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Katarzyna Niemirowicz-Laskowska,1 Katarzyna Głuszek,1 Ewelina Piktel,1 Karlis Pajuste,2 Bonita Durnaś,3 Grzegorz Król,3 Agnieszka Z Wilczewska,4 Paul A Janmey,5 Aiva Plotniece,2 Robert Bucki1 1Department of Microbiological and Nanobiomedical Engineering, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland; 2Laboratory of Membrane Active Compounds and β-Diketones, Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Riga, Latvia; 3Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Faculty of Health Sciences of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Kielce, 4Institute of Chemistry, University of Bialystok, Białystok, Poland; 5Department of Physiology, Institute for Medicine and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Background: 1,4-Dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) and its derivatives are well-known calcium channel blockers with antiarrhythmic and antihypertensive activities. These compounds exhibit pleiotropic effects including antimicrobial activities that rely on their positive charge and amphipathic nature. Use of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as carriers of 1,4-DHP modulates their properties and enables improved formulations with higher efficacy and less toxicity. Methods: In this study, the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities of novel 1,4-DHP derivatives in free form and immobilized on MNPs were determined by evaluating pathogen outgrowth and proinflammatory cytokine release in experimental settings that involve incubation of various 1,4-DHPs with clinical isolates of bacteria or fungi as well as mammalian cell culture models. Results: Conventional immobilization of 1,4-DHP on aminosilane-coated MNPs markedly enhances their antimicrobial activity compared to nonimmobilized molecules, in part because of the higher affinity of these nanosystems for bacterial cell wall components in the presence of human body fluids. Conclusion: Optimized nanosystems are characterized by improved biocompatibility and higher anti-inflammatory properties that provide new opportunities for the therapy of infectious diseases. Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles, 1,4-dihydropyridine, antibacterial, antifungal, immunomodulatory properties

Gentamicin is an essential broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic that is used in over 40 clinical conditions and has shown activity against a wide range of nosocomial, biofilm-forming, multi-drug resistant bacteria. Nevertheless, the low cellular penetration and serious side effects of gentamicin, as well as the fear of the development of antibacterial resistance, has led to a search for ways to circumvent these obstacles. This review provides an overview of the chemical and pharmacological properties of gentamicin and offers six different strategies (the isolation of specific types of gentamicin, encapsulation in polymeric nanoparticles, hydrophobization of the gentamicin molecule, and combinations of gentamicin with other antibiotics, polyphenols, and natural products) that aim to enhance the drug delivery and antibacterial activity of gentamicin. In addition, factors influencing the synthesis of gentamicin-loaded polymeric (poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chitosan) nanoparticles and the methods used in drug release studies are discussed. Potential research directions and future perspectives for gentamicin-loaded drug delivery systems are given.

A set of styrylpyridinium (SP) compounds was synthesised in order to study their spectroscopic and cell labelling properties. The compounds comprised different electron donating parts (julolidine, p -dimethylaminophenyl, p -methoxyphenyl, 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl), conjugated linkers (vinyl, divinyl), and an electron-withdrawing N -alkylpyridinium part. Geminal or bis -compounds incorporating two styrylpyridinium ( bis -SP) moieties at the 1,3-trimethylene unit were synthesised. Compounds comprising a divinyl linker and powerful electron-donating julolidine donor parts possessed intensive fluorescence in the near-infrared region (maximum at ~760 nm). The compounds had rather high cytotoxicity towards the cancerous cell lines HT-1080 and MH-22A; at the same time, basal cytotoxicity towards the NIH3T3 fibroblast cell line ranged from toxic to harmful. SP compound 6e had IC 50 values of 1.0 ± 0.03 µg/mL to the cell line HT-1080 and 0.4 µg/mL to MH-22A; however, the basal toxicity LD 50 was 477 mg/kg (harmful). The compounds showed large Stokes' shifts, including 195 nm for 6a , b , 240 nm for 6e , and 325 and 352 nm for 6d and 6c , respectively. The highest photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) values were observed for 6a , b , which were 15.1 and 12.2%, respectively. The PLQY values for the SP derivatives 6d , e (those with a julolidinyl moiety) were 0.5 and 0.7%, respectively. Cell staining with compound 6e revealed a strong fluorescent signal localised in the cell cytoplasm, whereas the cell nuclei were not stained. SP compound 6e possessed self-assembling properties and formed liposomes with an average diameter of 118 nm. The obtained novel data on near-infrared fluorescent probes could be useful for the development of biocompatible dyes for biomedical applications.

