Bidirectional fluxes of spermine across the mitochondrial membrane

The polyamine spermine is transported into the mitochondrial matrix by an electrophoretic mechanism having as driving force the negative electrical membrane potential (ΔΨ). The presence of phosphate increases spermine uptake by reducing ΔpH and enhancing ΔΨ. The transport system is a specific uniporter constituted by a protein channel exhibiting two asymmetric energy barriers with the spermine binding site located in the energy well between the two barriers. Although spermine transport is electrophoretic in origin, its accumulation does not follow the Nernst equation for the presence of an efflux pathway. Spermine efflux may be induced by different agents, such as FCCP, antimycin A and mersalyl, able to completely or partially reduce the ΔΨ value and, consequently, suppress or weaken the force necessary to maintain spermine in the matrix. However this efflux may also take place in normal conditions when the electrophoretic accumulation of the polycationic polyamine induces a sufficient drop in ΔΨ able to trigger the efflux pathway. The release of the polyamine is most probably electroneutral in origin and can take place in exchange with protons or in symport with phosphate anion. The activity of both the uptake and efflux pathways induces a continuous cycling of spermine across the mitochondrial membrane, the rate of which may be prominent in imposing the concentrations of spermine in the inner and outer compartment. Thus, this event has a significant role on mitochondrial permeability transition modulation and consequently on the triggering of intrinsic apoptosis.

Spermine metabolism and radiation-derived reactive oxygen species for future therapeutic implications in cancer: an additive or adaptive response

Destruction of cells by irradiation-induced radical formation is one of the most frequent interventions in cancer therapy. An alternative to irradiation-induced radical formation is in principle drug-induced formation of radicals, and the formation of toxic metabolites by enzyme catalyzed reactions. Thus, combination therapy targeting polyamine metabolism could represent a promising strategy to fight hyper-proliferative disease. The aim of this work is to discuss and evaluate whether the presence of a DNA damage provoked by enzymatic ROS overproduction may act as an additive or adaptive response upon radiation and combination of hyperthermia with lysosomotropic compounds may improve the cytocidal effect of polyamines oxidation metabolites. Low level of X-irradiations delivers challenging dose of damage and an additive or adaptive response with the chronic damage induced by spermine oxidase overexpression depending on the deficiency of the DNA repair mechanisms. Since reactive oxygen species lead to membrane destabilization and cell death, we discuss the effects of BSAO and spermine association in multidrug resistant cells that resulted more sensitive to spermine metabolites than their wild-type counterparts, due to an increased mitochondrial activity. Since mammal spermine oxidase is differentially activated in a tissue specific manner, and cancer cells can differ in term of DNA repair capability, it could be of interest to open a scientific debate to use combinatory treatments to alter spermine metabolism and deliver differential response.

Reactive oxygen species spermine metabolites generated from amine oxidases and radiation represent a therapeutic gain in cancer treatments

The most frequent interventions in cancer therapy are currently the destruction of cells by irradiation or administration of drugs both able to induce radical formation and toxic metabolites by enzyme-catalyzed reactions. The aim of this study was to determine the cell viability of cells undergoing a DNA damage threshold accomplished by ROS overproduction via both ectopic expression of murine spermine oxidase (mSMOX) and bovine serum amine oxidase (BSAO) enzymes. Low dose of X-irradiation delivers a challenging dose of damage as evaluated in proficient Chinese hamster AA8 cell line and both deficient transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair (NER) UV61 cells and deficient base excision repair (BER) EM9 cells, at 6 and 24 h after exposure. The priming dose of ROS overexposure by mSMOX provokes an adaptive response in N18TG2, AA8 and EM9 cell lines at 24 h. Interestingly, in the UV61 cells, ROS overexposure by mSMOX delivers an earlier adaptive response to radiation. The enzymatic formation of toxic metabolites has mainly been investigated on wild-type (WT) and multidrug-resistant (MDR) cancer cell lines, using and spermine as substrate of the BSAO enzyme. MDR cells are more sensitive to the toxic polyamine metabolites than WT cells, thus indicating a new therapeutic strategy to overcome MDR tumors. Since SMOX in mammals is differentially activated in a tissue-specific manner and cancer cells can differ in terms of DNA repair and MDR capabilities, it could be of interest to simultaneously treat with very low dose of X-rays and/or to alter SMOX metabolism to generate a differential response in healthy and cancer tissues.

