Search results for "cell survival"
showing 10 items of 870 documents
Ensemble-based ADME-Tox profiling and virtual screening for the discovery of new inhibitors of the Leishmania mexicana cysteine protease CPB2.8ΔCTE
2018
Abstract: In an effort to identify novel molecular warheads able to inhibit Leishmania mexicana cysteine protease CPB2.8CTE, fused benzo[b]thiophenes and ,'-triketones emerged as covalent inhibitors binding the active site cysteine residue. Enzymatic screening showed a moderate-to-excellent activity (12%-90% inhibition of the target enzyme at 20m). The most promising compounds were selected for further profiling including in vitro cell-based assays and docking studies. Computational data suggest that benzo[b]thiophenes act immediately as non-covalent inhibitors and then as irreversible covalent inhibitors, whereas a reversible covalent mechanism emerged for the 1,3,3'-triketones with a Y-to…
Geographical mapping of metabolites in biological tissue with quantitative bioluminescence and single photon imaging
1993
This article features a novel technique for measuring the spatial distribution of metabolites, such as ATP, glucose, and lactate, in rapidly frozen tissue. Concentration values are obtained in absolute terms and with a spatial resolution of single-cell dimension. The method is based on enzymatic reactions that link the metabolite of interest to luciferase with subsequent light emission. Using a specific array, cryosections are brought into contact with the enzymes in a well-defined, reproducible way inducing a distribution of light across the section with an intensity that is proportional to the metabolite concentration. The emitted light can be visualized through a microscope and an imagin…
Ditopic Aza-Scorpiand Ligands Interact Selectively with ds-RNA and Modulate the Interaction upon Formation of Zn2+ Complexes
2021
Nucleic acids are essential biomolecules in living systems and represent one of the main targets of chemists, biophysics, biologists, and nanotechnologists. New small molecules are continuously developed to target the duplex (ds) structure of DNA and, most recently, RNA to be used as therapeutics and/or biological tools. Stimuli-triggered systems can promote and hamper the interaction to biomolecules through external stimuli such as light and metal coordination. In this work, we report on the interaction with ds-DNA and ds-RNA of two aza-macrocycles able to coordinate Zn2+ metal ions and form binuclear complexes. The interaction of the aza-macrocycles and the Zn2+ metal complexes with duple…
Inhibitors of Rho-kinase modulate amyloid-β (Aβ) secretion but lack selectivity for Aβ42
2005
Certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) preferentially inhibit production of the amyloidogenic Abeta42 peptide, presumably by direct modulation of gamma-secretase activity. A recent report indicated that NSAIDs could reduce Abeta42 by inhibition of the small GTPase Rho, and a single inhibitor of Rho kinase (ROCK) mimicked the effects of Abeta42-lowering NSAIDs. To investigate whether Abeta42 reduction is a common property of ROCK inhibitors, we tested commercially available compounds in cell lines that were previously used to demonstrate the Abeta42-lowering activity of NSAIDs. Surprisingly, we found that two ROCK inhibitors reduced total Abeta secretion in a dose-dependent m…
Long-chain fatty alcohols from pomace olive oil modulate the release of proinflammatory mediators
2009
Pomace olive oil is a by-product of olive oil extraction that is traditionally produced and consumed in Spain. The nonglyceride matter of this oil is a good source of interesting minor compounds, like long-chain fatty alcohols, which are present free or as part of waxes. In the present study, long-chain fatty alcohols were isolated from the nonglyceride fraction of pomace olive oil, and the composition was identified and quantified. The major components of long-chain fatty alcohols were tetracosanol, hexacosanol and octacosanol. We investigated the ability of long-chain fatty alcohols from pomace olive oil to inhibit the release of different proinflammatory mediators in vitro by cells invol…
Herpes virus entry mediator synergizes with Toll-like receptor mediated neutrophil inflammatory responses
2006
In microbial infections polymorphnuclear neutrophils (PMN) constitute a major part of the innate host defence, based upon their ability to rapidly accumulate in inflamed tissues and clear the site of infection from microbial pathogens by their potent effector mechanisms. The recently described transmembrane receptor herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM) is a member of the tumour necrosis factor receptor super family and is expressed on many haematopoietic cells, including T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, monocytes and PMN. Interaction of HVEM with the natural ligand LIGHT on T cells has a costimulatory effect, and increases the bactericidal activity of PMN. To further characterize the f…
Effects of vinblastine, leucine, and histidine, and 3-methyladenine on autophagy in Ehrlich ascites cells.
1990
The microtubule inhibitor vinblastine causes accumulation of autophagic vacuoles in many cell types. In hepatocytes, many of the accumulated vacuoles are nascent, which has been interpreted to suggest that vinblastine acts by inhibiting the fusion of hydrolase-containing lysosomes with early autophagic vacuoles. However, our previous results suggested that, in Ehrlich ascites cells, vinblastine causes accumulation mainly of older autophagic vacuoles (AVs). This study was undertaken to further characterize the mode of action of vinblastine in these cells. The vinblastine-accumulated AVs were quantified by electron-microscopic morphometry. In addition, the effects of inhibitors of autophagic …
Novel cationic solid-lipid nanoparticles as non-viral vectors for gene delivery.
2007
In this paper, the suitability of novel cationic solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as a nonviral transfection agent for gene delivery was investigated. SLN were produced by using the microemulsion method and Compritol ATO 888 as matrix lipid, dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide as charge carrier and Pluronic F68 as surfactant. Obtained nanoparticles were approximately 120 nm in size and positively charged, with a zeta potential value equal to +45 mV in twice-distilled water. Cationic SLN were able to form stable complexes with DNA and to protect DNA against DNase I digestion. The SLN-DNA complexes were characterized by mean diameter and zeta potential measurements. In vitro studies on human l…
In-situ gelling xyloglucan formulations as 3D artificial niche for adipose stem cell spheroids.
2020
Abstract Three-dimensional spheroidal cell aggregates of adipose stem cells (SASCs) are a distinct upstream population of stem cells present in adipose tissue, with enhanced regeneration properties in vivo. The preservation of the 3D structure of the cells, from extraction to administration, can be a promising strategy to ensure optimal conditions for cell viability and maintenance of stemness potential. With this aim, an artificial niche was created by incorporating the spheroids into an injectable, in-situ gelling solution of partially degalactosylated xyloglucan (dXG) and an ad hoc formulated culture medium for the preservation of stem cell spheroid features. The evolution of the mechani…
Use of the Cultex® Radial Flow System as an in vitro exposure method to assess acute pulmonary toxicity of fine dusts and nanoparticles with special …
2013
Exposure of the respiratory tract to airborne particles (including metal-dusts and nano-particles) is considered as a serious health hazard. For a wide range of substances basic knowledge about the toxic properties and the underlying pathomechanisms is lacking or even completely missing. Legislation demands the toxicological characterization of all chemicals placed on the market until 2018 (REACH). As toxicological in vivo data are rare with regard to acute lung toxicity or exhibit distinct limitations (e.g. inter-species differences) and legislation claims the reduction of animal experiments in general ("3R" principle), profound in vitro models have to be established and characterized to m…