Liposomes and other nanoparticles have been widely studied as innovative nanomaterials because of their unique properties. Pyridinium salts, on the basis of 1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) core, have gained significant attention due to their self-assembling properties and DNA delivery activity. This study aimed to synthesize and characterize original N -benzyl substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines and evaluate the influence on structure modifications on compound physicochemical and self-assembling properties. Studies of monolayers composed of 1,4-DHP amphiphiles revealed that the mean molecular areas values were dependent on the compound structure. Therefore, the introduction of N -benzyl substituent to the 1,4-DHP ring enlarged the mean molecular area by almost half. All nanoparticle samples obtained by ethanol injection method possessed positive surface charge and average diameter of 395-2570 nm. The structure of the cationic head-group affects the size of the formed nanoparticles. The diameter of lipoplexes formed by 1,4-DHP amphiphiles and mRNA at nitrogen/phosphate (N/P) charge ratios of 1, 2, and 5 were in the range of 139-2959 nm and were related to the structure of compound and N/P charge ratio. The preliminary results indicated that more prospective combination are the lipoplexes formed by pyridinium moieties containing N -unsubstituted 1,4-DHP amphiphile 1 and pyridinium or substituted pyridinium moieties containing N -benzyl 1,4-DHP amphiphiles 5a - c at N/P charge ratio of 5, which would be good candidates for potential application in gene therapy.

Enzymatic, de novo XNA synthesis represents an alternative method for the production of long oligonucleotides containing chemical modifications at distinct locations. While such an approach is currently developed for DNA, controlled enzymatic synthesis of XNA remains at a relative state of infancy. In order to protect the masking groups of 3'- O -modified LNA and DNA nucleotides against removal caused by phosphatase and esterase activities of polymerases, we report the synthesis and biochemical characterization of nucleotides equipped with ether and robust ester moieties. While the resulting ester-modified nucleotides appear to be poor substrates for polymerases, ether-blocked LNA and DNA nucleotides are readily incorporated into DNA. However, removal of the protecting groups and modest incorporation yields represent obstacles for LNA synthesis via this route. On the other hand, we have also shown that the template-independent RNA polymerase PUP represents a valid alternative to the TdT and we have also explored the possibility of using engineered DNA polymerases to increase substrate tolerance for such heavily modified nucleotide analogs., Competing Interests: Authors AS, SH, SB, KP, and FS were employed by F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The handling editor NLG declared a past co-authorship with the author NS., (Copyright © 2023 Sabat, Katkevica, Pajuste, Flamme, Stämpfli, Katkevics, Hanlon, Bisagni, Püntener, Sladojevich and Hollenstein.)

Capsid assembly modulators (CAMs) have emerged as a promising class of antiviral agents. We studied the effects of twenty-one newly designed and synthesized CAMs including heteroaryldihydropyrimidine compounds (HAPs), their analogs and standard compounds on hepatitis B virus (HBV) capsid assembly. Cytoplasmic expression of the HBV core (HBc) gene driven by the exogenously delivered recombinant alphavirus RNA replicon was used for high level production of the full-length HBc protein in mammalian cells. HBV capsid assembly was assessed by native agarose gel immunoblot analysis, electron microscopy and inhibition of virion secretion in HepG2.2.15 HBV producing cell line. Induced fit docking simulation was applied for modelling the structural relationships of the synthesized compounds and HBc. The most efficient were the HAP class compounds-dihydropyrimidine 5-carboxylic acid n -alkoxyalkyl esters, which induced the formation of incorrectly assembled capsid products and their accumulation within the cells. HBc product accumulation in the cells was not detected with the reference HAP compound Bay 41-4109, suggesting different modes of action. A significant antiviral effect and substantially reduced toxicity were revealed for two of the synthesized compounds. Two new HAP compounds revealed a significant antiviral effect and a favorable toxicity profile that allows these compounds to be considered promising leads and drug candidates for the treatment of HBV infection. The established alphavirus based HBc expression approach allows for the specific selection of capsid assembly modulators directly in the natural cell environment.

