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Salerno L, Notaro A, Consoli V, Affranchi F, Pittalà V, Sorrenti V, Vanella L, Giuliano M, Intagliata S. Evaluation of the anticancer effects exerted by 5-fluorouracil and heme oxygenase-1 inhibitor hybrids in HTC116 colorectal cancer cells. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2024; 39:2337191. [PMID: 38634597 PMCID: PMC11028004 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2024.2337191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Colon cancer remains a clinical challenge in industrialised countries. Its treatment with 5-Flurouracil (5-FU) develops many side effects and resistance. Thus, several strategies have been undertaken so far, including the use of drug cocktails and polypharmacology. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an emerging molecular target in the treatment of various cancers. We recently demonstrated that a combination of HO-1 inhibitors with 5-FU and the corresponding hybrids SI1/17, SI1/20, and SI1/22, possessed anticancer activity against prostate and lung cancer cells. In this work, we evaluated these hybrids in a model of colon cancer and found that SI1/22 and the respective combo have greater potency than 5-FU. Particularly, compounds inhibit HO-1 activity in cell lysates, increase ROS and the expression of HO-1, SOD, and Nrf2. Moreover, we observed a decrease of pro-caspase and an increase in cleaved PARP-1 and p62, suggesting apoptotic and autophagic cell death and potential application of these drugs as anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonietta Notaro
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valeria Consoli
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Federica Affranchi
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Luca Vanella
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Michela Giuliano
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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2
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Sadeghi M, Fathi M, Gholizadeh Navashenaq J, Mohammadi H, Yousefi M, Hojjat-Farsangi M, Namdar A, Movasaghpour Akbari AA, Jadidi-Niaragh F. The prognostic and therapeutic potential of HO-1 in leukemia and MDS. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:57. [PMID: 36915102 PMCID: PMC10009952 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01074-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a heme-degrading enzyme, is proven to have anti-apoptotic effects in several malignancies. In addition, HO-1 is reported to cause chemoresistance and increase cell survival. Growing evidence indicates that HO-1 contributes to the course of hematological malignancies as well. Here, the expression pattern, prognostic value, and the effect of HO-1 targeting in HMs are discussed. MAIN BODY According to the recent literature, it was discovered that HO-1 is overexpressed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML), and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells and is associated with high-risk disease. Furthermore, in addition to HO-1 expression by leukemic and MDS cells, CML, AML, and ALL leukemic stem cells express this protein as well, making it a potential target for eliminating minimal residual disease (MRD). Moreover, it was concluded that HO-1 induces tumor progression and prevents apoptosis through various pathways. CONCLUSION HO-1 has great potential in determining the prognosis of leukemia and MDS patients. HO-1 induces resistance to several chemotherapeutic agents as well as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and following its inhibition, chemo-sensitivity increases. Moreover, the exact role of HO-1 in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is yet unknown. While findings illustrate that MDS and other leukemic patients could benefit from HO-1 targeting. Future studies can help broaden our knowledge regarding the role of HO-1 in MDS and leukemia. Video abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sadeghi
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Fathi
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Hamed Mohammadi
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Mehdi Yousefi
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | | | - Afshin Namdar
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Farhad Jadidi-Niaragh
- Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. .,Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. .,Research Center for Integrative Medicine in Aging, Aging Research Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
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Epigenetics and Metabolism Reprogramming Interplay into Glioblastoma: Novel Insights on Immunosuppressive Mechanisms. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12020220. [PMID: 36829778 PMCID: PMC9952003 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12020220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system represents a complex environment in which glioblastoma adapts skillfully, unleashing a series of mechanisms suitable for its efficient development and diffusion. In particular, changes in gene expression and mutational events that fall within the domain of epigenetics interact complexly with metabolic reprogramming and stress responses enacted in the tumor microenvironment, which in turn fuel genomic instability by providing substrates for DNA modifications. The aim of this review is to analyze this complex interaction that consolidates several conditions that confer a state of immunosuppression and immunoevasion, making glioblastoma capable of escaping attack and elimination by immune cells and therefore invincible against current therapies. The progressive knowledge of the cellular mechanisms that underlie the resistance of the glioblastoma represents, in fact, the only weapon to unmask its weak points to be exploited to plan successful therapeutic strategies.
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IGFBP-6 Alters Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Phenotype Driving Dasatinib Resistance in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:life13020259. [PMID: 36836615 PMCID: PMC9960877 DOI: 10.3390/life13020259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), BCR-ABL1-positive, is classified as a myeloproliferative characterized by Philadelphia chromosome/translocation t(9;22) and proliferating granulocytes. Despite the clinical success of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKi) agents in the treatment of CML, most patients have minimal residual disease contained in the bone marrow microenvironment, within which stromal cells assume a pro-inflammatory phenotype that determines their transformation in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) which, in turn can play a fundamental role in resistance to therapy. Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-6 (IGFBP-6) is expressed during tumor development, and is involved in immune-escape and inflammation as well, providing a potential additional target for CML therapy. Here, we aimed at investigating the role of IGFBP-6/SHH/TLR4 axis in TKi response. We used a CML cell line, LAMA84-s, and healthy bone marrow stromal cells, HS-5, in mono- or co-culture. The two cell lines were treated with Dasatinib and/or IGFBP-6, and the expression of inflammatory markers was tested by qRT-PCR; furthermore, expression of IGFBP-6, TLR4 and Gli1 were evaluated by Western blot analysis and immumocytochemistry. The results showed that both co-culture and Dasatinib exposure induce inflammation in stromal and cancer cells so that they modulate the expression of TLR4, and these effects were more marked following IGFBP-6 pre-treatment suggesting that this molecule may confer resistance through the inflammatory processes. This phenomenon was coupled with sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling. Indeed, our data also demonstrate that HS-5 treatment with PMO (an inducer of SHH) induces significant modulation of TLR4 and overexpression of IGFPB-6 suggesting that the two pathways are interconnected with each other and with the TLR-4 pathway. Finally, we demonstrated that pretreatment with IGFBP-6 and/or PMO restored LAMA-84 cell viability after treatment with Dasatinib, suggesting that both IGFBP-6 and SHH are involved in the resistance mechanisms induced by the modulation of TLR-4, thus indicating that the two pathways may be considered as potential therapeutic targets.
