CEM-SS Cells Research Articles

Mechanism of Damnacanthal Induced Apoptosis in CEM-SS Cell Line

Leukaemia, is cancer of organs that is responsible to produce blood specifically the lymphatic system and bone marrow. Due to the harsh effects of currently used cancer drugs, damnacanthal, an anthraquinone obtained from the roots of Morinda elliptica is tested as a potential anticancer agent. This study reports on the participation of the p53, Bcl-2 and Bax in the apoptosis induced by of damnacanthal, on T-lymphoblastic leukaemia (CEM-SS) cell. Cell viability and morphology was tested with trypan blue assay, flow cytometry analysis detected the apoptotic activity of damnacanthal, caspase colorimetric protease assay tested the Caspase 2, 3, 6, 8, and 9’s involvement and Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was carried out to quantify the Human p53, Bcl-2, and Bax expression levels. Damnacanthal exhibited cytotoxicity at doses 10 and 30 µg/mL after 72 h of incubation. This study reports that damnacanthal arrested the cell at G2/M phase and initiates the apoptotic activity in the cells treated with 30 µg/mL of damnacanthal for 72 h through caspase 2 and 6 activation and not caspases 3, 8, and 9. Furthermore, this anthraquinone induces apoptosis via p53-independent pathway. Damnacanthal also lowered Bcl-2 and increased Bax activity in CEM-SS cell lines. These anticancer properties of damnacanthal makes it a potential agent to treat T-lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Ultrastructural and Morphological Effects in T-Lymphoblastic Leukemia CEM-SS Cells Following Treatment with Nordamnacanthal and Damnacanthal from Roots of Morinda elliptica.

Background: Morinda elliptica (family Rubiaceae), locally known as ‘mengkudu kecil’, has been used by the Malays for medicinal purposes. Anthraquinones isolated from the roots of Morinda elliptica, namely nordamnacanthal and damnacanthal, have been widely reported to exhibit anticancer and antioxidant properties in various cancer models in vitro and in vivo. Aim: This study analyzed the morphological and ultrastructural effects of damnacanthal and nordamnacanthal on T-lymphoblastic leukemia CEM-SS cells. Method: Light microscopy, Giemsa staining, Wright’s staining, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were carried out to determine apoptosis, necrosis, and ultrastructural changes that occurred within the cells. Results: The outcomes showed that these compounds induced cell death by apoptosis and necrosis, specifically at higher doses of 10 and 30 μg/mL. Condensation and fragmentation of the nuclear chromatin, which further separated into small, membrane-bound vesicles known as apoptotic bodies, were observed in the nuclei and cytoplasm. The plasma membranes and cytoskeletons also showed marked morphological changes upon treatment with damnacanthal and nordamnacanthal, indicating apoptosis. Conclusion: Therefore, we report that damnacanthal and nordamnacanthal exhibit anticancer properties by inducing apoptosis and necrosis in CEM-SS cells, and they have potential as a drug for the treatment of T-lymphoblastic leukemia.

Lobostemon trigonus (Thunb.) H. Buek, a medicinal plant from South Africa as a potential natural microbicide against HIV-1

