The Anticancer Effects of Novel Imidazo[1,2-a]Pyridine Compounds against HCC1937 Breast Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: Anticancer drugs confront clinical obstacles such as drug resistance and adverse effects. Imidazo[1,2-a]pyridines (IPs) compounds have lately gained considerable interest as possible anticancer therapeutics due to their potent inhibitory function against cancers cells. This study was to determine the anticancer activities of three novel IPs (IP-5, IP-6, and IP-7) against the HCC1937 breast cancer cell line in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cytotoxic and anti-proliferative effects of IPs compounds in HCC1937 cells were determined by cell viability (MTT) assay, trypan blue assay, and clonogenic survival assay. Scratch motility assay was used to test the antimigration ability of the IPs. Western blot analysis was carried out to detect the level of apoptosis and cell cycle protein markers and to understand the mechanism of action of IPs compounds. RESULTS: IP-5 and IP-6 have a strong cytotoxic impact against HCC1937 cells with IC50 values of 45µM and 47.7µM respectively. IP-7 possesses less cytotoxic effect against HCC1937 cells with IC50 of 79.6µM. Trypan blue assay showed that the three compounds induce significant cell death in the HCC1937 cells. Clonogenic and mammosphere assays demonstrated that IP-5 reduced the HCC1937 cells survival rate by more than 25.0% at 1000 cell concentrations. Western blotting analysis showed that IP-5 compound causes cell cycle arrest as noted by the increasing levels of p53 and p21 in treated cells. IP-5 induced an extrinsic apoptosis pathway as reveals from the increased activity of caspase 7, caspase 8, and the increasing level of PARP cleavage in treated cells. Also, IP-5 treated cells revealed segmented chromatin which is characteristic of apoptotic cells as shown by DAPI stain. Importantly, In comparison to control cells, IP-5-treated cells exhibited lower levels of pAKT. CONCLUSIONS: The novel three IPs compounds represent potential active anticancer compounds against HCC1937 breast cancer cells in vitro.

Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes and Its Association with Added Sugar Intake in Citizens and Refugees Aged 40 or Older in the Gaza Strip, Palestine.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes among Gaza Palestinians, 64% of whom are refugees with exceeded sugar intake. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its association with added sugar intake among residents, with regular visits to primary healthcare centers (PHCs) across Gaza. METHODS: From October to December of 2019, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1000 citizens and refugees in nine PHCs selected from the five governorates of the Gaza Strip. Information on dietary intake, medical history, and other risk factors was collected by trained health workers, using structured questionnaires. Anthropometry and biochemical data were extracted from the PHC medical record system. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of diagnosed T2D and undiagnosed T2D were 45.2% and 16.8%, respectively, in adults aged 42 to 74 years, with the differences among citizens and refugees (diagnosed: 46.2% vs. 43.8%; undiagnosed: 15.7% vs. 18.2%). The uncontrolled glycaemic rate was 41.9% and 36.8% for diagnosed patients in citizens and refugees, respectively. Among those without a clinical diagnosis of T2D, after multivariable adjustment, daily added sugar intake was positively associated with fasting glucose and the risk of undiagnosed T2D (odds ratio, 95% CI, highest vs. lowest intake, was 2.71 (1.12-6.54) (pfor trend < 0.001). In stratified analysis, the associations between added sugar intake and the risk of undiagnosed T2D tend to be stronger among refugees or those with higher body mass index. CONCLUSIONS: Among Palestinian adults, both citizens and refugees are affected by T2D. Added sugar intake is associated with the risk of undiagnosed T2D.