Pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and phase 1a study of bisthianostat, a novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) have been intensively studied for their roles and potential as drug targets in T-cell lymphomas and other hematologic malignancies. Bisthianostat is a novel bisthiazole-based pan-HDACi evolved from natural HDACi largazole. Here, we report the preclinical study of bisthianostat alone and in combination with bortezomib in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), as well as preliminary first-in-human findings from an ongoing phase 1a study. Bisthianostat dose dependently induced acetylation of tubulin and H3 and increased PARP cleavage and apoptosis in RPMI-8226 cells. In RPMI-8226 and MM.1S cell xenograft mouse models, oral administration of bisthianostat (50, 75, 100 mg·kg-1·d-1, bid) for 18 days dose dependently inhibited tumor growth. Furthermore, bisthianostat in combination with bortezomib displayed synergistic antitumor effect against RPMI-8226 and MM.1S cell in vitro and in vivo. Preclinical pharmacokinetic study showed bisthianostat was quickly absorbed with moderate oral bioavailability (F% = 16.9%-35.5%). Bisthianostat tended to distribute in blood with Vss value of 0.31 L/kg. This distribution parameter might be beneficial to treat hematologic neoplasms such as MM with few side effects. In an ongoing phase 1a study, bisthianostat treatment was well tolerated and no grade 3/4 nonhematological adverse events (AEs) had occurred together with good pharmacokinetics profiles in eight patients with relapsed or refractory MM (R/R MM). The overall single-agent efficacy was modest, stable disease (SD) was identified in four (50%) patients at the end of first dosing cycle (day 28). These preliminary in-patient results suggest that bisthianostat is a promising HDACi drug with a comparable safety window in R/R MM, supporting for its further phase 1b clinical trial in combination with traditional MM therapies.

Rhodium-catalyzed synthesis of substituted isoquinolones via a selective decarbonylation/alkyne insertion cascade of phthalimides.

A rhodium-catalyzed decarbonylation/alkyne insertion cascade of phthalimides has been established. The reaction can be carried out in an operationally simple manner and provides expedient access to a series of isoquinolones in moderate to good yields. This reaction proceeded through a sequential decarbonylation/alkyne insertion/intramolecular annulation procedure and featured good functional group tolerance, ample substrate scope, and the construction of C-C and C-N bonds in one pot.

Comparison of patient-controlled analgesia and sedation (PCAS) with remifentanil and propofol versus total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with midazolam, fentanyl, and propofol for colonoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is a commonly performed gastroenterological procedure in patients associated with anxiety and pain. Various approaches have been used to provide sedation and analgesia during colonoscopy, including patient-controlled analgesia and sedation (PCAS). This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of PCAS administered with propofol and remifentanil for colonoscopy. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial was performed in an authorized and approved endoscopy center. A total of 80 outpatients were recruited for the colonoscopy studies. Patients were randomly allocated into PCAS and total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) groups. In the PCAS group, the dose of 0.1 ml/kg/min of the mixture was injected after an initial bolus of 3 ml mixture (1 ml containing 3 mg of propofol and 10 µg of remifentanil). Each 1 ml of bolus was delivered with a lockout time of 1 min. In the TIVA group, patients were administered fentanyl 1 µg/kg, midazolam 0.02 mg/kg, and propofol (dosage titrated). Cardiorespiratory parameters and auditory evoked response index were continuously monitored during the procedure. The recovery from anesthesia was assessed using the Aldrete scale and the Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale. The Visual Analogue Scale was used to assess the satisfaction of patients and endoscopists. RESULTS: No statistical differences were observed in the Visual Analogue Scale scores of the patients (9.58 vs 9.50) and the endoscopist (9.43 vs 9.30). A significant decline in the mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and auditory evoked response index parameters was recorded in the TIVA group (P < 0.05). The recovery time was significantly shorter in the PCAS group than in the TIVA group (P = 0.00). CONCLUSION: The combination of remifentanil and propofol could provide sufficient analgesia, better hemodynamic stability, lighter sedation, and faster recovery in the PCAS group of patients compared with the TIVA group.

Chinese consensus on management of tyrosine kinase inhibitor-associated side effects in gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have improved the overall survival of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), but their side effects can impact dose intensity and, consequently, the clinical benefit. To date, no guideline or consensus has been published on the TKI-associated adverse reactions. Therefore, the Chinese Society of Surgeons for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized an expert panel discussion involving representatives from gastrointestinal surgery, medical oncology, cardiology, dermatology, nephrology, endocrinology, and ophthalmology to consider the systemic clinical symptoms, molecular and cellular mechanisms, and treatment recommendations of GISTs. Here, we present the resultant evidence- and experience-based consensus to guide the management of TKI-associated side events in clinical practice.

