Can a 12-gene expression signature predict the cell transforming potential of tumor promoting agents in Bhas 42 cells?

To date, long-term rodent carcinogenesis assays are the only assays recognized by regulators to assess non-genotoxic carcinogens, but their reliability has been questioned. In vitro cell transformation assays (CTAs) could represent an interesting alternative to animal models as it has the advantage of detecting both genotoxic and non-genotoxic transforming chemicals. Among them, Bhas 42 CTA uses a cell line that has been transfected with the oncogenic sequence v-Ha-ras. This sequence confers an "initiated" status to these cells and makes them particularly sensitive to non-genotoxic agents. In a previous work, transcriptomic analysis revealed that the treatment of Bhas 42 cells with transforming silica (nano)particles and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) commonly modified the expression of 12 genes involved in cell proliferation and adhesion. In the present study, we assess whether this signature would be the same for four other soluble transforming agents, i.e. mezerein, methylarsonic acid, cholic acid and quercetin. The treatment of Bhas 42 cells for 48 h with mezerein modified the expression of the 12 genes of the signature according to the same profile as that of the TPA. However, methylarsonic acid and cholic acid gave an incomplete signature with changes in the expression of only 7 and 5 genes, respectively. Finally, quercetin treatment induced no change in the expression of all genes but exhibited higher cytotoxicty. These results suggest that among the transforming agents tested, some may share similar mechanisms of action leading to cell transformation while others may activate different additional pathways involved in such cellular process. More transforming and non-transforming agents and gene markers should be tested in order to try to identify a relevant gene signature to predict the transforming potential of non-genotoxic agents.

2-Alkyl-Substituted-4-Amino-Thieno[2,3-d]Pyrimidines: Anti-Proliferative Properties to In Vitro Breast Cancer Models.

Thienopyrimidines are structural analogs of quinazolines, and the creation of new 2-alkyl derivatives of ethyl 4-aminothienopyrimidine-6-carboxylates for the study of their anti-proliferative properties is of great pharmacological interest. Some 2-alkyl-4-amino-thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidines 2-5 were synthesized, and their cyto- and phototoxicity against BALB 3T3 cells were established by an in vitro 3T3 NRU test. The obtained results indicate that the tested compounds are not cytotoxic or phototoxic, and that they are appropriate to be studied for their anti-proliferative and anti-tumor properties. The anti-proliferative potential of the compounds was investigated on MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, as well as a MCF-10A cell line (normal human mammary epithelial cells). The most toxic to MCF-7 was thienopyrimidine 3 with IC50 13.42 µg/mL (IC50 0.045 µM), followed by compound 4 (IC50 28.89 µg/mL or IC50 0.11 µM). The thienopyrimidine 4 revealed higher selectivity to MCF-7 and lower activity (IC50 367 µg/mL i.e., 1.4 µM) than compound 3 with MCF-10A cells. With respect to MDA-MB-231 cells, ester 2 manifested the highest effect with IC50 52.56 µg/mL (IC50 0.16 µM), and 2-ethyl derivative 4 revealed IC50 62.86 µg/mL (IC50 0.24 µM). It was estimated that the effect of the substances on the cell cycle progression was due to cell cycle arrest in the G2 stage for MDA-MB-231, while arrest in G1 was detected for the estrogen (ER)-positive MCF-7 cell line. The tested compound's effects on the change of the zeta potential in the tumorigenic cells utilized in this study were determined. The calculation which we performed of the physicochemical properties and pharmacokinetic parameters influencing the biological activity suggested high intestinal absorption, as well as drug-likeness.

The cell transformation assay to assess potential carcinogenic properties of nanoparticles.

Nanoparticles (NPs) are present in many daily life products with particular physical-chemical properties (size, density, porosity, geometry …) giving very interesting technological properties. Their use is continuously growing and NPs represent a new challenge in terms of risk assessment, consumers being multi-exposed. Toxic effects have already been identified such as oxidative stress, genotoxicity, inflammatory effects, and immune reactions, some of which are leading to carcinogenesis. Cancer is a complex phenomenon implying multiple modes of action and key events, and prevention strategies in cancer include a proper assessment of the properties of NPs. Therefore, introduction of new agents like NPs into the market creates fresh regulatory challenges for an adequate safety evaluation and requires new tools. The Cell Transformation Assay (CTA) is an in vitro test able of highlighting key events of characteristic phases in the cancer process, initiation and promotion. This review presents the development of this test and its use with NPs. The article underlines also the critical issues to address for assessing NPs carcinogenic properties and approaches for improving its relevance.