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Nesic de Freitas LSF, da Silva CF, Intagliata S, Amata E, Salerno L, Soeiro MDNC. In vitro and in silico analysis of imatinib analogues as anti- Trypanosoma cruzi drug candidates. Parasitology 2023; 150:1-18. [PMID: 36632017 PMCID: PMC10090470 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is a neglected tropical disease caused by the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi that remains a serious public health issue affecting more than 6 million people worldwide. The available treatment includes 2 nitro derivatives, benznidazole (BZ) and nifurtimox, that lack in efficacy in the later chronic phase and when administered against the several naturally resistant parasite strains and present several side-effects, demanding new therapeutic options. One strategy is based on repurposing by testing drugs already used for other illness that may share similar targets. In this context, our previous data on imatinib (IMB) and derivatives motivated the screening of 8 new IMB analogues. Our findings showed that all except 1 were active against bloodstream trypomastigotes reaching drug concentration capable of inducing a 50% of parasite lysis (EC50) values < 12 μ m after 2 h while BZ was inactive. After 24 h, all derivatives were more potent than BZ, exhibiting EC50 values 1.5–5.5 times lower. Against intracellular forms, 7 out of 8 derivatives presented high activity, with EC50 values ≤ BZ. LS2/89 stood out as one of the most promising, reaching EC90 values of 1.68 and 4.9 μ m on intracellular and trypomastigote forms, respectively, with the best selectivity index (>60) towards the proliferative forms. Physicochemical parameters as well as the absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity properties were predicted to be acceptable and with good chance of a favourable oral bioavailability. The promising results motivate further studies such as in vivo and combinatory assays aiming to contribute for a novel safer and effective therapy for CD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, Section of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, Section of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, Section of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Effects of Mangiferin on LPS-Induced Inflammation and SARS-CoV-2 Viral Adsorption in Human Lung Cells. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14122845. [PMID: 36559338 PMCID: PMC9788116 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing interest in natural bioactive molecules, as an approach to many pathological contexts, is widely justified by the necessity to overcome the disadvantageous benefit-risk ratio related to traditional therapies. Among them, mangiferin (MGF) shows promising beneficial properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of MGF on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung NCI-H292 cells, focusing on its role against COVID-19 adsorption. In order to obtain this information, cells treated with LPS, with or without MGF, were analyzed performing wound healing, gene expression of inflammatory cytokines, GSH quantification, and JC-1 staining. Moreover, the inhibition of viral adsorption was evaluated microbiologically and the results were further confirmed by molecular docking analysis. In this regard, MGF downregulates the expression of several inflammatory factors, enhances GSH levels, promotes the wound healing rate, and restores the mitochondrial dysfunction caused by LPS. In addition, MGF significantly inhibits SARS-CoV-2 adsorption as shown by the gene expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS-2, and furtherly confirmed by microbiological and molecular modeling evaluation. Although more investigations are still needed, all data obtained constitute a solid background, demonstrating the cytoprotective role of MGF in inflammatory mechanisms including COVID-19 infection.
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Novel Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors to Target Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27103220. [PMID: 35630697 PMCID: PMC9143943 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This paper reports on a novel series of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) potentially useful for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The newly designed and synthesized compounds are structurally related to nilotinib (NIL), a second-generation oral TKI, and to a series of imatinib (IM)-based TKIs, previously reported by our research group, these latter characterized by a hybrid structure between TKIs and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inhibitors. The enzyme HO-1 was selected as an additional target since it is overexpressed in many cases of drug resistance, including CML. The new derivatives 1a–j correctly tackle the chimeric protein BCR-ABL. Therefore, the inhibition of TK was comparable to or higher than NIL and IM for many novel compounds, while most of the new analogs showed only moderate potency against HO-1. Molecular docking studies revealed insights into the binding mode with BCR-ABL and HO-1, providing a structural explanation for the differential activity. Cytotoxicity on K562 CML cells, both NIL-sensitive and -resistant, was evaluated. Notably, some new compounds strongly reduced the viability of K562 sensitive cells.
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8
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Preliminary studies of an imidazole-based alcohol derivative for imaging of Heme oxygenase 1. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2022; 64:128674. [PMID: 35292342 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2022.128674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), thus constituting a promising target for AD drug development. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a fully translational imaging technology, which will help us understand the role of HO-1 in the progression of AD, facilitating to validate promising HO-1 inhibitors in clinical trials. To our knowledge, there is no report on PET imaging probe targeting HO-1 in animals and humans. We report herein the synthesis and characterization of a 11C-labeled imidazole-based alcohol derivative ([11C]QC-33) for imaging of HO-1 in the brain. The desired product [11C]QC-33 was afforded with a radiochemical yield of 16 ± 9% (n = 3, decay corrected). The radiochemical purity was greater than 99%, and the molar radioactivity was greater than 185 GBq/μmol. In vitro autoradiography studies indicated specific binding of [11C]QC-33 in the HO-1 rich regions, showing 75%, 75%, and 69% radioactivity binding reductions in cerebellum, brain stem, and midbrain, respectively. PET/CT scanning in C57BL/6 mice showed low brain uptake and poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration of [11C]QC-33. These results suggested that [11C]QC-33 can serve as a lead compound to advance the development of next generation PET tracer with the potential to monitor HO-1 in AD progression.
