Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of substituted 3[2-(1H-indol-3-yl)- 1,3-thiazol-4-yl]-1H-pyrrolo[3,2-b]pyridines, marine alkaloid nortopsentin analogues.

A large number of indolyl-4-azaindolyl thiazoles, nortopsentin analogues, were conveniently synthesized. The antiproliferative activity of the new derivatives was examined against four human tumor cell lines with different histologic origin. Seven derivatives consistently reduced the growth of the experimental models independently of TP53 gene status and exhibited the highest activity against the malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (STO) cell line. The most active compound of this series acts as a CDK1 inhibitor, and was found to cause cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, to induce apoptosis by preventing the phosphorylation of survivin in Thr(34) and to increase the cytotoxic activity of paclitaxel in STO cells.

Apollon gene silencing induces apoptosis in breast cancer cells through p53 stabilisation and caspase-3 activation.

We analysed the effects of small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated silencing of Apollon, a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis protein family, on the proliferative potential and ability of human breast cancer cell lines to undergo apoptosis. In wild-type p53 ZR75.1 cells, Apollon knockdown resulted in a marked, time-dependent decline of cell growth and an increased rate of apoptosis, which was associated with p53 stabilisation and activation of the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway. Pre-incubation of cells with a p53-specific siRNA resulted in a partial rescue of cell growth inhibition, as well as in a marked reduction of the apoptotic response, indicating p53 as a major player in cell growth impairment consequent on Apollon silencing. Apollon knockdown induced consistently less pronounced anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in mutant p53 MDA-MB-231 cells than in ZR75.1 cells. Furthermore, the activation of caspase-3 seemed to be essential for the induction of apoptosis after Apollon knockdown, as the Apollon-specific siRNA had no effect on the viability of caspase-3-deficient, wild-type p53 MCF-7 cells or the ZR75.1 cells after RNA interference-mediated caspase-3 silencing. Our results indicate that p53 stabilisation and caspase-3 activation concur to determine the apoptotic response mediated by Apollon knockdown in breast cancer cells, and suggest Apollon to be a potential new therapeutic target for this malignancy.

[Attempts at innovations in the practice of teaching and practicing psychiatric nursing]. / Tentativas inovadoras na prática de ensino e assistência na área de saúde mental--I.

In the context of recent changes that are taking place in the field of mental health care in Brazil, the University has the responsibility to redimensioning human resources qualification of mental health workers. At the Mental Health Care and Educational Program of the University of São Paulo and São Paulo Health Office (São Paulo/Brazil), an experience still in course, the nursing students attending to psychiatric nurse training evaluated that theoretical-practical education dealing with health care issue in the field of Psychosocial Rehabilitation purpose, at the same time that directly interferes in the qualification of practices, simultaneously develops the students attitudes and knowledge that qualify them to perform coherent practices in accordance with rehabilitation models of care.