Cytotoxicity of fac-Mn(CO)3 complexes with a bidentate quinoline ligand towards triple negative breast cancer.

The cytotoxicity of two tricarbonyl Mn(I) complexes of the general formula fac-[MnBr(CO)3L] (L = quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (A) and 8-amino quinoline (B)) towards triple negative breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) was reported. Complexes A and B released CO when exposed to 468 nm light. Compound B has a dose-dependent cytotoxicity, with half maximal inhibitory concentration values of 19.62 µM and 11.43 µM before and after illumination, respectively. Co-treatment of MDA-MB-231 with paclitaxel (30 nM) and complex B (10 µM) resulted in a 50% reduction in cell viability.

Ruthenium(II) carbon monoxide releasing molecules: Structural perspective, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Carbon monoxide has recently emerged to promote tissue regeneration, enhance the innate immune system, and have anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. While the first generation Ru(II) carbonyl prodrugs (CORM-2 and CORM-3) displayed several beneficial biological effects, a search in the literature shows that little work has been done to address the drawbacks of CORM-2/-3, exploring other CO triggered methods for the next generation Ru(CO)2II based compounds and examining their valuable biological impact. We present a summary of most work related to Ru(II) carbon monoxide-releasing molecules, protein bioconjugation, and antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

IL-10 gene promoter and intron polymorphisms as genetic biomarkers of cervical cancer susceptibility among Tunisians.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between polymorphisms in the promoter and intron regions of the interleukin-10 (IL-10) gene with the risk of cervical cancer (CC) in Tunisian patients and control women. METHODS: Study subjects comprised 86 CC cases and 126 control women. Genotyping of IL-10 intron (rs3024491, rs3024490) and promoter (rs1800872, rs1800871, rs1800896) variants was done by real-time PCR, with defined clusters. RESULTS: The minor allele frequencies of the five tested IL-10 SNPs were not significantly different between cervical cancer cases and control women. However, significantly higher frequencies of homozygous minor allele-carriers in cases was seen for rs3024490 (P=0.023), rs1800872 (P=0.037), and rs1800871 (P=0.028). IL-10 serum levels were significantly reduced in rs3024490 T/T vs. G/G genotype carriers, and in rs1800871 T/T than C/C genotype carriers. While carriage of rs1800872 and rs3024491 minor allele was associated with reduced IL-10 secretion, this was not statistically significant. Haploview analysis demonstrated high linkage disequilibrium (LD) among the IL10 SNPs studied, and only seven haplotypes were common, capturing 98.8% of the total possible haplotypes. Reduced frequency of haplotypes GTCCA (P<0.001) and TGATG (P<0.001) was seen in cervical cancer cases than in control women, thus conferring disease protection nature to these haplotype. This association remained significant for GTCCA (Pc=0.006) and TGATG (P=0.045) after correcting for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSION: Specific IL-10 variants (rs3024490, rs1800872, and rs1800871) and haplotype (GTCCA and TGATG) may contribute to the development of cervical cancer among Tunisian women.

C-reactive protein gene variants associated with recurrent pregnancy loss independent of CRP serum levels: a case-control study.

The aim of this study is to investigate the association of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) with altered C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels, and genetic variation in CRP gene. This was a retrospective case-control study, involving 275 women with three or more consecutive pregnancy losses, and 290 age-matched control women, who were recruited from outpatient obstetrics/gynecology clinics. CRP serum levels (hs-CRP) were determined by latex-enhanced nephelometry, and CRP genotyping was done by allelic discrimination. Mean serum CRP levels were higher in RPL cases than in control women, and carriage of the (minor) T allele of rs2794520 was associated with significant increase in CRP levels (P=0.017). Minor allele frequency (MAF) of rs7553007 was significantly different between RPL cases and control women, and was associated with reduced risk of RPL after adjusting for BMI and menarche. There was a significant enrichment of minor allele-carrying genotypes of rs1130864 and rs1417938 SNPs, and reduced frequency of minor allele-carrying genotypes of rs876537, rs2794520, and rs7553007 in RPL cases, thus assigning RPL-susceptible and -protective nature to these genotypes, respectively. Carriage of (minor) T allele of only rs2794520 was associated with significant increase in CRP levels. CRP variants that influenced circulating CRP levels in chronic inflammatory conditions are also associated with RPL, pointing to CRP as RPL candidate gene.