| 1. |
- Abdallah, Qasem M. A., et al.
(författare)
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Minor structural modifications to alchemix influence mechanism of action and pharmacological activity
- 2012
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 83:11, s. 1514-1522
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alchemix is an exemplar of a class of anthraquinone with efficacy against multidrug resistant tumours. We have explored further the mechanism of action of alchemix and investigated the effect of extending its side arm bearing the alkylating functionality with regard to DNA binding and activity against multidrug resistant cancer cells. Increasing the distance between the intercalating chromophore and the alkylating functionality of ICT2901 (propyl), ICT2902 (butyl) and ICT2903 (pentyl), led to a higher number of DNA alkylation sites, more potent topoisomerase II inhibition and generated more apoptotic and necrotic cells when analysed in p53-proficient HCT116 cells. Intriguingly, alchemix, the compound with the shortest distance between its intercalative chromophore and alkylating functionality (ethyl), did not conform to this SAR. A different toxicity pattern against DNA repair defective CHO cell lines as well as arrest of cells in Cl supports a somewhat distinct mode of action by alchemix compared with its analogues. Importantly, both alchemix and ICT2901 demonstrated greater cytotoxic activity against anthraquinone-resistant MCF-7/adr cells than wild-type MCF-7 cells. Subtle synthetic modification in this anthraquinone series has led to significant changes to the stability of DNA-compound complexes and cellular activity. Given that the failure of chemotherapy in the clinic is often associated with MDR, the results of both alchemix and ICT2901 represent important advances towards improved therapies.
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| 2. |
- Chatzakos, Vicky, 1977-, et al.
(författare)
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Inhibition of sphingosine kinase 1 enhances cytotoxicity, ceramide levels and ROS formation in liver cancer cells treated with selenite
- 2012
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 84:5, s. 712-721
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High doses of selenite have been shown to induce cell death in acute myeloid leukemia and lung cancercells. In this study, we combined selenite treatment with modulators of sphingolipid metabolism in thehepatocellular carcinoma cell line Huh7. Treatment with 20 mM of selenite reduced the viability of Huh7cells by half and increased the levels of long chain C14-, C16-, C18- and C18:1- ceramides by two-fold.Inhibition of neutral sphingomyelinase with 3-O-methylsphingosine significantly reduced the cytotoxiceffect of selenite. In line with this result, selenite caused a 2.5-fold increase in the activity of neutralsphingomyelinase. The sphingosine kinase 1 (SK1) inhibitor 2-(p-hydroxyanilino)-4-(p-chlorophe-nyl)thiazole (SK1-II) sensitized the cells to the cytotoxic effects of selenite. Preincubation with 10 mM ofSK1-II prior to treatment with 10 mM of selenite caused induction of apoptosis and gave rise to a 2.5-foldincrease in C14-, C16-, C18- and C18:1- ceramides. Instead, 50 mM of SK1-II combined with 10 mM ofselenite caused accumulation of cells in G1/S phases, but less apoptosis and accumulation of ceramides.The formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after treatment with 10 mM of selenite was maximallyenhanced by 1 mM of SK1-II. Moreover, combined treatment with SK1-II and 10 mM of selenitesynergistically reduced the number of viable Huh7 cells, while the non-tumorigenic hepatocyte cell lineMIHA remained unaffected by the same treatment. These results raise the possibility that a combinationof selenite and SK1 inhibitors could be used to treat liver cancer cells, that are regarded as drug resistant,at doses that are non-toxic to normal liver cells.
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| 3. |
- Colombo, Diego, et al.
(författare)
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Caffeic acid phenethyl ester targets ubiquitin-specific protease 8 and synergizes with cisplatin in endometrioid ovarian carcinoma cells
- 2022
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 197
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Deubiquitinases (DUBs) mediate the removal of ubiquitin from diverse proteins that participate in the regulation of cell survival, DNA damage repair, apoptosis and drug resistance. Previous studies have shown an association between activation of cell survival pathways and platinum-drug resistance in ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Among the strategies available to inhibit DUBs, curcumin derivatives appear promising, thus we hypothesized their use to enhance the efficacy of cisplatin in ovarian carcinoma preclinical models. The caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), inhibited ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8), but not proteasomal DUBs in cell-free assays. When CAPE was combined with cisplatin in nine cell lines representative of various histotypes a synergistic effect was observed in TOV112D cells and in the cisplatin-resistant IGROV-1/Pt1 variant, both of endometrioid type and carrying mutant TP53. In the latter cells, persistent G1 accumulation upon combined treatment associated with p27(kip1) protein levels was observed. The synergy was not dependent on apoptosis induction, and appeared to occur in cells with higher USP8 levels. In vivo antitumor activity studies supported the advantage of the combination of CAPE and cisplatin in the subcutaneous model of cisplatin-resistant IGROV-1/Pt1 ovarian carcinoma as well as CAPE activity on intraperitoneal disease. This study reveals the therapeutic potential of CAPE in cisplatin-resistant ovarian tumors as well as in tumors expressing USP8.
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| 4. |
- Garcia-Bennett, Alfonso, et al.