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThere have been different methods proposed to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1 and many of them have centered on the use of anti-retrovirals as microbicides. Given that a large section of the African population still relies on herbal medicine, Lobostemon trigonus (L. trigonus), a traditionally used medicinal plant in South Africa to treat HIV-1 was further investigated for its potential as a natural microbicide to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV-1. MethodsThe aerial parts of L. trigonus were oven-dried at 80 °C, ground, extracted with boiling water for 30 min and then filtered. The aqueous extract produced was then bioassayed using different HIV-1 inhibition assays. The active components were purified and chemically profiled using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-qTOF-MS). The mechanism of HIV-1 inhibition was determined by fusion arrest assay and time of addition assay. Molecular modelling and molecular dynamic simulations, using Schrödinger, were used to better understand the molecule's mechanism of entry inhibition by evaluating their docking affinity and stability against the gp120 of HIV-1. ResultsThe aqueous extract of this plant had a broad spectrum of activity against different subtypes of the virus; neutralizing subtype A, B and C in the TZM-bl cells, with IC50 values ranging from 0.10 to 7.21 μg/mL. The extract was also inhibitory to the virus induced cytopathic effects in CEM-SS cells with an EC50 of 8.9 μg/mL. In addition, it inhibited infection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and macrophages with IC50 values of 0.97 and 4.4 μg/mL, respectively. In the presence of vaginal and seminal simulants, and in human semen it retained its inhibitory activity albeit with a decrease in efficiency, by about 3-fold. Studies of the mode of action suggested that the extract blocked HIV-1 attachment to target cells. No toxicity was observed when the Lactobacilli strains, L. acidophilus, L. jensenii, and L. crispatus that populate the female genital tract were cultured in the presence of L. trigonus extract. UPLC-qTOF-MS analyses of the purified fraction of the extract, confirmed the presence of six compounds of which four were identified as rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acids B and C and lithospermic acid. The additional molecular dynamic simulations provided further insight into the entry inhibitory characteristics of salvianolic acid B against the HIV-1 gp120, with a stable pose being found within the CD4 binding site. ConclusionThe data suggests that the inhibitory effect of L. trigonus may be due to the presence of organic acids which are known to possess anti-HIV-1 properties. The molecules salvianolic acids B and C have been identified for the first time in L. trigonus species. Our study also showed that the L. trigonus extract blocked HIV-1 attachment to target cells, and that it has a broad spectrum of activity against different subtypes of the virus; thus, justifying further investigation as a HIV-1 microbicide.

Antiviral activity of natural humic substances and shilajit materials against HIV-1: Relation to structure

Natural products, such as humic substances (HS) and shilajit, are known to possess antiviral activity. Humic-like components are often called as carriers of biological activity of shilajit. The goal of this study was to evaluate anti-HIV activity of well characterized HS isolated from coal, peat, and peloids, and compare it to that of water-soluble organic matter (OM) isolated from different samples of Shilajit. The set of humic materials included 16 samples of different fractional composition: humic acid (HA), hymatomelanic acid (HMA), fulvic acid (FA). The set of shilajit OM included 19 samples of different geographic origin and level of alteration. The HIV-1 p24 antigen assay and cell viability test were used for assessment of antiviral activity. The HIV-1 Bru strain was used to infect CEM-SS cells. The obtained EC50 values varied from 0.37 to 1.4 mg L−1 for the humic materials, and from 14 to 142 mg L−1 for the shilajit OM. Hence, all humic materials used in this study outcompeted largely the shilajit materials with respect to anti-HIV activity: For the humic materials, the structure-activity relationships revealed strong correlation between the EC50 values and the content of aromatic carbon indicating the most important role of aromatic structures. For shilajit OM, the reverse relationship was obtained indicating the different mechanism of shilajit activity. The FTICRMS molecular assignments were used for ChEMBL data mining in search of the active humic molecules. As potential carriers of antiviral activity were identified aromatic structures with alkyl substituents, terpenoids, N-containing analogs of typical flavonoids, and aza-podophyllotoxins. The conclusion was made that the typical humic materials and Shilajit differ greatly in molecular composition, and the humic materials have substantial preferences as a natural source of antiviral agents as compared to shilajit.

Anti-Proliferative Activity of Zerumbone Against Tumour Cell Lines

Zerumbone (ZER) is a cytotoxic phytochemical component extracted from the tropical herbal plant, Zingiber Zerumbet smith. It has been identified as an active anticancer compound. This study was aimed to evaluate in vitro the anti-proliferative activity of this bioactive compound, zerumbone, on seven cancer cell lines namely: CEMss (T4-lymphoplastoid), Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO), 3T3 (mouse fibroblast), WEHI-3 (murine monomyelocytic leukemia), HeLa (Human cervical cancer), MCF-7 (human breast cancer) and MDA-MB-231 (human mammary cancer-estrogen negative). The antiproliferative activity of ZER was evaluated using 3-[4,5-dimethylthizol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, together with the commercially available anticancer drug Cisplatin as a control drug. The most sensitive cells to ZER were found to be WEHI-3B, 3T3 and Hela cell lines with an IC50 of 5, 6 and 6.4 µg mL-1, respectively, followed by CEMss cell lines with an IC50 of 12 µg mL-1. This indicates the possible potential use of ZER for treatment of hematological cancers in addition to the cervical cancer. Meanwhile, ZER was found to be less toxic to the normal cell lines CHO.

