A novel antihypertension agent, sargachromenol D from marine brown algae, Sargassum siliquastrum, exerts dual action as an L-type Ca2+ channel blocker and endothelin A/B2 receptor antagonist.

We isolated the novel vasoactive marine natural products, (5E,10E)-14-hydroxy-2,6,10-trimethylpentadeca-5,10-dien-4-one (4) and sargachromenol D (5), from Sargassum siliquastrum collected from the coast of the East Sea in South Korea by using activity-guided HPLC purification. The compounds effectively dilated depolarization (50mMK+)-induced basilar artery contraction with EC50 values of 3.52±0.42 and 1.62±0.63µM, respectively, but only sargachromenol D (5) showed a vasodilatory effect on endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced basilar artery contraction (EC50=9.8±0.6µM). These results indicated that sargachromenol D (5) could act as a dual antagonist of l-type Ca2+ channel and endothelin A/B2 receptors. Moreover, sargachromenol D (5) lowered blood pressure in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHRs) 2h after oral treatment at a dose of 80mg/kg dose and the effect was maintained for 24h. Based on our ex vivo and in vivo experiments, we propose that sargachromenol D (5) is a strong candidate for the treatment of hypertension that is not controlled by conventional drugs, in particular, severe-, type II diabetes-, salt-sensitive, and metabolic disease-induced hypertension.

Anti-obesity potential of enzymatic fragments of hyaluronan on high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice.

Hyaluronan has diverse biological activities depending on its molecular size. The hyaluronan fragments (50 kDa) can decrease adipogenic differentiation in vitro. However, in vivo anti-obesitic effects of hyaluronan fragments have not been elucidated. Therefore, we examined the anti-obesity effects of hyaluronan fragments on high-fat diet induced obesity in C57BL/6 mice. Oral administration of hyaluronan fragments (200 mg/kg for 8 weeks) decreased body weight, adipose tissues, serum lipid (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride), and leptin level. Hyaluronan fragments decreased the hypertrophy of adipose tissue and ameliorated liver steatosis. The mRNA expression of leptin was reduced in adipocyte by treatment with hyaluronan fragments. Additionally, hyaluronan fragments enhanced the mRNA expression of PPAR-α and its target genes UCP-2 and decreased mRNA expression of PPAR- γ and fatty acid synthase in liver. In conclusions, hyaluronan fragments had marked effects on inhibiting the development of obesity in obese mice fed the high-fat diet. It suggested that enhancing PPAR-α and suppressing PPAR-γ expression are two possible mechanisms for the anti-obesitic effect of hyaluronan fragments.

Enzymatic fragments of hyaluronan inhibit adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes.

Hyaluronan has diverse biological activities depending on its molecular size. High molecular weight hyaluronan (2000 kDa) is a major component of extracellular matrix, and has been used in wounding healing, extracellular matrix regeneration, and in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Hyaluronan fragments can stimulate inflammation or induce loss of extracellular matrix. Hyaluronan is expressed during adipocyte differentiation, and down regulation of hyaluronan synthesis can reduce adipogenic differentiation. However, the direct effects of hyaluronan fragments on adipocyte differentiation have not been elucidated. Therefore, we prepared hyaluronan fragments by enzymatic digestion, and examined the inhibitory effects of these hyaluronan fragments on the accumulation of lipid droplets and on adipogenic gene mRNA expression in differentiating 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes. Medium sized hyaluronan fragments (50 kDa) decreased lipid droplet accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. However, high molecular weight hyaluronan did not inhibit lipid droplet accumulation when used at a concentration of 600 µg/ml. Two or 4 day treatments with medium molecular weight of hyaluronan resulted in similar inhibitory levels of lipid accumulation as did treatment for 8 days. Medium sized hyaluronan inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes during the early stages of adipogenesis. When 3T3-L1 cells were treated with 180 µg/ml of medium sized hyaluronan, the mRNAs for the master adipogenic transcription factors PPAR-γ and C/EBP-α were inhibited. Additionally, medium molecular weight hyaluronan suppressed mRNA expression of PPAR-γ target genes, including aP2 and FAS. This study is the first to report that medium molecular weight hyaluronan fragments can inhibit adipocyte differentiation.

Synthesis of alkylsulfonyl and substituted benzenesulfonyl curcumin mimics as dual antagonist of L-type Ca(2+) channel and endothelin A/B2 receptor.

