Design and synthesis of luotonin A-derived topoisomerase targeting scaffold with potent antitumor effect and low genotoxicity.

Conventional topoisomerase (Topo) inhibitors typically usually exert their cytotoxicity by damaging the DNAs, which exhibit high toxicity and tend to result in secondary carcinogenesis risk. Molecules that have potent topoisomerase inhibitory activity but involve less DNA damage provide more desirable scaffolds for developing novel chemotherapeutic agents. In this work, we broke the rigid pentacyclic system of luotonin A and synthesized thirty-three compounds as potential Topo inhibitors based on the devised molecular motif. Further investigation disclose that two compounds with the highest antiproliferation activity against cancer cells, 5aA and 5dD, had a distinct Topo I inhibitory mechanism different from those of the classic Topo I inhibitors CPT or luteolin, and were able to obviate the obvious cellular DNA damage typically associated with clinically available Topo inhibitors. The animal model experiments demonstrated that even in mice treated with a high dosage of 50 mg/kg 5aA, there were no obvious signs of toxicity or loss of body weight. The tumor growth inhibition (TGI) rate was 54.3 % when 20 mg/kg 5aA was given to the T24 xenograft mouse model, and 5aA targeted the cancer tissue precisely without causing damage to the liver and other major organs.

Design and synthesis of pseudo-rutaecarpines as potent anti-inflammatory agents via regulating MAPK/NF-κB pathways to relieve inflammation-induced acute liver injury in mice.

Pseudo-natural products (PNPs) design strategy provides a great valuable entrance to effectively identify of novel bioactive scaffolds. In this report, novel pseudo-rutaecarpines were designed via the combination of several privileged structure units and 46 target compounds were synthesized. Most of them display moderate to potent inhibitory effect on LPS-induced NO production and low cytotoxicity in RAW264.7 macrophage. The results of the anti-inflammatory efficacy and action mechanism of compounds 7l and 8c indicated that they significantly reduced the release of IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α. Further studies revealed that they can strongly inhibit the activation of NF-κB and MAPK signal pathways. The LPS-induced acute liver injury mice model studies not only confirmed their anti-inflammatory efficacy in vivo but also could effectively relieve the liver injury in mice. The results suggest that compounds 7l and 8c might serve as lead compounds to develop therapeutic drugs for treatment of inflammation.

Synthesis of spiroindolenine-3,3'-pyrrolo[2,1-b]quinazolinones through gold(I)-catalyzed dearomative cyclization of N-alkynyl quinazolinone-tethered indoles.

A variety of functionalized spiroindolenine-3,3'-pyrrolo[2,1-b]quinazolinones were prepared in good to excellent yields through a gold(I)-catalyzed dearomative cyclization of N-alkynyl quinazolinone-tethered C2-substituted indoles. This reaction features a broad substrate scope, good functional group tolerance, and easy gram-scale preparation and transformations. Furthermore, biological activity studies showed that most of the obtained spiroindolenine-3,3'-pyrrolo[2,1-b]quinazolinone scaffolds showed potential as good anti-inflammatory agents.

3-Arylamino-quinoxaline-2-carboxamides inhibit the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathways to activate P53 and induce apoptosis.

Thirty-eight new 3-arylaminoquinoxaline-2-carboxamide derivatives were in silico designed, synthesized and their cytotoxicity against five human cancer cell lines and one normal cells WI-38 were evaluated. Molecular mechanism studies indicated that N-(3-Aminopropyl)-3-(4-chlorophenyl) amino-quinoxaline-2-carboxamide (6be), the compound with the most potent anti-proliferation can inhibit the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway via down regulating the levels of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, p-mTOR and simultaneously inhibit the phosphorylation of Thr308 and Ser473 residues in Akt kinase to servers as a dual inhibitor. Further investigation revealed that 6be activate the P53 signal pathway, modulated the downstream target gene of Akt kinase such p21, p27, Bax and Bcl-2, caused the fluctuation of intracellular ROS, Ca2+ and mitochondrial membrane potential to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MGC-803 cells. 6be also display moderate anti-tumor activity in vivo while displaying no obvious adverse signs during the drug administration. The results suggest that 3-arylaminoquinoxaline-2-carboxamide derivatives might server as new scaffold for development of PI3K-Akt-mTOR inhibitor.

