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The cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties of polyphenolics have been demonstrated in numerous types of cancer and the objective of this research was to understand the post-transcriptional targets involved in anti-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic pathways in the breast cancer cell line BT474, treated with a polyphenolic extract (2.5-40µg/ml) rich in gallotannins and gallic acid from mango fruit in vitro and in athymic nude mice bearing BT474 cells as xenografts. Results show that cell proliferation as well as tumor size and weight in vivo was decreased by polyphenolics 60% and 70% in vitro and vivo, respectively. NF-kB protein and mRNA expression as well as activation were decreased in a dose-dependent manner (0.6 fold). The extract also inhibited PI3K-dependent phosphorylation of AKT and expression and this was accompanied by down-regulation of miRNA 126 of BT474 (2.25 fold) and in vivo. NFκ B-dependent genes involved in apoptosis-inhibition, metastasis and angiogenesis, such as survivin, VCAM-1, and VEGF were also decreased, in vitro and in vivo. A microRNA-array was also used to investigate whether microRNAs with target regions within affected genes were affected by the polyphenolic extract and results show that in addition to miR-126, miR-let-7a and miR-let-7b among others were significantly increased by the extract. In summary the anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory activity of mango polyphenolics in breast cancer cells were at least in part due to targeting miR-126 -Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt-NF-kB which plays an important role in the proliferative/ inflammatory phenotype exhibited in this breast cancer cell line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CMOS microelectrode arrays (MEAs) can record electrophysiological activities of a large number of neurons in parallel but only extracellularly with low signal-to-noise ratio. Patch clamp electrodes can perform intracellular recording with high signal-to-noise ratio but only from a few neurons in parallel. Recently we have developed and reported a neuroelectronic interface that combines the parallelism of the CMOS MEA and the intracellular sensitivity of the patch clamp. Here, we report the design and characterization of the CMOS integrated circuit (IC), a critical component of the neuroelectronic interface. Fabricated in 0.18- μ m technology, the IC features an array of 4,096 platinum black (PtB) nanoelectrodes spaced at a 20 μ m pitch on its surface and contains 4,096 active pixel circuits. Each active pixel circuit, consisting of a new switched-capacitor current injector--capable of injecting from ±15 pA to ±0.7 μ A with a 5 pA resolution--and an operational amplifier, is highly configurable. When configured into current-clamp mode, the pixel intracellularly records membrane potentials including subthreshold activities with ∼23 μ V rms input referred noise while injecting a current for simultaneous stimulation. When configured into voltage-clamp mode, the pixel becomes a switched-capacitor transimpedance amplifier with ∼1 pA rms input referred noise, and intracellularly records ion channel currents while applying a voltage for simultaneous stimulation. Such voltage/current-clamp intracellular recording/stimulation is a feat only previously possible with the patch clamp method. At the same time, as an array, the IC overcomes the lack of parallelism of the patch clamp method, measuring thousands of mammalian neurons in parallel, with full-frame intracellular recording/stimulation at 9.4 kHz.

The synaptic connections between neurons are traditionally determined by correlating the action potentials (APs) of a pre-synaptic neuron and small-amplitude subthreshold potentials of a post-synaptic neuron using invasive intracellular techniques, such as patch clamping. Extracellular recording by a microelectrode array can non-invasively monitor network activities of a large number of neurons, but its reduced sensitivity usually prevents direct measurements of synaptic signals. Here, we demonstrate that a newly developed complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) nanoelectrode array (CNEA) is capable of extracellularly determining direct synaptic connections in dense, multi-layer cultures of dissociated rat neurons. We spatiotemporally correlate action potential signals of hundreds of active neurons, detect small (∼1 pA after averaging) extracellular synaptic signals at the region where pre-synaptic axons and post-synaptic dendrites/somas overlap, and use those signals to map synaptic connections. We use controlled stimulation to assess stimulation-dependent synaptic strengths and to titrate a synaptic blocker (CNQX: IC50 ∼ 1 μM). The new capabilities demonstrated here significantly enhance the utilities of CNEAs in connectome mapping and drug screening applications.