(författare)
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In search of the Holy Grail : Folate-targeted nanoparticles for cancer therapy
- 2011
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 81:8, s. 976-984
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Targeted drug therapy or "smart" drug delivery, potentially combined with simultaneous imaging modalities to monitor the delivery of drugs to specific tissues, is arguably the "holy grail" of pharmacology. Therapeutic approaches that exploit nanoparticles to deliver drugs selectively to cancer cells are currently considered one of the most promising avenues in the area of cancer therapeutics and imaging. The potential to deliver active chemotherapeutic drugs in the vicinity or directly within specific tumors via receptor mediated pathways, and to image tumors through the use of nanoparticles has been conceptually and experimentally shown for several classes of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles functionalized with the vitamin folic acid are of particular interest as a variety of malignant tumors are known to overexpress the folate receptor(s). Indeed, several nanoparticle architectures with improved retention time, administration route, biocompatibility, absorption, and clearance are being proposed and are in late stage clinical development. This commentary highlights some of the most important concepts related to nanoparticles and folate-mediated drug delivery and imaging in cancer research.
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| 5. |
- Gullbo, Joachim, et al.
(författare)
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Phenotype-based drug screening in primary ovarian carcinoma cultures identifies intracellular iron depletion as a promising strategy for cancer treatment
- 2011
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 82:2, s. 139-147
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Primary cultures of patient tumor cells (PCPTC) have been used for prediction of diagnosis-specific activity and individual patient response to anticancer drugs, but have not been utilized as a model for identification of novel drugs in high throughput screening. In the present study, ovarian carcinoma cells from three patients were tested in response to a library of 3000 chemically diverse compounds. Eight hits were retrieved after counter screening using normal epithelial cells, and one of the two structurally related hit compounds was selected for further preclinical evaluation. This compound, designated VLX 50, demonstrated a broad spectrum of activity when tested in a panel of PCPTCs representing different forms of leukemia and solid tumors and displayed a high tumor to normal cell activity. VLX 50 induced delayed cell death with some features of classical apoptosis. Significant in vivo activity was confirmed on primary cultures of human ovarian carcinoma cells in mice using the hollow fiber model. Mechanistic exploration was performed using gene expression analysis of drug exposed tumor cells to generate a drug-specific signature. This query signature was analyzed using the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and the Connectivity Map database. Strong connections to hypoxia inducible factor 1 and iron chelators were retrieved. The mechanistic hypothesis of intracellular iron depletion leading to hypoxia signaling was confirmed by a series of experiments. The results indicate the feasibility of using PCPTC for cancer drug screening and that intracellular iron depletion could be a potentially important strategy for cancer therapy.
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| 6. |
- Heindel, Jerrold J., et al.
(författare)
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Obesity II : Establishing causal links between chemical exposures and obesity
- 2022
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 199
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Obesity is a multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental components. The prevailing view is that obesity results from an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure caused by overeating and insufficient exercise. We describe another environmental element that can alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure: obesogens. Obesogens are a subset of environmental chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors affecting metabolic endpoints. The obesogen hypothesis posits that exposure to endocrine disruptors and other chemicals can alter the development and function of the adipose tissue, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and brain, thus changing the set point for control of metabolism. Obesogens can determine how much food is needed to maintain homeostasis and thereby increase the susceptibility to obesity. The most sensitive time for obesogen action is in utero and early childhood, in part via epigenetic programming that can be transmitted to future generations. This review explores the evidence supporting the obesogen hypothesis and highlights knowledge gaps that have prevented widespread acceptance as a contributor to the obesity pandemic. Critically, the obesogen hypothesis changes the narrative from curing obesity to preventing obesity.
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| 7. |
- Imtiaz, Bushra, et al.
(författare)
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Future directions in Alzheimer's disease from risk factors to prevention
- 2014
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 88:4, s. 661-670
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The increase in life expectancy has resulted in a high occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Research on AD has undergone a paradigm shift from viewing it as a disease of old age to taking a life course perspective. Several vascular, lifestyle, psychological and genetic risk factors influencing this latent period have been recognized and they may act both independently and by potentiating each other. These risk factors have consequently been used to derive risk scores for predicting the likelihood of dementia. Despite population differences, age, low education and vascular risk factors were identified as key factors in all scoring systems. Risk scores can help to identify high-risk individuals who might benefit from different interventions. The European Dementia Prevention Initiative (EDPI), an international collaboration, encourages data sharing between different randomized controlled trials. At the moment, it includes three large ongoing European trials: Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER), Prevention of Dementia by Intensive Vascular Care (preDIVA), and Multidomain Alzheimer Prevention study (MAPT). Recently EDPI has developed a Healthy Aging through Internet Counseling in Elderly (HATICE) program, which intends to manage modifiable risk factors in an aged population through an easily accessible Internet platform. Thus, the focus of dementia research has shifted from identification of potential risk factors to using this information for developing interventions to prevent or delay the onset of dementia as well as identifying special high-risk populations who could be targeted in intervention trials.
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| 8. |
- Kumar, Amit, et al.
