Anti-Lung Cancer Activities of 1,2,3-Triazole Curcumin Derivatives via Regulation of the MAPK/NF-κB/STAT3 Signaling Pathways.

In this study, a series of curcumin derivatives containing 1,2,3-triazole were designed and synthesized, and their inhibitory activities against the proliferation of lung cancer cells were studied. Compound 5 k (3,4-dichlorobenzyltriazole methyl curcumin) had the best activity against A549 cells, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 ) of 2.27 µM, which was approximately 10 times higher than that of the lead curcumin and higher than that of gefitinib (IC50 =8.64 µM). Western blotting revealed that 5 k increased the phosphorylation levels of p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). Compound 5 k also promoted the expression of the inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB (IκBα) and decreased that of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and ß-catenin. Therefore, 5 k suppresses A549 cell proliferation by activating the mitogen-activated protein kinases and suppressing NF-κB/STAT3 signaling pathways. So, 5 k can potentially be used for treating non-small cell lung cancer.

Synthesis and Evaluation of the Antitumor Activity of Novel 1-(4-Substituted phenyl)-2-ethyl Imidazole Apoptosis Inducers In Vitro.

Novel imidazole derivatives were designed, prepared, and evaluated in vitro for antitumor activity. The majority of the tested derivatives showed improved antiproliferative activity compared to the positive control drugs 5-FU and MTX. Among them, compound 4f exhibited outstanding antiproliferative activity against three cancer cell lines and was considerably more potent than both 5-FU and MTX. In particular, the selectivity index indicated that the tolerance of normal L-02 cells to 4f was 23-46-fold higher than that of tumor cells. This selectivity was significantly higher than that exhibited by the positive control drugs. Furthermore, compound 4f induced cell apoptosis by increasing the protein expression levels of Bax and decreasing those of Bcl-2 in a time-dependent manner. Therefore, 4f could be a potential candidate for the development of a novel antitumor agent.

Synthesis, activity evaluation, and pro-apoptotic properties of novel 1,2,4-triazol-3-amine derivatives as potent anti-lung cancer agents.

In this study, a series of 4,5-bis(substituted phenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine compounds was designed, synthesised, and evaluated to determine their potential as anti-lung cancer agents. According to the results of screening of lung cancer cell lines A549, NCI-H460, and NCI-H23 in vitro, most of the synthesised compounds have potent cytotoxic activities with IC50 values ranging from 1.02 to 48.01 µM. Particularly, compound 4,5-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-amine (BCTA) was the most potent anti-cancer agent, with IC50 values of 1.09, 2.01, and 3.28 µM against A549, NCI-H460, and NCI-H23 cells, respectively, meaning many-fold stronger anti-lung cancer activity than that of the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil. We also explored the effects of BCTA on apoptosis in lung cancer cells by flow cytometry and western blotting. Our results indicated that BCTA induced apoptosis by upregulating proteins BAX, caspase 3, and PARP. Thus, the potential application of compound BCTA as a drug should be further examined.

Synthesis of 2´-hydroxy-4´-isoprenyloxychalcone derivatives with potential antidepressant-like activity.

A series of 2´-hydroxy-4´-isoprenyloxychalcone derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for its antidepressant- like activity using the FST and TST. All compounds exhibited the potential antidepressant-like activity in the FST and the TST through intraperitoneal injection. Among them, compounds 4i, 4l and 4n exhibited more potent antidepressant- like activity at a dose of 10 mg/kg. And, compounds 4i, 4l and 4n were also adequately absorbed in mice after oral administration at a dose of 30 mg/kg. In the 5-HT induced head-twitch test and yohimbine induced mortality test, compound 4i could increase the head-twitch and rise mortality in mice. The results suggested that the antidepressant effects of compound 4i may be related to via the serotonergic and noradrenergic system.

Synthesis and evaluation of antibacterial activity of 7-alkyloxy-4,5-dihydro-imidazo[1,2-a]quinoline derivatives.

In this study, a series of 7-alkyloxy-4,5-dihydro-imidazo[1,2-a]quinoline derivatives was synthesized and tested for their antibacterial activity against various bacterial strains. Most of the compounds exhibited potential antibacterial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Compound 7p (7-heptyloxy-4,5-dihydro-imidazo[1,2-a]quinoline) was found to be the most potent inhibitor. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of compound 7p against Escherichia coli was 0.5 µg/mL, better than that of reference agent ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin. Furthermore, compound 7p exhibited a modest activity against several gram-negative bacterial strains at a dose range of 2-64 µg/mL.

N-palmitoylethanolamide, an endocannabinoid, exhibits antidepressant effects in the forced swim test and the tail suspension test in mice.

