Exploration of essential structure of malloapelta B for the inhibitory activity against TNF induced NF-κB activation

For the exploration of pharmacophoric moiety of malloapelta B (1) possessing the inhibitory activity of NF-kappaB activation, structural variation of alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl motif was attempted. 1 was reduced by catalytic hydrogenation, sodium borohydride, and lithium aluminumhydride. Catalytic hydrogenation with 30 psi or 15 psi of H2 gas of 1 generated 8-butyl-5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchroman (2) and 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethylchroman-8-yl)butan-1-one (3), respectively. Reduction with sodium borohydride occurred at the double bond of alpha,beta-unsaturated ketone of 1 to give 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)butan-1-one (4). Reduction of 1 with lithium aluminumhydride and then quenched with methanol and water produced unexpected products, 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)-3-methoxy-1-butene (5) and 1-(5,7-dimethoxy-2,2-dimethyl-2H-chromen-8-yl)-3-hydroxy-l-butene (6). These are formed from the isomerization of initial product 9 through the continuous conjugate carbocation intermediate 11. Addition of ethylmagnesium bromide and dimethyl malonate anion to 1 gave the conjugate adducts 7 and 8. Ethylmagesium bromide and sodium borohydride reduction unusually gave the conjugate addition due to steric congestion around carbonyl group of 1. Compound 2 exhibits the reduced inhibitory activity against NF-kappaB activation and the others do not show the activity. Therefore alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl group of 1 should be important for its inhibitory activity.     

Microbe-inspired system enzymology of vitamin B₁₂ metabolism

Vitamin B?? is produced only by prokaryotes and utilized by animals as an essential micronutrient. Genetic complementation analysis of cell lines from patients indicated that at least eight gene products are involved in intracellular B?? metabolism and utilization. We have investigated bacterial adenosylcobalamin-dependent enzymes and elucidated their structure-based fine mechanisms. They tend to undergo mechanism-based inactivation during catalysis, because they use highly reactive radicals for catalyzing chemically difficult reactions. We have discovered molecular chaperone-like reactivating factors for these enzymes that release a damaged cofactor forming apoenzyme. Methylcobalamin-dependent methionine synthase also undergoes inactivation, because it utilizes cob (I) alamin, a super nucleophile, for catalysis. Methionine synthase reductase is a reactivating partner for this enzyme. Recent studies suggested that activity-maintaining systems for B?? enzymes are present in animal cells as well, and thus hints for designing therapeutic agents for B??-related metabolic disorders might be obtained from the investigations of microbial B?? metabolism.     

Identification of Inhibitors of NOD1-Induced Nuclear Factor-κB Activation

NOD1 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain 1) protein is a member of the NLR (NACHT and leucine rich repeat domain containing proteins) protein family, which plays a key role in innate immunity as a sensor of specific microbial components derived from bacterial peptidoglycans and induction of inflammatory responses. Mutations in NOD proteins have been associated with various inflammatory diseases that affect NF-κB (nuclear factor κB) activity, a major signaling pathway involved in apoptosis, inflammation, and immune response. A luciferase-based reporter gene assay was utilized in a high-throughput screening program conducted under the NIH-sponsored Molecular Libraries Probe Production Center Network program to identify the active scaffolds. Herein, we report the chemical synthesis, structure-activity relationship studies, downstream counterscreens, secondary assay data, and pharmacological profiling of the 2-aminobenzimidazole lead (compound 1c, ML130) as a potent and selective inhibitor of NOD1-induced NF-κB activation.     

Total syntheses of surinone B,alatanones A–B,and trineurone A

The total syntheses of four polyketides, surinone B (1), alatanones A–B (2–3), and trineurone A (4) were accomplished through an efficient and unified strategy via one-pot C-acylation reaction coupling 1,3-cyclohexadiones with EDC-activated acids under mild conditions. Alatanone A (2) was found to be a potent anti-microbial agent against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with MIC 31.25 μg/ml while alatanone B (3) was found to be a potent anti-fungal agent against Cladosporium cladosporioides with MIC 62.5 μg/ml compared to cycloheximide MIC 125 μg/ml. Our methodology allows performing kilogram scale of these scarce polyketides for the development of new antimicrobials.     

Role of nuclear factor-κB in a rat model of vascular injury

In this study we have investigated the relationship between neointima formation and NF-kappaB activation in a model of endothelial denudation of rat carotid artery (balloon angioplasty) using the antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate as inhibitor of NF-kappaB activation. Furthermore, we have correlated NF-kappaB activation to the expression of inducible isoforms of both nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) in injured carotids. In control group a significant proliferation of neointima was observed 14 days after balloon angioplasty, which was correlated to an increase of NF-kappaB/DNA binding activity as well as p50/p65 nuclear levels compared to those observed in the carotids from naive or sham-operated rats. Furthermore, NF-kappaB activation was correlated to increased iNOS and COX-2, but not beta-actin, protein expression. Treatment of rats for 14 days with the antioxidant agent pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (50, 100, 200 mg/kg per os and day) caused a significant inhibition of all the parameters assayed, except beta-actin protein expression. These results indicate that prevention of NF-kappaB activation may lead to the inhibition of neointima formation and suggest that antioxidant agents may have therapeutic relevance for the prevention of human restenosis.     

