Biological evaluation of pyrazolyl-urea and dihydro-imidazo-pyrazolyl-urea derivatives as potential anti-angiogenetic agents in the treatment of neuroblastoma.

Pyrazolyl-urea and dihydro-imidazo-pyrazolyl-urea compounds (STIRUR 13, STIRUR 41 and BUR 12) have been demonstrated to exert a strong inhibitory effect on interleukin 8 or N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine-induced chemotaxis of human neutrophils. Since the migration of cancer cells is comparable to that of neutrophils, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the biological effect of STIRUR 13, STIRUR 41 and BUR 12 on ACN and HTLA-230, two neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines with different degree of malignancy. HTLA-230 cells, stage-IV NB cells, have high plasticity and can serve as progenitors of endothelial cells. The results herein reported show that the three tested compounds were not cytotoxic for both NB cells and did not alter their clonogenic potential. However, all compounds were able to inhibit the ability of HTLA-230 to form vascular-like structures. On the basis of these findings, pyrazolyl-urea and dihydro-imidazo-pyrazolyl-urea derivatives could be proposed as agents potentially effective in counteracting NB malignancy by inhibiting cell migration and tumor angiogenesis which represent important hallmarks responsible for cancer survival and progression.

Glutathione-mediated antioxidant response and aerobic metabolism: two crucial factors involved in determining the multi-drug resistance of high-risk neuroblastoma.

Neuroblastoma, a paediatric malignant tumor, is initially sensitive to etoposide, a drug to which many patients develop chemoresistance. In order to investigate the molecular mechanisms responsible for etoposide chemoresistance, HTLA-230, a human MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell line, was chronically treated with etoposide at a concentration that in vitro mimics the clinically-used dose. The selected cells (HTLA-Chr) acquire multi-drug resistance (MDR), becoming less sensitive than parental cells to high doses of etoposide or doxorubicin. MDR is due to several mechanisms that together contribute to maintaining non-toxic levels of H2O2. In fact, HTLA-Chr cells, while having an efficient aerobic metabolism, are also characterized by an up-regulation of catalase activity and higher levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), a thiol antioxidant compound. The combination of such mechanisms contributes to prevent membrane lipoperoxidation and cell death. Treatment of HTLA-Chr cells with L-Buthionine-sulfoximine, an inhibitor of GSH biosynthesis, markedly reduces their tumorigenic potential that is instead enhanced by the exposure to N-Acetylcysteine, able to promote GSH synthesis.Collectively, these results demonstrate that GSH and GSH-related responses play a crucial role in the acquisition of MDR and suggest that GSH level monitoring is an efficient strategy to early identify the onset of drug resistance and to control the patient's response to therapy.

Redox Homeostasis and Cellular Antioxidant Systems: Crucial Players in Cancer Growth and Therapy.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and their products are components of cell signaling pathways and play important roles in cellular physiology and pathophysiology. Under physiological conditions, cells control ROS levels by the use of scavenging systems such as superoxide dismutases, peroxiredoxins, and glutathione that balance ROS generation and elimination. Under oxidative stress conditions, excessive ROS can damage cellular proteins, lipids, and DNA, leading to cell damage that may contribute to carcinogenesis. Several studies have shown that cancer cells display an adaptive response to oxidative stress by increasing expression of antioxidant enzymes and molecules. As a double-edged sword, ROS influence signaling pathways determining beneficial or detrimental outcomes in cancer therapy. In this review, we address the role of redox homeostasis in cancer growth and therapy and examine the current literature regarding the redox regulatory systems that become upregulated in cancer and their role in promoting tumor progression and resistance to chemotherapy.

Oxysterol mixture and, in particular, 27-hydroxycholesterol drive M2 polarization of human macrophages.

Macrophages play a crucial role in atherosclerosis progression. Classically activated M1 macrophages have been found in rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques whereas alternatively activated macrophages, M2, localize in stable plaque. Macrophage accumulation of cholesterol and of its oxidized derivatives (oxysterols) leads to the formation of foam cells, a hallmark of atherosclerotic lesions. In this study, the effects of oxysterols in determining the functional polarization of human macrophages were investigated. Monocytes, purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors, were differentiated into macrophages (M0) and treated with an oxysterol mixture, cholesterol, or ethanol, every 4 H for a total of 4, 8, and 12 H. The administration of the compounds was repeated in order to maintain the levels of oxysterols constant throughout the treatment. Compared with ethanol treatment, the oxysterol mixture decreased the surface expression of CD36 and CD204 scavenger receptors and reduced the amount of reactive oxygen species whereas it did not affect either cell viability or matrix metalloprotease-9 activity. Moreover, the oxysterol mixture increased the expression of both liver X receptor α and ATP-binding cassette transporter 1. An enhanced secretion of the immunoregulatory cytokine IL-10 accompanied these events. The results supported the hypothesis that the constant levels of oxysterols and, in particular, of 27-hydroxycholesterol stimulate macrophage polarization toward the M2 immunomodulatory functional phenotype, contributing to the stabilization of atherosclerotic plaques.