Mechanistic Interrogation of Cell Transformation In Vitro: The Transformics Assay as an Exemplar of Oncotransformation.

The Transformics Assay is an in vitro test which combines the BALB/c 3T3 Cell Transformation Assay (CTA) with microarray transcriptomics. It has been shown to improve upon the mechanistic understanding of the CTA, helping to identify mechanisms of action leading to chemical-induced transformation thanks to RNA extractions in specific time points along the process of in vitro transformation. In this study, the lowest transforming concentration of the carcinogenic benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P) has been tested in order to find molecular signatures of initial events relevant for oncotransformation. Application of Enrichment Analysis (Metacore) to the analyses of the results facilitated key biological interpretations. After 72 h of exposure, as a consequence of the molecular initiating event of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation, there is a cascade of cellular events and microenvironment modification, and the immune and inflammatory responses are the main processes involved in cell response. Furthermore, pathways and processes related to cell cycle regulation, cytoskeletal adhesion and remodeling processes, cell differentiation and transformation were observed.

Gene Expression over Time during Cell Transformation Due to Non-Genotoxic Carcinogen Treatment of Bhas 42 Cells.

The Bhas 42 cell transformation assay (Bhas 42 CTA) is the first Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)-certificated method used as a specific tool for the detection of the cell-transformation potential of tumor-promoting compounds, including non-genotoxic carcinogens (NGTxCs), as separate from genotoxic carcinogens. This assay offers the great advantage of enabling the phenotypic detection of oncotransformation. A key benefit of using the Bhas 42 CTA in the study of the cell-transformation mechanisms of tumor-promoting compounds, including non-genotoxic carcinogens, is that the cell-transformation potential of the chemical can be detected directly without treatment with a tumor-initiating compound since Bhas 42 cell line was established by transfecting the v-Ha-ras gene into a mouse fibroblast cloned cell line. Here, we analyzed the gene expression over time, using DNA microarrays, in Bhas 42 cells treated with the tumor-promoting compound 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), and NGTxC, with a total of three repeat experiments. This is the first paper to report on gene expression over time during the process of cell transformation with only a tumor-promoting compound. Pathways that were activated or inactivated during the process of cell transformation in the Bhas 42 cells treated with TPA were related not only directly to RAS but also to various pathways in the hallmarks of cancer.

Paclitaxel-Induced Epidermal Alterations: An In Vitro Preclinical Assessment in Primary Keratinocytes and in a 3D Epidermis Model.

Paclitaxel is a microtubule-stabilizing chemotherapeutic agent approved for the treatment of ovarian, non-small cell lung, head, neck, and breast cancers. Despite its beneficial effects on cancer and widespread use, paclitaxel also damages healthy tissues, including the skin. However, the mechanisms that drive these skin adverse events are not clearly understood. In the present study, we demonstrated, by using both primary epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK) and a 3D epidermis model, that paclitaxel impairs different cellular processes: paclitaxel increased the release of IL-1α, IL-6, and IL-8 inflammatory cytokines, produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) release and apoptosis, and reduced the endothelial tube formation in the dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMEC). Some of the mechanisms driving these adverse skin events in vitro are mediated by the activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), which phosphorylate transcription of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κb). This is the first study analyzing paclitaxel effects on healthy human epidermal cells with an epidermis 3D model, and will help in understanding paclitaxel's effects on the skin.

Nanoapatites Doped and Co-Doped with Noble Metal Ions as Modern Antibiofilm Materials for Biomedical Applications against Drug-Resistant Clinical Strains of Enterococcus faecalis VRE and Staphylococcus aureus MRSA.

