N-Phenyl Cinnamamide Derivatives Protect Hepatocytes against Oxidative Stress by Inducing Cellular Glutathione Synthesis via Nuclear Factor (Erythroid-Derived 2)-Like 2 Activation.

Substituted N-phenyl cinnamamide derivatives were designed and synthesized to confirm activation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) pathway by the electronic effect on beta-position of Michael acceptor according to introducing the R1 and R2 group. Compounds were screened using the Nrf2/antioxidant response element (ARE)-driven luciferase reporter assay. Compound 1g showed desirable luciferase activity in HepG2 cells without cell toxicity. mRNA and protein expression of Nrf2/ARE target genes such as NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1, hemeoxygenase-1, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC) were upregulated by compound 1g in a concentration-dependent manner. Treatment with 1g resulted in increased endogenous antioxidant glutathione, showing strong correlation with enhanced GCLC expression for synthesis of glutathione. In addition, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-generated reactive oxygen species were significantly removed by 1g, and the results of a cell survival assay in a t-BHP-induced oxidative cell injury model showed a cytoprotective effect of 1g in a concentration dependent manner. In conclusion, the novel compound 1g can be utilized as an Nrf2/ARE activator in antioxidative therapy.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of novel 1-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole-3-carboxamide analogs in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell lines.

A series of novel 1-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole-3-carboxamide analogs were designed and synthesized for developing pyrazinoindolone scaffolds as anti-breast cancer agents. Compounds 1h and 1i, having a furan-2-yl-methylamide and benzylamide group, respectively, exhibited more potent cytotoxicity in MDA-MB-468 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells than compounds possessing aliphatic groups. Compounds 2a and 2b, as (R)-enantiomers of 1h and 1i, also had inhibitory activity against MDA-MB-468 cells. Moreover, analogs (3a-b and 3d-e) bearing a benzyl group at the N-2 position showed more potent activity than gefitinib, as a potent EFGR-TK inhibitor. Especially, compound 3a exhibited selective cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-468 cells; it also had a synergistic effect in combination with gefitinib against MDA-MB-468 cells. In addition, we confirmed that compounds 3a and 3d inhibit phosphorylation of Akt in MDA-MB-468 cells using western blot analysis. Therefore, these 1-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrazino[1,2-a]indole-3-carboxamide analogs may be helpful for investigating new anti-TNBC agents.

Platelet antiaggregating activity of ginsenosides isolated from processed ginseng.

Four dammarane glycosides, namely ginsenosides Rk1 (1), Rg5 (2), 20(S)-Rg3 (3), and 20(R)-Rg3 (4), isolated from a new processed ginseng, were evaluated for their inhibitory activity against platelet aggregation induced by adenosine diphosphate (ADP), collagen, arachidonic acid (AA) and U46619 (thromboxane A2 mimetic agent). Ginsenoside Rk1 and Rg5 inhibited AA-induced platelet aggregation in a dose dependent manner. Their activity against AA-induced platelet aggregation were found to be 8-22 fold higher than that of a known antiplatelet drug acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). They also inhibited U46619-induced platelet aggregation. Ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 and 20(R)-Rg3 showed mild inhibitory activity against AA and U46619-induced aggregation.

Determination of volatile biomarkers for apoptosis and necrosis by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry: a pharmacometabolomic approach to cisplatin's cytotoxicity to human lung cancer cell lines.

In order to find potential new biomarkers of cisplatin-induced apoptosis and necrosis, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from cisplatin-treated human lung cancer cell lines were investigated. The biological system employed was human non-small cell lung carcinoma A549 cell lines. The cell lines were treated with two different concentrations of cisplatin, 100 microM and 400 microM, and apoptosis and necrosis were determined by flow cytometric analysis. For each drug concentration, the VOCs from the treated cell lines were extracted by solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and subsequently analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The compounds that change during cisplatin-induced apoptosis and necrosis of lung cancer cell lines can serve as new biomarkers. The pharmacometabolomic approach presented in this study, significantly, implicates a non-destructive, sample-thrifty and time-saving tool for finding new biomarkers for the assessment of drug-induced cell death pathways.

Determination of analogs of sildenafil and vardenafil in foods by column liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector, mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry.

