Search

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that can significantly impact the quality of human life. Various drug treatments are available; however, due to their long-term severe side effects the usage of these drugs is limited. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been clinically approved for skin diseases due to its non-invasive nature. We present novel NNO-tridentate vanadium(IV) complexes used in PDT for anti-inflammatory effects in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin disease mouse model. The vanadium(IV) complexes (1-4) were synthesized using the NNO-tridentate ligand with a benzo[

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising and minimally invasive method for the treatment of superficial diseases, and photosensitizers with high phototoxicity indices (defined as (IC50dark )/(IC50irradiation )) are essential for the development of ideal photosensitizing properties for this technology. Herein, we report a series of photocytotoxic copper(II) complexes [Cu(R QYMP)(dppn)] (R QYMP=N,N,O-tridentate Schiff-base derivatives, dppn=benzo[i]dipyrido[3,2-a;2',3'-c]phenazine), the structures of which have been confirmed by mass spectrometry and FTIR spectroscopy. X-ray crystallography revealed that the CuN4 O core of the [Cu(cumyl QYMP)(dppn)](ClO4 ) complex (3) has a distorted square-pyramidal geometry. Phototoxicity indices of 329 against human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC15) and 296 against basal cell carcinoma (BCC) cell lines have been determined with [Cu(3-OMe QYMP)(dppn)](ClO4 ) (4). This can be attributed to the formation of reactive oxygen species, cell apoptosis, and caspase-3 activation, indicating high potential of complex 4 as a photosensitizer candidate in PDT. Thus, copper complexes bearing suitable Schiff-base ligands with a dppn co-ligand may be considered for the design of efficient metal-based anticancer agents for PDT.

A series of heteroleptic copper(II) complexes [Cu(RQYMP)(Py]] (1a-4d) supported on NNO-tridentate Schiff base (RQYMP-H) and bipyridine (Py=bpy, a; phen, b; dpq, c; dppz, d) co-ligands have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray crystal structural studies of complexes 1b, 2c, 3d and 4a displays that these complexes are mononuclear with a distorted square pyramidal geometry around the copper center. Cytotoxicity results indicate that all of these complexes have much higher activity against HeLa, SCC15, BCC and Ca9-22 cancer cell lines as compared to cisplatin. Further, copper complex bearing suitable bulky group Schiff base ligands with dppz co-ligand could be considered in designing efficient metalbased anticancer agents.

Background The DEP domain is a globular domain containing approximately 90 amino acids, which was first discovered in 3 proteins: Drosophila disheveled, Caenorhabditis elegans EGL-10, and mammalian Pleckstrin; hence the term, DEP. DEPDC1B is categorized as a potential Rho GTPase-activating protein. The function of the DEP domain in signal transduction pathways is not fully understood. The DEPDC1B protein exhibits the characteristic features of a signaling protein, and contains 2 conserved domains (DEP and RhoGAP) that are involved in Rho GTPase signaling. Small GTPases, such as Rac, CDC42, and Rho, regulate a multitude of cell events, including cell motility, growth, differentiation, cytoskeletal reorganization and cell cycle progression. Results In this study, we found that it was a guanine nucleotide exchange factor and induced both cell migration in a cultured embryonic fibroblast cell line and cell invasion in cancer cell lines; moreover, it was observed to promote anchorage-independent growth in oral cancer cells. We also demonstrated that DEPDC1B plays a role in regulating Rac1 translocated onto cell membranes, suggesting that DEPDC1B exerts a biological function by regulating Rac1. We examined oral cancer tissue; 6 out of 7 oral cancer tissue test samples overexpressed DEPDC1B proteins, compared with normal adjacent tissue. Conclusions DEPDC1B was a guanine nucleotide exchange factor and induced both cell migration in a cultured embryonic fibroblast cell line and cell invasion in cancer cell lines; moreover, it was observed to promote anchorage-independent growth in oral cancer cells. We also demonstrated that DEPDC1B exerts a biological function by regulating Rac1. We found that oral cancer samples overexpressed DEPDC1B proteins, compared with normal adjacent tissue. Suggest that DEPDC1B plays a role in the development of oral cancer. We revealed that proliferation was linked to a novel DEPDC1B-Rac1-ERK1/2 signaling axis in oral cancer cell lines.

To investigate the effects of astilbin on the expressions of TNF alpha and IL-10 during liver warm ischemia-reperfusion injury.C57BL/ 6 mice were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 8): sham-operated group (Sham), model control group(I/R), low dosage of astilbin treatment group (10 mg/kg) and high dosage of astilbin (40 mg/kg) treatment group. The treatment group mice were intraperitoneally injected with 10 or 40 mg/kg astilbin 24 hours and one hour before Ischemia, the hepatic ischemia-reperfusion model were thus established. After jn90 of min ischemia and 6 h reperfusion of the partial hepatic lobe, the expressions of TNF alpha and IL-10 in liver tissues collected from the experimental groups were detected by Western blot and semiquantitative RT-PCR.The expression of TNF alpha protein in liver tissues gradually decreased in treatment groups (low and high dosages of astilbin treatment groups) as compared to the I/R model control group. Similar results were observed in the mRNA expressions of these genes as determined by semiquantitative RT-PCR (P less than 0.05 for low dosage group; P less than 0.01 for high dosage group). Compared with the I/R model control group, the expression of IL-10 was increased in both treatment groups (low dosage group P less than 0.05; large dosage group P less than 0.01).Treatment with astilbin decreases TNF alpha expression but induces IL-10 expression in liver during warm ischemia-reperfusion injury.

To observe the selective killing effect of adenovirus (Ad)-mediated double suicide gene driven by kinase domain-containing receptor(KDR) promoter on human colorectal cancer LoVo cells and human umbilical vein endothelial ECV304 cells.The plasmid pAdEasy-KDR-CDglyTK was transfected into 293 packaging cells for amplification of the infectious Ad and used to infect the KDR-producing cells (ECV304 and LoVo) and the KDR-nonproducing cells (LS174T) respectively. The three cells were treated with the prodrugs 5-flurocytosine (5-FC) and ganciclovir (GCV) at different concentrations after infection. The killing effects of the fusion gene system on the cells were evaluated. The distribution of cell cycle was detected by flow cytometry.The infection rates of the recombinant Ad were similar among the 3 cells, gradually increasing with the increment of multiplicity of infection (MOI) and reaching 100% with the MOI of 200. The LoVo cells and ECV304 cells infected with Ad-KDR-CDglyTK were highly sensitive to both of the prodrugs (P0.1), whereas the infected LS174T cells failed to exhibit similar sensitivity (P0.001). The killing effect of CD/TK fusion gene on the target cells was much stronger than that of either suicide gene (P0.001). The cell cycle of LoVo cells was arrested at G1 phase.The CD/TK fusion gene system driven by KDR promoter can selectively kill KDR-expressing human colorectal cancer LoVo cells and endothelial cells.