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9
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Zhang S, Pan C, Shang Q, Wang W, Hu T, Liu P, Chen S, Wang J, Fang Q. Overexpressed mitogen-and stress-activated protein kinase 1 promotes the resistance of cytarabine in acute myeloid leukemia through brahma related gene 1-mediated upregulation of heme oxygenase-1. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 917:174722. [PMID: 34953799 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance remains a major challenge in the current treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Finding specific molecules responsible for mediating drug resistance in AML contributes to the effective reversal of drug resistance. Recent studies have found that mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase 1 (MSK1) is of great significance in the occurrence and development of tumors. In the current study, MSK1 was found highly expressed in drug-resistant AML patients. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been previously validated to be associated with drug resistance in AML. Our study revealed a positive correlation between MSK1 and HO-1 in patient samples. In vitro experiments revealed that the sensitivity of AML cell lines THP-1 and U937 to cytarabine (Ara-C) significantly decreased after overexpression of MSK1. Meanwhile, downregulation of MSK1 by siRNA transfection or treatment of pharmacological inhibitor SB-747651A in AML cell lines and primary AML cells enhanced the sensitivity to Ara-C. Flow cytometry analysis showed that downregulation of MSK1 in AML cells accelerated apoptosis and arrested cell cycle progression in G0/G1 phase. However, the increased cell sensitivity induced by MSK1 downregulation was reversed by the induction of HO-1 inducer Hemin. Through further mechanism exploration, real-time PCR, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis demonstrated that brahma related gene 1 (BRG1) was involved in the regulatory effect of MSK1 on HO-1. High expression of MSK1 could promote the resistance of AML through BRG1-mediated upregulation of HO-1. Downregulation of MSK1 enhanced the sensitivity of AML cells to Ara-C. Our findings provide novel ideas for developing effective anti-AML targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China; Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Centre of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Chengyun Pan
- Department of Haematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Qin Shang
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Weili Wang
- Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Centre of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China; Department of Haematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Tianzhen Hu
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Haematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Department of Clinical Medical School, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jishi Wang
- Laboratory of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Centre of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, Guizhou, China; Department of Haematology, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guizhou, China.
| | - Qin Fang
- College of Pharmacy, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China; Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China.
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Floresta G, Fallica AN, Patamia V, Sorrenti V, Greish K, Rescifina A, Pittalà V. From Far West to East: Joining the Molecular Architecture of Imidazole-like Ligands in HO-1 Complexes. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14121289. [PMID: 34959690 PMCID: PMC8704944 DOI: 10.3390/ph14121289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
HO-1 overexpression has been reported in several cases/types of human malignancies. Unfortunately, poor clinical outcomes are reported in most of these cases, and the inhibition of HO-1 is considered a valuable and proven anticancer approach. To identify novel hit compounds suitable as HO-1 inhibitors, we report here a fragment-based approach where ligand joining experiments were used. The two most important parts of the classical structure of the HO-1 inhibitors were used as a starting point, and 1000 novel compounds were generated and then virtually evaluated by structure and ligand-based approaches. The joining experiments led us to a novel series of indole-based compounds. A synthetic pathway for eight selected molecules was designed, and the compounds were synthesized. The biological activity revealed that some molecules reach the micromolar activity, whereas molecule 4d inhibits the HO-1 with an IC50 of 1.03 μM. This study suggested that our joining approach was successful, and a novel hit compound was generated. These results are ongoing for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (A.N.F.); (V.P.); (V.S.)
- Department of Analytics, Environmental & Forensics, King’s College London, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Antonino Nicolò Fallica
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (A.N.F.); (V.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Vincenzo Patamia
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (A.N.F.); (V.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (A.N.F.); (V.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Khaled Greish
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Nanomedicine Unit, Princess Al-Jawhara Center for Molecular Medicine, College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University, Manama 329, Bahrain;
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (A.N.F.); (V.P.); (V.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (V.P.)
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; (G.F.); (A.N.F.); (V.P.); (V.S.)
- Correspondence: (A.R.); (V.P.)