The antidepressant-like effects of N-palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), a putative endocannabinoid, was investigated in mice using the tail suspension test (TST) and the forced swimming test (FST). In TST, PEA (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg) produced a statistically significant reduction in immobility (50, 32, and 34%, respectively, vs. the control group), whereas fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) reduced immobility by 38%. In FST, PEA (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) produced a statistically significant reduction in immobility (15, 21, and 36%, respectively), whereas fluoxetine (20 mg/kg) reduced immobility by 18%. Moreover, PEA (20 mg/kg) did not significantly change motor activity in a spontaneous behavioral test. In conclusion, PEA (dose range of 5-40 mg/kg) administered orally reduced immobility in TST and FST, comparable to the antidepressant effect of fluoxetine, and had no effect on spontaneous activity in mice.

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of some novel 6-alkoxy(phenoxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-amine derivatives.

Starting from phthalic anhydride, several new 6-alkoxy(phenoxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-amine derivatives were synthesized as potent anti-inflammatory agent. The study showed that the compounds 6h (6-(2-chlorophenoxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-amine) and 6s (6-(4-aminophenoxy)-[1,2,4] triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine-3-amine) exhibited the highest anti-inflammatory activity (81% and 83% inhibition, respectively, at 0.5 h after i.p. administration) which were slightly more potent than the reference drug Ibuprofen (61%). Furthermore, the peak activity of 6h and 6s was observed at the 3 h after p.o. administration, and they exhibited stronger anti-inflammatory activity than Ibuprofen at the dose of 50 mg/kg at the peak time.

Synthesis and primary anticonvulsant activity evaluation of 6-alkyoxyl-tetrazolo [5,1-a]phthalazine derivatives.

A new series of 6-alkyoxyl-tetrazolo[5,1-a] phthalazine derivatives (4 a-4 o) were synthesized as potential anticonvulsant agents. Anticonvulsant activity was evaluated by the maximal electroshock (MES) test. Neurotoxicity was evaluated by the rotarod neurotoxicity test. The pharmacological results showed that 6-(4-chlorophenyoxyl)-tetrazolo[5,1-a]phthalazine (4 m) was the most potent agent, with a median effective dose (ED50) of 6.8 mg/kg and a median neurotoxic dose (TD50) of 456.4 mg/kg. The protective index (PI = TD50/ED50) for compound 4 m was 67.1, which was significantly higher than that for the reference drug carbamazepine (PI = 6.4).

Evaluation of the anticonvulsant activity of 6-(4-chlorophenyoxy)-tetrazolo[5,1-a]phthalazine in various experimental seizure models in mice.

This study investigated the anticonvulsant activity of a new phthalazine tetrazole derivative, QUAN-0808 (6-(4-chlorophenoxy)-tetrazolo[5,1-a]phthalazine), in the mouse maximal electroshock (MES) seizure model. The neurotoxicity of QUAN-0808 was investigated using the rotarod neurotoxicity test in mice. QUAN-0808 exhibited higher activity (median effective dose, ED(50) = 6.8 mg/kg) and lower neurotoxicity (median toxic dose, TD(50) = 456.4 mg/kg), resulting in a higher protective index (PI = 67.1) compared with carbamazepine (PI = 6.4). In addition, QUAN-0808 exhibited significant oral anticonvulsant activity (ED(50) = 24 mg/kg) against MES-induced seizure with low neurotoxicity (TD(50) > 4500 mg/kg) in mice, resulting in a PI value of more than 187.5. QUAN-0808 was also tested in chemically induced animal models of seizure (pentylenetetrazole [PTZ], isoniazid [ISO], thiosemicarbazide [THIO] and 3-mercaptopropionic acid [3-MP]) to further investigate the anticonvulsant activity; QUAN-0808 produced significant anticonvulsant activity against seizures induced by ISO, THIO and 3-MP.

Characterization of the anticonvulsant activity of doxepin in various experimental seizure models in mice.

In this paper, the anticonvulsant characteristics of doxepin were evaluated in numerous experimental seizure models, including maximal electroshock (MES)-, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-, isoniazid (ISO)-, 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MP)-, bicuculline (BIC)-, thiosemicarbazide (THIO)-, and strychnine (STR)-induced seizures. In addition, the acute adverse-effect profile of doxepin with respect to impairment of motor coordination was assessed with a mouse rotarod test. The evaluation of the time-course and dose-response relationships for doxepin provided evidence that the peak maximum anticonvulsant activity and acute adverse effects occurred 5 min after intraperitoneal (ip) administration. The results also revealed that doxepin had excellent anticonvulsant activity against maximal electroshock-induced seizures in mice with a median effect value (ED(50)) of 6.6 mg/kg. The assessment of acute adverse effects in the rotarod test revealed that doxepin induced acute neurotoxicity, and its median toxic dose (TD(50)) was 26.4 mg/kg. Additionally, doxepin showed anticonvulsant activity in several chemically-induced seizure models, including ISO, 3-MP, BIC, and THI. Based on this study, we can conclude that the antidepressant drug doxepin may be useful for treatment of depression in patients with epilepsy due to its short time to peak maximum anticonvulsant activity after ip administration (5 min) and remarkable anticonvulsant activity (6.6 mg/kg).