Two analogs of sildenafil and vardenafil in food were detected by column liquid chromatography (LC) with a photodiode array detector. They were isolated by preparative LC; their structures were established by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. One analog was found to be methisosildenafil (compound A), 5-(5-(3,5-dimethylpiperazin-1-ylsulfonyl)-2-ethoxy-phenyl)-1-methyl-3-propyl-1H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]-pyrimidin-7(6H)-one. It is a sildenafil analog with a dimethylpiperazine ring substituted for the methylpiperazine group. The second analog, hydroxyvardenafil (compound B) is reported for the first time in this study. Hydroxyvardenafil's International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry name is 2-(2-ethoxy-5-(4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-piperazin-1-ylsulfonyl)phenyl)-5-methyl-7-propyl-imidazo[1,5-f][1,2,4]triazin-4(3H)-one. The novel vardenafil analog has a hydroxyl group added to the ethylpiperazine group.

New metabolites of hongdenafil, homosildenafil and hydroxyhomosildenafil.

Recently, illegal sildenafil analogues have emerged, causing serious social issues. In spite of the importance of sildenafil analogues, their metabolic profiles or clinical effects have not been reported yet. In this study, new metabolites of illegal sildenafil analogues such as hongdenafil, homosildenafil, and hydroxyhomosildenafil were determined using liquid chromatography quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS). To prepare metabolic samples, in vitro and in vivo studies were performed. For in vivo metabolites analysis, urine and feces samples of rats treated with sildenafil analogues were analyzed. For in vitro metabolites analysis, human liver microsomes incubated with sildenafil analogues were extracted and analyzed. All metabolites were characterized by LC-Q-TOF-MS and LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. As a result, five, six, and seven metabolites were determined in hongdenafil, homosildenafil, and hydroxyhomosildenafil treated samples, respectively. These results could be applied to forensic science and other analytical fields. Moreover, these newly identified metabolites could be used as fundamental data to determine the side effect and toxicity of illegal sildenafil analogues.

PI3Kδ contributes to ER stress-associated asthma through ER-redox disturbances: the involvement of the RIDD-RIG-I-NF-κB axis.

Hyperactivation of phosphoinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) has been suggested to be a potential mechanism for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-enhanced airway hyperresponsiveness, and PI3K inhibitors have been examined as asthma therapeutics. However, the regulatory mechanism linking PI3K to ER stress and related pathological signals in asthma have not been defined. To elucidate these pathogenic pathways, we investigated the influence of a selective PI3Kδ inhibitor, IC87114, on airway inflammation in an ovalbumin/lipopolysaccharide (OVA/LPS)-induced asthma model. In OVA/LPS-induced asthmatic mice, the activity of PI3K, downstream phosphorylation of AKT and activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were all significantly elevated; these effects were reversed by IC87114. IC87114 treatment also reduced the OVA/LPS-induced ER stress response by enhancing the intra-ER oxidative folding status through suppression of protein disulfide isomerase activity, ER-associated reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and NOX4 activity. Furthermore, inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (IRE1α)-dependent degradation (RIDD) of IRE1α was reduced by IC87114, resulting in a decreased release of proinflammatory cytokines from bronchial epithelial cells. These results suggest that PI3Kδ may induce severe airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness by activating NF-κB signaling through ER-associated ROS and RIDD-RIG-I activation. The PI3Kδ inhibitor IC87114 is a potential therapeutic agent against neutrophil-dominant asthma.

Selective and Accurate Determination Method of Propofol in Human Plasma by Mixed-Mode Cation Exchange Cartridge and GC-MS.

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method for the determination of propofol in human plasma has been developed and validated. Propofol was extracted from human plasma by using mixed-mode cation exchange/reversed-phase (MCX) cartridges. As propofol easily volatilizes during concentration, 100% methanol was injected directly into GC-MS to elute propofol. Despite avoiding concentration process of the eluted solution, lower limit of quantization (LLOQ) of propofol was 25 ng/mL. The validated method exhibited good linearity (R (2) = 0.9989) with accuracy and precision -5.8%~11.7% and 3.7%~11.6%, respectively. The other validation parameters, recovery and matrix effect, ranged from 96.6% to 99.4% and 95.3% to 101.4%, respectively. Propofol standard was quantified to evaluate possible loss due to the concentration processes, nitrogen gas and centrifugal vacuum. These two concentration processes resulted in notable decrease in the quantity of propofol, signifying avoiding any concentration processes during propofol quantification. Also, to confirm suitability of the developed method, authentic human plasma samples were analyzed. The selective assay method using MCX cartridge and GC-MS facilitated quantification of propofol in plasma sample accurately by preventing any losses due to the concentration processes.