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Floresta G, Fallica AN, Salerno L, Sorrenti V, Pittalà V, Rescifina A. Growing the molecular architecture of imidazole-like ligands in HO-1 complexes. Bioorg Chem 2021; 117:105428. [PMID: 34710668 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.105428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Up-regulation of HO-1 had been frequently reported in different cases and types of human malignancies. Since poor clinical outcomes are reported in these cases, this enzyme's inhibition is considered a valuable and proven anticancer approach. To identify novel HO-1 inhibitors suitable for drug development, we report a structure-guided fragment-based approach to identify new lead compounds. Different parts of the selected molecules were analyzed, and the different series of novel compounds were virtually evaluated. The growing experiments of the classical HO-1 inhibitors structure led us to different hit-compounds. A synthetic pathway for six selected molecules was designed, and the compounds were synthesized. The biological activity revealed that molecules 10 and 12 inhibit the HO-1 activity with an IC50 of 1.01 and 0.90 μM, respectively. This study suggested that our growing approach was successful, and these results are ongoing for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Antonino N Fallica
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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12
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Fallica A, Sorrenti V, D’Amico AG, Salerno L, Romeo G, Intagliata S, Consoli V, Floresta G, Rescifina A, D’Agata V, Vanella L, Pittalà V. Discovery of Novel Acetamide-Based Heme Oxygenase-1 Inhibitors with Potent In Vitro Antiproliferative Activity. J Med Chem 2021; 64:13373-13393. [PMID: 34472337 PMCID: PMC8474116 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) promotes heme catabolism exercising cytoprotective roles in normal and cancer cells. Herein, we report the design, synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation of novel HO-1 inhibitors. Specifically, an amide linker in the central spacer and an imidazole were fixed, and the hydrophobic moiety required by the pharmacophore was largely modified. In many tumors, overexpression of HO-1 correlates with poor prognosis and chemoresistance, suggesting the inhibition of HO-1 as a possible antitumor strategy. Accordingly, compounds 7i and 7l-p emerged for their potency against HO-1 and were investigated for their anticancer activity against prostate (DU145), lung (A549), and glioblastoma (U87MG, A172) cancer cells. The selected compounds showed the best activity toward U87MG cells. Compound 7l was further investigated for its in-cell enzymatic HO-1 activity, expression levels, and effects on cell invasion and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) extracellular release. The obtained data suggest that 7l can reduce cell invasivity acting through modulation of HO-1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino
N. Fallica
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Agata G. D’Amico
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Romeo
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | | | - Valeria Consoli
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Floresta
- Department
of Analytics, Environmental & Forensics, King’s College London, Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, U.K.
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Velia D’Agata
- Sections
of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological
Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Luca Vanella
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences, University
of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
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Ciaffaglione V, Modica MN, Pittalà V, Romeo G, Salerno L, Intagliata S. Mutual Prodrugs of 5-Fluorouracil: From a Classic Chemotherapeutic Agent to Novel Potential Anticancer Drugs. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:3496-3512. [PMID: 34415107 PMCID: PMC9290623 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The development of potent antitumor agents with a low toxicological profile against healthy cells is still one of the greatest challenges facing medicinal chemistry. In this context, the “mutual prodrug” approach has emerged as a potential tool to overcome undesirable physicochemical features and mitigate the side effects of approved drugs. Among broad‐spectrum chemotherapeutics available for clinical use today, 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) is one of the most representative, also included in the World Health Organization model list of essential medicines. Unfortunately, severe side effects and drug resistance phenomena are still the primary limits and drawbacks in its clinical use. This review describes the progress made over the last ten years in developing 5‐FU‐based mutual prodrugs to improve the therapeutic profile and achieve targeted delivery to cancer tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Ciaffaglione
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Maria N Modica
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Romeo
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
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14
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Fallica A, Barbaraci C, Amata E, Pasquinucci L, Turnaturi R, Dichiara M, Intagliata S, Gariboldi MB, Marras E, Orlandi VT, Ferroni C, Martini C, Rescifina A, Gentile D, Varchi G, Marrazzo A. Nitric Oxide Photo-Donor Hybrids of Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin: A Shift in Activity from Antimicrobial to Anticancer Agents. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11597-11613. [PMID: 34319100 PMCID: PMC8389907 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The potential anticancer effect of fluoroquinolone antibiotics has been recently unveiled and related to their ability to interfere with DNA topoisomerase II. We herein envisioned the design and synthesis of novel Ciprofloxacin and Norfloxacin nitric oxide (NO) photo-donor hybrids to explore the potential synergistic antitumor effect exerted by the fluoroquinolone scaffold and NO eventually produced upon light irradiation. Anticancer activity, evaluated on a panel of tumor cell lines, showed encouraging results with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. Some compounds displayed intense antiproliferative activity on triple-negative and doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cell lines, paving the way for their potential use to treat aggressive, refractory and multidrug-resistant breast cancer. No significant additive effect was observed on PC3 and DU145 cells following NO release. Conversely, antimicrobial photodynamic experiments on both Gram-negative and Gram-positive microorganisms displayed a significant killing rate in Staphylococcus aureus, accounting for their potential effectiveness as selective antimicrobial photosensitizers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino
Nicolò Fallica
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Carla Barbaraci
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Lorella Pasquinucci
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Dichiara
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Marzia Bruna Gariboldi
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Emanuela Marras
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Viviana Teresa Orlandi
- Department
of Biotechnology and Life Sciences (DBSV), University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Claudia Ferroni
- Institute
for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity − ISOF, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Cecilia Martini
- Institute
for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity − ISOF, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Greta Varchi