The main aim of our research was to investigate antiadhesive and antibiofilm properties of nanocrystalline apatites doped and co-doped with noble metal ions (Ag+, Au+, and Pd2+) against selected drug-resistant strains of Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus. The materials with the structure of apatite (hydroxyapatite, nHAp; hydroxy-chlor-apatites, OH-Cl-Ap) containing 1 mol% and 2 mol% of dopants and co-dopants were successfully obtained by the wet chemistry method. The majority of them contained an additional phase of metallic nanoparticles, in particular, AuNPs and PdNPs, which was confirmed by the XRPD, FTIR, UV-Vis, and SEM-EDS techniques. Extensive microbiological tests of the nanoapatites were carried out determining their MIC, MBC value, and FICI. The antiadhesive and antibiofilm properties of the tested nanoapatites were determined in detail with the use of fluorescence microscopy and computer image analysis. The results showed that almost all tested nanoapatites strongly inhibit adhesion and biofilm production of the tested bacterial strains. Biomaterials have not shown any significant cytotoxic effect on fibroblasts and even increased their survival when co-incubated with bacterial biofilms. Performed analyses confirmed that the nanoapatites doped and co-doped with noble metal ions are safe and excellent antiadhesive and antibiofilm biomaterials with potential use in the future in medical sectors.

Ru(II)/amino acid complexes inhibit the progression of breast cancer cells through multiple mechanism-induced apoptosis.

For some cancer subtypes, such as triple-negative breast cancer, there are no specific therapies, which leads to a poor prognosis associated with invasion and metastases. Ruthenium complexes have been developed to act in all steps of tumor growth and its progression. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ruthenium (II) complexes coupled to the amino acids methionine (RuMet) and tryptophan (RuTrp) on the induction of cell death, clonogenic survival ability, inhibition of angiogenesis, and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells (human triple-negative breast cancer). The study also demonstrated that the RuMet and RuTrp complexes induce cell cycle blockage and apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 cells, as evidenced by an increase in the number of Annexin V-positive cells, p53 phosphorylation, caspase 3 activation, and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Moreover, morphological changes and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were detected. The RuMet and RuTrp complexes induced DNA damage probably due to reactive oxygen species production related to mitochondrial membrane depolarization. Therefore, the RuMet and RuTrp complexes acted directly on breast tumor cells, leading to cell death and inhibiting their metastatic potential; this reveals the potential therapeutic action of these drugs.

Deep neural network for the determination of transformed foci in Bhas 42 cell transformation assay.

Bhas 42 cell transformation assay (CTA) has been used to estimate the carcinogenic potential of chemicals by exposing Bhas 42 cells to carcinogenic stimuli to form colonies, referred to as transformed foci, on the confluent monolayer. Transformed foci are classified and quantified by trained experts using morphological criteria. Although the assay has been certified by international validation studies and issued as a guidance document by OECD, this classification process is laborious, time consuming, and subjective. We propose using deep neural network to classify foci more rapidly and objectively. To obtain datasets, Bhas 42 CTA was conducted with a potent tumor promotor, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, and focus images were classified by experts (1405 images in total). The labeled focus images were augmented with random image processing and used to train a convolutional neural network (CNN). The trained CNN exhibited an area under the curve score of 0.95 on a test dataset significantly outperforming conventional classifiers by beginners of focus judgment. The generalization performance of unknown chemicals was assessed by applying CNN to other tumor promotors exhibiting an area under the curve score of 0.87. The CNN-based approach could support the assay for carcinogenicity as a fundamental tool in focus scoring.

Antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity of electrosprayed chitosan nanoparticles against endodontic pathogens and Balb/c 3T3 fibroblast cells.

