Novel chemotherapeutic agent FX-9 activates NF-κB signaling and induces G1 phase arrest by activating CDKN1A in a human prostate cancer cell line.

BACKGROUND: The aminoisoquinoline FX-9 shows pro-apoptotic and antimitotic effects against lymphoblastic leukemia cells and prostate adenocarcinoma cells. In contrast, decreased cytotoxic effects against non-neoplastic blood cells, chondrocytes, and fibroblasts were observed. However, the actual FX-9 molecular mode of action is currently not fully understood. METHODS: In this study, microarray gene expression analysis comparing FX-9 exposed and unexposed prostate cancer cells (PC-3 representing castration-resistant prostate cancer), followed by pathway analysis and gene annotation to functional processes were performed. Immunocytochemistry staining was performed with selected targets. RESULTS: Expression analysis revealed 0.83% of 21,448 differential expressed genes (DEGs) after 6-h exposure of FX-9 and 0.68% DEGs after 12-h exposure thereof. Functional annotation showed that FX-9 primarily caused an activation of inflammatory response by non-canonical nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling. The 6-h samples showed activation of the cell cycle inhibitor CDKN1A which might be involved in the secondary response in 12-h samples. This secondary response predominantly consisted of cell cycle-related changes, with further activation of CDKN1A and inhibition of the transcription factor E2F1, including downstream target genes, resulting in G1-phase arrest. Matching our previous observations on cellular level senescence signaling pathways were also found enriched. To verify these results immunocytochemical staining of p21 Waf1/Cip1 (CDKN1A), E2F1 (E2F1), PAI-1 (SERPNE1), and NFkB2/NFkB p 100 (NFKB2) was performed. Increased expression of p21 Waf1/Cip1 and NFkB2/NFkB p 100 after 24-h exposure to FX-9 was shown. E2F1 and PAI-1 showed no increased expression. CONCLUSIONS: FX-9 induced G1-phase arrest of PC-3 cells through activation of the cell cycle inhibitor CDKN1A, which was initiated by an inflammatory response of noncanonical NF-κB signaling.

The Pharmacogenomics Research Network Translational Pharmacogenetics Program: Outcomes and Metrics of Pharmacogenetic Implementations Across Diverse Healthcare Systems.

Numerous pharmacogenetic clinical guidelines and recommendations have been published, but barriers have hindered the clinical implementation of pharmacogenetics. The Translational Pharmacogenetics Program (TPP) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Pharmacogenomics Research Network was established in 2011 to catalog and contribute to the development of pharmacogenetic implementations at eight US healthcare systems, with the goal to disseminate real-world solutions for the barriers to clinical pharmacogenetic implementation. The TPP collected and normalized pharmacogenetic implementation metrics through June 2015, including gene-drug pairs implemented, interpretations of alleles and diplotypes, numbers of tests performed and actionable results, and workflow diagrams. TPP participant institutions developed diverse solutions to overcome many barriers, but the use of Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) guidelines provided some consistency among the institutions. The TPP also collected some pharmacogenetic implementation outcomes (scientific, educational, financial, and informatics), which may inform healthcare systems seeking to implement their own pharmacogenetic testing programs.

Zwitterionic phosphonium ligands: synthesis, characterization and application in telomerization of 1,3-butadiene.

Novel zwitterionic phosphonium alkylsulfonate ligands are chemoselectively synthesized from N-heterocyclic phosphines and cyclic sulfones in one step in good to excellent yields. Their in situ generated palladium complexes showed high productivity in the industrial telomerization of 1,3-butadiene with methanol. Optimal results are obtained in the presence of cyclohexyl-substituted ligands under mild conditions and at metal loadings as low as 0.001 mol%.

Applying homogeneous catalysis for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals.

This article describes recent achievements of my research group in the Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse e.V. in the area of applied homogeneous catalysis for the synthesis of biologically active compounds. Special focus is given on the development of novel and practical palladium and copper catalysts for the functionalization of haloarenes and haloheteroarenes.

Over-representation of Samoan/Pacific Islanders among patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections at a large family practice clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, 1996-2000.

Two pediatricians in Anchorage observed that among patients of Samoan/Pacific Islander (S/PI) descent, bacterial wound cultures that grew Staphylococcus aureus often yielded methicillin-resistant isolates. The Alaska Section of Epidemiology performed chart reviews of patients that visited a large family practice clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, from 1996 through April 2000, and who were diagnosed with a skin infection. Eight of 204 patients were identified with culture-confirmed MRSA infections. Eighty percent (4 of 5) of S/PI patients had resistant isolates compared with 12% (4 of 34) of non S/PI patients (Yates corrected chi2 = 8.61, p-value = 0.003). Although subject to limitations, these data support similar findings documented by other studies that suggest MRSA infections disproportionately affect persons of S/PI origin. This study also suggests that it would be prudent to reduce the threshold of clinical suspicion for obtaining a skin culture among S/PI patients in Alaska, and avoid beta-lactam antibiotics until culture results are received.