In this data file the characterisation of nanoformulations obtained from calix[4]arene/1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) compositions in the various component ratio in an aqueous medium was performed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. The hydrodynamic diameters of nanoparticle main population, polydispersity index and stability of nanoformulation were determined. In this article provided data are directly related to the previously published research articles - "Gene delivery agents possessing antiradical activity: Self-assembling cationic amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives" [1], and "Studies of the physicochemical and structural properties of self-assembling cationic pyridine derivatives as gene delivery agents" [2] where was described synthesis, transfection activity of 1,1'-((3,5-bis((dodecyloxy)carbonyl)-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridine-2,6-diyl)bis(methylene))bis(pyridin-1-ium) dibromide presented in this data file; and with articles "Cationic amphiphilic calixarenes to compact DNA into small nanoparticles for gene delivery" [3] and "Self-aggregation in aqueous solution of amphiphilic cationic calix[4]arenes. Potential use as vectors and nanocarriers" [4] where was described synthesis and ability to condense DNA for also mentioned calix[4]arenes - 5,11,17,23-tetra-(3-methylimidazolium)-methylene-25,26,27,28-etradodecyloxycalix[4]arene tetrachloride, 5,11,17,23-tetra(N,N-dimethyl-N-hydroxyethylammonium)-methylene-25,26,27,28-tetradodecyloxycalix[4]arene tetrachloride and 5,11,17,23-tetra(N,N-dimethyl-N-hydroxyethylammonium)-methylene-25,26,27,28-tetrahexadecyloxycalix[4]arene tetrachloride. Information provided in this data file can be used in medicinal chemistry for development of novel synthetic lipid nanoformulations., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The paradigm of ligand-receptor interactions postulated as "one compound-one target" has been evolving; a multi-target, pleiotropic approach is now considered to be realistic. Novel series of 1,4,5,6,7,8-hexahydro-5-oxoquinolines, pyranopyrimidines and S-alkyl derivatives of pyranopyrimidines have been synthesized in order to characterise their pleiotropic, multitarget activity on the FFA3/GPR41, FFA2/GPR43, and HCA2/GPR109A receptors. Hexahydroquinoline derivatives have been known to exhibit characteristic activity as FFA3/GPR41 ligands, but during this study we observed their impact on FFA2/GPR43 and HCA2/GPR109A receptors as well as their electron-donating activity. Oxopyranopyrimidine and thioxopyranopyrimidine type compounds have been studied as ligands of the HCA2/GPR109A receptor; nevertheless, they exhibited equal or higher activity towards FFA3/GPR41 and FFA2/GPR43 receptors. S-Alkyl derivatives of pyranopyrimidines that have not yet been studied as ligands of GPCRs were more active towards HCA2/GPR109A and FFA3/GPR41 receptors than towards FFA2/GPR43. Representative compounds from each synthesized series were able to decrease the lipopolysaccharide-induced gene expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α) and of a chemokine (MCP-1) in THP-1 macrophages, resembling the effect of HCA2/GPR109A ligand niacin and the endogenous ligand propionate. This study revealed groups of compounds possessing multitarget activity towards several receptors. The obtained data could be useful for further development of multitarget ligands.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Prunus padus L. has been traditionally used in European ethnomedicine as a treatment for internal and external purposes and is mainly used to reduce inflammation, pain and fever. The activities of P. padus flower extracts are not well characterized, and additional experimental studies at the molecular level are needed to confirm the ethnobotanical findings., Aim of the Study: To assess the potential of P. padus flower extract (PPFE) as a source of bioactive compounds through the characterization of its chemical composition and antioxidant, anti-collagenase, and anti-inflammatory activities., Materials and Methods: The ethanolic extract (1:10 w/v in ethanol solution) from P. padus flowers was subjected to phytochemical analysis and evaluation of the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Anti-collagenase activity was determined using a spectrophotometric method in vitro. The effect of PPFE on inflammation was evaluated by measuring specific markers using flow cytometry and assessing pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6) release by bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) ex vivo., Results: The major components of the ethanolic extract of P. padus flowers were quercetin diglycosides, chlorogenic acid and N',N″-dicaffeoyl,N‴-coumaroyl spermidine. The total phenolic content of PPFE was 85.19 mg GAE/g extract, and the EC 50 value in the DPPH assay was 0.55 mg/ml. PPFE exhibited the ability to inhibit collagenase activity in a dose-dependent manner. Preincubation of BMDMs with PPFE reduced the population of M1 (pro-inflammatory) and increased the population of M2 (anti-inflammatory) macrophages. Furthermore, PPFE decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 release from BMDMs., Conclusions: PPFE is a rich source of bioactive compounds and possesses considerable anti-inflammatory properties, supporting its use in ethnomedicine for the reduction of inflammatory processes., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study was focused on the estimation of the targeted modification of 1,4-DHP core with (1) different alkyl chain lengths at 3,5-ester moieties of 1,4-DHP (C 12 , C 14 and C 16 ); (2) N-substituent at position 1 of 1,4-DHP (N-H or N-CH 3 ); (3) substituents of pyridinium moieties at positions 2 and 6 of 1,4-DHP (H, 4-CN and 3-Ph); (4) substituent at position 4 of 1,4-DHP (phenyl and napthyl) on physicochemical properties of the entire molecules and on the characteristics of the obtained magnetoliposomes formed by them. It was shown that thermal behavior of the tested 1,4-DHP amphiphiles was related to the alkyl chains length, the elongation of which decreased their transition temperatures. The properties of 1,4-DHP amphiphile monolayers and their polar head areas were determined. The packing parameters of amphiphiles were in the 0.43-0.55 range. It was demonstrated that the structure of 1,4-DHPs affected the physicochemical properties of compounds. "Empty" liposomes and magnetoliposomes were prepared from selected 1,4-DHP amphiphiles. It was shown that the variation of alkyl chains length or the change of substituents at positions 4 of 1,4-DHP did not show a significant influence on properties of liposomes.