Phenolics, fatty acids composition and biological activities of various extracts and fractions of Malaysian Aaptos aaptos

Objective: To investigate phenolics, fatty acids composition and biological activities of various extracts and fractions of Malaysian Aaptos aaptos. Methods: Fatty acid methyl ester was analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector. Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging assay and total phenolics content by Folin-Ciocalteu procedure. Vero cells viability was evaluated using methyl thiazole tetrazolium and the inactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 by neutral red uptake assay. p-Hydroxybenzamide isolated by column chromatography was characterized by utilizing nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and electron impact mass spectrometry. Results: The chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Aaptos aaptos produced higher portions of straight-chain saturated fatty acid, while hexane extract mainly consisted of unsaturated fatty acid. The five majors of fatty acid methyl ester were identified as behenic acid, cis-10-heptadecenoic acid and cis-10-pentadecenoic acids, palmitic acid and tricosanoic acid. In addition, among all organic extracts, chloroform extract inactivated herpes simplex virus type 1 while exhibited weak cytotoxic activity against normal Vero cells and also exhibited strong cytotoxic activity on HL-60, MCF-7, K562, CEM-SS and WEHI-3B cells. A phenolic compound, p-hydroxybenzamide was also isolated from the sponge. Conclusions: Aaptos aaptos could be a source to derive the potential antiviral and anticancer agents. However, further studies are needed to determine the mechanism involved in the process.

High-throughput sequencing identifies HIV-1-replication- and latency-related miRNAs in CD4+ T cell lines.

MicroRNAs are potent gene expression regulators involved in regulating various biological processes, including host-pathogen interactions. In this study, we used high-throughput sequencing to investigate cellular miRNA signatures related to HIV-1 replication and latent infection in CD4+ T cell lines, which included HIV-1-replicating H9/HTLV-IIIB, HIV-1-latently-infected CEM-Bru cells, and their parental uninfected H9 and CEM-SS cells. Relatively few miRNAs were found to be modulated by HIV-1 replication or latent infection, while the cell-lineage-specific miRNA difference was more pronounced, irrespective of HIV-1 infection. In silico analysis showed that some of our HIV-1 infection-regulated miRNA profiles echoed previous studies, while others were novel. In addition, some of the miRNAs that were differentially expressed between the productively and latently infected cells seemed to participate in shaping the differential infection state. Thus, the newly identified miRNA profiles related to HIV-1 replication and latency provide information about the interplay between HIV-1 and its host.

Progesterone augments cell susceptibility to HIV-1 and HIV-1/HSV-2 co-infections.

In human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected women, oral or injectable progesterone containing contraceptive pills may enhance HIV-1 acquisition in vivo, and the mechanism by which this occurs is not fully understood. In developing countries, Herpes simplex virus type-2 (HSV-2) co-infection has been shown to be a risk for increase of HIV-1 acquisition and, if co-infected women use progesterone pills, infections may increase several fold. In this study, we used an in vitro cell culture system to study the effects of progesterone on HIV-1 replication and to explore the molecular mechanism of progesterone effects on infected cells. In our in vitro model, CEMss cells (lymphoblastoid cell line) were infected with either HIV-1 alone or co-infected with HSV-2. HIV-1 viral load was measured with and without sex hormone treatment. Progesterone-treated cells showed an increase in HIV-1 viral load (1411.2 pg/mL) compared with cells without progesterone treatment (993.1 pg/mL). Increased cell death was noted with HSV-2 co-infection and in progesterone-treated cells. Similar observations were noted in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) cells derived from three female donors. Progesterone-treated cells also showed reduced antiviral efficacy. Inflammatory cytokines and associations with biomarkers of disease progression were explored. Progesterone upregulated inflammatory cytokines and chemokines conversely and downregulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 expression. Nuclear protein analysis by electrophoretic mobility shift assay showed the association of progesterone with progesterone response element (PRE), which may lead to downregulation of Bcl-2. These data indicate that progesterone treatment enhances HIV-1 replication in infected cells and co-infection with HSV-2 may further fuel this process.

Novel Gold Nanoparticles Reduced by Sargassum glaucescens: Preparation, Characterization and Anticancer Activity.