- Institute
for the Organic Synthesis and Photoreactivity − ISOF, Via Piero Gobetti, 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department
of Drug and Health Sciences (DSFS), University
of Catania, Viale A. Doria, 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
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15
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Salerno L, Vanella L, Sorrenti V, Consoli V, Ciaffaglione V, Fallica AN, Canale V, Zajdel P, Pignatello R, Intagliata S. Novel mutual prodrug of 5-fluorouracil and heme oxygenase-1 inhibitor (5-FU/HO-1 hybrid): design and preliminary in vitro evaluation. J Enzyme Inhib Med Chem 2021; 36:1378-1386. [PMID: 34167427 PMCID: PMC8231349 DOI: 10.1080/14756366.2021.1928111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, the first mutual prodrug of 5-fluorouracil and heme oxygenase1 inhibitor (5-FU/HO-1 hybrid) has been designed, synthesised, and evaluated for its in vitro chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis stability. Predicted in silico physicochemical properties of the newly synthesised hybrid (3) demonstrated a drug-like profile with suitable Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion (ADME) properties and low toxic liabilities. Preliminary cytotoxicity evaluation towards human prostate (DU145) and lung (A549) cancer cell lines demonstrated that 3 exerted a similar effect on cell viability to that produced by the reference drug 5-FU. Among the two tested cancer cell lines, the A549 cells were more susceptible for 3. Of note, hybrid 3 also had a significantly lower cytotoxic effect on healthy human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) than 5-FU. Altogether our results served as an initial proof-of-concept to develop 5-FU/HO-1 mutual prodrugs as potential novel anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Luca Vanella
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Consoli
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Antonino N Fallica
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Vittorio Canale
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Paweł Zajdel
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland
| | - Rosario Pignatello
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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16
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Aita S, Badavath VN, Gundluru M, Sudileti M, Nemallapudi BR, Gundala S, Zyryanov GV, Chamarti NR, Cirandur SR. Novel α-Aminophosphonates of imatinib Intermediate: Synthesis, anticancer Activity, human Abl tyrosine kinase Inhibition, ADME and toxicity prediction. Bioorg Chem 2021; 109:104718. [PMID: 33618257 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2021.104718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
An efficient method for the synthesis of a new class of α-aminophosphonates of imatinib derivative has been developed in one-pot Kabachnik-Fields reaction of N-(5-amino-2-methyl phenyl)-4-(3-pyridyl)-2-pyrimidine amine with various aldehydes and diethyl phosphite under microwave irradiation and neat conditions using NiO nanoparticles as an reusable and heterogeneous catalyst, with 96% yield at 450 W within 15 min. All the compounds were evaluated for their in vitro cytotoxicity with various cancer cell lines by MTT assay method. Compounds with halo (4f, -4Br, IC50 = 1.068 ± 0.88 µM to 2.033 ± 0.97 µM), nitro substitution (4 h, -3NO2, IC50 = 1.380 ± 0.94 µM to 2.213 ± 0.64 µM), (4 g, -4NO2, IC50 = 1.402 ± 0.79 µM to 2.335 ± 0.73 µM) and (4i, 4-Cl, 3-NO2, IC50 = 1.437 ± 0.92 µM to 2.558 ± 0.76 µM) were showed better anticancer activity when compared with standard drugs Doxorubicin and Imatinib using MTT assay method. Further in silico target hunting reveals the anticancer activity of the designed compounds by inhibiting human ABL tyrosine kinase and all the designed compounds have shown significant drug-like characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saikiran Aita
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517 502, A.P., India.
| | - Vishnu Nayak Badavath
- Institute for Drug Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112001, Israel.
| | - Mohan Gundluru
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517 502, A.P., India; DST-PURSE Centre, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati-517502, A.P., India.
| | - Murali Sudileti
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517 502, A.P., India.
| | | | - Sravya Gundala
- Chemical Engineering Institute, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation.
| | - Grigoriy Vasilievich Zyryanov
- Chemical Engineering Institute, Ural Federal University, Yekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation; Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, I. Ya. Postovskiy Institute of Organic Synthesis, 22 S. Kovalevskoy Street, Yekaterinburg 620219, Russian Federation.
| | - Naga Raju Chamarti
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517 502, A.P., India.
| | - Suresh Reddy Cirandur
- Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati 517 502, A.P., India.
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17
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Intagliata S, Spadaro A, Lorenti M, Panico A, Siciliano EA, Barbagallo S, Macaluso B, Kamble SH, Modica MN, Montenegro L. In Vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Glycation Activity of Resveratrol and Its Novel Triester with Trolox. Antioxidants (Basel) 2020; 10:antiox10010012. [PMID: 33374280 PMCID: PMC7823449 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Resveratrol (RSV) is well known for its many beneficial activities, but its unfavorable physicochemical properties impair its effectiveness after systemic and topical administration; thus, several strategies have been investigated to improve RSV efficacy. With this aim, in this work, we synthesized a novel RSV triester with trolox, an analogue of vitamin E with strong antioxidant activity. The new RSV derivative (RSVTR) was assayed in vitro to evaluate its antioxidant and anti-glycation activity compared to RSV. RSVTR chemical stability was assessed at pH 2.0, 6.8, and 7.2 and different storage temperatures (5 °C, 22 °C, and 37 °C). An influence of pH stronger than that of temperature on RSVTR half-life values was pointed out, and RSVTR greatest stability was observed at pH 7.2 and 5 °C. RSVTR showed a lower antioxidant ability compared to RSV (determined by the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay) while its anti-glycation activity (evaluated using the Maillard reaction) was significantly greater than that of RSV. The improved ability to inhibit the glycation process was attributed to a better interaction of RSVTR with albumin owing to its increased topological polar surface area value and H-bond acceptor number compared to RSV. Therefore, RSVTR could be regarded as a promising anti-glycation agent worthy of further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Angelo Spadaro
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Miriam Lorenti
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Annamaria Panico
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Edy A. Siciliano
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Sabrina Barbagallo
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Benito Macaluso
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
| | - Shyam H. Kamble
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA;
| | - Maria N. Modica
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.N.M.); (L.M.); Tel.: +39-095-738-6061 (M.N.M.); +39-095-738-4010 (L.M.)
| | - Lucia Montenegro
- Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy; (S.I.); (A.S.); (M.L.); (A.P.); (E.A.S.); (S.B.); (B.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.N.M.); (L.M.); Tel.: +39-095-738-6061 (M.N.M.); +39-095-738-4010 (L.M.)