Three groups of synthetic lipids are chosen for studies: (1) 1,4-dihydropyridines (1,4-DHPs) containing two cationic moieties and their analogues; (2) 3,4-dihydro-2(1 H )-pyridones containing a cationic moiety; and (3) acyclic, open-chain analogues, i.e., 2-amino-3-alkoxycarbonylalkylammonium derivatives. 1,4-DHPs possessing dodecyl alkyl chains in the ester groups in positions 3 and 5 and cationic nitrogen-containing groups in positions 2 and 6 have high cytotoxicity in cancer cells HT-1080 (human lung fibrosarcoma) and MH-22A (mouse hepatoma), but low cytotoxicity in the noncancerous NIH3T3 cells (mouse embryonic fibroblast). On the contrary, similar compounds having short (methyl, ethyl, or propoxyethyl) chains in the ester groups in positions 3 and 5 lack cytotoxicity in the cancer cells HT-1080 and MH-22A even at high doses. Inclusion of fluorine atoms in the alkyl chains in positions 3 and 5 of the DHP cycle decreases the cytotoxicity of the mentioned compounds. Structurally related dihydropyridones with a polar head group are substantially more toxic to normal and cancerous cells than the DHP analogues. Open-chain analogues of DHP lipids comprise the same conjugated aminovinylcarbonyl moiety and possess anticancer activity, but they also have high basal cytotoxicity. Electrochemical oxidation data demonstrate that oxidation potentials of selected compounds are in the range of 1.6-1.7 V for cationic 1,4-DHP, 2.0-2.4 V for cationic 3,4-dihydropyridones, and 1.2-1.5 V for 2-amino-3-alkoxycarbonylalkylammonium derivatives. Furthermore, the tested cationic 1,4-DHP amphiphiles possess antiradical activity. Molecular topological polar surface area values for the tested compounds were defined in accordance with the main fragments of compound structures. The determined log P values were highest for dodecyl ester groups in positions 3 and 5 of the 1,4-DHP and lowest for short alkyl chain-containing amphiphiles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Martins Rucins et al.)

