Hepatocellular Liver Carcinoma Cell Line Research Articles

Diosgenin ameliorating non-alcoholic fatty liver disease via Nrf2-mediated regulation of oxidative stress and ferroptosis.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanisms through which diosgenin inhibits the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, focusing particularly on ferroptosis-related pathways and its reliance on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. Using a rat model, we showed diosgenin's efficacy in reducing lipid deposition throughout the body and examined its impact on ferroptosis-related gene expression in vivo. Moreover, in vitro experiments using human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line cells were conducted to assess oxidative stress and ferroptosis levels. Diosgenin decreased lipid accumulation and steatosis; lowered serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glutamic pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase; reduced interleukin-1β and tumour necrosis factor-α; diosgenin decreased malondialdehyde levels; and increased serum superoxide dismutase levels in a rat model of high-fat diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Diosgenin upregulated the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and its downstream ferroptosis-related genes to inhibit ferroptosis in the livers of rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Diosgenin decreased reactive oxygen species levels and enhanced the expression of ferroptosis-related genes in human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cells induced by free fatty acids, with its effects being dependent on nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2. This study highlights the potential of diosgenin from Dioscoreaceae plants in mitigating oxidative stress and ferroptosis levels through nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 regulation, offering novel insights into the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and other metabolic disorders through traditional Chinese medicine.

TMEM147: A Promising Cancer Biomarker Associated with Immune Cell Infiltration and Prognosis in LIHC-Insights from a Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Genomic Analysis.

Previous studies have demonstrated the regulatory roles of Transmembrane protein 147 (TMEM147) in various diseases, including cancer. However, systematic pan-cancer analyses investigating the role of TMEM147 in diagnosis, prognosis, and immunological prediction are lacking. An analysis of data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) revealed differential TMEM147 expression across various types of cancer as well as within immune and molecular cancer subtypes. Moreover, high TMEM147 expression was associated with poor disease-specific survival (DSS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free interval (PFI) across cancers, suggesting its potential as a prognostic biomarker. Our study further revealed a significant correlation between TMEM147 expression and T helper cell and Tcm cell infiltration in most cancer types. In the case of liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), the effect of TMEM147 on prognosis varied among different clinical subtypes. Additionally, functional enrichment analysis revealed an association between TMEM147 and metabolic pathways. Finally, experiments on the MIHA cell line and four LIHC cell lines confirmed the role of TMEM147 in promoting liver cancer cell proliferation, further confirming the clinical value of TMEM147 in liver cancer diagnosis. Our findings suggest that TMEM147 may serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker across cancers while also playing a significant role in LIHC.

EPS15-AS1 Inhibits AKR1B1 Expression to Enhance Ferroptosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells.

Epidermal growth factor receptor substrate 15 (EPS15) is part of the EGFR pathway and has been implicated in various tumorigenesis. Increasing evidence suggests that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays an essential role in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) by regulating the expression of proteins and genes. Through analysis of the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database, we found that EPS15 is highly expressed in LIHC tissue, and lncRNA EPS15-antisense1 (EPS15-AS1) decreased in LIHC cell lines. However, the function of EPS15-AS1 in LIHC is still unknown. When EPS15-AS1 was overexpressed in HepG2 cell lines, the expression of EPS15 was reduced and cell activity and invasiveness were inhibited. In addition, we observed an increase in Fe2+ ion and lipid peroxidation after overexpression of EPS15-AS1, and further analysis showed that the susceptibility to ferroptosis increased. Aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B 1 (AKR1B1) belongs to the aldo/keto reductase superfamily and is involved in maintaining the cellular redox balance. Survival analysis revealed that patients with a higher level of AKR1B1 have a lower survival rate in the TCGA database. We also found that EPS15 enhanced the AKR1B1 expression in LIHC, and AKR1B1 had the ability to promote cell invasiveness. Moreover, overexpression of AKR1B1 alleviated the promoting effect of EPS15-AS1 on ferroptosis. Therefore, EPS15-AS1 can induce ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells by inhibiting the expression of EPS15 and AKR1B1 and disrupting the redox balance. EPS15 and AKR1B1 may serve as biomarkers for diagnosis and lncRNA EPS15-AS1 potential drug for LIHC.

The protective effects of alpha-pinene on high glucose-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in HepG2 cells.

Hyperglycemia, a prevalent metabolic condition observed in diabetes, leads to oxidative damage, inflammatory responses, and other consequences. Natural compounds alleviate the adverse impacts of diabetes. We aimed to explore the effects of alpha-pinene (AP) as a monoterpene on oxidative damage and inflammation caused by high glucose (HG) in the human hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell line. The HepG2 cells were subjected to non or HG concentration (50 mM) and treated with or without AP (8, 16, and 32 μg/ml) for 48 hr. The effect of treatments on cellular viability, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and activity of anti-oxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), was determined. The gene expression levels of nuclear factor-κβ (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) were estimated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). HG exposure significantly increased cell death, MDA formation, and depletion of GSH content and GPx, CAT, and SOD activity (P<0.05). We have also seen a significant induction in NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and DPP-4 gene expression in hepatocytes under HG conditions (P<0.05). Interestingly, co-treatment with AP in a dose-dependent manner improved cell death and altered levels of MDA and GSH, and activity of GPx and CAT (P<0.05). AP could also modulate the gene expression of NF-κB and inflammatory biomarkers dose-dependently (P<0.05). Our findings suggested the protective effect of AP on hepatocytes under HG conditions through attenuating oxidative stress markers and suppression of inflammatory pathways.

Cytotoxicity of Sambucus nigra L. on Cancer Cell Line and In Vitro Antioxidant Properties

Objective: Essential oils, free fatty acids, flavonoids, glycosides, phenolic acids, carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals are found in significant quantities in the characteristic chemical composition of Sambucus nigra L. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant potential of Sambucus nigra L. Fructus and evaluate the cytotoxicity on the cancer cell line.&#x0D; Methods: The Sambucus nigra L. fruits were collected from Yalova Atatürk Horticultural Central Research Institute in September 2021. The ethanol extract was prepared. Antioxidant property of Sambucus nigra L. fruit extracts was evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl- hydrate (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, Cupric Ion Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC). Also, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and total anthocyanin content were calculated. Liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) was used for cytotoxicity assay and an 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was applied.&#x0D; Results: The total phenolic, total flavonoid contents and total monomeric anthocyanins were 9.75±0.92 mg GAE/ mg fruit extract, 0.07437±0.004 mg quercetin/ mg fruit extract, respectively. 0.45±0.0014 mg catechin/gram of fruit extract and 2.08±0.025 mg Cyanidin-3 glucosides/g fruit extract. CUPRAC and DPPH results showed that Sambucus nigra L. extract has strong antioxidant activity. The results of the cytotoxicity assay indicated that while concentrations of the extract increased, the viability of HepG2 decreased.&#x0D; Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the Sambucus fruit extract is particularly rich in antioxidant components that are possibly modulating their beneficial use for hepatocellular malignancies, significantly reducing the number of viable cancer cells and inducing cell death.

Therapeutic effect and transcriptome-methylome characteristics of METTL3 inhibition in liver hepatocellular carcinoma

Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is the key subunit of methyltransferase complex responsible for catalyzing N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification on mRNA, which is the most prevalent post-transcriptional modification in eukaryotes. In this study, we utilized online databases to analyze the association between METTL3 expression and various aspects of tumorigenesis, including gene methylation, immunity, and prognosis. Our investigation revealed that METTL3 serves as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target for liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC). Through experimental studies, we observed frequent upregulation of METTL3 in LIHC tumor tissue and cells. Subsequent inhibition of METTL3 using a novel small molecule inhibitor, STM2457, significantly impeded tumor growth in LIHC cell lines, spheroids, and xenograft tumor model. Further, transcriptome and m6A sequencing of xenograft bodies unveiled that inhibition of METTL3-m6A altered genes enriched in SMAD and MAPK signaling pathways that are critical for tumorigenesis. These findings suggest that targeting METTL3 represents a promising therapeutic strategy for LIHC.

In vitro cytotoxic and apoptotic activity of the Mauritian marine sponge Neopetrosia exigua

Marine sponges belonging to the genus Neopetrosia represent a quasi-inexhaustible source of novel cytotoxic compounds. Yet studies delineating their molecular mechanisms of action in cancer cells remain scarce. We investigated the cytotoxic and apoptosis inducing potential of the Mauritian marine sponge Neopetrosia exigua derived crude extract, hexane and ethyl acetate fraction. Their cytotoxic activity was screened against four cancer cell lines and two non-malignant cell lines via the Alamar Blue metabolic assay. The level of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, endogenous antioxidant enzyme activity (catalase and superoxide dismutase) and mitochondrial membrane potential were determined. The ability of the active extract to induce apoptosis in cancer cells and modulate the expression levels of apoptotic markers (caspases and polyADP-ribose polymerase (PARP)) was further evaluated via western blot. The ethyl acetate fraction (NEEAF) displayed the highest inhibitory effect with an IC50 of 6.87 μg/mL against the liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). Mechanistically, NEEAF induced morphological hallmarks characteristic of apoptosis, increased ROS production, decreased catalase and superoxide dismutase activity and mitochondrial membrane depolarisation in a concentration-dependent manner compared to the control (p&lt;0.05). In addition, NEEAF induced the activation of caspase-9, -7, -3 and cleavage of PARP. Overall, this study provides biochemical evidence for oxidative stress-mediated cytotoxicity and apoptosis in HepG2 cells by NEEAF. Further in-depth investigations are needed to isolate the active constituents, which may potentially lead to the development of novel anticancer therapeutics. Significance: Marine sponges represent an untapped goldmine of structurally unique compounds with interesting anticancer properties. This important initial investigative work will set the stage for more in-depth mechanistic studies and chemical characterisation of potentially novel bioactive compounds from the genus Neopetrosia. This work will also help to strengthen frameworks oriented towards the conservation of Neopetrosia species in the Western Indian Ocean region.

Comprehensive intratumoral heterogeneity landscaping of liver hepatocellular carcinoma and discerning of APLP2 in cancer progression.

As the sixth most common type of cancer worldwide, liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) emerges as grave public health danger owing to its chemotherapy-resistant feature. Disulfidoptosis is a newly discovered programmed cell death process affecting the normal actin cytoskeleton structure. Single-cell RNA (scRNA)-seq data were procured from GSE149614 and GSE202642 datasets. We utilized uniform manifold approximation and projection and clustering algorithm Louvian for dimensionality reduction and FindAllMarkers function for determining the differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Monocle2 and SCENIC were utilized to perform pseudo-time series and transcription factor analysis for selected subgroups. A series of in vitro experiments, including colony formation assay (CFA), flow cytometry targeting apoptosis and cell cycle, was applied to investigate how APLP2 regulated the LIHC progression. Two cell lines of LIHC cells, HepG2, and Huh7, were used for si-APLP2 transfection. Tumor heterogeneity landscape of LIHC was depicted by detailed subgroup analysis. We found T and B cells were enriched with POU2F1 and HES1 activity. Inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts interacted with the cancer cells, uniquely through COL1A1/SDC1, COL1A2/SDC1 and LUM/ITGB1 pathways. The transformation from normal hepatocytes to malignant cells was displayed by cell trajectory analysis. State4, which was determined as malignant cells, was enriched in PI3K, hypoxia, and Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway, and enriched with Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 2 Group F Member 1 transcription factor activity. We observed an intense communication from the cancer cells to endothelial cells, mainly through the Vitronectin (VTN) to Kinase Insert Domain Receptor (KDR) pathway. A prognostic model targeting LIHC was constructed based on the disulfidoptosis-based DEGs, namely APLP2, PDIA6, YBX1, SPP1, whose accuracy was validated in multiple cohorts. Knockdown of APLP2 significantly increased the apoptosis and delayed cell cycle progression of LIHC cell line. A prognostic model targeting LIHC was constructed based on the disulfidoptosis-related DEGs, which displayed high stability and accuracy in multiple cohorts. APLP2 played an active role in the carcinogenesis of LIHC by regulating the apoptosis and cell cycle.

Comparing Pharmacological Potential of Freshwater Microalgae Carotenoids Towards Antioxidant and Anti-proliferative Activity on Liver Cancer (HUH7) Cell Line.

Chemical-based carotenoids have large implications to health as they may cause adverse side effects. Naturally occurring carotenoids mainly from microalgal sources are emerging as excellent substitute to combat cancer diseases. Astaxanthin is the most powerful antioxidant that derived from selected established microalgae with limited yield. Microalgal bioprospecting may provide the high-yielding sources for astaxanthin production. Hence, in the present research, freshwater microalgae Monoraphidium sp. (NCM no. 5585) and Scenedesmus obliquus (NCM no. 5586) were chosen to explore the unique potential of producing astaxanthin. Identification of bioactive metabolites in extracted carotenoid was analyzed through HPLC. Astaxanthin is identified as a major bioactive metabolite in both carotenoid fraction and β carotene only in Scenedesmus obliquus. Antioxidant potential of microalgal carotenoids was obtained by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and Ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The anti-proliferation activity of the extracted carotenoid from Monoraphidium sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus was evaluated against hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line HUH7 by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) colorimetric assay. Higher astaxanthin in Monoraphidium sp. leads to boosted antioxidant and anti-proliferation activity contrary to Scenedesmus obliquus that possess both astaxanthin and β carotene. Though freshwater microalgae have a huge potential to create beneficial metabolites like carotenoids, they are rarely studied in the pharmaceutical industry. This work was the first to investigate the anti-proliferative activity of Monoraphidium sp. and Scenedesmus obliquus carotenoid fraction on the HUH7 hepatocarcinoma cell line.

Stimuli-responsive cancer nanomedicines inhibit glycolysis and impair redox homeostasis

The solid tumors are characterized with oxidative stress and metabolic reprogramming, which has been independently used for targeted tumor monotherapy. However, the potential of targeting metabolism-redox circuit in tumor therapy has long been neglected. Herein, we report a hybrid nanocarrier for concurrent targeting of glycolysis and redox balance in the current work. The nanocarriers are made of pH- and ATP-responsive zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8) as the porous core that was further coated with poloxamer 407 as the steric stabilizer. Two active cargos, glucose oxidase (GOx) and 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) were co-loaded in the core of nanocarrier. GOx is well-known for its ability of producing hydrogen peroxide at the expense of glucose and oxygen. 3-BrPA can reduce oxygen and glucose consumption through glycolysis, which sensitized cancer cells to GOx-induced apoptosis. At the cellular level, the hybrid nanocarrier significantly impaired the redox balance in the liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2), as evidenced by the depletion of glutathione and boost of reactive oxygen species. The potency of hybrid nanocarrier in terms of suppressing HepG2 cell energy metabolism was proven by the exhaustion of ATP. As a consequence, cell viability was greatly reduced. The in vivo efficacy of hybrid nanocarriers was demonstrated in HepG2 tumor-bearing mice. The current work presents an approach of targeting metabolism-redox circuit for tumor treatment, which may enrich the available anti-tumor strategies. Statement of significanceMetabolic alterations and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) are two characteristics of cancer. The metabolic patterns of cancer cells are elaborately reprogrammed to enable the rapid propagation of cancer cells. However, the potential of targeting the metabolism-redox circuit in anti-tumor therapy has long been neglected. As a proof-of-concept, we report an engineered stimuli-responsive nanomedicine that can eradicate cancer cells via cooperative glycolysis inhibition and redox impairment. The current work presents an approach of targeting the metabolism-redox circuit for tumor treatment, which may enrich the available anti-tumor strategies.

Antimicrobial and antitumoral activities of saturated fatty acid solutions

Fatty acids are widely applied in pharmaceutical and cosmetic fabrications. Here, six saturated fatty acids including caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid were tested for the antimicrobial and antitumoral activities. The test for antimicrobial activities of these compound was performed against Staphylococcus aureus DMST 6532, S. aureus ATCC 4330 and S. aureus ATCC 25923, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739 and Candida albicans ATCC 17100 using agar cup diffusion method. The cell viability of each fatty acids was accessed using WST-1 assay against colorectal cancer, HCT116, and liver hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 and 1321N1 astrocytoma cell line. The low molecular weight fatty acid such as caprylic acid exhibited higher antibacterial activities whereas the long chains had no or very little on antimicrobial activity. Short-chain fatty acids also exerted more efficient activity against Candida albicans. For the anti-tumoral activity, the results showed the viability promotion of cancer cells at the low concentration of fatty acids tested because most of cancer cells might gain the benefit from the saturated fatty acids as its nutrient and promoted the cell growth and their viability. The cytotoxic of fatty acids was detected at the higher concentration. However, the cytotoxicity potential of the fatty acids relied on concentrations of saturated fatty acid and also type of cell lines tested. These obtained antimicrobial and antitumoral characteristics depending on chain length of these saturated fatty acids are beneficial data for designing drug delivery systems using them as the adjunct components for promoting therapeutic action of main incorporated active compound.

Roles of cuproptosis-related gene DLAT in various cancers: a bioinformatic analysis and preliminary verification on pro-survival autophagy.

Studies have shown that the expressions and working mechanisms of Dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase (DLAT) in different cancers vary. It is necessary to analyze the expressions and regulatory roles of DLAT in tumors systematically. Online public-platform literature on the relationships between DLAT expression levels and tumor prognosis, methylation status, genetic alteration, drug sensitivity, and immune infiltration has been reviewed. The literature includes such documents as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource 2.0 (TIMER2.0), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2) and Receiver Operating Characteristic plotter (ROC plotter). The molecular mechanisms of DLAT were explored with the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The relationship between down-regulated DLAT and autophagy in two liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) cell lines was confirmed with the western blot method, colony formation assay, and transmission electron microscopy. Tissue microarrays were validated through the immunohistochemical staining of DLAT. DLAT is upregulated in the LIHC, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) tumors but is down-regulated in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) and kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) tumors in comparison with normal tissues. For LIHC patients treated with 5-Fluorouracil and Lenvatinib, the DLAT levels of those in the drug-resistant group are significantly high. In LIHC cells, autophagy will be inhibited, and cell death will be induced when DLAT breaks down. Moreover, there exist positive correlations between DLAT expression levels and infiltration of B cells, DC cells, Tregs, and CD8+ T cells in kidney chromophobe (KICH), breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD), LIHC and HPV+ HNSC. In LIHC, markers of Tregs are positively correlated with DLAT. Compared with those of normal tissues, the staining intensity of DLAT and the amount of Tregs marker CD49d in LIHC increase. Through this study, the expressions of DLAT in various cancer types can be understood comprehensively. It suggests that DLAT may be a prognostic marker for LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, STAD and KIRC. A high DLAT expression in LIHC may promote tumorigenesis by stimulating autophagy and inhibiting anti-tumor immunity.

Novel Steroidal[17,16-d]pyrimidines Derived from Epiandrosterone and Androsterone: Synthesis, Characterization and Configuration-Activity Relationships.

Two series of novel steroidal[17,16-d]pyrimidines derived from natural epiandrosterone and androsterone were designed and synthesized, and these compounds were screened for their potential anticancer activities. The preliminary bioassay indicated that some of these prepared compounds exhibited significantly good cytotoxic activities against human gastric cancer (SGC-7901), lung cancer (A549), and hepatocellular liver carcinoma (HepG2) cell lines compared with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), epiandrosterone, and androsterone. Especially the respective pairs from epiandrosterone and androsterone showed significantly different inhibitory activities, and the possible configuration-activity relationships have also been summarized and discussed based on kinase assay and molecular docking, which indicated that the inhibition activities of these steroidal[17,16-d]pyrimidines might obviously be affected by the configuration of the hydroxyl group in the part of the steroidal scaffold.

Extracellular signal-Regulated Kinase 5 (ERK5) is required for the Yes-associated protein (YAP) co-transcriptional activity

YES-associated protein (YAP) is a transcriptional cofactor with a key role in the regulation of several physio-pathological cellular processes, by integrating multiple cell autonomous and microenvironmental cues. YAP is the main downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, a tumor-suppressive signaling able to transduce several extracellular signals. The Hippo pathway acts restraining YAP activity, since its activation induces YAP phosphorylation and cytoplasmic sequestration. However, recent observations indicate that YAP activity can be also modulated by Hippo independent/integrating pathways, still largely unexplored. In this study, we demonstrated the role of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5)/mitogen-activated protein kinase in the regulation of YAP activity. By means of ERK5 inhibition/silencing and overexpression experiments, and by using as model liver stem cells, hepatocytes, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, we provided evidence that ERK5 is required for YAP-dependent gene expression. Mechanistically, ERK5 controls the recruitment of YAP on promoters of target genes and its physical interaction with the transcriptional partner TEAD; moreover, it mediates the YAP activation occurring in cell adhesion, migration, and TGFβ-induced EMT of liver cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that ERK5 signaling modulates YAP activity in a LATS1/2-independent manner. Therefore, our observations identify ERK5 as a novel upstream Hippo-independent regulator of YAP activity, thus unveiling a new target for therapeutic approaches aimed at interfering with its function.

New benzimidazole derivatives: Design, synthesis, docking, and biological evaluation

The aim of this study was to synthesize novel enaminonitrile derivatives starting from 2-aminobenzimidazole and utilize this derivative for the preparation of novel heterocyclic compounds and assess their function for biological activity screening. The key precursor N-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)carbonohydrazonoyl dicyanide (2) was prepared in pyridine by coupling of diazotized 2-aminobenzimidazole (1) with malononitrile. Compound 2 was subjected to react with various secondary amines such as piperidine, morpholine, piperazine, diphenylamine, N-methylglucamine, and diethanolamine in boiling ethanol to give the acrylonitriles (2Z)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-3-amino-3-(piperidin-1-yl)acrylonitrile (3), (2Z)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-3-amino-3-morpholinoacrylonitrile (4), (2Z)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-3-amino-3-(piperazin-1-yl)acrylonitrile (5), (2Z)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-3-amino-3-(diphenylamino)acrylonitrile (6), (2Z)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-3-amino-3-(methyl((2S,3R,4R,5R)-2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexyl)amino)acrylonitrile (7), and (2Z)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-3-amino-3-(bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amino)acrylonitrile (8), respectively. It has been found that the behaviour of nitrile derivative 2 towards hydrazine hydrate to the creation of 4-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-1H-pyrazole-3,5-diamine (9). The reaction of malononitrile with compound 2 in an ethanolic solution catalyzed with sodium ethoxide afforded 4-amino-1-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-6-imino-1,6-dihydropyridazine-3,5-dicarbonitrile (11). Moreover, malononitrile reacted with 7 in a boiling ethanolic sodium ethoxide solution to give 2-(5-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-4-amino-6-(methyl((2S,3R,4R,5R)-2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexyl)amino)pyrimidin-2-yl)acetonitrile (14). Heating 7 in boiling acetic anhydride and pyridine afforded (2R,3R,4R,5S)-6-(((1E)-2-((1-acetyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-1-(N-acetylacetamido)-2-cyanovinyl)(methyl)amino)hexane-1,2,3,4,5-pentayl pentaacetate (15). When compound 15 is heated for a long time in refluxing DMF including a catalytic of TEA, cyclization occurs to give the corresponding (2R,3R,4R,5S)-6-((1-acetyl-3-((1-acetyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-4-amino-6-oxo-1,6-dihydropyridin-2-yl)(methyl)amino)hexane-1,2,3,4,5-pentayl pentaacetate (16). In addition, triethyl orthoformate was reacted with compound 7 in the presence of acetic anhydride to afford the corresponding ethoxymethyleneamino derivative (2R,3R,4R,5S)-6-(((1E)-2-((1-acetyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-2-cyano-1-(((E) ethoxymethylene)amino)vinyl)(methyl)amino)hexane-1,2,3,4,5-pentayl pentaacetate (17). Also, it has been found that heating a mixture of 7 with DMF/DMA in anhydrous xylene yielded compound (1E)-N'-((1E)-2-((1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)diazenyl)-2-cyano-1-(methyl((2S,3R,4R,5R)-2,3,4,5,6-pentahydroxyhexyl)amino)vinyl)-N,N-dimethylformimidamide (18). In addition, compound 7, when reacted with several acid anhydrides, allowed the matching phthalimide derivatives 19–26. The results showed that compound 14 has significantly higher ABTS and antitumor activities than the other compounds. Molecular modelling was also studied for compounds 22 and 24. The viability of four many cell lines—the African green monkey kidney epithelial cells (VERO), human breast adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7), human lung fibroblast cell line (WI-38), and human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line (HepG2) was examined to determine the antitumor activities of the newly synthesized compounds. Also, it was found that compounds 9, 11, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24 and 25 are strong against HepG2 cell lines, while 16, 22, and 25 are strong against WI-38 cell lines. Moreover, it was also found that compounds 16 and 22 are strong against VERO cell lines. On the other hand, compounds 7, 14, 15, 16, and 22 are strong while the rest of the other compounds are moderate against the MCF-7 cell line. The result of docking showed that compound 24 got stabilized inside the pocket with a very promising binding score of − 8.12 through hydrogen bonds with Arg184 and Lys179, respectively.

Recombinant Humanized IgG1 Antibody Promotes Reverse Cholesterol Transport through FcRn-ERK1/2-PPARα Pathway in Hepatocytes

Hyperlipidemia-associated lipid disorders are considered the cause of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is a mechanism by which excess peripheral cholesterol is transported to the liver and further converted into bile acid for excretion from the body in feces, which contributes to reducing hyperlipidemia as well as cardiovascular disease. We previously found that the recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody promotes macrophages to engulf lipids and increases cholesterol efflux to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) through ATP-binding cassette sub-family A1 (ABCA1), one of the key proteins related to RCT. In the present study, we explored other RCT related proteins expression on hepatocytes, including scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), and apolipoprotein A-II (ApoA-II), and its modulation mechanism involved. We confirmed that the recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody selectively activated ERK1/2 to upregulate SR-BI, ApoA-I, and ApoA-II expression in mice liver and human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines HepG2 cells. The rate-limiting enzymes of bile acid synthesis, including cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1), exhibited a significant increase when treated with the recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody, as well as increased excretion of bile acids in feces. Besides, abolishment or mutation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα)/RXR binding site on SR-BI promoter eliminated SR-BI reporter gene luciferase activity even in the presence of the recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody. Knock down the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) on hepatocytes impaired the effect of recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody on activation of ERK1/2, as well as upregulation of SR-BI, ApoA-I, and ApoA-II expression. In conclusion, one of the mechanisms on the recombinant humanized IgG1 antibody attenuates hyperlipidemia in ApoE-/- mice model fed with high-fat-diet might be through reinforcement of liver RCT function in an FcRn-ERK1/2-PPARα dependent manner.

New Benzil and Isoflavone Derivatives with Cytotoxic and NO Production Inhibitory Activities from Placolobium vietnamense.

The phytochemical investigation of Placolobium vietnamense stems led to the isolation of a new isoflavone derivative (1) and three new benzil derivatives (2–4), together with four known pyranoisoflavones (5–8). The structures of all isolated compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, including NMR and HRMS spectral data, as well as comparison of their spectroscopic data with those reported in the literature. The cytotoxicity of all isolated compounds was assessed against the human liver hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2) cell line, and compound 1 displayed the most significant cytotoxicity with an IC50 value of 8.0 μM. Furthermore, all isolated compounds were also tested for their inhibitory activity against NO production in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Of these, compound 1 exhibited the strongest inhibitory efficacy against the LPS-induced NO production with the IC50 value of 13.7 μM.

Synthesis, Molecular Docking and Antiproliferative Activity Studies of a Thiazole‐Based Compound Linked to Hydrazone Moiety

Abstract(A new 4‐oxothiazolidin‐2‐ylidene derivative bearing hydrazone moiety was synthesized via Michael addition between the reaction of 4‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐3‐thiosemicarbazide and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD). The structure of synthesized compound was elucidated using various spectral techniques such as FTIR, UV‐spec, 1H NMR and 13C NMR. The structure of the related compound was confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. Antiproliferative activity of the synthesized compound was evaluated in two human cancer cell lines, HepG2 (liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line) and DLD‐1 (human colon cancer cell line). In addition, molecular docking of synthesized compound was investigated to give an insight of its activity against Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor tyrosine kinase domain proteins (EGFR) (lung cancer) (PDB ID: 1 M17), deleted in Liver Cancer 2 proteins (DLC2) (liver cancer) (PDB ID: 2H80), and MLK4 kinase proteins (colon cancer) (PDB ID: 4UYA) were investigated. Furthermore, the ability of the molecule to be a drug was examined by ADME/T analysis.)

Pan-cancer analysis of altered glycosyltransferases confers poor clinical outcomes.

Pan-cancer analysis of altered glycosyltransferases confers poor clinical outcomes.

Silica-coated graphene compared to Si-CdSe/ZnS quantum dots: Toxicity, emission stability, and role of silica in the uptake process for imaging purposes

Quantum dots (QDs) present a special type of nanocrystals (NCs) due to their unique optical and chemical properties. While cadmium-based QDs (Cd-QDs) have the most favorable physicochemical properties, their toxicity, instability in the aqueous phase, and loss of brightness at high temperature are some of the obstacles that prevent the wide use of Cd-QDs. Carbon-based QDs as graphene quantum dots (GQDs) represent a very promising biocompatible replacement. In the present work, we mainly focus on comparing the efficiency and uptake of GQDs and Cd-QDs for fluorescent imaging purposes and studying the effect of growing silica shell on the emission and the uptake of QDs inside living human and bacterial cells. Graphene and CdSe/ZnS QDs were prepared and encapsulated in silica to increase their emission and uptake by living cells. Moreover, we studied their photostability and cytotoxicity. The Prepared G-Si QDs showed good emission inside the cytoplasmic portion of the liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis), but they revealed lower photoluminescence (PL) intensity compared to Si-CdSe/ZnS NCs although G-Si QDs are advantageous in other aspects, i.e. possess lower toxicity and higher stability with temperature variations.