Design and Synthesis of Dimethylaminomethyl-Substituted Curcumin Derivatives: Potent Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Oxidant, and Radioprotection Activity, Improved Aqueous Solubility Compared with Curcumin.

Although the wide variety of bioactivities of curcumin has been reported by researchers, the clinical application of curcumin is still limited due to its poor aqueous solubility. In view of this, a series of dimethylaminomethyl-substituted curcumin derivatives were designed and synthesized (compounds 1-15). Acetate of these derivatives were prepared (compounds 1a-15a). The Mannich reaction and aldol condensation reaction are the main reactions involved in this study. Compounds 6, 10, 12, 3a, 5a, 6a, 7a, 8a, 10a, 11a, 12a, 13a, 14a, and 15a exhibited better in vitro anti-inflammatory activity compared to curcumin in the RAW264.7 cell line. Compounds 5, 1a, 5a, 8a, and 12a exhibited better in vitro antioxidant activity compared to curcumin in the PC 12 cell line. Compounds 11, 13, 5a, 7a, and 13a exhibited better in vitro radiation protection compared to curcumin in the PC 12 cell line. The aqueous solubilities of all the curcumin derivative acetates were greatly improved compared to curcumin.

An injectable double-crosslinking iodinated composite hydrogel as a potential radioprotective spacer with durable imaging function.

Prostate cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer incidence among males worldwide. Radiotherapy can achieve similar oncological outcomes to those of radical prostatectomy. One concern is, however, radiation damage to the rectum because of the extreme proximity between the two organs. Inserting a biomaterial to separate the prostate and rectum is a promising strategy, and an injectable hydrogel is regarded to be the preferred spacer after screening of various materials. Nevertheless, there exist shortcomings for the currently available injectable hydrogel that cannot fully meet the unique requirements in clinical practice. In this work, a novel injectable hydrogel spacer based on carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC), aldehyde guar gum (AG), and aldehyde iohexol (DHQ) with an imaging function is fabricated. Contrast agent DHQ is chemically attached to CMC-AG network to form a double-crosslinking network to obtain a controlled degradation rate and high strength as well as durable CT imaging function. The hydrogel is injected subcutaneously into rats, where rapid gelation occurs and it serves as a hydrogel spacer. During the month-long in vivo studies, the spacer exhibits remarkable radiation dose attenuation and sustainable imaging function, as well as excellent toxicity profiles. This novel hydrogel shows excellent potential in the protection of critical organs during prostate cancer radiotherapy.

Polycysteine as a new type of radio-protector ameliorated tissue injury through inhibiting ferroptosis in mice.

Amifostine has been the only small molecule radio-protector approved by FDA for decades; however, the serious adverse effects limit its clinical use. To address the toxicity issues and maintain the good potency, a series of modified small polycysteine peptides had been prepared. Among them, compound 5 exhibited the highest radio-protective efficacy, the same as amifostine, but much better safety profile. To confirm the correlation between the radiation-protective efficacy and the DNA binding capability, each of the enantiomers of the polycysteine peptides had been prepared. As a result, the L-configuration compounds had obviously higher efficacy than the corresponding D-configuration enantiomers; among them, compound 5 showed the highest DNA binding capability and radiation-protective efficacy. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has proved their correlations using direct comparison. Further exploration of the mechanism revealed that the ionizing radiation (IR) triggered ferroptosis inhibition by compound 5 could be one of the pathways for the protection effect, which was different from amifostine. In summary, the preliminary result showed that compound 5, a polycysteine as a new type of radio-protector, had been developed with good efficacy and safety profile. Further study of the compound for potential use is ongoing.