Current electrophysiological or optical techniques cannot reliably perform simultaneous intracellular recordings from more than a few tens of neurons. Here we report a nanoelectrode array that can simultaneously obtain intracellular recordings from thousands of connected mammalian neurons in vitro. The array consists of 4,096 platinum-black electrodes with nanoscale roughness fabricated on top of a silicon chip that monolithically integrates 4,096 microscale amplifiers, configurable into pseudocurrent-clamp mode (for concurrent current injection and voltage recording) or into pseudovoltage-clamp mode (for concurrent voltage application and current recording). We used the array in pseudovoltage-clamp mode to measure the effects of drugs on ion-channel currents. In pseudocurrent-clamp mode, the array intracellularly recorded action potentials and postsynaptic potentials from thousands of neurons. In addition, we mapped over 300 excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections from more than 1,700 neurons that were intracellularly recorded for 19 min. This high-throughput intracellular-recording technology could benefit functional connectome mapping, electrophysiological screening and other functional interrogations of neuronal networks.

The cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties of mango polyphenolics including gallic acid and gallotannins have been demonstrated in numerous types of cancers. We hypothesized that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway and the expression of related miRNAs are involved in the chemotherapeutic activities of mango polyphenolics in a mouse xenograft model for breast cancer. The objectives of this research were to determine the tumor-cytotoxic activities of mango polyphenolics and the underlying molecular mechanisms involving posttranscriptional targets in BT474 breast cancer cells and xenografts in mice. In vitro findings showed cytotoxic effects of mango polyphenolics in BT474 breast cancer cells within a concentration range of 2.5 to 20 mg/L gallic acid equivalents. Mango polyphenolics suppressed the expression of PI3K, AKT, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA, and pAKT, AKT, pPI3K (p85), VEGF and nuclear factor-kappa B protein levels. The involvement of miR-126 was verified by using antagomiR for miR-126, where mango reversed the effect of the antagomiR of miR-126. In vivo, the intake of mango polyphenolics decreased the tumor volume by 73% in BT474 xenograft-bearing mice compared with the control group. In addition, mango reduced the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (p65), pAKT, pPI3K, mammalian target of rapamycin, hypoxia inducible factor-1α, and VEGF protein in athymic nude mice. A screening for miRNA expression changes confirmed that mango polyphenolics modulated the expression of cancer-associated miRNAs including miR-126 in the xenografted tumors. In summary, mango polyphenolics have a chemotherapeutic potential against breast cancer that at least in part is mediated through the PI3K/AKT pathway and miR-126., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Deoxynojirimycin (1) and two new related 4-O-hexosaminyl-containing disaccharide mimics, beta-d-TalNAc-(1-->4)-DNJ (4) and beta-d-ManNAc-(1-->4)-DNJ (5), have been studied as agonists of natural killer (NK) cell receptors. As a positive and unexpected result, DNJ (1) displayed a remarkable activation effect towards both NKR-P1A (rat) and CD69 (human) receptors, and a quite similar activity was found for 4 and 5. The synthesis of the two disaccharide mimics is based on an approach that avoids the glycosylation step using known intermediates arising from lactose. The key stage of the synthesis involves the construction of the DNJ unit through an initial C-5 oxidation of the reducing d-glucopyranosyl unit followed by a stereoselective double-reductive aminocyclization of the 1,5-dicarbonyl disaccharide intermediates., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Pentapeptide diacidic sequence LELTE, derived from the mycobacterial heat shock protein hsp65, has been recently identified as a "danger" signal of the immune system effective via specific binding to the universal leukocyte triggering receptor CD69. This sequence is not active per se, only after its presentation within the multivalent environment of its parent protein, or after artificial dimerization using a standard bifunctional reagents. Here we describe an entirely new way of presenting of this peptide based on its attachment to a cyclopeptide RAFT scaffold (K-K-K-P-G)(2) through the epsilon-amino group of lysine residues, alone or in combination with the carbohydrate epitope alphaGalNAc. The ability of such RAFT scaffolds to precipitate the target CD69 receptor or to activate CD69-positive cells is enhanced in compounds 2 and 4 possessing combined peptide/carbohydrate expression. Compounds 2 and 4 are highly efficient activators of natural killer lymphocytes, but they are completely inactive from the point of view of activation-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes by the target cells. These unique properties make the combined peptide/carbohydrate RAFTs highly suitable for future evaluation in animal tumor therapies in vivo and predict them to be readily available and efficient immunoactivators.