We synthesized a library of curcumin mimics with diverse alkylsulfonyl and substituted benzenesulfonyl modifications through a simple addition reaction of important intermediate, 1-(3-Amino-phenyl)-3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-propenone (10), with various sulfonyl chloride reactants and then tested their vasodilatation effect on depolarization (50 mM K(+))- and endothelin-1 (ET-1)-induced basilar artery contraction. Generally, curcumin mimics with aromatic sulfonyl groups showed stronger vasodilation effect than alkyl sulfonylated curcumin mimics. Among the tested compounds, six curcumin mimics (11g, 11h, 11i, 11j, 11l, and 11s) in a depolarization-induced vasoconstriction and seven compounds (11g, 11h, 11i, 11j, 11l, 11p, and 11s) in an ET-1-induced vasoconstriction showed strong vasodilation effect. Based on their biological properties, synthetic curcumin mimics can act as dual antagonist scaffold of L-type Ca(2+) channel and endothelin A/B2 receptor in vascular smooth muscle cells. In particular, compounds 11g and 11s are promising novel drug candidates to treat hypertension related to the overexpression of L-type Ca(2+) channels and ET peptides/receptors-mediated cardiovascular diseases.

Synthesis of diethylamino-curcumin mimics with substituted triazolyl groups and their sensitization effect of TRAIL against brain cancer cells.

A newly designed curcumin mimic library (11a-11k) with 2-ethylamino groups in a chalcone structure and variously substituted triazole groups as side chains was synthesized using the Huisgen 1,3-cycloaddition reaction between various alkynes (a-k) and an intermediate (10), with CuSO4 and sodium ascorbate in a solution mixture of chloroform, ethanol, and water (5:3:1) at room temperature for 5h. In the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay involving co-treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and/or synthetic curcumin derivatives using TRAIL-resistant human CRT-MG astroglioma cells, the novel curcumin mimic library was found to effectively stimulate the cytotoxicity of TRAIL, causing mild cytotoxicity when administered alone. In particular, 11a and 11j are promising candidates for TRAIL-sensitizers with potential use in combination chemotherapy for brain tumors.

Anti-human rhinoviral activity of polybromocatechol compounds isolated from the rhodophyta, Neorhodomela aculeata.

An extract of the red alga, Neorhodomela aculeata, exhibited antiviral activity against human rhinoviruses. Bioassay-guided purification was performed to yield six compounds, which were subsequently identified as lanosol (1) and five polybromocatechols (2-6) by spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR and mass spectrometric analyses. Structurally, all of these compounds, except compound 5, contain one or two 2,3-dibromo-4,5-dihydroxyphenyl moieties. In a biological activity assay, compound 1 was found to possess antiviral activity with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2.50 µg/mL against HRV2. Compound 3 showed anti-HRV2 activity, with an IC50 of 7.11 µg/mL, and anti-HRV3 activity, with an IC50 of 4.69 µg/mL, without demonstrable cytotoxicity at a concentration of 20 µg/mL. Collectively, the results suggest that compounds 1 and 3 are candidates for novel therapeutics against two different groups of human rhinovirus.

Acid-catalyzed synthesis of 10-substituted triazolyl artemisinins and their growth inhibitory activity against various cancer cells.

A diastereomeric and regioisomeric library of 10-substituted triazolyl artemisinin compounds (6a-6h, 7a-7h, and 8a-8h) with a potent growth inhibitory activities against various cancer cell lines was established. These compounds were synthesized by a reaction with dihydroartemisinin (2) and various substituted triazoles (5a-5h) in methylene chloride using a BF(3)Et(2)O catalyst. Most of the compounds exhibited a strong potency in the submicromolar range, and, in particular, 6f, 7f, and 8f, which have a pentylphenyltriazole moiety, proved to be promising candidates for preclinical trials.