3,3'-Diselenodipropionic acid (DSePA): A redox active multifunctional molecule of biological relevance.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research is being carried out globally to design and develop new selenium compounds for various biological applications such as antioxidants, radio-protectors, anti-carcinogenic agents, biocides, etc. In this pursuit, 3,3'-diselenodipropionic acid (DSePA), a synthetic organoselenium compound, has received considerable attention for its biological activities. SCOPE OF REVIEW: This review intends to give a comprehensive account of research on DSePA so as to facilitate further research activities on this organoselenium compound and to realize its full potential in different areas of biological and pharmacological sciences. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: It is an interesting diselenide structurally related to selenocystine. It shows moderate glutathione peroxidase (GPx)-like activity and is an excellent scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Exposure to radiation, as envisaged during radiation therapy, has been associated with normal tissue side effects and also with the decrease in selenium levels in the body. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of DSePA has confirmed its ability to reduce radiation induced side effects into normal tissues. Administration of DSePA through intraperitoneal (IP) or oral route to mice in a dose range of 2 to 2.5 mg/kg body weight has shown survival advantage against whole body irradiation and a significant protection to lung tissue against thoracic irradiation. Pharmacokinetic profiling of DSePA suggests its maximum absorption in the lung. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Research work on DSePA reported in fifteen years or so indicates that it is a promising multifunctional organoselenium compound exhibiting many important activities of biological relevance apart from radioprotection.

Investigation of neutron and gamma radiation protective characteristics of synthesized quinoline derivatives.

PURPOSE: Quinoline is formed by various natural compounds, such as alkaloids from the cinchona plant, which exhibit various biological activities, and is an important building material for the development of new drugs. Quinoline can be used in anti-radiation drug development but radiation interaction properties must be determined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, six types of synthesized quinoline derivatives were used. Fast neutron removal cross-section, mean free path, half value layer and transmission number were theoretically determined by using GEometry ANd Tracking 4 and FLUktuierende KAskade simulation codes for neutron shielding. Neutron dose absorption rates were determined using the 241Am-Be fast neutron source and the Canberra NP series portable BF3 gas proportional neutron detector. Gamma radiation shielding parameters were determined by using WinXCom and PSY-X/PSD software. Additionally, the genotoxic potentials of the derivatives were assessed by using the Ames/Salmonella bacterial reversion assay. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Neutron shielding parameters such as removal cross-section, mean free path, half value layer and transmission number were theoretically determined for fast neutrons. To determine neutron absorption capacity of quinoline derivatives, neutron absorption, experiments were conducted. In addition, gamma radiation shielding parameters were calculated such as the mean free path (MFP), mass attenuation coefficient (µt), half value thickness layer (HVL) and effective atomic number (Zeff) in the energy range of 0.015-15 MeV. The results of the all quinoline derivatives have excellent fast neutron shielding power compared to ordinary concrete. In addition, all quinoline derivatives have been found to have the capacity to attenuate gamma radiation. Moreover, they absorb well in both types of radiation, do not cause secondary radiation, and they are genotoxically safe at the tested concentrations. This study has demonstrated that these products can be used as active ingredients for a drug to be developed against radiation.

A novel class of small molecule inhibitors with radioprotective properties.

The goal of this study was to develop novel radioprotective agents targeting the intrinsic apoptotic pathway and thus decreasing the radiation-induced damage. For that purpose, we designed, synthesized and analyzed ten new compounds based on the 1-(4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazin-1-yl)-3-phenoxypropan-2-ol leading structure. The cytotoxicity of the newly synthesized substances was tested in vitro on cell lines derived from different progenitor cells by WST-1 proliferation assay. MTT test was utilized to assess half-maximal inhibitory concentrations and maximum tolerated concentrations of novel compounds in A-549 cells. Screening for radioprotective properties was performed using flow-cytometry in MOLT-4 cells exposed to 60Co ionizing gamma radiation. Selected candidates underwent in vivo testing in C57Bl/6 J mice having a positive impact on their immunological status. In summary, we report here promising compounds with radioprotective effect in vivo.

Dual pH-triggered catalytic selective Mn clusters for cancer radiosensitization and radioprotection.

