Search

Four lanthanide complexes with 8‐hydroxyquinoline‐2‐aldehyde‐2‐hydrazinopyridine (H‐L1), 8‐hydroxyquinoline‐2‐aldehyde‐2‐hydrazimidazole (H‐L2): [Sm(L1)2][Sm(L1)(NO3)3]·CHCl3·2CH3OH (1), [Gd(L1)2][Gd(L1)(NO3)3]·CHCl3·2CH3OH (2), [Sm(L2)(NO3)2]2·CH3OH (3), and [Eu(L2)(NO3)2]2·CH3OH (4) were synthesized and characterized. In vitro cytotoxicity evaluation showed that the ligands and four lanthanide complexes exhibited cytotoxicity to the five tested tumor cell lines. Among them, complex 1 showed the best antiproliferative activity against NCI‐H460 tumor cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that complex 1 arrested the cell cycle of NCI‐H460 cells in G1 phase and induced mitochondria‐mediated apoptosis, which resulted in the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, enhanced intracellular Ca2+ levels and reactive oxygen species generation. In addition, complex 1 affected the expression levels of intracellular apoptosis‐related proteins and activated the caspase‐3/9 in NCI‐H460 cells. Therefore, complex 1 is a potential anticancer agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient and operationally simple method for the synthesis of β-keto sulfones through the BF3·OEt2-promoted reaction of alkynes and sodium sulfinates is developed. With its facile and selective access to the targets, it features good functional group compatibility, mild conditions, easily available starting materials, and good yields. Notably, the reaction does not require metal catalysts or chemical reagents with pungent odors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydroiodic acid‐mediated vicinal iodosulfonylation reaction of alkynes with sodium sulfinates is proposed for the synthesis of (E)‐β‐iodovinyl sulfones. The method is easy to operate, environmentally friendly, using inexpensive and easily available raw materials, and giving the target products with good regio‐ and stereoselectivity in satisfactory yields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eco‐friendly and efficient synthesis of pyridazin‐3(2H)‐ones from aromatic sulfonyl hydrazides and mucohalic acids has been developed. This facile strategy is carried out smoothly via the promotion of simple organic acid p‐toluenesulfonic acid, and able to form two C−N bonds and a heterocycle linking a potentially bioactive sulfonyl group at one‐step. The protocol is tolerant to various readily available substrates in good yields, and pyridazin‐3(2H)‐ones as the desired products are key structural fragments of many bioactive compounds. More importantly, the gram‐scale cyclization reaction of aromatic sulfonyl hydrazides and mucohalic acids as a novel approach to pyridazin‐3(2H)‐ones derivatives successfully reveals its practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic thioethers play an important role in the discovery of drugs and natural products. However, the green synthesis of organic sulfide compounds remains a challenging task. The convenient and efficient synthesis of 5-alkoxy-3-halo-4-methylthio-2(5H)-furanones from DMSO is performed via the mediation of 1,3-dibromo-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DBDMH), affording a facile route for the sulfur-functionalization of 3,4-dihalo-2(5H)-furanones under transition metal-free conditions. This new approach has demonstrated the functionalization of non-aromatic Csp2-X-type halides with unique structures containing C-X, C-O, C=O and C=C bonds. Compared with traditional synthesis methods using transition metal catalysts with ligands, this reaction has many advantages, such as the lower temperature, the shorter reaction time, the wide substrate range and good functional group tolerance. Notably, DMSO plays multiple roles, and is simultaneously used as an odorless methylthiolating reagent and safe solvent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four mononuclear terpyridine complexes [Cu(H-La)Cl2]·CH3OH (1), [Cu(H-La)Cl]ClO4 (2), [Cu(H-Lb)Cl2]·CH3OH (3), and [Cu(H-Lb)(CH3OH)(DMSO)](ClO4)2 (4) were prepared and fully characterized. Complexes 1–4 exhibited higher cytotoxic activity against several tested cancer cell lines especially BEL-7402 cells compared to cisplatin, and they showed low toxicity towards normal human liver cells. ICP-MS detection indicated that the copper complexes were accumulated in mitochondria. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that the copper complexes induced G0/G1 arrest and altered the expression of the related proteins of the cell cycle. All copper complexes reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential while increasing the intracellular ROS levels and the release of Ca2+. They also up-regulated Bax and down-regulated Bcl-2 expression levels, caused cytochrome c release and the activation of the caspase cascade, and induced mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis. Animal studies demonstrated that complex 1 suppressed tumor growth in a mouse xenograft model bearing BEL-7402 tumor cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context:Sonchus oleraceusL. (Asteraceae) (SO) is a dietary and traditional medicinal plant in China. However, its underlying mechanism of action as an anti-inflammatory agent is not known. Objective:This study evaluates the anti-inflammatory activity of aqueous extract of SO. Materials and methods:The extract of SO was used to treat RAW 264.7 cells (in the working concentrations of 500, 250, 125, 62.5, 31.3 and 15.6 μg/mL) for 24 h. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators produced in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells were assessed. Meanwhile, the expression level of TLR-4, COX-2, pSTATs and NF-κB was tested. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory activity of the extractin vivowas assessed using xylene-induced mouse ear oedema model and the anti-inflammatory compounds in the extracts were analyzed by HPLC-MS. Results:SO extract significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and mediators at gene and protein levels with the concentration of 31.3 μg/mL, and suppressed the expression of TLR-4, COX-2, NF-κB and pSTAT in RAW 264.7 cells. The anti-inflammatory activity of SOin vivohas significant anti-inflammatory effects with the concentration of 250 and 125 mg/kg, and less side effect on the weights of the mice at the concentration of 250 mg/kg. Moreover, HPLC-MS analysis revealed that the anti-inflammatory compounds in the extract were identified as villosol, ferulaic acid, β-sitosterol, ursolic acid and rutin. Discussion and conclusion:This study indicated that SO extract has anti-inflammatory effectsin vitroandin vivo, which will be further developed as novel pharmacological strategies in order to defeat inflammatory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ethnopharmacological relevance Sonchus oleraceus (L.) L (SO) and Juniperus sabina L (JS) are traditional medicinal plants in China. And the aqueous extracts of them have been used to treat tumor, inflammatory diseases, infection and so on in Chinese folk culture. However, the underlying mechanisms of their anti-tumor activities have not been illustrated yet. Objective This study aims to evaluate the inhibitory effects of aqueous extracts from SO and JS on tumor cells. Materials and methods The prepared aqueous extracts of SO and JS were used to treat HepG-2 and K562 tumor cells, while the human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were set as normal control. The viabilities, cell cycle and apoptosis of tumor cells after extracts treatment were assessed, in addition the expression of apoptosis-related genes (FasL, caspase 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10) were analyzed. Meanwhile, the adherence and migration of HepG-2 were tested, and the expression levels of MMPs and ICAM-1 were analyzed. On top of that, the pSTAT in the two cells were also analyzed and suggested the related signaling pathway that the extracts acted on with in these tumor cells. Results Results showed that aqueous extracts of SO and JS have inhibitory effects on HepG-2 and K562 cells by decreasing cell viability and inducing apoptosis via up-regulation of the expression of the apoptosis-related genes FasL, caspase 3 and caspase 9. The extracts had different IC 50 on tumor cells and PBMCs, which could block the tumor cell cycle at the G 0 /G 1 stage and significantly inhibit the adherence of HepG-2 cells. The extracts inhibited migration of these cells by inhibiting the expression of ICAM-1, MMP-2 and MMP-9. Further study indicated that the inhibition of pSTAT1 and 3 might be responsible for the inhibitory effects of the extracts on tumor cells. Discussion and conclusion The results of this study indicated that SO and JS extracts had the anti-tumor effects, which may be developed as novel anti-tumor drugs and used in cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the underlying mechanism of ghrelin-induced gastro-protection in a cell culture model of ethanol-induced gastric epithelial cell injury., Methods: The human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1 was incubated with ghrelin (0.01-1 µM), 1 µM ghrelin and 1 µM D-Lys3-growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6), or 1 µM ghrelin and 400 nM antagomiR-21 for 24 h, followed by treatment with 8% ethanol for 3 h to induce apoptosis. Cell viability was determined by MTT assays and flow cytometry was used for detection of apoptosis rates. miR-21 transcription was analyzed by qRT-PCR and Akt, Bcl-2, Bax and caspase 3 expressions were measured by Western blot., Results: Flow cytometry and a quantitative RT-PCR analysis of the expression of miR-21 showed that ghrelin inhibited apoptosis in a dose dependent manner through a signaling pathway that was both growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) and miR-21 dependent, as the antiapoptotic effect of ghrelin was blocked by both D-Lys3-GHRP-6 and antagomiR-21, respectively. Western blotting of Akt, Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase 3 showed that the levels of the antiapoptotic proteins, Akt and Bcl-2, in the cells pretreated with ghrelin alone were higher than those in the cells pretreated with D-Lys3-GHRP-6 or antagomiR-21. By contrast, the levels of the proapoptotic proteins, Bax and caspase 3, in the cells pretreated with ghrelin alone were lower than those in the cells pretreated with D-Lys3-GHRP-6 or antagomiR-21., Conclusion: Ghrelin inhibits GES-1 cell apoptosis through GHS-R-dependent signaling in which miR-21 activates the PI3K/Akt pathway, which upregulates Bcl-2 and downregulates Bax and caspase 3 expression.