The aims of this study were to synthesize highly positively charged chitosan nanoparticles (Ch-Np) using the electrospraying technique, and to test their antimicrobial activity against endodontic pathogens, and cytotoxicity against fibroblast cells. Ch-Np were synthesized from low molecular weight chitosan (LMW-Ch) using the electrospraying technique, and characterized. The antimicrobial activity was evaluated against Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans in their planktonic state using a Time-Kill Test performed by using broth micro-dilution technique, and against biofilm biomass using a microtiter plate biofilm assay. The cytotoxicity was evaluated using Balb/c 3T3 fibroblast cells with the standard MTT assay. Electrospraying of LMW-Ch produced Ch-Np with an average size of 200 nm, and a surface charge of 51.7 mV. Ch-Np completely eradicated S. mutans and E. faecalis in the planktonic state and showed fungistatic activity against C. albicans. Furthermore, it significantly reduced the biofilm biomass for all the tested microbial species [S. mutans (p = 0.006), E. faecalis (p < 0.0001), and C. albicans (p = 0.004)]. When tested for cytotoxicity using 3T3 cells, Ch-Np showed no cytotoxicity. In conclusion, the highly positively charged, colloidal dispersion of Ch-Np are effective as a biocompatible endodontic antimicrobial agent.

A pre-formulation study of tetracaine loaded in optimized nanostructured lipid carriers.

Tetracaine (TTC) is a local anesthetic broadly used for topical and spinal blockade, despite its systemic toxicity. Encapsulation in nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) may prolong TTC delivery at the site of injection, reducing such toxicity. This work reports the development of NLC loading 4% TTC. Structural properties and encapsulation efficiency (%EE > 63%) guided the selection of three pre-formulations of different lipid composition, through a 23 factorial design of experiments (DOE). DLS and TEM analyses revealed average sizes (193-220 nm), polydispersity (< 0.2), zeta potential |- 21.8 to - 30.1 mV| and spherical shape of the nanoparticles, while FTIR-ATR, NTA, DSC, XRD and SANS provided details on their structure and physicochemical stability over time. Interestingly, one optimized pre-formulation (CP-TRANS/TTC) showed phase-separation after 4 months, as predicted by Raman imaging that detected lack of miscibility between its solid (cetyl palmitate) and liquid (Transcutol) lipids. SANS analyses identified lamellar arrangements inside such nanoparticles, the thickness of the lamellae been decreased by TTC. As a result of this combined approach (DOE and biophysical techniques) two optimized pre-formulations were rationally selected, both with great potential as drug delivery systems, extending the release of the anesthetic (> 48 h) and reducing TTC cytotoxicity against Balb/c 3T3 cells.

An α-D-galactan and a ß-D-glucan from the mushroom Amanita muscaria: Structural characterization and antitumor activity against melanoma.

Polysaccharides α-D-galactan (GAL-Am) and ß-D-glucan (GLC-Am) were obtained from Amanita muscaria fruiting bodies. They were purified using different methodologies, such as Fehling precipitation (for both fractions), freeze-thawing process and ultrafiltration (for GLC-Am). Results showed that the GAL-Am has (1 â†’ 6)-linked Galp main chain branched at O-2 by terminal Galp units and has not been previously reported. Besides, GLC-Am has (1 â†’ 3)-linked Glcp in the main chain, substituted at O-6 by (1 â†’ 6)-linked ß-Glcp units. Both are water-soluble, with 9.0 × 103 g/moL and 1.3 × 105 g/moL, respectively. GAL-Am and GLC-Am presented a selective proliferation reduction against B16-F10 melanoma cell line, not affecting non tumoral BALB/3T3 fibroblast cell line. Furthermore, both fractions reduced clonogenic capacity of melanoma cell line over an extended period of time. These results were obtained without modulations in B16-F10 cell adhesion, reinforcing the biological activities towards cell proliferation impairment and eliciting these polysaccharides as promising compounds to further exploration of their antimelanoma properties.

Determination of myrislignan levels in BALB/c mouse plasma by LC-MS/MS and a comparison of its pharmacokinetics after oral and intraperitoneal administration.