Epigenetic dysregulation has been recognized as a critical factor contributing to the development of resistance against standard chemotherapy and to breast cancer progression via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Although the efficacy of the first-generation epigenetic drugs (epi-drugs) in solid tumor management has been disappointing, there is an increasing body of evidence showing that epigenome modulation, in synergy with other therapeutic approaches, could play an important role in cancer treatment, reversing acquired therapy resistance. However, the epigenetic therapy of solid malignancies is not straightforward. The emergence of nanotechnologies applied to medicine has brought new opportunities to advance the targeted delivery of epi-drugs while improving their stability and solubility, and minimizing off-target effects. Furthermore, the omics technologies, as powerful molecular epidemiology screening tools, enable new diagnostic and prognostic epigenetic biomarker identification, allowing for patient stratification and tailored management. In combination with new-generation epi-drugs, nanomedicine can help to overcome low therapeutic efficacy in treatment-resistant tumors. This review provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials focusing on combination therapies employing epi-drugs for breast cancer treatment and summarizes the latest nano-based targeted delivery approaches for epi-drugs. Moreover, it highlights the current limitations and obstacles associated with applying these experimental strategies in the clinics.

In this data file the synthetic procedures for preparation of the original 4-pyridinium-1,4-dihydropyridines (4-Py-1,4-DHP) and their parent compounds - dialkyl 2,6-dimethyl-4-(3-pyridyl)-1,4-dihydropyridine-3,5-dicarboxylates were described. In total, 5 unpublished compounds were obtained and characterised. All the structures of original compounds were confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR, including 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR) and low resolution mass spectra (MS) data. Additionally, the cytotoxic properties of four 4-Py-1,4-DHPs were evaluated on 3 cell lines - normal NIH3T3 (mouse embryonic fibroblast), cancerous HT-1080 (human lung fibrosarcoma) and MH-22A (mouse hepatoma) and self-assembling properties were studied and characterisation of formed nanoparticles were performed using dynamic light scattering technique. In this article provided data are directly related to the previously published research articles - "Novel cationic amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives for DNA delivery" [1] where compound 5 was tested as gene delivery agent without full physico-chemical characterisation and "Synthesis and studies of calcium channel blocking and antioxidant activities of novel 4-pyridinium and/or N-propargyl substituted 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives" [2] where synthesis and physico-chemical characterisation as well as calcium channel blocking and antioxidant activities were described for compound 6. Synthesis of other compounds - parent 1,4-DHPs 1 and 2, and 4-Py-1,4-DHPs 3-5, their characterisation, estimation of cytotoxicity and self-assembling properties for all 4-Py-1,4-DHPs 3-6 are reported herein for the first time. Information provided in this data file can be used in medicinal chemistry by other scientists to estimate structure-activity relationships for the analysis and construction of various cationic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives and related heterocycles., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships which have, or could be perceived to have, influenced the work reported in this article., (© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.)

New fluorinated 3,6-dihydropyridines were obtained by the electrophilic fluorination of 1,2-dihydropyridines with Selectfluor ® . These 3-fluoro-3,6-dihydropyridines were easily converted to corresponding pyridines by the elimination of hydrogen fluoride under mild conditions. A new approach to the synthesis of methyl 2-(fluoromethyl)-5-nitro-6-arylnicotinates by the fluorination of 3-fluoro-2-methyl-5-nitro-3,6-dihydropyridines or 1,2-dihydropyridines with Selectfluor ® has been developed.