The current study investigated the anticancer properties of gold nanoparticles (SG-stabilized AuNPs) synthesized using water extracts of the brown seaweed Sargassum glaucescens (SG). SG-stabilized AuNPs were characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The SG-stabilized AuNPs were stable and small at 3.65 ± 1.69 nm in size. The in vitro anticancer effect of SG-stabilized AuNPs was determined on cervical (HeLa), liver (HepG2), breast (MDA-MB-231) and leukemia (CEM-ss) cell lines using fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, caspase activity determination, and MTT assays. After 72 h treatment, SG-stabilized AuNPs was shown to be significant (p < 0.05) cytotoxic to the cancer cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The IC50 values of SG-stabilized AuNPs on the HeLa, HepG2, CEM-ss, MDA-MB-231 cell lines were 4.75 ± 1.23, 7.14 ± 1.45, 10.32 ± 1.5, and 11.82 ± 0.9 μg/mL, respectively. On the other hand, SG-stabilized AuNPs showed no cytotoxic effect towards the normal human mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A). SG-stabilized AuNPs significantly (p < 0.05) arrest HeLa cell cycle at G2/M phase and significantly (p < 0.05) activated caspases-3 and -9 activities. The anticancer effect of SG-stabilized AuNPs is via the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. The study showed that SG-stabilized AuNPs is a good candidate to be developed into a chemotherapeutic compound for the treatment of cancers especially cervical cancer.

Modification of β-Defensin-2 by Dicarbonyls Methylglyoxal and Glyoxal Inhibits Antibacterial and Chemotactic Function In Vitro.

BackgroundBeta-defensins (hBDs) provide antimicrobial and chemotactic defense against bacterial, viral and fungal infections. Human β-defensin-2 (hBD-2) acts against gram-negative bacteria and chemoattracts immature dendritic cells, thus regulating innate and adaptive immunity. Immunosuppression due to hyperglycemia underlies chronic infection in Type 2 diabetes. Hyperglycemia also elevates production of dicarbonyls methylgloxal (MGO) and glyoxal (GO).MethodsThe effect of dicarbonyl on defensin peptide structure was tested by exposing recombinant hBD-2 (rhBD-2) to MGO or GO with subsequent analysis by MALDI-TOF MS and LC/MS/MS. Antimicrobial function of untreated rhBD-2 vs. rhBD-2 exposed to dicarbonyl against strains of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in culture was determined by radial diffusion assay. The effect of dicarbonyl on rhBD-2 chemotactic function was determined by chemotaxis assay in CEM-SS cells.ResultsMGO or GO in vitro irreversibly adducts to the rhBD-2 peptide, and significantly reduces antimicrobial and chemotactic functions. Adducts derive from two arginine residues, Arg22 and Arg23 near the C-terminus, and the N-terminal glycine (Gly1). We show by radial diffusion testing on gram-negative E. coli and P. aeruginosa, and gram-positive S. aureus, and a chemotaxis assay for CEM-SS cells, that antimicrobial activity and chemotactic function of rhBD-2 are significantly reduced by MGO.ConclusionsDicarbonyl modification of cationic antimicrobial peptides represents a potential link between hyperglycemia and the clinical manifestation of increased susceptibility to infection, protracted wound healing, and chronic inflammation in undiagnosed and uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes.

Pharmacokinetic Determinants of Virological Response to Raltegravir in the In Vitro Pharmacodynamic Hollow-Fiber Infection Model System

Daily administration (q24h) of raltegravir has been shown to be as efficacious as twice-daily administration (q12h) in the hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) system. However, q24h regimens were not noninferior to q12h dosing in a clinical trial. We hypothesized that between-patient variability in raltegravir pharmacokinetics (PK) was responsible for the discordance in conclusions between the in vitro and in vivo studies. Hollow-fiber cartridges were inoculated with HIV-infected H9 cells and uninfected CEM-SS cells. Four cartridges received the total daily exposure (800 mg) q24h and four received half the daily exposure (400 mg) q12h. PK profiles with half-lives of 8, 4, 3, and 2 h were simulated for each dosing interval. Cell-to-cell viral spread was assessed by flow cytometry. Viral inhibition was similar between q24h and q12h dosing at the 8- and 4-h half-lives. The q24h dosing was not as efficacious as the q12h dosing when faster half-lives were simulated; a lack of viral suppression was observed at days 3 and 4 for the 2- and 3-h half-lives, respectively. The discrepancy in conclusions between the in vitro HFIM system studies and clinical trials is likely due to the large interindividual variation in raltegravir PK.