BACKGROUND: Myrislignan is a natural product from Myristica sp. with diverse pharmacological activities. Recently, the anti-Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) activity of myrislignan has been proposed, and in vivo studies of its pharmacokinetics in BALB/c mice are necessary to further evaluate the clinical effects of myrislignan. RESULTS: In this study, a sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed and validated to quantify myrislignan levels in mouse plasma using dehydrodiisoeugenol as an internal standard (IS) in positive ion mode. Chromatographic separation of the analytes was achieved using an ACE Ultracore Super C18 analytical column (2.5 µm, 2.1 × 50 mm) at 30 °C. A gradient mobile phase consisting of water (0.1 % formic acid) and acetonitrile (0.1 % formic acid) was delivered at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. Myrislignan and the IS eluted at 1.42 and 1.71 min, respectively. A good excellent linear response across the concentration range of 1-1000 ng/mL was achieved (r2 = 0.9973). The lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) was 1 ng/mL, and the inter- and intra-day accuracy and precision of the method showed relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 10 %. The method was applied to examine the pharmacokinetics of myrislignan in mouse plasma following a single oral administration of 200 mg/kg or intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg myrislignan, and the bioavailability (F) of orally administered myrislignan was only 1.97 % of the bioavailability of intraperitoneally administered myrislignan. CONCLUSIONS: A rapid and sensitive LC-MS/MS method has been was developed, validated and successfully used to determine myrislignan levels in mice after oral or intraperitoneal administration. This study is the first to report the pharmacokinetic parameters of myrislignan in mice and to compare its pharmacokinetics after oral and intraperitoneal administration, which will be useful for further research on the administration of myrislignan in animals and humans.

Nitric oxide-releasing micelles with intelligent targeting for enhanced anti-tumor effect of cisplatin in hypoxia.

BACKGROUND: Hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME) promotes tumor metastasis and drug resistance, leading to low efficiency of cancer chemotherapy. The development of targeted agents or multi-target therapies regulating hypoxic microenvironment is an important approach to overcome drug resistance and metastasis. METHODS: In this study, chitosan oligosaccharide (COS)-coated and sialic acid (SA) receptor-targeted nano-micelles were prepared using film dispersion method to co-deliver cisplatin (CDDP) and nitric oxide (NO) (denoted as CTP/CDDP). In addition, we explored the mechanisms by which NO reversed CDDP resistance as well as enhanced anti-metastatic efficacy in hypoxic cancer cells. RESULTS: Because of the different affinities of COS and SA to phenylboronic acid (PBA) under different pH regimes, CTP/CDDP micelles with intelligent targeting property increased cellular uptake of CDDP and enhanced cytotoxicity to tumors, but reduced systemic toxicity to normal organs or tissues. In addition, CTP/CDDP showed stimulus-responsive release in TME. In terms of anti-tumor mechanism, CTP/CDDP reduced CDDP efflux and inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of tumor by down-regulating hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), glutathione (GSH), multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) expression, thus reversing drug resistance and metastasis of hypoxic tumor cells. CONCLUSIONS: The designed micelles significantly enhanced anti-tumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. These results suggested that CTP/CDDP represented a promising strategy to treat resistance and metastatic tumors.

Construction and evaluation of DNA vaccine encoding Ebola virus glycoprotein fused with lysosome-associated membrane protein.

Ebola virus (EBOV) of the genus Ebolavirus belongs to the family Filoviridae, which cause disease in both humans and non-human primates. Zaire Ebola virus accounts for the highest fatality rate, reaching 90%. Considering that EBOV has a high infection and fatality rate, the development of a highly effective vaccine has become a top public health priority. Glycoprotein (GP) plays a critical role during infection and protective immune responses. Herein, we developed an EBOV GP recombinant DNA vaccine that targets the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II compartment by fusing with lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP1). Through lysosome trafficking and antigen presentation transferring, the LAMP1 targeting strategy successfully improved both humoral and cellular EBOV-GP-specific immune responses. After three consecutive immunizations, the serum antibody titers, especially the neutralizing activity of mice immunized with the pVAX-LAMP/GPEBO vaccine were significantly higher than those of the other groups. Antigen-specific T cells showed positive activity against three dominant peptides, EAAVSHLTTLATIST, IGEWAFWETKKNLTR, and ELRTFSILNRKAIDF, with high affinity for MHC class II molecules predicted by IEDB-recommended. Preliminary safety observation denied histological alterations. DNA vaccine candidate pVAX-LAMP/GPEBO shows promise against Ebola epidemic and further evaluation is guaranteed.