Quercetin enhances adriamycin cytotoxicity through induction of apoptosis and regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling in multidrug-resistant leukemia K562 cells.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) has become a significant challenge in chemotherapeutic treatment of cancer. Quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has been found to possess anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and immunoregulatory bioactivities. The present study was performed to examine the effect of quercetin on human leukemic MDR K562/adriamycin (ADR) cells. Treatment of K562/ADR cells with a combination of quercetin and ADR resulted in potentiation of cytotoxicity, which was measured using a cell counting kit-8 assay. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that quercetin dose-dependently promoted cell apoptosis and treatment with a combination of quercetin and ADR caused synergistic enhancement of the apoptotic effect. In addition, treatment of K562/ADR cells with quercetin alone or in combination with ADR resulted in loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, activation of caspase-8, -9 and -3, reduced expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and Bcl-extra large and enhanced expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2-interacting mediator of cell death, Bcl-2-associated death promoter and Bcl-2-associated X protein in the cells. Furthermore, the combined treatment of quercetin and ADR synergistically increased the expression of phosphorylated (p-)c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase and decreased the expression of p-extracellular signal-regulated kinase in the K562/ADR cells. In addition, the expression of P-glycoprotein was significantly decreased following treatment with quercetin alone or in combination with ADR. These findings demonstrated that quercetin is important in MDR and may be developed into a new reversal agent for cancer chemotherapy.

Arsenic trioxide induces apoptosis in the THP1 cell line by downregulating EVI-1.

Acute leukemia is a malignant clonal hematopoietic stem cell disease. In the current study, the effects of arsenic trioxide (ATO) on the ecotropic viral integration site-1 (EVI-1) gene were investigated in the THP1 cell line. THP-1 cells were treated with different concentrations of ATO (0, 1, 3 and 5 µM) for 24, 48 or 72 h, then tested for cell viability by CCK-8 kit, cell morphology by cytospin smear, cell apoptosis by flow cytometry, EVI-1 mRNA expression by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and protein quantity by western blot. ATO treatment was shown to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in THP1 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. ATO downregulated the mRNA and protein expression of EVI-1 in the THP1 cell line. In addition, ATO significantly decreased the expression of antiapoptotic proteins, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and B cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), but markedly increased the expression of proapoptotic proteins, including c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated-JNK, Bax, full length caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3. These results indicated that ATO inhibited the proliferation and induced apoptosis in THP1 cells partially via blocking the inhibitory effects of EVI-1 on the JNK signaling pathway with the involvement of apoptosis-associated proteins, including Bax, Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and caspase-3. These novel observations may be used to elucidate the mechanism by which ATO induces apoptosis in acute leukemia cells, and provide rationales to develop a personalized medicine strategy for ATO via targeting EVI-1 positive neoplasm.

[Research progress of N-Myc roles in hematopoiesis and hematologic malignancies].

N-Myc oncogene plays an important role in the process of hematopoietic cell proliferation and differentiation in embryos. Once the body suffers from hematologic malignancies, the expression of N-Myc would increase and significantly associate with disease progression. In this article the structure of N-Myc, the regulatory mechanism in the different hematopoietic lineages, the interaction in each signal pathways, the transgenic animal model of overexpression, and intervention by drugs are reviewed.

Hyperfibrinolysis after parapelvic cyst surgery: A case report.

The present study describes the diagnosis and treatment of hyperfibrinolysis following surgery in a 25-year-old female patient. An examination revealed that the left kidney had been affected by severe hydronephrosis for two weeks prior to hospitalization. The diagnosis of a parapelvic cyst was obtained by preoperative intravenous pyelogram (IVP), computed tomography (CT) and upper left urinary tract retrograde pyelography. Unroofing of the left parapelvic cyst was performed by open surgery. The patient exhibited symptoms of shock 48 h later, and her hemoglobin (Hb) levels dropped to only 62.2 g/l. To treat this, 400 ml erythrocyte suspension transfusion was administered 3 times every other day. The patient's Hb levels remained between 50 and 60 g/l. The D-dimer assay index rose from 0.3 to 16 mg/l and the fibrin degradation product (FDP) levels progressively increased following the hemorrhage, while the platelet count, prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and fibrinogen (Fg) index were all within normal levels. p-Aminomethylbenzoic acid (PAMBA; 0.5 g) was administered to the patient every day, and as a consequence the Hb levels rose steadily from the next day onwards. After a one week course of PAMBA treatment, the patient's condition became stable. Blood coagulation and fibrinolytic function measurements were all within the normal ranges in the three months following the surgery. Delayed hemorrhage following surgery should be considered as a possible cause of hyperfibrinolysis. Monitoring FDP and D-dimer levels may aid a rapid and clear diagnosis. Anti-fibrinolytic therapy, such as PAMBA treatment, is safe and effective for use against the type of hemorrhage caused by hyperfibrinolysis.