DOWN‐REGULATION OF STAT3 BY AZT TREATMENT

STAT (Signal Transducer and activators of transcription) is a family that has the ability to be a transcription factor in the nucleolus and a signal transducer in the cytoplasm. This family has unique structural domains where a tyrosine becomes phosphorylated cytosine-stimulated cells, like the Janus kinases. This family regulates numerous genes in different developmental stages of the organism. If STAT members are missing or wrongly expressed, it could cause numerous diseases and syndromes. Is composed of 7 members STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B and STAT6, which mediate the response to cytokines and growth factors. The purpose of our study is to determine in vitro expression pattern for the gene STAT3 using CEMss cells cultures treated with AZT (Azidothymidine) antiviral drug. Initially, we optimized conditions and perform standard curve validation with greater efficiencies to 98% and R2 of 0.946 for S15 housekeeping gene as internal reference and STAT3 gene. The melting curve for relative expression of S15 resulted with a Tm 86.9°C and STAT3 with 79.6°C. Finally, analysis for STAT3 was performed the Relative Quantification and Comparative Ct (ΔΔCt) real-time RT-PCR at the conditions previously optimized. As a result, after treatment with AZT the STAT3 gene remained down-regulated from 1 day (fold change -0.6) to 10 days trial (fold change -1.3). This suggests that down-regulation of STAT3 gene expression by AZT and this gene should be evaluated as a potential biomarker such as it is involved in resistance to anticancer drugs.

In vitro activity of dolutegravir against wild-type and integrase inhibitor-resistant HIV-2.

BackgroundDolutegravir recently became the third integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI) approved for use in HIV-1–infected individuals. In contrast to the extensive dataset for HIV-1, in vitro studies and clinical reports of dolutegravir for HIV-2 are limited. To evaluate the potential role of dolutegravir in HIV-2 treatment, we compared the susceptibilities of wild-type and INSTI-resistant HIV-1 and HIV-2 strains to the drug using single-cycle assays, spreading infections of immortalized T cells, and site-directed mutagenesis.FindingsHIV-2 group A, HIV-2 group B, and HIV-1 isolates from INSTI-naïve individuals were comparably sensitive to dolutegravir in the single-cycle assay (mean EC50 values = 1.9, 2.6, and 1.3 nM, respectively). Integrase substitutions E92Q, Y143C, E92Q + Y143C, and Q148R conferred relatively low levels of resistance to dolutegravir in HIV-2ROD9 (2- to 6-fold), but Q148K, E92Q + N155H, T97A + N155H and G140S + Q148R resulted in moderate resistance (10- to 46-fold), and the combination of T97A + Y143C in HIV-2ROD9 conferred high-level resistance (>5000-fold). In contrast, HIV-1NL4-3 mutants E92Q + N155H, G140S + Q148R, and T97A + Y143C showed 2-fold, 4-fold, and no increase in EC50, respectively, relative to the parental strain. The resistance phenotypes for E92Q + N155H, and G140S + Q148R HIV-2ROD9 were also confirmed in spreading infections of CEM-ss cells.ConclusionsOur data support the use of dolutegravir in INSTI-naïve HIV-2 patients but suggest that, relative to HIV-1, a broader array of replacements in HIV-2 integrase may enable cross-resistance between dolutegravir and other INSTI. Clinical studies are needed to evaluate the efficacy of dolutegravir in HIV-2–infected individuals, including patients previously treated with raltegravir or elvitegravir.

Apoptosis Induction in Human Leukemia Cell Lines by Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized Using the Green Biosynthetic Approach

Gold nanoparticles were grown on Sargassum muticum water extract (S‐GNPs) using the green biosynthetic approach. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV‐visible spectroscopy, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The resulting S‐GNPs were spherical and crystalline with a size of &lt;10 nm. The in vitro anticancer activity was demonstrated in human leukemia cell lines. The cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of S‐GNPs, and calorimetric (MTT) assay used for the cytotoxicity test, which resulted in an IC50 value of 4.22 ± 1.12, 5.71 ± 1.4, 6.55 ± 0.9, and 7.29 ± 1.7 μg/mL for each of the K562, HL‐60, Jurkat, and CEM‐ss cells, respectively. Thus, the K562 was selected for the next experiments. Furthermore, apoptosis induction was confirmed by Hoechst 33342, annexin V staining, and caspase‐3/‐9 activity tests. The cell cycle analysis exhibited a significant increase in the accumulation of S‐GNPs treated cells at the sub‐G1 phase, demonstrating the induction of apoptosis by S‐GNPs. The nature of the inhibition of cancer cell growth by S‐GNPs could open the way for further research in the design of green synthesis therapeutic agents, particularly in nanomedicine, for the treatment of cancer.

Cytotoxic and Anti-Tumour Promoting Activities of Carbazole Alkaloids from Malayan &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Murraya koenigii&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (L.) Spreng

Murraya koenigii (L.) (Rutaceae) is an indigenous medicinally important herb of Indian origin and now is widely distributed throughout southern Asia. The stem bark, leaves and roots of Malayan Murraya koenigii were selected for phytochemical investigation. Eight carbazole alkaloids was isolated and identified using spectroscopic methods including NMR, IR, UV, MS spectra data. Crude extract and isolated compounds from the roots of this plant were screened for cytotoxic activity and antitumor promoting activity. All crude extracts of the roots including the isolated compounds, mahanimbine, mahanine and murrayafoline-A exhibited significant cytotoxic activity against CEM-SS cell line with IC50 3mg/mL. Girinimbine inhibited EBV-activation in the antitumor promoting assay.

Defining HIV-1 Vif residues that interact with CBFβ by site-directed mutagenesis

Vif is essential for HIV-1 replication in T cells and macrophages. Vif recruits a host ubiquitin ligase complex to promote proteasomal degradation of the APOBEC3 restriction factors by poly-ubiquitination. The cellular transcription cofactor CBFβ is required for Vif function by stabilizing the Vif protein and promoting recruitment of a cellular Cullin5-RING ubiquitin ligase complex. Interaction between Vif and CBFβ is a promising therapeutic target, but little is known about the interfacial residues. We now demonstrate that Vif conserved residues E88/W89 are crucial for CBFβ binding. Substitution of E88/W89 to alanines impaired binding to CBFβ, degradation of APOBEC3, and virus infectivity in the presence of APOBEC3 in single-cycle infection. In spreading infection, NL4-3 with Vif E88A/W89A mutation replicated comparably to wild-type virus in permissive CEM-SS cells, but not in multiple APOBEC3 expressing non-permissive CEM cells. These results support a model in which HIV-1 Vif residues E88/W89 may participate in binding CBFβ.

English

Malaysia is one of the richest in its biodiversity in the world. There are not less than 12,000 plants species in its rain forest. The aim of this study is a continuous investigation for medicinal plants in Malaysia, especially the chemical constituents that are poses significant activities, i.e. anti-cancer. Clausena excavata (Rutaceae) has been known as a very rich in carbazole alkaloids, coumarins and limonoids species. In the present study, one new carbazole alkaloid, 1,8-dihydroxy-3-formyl-4- prenylcarbazole (Clausine–TH), and two other known compounds, Clausenarin (coumarin) and Clausine–K (carbazole alkaloid), were isolated from the methanol extract of the stem bark of Clausena excavata, collected from Kedah, Malaysia. Structures of these compounds were confirmed by various spectroscopic analyses including GC-MS, NMRs, and FTIR. All pure compounds isolated were tested for their cytotoxicity against CEM-SS cell lines, with the Clausine–TH and Clausine–K gave a very strong activity with an IC50 value of 2.1 µg/mL and 5.1 µg/mL, respectively.