Biocompatible gum arabic-gold nanorod composite as an effective therapy for mistreated melanomas.

Advanced melanoma patients that are not included in common genetic classificatory groups lack effective and safe therapeutic options. Chemotherapy and immunotherapy show unsatisfactory results and devastating adverse effects for these called triple wild-type patients. New approaches exploring the intrinsic antitumor properties of gold nanoparticles might reverse this scenario as a safer and more effective alternative. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy and safety of a composite made of gum arabic-functionalized gold nanorods (GA-AuNRs) against triple wild-type melanoma. The natural polymer gum arabic successfully stabilized the nanorods in the biological environment and was essential to improve their biocompatibility. In vivo results obtained from treating triple wild-type melanoma-bearing mice showed that GA-AuNRs remarkably reduced primary tumor growth by 45%. Furthermore, GA-AuNRs induced tumor histological features associated with better prognosis while also reducing superficial lung metastasis depth and the incidence of intrapulmonary metastasis. GA-AuNRs' efficacy comes from their capacity to reduce melanoma cells ability to invade the extracellular matrix and grow into colonies, in addition to a likely immunomodulatory effect induced by gum arabic. Additionally, a broad safety investigation found no evidence of adverse effects after GA-AuNRs treatment. Therefore, this study unprecedentedly reports GA-AuNRs as a potential nanomedicine for advanced triple wild-type melanomas.

Simultaneous Grafting Polymerization of Acrylic Acid and Silver Aggregates Formation by Direct Reduction Using γ Radiation onto Silicone Surface and Their Antimicrobial Activity and Biocompatibility.

The modification of medical devices is an area that has attracted a lot of attention in recent years; particularly, those developments which search to modify existing devices to render them antimicrobial. Most of these modifications involve at least two stages (modification of the base material with a polymer graft and immobilization of an antimicrobial agent) which are both time-consuming and complicate synthetic procedures; therefore, as an improvement, this project sought to produce antimicrobial silicone (PDMS) in a single step. Using gamma radiation as both an energy source for polymerization initiation and as a source of reducing agents in solution, PDMS was simultaneously grafted with acrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (AAc:EGDMA) while producing antimicrobial silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) onto the surface of the material. To obtain reproducible materials, experimental variables such as the effect of the dose, the intensity of radiation, and the concentration of the silver salt were evaluated, finding the optimal reaction conditions to obtain materials with valuable properties. The characterization of the material was performed using electronic microscopy and spectroscopic techniques such as 13C-CPMAS-SS-NMR and FTIR. Finally, these materials demonstrated good antimicrobial activity against S. aureus while retaining good cell viabilities (above 90%) for fibroblasts BALB/3T3.

Phytochemical characterization and biological activity of apricot kernels' extract in yeast-cell based tests and hepatocellular and colorectal carcinoma cell lines.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Bitter apricot kernels' extract contains a broad spectrum of biologically active substances with a lot of attention to amygdalin - cyanogenic glycoside. The extract has been used in the pharmaceutical industry for years as an ingredient of different pharmaceuticals with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, or regenerative properties. In traditional medicine, the bitter apricot kernels are known as a remedy for respiratory disorders and skin diseases. The apricot kernels and amygdalin are often prescribed by practitioners for the prevention and treatment of various medical conditions, including colorectal cancer. THE PRESENT STUDY AIMS: to evaluate the phytochemical composition and the potential antimutagenic, antirecombinogenic, and antitumor effect of apricot kernels' extract at very low concentrations in yeast cell-based tests and mammalian hepatocellular and colon carcinoma cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phytochemical analysis was performed by LC-MS profiling. Reverse-phase HPLC and UV detection were applied for the determination of amygdalin quantity in the extract. Biological activity was evaluated by Zimmermann's mutagenicity and Ty1 retrotransposition test. Cytotoxic/antiproliferative activity of apricot kernels' extract was performed on four types of cell lines - HepG2, HT-29, BALB/3T3, clone A31, and BJ using the standard MTT-dye reduction assay. RESULTS: Data revealed the presence of more than 1000 compounds and 4 cyanogenic glycosides among them - Amygdalin, Deidaclin, Linamarin and Prulaurasin. The Amygdalin concentration was measured to be 57.8 µg/ml. All extract concentrations demonstrated a strong antigenotoxic, antirecombinogenic, antimutagenic, and anticarcinogenic effect in the yeast cell-based tests. High selectivity of the extract action is established among different mammalian cell lines. Normal cell line BJ is found to be resistant to the extract action. HepG2 was found to be the most sensitive to apricot kernels' action. CONCLUSION: The present study provides the first phytochemical analysis of Bulgarian bitter apricot kernels. Three new cyanogenic glycosides were reported. Evidence is obtained that the apricot kernels' extract at low concentrations is not able to induce some of the events related to the initial steps of tumorigenesis. Additionally, a high selectivity of the extract action is established among different cell lines. The most sensitive cell line was found to be HepG2.

