Tolerance of Human Fibroblasts to Benfo-Oxythiamine In Vitro.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the potential application of B-OT in the aspiration tract. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conceived and optimized an in vitro model simulating the mouth-washing process to assess tolerance to B-OT on primary human gingival fibroblasts. Cells derived from 4 unrelated donors were flushed with medium containing drugs of various concentration for one minute twice daily for 3 days. RESULTS: No effect was seen on the cells up to 1000 µM B-OT. In addition, we treated the cells with B-OT permanently in medium, corresponding to a systemic treatment. No effect was seen by 10 µM B-OT and only a slight reduction (approximately 10%) was seen by 100 µM B-OT. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest good tolerance of oral cells for B-OT, favoring the further development of this antiviral reagent as a mouth-washing solution and nasal spray.

Oxythiamine improves antifungal activity of ketoconazole evaluated in canine Malassezia pachydermatis strains.

BACKGROUND: Malassezia pachydermatis is an opportunistic yeast involved in skin and ear canal infections of dogs and cats. Reports suggest that strains of M. pachydermatis resistant to commonly used antifungal agents may be emerging. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies should be explored. OBJECTIVES: The synergistic effect of oxythiamine (OT) and ketoconazole (KTC) was analysed using a reference strain and field isolates (n = 66) of M. pachydermatis. Hydrogel formulations containing these components also were evaluated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimum fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) of OT, KTC and their mixtures were determined by a broth macrodilution method. The antifungal effects of hydrogel formulations were determined by a plate diffusion method. RESULTS: The MIC and MFC values of OT were in the range 0.08 × 103 to 10 × 103  mg/L. All M. pachydermatis strains showed higher susceptibility to KTC (MICs and MFCs in the range 0.04-0.32 mg/L). Formulations that combined OT and KTC showed a synergistic effect for all tested isolates (n = 66). Hydrogels that contained OT at a concentration of 10 × 103 or 20 × 103  mg/L and KTC at the concentration of 0.1 × 103  mg/L showed a stronger effect than a commercially available product with KTC alone (20 × 103  mg/L). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Synergy of these drugs may allow for successful topical treatment which utilizes lower doses of KTC without changing its therapeutic effectiveness. Hydrogel formulations proved to be attractive drug carriers for potential topical use.

Thiamine antivitamins--an opportunity of therapy of fungal infections caused by Malassezia pachydermatis and Candida albicans.

Severe skin diseases and systemic fungaemia are caused by Malassezia pachydermatis and Candida albicans respectively. Antifungal therapies are less effective because of chronic character of infections and high percentage of relapses. Therefore, there is a great need to develop new strategies of antifungal therapies. We previously found that oxythiamine decreases proliferation of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), therefore we suggest that thiamine antivitamins can be considered as antifungal agents. The aim of this study was the comparison of thiamine antivitamins (oxythiamine, amprolium, thiochrome, tetrahydrothiamine and tetrahydrooxythiamine) inhibitory effect on the growth rate and energetic metabolism efficiency in non-pathogenic S. cerevisiae and two potentially pathogenic species M. pachydermatis and C. albicans. Investigated species were cultured on a Sabouraud medium supplemented with trace elements in the presence (40 mg l(-1)) or absence of each tested antivitamins to estimate their influence on growth rate, enzyme activity and kinetic parameters of pyruvate decarboxylase and malate dehydrogenase of each tested species. Oxythiamine was the only antivitamin with antifungal potential. M. pachydermatis and S. cerevisiae were the most sensitive, whereas C. albicans was the least sensitive to oxythiamine action. Oxythiamine can be considered as supportive agent in superficial mycoses treatment, especially those caused by species from the genus Malassezia.

The novel hypothesis of carcinogenesis and anti-cancer treatment perspectives - Hydroxyethylthiamine diphosphate.

In presented article, the novel hypothesis of carcinogenesis, and thorough discussion of some essential biochemical mechanisms which might be responsible for the malignant transformation of cells (bond disorders between Fe(3+) and S(+)-methionine in cytochrome; blockage of the last 3-d orbital of Fe by the certain ligand and formation of 6th coordinated bond leading to Fe(3+) reduction up to Fe(2+) and cessation of tissue respiration; increase in mitochondrial pH and further in cell, leading to decreased activity of most of enzymes (thiamine diphosphate, oxidases); formation of S-adenosyl-methionine with its further dissociation and production of adenosine and homocysteine; effects of homocysteine on DNA structures, homocysteine-induced dimethylation of certain nitrogen basis and their extrusion from strands of DNA leading to mutations and cellular atypism) has been suggested. Along with theoretical discussions, article provides results of preliminary investigations carried out on C57Bl/6J mice with Ehrlich carcinoma aimed to capture lipoic acid amide with Hydroxyethylthiamine diphosphate, and study effects of Hydroxyethylthiamine diphosphate against malignant transformation of cells. Experiments have shown inhibition of cancer growth in treated animals. Morphological investigations of cancer tissue revealed necrotic zones, inflammatory infiltrations, central necrosis with adjacent inflammatory mono- and polymorph infiltrations, must cells, segmento-nuclear leukocytes, lymphadenoid follicular hyperplasia. According to the novel hypothesis of carcinogenesis and results of experiments the new approaches and perspectives of anti-cancer treatment with the use of Hydroxiethyl-thiamine diphosphate has been suggested.