Hyaluronic acid nanohydrogels as a useful tool for BSAO immobilization in the treatment of melanoma cancer cells

An alternative anticancer therapy based on the use of bovine serum amine oxidase (BSAO), an enzyme that converts polyamines over-expressed in malignant cells, into hydrogen peroxide and aldehyde(s), thus inducing high cytotoxicity in cancer cells, was recently proposed. With the aim of improving the system efficacy by exploiting a nanotechnology approach, BSAO is covalently immobilized onto injectable nanohydrogels (NHs) based on cholesterol-graft-hyaluronic acid (HA-CH), a biocompatible conjugate that spontaneously leads to self-assembled structures in aqueous solutions. In this study, the physicochemical properties of the HA-CH-based NHs and the NHs cytocompatibility are reported. The properties of the NHs-BSAO system are also studied in terms of protein residual activity, both in vitro and on a model melanoma cell line.

Comparative proteomic analysis of ductal breast carcinoma demonstrates an altered expression of chaperonins and cytoskeletal proteins

The aim of the present study was to analyze the protein composition of ductal breast carcinoma and the surrounding normal tissue in individual patients using comparative 2D proteomics and mass spectrometry to detect candidate disease biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis. Samples of normal and cancerous tissue obtained form 28 patients were analyzed. Chaperonins and cytoskeletal proteins predominated among the 11 proteins for which major changes in abundance were detected. Of these 11 proteins with an altered expression, 2 had a decreased expression and 9 had an increased expression. In addition, the abundance of a few cytokeratins was also altered; however, they were not capable of serving as specific circulatory biomarkers. The proteins which we observed to exhibit an altered expression in infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma may be exploited as novel targets for therapeutic interventions or represent novel diagnostic/prognostic markers for the early detection of aggressive tumors, particularly those with multridrug-resistant phenotypes during the earlier stages of the disease.

Catalytically active bovine serum amine oxidase bound to fluorescent and magnetically drivable nanoparticles

Novel superparamagnetic surface-active maghemite nanoparticles (SAMNs) characterized by a diameter of 10 ± 2 nm were modified with bovine serum amine oxidase, which used rhodamine B isothiocyanate (RITC) adduct as a fluorescent spacer-arm. A fluorescent and magnetically drivable adduct comprised of bovine serum copper-containing amine oxidase (SAMN-RITC-BSAO) that immobilized on the surface of specifically functionalized magnetic nanoparticles was developed. The multifunctional nanomaterial was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and activity measurements. The results of this study demonstrated that bare magnetic nanoparticles form stable colloidal suspensions in aqueous solutions. The maximum binding capacity of bovine serum amine oxidase was approximately 6.4 mg g(-1) nanoparticles. The immobilization procedure reduced the catalytic activity of the native enzyme to 30% ± 10% and the Michaelis constant was increased by a factor of 2. We suggest that the SAMN-RITC-BSAO complex, characterized by a specific activity of 0.81 IU g(-1,) could be used in the presence of polyamines to create a fluorescent magnetically drivable H(2)O(2) and aldehydes-producing system. Selective tumor cell destruction is suggested as a potential future application of this system.

Novel reversible monoamine oxidase A inhibitors: highly potent and selective 3-(1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-2-oxazolidinones

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are involved in various psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders; hence, MAO inhibitors are useful agents in the therapy of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's dementia, and depression syndrome. Herein we report a novel series of 3-(1H-pyrrol-3-yl)-2-oxazolidinones 3-7 as reversible, highly potent and selective anti-MAO-A agents. In particular, 4b, 5b, and 4c showed a K(i-MAO-A) of 0.6, 0.8, and 1 nM, respectively, 4c being 200000-fold selective for MAO-A with respect to MAO-B.