Effects of oxaprozin and of other 2-arylpropionic acid derivatives on nuclear factor κB(NF-κB) activation

The translocation to the nucleus and the binding of NF-B to DNA is thought to play a fundamental role in the activation of immune and inflammatory cells in order to activate the genes that in turn produce cytokines. We evaluated the ability of some 2-arylpropionic acid derivatives (fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ketoprofen, S- and R-isomers of ibuprofen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and oxaprozin) to affect NF-B binding to DNA in human peripheral mononuclear cells. We observed NF-B inhibition by oxaprozin (IC₅₀ = 50 M), ibuprofen (185 M) and S-ibuprofen (51 M). Since oxaprozin reaches higher concentrations in synovial tissues and fluid (4—5 times higher than in plasma, i.e. around 100 M) its inhibitory activity is clinically relevant. The inhibitory activity observed with all other tested drugs was outside their clinically relevant concentrations. At the concentrations observed to affect the NF-B binding, oxaprozin and ibuprofen also inhibited the release of TNF- and interleukin 1 in cells stimulated by Escherichia coli lipolysaccharide. By administering oxaprozin or ibuprofen at high dosage it should be possible to inhibit NF-B DNA binding in humans in vivo.     

Cloricromene in endotoxemia: role of NF-κB

In this study we investigated, for the first time in vivo, the effect of cloricromene, a cumarine derivative, on NF-B activation in endotoxin-treated rats. Endotoxemia was induced in male rats by the intravenous injection of Salmonella typhosa lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 2 mg/kg/i.v.). In vivo treatment with cloricromene (2 mg/kg/i.v.) 30 min before lipopolysaccharide administration reversed the LPS-induced loss in tone of the aortic rings, improved their reactivity to phenylephrine, decreased both nitric oxide (NO) and TNF- serum levels by inhibiting LPS-induced inducible NO synthase and TNF- mRNA expression, and interestingly inhibited LPS-induced NF-B activation. Our data suggest that cloricromene protects rats from LPS by blocking LPS-induced NF-B activation, leading to inhibition of NO and TNF- overproduction and thereby reversing the LPS-induced vascular hyporeactivity.     

Bicyclic Cyclohexenones as Inhibitors of NF-κB Signaling

A series of structurally simplified cryptocaryone analogues were synthesized by a facile Pd-catalyzed acetoxylation of alkyne-tethered cyclohexadienones and evaluated as inhibitors of NF-κB signaling. Compounds 10 and 11 were found to possess low micromolar inhibitory properties towards induced NF-κB activity by blocking p50/p65 nuclear protein through a covalent inhibition mechanism. Both compounds were able to inhibit NF-κB-induced IL-8 expression and exhibited antiproliferative activity against two model cancer cell lines. These analogues constitute a promising new scaffold for the development of novel NF-κB inhibitors and anticancer agents.     

Inhibition of Nuclear Transcription Factor-κB by Specific IκB Kinase Peptide Inhibitor

Pharmaceutical Research -     

Tetramethylpyrazine protected photoreceptor cells of rats by modulating nuclear translocation of NF-κB

Aim: To evaluate the effect of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) injection on retinal damage induced by N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) in rats and on nuclear factorkappa B (NF-κB) family members. Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into groups: (i), control group; (ii), model group; and (iii), TMP-injection groups, in which the rats were subdivided into 40 mg/kg, 80 mg/kg and 160 mg/kg groups. Drugs were injected ip into 47-day-old SD rats once a day. At 50 days of age, all rats in the model group and drug groups also received a single ip injection of 60 mg/kg MNU. Rats in group 1 received ip injection of physiological saline. All rats were killed at different times after MNU or physiological saline treatment. The apoptotic index of photoreceptor ceils was calculated by TUNEL labeling; retinal damage was evaluated based on retinal thickness and the expression of NF-nB family members was detected by Western blot. Results: TMP injections, in a dose-dependent manner, suppressed photoreceptor cell apoptosis and decreased its loss in the peripheral retina. As compared with the MNU-treated group, TMP injection at a dose of 160 mg/kg also timedependently upregulated the NF-κB/p65 protein level in the nucleus and downregulated the IκBα protein level in the cytoplasm. However, no protective effect of TMP injection on MNU-induced central retinal damage was found. Conclusion: TMP injection partially protects against MNU-induced retinal damage by upregulating the nuclear translocation of p65 to inhibit photoreceptor cells apoptosis.     

Involvement of hepatitis B X-interacting protein （HBXIP） in proliferation regulation of cells

AIM: To investigate the effect of Hepatitis B X-interacting protein (HBXIP) on cell proliferation. METHODS: A rabbit antibody against HBXIP was generated. The RNA interference (RNAi) fragment of the HBXIP gene was constructed in the pSilencer-3.0-H1 vector termed pSilencer-hbxip. Plasmids of the pcDNA3-hbxip encoding HBXIP gene and pSilencer-hbxip were transfected into human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells, hepatoma H7402 cells, and the normal human hepatic cell line L-O2, respectively. 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine incorporation assay were applied to detect cell proliferation. MCF-7 cells and L-O2 cells in the cell cycle were examined by flow cytometry. The proteins involved in cell proliferation and cell cycle were investigated by Western blot. RESULTS: Overexpression of HBXIP resulted in the promotion of proliferation of MCF-7, H7402, and L-O2 cells. Flow cytometry showed that the overexpression of HBXIP promoted the cell proliferation of MCF-7 and L-O2 cells, and led to an increased cell proliferative index in MCF-7 cells (from 46.25% to 58.28%) and L-O2 cells (from 29.62% to 35.54%). Western blot showed that expression levels of c-Myc, Bcl-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen were upregulated in MCF-7, H7402, or L-O2 cells, whereas that of p27 was downregulated. However, the RNAi of HBXIP brought opposite results. CONCLUSION: One of the functions of HBXIP is its involvement in cell proliferation.