This data file describes the synthetic protocol for preparation of the original 2,6-di(bromomethyl)-3,5-bis(alkoxycarbonyl)-4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridines. In total, 6 unpublished compounds were obtained and characterised. The 2,6-di(bromomethyl)-1,4-dihydropyridines are mainly used as intermediates for synthesis of various lipid-like compounds based on 1,4-dihydropyridine cycle. All the structures of 2,6-di(bromomethyl)-1,4-dihydropyridines were confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR, including 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR) data. The data provided herein are directly related to the previously published research article - "Novel cationic amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives for DNA delivery" [1] where three derivatives (2,6-di(bromomethyl)-4-phenyl-1,4-dihydropyridines 2a-c ) from six presented in this data file were used as starting materials in synthesis of amphiphilic 1,4-dihydropyridines without any purification and characterisation. Synthesis of other three 2,6-di(bromomethyl)-3,5-bis(alkoxycarbonyl)-4-aryl-1,4-dihydropyridines 2d-f and their characterisation are reported herein at the first time. Information provided in this data file can be used in organic synthesis by other chemists to develop synthetic strategies for the construction of various cationic 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives and related heterocycles., Competing Interests: The author declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Author(s).)

The design of nanoparticle delivery materials possessing biological activities is an attractive strategy for the development of various therapies. In this study, 11 cationic amphiphilic 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) derivatives differing in alkyl chain length and propargyl moiety/ties number and position were selected for the study of their self-assembling properties, evaluation of their cytotoxicity in vitro and toxicity on microorganisms, and the characterisation of their interaction with phospholipids. These lipid-like 1,4-DHPs have been earlier proposed as promising nanocarriers for DNA delivery. We have revealed that the mean diameter of freshly prepared nanoparticles varied from 58 to 513 nm, depending upon the 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP structure. Additionally, we have confirmed that only nanoparticles formed by 4-( N -dodecylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives 3 and 6, and by 4-( N -hexadecylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives 10 and 11 were stable after two weeks of storage. The nanoparticles of these compounds were found to be homogenous in size distribution, ranging from 124 to 221 nm. The polydispersity index (PDI) values of 1,4-DHPs samples 3 , 6 , 10 , and 11 were in the range of 0.10 to 0.37. We also demonstrated that the nanoparticles formed by 4-( N -dodecylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives 3 , 6 , and 9, and 4-( N -hexadecylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives 10 and 11 had zeta-potentials from +26.07 mV (compound 6 ) to +62.80 mV (compound 11 ), indicating a strongly positive surface charge and confirming the relative electrostatic stability of these nanoparticle solutions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of nanoaggregates formed by 1,4-DHPs 3 and 11 confirmed liposome-like structures with diameters around 70 to 170 nm. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) value interval for 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP was from 7.6 µM (compound 11 ) to 43.3 µM (compound 6 ). The tested 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives were able to quench the fluorescence of the binary 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH)-1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) system, demonstrating hydrophobic interactions of 1,4-DHPs with phospholipids. Thus, 4-( N -dodecylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivative 3 quenched the fluorescence of the DPH⁻DPPC system more efficiently than the other 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives. Likewise the compound 3 , also 4-(N-dodecylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivative 9 interacted with the phospholipids. Moreover, we have established that increasing the length of the alkyl chain at the quaternised nitrogen of the 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP molecule or the introduction of propargyl moieties in the 1,4-DHP molecule significantly influences the cytotoxicity on HT-1080 (human fibrosarcoma) and MH-22A (mouse hepatocarcinoma) cell lines, as well as the estimated basal cytotoxicity. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the toxicity of the 4-( N -alkylpyridinium)-1,4-DHP derivatives on the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria species and eukaryotic microorganism depended on the presence of the alkyl chain length at the N -alkyl pyridinium moiety, as well as the number of propargyl groups. These lipid-like compounds may be proposed for the further development of drug formulations to be used in cancer treatment.

