid vesicles are outlined here along with some key aspects that are specific to malaria parasites. The use of acridine orange and dextran-tagged dyes as probes for the measurement of digestive vacuole pH has proved problematic, yet some surprising findings have emerged from work with these compounds.     

Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG sensitizes Bcl-2 inhibitor (-)-gossypol by suppressing ERK-mediated protective autophagy and Mcl-1 accumulation in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Natural BH3-memitic (-)-gossypol shows promising antitumor efficacy in several kinds of cancer. However, our previous studies have demonstrated that protective autophagy decreases the drug sensitivities of Bcl-2 inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. In the present study, we are the first to report that Hsp90 inhibitor 17-AAG enhanced (-)-gossypol-induced apoptosis via suppressing (-)-gossypol-triggered protective autophagy and Mcl-1 accumulation. The suppression effect of 17-AAG on autophagy was mediated by inhibiting ERK-mediated Bcl-2 phosphorylation while was not related to Beclin1 or LC3 protein instability. Meanwhile, 17-AAG downregulated (-)-gossypol-triggered Mcl-1 accumulation by suppressing Mcl-1^Thr163 phosphorylation and promoting protein degradation. Collectively, our study indicates that Hsp90 plays an important role in tumor maintenance and inhibition of Hsp90 may become a new strategy for sensitizing Bcl-2-targeted chemotherapies in HCC cells.     

Plasmodium vivax Drug Resistance Genes; Pvmdr1 and Pvcrt-o Polymorphisms in Relation to Chloroquine Sensitivity from a Malaria Endemic Area of Thailand

The aim of the study was to explore the possible molecular markers of chloroquine resistance in Plasmodium vivax isolates in Thailand. A total of 30 P. vivax isolates were collected from a malaria endemic area along the Thai-Myanmar border in Mae Sot district of Thailand. Dried blood spot samples were collected for analysis of Pvmdr1 and Pvcrt-o polymorphisms. Blood samples (100 μl) were collected by finger-prick for in vitro chloroquine susceptibility testing by schizont maturation inhibition assay. Based on the cut-off IC₅₀ of 100 nM, 19 (63.3%) isolates were classified as chloroquine resistant P. vivax isolates. Seven non-synonymous mutations and 2 synonymous were identified in Pvmdr1 gene. Y976F and F1076L mutations were detected in 7 (23.3%) and 16 isolates (53.3%), respectively. Analysis of Pvcrt-o gene revealed that all isolates were wild-type. Our results suggest that chloroquine resistance gene is now spreading in this area. Monitoring of chloroquine resistant molecular markers provide a useful tool for future control of P. vivax malaria.