A Saffron based Polyherbal Formulation DuK Prevents Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Male Wistar Rats.

BACKGROUND: Duk is a well-established traditional drug which has been used since time immemorial by Indian practitioners to cure various human ailments. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to explore the anti-cancer activity and the possible mechanism of Duk against diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-initiated hepatocarcinogenesis. METHODS & RESULTS: We administered Duk at 3 doses, viz., 75, 150, and 300 mg/kg/day, 2 weeks before the DEN and continued it for 16 weeks. After 1 week of DEN recovery, 2-aminoacetylflourine (2-AAF) was administered to promote hepatocarcinogenesis. We found that Duk significantly reduced the DEN and 2-AAF induced phenotypical changes in rats and restored the activities of serum markers. Furthermore, Duk counteracted the oxidative stress induced by carcinogens as observed by restoration in the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Duk significantly diminished the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in a dose dependent manner and restored the liver microarchitecture as assessed by histopathological studies. The results of immunohistochemical staining showed that Duk inhibited the DEN-induced decrease in the number of cells positive for Bid and Caspase-9. It also reduces the number of cells positive for Cyclin D. CONCLUSION: Duk significantly protects rat liver from hepatocarcinogenesis by regulating oxidative damage and restoring serum markers. The chemopreventive effect of Duk might be through induction of apoptosis.

Akt1/NFκB signaling pathway activation by a small molecule DMA confers radioprotection to intestinal epithelium in xenograft model.

Normal tissue protection and recovery of radiation-induced damage are of paramount importance for development of radioprotector. Radioprotector which selectively protects normal tissues over cancerous tissues improves the therapeutic window of radiation therapy. In the present study, small bisbenzimidazole molecule, DMA (5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-[2'-(3,4-dimethoxy-phenyl)-5'-benzimidazolyl]-benzimidazole) was evaluated for in vivo radioprotective effects to selectively protect normal tissue over tumor with underlying molecular mechanism. Administration of single DMA dose prior to radiation has enhanced survival of Balb/c mice against sublethal and supralethal total body irradiation. DMA ameliorated radiation-induced damage of normal tissues such as hematopoietic (HP) and gastrointestinal tract (GI) system. Oxidative stress marker Malondialdehyde level was decreased by DMA whereas it maintained endogenous antioxidant status by increasing the level of reduced glutathione, glutathione reductase, glutathione-s-transferase, superoxide dismutase and total thiol content in hepatic tissue of irradiated mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that DMA treatment prior to radiation leads to Akt1/NFκB signaling which reduced radiation-induced genomic instability in normal cells. However, these pathways were not activated in tumor tissues when subjected to DMA treatment in similar conditions. Abrogation of Akt1 and NFκB genes resulted in no radioprotection by DMA and enhanced apoptosis against radiation. Plasma half-life of DMA was 3.5h and 2.65h at oral and intravenous dose respectively and 90% clearance was observed in 16h. In conclusion, these data suggests that DMA has potential to be developed as a safe radioprotective agent for radiation countermeasures and an adjuvant in cancer therapy.

Preclinical Evaluation of DMA, a Bisbenzimidazole, as Radioprotector: Toxicity, Pharmacokinetics, and Biodistribution Studies in Balb/c Mice.

Radiotherapy, a therapeutic modality of cancer treatment, nonselectively damages normal tissues as well as tumor tissues. The search is ongoing for therapeutic agents that selectively reduce radiation-induced normal tissue injury without reducing tumoricidal effect, thereby increasing the therapeutic ratio of radiation therapy. Our laboratory established 5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-[2'-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-5'benzimidazolyl] benzimidazole (DMA) as noncytotoxic radioprotector in mammalian cells. DMA showed an excellent radioprotection in mice at single nontoxic oral dose by a dose-reduction factor of 1.28. An oxygen radical absorbing capacity assay confirmed its free-radical quenching ability. Single bolus dose and 28-days of repeated administration of DMA in mice for toxicity studies determined an LD50 of >2000 mg/kg body weight (bw) and 225 mg/kg bw, respectively, suggesting DMA is safe. Histopathology, biochemical parameters, and relative organ weight analysis revealed insignificant changes in the DMA-treated animals. The pharmacokinetic study of DMA at oral and intravenous doses showed its C(max) = 1 hour, bioavailability of 8.84%, elimination half-life of 4 hours, and an enterohepatic recirculation. Biodistribution study in mice with Ehrlich ascites tumors showed that (99m)Tc-DMA achieved its highest concentration in 1 hour and was retained up to 4 hours in the lungs, liver, kidneys, and spleen, and in a low concentration in the tumor, a solicited property of any radioprotector to protect normal cells over cancerous cells. We observed that the single-dose treatment of tumor-bearing mice with DMA 2 hours before 8 Gy total body irradiation showed an impressive rescue of radiation-induced morbidity in terms of weight loss and mortality without a change in tumor response.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel bisbenzimidazoles as Escherichia coli topoisomerase IA inhibitors and potential antibacterial agents.

Novel bisbenzimidazole inhibitors of bacterial type IA topoisomerase are of interest for the development of new antibacterial agents that are impacted by target-mediated cross resistance with fluoroquinolones. The present study demonstrates the successful synthesis and evaluation of bisbenzimidazole analogues as Escherichia coli topoisomerase IA inhibitors. 5-(4-Propylpiperazin-1-yl)-2-[2'-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-5'-benzimidazolyl]benzimidazole (12b) showed significant relaxation inhibition activity against EcTopo 1A (IC50 = 2 ± 0.005 µM) and a tendency to chelate metal ion. Interestingly, these compounds did not show significant inhibition of E. coli DNA gyrase and hTop 1 even up to 100 µM. Compound 12b has shown lowest MIC against E. coli strains among 24 compounds evaluated. The binding affinity constant and binding free energy of 12b with EcTopo 1A was observed 6.8 × 10(6) M(-1) and -10.84 kcal mol(-1) from isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), respectively. In vivo mouse systemic infection and neutropenic thigh model experimental results confirmed the therapeutic efficacy of 12b, suggesting further development of this class of compounds as antibacterial agents.

Tandem synthesis of pyrroloacridones via [3 + 2] alkyne annulation/ring-opening with concomitant intramolecular aldol condensation.

An efficient cascade strategy for the direct synthesis of pyrrolo[3,2,1-de]acridones 4a-v, 5a-h from iodo-pyranoquinolines 2a-i by the palladium-catalyzed regioselective [3 + 2] alkyne annulation/ring-opening followed by intramolecular aldol condensation under microwave irradiation is described. The chemistry involves the in situ formation of pyrroloquinolines Y, via palladium-catalyzed selective [3 + 2] annulation of iodopyranoquinolines and internal akynes with ring-opening and successive intramolecular cross-aldol condensation. Both the symmetrical and unsymmetrical internal alkynes were reacted smoothly to provide the desired pyrroloacridones in good yields. This methodology provides the facile conversion of easily accessble iodopyranoquinoline into highly functionalized biologically important pyrroloacridones in a single process.