17-Allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin down-regulates hyaluronic acid-induced glioma invasion by blocking matrix metalloproteinase-9 secretion.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has been implicated in cell adhesion, motility, and tumor progression in gliomas. We previously reported that HA stimulates secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and induces glioma invasion. However, the molecular mechanism of HA action and therapeutic strategies for blocking HA-induced MMP-9 secretion remain unknown. Here, we report that the Hsp90 inhibitor 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) blocks MMP-9 secretion and that HA-induced nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation is mediated by IkappaB kinase, which phosphorylates the NF-kappaB inhibitor IkappaBalpha and promotes its degradation. In addition, using an RNA interference approach, we show that the focal adhesion kinase plays a critical role in mediating HA-induced NF-kappaB activation, which resulted in increased MMP-9 expression and secretion, cell migration, and invasion. Importantly, we show that 17-AAG acts by blocking focal adhesion kinase activation, thereby inhibiting IkappaB kinase-dependent IkappaBalpha phosphorylation/degradation, NF-kappaB activation, and MMP-9 expression. This leads to suppression of HA-induced cell migration and invasion. Based on our data, we propose that 17-AAG is a candidate drug for treatment of highly invasive gliomas resulting from HA-induced, NF-kappaB-mediated MMP-9 secretion.

Synthesis of sulfonyl curcumin mimics exerting a vasodilatation effect on the basilar artery of rabbits.

In order to discover novel small vasodilatory molecules for potential use in the treatment of vascular disease, we tested the vasodilatation effect of two types of synthetic curcumin mimics, amide type (3) and sulfonyl amide type (4), upon the basilar artery of rabbits. In general, the sulfonyl amide type mimic (4) is more potent than the amide type (3). Curcumin (1) and compounds 12 and 20 effectively dilated the basilar artery of white rabbits.

Synthesis of 10-substituted triazolyl artemisinins possessing anticancer activity via Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cylcoaddition.

Most of the 10-substituted triazolylartemisinin synthesized via the Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cylcoaddition of diastereomeric 10-azidoartemisinin (5, 6, and 7) with various alkynes (a-h) exhibit strong growth inhibition activity, even at sub-micromolar concentrations, against various cancer cell lines such as DLD-1, U-87, Hela, SiHa, A172, and B16. In particular, 10b and 10f showed a highly strong cytotoxicity.

Sargaquinoic acid and sargahydroquinoic acid from Sargassum yezoense stimulate adipocyte differentiation through PPARalpha/gamma activation in 3T3-L1 cells.

We screened active compounds from natural marine products able to increase PPARalpha/gamma transcriptional activity. Sargaquinoic acid (SQA) and sargahydroquinoic acid (SHQA) from Sargassum yezoense were identified as novel PPARalpha/gamma dual agonists. The binding affinity of SQA with PPARgamma was higher than that of the specific PPARgamma agonist troglitazone, leading to an activation of PPARgamma transcriptional activity. In parallel, treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with SQA and SHQA led to an increase in adipocyte differentiation and increased expression of adipogenic marker genes such as aP2, PPARgamma, resistin, adiponectin, C/EBPalpha and Glut4. Collectively, our data suggest that SQA and SHQA are novel PPARalpha/gamma dual agonists and may be beneficial for reducing insulin resistance through regulation of adipogenesis.

In vitro and in vivo activities of echinomycin against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus.

OBJECTIVES: To verify in vitro and in vivo activities of echinomycin against clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, we compared antistaphylococcal activities of echinomycin with those of vancomycin. METHODS: In vitro activities (MICs and MBCs) of oxacillin, vancomycin and echinomycin against 18 isolates of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and 118 isolates of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) were compared. Using four representative isolates of S. aureus, time-kill assay and in vivo antistaphylococcal activities were assessed. Echinomycin and vancomycin were compared in an in vivo mouse infection model. RESULTS: Echinomycin demonstrated higher in vitro activities against MSSA and MRSA strains, exhibiting 2-fold lower MIC(90)s and 4-fold lower MBC(90)s than vancomycin. Additionally, time-kill assay indicated that echinomycin is more potent than vancomycin against MSSA and MRSA strains in the context of MICs and MBCs. Using an in vivo protection model, it was shown that the 50% effective doses of echinomycin were at least 7-fold lower than those of vancomycin. Therefore, echinomycin displayed excellent protection in mice against acute peritoneal infections caused by both MSSA and MRSA strains. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these data indicate that the activity of echinomycin against S. aureus strains is at least equivalent to that of vancomycin, regardless of the methicillin resistance of these strains. These promising activities of echinomycin might justify its potential use against infections with S. aureus strains resistant to vancomycin. This might be the first report to show that echinomycin possesses antipathogenic staphylococcal activity.

Vasodilatation effect of farnesylacetones, active constituents of Sargassum siliquastrum, on the basilar and carotid arteries of rabbits.

