Amyloid-Beta Induces Different Expression Pattern of Tissue Transglutaminase and Its Isoforms on Olfactory Ensheathing Cells: Modulatory Effect of Indicaxanthin.

Herein, we assessed the effect of full native peptide of amyloid-beta (Aß) (1-42) and its fragments (25-35 and 35-25) on tissue transglutaminase (TG2) and its isoforms (TG2-Long and TG2-Short) expression levels on olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs). Vimentin and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) were also studied. The effect of the pre-treatment with indicaxanthin from Opuntia ficus-indica fruit on TG2 expression levels and its isoforms, cell viability, total reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide anion (O2-), and apoptotic pathway activation was assessed. The levels of Nestin and cyclin D1 were also evaluated. Our findings highlight that OECs exposure to Aß(1-42) and its fragments induced an increase in TG2 expression levels and a different expression pattern of its isoforms. Indicaxanthin pre-treatment reduced TG2 overexpression, modulating the expression of TG2 isoforms. It reduced total ROS and O2- production, GFAP and Vimentin levels, inhibiting apoptotic pathway activation. It also induced an increase in the Nestin and cyclin D1 expression levels. Our data demonstrated that indicaxanthin pre-treatment stimulated OECs self-renewal through the reparative activity played by TG2. They also suggest that Aß might modify TG2 conformation in OECs and that indicaxanthin pre-treatment might modulate TG2 conformation, stimulating neural regeneration in Alzheimer's disease.

Oxazole-Based Compounds As Anticancer Agents.

Heterocyclic compounds represent a significant target for anti-cancer research and drug discovery, due to their structural and chemical diversity. Oxazoles, with oxygen and nitrogen atoms present in the core structure, enable various types of interactions with different enzymes and receptors, favoring the discovery of new drugs. Aim of this review is to describe the most recent reports on the use of oxazole-based compounds in anticancer research, with reference to the newly discovered iso/oxazole-based drugs, to their synthesis and to the evaluation of the most biologically active derivatives. The corresponding dehydrogenated derivatives, i.e. iso/oxazolines and iso/oxazolidines, are also reported.

Serendipitous discovery of potent human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma anti-cancer molecules: A fortunate failure of a rational molecular design.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) play an important role as valuable drugs targeted to cancer therapy: several HDACis are currently being tested in clinical trials. Two new potential HDACis 1a and 1d, characterized by the presence of a biphenyl-4-sulfonamide group as a connection unit between the N-{4-[(E)-(2-formylhydrazinylidene)methyl]-3-hydroxyphenyl} and the 2-hydroxy-N-(trifluoroacetyl)benzamide moiety, respectively, as two zinc-binding group (ZBG), have been designed, synthesized and tested for their biological activity. Surprisingly, compounds 1a and 12, this last exclusively obtained in place of 1d, exhibited a very low HDAC inhibitory activity. A serendipitous assay of these two compounds, conducted on three chemoresistant cell lines of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), showed their antiproliferative activity at low nanomolar concentrations, better than cisplatin. In vitro, biological assays indicated that compounds 1a and 12 are able to increase acetylation of histone H3 and to interfere with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway by inducing the accumulation of PTEN protein.

γ-Cyclodextrin as a Catalyst for the Synthesis of 2-Methyl-3,5-diarylisoxazolidines in Water.

A green and efficient 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones with different styrenes and cinnamates using a catalytic amount of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) in water has been developed to give substituted isoxazolidines. γ-CD was found to be highly efficacious in carrying out this reaction under an eco-friendly environment, affording moderate to excellent yields and, in some cases, excellent diastereomeric excess (up to >95%) at 100 °C in 8-12 h. The catalyst can be easily recuperated and recycled for several times without loss of activity. Water, an eco-friendly reaction medium, has been utilized for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, in this reaction. The credit of the presented protocol includes high yields and catalyst reusability, and precludes the use of organic solvents. The use of in silico calculations allowed us to rationalize the obtained results and to improve the stereoselectivity.

C-5'-Triazolyl-2'-oxa-3'-aza-4'a-carbanucleosides: Synthesis and biological evaluation.

A novel series of 2'-oxa-3'-aza-4'a-carbanucleosides, featured with a triazole linker at the 5'-position, has been developed by exploiting a click chemistry reaction of 5'-azido-2'-oxa-3'-aza-4'a-carbanucleosides with substituted alkynes. Biological tests indicate an antitumor activity for the synthesized compounds: most of them inhibit cell proliferation of Vero, BS-C-1, HEp-2, MDCK, and HFF cells with a CC50 in the range of 5.0-40 µM. The synthesized compounds do not show any antiviral activity.