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18
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Novel Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) Inducers Based on Dimethyl Fumarate Structure. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249541. [PMID: 33333908 PMCID: PMC7765375 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inducers based on dimethyl fumarate (DMF) structure are reported in this paper. These compounds are obtained by modification of the DMF backbone. Particularly, maintaining the α, β-unsaturated dicarbonyl function as the central chain crucial for HO-1 induction, different substituted or unsubstituted phenyl rings are introduced by means of an ester or amide linkage. Symmetric and asymmetric derivatives are synthesized. All compounds are tested on a human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 to assay their capacity for modifying HO-1 expression. Compounds 1b, 1l and 1m stand out for their potency as HO-1 inducers, being 2–3 fold more active than DMF, and for their ability to reverse reactive oxygen species (ROS) production mediated using palmitic acid (PA). These properties, coupled with a low toxicity toward LX-2 cell lines, make these compounds potentially useful for treatment of diseases in which HO-1 overexpression may counteract inflammation, such as hepatic fibrosis. Docking studies show a correlation between predicted binding free energy and experimental HO-1 expression data. These preliminary results may support the development of new approaches in the management of liver fibrosis.
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19
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Identification of a potent heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2) inhibitor by targeting the secondary hydrophobic pocket of the HO-2 western region. Bioorg Chem 2020; 104:104310. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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20
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Ianni F, Carotti A, Intagliata S, Macchiarulo A, Chankvetadze B, Pittalà V, Sardella R. Laboratory-Scale Semipreparative Enantioresolution of Phenylethanolic-Azole Heme Oxygenase-1 Inhibitors. Chromatographia 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10337-020-03972-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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21
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Heme Oxygenase-1 in Central Nervous System Malignancies. J Clin Med 2020; 9:jcm9051562. [PMID: 32455831 PMCID: PMC7290325 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9051562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Central nervous system tumors are the most common pediatric solid tumors and account for 20–25% of all childhood malignancies. Several lines of evidence suggest that brain tumors show altered redox homeostasis that triggers the activation of various survival pathways, leading to disease progression and chemoresistance. Among these pathways, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) plays an important role. HO-1 catalyzes the enzymatic degradation of heme with the simultaneous release of carbon monoxide (CO), ferrous iron (Fe2+), and biliverdin. The biological effects of HO-1 in tumor cells have been shown to be cell-specific since, in some tumors, its upregulation promotes cell cycle arrest and cellular death, whereas, in other neoplasms, it is associated with tumor survival and progression. This review focuses on the role of HO-1 in central nervous system malignancies and the possibility of exploiting such a target to improve the outcome of well-established therapeutic regimens. Finally, several studies show that HO-1 overexpression is involved in the development and resistance of brain tumors to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, suggesting the use of HO-1 as an innovative therapeutic target to overcome drug resistance. The following keywords were used to search the literature related to this topic: nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2, heme oxygenase, neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, meningioma, astrocytoma, oligodendroglioma, glioblastoma multiforme, and gliomas.
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22
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Floresta G, Carotti A, Ianni F, Sorrenti V, Intagliata S, Rescifina A, Salerno L, Di Michele A, Sardella R, Pittalà V. Chromatograpic resolution of phenylethanolic-azole racemic compounds highlighted stereoselective inhibition of heme oxygenase-1 by (R)-enantiomers. Bioorg Chem 2020; 99:103777. [PMID: 32222619 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.103777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) has been recognized as extensively involved in the development and aggravation of cancer, cell propagation and at in the mechanism of chemoresistance development. Low micromolar HO-1 inhibitors selective towards HO-2 has been recently reported, wherein the azole core and the hydrophobic residues are linked through a phenylethanolic spacer bearing a chiral center. Since less information are known about the stereoselective requirements for HO-1 inhibition, here we report the enantiomeric resolution of 1-(biphenyl-3-yl)-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanol (1) and 1-[4-[(4-bromobenzyl)oxy]phenyl]-2-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)ethanol (2), two among the most potent and selective HO-1 inhibitors known thus far when tested as racemates. The absolute configuration was established for 1 by a combination of experimental and in silico derived electronic circular dichroism spectra, while docking approaches were useful in the case of compound 2. Biological evaluation of pure enantiomers highlighted higher HO-1 inhibitory activity of (R)-enantiomers. Docking studies demonstrated the importance of hydrogen bond interaction, more pronounced for the (R)-enantiomers, with a consensus water molecule within the binding pocket. The present study demonstrates that differences in three-dimensional structure amongst compounds 1 and 2 enantiomers affect significantly the selectivity of these HO-1 inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Andrea Carotti
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Fabretti 48, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Federica Ianni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Fabretti 48, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale di ricerca in Metodologie e Processi Innovativi di Sintesi (C.I.N.M.P.S.), Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Alessandro Di Michele
- Department of Physics and Geology, University of Perugia, Via Pascoli 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy
| | - Roccaldo Sardella
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Fabretti 48, 06123 Perugia, Italy.
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy.