Hypoxia is known to be a common feature within many types of solid tumors, which is closely related to the limited efficacy of radiotherapy. Meanwhile, due to the non-discriminatory killing effect of both normal and cancer cells during the radiation process, traditional radiosensitizers could bring severe non-negligible side-effects to the whole body. In this work, stable and atomically precise Mn clusters which possess efficient pH-triggered catalytic selective capacity are developed rationally. Mn clusters could efficiently catalyze oxygen production in an acidic tumor microenvironment, while exhibiting strong reducibility and free radical scavenging ability in neutral circumstances. In vivo experiments show that Mn clusters are able to enhance the radiotherapy effect in the mouse model of 4T1 tumors and protect normal tissues from radiation at the same time. Thus, the present work provides a novel dual-functional strategy to enhance radiotherapy-induced tumor treatment by improving tumor oxygenation and protect normal tissues from radiation simultaneously.

The protective effects of XH-105 against radiation-induced intestinal injury.

Radiation-induced intestinal injury is one of the major side effects in patients receiving radiation therapy. There is no specific treatment for radiation enteritis in the clinic. We designed and synthesized a new compound named XH-105, which is expected to cleave into polyphenol and aminothiol in vivo to mitigate radiation injury. In the following study, we describe the beneficial effects of XH-105 against radiation-induced intestinal injury. C57BL/6J mice were treated by gavage with XH-105 1 hour before total body irradiation (TBI), and the survival rate was monitored. Histological changes were examined, and survival of Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells Ki67+ cells, villi+ enterocytes and lysozymes was determined by immunohistochemistry. DNA damage and cellular apoptosis in intestinal tissue were also evaluated. Compared to vehicle-treated mice after TBI, XH-105 treatment significantly enhanced the survival rate, attenuated structural damage of the small intestine, decreased the apoptotic rate, reduced DNA damage, maintained cell regeneration and promoted crypt proliferation and differentiation. XH-105 also reduced the expression of Bax and p53 in the small intestine. These data suggest that XH-105 is beneficial for the protection of radiation-induced intestinal injury by inhibiting the p53-dependent apoptosis signalling pathway.

TLR5 binding and activation by KMRC011, a flagellin-derived radiation countermeasure.

Entolimod (CBLB502) is a flagellin-derived radiation countermeasure currently under clinical trial. Entolimod exerts radioprotective activity by directly interacting with TLR5, an innate immune receptor, using the conserved domains of flagellin. Entolimod was designed to contain an artificially introduced N-terminal region that is not related to drug effects and might trigger unexpected toxic immunogenic reactions in humans. To refine the entolimod drug design, we engineered entolimod into KMRC011 by removing its ancillary region. The TLR5 binding and activating capacities of KMRC011 were assessed through biophysical and cellular analyses. KMRC011 forms an exceptionally stable complex with TLR5 at a 1:1 molar ratio with an equilibrium dissociation constant of ∼100 pM and potently activates TLR5. Moreover, alanine scanning mutagenesis identified the R90 and E114 residues of KMRC011 as a TLR5 activation hotspot. Further comparative analysis demonstrated that KMRC011 binds and activates TLR5 in a mode similar to that of entolimod. Thus, we propose that KMRC011 can be used in place of entolimod as a second-generation radiation countermeasure that shows none of the immunogenic side effects derived from the entolimod ancillary region.

The Protective Effect of New Compound XH-103 on Radiation-Induced GI Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Radiation-induced intestinal injury is one of the side effects in patients receiving radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effect of XH-103 on radiation-induced small intestinal injury and to explore its mechanism. METHODS: C57BL/6N mice were irradiated and treated with XH-103. Firstly, the survival rate of mice exposed to 9.0 Gy and 11.0 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) was examined. Subsequently, at 3.5 d after IR, the small intestinal morphological changes were examined by HE. The numbers of crypt cells, the villus height, the expression of Ki67 and Lgr5, and the apoptotic cells in the intestinal crypts were examined by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, the expression of p53 and Bax was analyzed by WB. RESULTS: Compared to the irradiation group, XH-103 improved the mice survival rate, protected the intestinal morphology of mice, decreased the apoptotic rate of intestinal crypt cells, maintained cell regeneration, and promoted crypt proliferation and differentiation. XH-103 also reduced the expression of p53 and Bax in the small intestine compared to the IR group. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that XH-103 can prevent radiation-induced intestinal injury, which is beneficial for the protection of radiation injuries.