New amphiphilic 1,4-DHP derivative C12-Man-Q with remoted cationic moieties at positions 2 and 6 was synthesised to study DNA delivery activity. The results were compared with data obtained for cationic 1,4-DHP derivative D19 , which is known to be the most efficient one among the previously tested 1,4-DHP amphiphiles. We analysed the effects of C12-Man-Q concentration, complexation media, and complex/cell contact time on the gene delivery effectiveness and cell viability. Transmission electron microscopy data confirms that lipoplexes formed by the compound C12-Man-Q were quite uniform, vesicular-like structures with sizes of about 50 nm, and lipoplexes produced by compound D19 were of irregular shapes, varied in size in the range of 25⁻80 nm. Additionally, confocal microscopy results revealed that both amphiphiles effectively delivered green fluorescent protein expression plasmid into BHK-21 cells and produced a fluorescent signal with satisfactory efficiency, although compound C12-Man-Q was more cytotoxic to the BHK-21 cells with an increase of concentration. It can be concluded that optimal conditions for C12-Man-Q lipoplexes delivery in BHK-21 cells were the serum free media without 0.15 M NaCl, at an N/P ratio of 0.9. Compound D19 showed higher transfection efficiency to transfect BHK-21 and Cos-7 cell lines, when transfecting active proliferating cells. Although D19 was not able to transfect all studied cell lines we propose that it could be cell type specific. The compound C12-Man-Q showed modest delivery activity in all used cell lines, and higher activity was obtained in the case of H2-35 and B16 cells. The transfection efficiency in cell lines MCF-7, HeLa, and Huh-7 appears to be comparable to the reference compound D19 and minimal in the HepG2 cell line.

The effects of eleven 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives (DHPs) used alone or together with prooxidant anticancer drug doxorubicin were examined on two cancer (HOS, HeLa) and two nonmalignant cell lines (HMEC, L929). Their effects on the cell growth ( 3 H-thymidine incorporation) were compared with their antiradical activities (DPPH assay), using well-known DHP antioxidant diludine as a reference. Thus, tested DHPs belong to three groups: (1) antioxidant diludine; (2) derivatives with pyridinium moieties at position 4 of the 1,4-DHP ring; (3) DHPs containing cationic methylene onium (pyridinium, trialkylammonium) moieties at positions 2 and 6 of the 1,4-DHP ring. Diludine and DHPs of group 3 exerted antiradical activities, unlike compounds of group 2. However, novel DHPs had cell type and concentration dependent effects on 3 H-thymidine incorporation, while diludine did not. Hence, IB-32 (group 2) suppressed the growth of HOS and HeLa, enhancing growth of L929 cells, while K-2-11 (group 3) enhanced growth of every cell line tested, even in the presence of doxorubicin. Therefore, growth regulating and antiradical activity principles of novel DHPs should be further studied to find if DHPs of group 2 could selectively suppress cancer growth and if those of group 3 promote wound healing.