(författare)
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Esomeprazole reduces sperm motility index by targeting the spermic cholinergic machinery : A mechanistic study for the association between use of proton pump inhibitors and reduced sperm motility index
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 182
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent studies have linked prolonged use of the most commonly prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) with declined human sperm function and infertility. Here, we report for the first time the most plausible underlying mechanism for this unwarranted secondary mode of action. We followed up on a recent serendipitous discovery in our laboratory regarding PPIs' off-target action and performed detailed pharmacodynamic analyses by combining in silico and in vitro studies to determine the off-target effect of one of the most commonly used PPI, esomeprazole, on the key human acetylcholine biosynthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT; EC 2.3.1.6). A pivotal enzyme in the spermic cholinergic system that governs the sperm motility, concentration and quality. Our results were conclusive and showed that both the racemic form, omeprazole and its pure S-enantiomer, esomeprazole, acted as potent mixed-competitive inhibitor of human ChAT with a global inhibition constant (Ki) of 88 nM (95%CI: 10-167 nM) for esomeprazole and 178 nM (95%CI: 140-230 nM) for the racemic drug omeprazole. Most importantly, esomeprazole substantially reduces both total number of motile sperm (by 36%, p < 0.001; and 21% p < 0.0001, at 10 and 100 nM, respectively) as well as the total number of sperm with progressive motility (by 42% p < 0.0016 and by 26% p < 0.0001, respectively) after 60 min relative to 20 min incubation in our ex vivo functional assay performed on ejaculated human sperm. In conclusion, this study presents a completely new perspective regarding PPIs secondary mode of action/unwarranted side effects and calls for further mechanistic and larger clinical studies to elucidate the role of PPIs in infertility.
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| 9. |
- Lind, Simon, 1993, et al.
(författare)
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Functional and signaling characterization of the neutrophil FPR2 selective agonist Act-389949
- 2019
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 166, s. 163-173
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the steadily increased numbers of formyl peptide receptor (FPR) ligands identified over the years, few have been characterized in studies using animal disease models and even less have entered clinical trials in human subjects. A small-molecule compound, Act-389949, was however recently tested in a phase I clinical trial and found to be safe and well tolerated in healthy human subjects. The desired anti-inflammatory property of Act-389949 was proposed to be mediated through FPR2, one of the FPRs expressed in neutrophils, but no basic characterization was included in the study. To gain more insights into FPR2 recognition of this first-in-class compound for future utility of the agonist, we have in this study determined the receptor preference and downstream signaling characteristics induced by Act-389949 in human blood neutrophils isolated from healthy donors. Our data demonstrate that Act-389949 is an agonist for FPR2 that triggers functional/signaling repertoires comparable to what has been earlier described for other FPR2 agonists, including neutrophil chemotaxis, granule mobilization and activation of the NADPH-oxidase. In fact, Act-389949 was found to be as potent as the prototype FPR2 peptide agonist WKYMVM and had the advantage of being resistant to oxidation by MPO-H2O2 halide derived oxidants, as compared to the sensitive WKYMVM. The down-stream signals generated by Act-389949 include an FPR2-dependent and Gaq-independent transient rise in intracellular Ca2+ and recruitment of beta-arrestin. In summary, our data show that Act-389949 serves as an excellent tool-compound for further dissection of FPR2-regulated activities in vitro and in vivo. Potent and stable FPR ligands such as Act-389949 may therefore be used to develop the next generation of FPR signaling regulating anti-inflammatory therapeutics.
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| 10. |
- Nilsson, Kristofer F., 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Formation of new bioactive organic nitrites and their identification with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography coupled to nitrite reduction
- 2011
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Ingår i: Biochemical Pharmacology. - : Elsevier. - 0006-2952 .- 1356-1839 .- 1873-2968. ; 82:3, s. 248-259
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nitric oxide (NO) donors, notably organic nitrates and nitrites are used therapeutically but tolerance develops rapidly, making the use of e.g. nitroglycerin difficult. NO donation in the pulmonary vascular bed might be useful in critically ill patients. Organic nitrites are not associated with tachyphylaxis but may induce methaemoglobinemia and systemic hypotension which might hamper their use. We hypothesised that new lung-selective NO donors can be identified by utilizing exhaled NO as measure for pulmonary NO donation and systemic arterial pressure to monitor hypotension and tolerance development. Solutions of alcohols and carbohydrates were reacted with NO gas and administered to ventilated rabbits for evaluation of in vivo NO donation. Chemical characterization was made by liquid chromatography with on-line nitrite reduction (LC-NO) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In vivo experiments showed that the hydroxyl-containing compounds treated with NO gas yielded potent NO donors, via nitrosylation to organic nitrites. Analyses by LC-NO showed that the reaction products were able to release NO in vitro. In GC-MS the reaction products were determined to be the organic nitrites, where some are new chemical entities. Non-polar donors preferentially increased exhaled NO with less effect on systemic blood pressure whereas more polar molecules had larger effects on systemic blood pressure and less on exhaled NO. We conclude that new organic nitrites suitable for intravenous administration are produced by reacting NO gas and certain hydroxyl-containing compounds in aqueous solutions. Selectivity of different organic nitrites towards the pulmonary and systemic circulation, respectively, may be determined by molecular polarity.
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