Synthesis and Characterization of a Rosmarinic Acid Derivative that Targets Mitochondria and Protects against Radiation-Induced Damage In Vitro.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in gamma-radiation-induced mediating oxidative stress. Scavenging radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) can help mitochondria to maintain their physiological function. Rosmarinic acid is a polyphenol antioxidant that can scavenge radiation-induced ROS, but the structure prevents it from accumulating in mitochondria. In this study, we designed and synthesized a novel rosmarinic acid derivative (Mito-RA) that could use the mitochondrial membrane potential to enter the organelle and scavenge ROS. The DCFH-DA assay revealed that Mito-RA was more effective than rosmarinic acid at scavenging ROS. DNA double-strand breaks, chromosomal aberration, micronucleus and comet assays demonstrated the ability of Mito-RA to protect against radiation-induced oxidative stress in vitro. These findings demonstrate the potential of Mito-RA as an antioxidant, which can penetrate mitochondria, scavenge ROS and protect cells against radiation-induced oxidative damage.

A Multitarget Approach toward the Development of 8-Substituted Purines for Photoprotection and Prevention of UV-Related Damage.

Ultraviolet (UV) light is the most abundant and significant modifiable risk factor for skin cancer and many other skin diseases such as early photo-aging. Across the solar radiation spectrum, UV light is the main cause behind skin problems. In the search for novel photoprotective compounds, a new series of 8-substituted purines were synthesized from commercially available 6-hydroxy-4,5-diaminopyrimidine hemisulfate or 4,5-diaminopyrimidine. All title compounds were investigated for their UV filtering, antioxidant, antifungal, and antiproliferative activities. For the photoprotection assays we used a diffuse transmittance technique to determine the sun protection factor (SPF) in vitro, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) tests for evaluating the antioxidant activity of the more potent compounds. Among them, 8-(2,5-dihydroxyphenyl)-7H-purin-6-ol (compound 26) proved to be a good radical scavenger and is also endowed with broad-spectrum UVA filtering capabilities, suitable for further development as a protective molecule.

Radio-protective effect of some new curcumin analogues.

In the present study, novel symmetrical curcumin analogues (2-7) have been synthesized by substituting the phenolic OH of curcumin with different linkers providing additional keto-enol tautomerism, very essential for radioprotective activity. The structures of the synthesized compounds (2-7) were elucidated by elemental analysis, IR, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR and mass spectral data and were found consistent with the assigned structures. The curative effect of these new compounds, against the oxidative stress due to exposure of rats to the whole body γ-irradiation (7Gy) was investigated. Gamma-irradiated rats exhibited elevations of ALT, AST activities, urea, creatinine, triglycerides, total cholesterol, malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB) levels. Contrariwise, the total protein, albumin, total calcium level, SOD, CAT, GSH-Px, GST activities and GSH content were decreased. Treatment of gamma-irradiated rats with the new curcumin analogues (2-7) showed significant amelioration in the in-vivo antioxidant status, liver and kidney functions, as well as the anti-inflammatory markers (IL-6, TNF-α and NF-κB). Inhibition of NF-κB could be responsible for the improvement of the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status in gamma-irradiated animals, by down-regulation of IL-1ß and TNF-α level. In conclusion, the new curcumin analogues (2-7) exhibited post-protective effect on gamma-irradiation, by NF-κB inhibition.

The Protective Effects of 5-Methoxytryptamine-α-lipoic Acid on Ionizing Radiation-Induced Hematopoietic Injury.