Two farnesylacetones, 311 and 312, major active constituents of Sargassum siliquastrum collected from the coast of the East Sea in Korea, showed a moderate vasodilatation effect on the basilar arteries of rabbits. Therefore, treatment with farnesylacetones 311 and 312 may selectively accelerate cerebral blood flow through dilatation of the basilar artery.

Selective vasodilatation effect of sargahydroquinoic acid, an active constituent of Sargassum micracanthum, on the basilar arteries of rabbits.

Sargahydroquinoic acid (2), a major active constituent of Sargassum micracanthum collected from the coast of the East Sea in Korea, showed a selective vasodilatation effect on the basilar arteries of rabbits. Therefore, treatment with sargahydroquinoic acid may selectively accelerate cerebral blood flow through dilatation of the basilar artery without lowering systemic blood pressure.

Saccharina japonica Extract Suppresses Stemness of Glioma Stem Cells by Degrading Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor/Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Variant III.

Cancer stem cells, a small subpopulation of cells with stem cell-like characteristics found within most solid tumors, are widely reported to be responsible for the malignancy of aggressive cancer cells, and targeting these cells presents a sound therapeutic strategy for reducing the risk of tumor relapse. In the present study, we examined the effects of an extract of Saccharina japonica (ESJ) on glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). Saccharina japonica is a member of the Phaeophyceae (brown algae) family, which displays biological activities, including antitumor effects. ESJ inhibited the sphere-forming ability of GSCs in vitro as evidenced by neurosphere formation and limiting dilution assays. Treatment with ESJ partially induced apoptosis, reduced cell invasiveness, and sensitized GSCs to ionizing radiation. In addition, ESJ inhibited the maintenance of stemness in GSCs by suppressing the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII) and Notch intracellular domain. Intriguingly, the observed ESJ-induced suppression also appeared to induce the proteasomal degradation of EGFR/EGFRvIII. Our results indicate that ESJ could be considered a potent therapeutic adjuvant that targets GSCs.

Safety evaluation and consideration of 4 Pin Multi-needle for meso-therapy.

This study was conducted according to the method presented in the Republic of Korea Pharmacopoeia 11th Revision, aseptic test method to evaluate the suitability of sterilization for a sterile needle (4 Pin Multi-needle). In this study, four tests were conducted: sterility test, cytotoxicity test, acute toxicity test, skin sensitization test. First, in the aseptic test, the microorganism was not proliferated in the aseptic test of the medium. As a result of the performance test of the medium, it was confirmed that the microorganism developed within 3 days and the fungus was evident within 5 days. Based on this, it was confirmed that the medium was suitable, and as a result of the aseptic test, the development of microorganisms was not observed during the total culture period. Based on these results, tests were conducted which were confirmed to be suitable for aseptic testing because the development of bacteria on the provided samples was not recognized. For cytotoxicity tests ISO10993-5; 2009 (Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices, Part 5: Test for in vitro Cytotoxicity). As a result, the MEM eluate of the test substance caused very slight cytotoxicity to the fibroblasts of the mouse and was judged to be Grade 1 (Slightly cytotoxic) according to the judgment standard of ISO 10993-5. On the other hand, solvent control, negative control and positive control showed the expected results on the test. Acute Toxicity Test Results: It was judged that there was no systemic toxicity change when ICR mice were treated with 50 mL/kg B.W. of the eluate of sterile injectable needle for 72 hours. Skin sensitization test result: The Hartley guinea pig was evaluated as a substance which is evaluated as a substance which does not induce any skin reaction when skin sensitization is applied to the dissected material of the sterile injectable needle and is weak in skin sensitivity. Based on the above tests, we will study the stability and efficacy of more reliable medical devices based on the verification and performance of medical devices.

Search for genes potentially related to germ tube formation in Candida albicans by differential-display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Candida albicans exhibits the ability to grow in either a yeast or a mycelia form in response to different environmental factors. The mycelia form, found in infected tissues, is important as a virulence factor in the adherence of the organism to the host epithelium. In vitro, the morphological transition can be induced by environmental shifts in the growing conditions, or by a variety of exogenous factors, including ambient pH, nutritional status and temperature. The differential-display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) is a powerful technique for comparing gene expression between cell types, stages of development or differentiation. Hyphae related genes were identified and characterized using a PCR-based differential display. Candida albicans formed a germ tube when cultured in rabbit serum, RPMI 1640 medium or 39 degrees C-YPD medium. We gained 21 cDNA bands showing a different expression pattern from that of the uninduced culture. DNA was extracted from the same location of the isolated bands, and PCR was performed under the same conditions, which reamplified the PCR product, showing the specific expression patterns according to the culture conditions. We cloned 18 germ tube-related cDNA clones (inserts average size is 80 - 700 bp) and sequenced them. The nucleotide sequences of the 18 clones were identified through in the present study from GenBank, and were found to have the accession number (AF405213-AF405230). We could not find any nucleotide sequence having a high homology with these clones. This study could form a part of the projects in the search for genes related to the germ tube formation of C. albicans.