Synthesis and anticonvulsant activity of 6-alkoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazines.

A new series of 6-alkoxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazines (3a-3v) were synthesized and their anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity were evaluated by the maximal electroshock test and the rotarod test respectively. Significant anticonvulsant activity was displayed by a number of compounds. The most promising compounds 6-(4-chlorobenzyloxy)-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine (3f) and 6-heptyloxy-[1,2,4]triazolo[3,4-a]phthalazine (3s) showed a median effective dose of 7.1 and 11.0 mg/kg, and had protective index value of 5.2 and 8.0 respectively. The two compounds were further found to have potent activity against seizures induced by pentylenetetrazole, isoniazid, thiosemicarbazide, 3-mercaptopropionic acid but not seizures induced by strychnine, indicating that the two compounds might function by enhancing gamma-aminobutyric acid neurotransmission.

Design, synthesis of 8-alkoxy-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]quinolin-1-ones with anticonvulsant activity.

A new series of 8-alkoxy-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]quinolin-1-one derivatives were synthesized. Their anticonvulsant activities were evaluated by the maximal electroshock (MES) test, and their neurotoxicities were evaluated by the rotarod neurotoxicity test. The results showed that 8-heptyloxy-5,6-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazino[4,3-a]quinolin-1-one 5t was the most potent with median effective dose (ED(50)) value of 11.4 mg/kg, median toxicity dose (TD(50)) of 114.1 mg/kg, providing a protective index (PI=TD(50)/ED(50)) value of 10.0, which is much greater than the PI of the prototype drug carbamazepine (PI=6.4). To explain the possible mechanism of anticonvulsant activity, the compound 5t was tested in chemically induced seizures.

Synthesis and anti-inflammatory activity evaluation of novel 7-alkoxy-1-amino-4,5-dihydro[1,2,4]triazole[4,3-a]quinolines.

In this study, a novel series of 7-alkoxy-1-amino-4,5-dihydro[1,2,4]triazole[4,3-a]quinolines were synthesized by using 6-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolone as the starting material. These compounds were evaluated for anti-inflammatory activity through monitoring their ability to inhibit xylene-induced ear edema in mice. Some of the tested compounds exhibited significant activity, and the compounds 5f (7-(benzyloxy)-4,5-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinolin-1-amine) and 5i (7-(p-chlorobenzyloxy)-4,5-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinolin-1-amine) showed the highest anti-inflammatory activity (52% and 58% inhibition, respectively, at 2 h pre-administration) which were comparable to or even slightly more potent than the reference drug ibuprofen (55%). Furthermore, the structure-activity relationship of these 1,2,4-triazole quinolines was demonstrated.

Synthesis and anticonvulsant evaluation of 4-(4-alkoxylphenyl)-3-ethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazoles as open-chain analogues of 7-alkoxyl-4,5-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines.

A series of 4-(4-alkoxylphenyl)-3-ethyl-4H-1,2,4-triazole derivatives was synthesized as open-chain analogues of 7-alkoxyl-4,5-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinolines. Their anticonvulsant activities were evaluated by the maximal electroshock test (MES test) and their neurotoxicity was evaluated by the rotarod neurotoxicity test (Tox). MES test showed that 3-ethyl-4-(4-octyloxyphenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole 3q was found to be the most potent with ED(50) value of 8.3mg/kg and protective index (PI=TD(50)/ED(50)) value of 5.5, but compound 3r, 3-ethyl-4-(4-octyloxyphenyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole, exhibited better PI value of 9.3, which was much greater than PI value of the prototype drug phenytoin. For explanation of the possible mechanism of action, the compound 3r was tested in pentylenetetrazole test, isoniazid test, thiosemicarbazide test, 3-mercaptopropionic acid and strychnine test.

[FTIR spectroscopic studies of hydration effect on the molecular structure of polyether urethane].

The interaction between water molecules and the polar groups in linear polyether urethane was studied by FTIR and subtraction spectroscopy technique. Direct proofs of the combining of water molecule and carbonyl group were obtained. The reorganizations of the ether linkage, carbamate, and carbon-hydrogen chain after hydration were also observed. These results suggest that the FTIR and subtraction spectroscopy technique could be a useful tool to investigate the hydration mechanism of polymer materials.

[Structural study on the transparency of cross-linked polyester polyurethane].