Determination of propofol glucuronide from hair sample by using mixed mode anion exchange cartridge and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

The main objective of this study was to develop and validate a simpler and less time consuming analytical method for determination of propofol glucuronide from hair sample, by using mixed mode anion exchange cartridge and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The study uses propofol glucuronide, a major metabolite of propofol, as a marker for propofol abuse. The hair sample was digested in sodium hydroxide solution and loaded in mixed-mode anion cartridge for solid phase extraction. Water and ethyl acetate were used as washing solvents to remove interfering substances from the hair sample. Consequently, 2% formic acid in ethyl acetate was employed to elute propofol glucuronide from the sorbent of mixed-mode anion cartridge, and analyzed by LC-MS/MS. The method validation parameters such as selectivity, specificity, LOD, LLOQ, accuracy, precision, recovery, and matrix effect were also tested. The linearity of calibration curves showed good correlation, with correlation coefficient 0.998. The LOD and LLOQ of the propofol glucuronide were 0.2 pg/mg and 0.5 pg/mg, respectively. The intra and inter-day precision and accuracy were acceptable within 15%. The mean values of recovery and matrix effect were in the range of 91.7-98.7% and 87.5-90.3%, respectively, signifying that the sample preparation, washing and extraction procedure were efficient, and there was low significant hair matrix effect for the extraction of propofol glucuronide from hair sample on the mixed mode anion cartridge. To evaluate the suitability of method, the hair of propofol administered rat was successfully analyzed with this method.

Anti-cancer effect of Betulin on a human lung cancer cell line: a pharmacoproteomic approach using 2 D SDS PAGE coupled with nano-HPLC tandem Mass Spectrometry.

Betulin is a representative compound of Betula platyphylla, a tree species belonging to the Betulaceae family. In this investigation, we revealed that betulin showed anticancer activity on human lung cancer A549 cells by inducing apoptosis and changes in protein expression profiles were observed. Upon flow cytometry analysis, the surface of betulin-treated cells was found to be annexin-V positive and propidium iodide (PI) negative, which indicated that the cells were apoptotic. In order to identify the molecular players involved in betulin-induced apoptosis, cellular proteins were applied to two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2 D SDS PAGE) for differential proteomic analysis. As a result, four downregulated proteins and three upregulated proteins were identified by nano-HPLC MS/MS. The four downregulated proteins were poly(rC)-binding protein 1, isoform 1 of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase type 2, heat shock protein 90-alpha 2, and enoyl-CoA hydratase; the three upregulated proteins were aconitate hydratase, malate dehydrogenase, and splicing factor arginine/serine-rich 1. These differentially expressed proteins explained the cytotoxicity of betulin against human lung cancer A549 cells, and the proteomic approach was thus shown to be a potential tool for understanding the pharmacological activities of pharmacophores.

Increase in the free radical scavenging activity of ginseng by heat-processing.

To investigate whether or not the radical scavenging activity of ginseng is enhanced by heat processing, we evaluated the scavenging effects of white ginseng (WG), red ginseng (RG, steamed ginseng at 98-100 degrees C) and sun ginseng (SG, steamed ginseng at 120 degrees C) on nitric oxide, superoxide (O2-), hydroxyl (*OH) radicals and peroxynitrite (ONOO-). Heat-treated ginseng (RG and SG) showed better O2-, ONOO- and *OH-scavenging activities than WG. In particular, the radical scavenging activities of SG were stronger than those of RG. Furthermore, we evaluated the radical scavenging activities of maltol, salicylic acid, vanillic acid and p-coumaric acid, known as principal antioxidant components of ginseng, in WG, RG and SG, and also investigated their contents. Of the tested compounds, maltol, vanillic acid and p-coumaric acid exhibited ONOO(-)-scavenging activity. In addition, maltol and p-coumaric acid showed strong *OH-scavenging activity. Moreover, the content of maltol was remarkably increased in a temperature-dependent manner by heat processing, implying that maltol was closely related to the radical scavenging activity of heat-processed ginseng. These findings indicate that SG may act as a free radical scavenger and protect against damage caused by oxidative stress related with these radicals.