Glioblastoma-specific anticancer activity of pheophorbide a from the edible red seaweed Grateloupia elliptica.

The chlorophyll-related compound pheophorbide a (Pa) was successively purified from an edible red seaweed, Grateloupia elliptica, using silica, octadecyl silica column chromatography and reversed phase-high-performance liquid chromatography, as well as the cell cycle inhibitory and apoptotic effects of Pa being investigated in U87MG glioblastoma cells. The Pa exhibited strong anticancer effects in the absence of direct photo-irradiation against various cancer cell lines, including U87MG, SK-OV-3, and HeLa cells. Among the cancer cells, the strongest anticancer activity of Pa exhibited on U87MG cells with IC50 values of 2.8 µg/ml. In addition, Pa specifically had cytostatic activity on glioblastoma cells rather than human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Analysis of the cell cycle distribution showed that Pa induced G0/G1 arrest of U87 MG cells. In addition, arrested cells induced late apoptosis and DNA degradation under dark condition. These results suggest that Pa isolated from G. elliptica is a potential glioblastoma-specific anticancer agent without side effects on normal cells.

TiO2 nanorods via one-step electrospinning technique: a novel nanomatrix for mouse myoblasts adhesion and propagation.

This study was aimed at the synthesis and characterization of novel Titania nanorods by sol-gel electrospinning technique. The physicochemical properties of the synthesized nanorods were determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern. To examine the in vitro cytotoxicity, mouse myoblast C2C12 cells were treated with different concentrations of as prepared TiO(2) nanorods and the viability of cells was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay at regular time intervals. The morphological features of the cells attached with nanorods were examined by Bio-SEM. Cytotoxicity experiments indicated that the mouse myoblast cells could attach to the TiO(2) nanorods after being cultured. We observed that TiO(2) nanorods could support cell adhesion and growth and guide spreading behavior of myoblasts. We conclude that the electrospun TiO(2) nanorods scaffolds with unique morphology had excellent biocompatibility. Thus, the current work demonstrates that the as-synthesized TiO(2) nanorods represent a promising biomaterial to be exploited for various tissue engineering applications.

5E- and 5Z-farnesylacetones from Sargassum siliquastrum as novel selective L-type calcium channel blockers.

A specific blocker of L-type Ca(2+) channels may be useful in decreasing arterial tone by reducing the open-state probability of L-type Ca(2+) channels. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the farnesylacetones, which are major active constituents of Sargassum siliquastrum, regarding their vasodilatation efficacies, selectivities toward L-type Ca(2+) channels, and in vivo antihypertensive activities. The application of 5E-(farnesylacetone 311) or 5Z-farnesylacetone (farnesylacetone 312) induced concentration-dependent vasodilatation effects on the basilar artery that was pre-contracted with depolarization and showed an ignorable potential role of endothelial-derived nitric oxide. We also tested farnesylacetone 311 or 312 to determine their pharmacological profiles for the blockade of native L-type Ca(2+) channels in basilar arterial smooth muscle cells (BASMCs) and ventricular myocytes (VMCs), cloned L- (α1C/ß2a/α2δ), N- (α1B/ß1b/α2δ), and T-type Ca(2+) channels (α1G, α1H, and α1I). Farnesylacetone 311 or 312 showed greater selectivity toward the L-type Ca(2+) channels among the tested voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. The ranked order of the potency for farnesylacetone 311 was cloned α1C≒L-type (BASMC)≒L-type (VMCs)>α1B>α1H>α1I>α1G and that for farnesylacetone 312 was cloned α1C≒L-type (BASMCs)≒L-type (VMCs)>α1H>α1G>α1B>α1I. The oral administration of the farnesylacetone 311 (80mg/kg) conferred potent, long-lasting antihypertensive activity in spontaneous hypertensive rats, but it did not alter the heart rate.