[10]-Gingerol-Loaded Nanoemulsion and its Biological Effects on Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells.

The apoptotic, cytotoxic, and cytostatic activities for [10]-gingerol in triple-negative breast cancer cells (TNBCs) were already reported. However, despite these important antitumor activities, the compound has the disadvantage to have a hydrophobic characteristic, hindering in vivo administration. To surpass this issue, in this study we have created a [10]-gingerol-loaded nanoemulsion (10GNE) in order to increase the stability and solubility of the compound. The nanoemulsion was characterized and tested for its cytotoxic, cytostatic, and apoptotic effects on a panel of murine and human TNBC cell lines, as well as non-tumor cells, and compared with a [10]-gingerol-free nanoemulsion (NE) and with [10]-gingerol itself. Except for the murine 4T1.13 cell line, the IC50 of the free 10G molecule, after 72 h of incubation, was higher in all cell lines tested, both murine and human, demonstrating therefore the efficacy of the 10GNE regarding cytotoxicity. In murine tumor cells, 60 µM 10GNE was able to arrest cell cycle at sub-G0 phase and induce apoptosis, leading to 48% and 78% of total cell death in 4T1.13 and 4T1Br4 murine tumor cells, respectively. This represents an improvement compared to 10G-free molecule that only induced 74% of total apoptosis at 100 µM in 4T1Br4 cells. Taken together, our results show that nanoformulation preserved the [10]-gingerol cytotoxic and cytostatic properties and improved its apoptotic function on murine TNBC cell lines. These data open new perspectives to a more suitable drug-delivery approach for [10]-gingerol for TNBC treatment that should be further demonstrated using in vivo assays.

Metformin alters therapeutic effects in the BALB/c tumor therapy model.

BACKGROUND: Despite considerable medical proceedings, cancer is still a leading cause of death. Major problems for tumor therapy are chemoresistance as well as toxic side effects. In recent years, the additional treatment with the antidiabetic drug metformin during chemotherapy showed promising results in some cases. The aim of this study was to develop an in vitro tumor therapy model in order to further investigate the potential of a combined chemotherapy with metformin. METHODS: Cytotoxic effects of a combined treatment on BALB/c fibroblasts were proven by the resazurin assay. Based on the BALB/c cell transformation assay, the BALB/c tumor therapy model was established successfully with four different and widely used chemotherapeutics from different categories. Namely, Doxorubicin as a type-II isomerase inhibitor, Docetaxel as a spindle toxin, Mitomycin C as an alkylating agent and 5-Fluorouracil as an antimetabolite. Moreover, glucose consumption in the medium supernatant was measured and protein expressions were determined by Western Blotting. RESULTS: Initial tests for the combined treatment with metformin indicated unexpected results as metformin could partly mitigate the cytotoxic effects of the chemotherapeutic agents. These results were further confirmed as metformin induced resistance to some of the drugs when applied simultaneously in the tumor therapy model. Mechanistically, an increased glucose consumption was observed in non-transformed cells as well as in the mixed population of malignant transformed cell foci and non-transformed monolayer cells, suggesting that metformin could also increase glucose consumption in transformed cells. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study suggests a cautious use of metformin during chemotherapy. Moreover, the BALB/c tumor therapy model offers a potent tool for further mechanistic studies of drug-drug interactions during cancer therapy.