Antioxidants are prospective radioprotectors because of their ability to scavenge radiation-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS). The hematopoietic system is widely studied in radiation research because of its high radiosensitivity. In the present study, we describe the beneficial effects of 5-methoxytryptamine-α-lipoic acid (MLA), which was synthesized from melatonin and α-lipoic acid, against radiation-induced hematopoietic injury. MLA administration significantly enhanced the survival rate of mice after 7.2 Gy total body irradiation. The results showed that MLA not only markedly increased the numbers and clonogenic potential of hematopoietic cells but also decreased DNA damage, as determined by flow cytometric analysis of histone H2AX phosphorylation. In addition, MLA decreased the levels of ROS in hematopoietic cells by inhibiting NOX4 expression. These data demonstrate that MLA prevents radiation-induced hematopoietic syndrome by increasing the number and function of and by inhibiting DNA damage and ROS production in hematopoietic cells. These data suggest MLA is beneficial for the protection of radiation injuries.

Creation and study of triterpenoid nanoparticles and radioprotective substance genistein.

This work is devoted to the study and obtaining of new radioprotective agents based on natural flavonoid genistein and spherical amorphous nanoparticles (SANPs) produced from a mixture of birch bark triterpenoids. The physicochemical characteristics of the nanoparticles were studied by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and UV-VIS spectroscopy. The radioprotective efficacy of the nanodrug in vivo and the possibility of its use as a radioprotective agent was shown.

[Radioprotective Properties of NO-Synthase Inhibitor T1023: I. Indicators of Radioprotective Activity and Interaction with Other Radioprotectors].

The study of radioprotective activity of NO-synthase inhibitor, N-S-isothiourea derivative T1023 showed that this compound has a significant therapeutic range of radioprotective activity (5.5-6.0) and its optimal radioprotective dose is 1/4 LD16. The value of its Radiation Dose-Reduction Factor totaled 1.4-1.8. We have demonstrated a pronounced pharmacodynamic interaction of T1023 with some known radioprotectors. The character of the interaction was determined by its vasoactive properties. Combined use of T1023 and cystamine, which causes a decrease in vascular tone, was accompanied by a statistically significant weakening of the radioprotective effect. But, the combined use of T1023 with serotonergic and adrenergic radioprotectors having a pressor action caused a statistically significant increase in the radioprotective effect. Moreover, T1023 combined with such radioprotectors caused the synergistic radioprotective effect even when used at small doses that do not have any radioprotective effect alone. The findings suggest that NOS inhibitors can be effective radioprotectors and are able to create new opportunities for the development of safer radioprotective agents. The very same compound T1023, according to current criteria of pharmacological screening, is certainly promising for further investigations.

[Radioprotective Properties of NO-synthase Inhibitor T1023: II. The Ability for Selective Protection of Normal Tissues During Radiotherapy of Tumors].

We studied the effect of T1023, NO-synthase inhibitor, N-acyl-S-alkyl-isothiourea in a single administration at a dose of 75 mg/kg on the growth of transplantable rat sarcoma M-1 and the development of acute skin reactions after the local impact of γ-radiation at the doses of 32 and 36 Gy. The results showed that the T1023 at a single dose had no effect on the growth of sarcoma, and did not modify the radiosensitivity of the tumor and anti-tumor efficacy of γ-rays. However, at both doses T1023 significantly reduced the severity of acute radiation skin reactions. NOS inhibitor did not change the duration of the inflammatory and regenerative processes, but significantly limited the degree of radiation alteration of the deep layers of the skin and underlying tissues. The findings suggest that the hypoxic mechanism of antitumor action allows T1023 to selectively protect the non-malignant tissue during radiation therapy of solid tumors. Therefore, this compound may be regarded as a promising basis for the development of pharmacological prevention of radiotherapy complications.

[Experimental Evaluation of Radioprotective Efficacy of Synthetic Genistein on Criteria of Glutathione System and Lipid Peroxidation in Erythrocytes of Peripheral Blood in Irradiated Rats].