[Analysis of Gene Recombination between HLA-B and -DRB1, HLA-DQB1 and -DPB1 Loci].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the recombinations within the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region in two families. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from the peripheral blood specimens of the different family members. HLA-A, -B, -C, -DRB1, -DQB1 and -DPB1 loci were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide probing technique (PCR-SSO) and next-generation sequencing technique. HLA haplotype was determined by genetic analysis of the pedigree. RESULTS: The haplotypes of HLA-A*11:01~C*03:04~B*13:01~DRB1*12:02~DQB1*03:01~DPB1*05:01:01G and HLA-A*03:01~C*04:01~B*35:03~DRB1*12:01~DQB1*03:01~DPB1*04:01:01G in the family 1 were recombined between HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 loci, which formed the haplotype of HLA-A*11:01~C*03:04~B*13:01~DRB1* 12:01~DQB1*03:01~DPB1*04:01:01G. The haplotypes of HLA-A *02:06~C*03:03~B*35:01~DRB1*08:02~DQB1*04:02~ DPB1*13:01:01G and HLA-A *11:01~C*07:02~B*38:02~DRB1*15:02~DQB1*05:01~DPB1*05:01:01G in the family 2 were recombined between HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DPB1 loci, which formed the haplotype of HLA-A*02:06~C*03:03~B*35:01~ DRB1*08:02~DQB1*04:02~DPB1*05:01:01G. CONCLUSION: The gene recombination events between HLA-B and -DRB1, HLA-DQB1 and -DPB1 loci were found respectively in two Chinese Han families.

[Analysis of allele frequencies of HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G and HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G groups].

OBJECTIVE: To discriminate and analyze the relative frequencies of alleles in HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G(HLA-DRB1*12:01:01/12:06/12:10/12:17) and HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G (DRB1*14:01:01/14:54) groups and assess their associations with HLA-DRB3 and HLA-DQB1 loci. METHODS: A total of 115 DNA samples previously typed as HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G and 108 samples from HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G were selected. DNA sequences for exons 1 to 3 of the HLA-DRB1 locus were analyzed for HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G, and exons 2 to 3 were analyzed for HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing (PCR-SBT). Genotyping of HLA-DRB3 and HLA-DQB1 were achieved by PCR-SBT. RESULTS: Among 115 samples previously typed as HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G, 101 (87.8%) were confirmed as HLA-DRB1*12:01:01 and 14 (12.2%) were HLA-DRB1*12:10, but HLA-DRB1*12:06 and HLA-DRB1*12:17 alleles were not identified. For 108 samples previously typed as HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G, all were typed as HLA-DRB1*14:54. HLA-DRB1*12:01:01 was linked with HLA-DRB3*01:01:02 and HLA-DQB1*03:01, while HLA-DRB1*12:10 was strongly linked with HLA-DRB3*02:02:01 and HLA-DQB1*03:01. HLA-DRB1*14:54 was strongly linked with HLA-DRB3*02:02:01 and two different HLA-DQB1*05:02, *05:03 alleles. CONCLUSION: HLA-DRB1*12:01:01 was more prevalent than HLA-DRB1*12:10 in the HLA-DRB1*12:01:01G group, and HLA-DRB1*14:54 was the dominant allele for HLA-DRB1*14:01:01G.

[Identification of a novel allele HLA-B*15:129 by polymerase chain reaction with allele group-specific primers].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the sequence of the exons 2-4 of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) novel allele HLA-B*15:129. METHODS: DNA of the proband was extracted from whole blood by commercial DNA extraction kit. The amplification for HLA-B exons 2-4 was performed separately by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with allele group specific primers. The PCR products were digested with enzymes and then directly sequenced for exons 2-4 of HLA-B locus in both directions. RESULTS: Sequencing results showed the HLA-B alleles of the proband included B*07:02 and a novel allele. The sequence of the novel allele has been submitted to GenBank (accession no. EF473219) and the allele has been officially named B*15:129 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee. Comparing with the HLA-B*15:01:01:01, the sequence of exons 2-4 of HLA-B*15:129 showed three nucleotide difference in exon 3 at positions 362 and 363 from GG to AT and positions 369 from C to T, which resulted in an amino acid change from Arg to Asn at codon 97. CONCLUSION: A novel HLA-B allele was identified and has been officially named B15:129 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee.