The in vitro and in vivo anti-metastatic efficacy of oxythiamine and the possible mechanisms of action.

This study examined the anti-metastatic effects of oxythiamine (OT) both in cell culture and in vivo. Cell culture results revealed that OT (0-20 microM) significantly inhibited the invasion and migration (IC(50) = 8.75 microM) of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells. These effects of OT were accompanied by the inhibition of metalloproteinases-2 and -9 (MMP-2, MMP-9), urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) activities and by the increases in protein expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases-1 and -2 (TIMP-1, TIMP-2). We then implanted (s.c.) C57BL/6 mice with LLC cells and supplemented the mice with a low- or a high-dose of OT (250 or 500 mg/kg BW) daily for 5 wk. During the 5-wk period, OT supplementation decreased plasma MMP-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner, and this effect was significant after 4 wk of tumor cell implantation. Tumor metastasis was found to confine to the lungs of mice injected with the tumor cells. High-OT supplementation strongly lowered the number and area of tumors and inhibited protein expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the lungs. In addition, high-OT supplementation markedly decreased the extent of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) staining in the lungs. By contrast, OT supplementation increased TIMP-1 and -2 protein expression in the lungs. These results demonstrate that OT supplementation attenuates tumor cell metastasis, possibly via inhibition of protein expression of MMPs, extent of PCNA staining and via increase of proteins expression of TIMPs.

Changes in brain lipid composition in thiamine deficient rats.

Brain lipid composition was studied in thiamine deficient rats treated with thiamine antimetabolites (oxythiamine: OT, and pyrithiamine: PT) and thiamine deficient diet (TDD). After intraperitoneal injection of OT (40 mg/kg/day) or TDD feeding for 6 days, body weight gain decreased. However, the PT (500 micrograms/kg/day) treated rats or the pair fed control (PFC: TDD + thiamine of 5 mg/kg, i.p.) showed no decrease in body weight gain compared with the regular diet control (C). Brain lipid levels (total lipid, total cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, sphingomyelin and cerebroside) were examined in four brain regions (cerebral cortex, subcortical structure, brain stem and cerebellum). Total lipid level increased in four regions in OT or TDD treated rats, but total lipid level in the cerebellum in PT treated rats decreased. Total cholesterol level increased in all treated rats, while the triglyceride level in the brain stem decreased dramatically in OT or TDD treated rats. Cerebroside levels of four regions in the PT, OT or TDD group remarkably decreased, and PFC rats showed a significant improvement of the decrease in cerebroside level. It is conceivable that these changes in brain lipid composition provided some clues for the histological and morphological changes of the brain as manifested by the myelin degradation in acute thiamine deficiency.

[Comparative evaluation of the action of oxythiamine and its derivatives on animals with Erhlich's ascitic cancer]. / Sravnitel'naia otsenka deistviia oksitiamina i nekotorykh ego proizvodnykh na zhivotnykh s astsitnym rakom Erlikha.

It is found that hydroxythiamine ester with sebacic acid surpassed hydroxythiamine in its antitumour effect on Ehrlich ascites tumour in albino mice. A linear correlation is observed between the values of activity coefficients of hydroxythiamine and its esters with dicarboxylic acids and some morphometric data.

[Lactate level in the tissues of animals with a tumor administered oxythiamine and the properties of lactate dehydrogenase]. / Uroven' laktata v tkaniakh zhivotnykh s opukhol'iu pri vvedenii oksitiaminina i nekotorye svoistva laktatdegidrogenazy.

Content of lactate in blood, liver and kidney tissues, skeletal muscle and in tumor tissue as well as some properties of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), isolated from liver tissue, were studied in three groups of rats - intact rats, the tumor-bearing animals with sarcoma S-45 and the tumor-bearing rats treated with hydroxythiamin within 22 days. In skeletal muscle on the side of the tumor localization content of lactate was decreased as compared with the opposite side of the body. As shown by analysis of correlation between the content of lactate and the tumor weight and the lactate concentration in the tumor-bearing rat tissues studied, the tumor appears to be responsible for consumption but not for production of lactate. Hydroxythiamin altered distinctly the ratio of lactate content in various tissues and normalized the liver tissue LDH isoenzyme spectrum in tumor-bearing rats; the vitamin decreased 9- and 15-fold the enzyme specific activity in oxidation of lactate in presence of NAD+ and NADP, respectively. After the hydroxythiamin treatment the apparent KM value of the enzyme, isolated from the tumor-bearing rat liver tissue, was increased with pyruvate and decreased with lactate as substrate.