MYCN transgenic zebrafish model with the characterization of acute myeloid leukemia and altered hematopoiesis.

BACKGROUND: Amplification of MYCN (N-Myc) oncogene has been reported as a frequent event and a poor prognostic marker in human acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The molecular mechanisms and transcriptional networks by which MYCN exerts its influence in AML are largely unknown. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We introduced murine MYCN gene into embryonic zebrafish through a heat-shock promoter and established the stable germline Tg(MYCN:HSE:EGFP) zebrafish. N-Myc downstream regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), negatively controlled by MYCN in human and functionally involved in neutrophil maturation, was significantly under-expressed in this model. Using peripheral blood smear detection, histological section and flow cytometric analysis of single cell suspension from kidney and spleen, we found that MYCN overexpression promoted cell proliferation, enhanced the repopulating activity of myeloid cells and the accumulation of immature hematopoietic blast cells. MYCN enhanced primitive hematopoiesis by upregulating scl and lmo2 expression and promoted myelopoiesis by inhibiting gata1 expression and inducing pu.1, mpo expression. Microarray analysis identified that cell cycle, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, MAPK/Ras, and p53-mediated apoptosis pathways were upregulated. In addition, mismatch repair, transforming and growth factor ß (TGFß) were downregulated in MYCN-overexpressing blood cells (p<0.01). All of these signaling pathways are critical in the proliferation and malignant transformation of blood cells. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The above results induced by overexpression of MYCN closely resemble the main aspects of human AML, suggesting that MYCN plays a role in the etiology of AML. MYCN reprograms hematopoietic cell fate by regulating NDRG1 and several lineage-specific hematopoietic transcription factors. Therefore, this MYCN transgenic zebrafish model facilitates dissection of MYCN-mediated signaling in vivo, and enables high-throughput scale screens to identify the potential therapeutic targets.

Using modified whole-mount in situ hybridization to study mpo expression in zebrafish.

In this study, we cloned the myeloperoxidase (mpo) gene of zebrafish and prepared a digoxigenin-labeled mpo RNA probe to investigate mpo gene expression in zebrafish during embryonic development by whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH). The earliest mpo expression was detected in cells of the intermediate cell mass (ICM) at 18 h post-fertilization (hpf). It was detected 1 to 2 h later in cells in the rostral blood island (RBI) and strong signals were observed in the anterior ICM. Then, it spread over the yolk sac. By 72 hpf these mpo-expressing cells were in the circulation and distributed throughout the embryo. We identified that the level of mpo expression detected by WISH at an early stage was consistent with the data of cytological analyses of adult fish. The use of this method enabled us to track the gene changes that took place before morphological phenotypes were detected, as well to as investigate the hematopoietic cell fate in mutational or transgenic models in vivo. In this study, we modified several steps of WISH. The improved hybridization results demonstrated high specificity, distinct coloration and low background figures.

[Polymorphisms of CYP3A5 gene in acute leukemia patients and their role in chemotherapy and prognosis].

The objective of study was to investigate the role of the polymorphisms and protein expression of CYP3A5 gene in the therapy and prognosis of acute leukemia (AL) patients, the polymorphisms of CYP3A5 gene and the expression of protein CYP3A5 were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and immunohistochemistry method respectively. The results showed that there were three CYP3A5 genotypes in the 88 cases, namely CYP3A5*1/*1, CYP3A5*1/*3 and CYP3A5*3/*3 with frequencies of 26%, 50% and 24%, respectively. There were no significant differences in clinic data between the three groups, but the expressions of CYP3A5 of three groups were (36.6+/-19.2)%, (7.8+/-9.2)%, (0.5+/-0.9)%, the OS were (11.6+/-2.1) months, (30.5+/-12.2) months, (52.3+/-8.5) months, and the DFS were (7.5+/-1.8), (27+/-15.8), (52.3+/-8.1) months, respectively (p<0.05). It is concluded that the polymorphism of CYP3A5 gene is not related with the morbidity of AL, but closely associated with the expression of CYP3A5 in AL patients, and the latter are closely associated with the chemotherapeutic effect and prognosis. CYP3A5 genotype may be used as a new predictor to the chemotherapeutic effect and prognosis in AL cases.