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is higher in females than in males, and causes more severe cognitive, memory and behavioral impairments. Previously, in male transgenic (Tg) APPSweDI mice, we reported that the novel lipophilic 1,4-dihydropyridine (DHP) derivative AP-12 crossed the blood-brain barrier, blocked neuronal and vascular calcium channels, changed brain protein expression and improved behavior. In this study, we used female Tg APPSweDI mice to assess the effects of AP-12 on behavior, and brain protein expression, with a particular focus on those of the GABAergic system. The results showed that in female Tg mice, similar to male Tg mice, AP-12 improved spatial learning/memory performance in the water maze test and demonstrated anxiolytic effect in the elevated zero maze (after single administration of AP-12) and elevated plus maze (after chronic injections of AP-12). In addition, we demonstrated upregulated expression of glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) and vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT) in the cingulate cortex and hippocampus, pointing to the role of the GABAergic system as one of the neural networks dysregulated in AD. In both female and male mice, AP-12 did not change the expression of hippocampal Homer-1, a protein which is involved in synaptic plasticity. However, in cingulate cortex, the staining density of Homer-1 was significantly increased in female mice. Further, female mice (similar to male mice) did not show changes in brain AChE expression and in the amyloid beta load in the hippocampus and cingulate cortex. In conclusion, the memory enhancing, anxiolytic and protein expression effects of AP-12 did not show sex specificity in APPSweDI mice. Considering the ability of AP-12 to block brain calcium channels and improve memory by enhancing the GABAergic and synaptic plasticity processes, AP-12 is a promising compound which merits further pre-clinical studies to investigate its usefulness in the treatment of AD., Competing Interests: statement None declared., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The ethoxycarbonylmethyl esters of 1,4-dihydropyridines were directly converted into carbamoylmethyl esters in the presence of 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. The use of TBD is crucial for the successful aminolysis of ethoxycarbonylmethyl ester of 1,4-dihydropyridines with secondary amines as without it the reaction does not proceed at all. The aminolysis reaction proceeded regioselectively, as the alkyl ester conjugated with the 1,4-dihydropyridine cycle was not involved in the reaction. Screening of other N-containing bases, such as triethylamine (TEA), pyridine, 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP), 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN), imidazole, tetramethyl guanidine (TMG) and 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (MTBD) as catalysts revealed no activity in the studied reaction.

New amphiphilic pyridine derivatives containing dodecyloxycarbonyl substituents at positions 3 and 5 and cationic moieties at positions 2 and 6 have been designed and synthesised. Compounds of this type can be considered as synthetic lipids. The corresponding 1,4-dihydropyridine (1,4-DHP) derivatives have earlier been proposed as a promising tool for plasmid DNA (pDNA) delivery in vitro. In this work studies of the self-assembling properties of amphiphilic pyridine derivatives leading to the formation of liposomes, determination of particle size, zeta-potential and critical micelle concentration (CMC) with dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements are described. Furthermore, thermal analysis of pyridine derivatives was performed using thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) as well as the ability to deliver the pEGFP-C1 plasmid DNA (that encodes GFP reporter) into the Baby hamster kidney-derived (BHK-21) cell line was used for evaluation of gene delivery properties. We have revealed that the new pyridine derivatives possessed self-assembling properties which were proved by formation of nanoparticles with the average size from 115 to 743nm, the zeta-potentials in the range of 48-79mV and CMC values in the range of 2-67μM. DTA data showed that all processes were endothermic for all compounds. Additionally, we established that among the tested pyridines the representatives with N-methylpyrrolidinium or pyridinium moieties as cationic head-group at the positions 2 and 6 possessed higher pEGFP-C1 transfection activity into the BHK-21 cell line. Nevertheless, the obtained results indicated that correlation of the physicochemical, structural properties and gene delivery activities of the tested compounds were not completely elucidated yet. On the other hand, the synthesised pyridines as possible metabolites of promising delivery systems on the 1,4-DHP core possessed lower pDNA transfection activity than the corresponding 1,4-DHP amphiphiles., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ca2+ blockers, particularly those capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), have been suggested as a possible treatment or disease modifying agents for neurodegenerative disorders, e.g., Alzheimer's disease. The present study investigated the effects of a novel 4-(N-dodecyl) pyridinium group-containing 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative (AP-12) on cognition and synaptic protein expression in the brain. Treatment of AP-12 was investigated in wild type C57BL/6J mice and transgenic Alzheimer's disease model mice (Tg APPSweDI) using behavioral tests and immunohistochemistry, as well as mass spectrometry to assess the blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration. The data demonstrated the ability of AP-12 to cross the BBB, improve spatial learning and memory in both mice strains, induce anxiolytic action in transgenic mice, and increase expression of hippocampal and cortical proteins (GAD67, Homer-1) related to synaptic plasticity. The compound AP-12 can be seen as a prototype molecule for use in the design of novel drugs useful to halt progression of clinical symptoms (more specifically, anxiety and decline in memory) of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease.