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•A synthetic approach to bicyclic endoperoxides with acid side chains was developed.•2,3,8-Trioxa3,3,1nonanes bearing amides and amines at C3 were synthesized.•The synthetic approach ...is useful for SAR studies and polypharmacology approaches.
We developed a synthetic strategy for the preparation of tetrahydrofuro2,3-c1,2dioxane and 2,3,8-trioxa3,3,1nonanes bearing polar functional groups at C3 and C4, respectively. The synthetic strategy has been applied to the synthesis of 2,3,8-trioxa3,3,1nonanes bearing various amides and amines at C3 useful for structure-activity relationships investigation as antiplasmodial compounds. The synthesis of 1 and the reaction conditions identified for its conversion to amides and amines could pose the basis for the use of this class of endoperoxides also in conjugation with other drugs for polypharmacology approaches.
Patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are routinely screened for either K- and N-RAS to select the appropriate treatment. The present study aimed to evaluate the concordance between K- ...and NRAS status in the tissue (either primary tumor or metastasis) and the plasma of patients with mCRC and to identify the associations between K- and NRAS mutations in ctDNA and the clinicopathological parameters. Samples from a total of 31 patients with mCRC with measurable disease according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors were analyzed. For all patients, K- and NRAS status was determined in the tissue by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry. For the detection of RAS mutations in cell-free tumor DNA also defined as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), the OncoBEAMR RAS CRC kit (Sysmex Inostics) was used. A total of 6/31 tissue samples expressed wild-type KRAS, whereas 25/31 presented mutations. In addition, 7/31 plasma samples expressed wild-type KRAS, mutations were detected in 22/31 patients, and for 2/31 patients, the test did not provide a conclusive result. A total of 24/31 patients expressed wild-type NRAS, 6/31 had mutations and 1/21 was not informative. For the KRAS mutational status, a moderate concordance (agreement, 85.18%; Cohen's k, 0.513) between the tissue and plasma analysis was observed; for NRAS, a fair agreement (agreement, 83.33%; Cohen's k, 0.242) was obtained. In conclusion, both tissue and plasma analyses should be performed for the management of patients with mCRC. To better exploit the beads, emulsions, amplification, magnetics (BEAMing) technique in the clinical setting, studies aimed at determining the RAS status to monitor therapy and during follow-up are warranted. Key words: metastatic colorectal cancer, KRAS, NRAS, mass spectrometry, beads, emulsions amplification, magnetics
Interleukins (ILs) are involved in the occurrence and development of numerous types of cancer, and serve a critical role in the development of effective cancer therapeutics. The aim of the present ...study was to investigate the effect of IL-27 on chemotherapy resistance in lung cancer cells, and analyze its potential molecular mechanism in lung cancer tissues. Western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to examine the RNA and protein expression levels of IL-27. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was performed to evaluate the proliferation rates of the lung cancer line A549. Flow cytometry was subsequently applied to determine the rate of apoptosis in A549 cells. The data obtained revealed that the expression of IL-27 with cisplatin, significantly suppressed the proliferation and apoptosis of A549 cells compared with that in the cisplatin treatment group alone. The expression of Akt and apoptosis factors such as Caspase-3 and Bcl-2/Bax also ascertained that upregulated IL-27 inhibited the development of cancer and increased apoptosis in the A549 cells. Therefore, IL-27 may represent a potential target for antitumor therapy, especially when considering the clinical challenges presented by the development of chemoresistance in tumors. These findings suggest that IL-27 is a promising biomarker and represents a novel treatment strategy for patients with lung cancer.
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•Bridged bicyclic endoperoxides were designed and synthesized as antiplasmodial agents.•The new endoperoxides were prepared using a straightforward synthetic protocol.•Activation of ...peroxides was investigated through a biomimetic reaction with Fe(II)•C-centered radical species formed upon reaction with Fe(II) were detected by EPR.•Docking studies to Fe(II)-heme were performed to rationalize observed SAR.
Despite recent advancements in its control, malaria is still a deadly parasitic disease killing millions of people each year. Progresses in combating the infection have been made by using the so-called artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). Natural and synthetic peroxides are an important class of antimalarials. Here we describe a new series of peroxides synthesized through a new elaboration of the scaffold of bicyclic-fused/bridged synthetic endoperoxides previously developed by us. These peroxides are produced by a straightforward synthetic protocol and are characterized by submicromolar potency when tested against both chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains. To investigate their mode of action, the biomimetic reaction of the representative compound 6w with Fe(II) was studied by EPR and the reaction products were characterized by NMR. Rationalization of the observed structure-activity relationship studies was performed by molecular docking. Taken together, our data robustly support the hypothesized mode of activation of peroxides 6a-cc and led to the definition of the key structural requirements responsible for the antiplasmodial potency. These data will pave the way in future to the rational design of novel optimized antimalarials suitable for in vivo investigation.
Here we report the development of a straightforward synthetic procedure for the preparation of spirocyclic endoperoxides as synthetic analogues of the natural productdihydroplakortin. The peroxides ...presented here are more potent antiplasmodials than dihydroplakortin itself and we proved for the first time their antimalarial activity in vivo .
Here we report the development of a straightforward synthetic procedure for the preparation of spirocyclic endoperoxides as synthetic analogues of the natural product dihydroplakortin. The peroxides ...presented here are more potent antiplasmodials than dihydroplakortin itself and we proved for the first time their antimalarial activity
in vivo
.
Design, synthesis and molecular docking calculation studies led to the identification of novel spirocyclic peroxides with
in vitro
and
in vivo
antimalarial activity.
Despite the effectiveness of combined anti-retroviral therapy, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected-patients frequently report diarrhea and neuropsychological deficits. It is claimed that the ...viral HIV-1 Trans activating factor (HIV-1 Tat) protein is responsible for both diarrhea and neurotoxic effects, but the underlying mechanisms are not known. We hypothesize that colonic application of HIV-1 Tat activates glial cells of the enteric nervous system (EGCs), leading to a neuroinflammatory response able to propagate to the central nervous system. We demonstrated that HIV-1 Tat-induced diarrhea was associated with a significant activation of glial cells within the colonic wall, the spinal cord and the frontal cortex, and caused a consistent impairment of the cognitive performances. The inhibition of glial cells activity by lidocaine, completely abolished the above-described effects. These observations point out the role of glial cells as putative effectors in HIV-1 Tat-associated gastrointestinal and neurological manifestations and key regulators of gut-brain signaling.
Circulating endothelial cells (CEC) represent a restricted peripheral blood (PB) cell subpopulation with high potential diagnostic value in many endothelium-involving diseases. However, whereas the ...interest in CEC studies has grown, the standardization level of their detection has not. Here, we undertook the task to align CEC phenotypes and counts, by standardizing a novel flow cytometry approach, within a network of six laboratories. CEC were identified as alive/nucleated/CD45negative/CD34bright/CD146positive events and enumerated in 269 healthy PB samples. Standardization was demonstrated by the achievement of low inter-laboratory Coefficients of Variation (CV
), calculated on the basis of Median Fluorescence Intensity values of the most stable antigens that allowed CEC identification and count (CV
of CD34bright on CEC ~ 30%; CV
of CD45 on Lymphocytes ~ 20%). By aggregating data acquired from all sites, CEC numbers in the healthy population were captured (median
= 9.31 CEC/mL; median
= 11.55 CEC/mL). CEC count biological variability and method specificity were finally assessed. Results, obtained on a large population of donors, demonstrate that the established procedure might be adopted as standardized method for CEC analysis in clinical and in research settings, providing a CEC physiological baseline range, useful as starting point for their clinical monitoring in endothelial dysfunctions.
Despite the growing importance given to ensuring high-quality childbirth, perinatal good practices have been rapidly disrupted by SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study aimed at describing the childbirth ...care provided to infected women during two years of COVID-19 emergency in Italy.
A prospective cohort study enrolling all women who gave birth with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 7 days from hospital admission in the 218 maternity units active in Italy during the periods February 25, 2020-June 30, 2021, and January 1-May 31, 2022. Perinatal care was assessed by evaluating the prevalence of the following indicators during the pandemic: presence of a labour companion; skin-to-skin; no mother-child separation at birth; rooming-in; breastfeeding. Logistic regression models including women' socio-demographic, obstetric and medical characteristics, were used to assess the association between the adherence to perinatal practices and different pandemic phases.
During the study period, 5,360 SARS-CoV-2 positive women were enrolled. Overall, among those who had a vaginal delivery (n = 3,574; 66.8%), 37.5% had a labour companion, 70.5% of newborns were not separated from their mothers at birth, 88.1% were roomed-in, and 88.0% breastfed. These four indicators showed similar variations in the study period with a negative peak between September 2020 and January 2021 and a gradual increase during the Alpha and Omicron waves. Skin-to-skin (mean value 66.2%) had its lowest level at the beginning of the pandemic and gradually increased throughout the study period. Among women who had a caesarean section (n = 1,777; 33.2%), all the indicators showed notably worse outcomes with similar variations in the study period. Multiple logistic regression analyses confirm the observed variations during the pandemic and show a lower adherence to good practices in southern regions and in maternity units with a higher annual number of births.
Despite the rising trend in the studied indicators, we observed concerning substandard childbirth care during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Continued efforts are necessary to underscore the significance of the experience of care as a vital component in enhancing the quality of family-centred care policies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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