Bifunctional tetrazole-carboxylate ligand based Zn(ii) complexes: synthesis and their excellent potential anticancer properties.

Transition metal coordination complexes have provided cancer treatment with new insights to overcome the limitations of current chemotherapeutic agents. Utilization of bifunctional tetrazole-carboxylate ligands with Zn(ii) obtained two self-assembled complexes [Zn(HL1)(bipy)3/2(H2O)]·CH3OH·4(H2O) (1) (H3L1 = 1,3,5-tri(2-carboxymethyltetrazol-5-yl) benzene) and [Zn(L2)2(H2O)2]2·2H2O (2) (HL2 = (5-pyridin-3-yl-tetrazol-2-yl)-acetic acid). The X-ray diffraction results showed that the two complexes displayed a two-dimensional (2D) layer structure and a one-dimensional (1D) layer structure. Nanocoprecipitation with DSPE-PEG-2000 resulted in the formation of complex nanoparticles (NPS) with excellent water dispersion. In vitro CCK-8 assay indicated the two NPs exert high cytotoxicity and sensitivity and a low half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) towards HeLa than HepG2 cells. In addition, the cytotoxicity was also confirmed by live/dead co-stained experiments. The presented experimental results showed the 1 and 2 NPs were capable of inhibiting cell proliferation in vitro and may help design coordination complex-based anticancer candidates for cancer cells.

Effects of combined intervention of physical exercise and cognitive training on cognitive function in stroke survivors with vascular cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE:: This study evaluated the possible effect of the combined intervention of physical exercise and cognitive training on cognitive function in stroke survivals with vascular cognitive impairment. DESIGN:: A single-blind (investigator-blinded but not subject-blinded) randomized controlled trial. SETTING:: Medical Rehabilitation Center of Shanghai General Hospital, China. SUBJECTS:: A total of 225 patients (mean age 64.59 years, SD = 4.27) who exhibited vascular cognitive impairment were included in this study. INTERVENTIONS:: Patients were randomly allocated into one of the four groups: (1) physical exercise ( n = 56; 50-minute session), (2) cognitive training ( n = 57; 60-minute session), (3) combined intervention of physical exercise and cognitive training ( n = 55; 50-minute session + 60-minute session), or (4) control groups ( n = 57; 45-minute session). All participants received training for 36 sessions, three days per week, for 12 weeks. PRIMARY MEASURES:: Measures were recorded at baseline, after the intervention and at a six-month follow-up. Primary measurements included the Trail Making Part B, Stroop, forward digit span, and mental rotation tests. RESULTS:: A total of 179 participants (79.56% response rate) completed the study. Cognitive performances on all four tasks in the combined training group improved significantly after the intervention ( P < 0.01). Changes in cognitive performance were greater in the combined intervention group than those in the physical exercise group (e.g. forward digit span, 13.61% vs. 2.18%, P = 0.003), the cognitive training group (e.g. mental rotation, 17.36% vs. 0.87%, P = 0.002), and the control group (e.g. Stroop, -4.11% vs. -0.72%, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION:: The combined intervention produced greater benefits on cognitive function compared to either training alone in stroke survivors with vascular cognitive impairment.