[Recombination between human leukocyte antigen -A and -C loci within two Chinese Han families].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the recombination events between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci within two families. METHODS: Identification of HLA-A, -C, -B, -DRB1 and -DQB1 loci was firstly carried out using polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific oligonucleotide. Then HLA high resolution typing was performed using polymerase chain reaction sequencing-based typing. The recombination between HLA loci was identified by family genetic analysis. The parentage possibility was analyzed by short tandom repeat technique. RESULTS: Recombination between the HLA-A and C loci was identified within two families. One individual inherited a paternal haplotype that was the result of a recombination event between the father's HLA-A and -C loci on his chromosomes. The other individual inherited a maternal haplotype that was the result of a recombination event between the mother's HLA-A and -C loci. The high parentage possibilities were obtained in the family members. CONCLUSION: The recombination events of HLA-A and -C have been found in two Chinese families, which may help further study on the mechanism of HLA recombination.

2-Styryl-4-aminoquinazoline derivatives as potent DNA-cleavage, p53-activation and in vivo effective anticancer agents.

Forty-eight analogues of CP-31398, an antitumor agent modulated the mutant p53 gene were synthesized and their cytotoxicities against four cancer cell lines with different p-53 status including bladder cell T24 (w-p53), gastric cell MGC-803 (m-p53), prostate cell DU145 (m-p53), prostate cell PC-3 (null-p53), lung cell A549 (w-p53) and normal liver cell line HL-7702 (w-p53) were examined. (E)-2-(4-Nitrostyryl)-4-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-aminoquinazoline (10ah) was identified as the most potent compound in anti-proliferation against MGC-803 cells, with IC50 lowed to 1.73 µM, far potency than that of CP-31398. Molecular mechanism study revealed that 10ah and CP-31398 differ greatly in mechanism to exert their antitumor properties. 10ah could intercalate into DNA and resulted in significant DNA double-strand break. 10ah-treatment in MGC-803 cells increased the expression of p53, phosphorylated p53 (p-p53), CDK4, p21 to cause cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, significantly up-regulated the levels of pro-apoptosis proteins Bak, Bax, Bim while down-regulated the anti-apoptosis proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-xL and the levels of cyclin B1, fluctuated the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca2+ and mitochondrial membrane potential, activated Caspase-9 and Caspase-3 to induce apoptosis. 10ah also displayed potent anticancer efficiency against MGC-803 xenograft tumors models, with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) up to 61.8% at 20 mg/kg without obvious toxicity.

Cryptolepine and aromathecin based mimics as potent G-quadruplex-binding, DNA-cleavage and anticancer agents: Design, synthesis and DNA targeting-induced apoptosis.

Thirty Cryptolepine and Aromathecin based mimics were designed and synthesized. Their cytotoxicity was evaluated in four human cancer cell lines (HepG-2, T24, NCI-H460 and MGC-803) and one normal human cell line (HL-7702). Most compounds exhibited potent anticancer activity with IC50 values from 0.31 to 11.97 µM. 8-Fluoro-10-(N-3-dimethylaminopropyl)amino-11H-indeno[1,2-b]quinoline (5b) was identified as the most promising candidate in view of its anticancer activity. Molecular mechanism studies suggested that 5b not only could strongly bind to G-quadruplex, but intercalate into supercoil DNA and resulted in significant DNA double-strand break as well. Furthermore, 5b caused cell cycle arrest at S/G2 phase and induced apoptosis. After treatment with 5b, pro-apoptotic proteins Bak, Bax and Bim were up-regulated, anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL were down-regulated, and the effector caspase-3/9 was activated to initiate apoptosis. The anticancer activity of 5b was finally validated in a MGC-803 xenograft tumor model with tumor growth inhibition (TGI) up to 53.2%, while displaying no obvious toxicity. Taken together, these results suggest that 5b may be a potential candidate of cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs for cancer therapy.

Identification of 3-(benzazol-2-yl)quinoxaline derivatives as potent anticancer compounds: Privileged structure-based design, synthesis, and bioactive evaluation in vitro and in vivo.