A top-down approach to crystal engineering of a racemic Δ2-isoxazoline.

The crystal structure of racemic dimethyl (4RS,5RS)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-4,5-dihydroisoxazole-4,5-dicarboxylate, C13H12N2O7, has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. By analysing the degree of growth of the morphologically important crystal faces, a ranking of the most relevant non-covalent interactions determining the crystal structure can be inferred. The morphological information is considered with an approach opposite to the conventional one: instead of searching inside the structure for the potential key interactions and using them to calculate the crystal habit, the observed crystal morphology is used to define the preferential lines of growth of the crystal, and then this information is interpreted by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Comparison with the X-ray structure confirms the validity of the strategy, thus suggesting this top-down approach to be a useful tool for crystal engineering.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of 1,7,8,8a-tetrahydro-3H-oxazolo[3,4-a]pyrazin-6(5H)-ones as antitumoral agents.

A series of 1,7,8,8a-tetrahydro-3H-oxazolo[3,4-a]pyrazin-6(5H)-ones has been synthesized by an intramolecular, palladium(II) catalyzed, aminooxygenation of alkenyl ureas, readily available from glycine allylamides as starting materials. Biological tests showed that the obtained compounds are endowed with an interesting antitumoral activity against two human thyroid cancer cell lines, namely FTC-133 and 8305C, by promoting the apoptotic pathway and DNA fragmentation.

Self-catalyzed Mannich-type reaction of enolizable cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls to acyclic nitrones: an entry to functionalized ß-enamino diones.

A new method for the preparation of highly functionalized ß-enamino diones has been developed. The protocol involves an initial self-catalyzed Mannich-type reaction of enolizable cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyls to nitrones, followed by a spontaneous intramolecular reorganization of the resulting nonisolated hydroxylamine to enamino derivatives. These compounds retain the features of unnatural α-amino acids. The ease of preparation makes them attractive intermediates for the synthesis of peptidomimetics, polyheterocycles, and other multifunctional compounds. All experimental results have been efficiently rationalized by in silico studies at the M06-2X level of theory, and a valid mechanistic pathway has been proposed.

Potassium caffeate/caffeic acid co-crystal: the rat race between the catecholic and carboxylic moieties in an atypical co-crystal.

The vast literature concerning caffeic acid and its derivatives lacks any reference to the solid state structures of its inorganic salts as these crystals are quite difficult grow. Most of the already published works deal with computational studies of these compounds as well as investigations of their behaviour in solution. Having obtained good quality potassium caffeate/caffeic acid co-crystals, we solved their structure and used a robust approach, already applied to caffeic acid alone, to compare the X-ray structure with the one inferred by Molecular Dynamics (MD), focusing our attention on the structure-property relationships. The reliability of this method is confirmed by the overall agreement extended up to the anisotropic displacement parameters calculated, on one hand, by means of MD and the ones gathered, on the other hand, by X-ray measurements. Moreover, the lack of experimental evidence of an enthalpically favored polymorph, arising from the MD calculations, were explained on the basis of the Shannon's entropy.

Truncated phosphonated C-1'-branched N,O-nucleosides: a new class of antiviral agents.

Truncated phosphonated C-1'-branched N,O-nucleosides have been synthesized in good yields by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition methodology, starting from N-methyl-C-(diethoxyphosphoryl)nitrone 7. Preliminary biological assays show that ß-anomers are able to inhibit HIV in vitro infection at concentrations in the micromolar range. Higher SI values with respect to AZT indicated that the compounds were endowed with low cytotoxicity.

Novel isoxazole polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as DNA-intercalating agents.

The third generation of isoxazole polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, acting as DNA-intercalator agents and possessing the binding constants in the range 10(4)-10(5) M(-1), in order to easily diffuse targeting remotely implanted tumors, has been synthesized in good yields according to the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition methodology. The structure of the obtained cycloadducts has been determined by NOE experiments and supported by computational studies at PM3 level. All the obtained compounds have been tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity and the most potent of them, (3RS,5SR)-2-benzyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-(pyren-1-yl)isoxazolidine-5-carboxamide (7d), showed an IC(50) of 4 µM upon the human lung cancer (A-549) cells. Moreover, compound 7d showed binding constant for the intercalation with calf thymus DNA, poly-d(AT)(2) and poly-d(GC)(2) of 1.7 × 10(5) M(-1), 1.6 × 10(5) M(-1) and 0.3 × 10(5) M(-1), respectively. Biological and docking studies showed that, in vitro, these compounds complex by intercalation between base pairs, approaching the DNA from its minor groove with a preference for the AT nucleobases pairs.

Isoxazolidinyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as DNA-intercalating antitumor agents.

The second generation and an isosteric series of isoxazolidinyl polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, as DNA-intercalator agents designed to act on remotely implanted tumors, have been synthesized in good yields according to the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition methodology. The structure of the obtained cycloadducts has been determined by NOE experiments and supported by computational studies at PM3 level. The utility of this new template in the synthesis of structures designed to capitalize on its intercalative properties has been examined. All the obtained compounds have been tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity and the most potent of them showed an IC(50) of 9 µM upon the human lung cancer (A-549) cell and a binding constant, for the intercalation with calf thymus DNA, of 9.6 × 10(4) M(-1). Biological and docking studies showed that these compounds complex exclusively by intercalation between base pairs, approaching the DNA from its minor groove, with a neat selectivity for the AT or GC nucleobases.

ß-cyclodextrin and caffeine complexes with natural polyphenols from olive and olive oils: NMR, thermodynamic, and molecular modeling studies.

Complexes of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) and caffeine (Caf) with biophenols present in olive and olive oil (tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, homovanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, and protocatechuic acid) were investigated by NMR spectroscopy and thermodynamical-molecular dynamic studies to verify the formation of supermolecular aggregates. The obtained results indicated that the investigated biophenols form inclusion complexes with ß-CD in a molar ratio of 1:1 in aqueous solution having binding constant values from 10- to 40-fold bigger than those of the corresponding complexes with Caf. Then, ß-CD preferentially encloses the biophenol molecule, decreasing its bitter taste and, at the same time, preserving it against chemical and physical decomposition reactions that occur during storage.

Synthesis of C-4'truncated phosphonated carbocyclic 2'-oxa-3'-azanucleosides as antiviral agents.

A new template of C-4'-truncated phosphonated nucleosides (TPCOANs) has been obtained in good yields according to two different routes which exploit the reactivity of a phosphonated nitrone. The one-step procedure based on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a phosphonated nitrone with vinyl nucleobases leads to the unnatural alpha-nucleosides as the main adducts. On the other hand, the target beta-anomers have been obtained in high yield by a two-step procedure based on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a phosphonated nitrone with vinyl acetate followed by nucleosidation reaction. The reactivity of the phosphonated nitrone has been investigated trough quantum mechanical DFT calculations at the B3LYP/D95+(d,p) theory level. Preliminary biological assays show that beta-anomers of TPCOANs are able to inhibit the reverse transcriptase of different retroviruses at concentrations in the nanomolar range, with a potency comparable with that of tenofovir.

Stereoselective synthesis and biological evaluations of novel 3'-deoxy-4'-azaribonucleosides as inhibitors of hepatitis C virus RNA replication.

3'-Deoxy-4'-azaribonucleosides (15a-d) were synthesized starting from the commercially available (4R)-trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline 7. From biological evaluations, 15b and 15d emerged as potent inhibitors of HCV replication on a replicon assay. These findings demonstrate that synthesized pyrrolidine nucleosides represent a new template for antiviral or other biological studies and could be considered for novel combination therapy against HCV infection using nucleoside inhibitors and non-nucleoside inhibitors of HCV NS5B.

3-Amino-2(5H)furanones as inhibitors of subgenomic hepatitis C virus RNA replication.

A new class of compounds able to block the replication of subgenomic HCV RNA in liver cells is described. 3-Amino-2(5H)furanones 4 may be regarded as diketoacid analogues and were obtained by basic rearrangement of the isoxazolidine nucleus.

Conversion of oximes to carbonyl compounds by triscetylpyridinium tetrakis(oxodiperoxotungsto) phosphate (PCWP)-mediated oxidation with hydrogen peroxide.

Aromatic and aliphatic oximes have been deoximated in chloroform-water to the corresponding aldehydes with dilute hydrogen peroxide and triscetylpyridinium tetrakis (oxodiperoxotungsto) phosphate as catalyst. The presence of dipolarophiles in the reaction mixtures allows a competitive reaction that converts oximes into isoxazole and isoxazoline derivatives via the intermediate formation of nitrile oxide species.