Internal olefins to linear amines.

The selective synthesis of linear amines from internal olefins or olefin mixtures was achieved through a catalytic one-pot reaction consisting of an initial olefin isomerization followed by hydroformylation and reductive amination. Key to the success is the use of specially designed phosphine ligands in the presence of rhodium catalysts. This reaction constitutes an economically attractive and environmentally favorable synthesis of linear aliphatic amines.

Facile three-component coupling procedure for the synthesis of substituted tetrahydroisoindole-1,3-diones from alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes.

[reaction: see text]. A new one-pot procedure for the efficient synthesis of a small library of amino-functionalized tetrahydroisoindole-1,3-dione derivatives was developed. This three-component coupling reaction comprises subsequent condensation and Diels-Alder reactions of ubiquitous available starting materials (alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes, amide, and maleimide). The synthesized compounds share a substituted tetrahydroisoindole motif in an endo fashion.

A convenient rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination procedure for terminal alkynes.

The first rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of alkynes is presented. Terminal alkynes react efficiently with anilines in the presence of cationic rhodium(I) catalysts under very mild reaction conditions (e.g., base and acid free at room temperature) to yield up to 99% of the corresponding imines. An easy one-pot protocol for the synthesis of secondary amines was developed by combining this alkyne amination reaction with in situ addition of organolithium reagents.

Palladium catalyst systems for cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides and olefins.

A detailed investigation into the influence of phosphines, additives, bases and solvents on the Heck coupling reaction of 4-trifluoromethyl-1-chlorobenzene (2) is presented. It is shown that a number of catalyst systems exist for efficient cross coupling of electron-deficient aryl chlorides with various olefins. Basicity and steric demand of the ligand are two factors which determine the success of the reaction. In addition the phosphine/palladium ratio, the correct type and amount of additive, and finally the use of an appropriate base and solvent are also important. The optimised reaction conditions are applied for the arylation of styrene, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate and N,N-dimethyl acrylic amide with various aryl chlorides.

The effect of imaging modality on patient management in the evaluation of pulmonary thromboembolism.

A retrospective medical record review was performed to study the differences in clinical risk profiles and the relationships between test results versus management for suspected pulmonary thromboembolism (TE) in patients undergoing either radionuclide ventilation perfusion (V/Q) scans or pulmonary computed tomographic angiography (CTA), as the initial test. Data of 138 consecutive V/Q patients were compared with that of 149 consecutive CTA patients during equivalent 6-month intervals before and after the introduction of CTA. Information on risk factors, signs and symptoms, all diagnostic test results, and the relationships between the test results and ultimate physician management were collected and analyzed. V/Q results predicted physician management in all patients with high probability scans and 91% with normal to low probability scans. There were 35 patients with indeterminate V/Q scans--43% of these patients were managed without any other diagnostic test. CTA results predicted management in all patients with positive studies and 99% of patients with negative studies. In contrast to the V/Q cohort, only seven CTA studies were inconclusive--additional diagnostic tests determined management in all but one case. Compared with V/Q, CTA has fewer indeterminate results, is more directly reflective of management, and reduces the number of patients managed with inconclusive data.

Synthesis of primary aromatic amides by aminocarbonylation of aryl halides using formamide as an ammonia synthon.

Primary aromatic amides were prepared by a palladium-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reaction of aryl halides in high yields (70-90%) using formamide as the amine source. The reactions require a palladium catalyst in combination with a nucleophilic Lewis base such as imidazole or 4-(dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP). Aryl, heteroaryl, and vinyl bromides and chlorides were converted to the primary amides under mild conditions (5 bar, 120 degrees C) using 1 mol % of a palladium-phosphine complex. Best results were obtained in dioxane using triphenylphosphine as the ligand and DMAP as the base. For activated aryl bromides, a phosphine-to-palladium ratio of 2:1 was sufficient, but less reactive aryl bromides or aryl chlorides required ligand-to-palladium ratios up to 8:1 in order to stabilize the catalyst and achieve full conversion. The influence of catalyst, base, solvent, pressure, and temperature was studied in detail. The mechanism of the reaction could be clarified by isolating and identifying the reaction intermediates. In addition, methylamides and dimethylamides were prepared by the same method using N-methylformamide and N,N-dimethylformamide as the amine source.