Many polyphenolics contained in mango have shown anticancer activity. The objective of this study was to compare the anticancer properties of polyphenolic extracts from several mango varieties (Francis, Kent, Ataulfo, Tommy Atkins, and Haden) in cancer cell lines, including Molt-4 leukemia, A-549 lung, MDA-MB-231 breast, LnCap prostate, and SW-480 colon cancer cells and the noncancer colon cell line CCD-18Co. Cell lines were incubated with Ataulfo and Haden extracts, selected on the basis of their superior antioxidant capacity compared to the other varieties, where SW-480 and MOLT-4 were statistically equally most sensitive to both cultivars followed by MDA-MB-231, A-549, and LnCap in order of decreasing efficacy as determined by cell counting. The efficacy of extracts from all mango varieties in the inhibition of cell growth was tested in SW-480 colon carcinoma cells, where Ataulfo and Haden demonstrated superior efficacy, followed by Kent, Francis, and Tommy Atkins. At 5 mg of GAE/L, Ataulfo inhibited the growth of colon SW-480 cancer cells by approximately 72% while the growth of noncancer colonic myofibroblast CCD-18Co cells was not inhibited. The growth inhibition exerted by Ataulfo and Haden polyphenolics in SW-480 was associated with an increased mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic biomarkers and cell cycle regulators, cell cycle arrest, and a decrease in the generation of reactive oxygen species. Overall, polyphenolics from several mango varieties exerted anticancer effects, where compounds from Haden and Ataulfo mango varieties possessed superior chemopreventive activity.

We have recently identified a new class of high affinity ligands for CD69 leukocyte membrane receptor, carboxylated calixarenes. Of the three compounds investigated here, thiacalix[4]arene had the highest affinity for CD69 in direct binding assays, and proved to be the most specific inhibitor of CD69 identified so far in receptor precipitation and cellular activation experiments. Carboxylated calixarenes also proved effective at protection of CD69(high) lymphocytes from apoptosis triggered by a multivalent ligand or antibody. Thus, carboxylated calixarenes set a new paradigm for noncarbohydrate ligands for CD69 making them attractive for protection of killer cells in combined animal tumor therapies., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Poly-N-acetyllactosamine (poly-LacNAc) structures have been identified as important ligands for galectin-mediated cell adhesion to extra-cellular matrix (ECM) proteins. We here present the biofunctionalization of surfaces with poly-LacNAc structures and subsequent binding of ECM glycoproteins. First, we synthesized beta-GlcNAc glycosides carrying a linker for controlled coupling onto chemically functionalized surfaces. Then we produced poly-LacNAc structures with defined lengths using human beta1,4-galactosyltransferase-1 and beta1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase from Helicobacter pylori. These compounds were also used for kinetic characterization of glycosyltransferases and lectin binding assays. A mixture of poly-LacNAc-structures covalently coupled to functionalized microtiter plates were identified for best binding to our model galectin His(6)CGL2. We further demonstrate for the first time that these poly-LacNAc surfaces are suitable for further galectin-mediated binding of the ECM glycoproteins laminin and fibronectin. This new technology should facilitate cell adhesion to biofunctionalized surfaces by imitating the natural ECM microenvironment.

A series of calixarenes substituted with 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose linked by a thiourea spacer was prepared and tested for binding activity to heterogeneously expressed activation receptors of the rat natural killer cells NKR-P1, and the receptor CD69 (human NK cells, macrophages). In the case of NKR-P1, the binding affinity of beta-D-GlcNAc-substituted calixarenes carrying two or four sugar units was in a good agreement with the inhibitory potencies of the linear chitooligomers (chitobiose to chitotetraose) reported previously. The influence of GlcNAc substitution of the calixarene skeleton on binding affinity for CD69 receptor was more profound and the 5,11,17,23-tetrakis[N-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-thioureido]-25,26,27,28-tetrapropoxycalix[4]arene (cone) (1) proved to be the best CD69 ligand identified to date. Lower GlcNAc substitution led to dramatic decrease of the binding activity (by about 1.5 order of magnitude per one GlcNAc unit). The immunostimulating activity results with the newly synthesized GlcNAc tetramers on calixarene scaffolds exhibited stimulation of natural cytotoxicity of human PBMC in concentrations 10(-4) and 10(-8)M. These calix-sugar compounds were superior to the previously tested PAMAM-GlcNAc(8)5.