Interactions of melatonin with mammalian mitochondria. Reducer of energy capacity and amplifier of permeability transition

Melatonin, a metabolic product of the amino acid tryptophan, induces a dose-dependent energy drop correlated with a decrease in the oxidative phosphorylation process in isolated rat liver mitochondria. This effect involves a gradual decrease in the respiratory control index and significant alterations in the state 4/state 3 transition of membrane potential (ΔΨ). Melatonin, alone, does not affect the insulating properties of the inner membrane but, in the presence of supraphysiological Ca2+, induces a ΔΨ drop and colloid-osmotic mitochondrial swelling. These events are sensitive to cyclosporin A and the inhibitors of Ca2+ transport, indicative of the induction or amplification of the mitochondrial permeability transition. This phenomenon is triggered by oxidative stress induced by melatonin and Ca2+, with the generation of hydrogen peroxide and the consequent oxidation of sulfydryl groups, glutathione and pyridine nucleotides. In addition, melatonin, again in the presence of Ca2+, can also induce substantial release of cytochrome C and AIF (apoptosis-inducing factor), thus revealing its potential as a pro-apoptotic agent.

Magnetic interactions in silica coated nanoporous assemblies of CoFe2O4 nanoparticles with cubic magnetic anisotropy

Magnetic interactions in silica coated spherical nanoporous assemblies of CoFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles have been investigated by low temperature field dependent remanent magnetization (M(DCD) and M(IRM)) and magnetization relaxation measurements. The synthesis procedure leads to the formation of spherical aggregates of about 50-60 nm in diameter composed of hexagonal shaped nanocrystals with shared edges. The negative deviation from the non-interacting case in the Henkel plot indicates the predominance of dipole-dipole interactions favouring the demagnetized state, although the presence of exchange interactions in the porous system cannot be excluded. The activation volume, derived from time dependent magnetization measurements, turns out to be comparable with the particle physical volume, thus indicating, in agreement with static and dynamic irreversible magnetization measurements, that the magnetization reversal actually involves individual crystals.

Spin-glass-like freezing and enhanced magnetization in ultra-small CoFe2O4 nanoparticles

The magnetic properties of ultra-small (3 nm) CoFe(2)O(4) nanoparticles have been investigated by DC magnetization measurements as a function of temperature and magnetic field. The main features of the magnetic behaviour are blocking of non-interacting particle moments (zero-field-cooled magnetization T(max) approximately 40 K), a rapid increase of saturation magnetization (up to values higher than for the bulk material) at low T and an increase in anisotropy below 30 K due to the appearance of exchange bias. The low temperature behaviour is determined by a random freezing of surface spins. Localized spin-canting and cation distribution between the two sublattices of the spinel structure account quantitatively for the observed increase in saturation magnetization.

Agmatine prevents the Ca(2+)-dependent induction of permeability transition in rat brain mitochondria

The arginine metabolite agmatine is able to protect brain mitochondria against the drop in energy capacity by the Ca(2+)-dependent induction of permeability transition (MPT) in rat brain mitochondria. At normal levels, the amine maintains the respiratory control index and ADP/O ratio and prevents mitochondrial colloid-osmotic swelling and any electrical potential (DeltaPsi) drop. MPT is due to oxidative stress induced by the interaction of Ca(2+) with the mitochondrial membrane, leading to the production of hydrogen peroxide and, subsequently, other reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydroxyl radicals. This production of ROS induces oxidation of sulfhydryl groups, in particular those of two critical cysteines, most probably located on adenine nucleotide translocase, and also oxidation of pyridine nucleotides, resulting in transition pore opening. The protective effect of agmatine is attributable to a scavenging effect on the most toxic ROS, i.e., the hydroxyl radical, thus preventing oxidative stress and consequent bioenergetic collapse.