The polyurethane material with cross-linked structure was synthesized using half pre-polymerization method. IR, UV-Vis, TEM and XRD methods, and physical properties measurements indicate that different moulding temperatures influence the apparent transparence of polyurethane and abrasive performance, and the nature of these changes is related to the conditions of processand chemical reaction which lead to gradual micro-phase separation of the polyurethane molecules with different compositions, resulting in the domain-forming with the size of sub-micro-, micro- and even more than ten micro-meters. Such domains aggregate one another to form particles with different shapes and complicated structures. The increase in the amount and size of these heterogeneous particles, distributed in the medium of transparent polyurethane, is the main cause that brings on an opaque appearance of polyurethane.

Anticonvulsant and toxicity evaluation of some 7-alkoxy-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoline-1(2H)-ones.

To further investigate anticonvulsant activity of quinoline derivatives, a series of 7-alkoxy-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]quinoline-1(2H)-one derivatives was synthesized starting from 7-hydroxyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinoline. In initial (phase I) screening and quantitative (phase II) evaluation, compound 7-benzyloxyl-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4]thiazolo[4,3-a]quinoline-1(2H)-one (3f) was among the most active but also has the lowest toxicity. In the anti-MES potency test, it showed median effective dose (ED(50)) of 12.3 mg/kg, median toxicity dose (TD(50)) of 547.5 mg/kg, and the protective index (PI) of 44.5, which is much greater than PI of the prototype drugs phenytoin, phenobarbital, carbamazepin, and valproate. Compound 3f was chosen for further evaluation. In phase III pharmacological test, the compound had median hypnotic dose (HD(50)) and median lethal dose (LD(50)) of 1204 mg/kg and >3000 mg/kg, respectively, thus demonstrating much greater margin of safety compared to prototype drugs. The compound 3f also showed significant oral activity against MES-induced seizures and low oral neurotoxicity in mice in phase IV pharmacological test. Possible structure-activity relationship was discussed.

Synthesis of 8-alkoxy-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazole[4,3-a]quinoline-1-ones and evaluation of their anticonvulsant properties.

A series of 8-alkoxy-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazole[4,3-a]quinoline-1-one derivatives were synthesized using 7-hydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-quinolone as the starting material. Their anticonvulsant activities were evaluated by the maximal electroshock test (MES) and the subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole test (sc-PTZ), and their neurotoxicities were measured by the rotarod neurotoxicity test (Tox). The tests demonstrated that 8-hexyloxy-4,5-dihydro-[1.2.4]triazole[4.3-a]quinoline-1-one (4e) and 8-heptyloxy-4,5-dihydro-[1,2,4] triazole[4,3-a]quinoline-1-one (4f) were the most potent anticonvulsants, with 4e having ED50 values of 17.17 mg/kg and 24.55 mg/kg and protective index (PI = TD50/ED50) values of 41.9 and 29.3 in the MES and sc-PTZ tests, respectively, and 4f having ED50 values of 19.7 mg/kg and 21.2 mg/kg and PI values of 36.5 and 33.9 in the MES and sc-PTZ tests, respectively. The PI values of 4e and 4f were many fold better than that of the marketed drugs phenytoin, carbamazepine, phenobarbital and valproate, which have PI values in the range of 1.6-8.1 in the MES test and < 0.22-5.2 in the sc-PTZ test. Structure-activity relationships were also discussed.

[The studies on YCl3/PEU system by rheology analysis and FTIR].

FTIR spectroscopy and rheology analysis were applied to study the YCl3/PEU system. It is apparent that modification with lanthanide complexes such as yttrium leads to a slight increase in viscosity of the polyether urethane solution. The authors conclude that this may be due to the interaction between the lanthanide ions and the polar group in urethane.A new band appears at 1650 cm(-1) in the infrared spectra of the YCl3/PEU system, which corresponds to the new carbonyl structure formed through the coordination with yttrium cations. The dynamic rheological behaviors of the solutions demonstrate the interaction furthermore. A higher molecular weight formed with the higher concentration of the lanthanide ions in this DMF solution. And this could be an effective method to characterize the structure of the polymer solutions.

[The interaction between La and polyurethane system].

A series of polyether polyurethane (PU)-LaCl3 composites with different lanthanum contents were prepared. DSC results indicate that LaCl3 promotes phase transition behavior of the LaCl3/PU composites, which causes the endothermic peak at 11.58 degrees C to disappear. FTIR spectroscopy demonstrates that significant variation can be observed. The peak at 1633 cm(-1) attributed to carbonyl vibration and the peak at 3311 cm(-1) attributed to N-H stretching band moves to 1647 cm(-1) and 3355 cm(-1), respectively, when LaCl3 is introduced into the PU system. A new band (-200 cm(-1)) assigned to the La-O band was observed, and the far IR result provided a direct evidence of the coordination between La3+ ion and C=O group of PU system.