In Vitro and Ex Vivo Evaluations on Transdermal Delivery of the HIV Inhibitor IQP-0410

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical and in vitro/ex vivo characteristics of the pyrmidinedione IQP-0410 formulated into transdermal films. IQP-0410 is a potent therapeutic anti-HIV nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that would be subjected to extensive first pass metabolism, through conventional oral administration. Therefore, IQP-0410 was formulated into ethyl cellulose/HPMC-based transdermal films via solvent casting. In mano evaluations were performed to evaluate gross physical characteristics. In vitro release studies were performed in both Franz cells and USP-4 dissolution vessels. Ex vivo release and permeability assays were performed on human epidermal tissue models, and the permeated IQP-0410 was collected for in vitro HIV-1 efficacy assays in CEM-SS cells and PBMCs. Film formulation D3 resulted in pliable, strong transdermal films that were loaded with 2% (w/w) IQP-0410. Composed of 60% (w/w) ethyl cellulose and 20% (w/w) HPMC, the films contained < 1.2% (w/w) of water and were hygroscopic resulting in significant swelling under humid conditions. The water permeable nature of the film resulted in complete in vitro dissolution and drug release in 26 hours. When applied to ex vivo epidermal tissues, the films were non-toxic to the tissue and also were non-toxic to HIV target cells used in the in vitro efficacy assays. Over a 3 day application, the films delivered IQP-0410 through the skin tissue at a zero-order rate of 0.94 ± 0.06 µg/cm2/hr with 134 ± 14.7 µM collected in the basal media. The delivered IQP-0410 resulted in in vitro EC50 values against HIV-1 of 2.56 ± 0.40 nM (CEM-SS) and 0.58 ± 0.03 nM (PBMC). The film formulation demonstrated no significant deviation from target values when packaged in foil pouches under standard and accelerated environmental conditions. It was concluded that the transdermal film formulation was a potentially viable method of administering IQP-0410 that warrants further development.

Thymoquinone Induces Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in Vitro

There has been a growing interest in naturally occurring compounds from traditional medicine with anti-cancer potential. Nigella sativa (black seed) is one of the most widely studied plants. This annual herb grows in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and India. Thymoquinone (TQ) is an active ingredient isolated from Nigella sativa. The anti-cancer effect of TQ, via the induction of apoptosis resulting from mitochondrial dysfunction, was assessed in an acute lymphocyte leukemic cell line (CEMss) with an IC50 of 1.5 µg/mL. A significant increase in chromatin condensation in the cell nucleus was observed using fluorescence analysis. The apoptosis was then confirmed by Annexin V and an increased number of cellular DNA breaks in treated cells were observed as a DNA ladder. Treatment of CEMss cells with TQ encouraged apoptosis with cell death-transducing signals by a down-regulation of Bcl-2 and up-regulation of Bax. Moreover, the significant generation of cellular ROS, HSP70 and activation of caspases 3 and 8 were also observed in the treated cells. The mitochondrial apoptosis was clearly associated with the S phase cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, the results from the current study indicated that TQ could be a promising agent for the treatment of leukemia.

Slower Uncoating Is Associated with Impaired Replicative Capability of Simian-Tropic HIV-1

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) productively infects only humans and chimpanzees, but not Old World monkeys, such as rhesus and cynomolgus (CM) monkeys. To establish a monkey model of HIV-1/AIDS, several HIV-1 derivatives have been constructed. We previously generated a simian-tropic HIV-1 that replicates efficiently in CM cells. This virus encodes a capsid protein (CA) with SIVmac239-derived loops between α-helices 4 and 5 (L4/5) and between α-helices 6 and 7 (L6/7), along with the entire vif from SIVmac239 (NL-4/5S6/7SvifS). These SIVmac239-derived sequences were expected to protect the virus from HIV-1 restriction factors in monkey cells. However, the replicative capability of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS in human cells was severely impaired. By long-term cultivation of human CEM-SS cells infected with NL-4/5S6/7SvifS, we succeeded in partially rescuing the impaired replicative capability of the virus in human cells. This adapted virus encoded a G-to-E substitution at the 116th position of the CA (NL-4/5SG116E6/7SvifS). In the work described here, we explored the mechanism by which the replicative capability of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS was impaired in human cells. Quantitative analysis (by real-time PCR) of viral DNA synthesis from infected cells revealed that NL-4/5S6/7SvifS had a major defect in nuclear entry. Mutations in CA are known to affect viral core stability and result in deleterious effects in HIV-1 infection; therefore, we measured the kinetics of uncoating of these viruses. The uncoating of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS was significantly slower than that of wild type HIV-1 (WT), whereas the uncoating of NL-4/5SG116E6/7SvifS was similar to that of WT. Our results suggested that the lower replicative capability of NL-4/5S6/7SvifS in human cells was, at least in part, due to the slower uncoating of this virus.