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23
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New Arylethanolimidazole Derivatives as HO-1 Inhibitors with Cytotoxicity against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21061923. [PMID: 32168943 PMCID: PMC7139504 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21061923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In this paper, a novel series of imidazole-based heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) inhibitors is reported. These compounds were obtained by modifications of previously described high potent and selective arylethanolimidazoles. In particular, simplification of the central linker and repositioning of the hydrophobic portion were carried out. Results indicate that a hydroxyl group in the central region is crucial for the potency as well as the spatial distribution of the hydrophobic portion. Docking studies revealed a similar interaction of the classical HO-1 inhibitors with the active site of the protein. The most potent and selective compound (5a) was tested for its potential cytotoxic activity against hormone-sensitive and hormone-resistant breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231).
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24
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Non-competitive heme oxygenase-1 activity inhibitor reduces non-small cell lung cancer glutathione content and regulates cell proliferation. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:1949-1964. [PMID: 32056044 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05292-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the leading cause of cancer-related death mainly due to its high metastatic rate. Impairment of redox homeostasis mechanisms has been previously described in NSCLC and is associated with the disease itself as well as with comorbidities such as smoking. The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of selective and non-competitive inhibition of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) on cancer redox homeostasis with particular regards to glutathione (GSH) metabolism related enzymes. NSCLC cell line (A549) was treated with the HO-1 activity inhibitor VP13/47 (10 µM) and we further evaluated cell viability, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Our results showed that VP13/47 significantly reduced HO-1 expression and total HO activity thus, resulting in a significant reduction of cell viability, proliferation and increased apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Consistently with increased oxidative stress, we also showed that reduced GSH was significantly decreased and such effect was also accompanied by a significant downregulation of the enzymes involved in its biosynthesis. Taken all together our results show that selective HO-1 inhibition significantly impairs NSCLC progression and may represent a possible pharmacological strategy for new chemotherapy agents.
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25
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Floresta G, Patamia V, Gentile D, Molteni F, Santamato A, Rescifina A, Vecchio M. Repurposing of FDA-Approved Drugs for Treating Iatrogenic Botulism: A Paired 3D-QSAR/Docking Approach †. ChemMedChem 2019; 15:256-262. [PMID: 31774239 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) is widely used for the treatment of spasticity, focal dystonia, chronic migraine, facial hemispasm, and facial aesthetic treatments. Generally, treatment with botulinum toxin is a safe procedure when conducted by clinicians with expertise, and local side effects are rare and transient. However, occasionally adverse effects can occur due to the spread of the drug to nontargeted muscles and organs, producing dry mouth, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms, up to signs of systemic botulism, which appears to be more frequent in children treated for spasticity than in adults. In silico 3D-QSAR and molecular docking studies were performed to build a structure-based model on selected potent known botulinum neurotoxin type A inhibitors; this was used to screen the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) database. Thirty molecules were identified as possible light-chain BoNT/A inhibitors. In this study, we applied a well-established ligand- and structure-based methodology for the identification of hit compounds among a database of FDA-approved drugs. The identification of budesonide, protirelin, and ciclesonide followed by other compounds can be considered a starting point for investigations of selected compounds that could bypass much of the time and costs involved in the drug approval process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Patamia
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Franco Molteni
- Villa Beretta Rehabilitation Center, Valduce Hospital, 23845, Costa Masnaga, Lecco, Italy
| | - Andrea Santamato
- Spasticity and Movement Disorders "ReSTaRt" Unit, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Section, OORR Hospital, University of Foggia, 71122, Foggia, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125, Catania, Italy.,Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale di ricerca in Metodologie e Processi Innovativi di Sintesi (C.I.N.M.P.S.), Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | - Michele Vecchio
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Catania, Via S. Sofia 67, 95123, Catania, Italy
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Romeo G, Salerno L, Pittalà V, Candido M, Intagliata S, Amata E, Salmona M, Cagnotto A, Rescifina A, Floresta G, Modica MN. [1]Benzothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine derivatives as ligands for the serotonergic 5-HT7 receptor. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 183:111690. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Carota G, Raffaele M, Sorrenti V, Salerno L, Pittalà V, Intagliata S. Ginseng and heme oxygenase-1: The link between an old herb and a new protective system. Fitoterapia 2019; 139:104370. [PMID: 31629872 DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2019.104370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ginseng is an ancient herb, belonging to Asian traditional medicine, that has been considered as a restorative to enhance vitality for centuries. It has been demonstrated that the antioxidant action of ginseng may be mediated through activation of different cellular signaling pathways involving the heme oxygenase (HO) system. Several compounds derived from ginseng have been studied for their potential role in brain, heart and liver protection, and the Nrf2 pathway seems to be the most affected by these natural molecules to exert this effect. Ginseng is also popularly used in cancer patients therapy for the demonstrated capability to defend tissues from chemotherapy-induced damage. Reported results suggest that the effect of ginseng is primarily associated with ROS scavenging, mainly exerted through the activation of Nrf2 pathway, and the consequent induction of HO-1 levels. This review aims to discuss the connection between the antioxidant properties of ginseng and the activation of the HO system, as well as to outline novel therapeutic applications of this medicinal plant to human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Carota
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Marco Raffaele
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug Science, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug Science, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Intagliata
- Department of Drug Science, Medicinal Chemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
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Heme Oxygenase-2 (HO-2) as a therapeutic target: Activators and inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 183:111703. [PMID: 31550661 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Heme oxygenase (HO) enzymes are involved in heme catabolism and several physiological functions. Among the different HO isoforms, HO-2 stands out for its neuroprotective properties and modulatory activity in male reproduction. However, unlike the HO-1 ligands, the potential therapeutic applications of HO-2 inhibitors/activators have not been extensively explored yet. Moreover, the physiological role of HO-2 is still unclear, mostly due to the lack of highly selective HO-2 chemical probes. To boost the interest on this intriguing target, the present review updates the knowledge on the structure-activity relationships of HO-2 inhibitors and activators, as well as their potential therapeutic applications. To the best of our knowledge, among HO-2 inhibitors, clemizole derivatives are the most selective HO-2 inhibitors reported so far (IC50 HO-1 >100 μM, IC50 HO-2 = 3.4 μM), while the HO-2 nonselective inhibitors described herein possess IC50 HO-2 values ≤ 10 μM. Furthermore, the development of HO-2 activators, such as menadione analogues, helped to understand the critical moieties required for HO-2 activation. Recent advances in the potential therapeutic applications of HO-2 inhibitors/activators cover the fields of neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, inflammatory, and reproductive diseases further stimulating the interest towards this target.