Inspired by the common structural characteristics of numerous known antitumor compounds targeting DNA or topoisomerase I, 3-(benzazol-2-yl)-quinoxaline-based scaffold was designed via the combination of two important privileged structure units -quinoxaline and benzazole. Thirty novel 3-(benzazol-2-yl)-quinoxaline derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their biological activities. The MTT assay indicated that most compounds possessed moderate to potent antiproliferation effects against MGC-803, HepG2, A549, HeLa, T-24 and WI-38 cell lines. 3-(Benzoxazol- -2-yl)-2-(N-3-dimethylaminopropyl)aminoquinoxaline (12a) exhibited the most potent cytotoxicity, with IC50 values ranging from 1.49 to 10.99 µM against the five tested cancer and one normal cell line. Agarose-gel electrophoresis assays suggested that 12a did not interact with intact DNA, but rather it strongly inhibited topoisomerase I (Topo I) via Topo I-mediated DNA unwinding to exert its anticancer activity. The molecular modeling study indicated that 12a adopt a unique mode to interact with DNA and Topo I. Detailed biological study of 12a in MGC-803 cells revealed that 12a could arrest the cell cycle in G2 phase, inducing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the fluctuation of intracellular Ca2+, and the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). Western Blot analysis indicated that 12a-treatment could significantly up-regulate the levels of pro-apoptosis proteins Bak, Bax, and Bim, down-regulate anti-apoptosis proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl, and increase levels of cyclin B1 and CDKs inhibitor p21, cytochrome c, caspase-3, caspase-9 and their activated form in MGC-803 cells in a dose-dependent manner to induce cell apoptosis via a caspase-dependent intrinsic mitochondria-mediated pathway. Studies in MGC-803 xenograft tumors models demonstrated that 12a could significantly reduce tumor growth in vivo at doses as low as 6 mg/kg with low toxicity. Its convenient preparation and potent anticancer efficacy in vivo makes the 3-(benzazol-2-yl)quinoxaline scaffold a promising new chemistry entity for the development of novel chemotherapeutic agents.

[Sequence analysis of a novel human leukocyte antigen allele HLA-A*9206].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the molecular genetic basis for a human leukocyte antigen (HLA) novel allele HLA-A*9206 in the Chinese population. METHODS: DNA was extracted from whole blood by PEL-FREEZ DNA extraction kit. The amplification of HLA-A exons 1-8 of the proband was preformed and the PCR products were sequenced using ABI sequencing kit. Both strands of exons 2, 3 and 4 of the amplified product were sequenced. The polymerase chain reaction-sequence specific primer (PCR-SSP) was performed to split the two alleles apart and confirm the mutations detected by sequencing. RESULTS: The sequencing results showed that the HLA-A alleles of the proband were A*1101 and a novel allele. The sequence of the novel allele has been submitted to GenBank (EF062306). After Blast analysis, the novel allele shows one nucleotide different from the HLA-A*0206 in exon 3 at nucleotide position 530 (C to T). This results in an amino acid change from Ala to Val at codon 153. CONCLUSION: This allele is a novel allele and has been officially named A*9206 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee.

[Nucleotide sequence analysis of A novel HLA-B*15:124 allele confirmed].

This study was purposed to investigate the nucleotide sequences of a novel HLA-B*15:124 allele and its molecular mechanism. The genomic DNA from whole blood was extracted by using commercial DNA extraction kit. The sequences of exon 2, 3 and 4 of HLA-B locus in the proband were amplified by PCR with group-specific primers, the PCR products were purified by enzymes digestion, then exon 2 to 4 of HLA-B locus for both orientations was sequenced. The results showed that 2 HLA-B alleles of proband were gained after amplification and sequencing of group-specific primers, among them one was a B*40:03, another was a novel allele. After BLAST analysis, the novel allele showed nucleotides different from HLA-B*15:52 in exon 3 at nucleotide position 427 A > T and 440 G > T which resulted in amino acid change from Thr to Ser at codon 143 and Trp to Leu at conon 147. It is concluded that a novel HLA-B allele has two different nucleotides. This HLA-B allele is identified and has been officially named B*15:124 by the WHO Nomenclature Committee.