The study was aimed to evaluate experimentally the radioprotective effectiveness of synthetic genistein in terms of the glutathione system and lipid peroxidation in erythrocytes of irradiated rats. The animals were exposed to single acute X-ray irradiation at a dose of 6 Gy. Genistein was administered intraperitoneally at 200 mg/kg 1 hour before radiation exposure. The irradiation caused the initiation of lipid peroxidation in the background depletion of reduced glutathione. Decrease by 25% in the number of malondialdehyde in the rats treated with genistein was registered 5 min after irradiation compared with the control. It is established thatl day after irradiation the level of reduced glutathione in the rats treated with genistein was 26% higher. However, intraperitoneal administration of genistein did not cause statistically significant changes in the activity of glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase during the whole period of observation. The results suggest that the radioprotective effect of synthetic genistein is implemented, along with other mechanisms, by stimulating the glutathione system and reducing the severity of lipid peroxidation.

Design and synthesis of 8-hydroxyquinoline-based radioprotective agents.

In radiation therapy, adverse side effects are often induced due to the excessive cell death that occurs in radiosensitive normal cells. The radiation-induced cell death of normal cells is caused, at least in part, by apoptosis, which undergoes via activation of p53 and increase in the p53 protein, a zinc-containing transcriptional factor, in response to cellular damage. Therefore, radioprotective drugs that can protect normal cells from radiation and thus suppress adverse side effects would be highly desirable. We report herein on the radioprotective activity of 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) derivatives that were initially designed so as to interact with the Zn(2+) in p53. Indeed, the 5,7-bis(methylaminosulfonyl)-8HQ and 8-methoxyquinoline derivatives considerably protected MOLT-4 cells against γ-ray radiation (10 Gy), accompanied by a low cytotoxicity. However, mechanistic studies revealed that the interaction of these drugs with p53 is weak and the mechanism for inhibiting apoptosis appears to be different from that of previously reported radioprotectors such as bispicen, which inhibits apoptosis via the denaturation of p53 as well as by blocking both transcription-dependent and -independent apoptotic pathways.

Novel synthetic (S,S) and (R,R)-secoisolariciresinol diglucosides (SDGs) protect naked plasmid and genomic DNA From gamma radiation damage.

Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) is the major lignan in wholegrain flaxseed. However, extraction methods are complex and are associated with low yield and high costs. Using a novel synthetic pathway, our group succeeded in chemically synthesizing SDG (S,S and R,R enantiomers), which faithfully recapitulates the properties of their natural counterparts, possessing strong antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. This study further extends initial findings by now investigating the DNA-radioprotective properties of the synthetic SDG enantiomers compared to the commercial SDG. DNA radioprotection was assessed by cell-free systems such as: (a) plasmid relaxation assay to determine the extent of the supercoiled (SC) converted to open-circular (OC) plasmid DNA (pBR322) after exposure of the plasmid to gamma radiation; and (b) determining the extent of genomic DNA fragmentation. Exposure of plasmid DNA to 25 Gy of γ radiation resulted in decreased supercoiled form and increased open-circular form, indicating radiation-induced DNA damage. Synthetic SDG (S,S) and SDG (R,R), and commercial SDG at concentrations of 25-250 µM significantly and equipotently reduced the radiation-induced supercoiled to open-circular plasmid DNA in a dose-dependent conversion. In addition, exposure of calf thymus DNA to 50 Gy of gamma radiation resulted in DNA fragments of low-molecular weight (<6,000 bps), which was prevented in a dose-dependence manner by all synthetic and natural SDG enantomers, at concentrations as low as 0.5 µM. These novel results demonstrated that synthetic SDG (S,S) and SDG (R,R) isomers and commercial SDG possess DNA-radioprotective properties. Such properties along with their antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity, reported earlier, suggest that SDGs are promising candidates for radioprotection for normal tissue damage as a result of accidental exposure during radiation therapy for cancer treatment.