Endoplasmic reticulum stress leads to lipid accumulation through upregulation of SREBP-1c in normal hepatic and hepatoma cells.

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) has been found in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The study was to further explore the mechanistic relationship between ERS and lipid accumulation. To induce ERS, the hepatoblastoma cell line HepG2 and the normal human L02 cell line were exposed to Tg for 48 h. RT-PCR and Western blot were performed to evaluate glucose-regulated protein (GRP-78) expression as a marker of ERS. ER ultrastructure was assessed by electron microscopy. Triglyceride content was examined by Oil Red O staining and quantitative intracellular triglyceride assay. The hepatic nuclear sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP-1c), liver X receptor (LXRs), fatty acid synthase (FAS), and acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC1) expressions were examined by real-time PCR and Western blot. 4-(2-aminoethyl) benzenesulfonyl fluoride (AEBSF) was used to inhibit S1P serine protease inhibitor, and SREBP-1c cleavage was evaluated under ERS. SREBP-1c was knockdown and its effect on lipid metabolism was observed. Tg treatment upregulated GRP-78 expression and severely damaged the ER structure in L02 and HepG2 cells. ERS increased triglyceride deposition and enhanced the expression of SREBP-1c, FAS, and ACC1, but have no influence on LXR. AEBSF pretreatment abolished Tg-induced SREBP-1c cleavage. Moreover, SREBP-1c silencing reduced triglycerides and downregulated FAS expression. Pharmacological ERS induced by Tg leads to lipid accumulation through upregulation of SREBP-1c in L02 and HepG2 cells.

N-heterocyclic carbene-catalyzed cascade annulation reaction of o-vinylarylaldehydes with nitrosoarenes: one-step assembly of functionalized 2,3-benzoxazin-4-ones.

The NHC-catalyzed reactions of ortho electron-deficient vinyl substituted arylaldehydes with nitrosoarenes were studied. The reactions produced multifunctional 2,3-benzoxazin-4-ones in good to excellent yields via a cascade aza-benzoin reaction between aldehyde and nitroso groups followed by an intramolecular oxo-Michael addition. The resulting 1-acetate substituted 2,3-benzoxazinones were transformed into a new type of ß-hydroxycarboxylate derivatives or 3-oxo-1-isobenzofuranacetates, respectively, under different reductive conditions. This work not only provides a simple and efficient method for the construction of multifunctional 2,3-benzoxazin-4-ones of potential pharmacological interest, but also expands the application of NHC-catalyzed cascade reactions in the formation of carbon-heteroatom and heteroatom-heteroatom bonds.

The multicomponent reaction of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine carbenes with phthalaldehydes and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate: a facile construction of benzo[d]furo[3,2-b]azepines.

A study on the multicomponent reaction comprising both N-heterocyclic carbenes and substituted phthalaldehydes is reported. The imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine carbenes, namely imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine-3-ylidenes, reacted with phthalaldehydes and DMAD under very mild conditions to produce novel fused tricyclic benzo[d]furo[3,2-b]azepine derivatives. The resulting fused heterocyclic compounds are fluorescent and they give an emission around 500 nm with quantum yields (Φ(F)) being up to 0.81. This study provides not only a unique approach to fused azepine derivatives that are not easily accessible by other methods, but also opens a new avenue to complicated molecular skeletons. The fluorescence properties of long emission wavelength and high fluorescence quantum yields of some products predict their potential applications as optical sensors.