Synthesis of 2,3-dihydroindoles, indoles, and anilines by transition metal-free amination of aryl chlorides.

Aliphatic and aromatic amines react with 2- and 3-chlorostyrene in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide to give N-substituted 2,3-dihydroindoles in good yields. The combination of this domino-amination protocol with a suitable dehydrogenation reaction gives access to pharmacologically interesting indoles in a one-pot procedure. Overall product yields of N-substituted indoles >50% are obtained by this method starting from commercially available substrates. In addition to the intramolecular base-promoted amination of aromatic C-Cl bonds, metal-free intermolecular aminations of aryl chlorides with primary and secondary amines are described. The use of potassium tert-butoxide as base allows the synthesis of various anilines in good to excellent yields. Due to the formation of aryne intermediates, either N-substituted anilines or meta-substituted anilines are produced with excellent selectivities.

Base-catalyzed amination of olefins: an example of an environmentally friendly synthesis of amines.

The base-catalyzed amination of aromatic olefins is described as an environmentally friendly synthesis of various beta-arylethylamines. Primary and secondary aliphatic amines as well as aromatic amines react with styrene derivatives to give the corresponding beta-arylethylamines in high yield up to 99%. While aliphatic amines react with styrenes in the presence of n-BuLi as the pre-catalyst, anilines can be olefinated using KOtBu as the catalyst.

Amination of aromatic olefins with anilines: a new domino synthesis of quinolines.

A new catalytic amination of aromatic olefins with anilines is presented. In a domino reaction, substituted quinoline derivatives are obtained in the presence of cationic rhodium complexes, such as [Rh(cod)2]BF4, and PPh3. Ethylbenzene is formed as a by-product in this new oxidative reaction. The first transition metal catalyzed anti-Markovnikov hydroamination of styrene with anilines occurs as a side reaction. Mechanistic investigations strongly support the regioselective oxidative amination of styrene as the key reaction step.

Palladium/phosphite catalyst systems for efficient cross coupling of aryl bromides and chlorides with phenylboronic acid

The Suzuki reaction of aryl bromides is efficiently catalyzed by palladium/ phosphite complexes generated in situ. The influence of ligand, base, and different additives is examined. The process tolerates various functional groups and catalyst turnover numbers up to 820,000 are obtained even with deactivated aryl bromides. For the first time it is shown that palladium/phosphite complexes also catalyze efficiently the Suzuki reaction of aryl chlorides.

Amidocarbonylation-An Efficient Route to Amino Acid Derivatives.

Atom efficient, multicomponent reactions that lead to high-value products from inexpensive starting materials are of both economic and ecological interest for industrial organic synthesis. alpha-Amino acids are amongst the most important compounds in chemistry and biology. As well as their biochemical significance as building blocks of peptides and proteins, alpha-amino acids are also becoming increasingly interesting as fine chemicals. Possibly one of the key reactions in the preparation of these compounds is transition metal catalyzed amidocarbonylation, where the alpha-amino acid framework is constructed in a single step from an aldehyde, an amide, and carbon monoxide. This article gives a current overview of transition metal catalyzed amidocarbonylation reactions used in the synthesis of alpha-amino acids derivatives. A classification and summary of the significant features of this three component reaction is first presented together, with an historical introduction. This section is followed by two sections on cobalt- and palladium-catalyzed amidocarbonylation. A discussion of the mechanism of each of the different amidocarbonylation variants form an introduction. Overviews on further synthetic development of the methodology, such as the domino reaction with an amidocarbonylation step and the expansion of the range of starting materials, form the main topics of both variants. The potential of the method is demonstrated with the help of examples of special synthetic utility (for example, the preparation of arylglycines). Finally, possibilities for future developments in transition metal catalyzed amidocarbonylation reactions are proposed on the basis of the current state of knowledge.

Atom-Efficient Oxidation of Alkenes with Molecular Oxygen: Synthesis of Diols.

Dihydroxylations of simple alkenes were carried out for the first time in excellent yields and selectivities with molecular oxygen as oxidant [(Eq. (a)]. Both oxygen atoms are used productively and are incorporated into the product in this transition metal catalyzed alkene oxidation.

Catalysis as a key technology for the environmentally benign synthesis of amines and amino acids.

The rhodium-catalyzed amination of aromatic olefins and the palladium-catalyzed amidocarbonylation of aldehydes are presented as new atom-efficient methods to yield biologically interesting amines and N-acyl amino acids.