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29
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Intagliata S, Modica MN, Santagati LM, Montenegro L. Strategies to Improve Resveratrol Systemic and Topical Bioavailability: An Update. Antioxidants (Basel) 2019; 8:E244. [PMID: 31349656 PMCID: PMC6719186 DOI: 10.3390/antiox8080244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a great deal of attention has been paid to natural compounds due to their many biological effects. Polyphenols are a class of plant derivatives that have been widely investigated for preventing and treating many oxidative stress-related pathological conditions, such as neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes mellitus and inflammation. Among these polyphenols, resveratrol (RSV) has attracted considerable interest owing to its high antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities. However, the poor water solubility and rapid metabolism of RSV lead to low bioavailability, thus limiting its clinical efficacy. After discussing the main biochemical mechanisms involved in RSV biological activities, this review will focus on the strategies attempted to improve RSV effectiveness, both for systemic and for topical administration. In particular, technological approaches involving RSV incorporation into different delivery systems such as liposomes, polymeric and lipid nanoparticles, microemulsions and cyclodextrins will be illustrated, highlighting their potential clinical applications. In addition, chemical modifications of this antioxidant aimed at improving its physicochemical properties will be described along with the results of in vitro and in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria N Modica
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Montenegro
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
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30
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Raffaele M, Pittalà V, Zingales V, Barbagallo I, Salerno L, Li Volti G, Romeo G, Carota G, Sorrenti V, Vanella L. Heme Oxygenase-1 Inhibition Sensitizes Human Prostate Cancer Cells towards Glucose Deprivation and Metformin-Mediated Cell Death. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20102593. [PMID: 31137785 PMCID: PMC6566853 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20102593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
High levels of heme oxygenase (HO)-1 have been frequently reported in different human cancers, playing a major role in drug resistance and regulation of cancer cell redox homeostasis. Metformin (MET), a drug widely used for type 2 diabetes, has recently gained interest for treating several cancers. Recent studies indicated that the anti-proliferative effects of metformin in cancer cells are highly dependent on glucose concentration. The present work was directed to determine whether use of a specific inhibitor of HO-1 activity, alone or in combination with metformin, affected metastatic prostate cancer cell viability under different concentrations of glucose. MTT assay and the xCELLigence system were used to evaluate cell viability and cell proliferation in DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species were analyzed by flow cytometry. The activity of HO-1 was inhibited using a selective imidazole-based inhibitor; genes associated with antioxidant systems and cell death were evaluated by qRT-PCR. Our study demonstrates that metformin suppressed prostate cancer growth in vitro and increased oxidative stress. Disrupting the antioxidant HO-1 activity, especially under low glucose concentration, could be an attractive approach to potentiate metformin antineoplastic effects and could provide a biochemical basis for developing HO-1-targeting drugs against solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Raffaele
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug Science, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Veronica Zingales
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Ignazio Barbagallo
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug Science, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Li Volti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Romeo
- Department of Drug Science, Pharmaceutical Chemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Carota
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Valeria Sorrenti
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Luca Vanella
- Department of Drug Science, Biochemistry Section, University of Catania, 95125 Catania, Italy.
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31
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Meleddu R, Petrikaite V, Distinto S, Arridu A, Angius R, Serusi L, Škarnulytė L, Endriulaitytė U, Paškevičiu̅tė M, Cottiglia F, Gaspari M, Taverna D, Deplano S, Fois B, Maccioni E. Investigating the Anticancer Activity of Isatin/Dihydropyrazole Hybrids. ACS Med Chem Lett 2019; 10:571-576. [PMID: 30996798 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.8b00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of isatin-dihydropyrazole hybrids have been synthesized in order to assess their potential as anticancer agents. In particular, 12 compounds were evaluated for their antiproliferative activity toward A549, IGR39, U87, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7, BT474, BxPC-3, SKOV-3, and H1299 cell lines, and human foreskin fibroblasts. Four compounds exhibited interesting antiproliferative activity and were further examined to determine their EC50 values toward a panel of selected tumor cell lines. The best compounds were then investigated for their induced mechanism of cell death. Preliminary structure-activity relationship indicates that the presence of a substituent such as a chlorine atom or a methyl moiety in position 5 of the isatin nucleus is beneficial for the antitumor activity. EMAC4001 proved the most promising compound within the studied series with EC50 values ranging from 0.01 to 0.38 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Meleddu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Vilma Petrikaite
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50162 Kaunas, Lithuania
- Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Simona Distinto
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Antonella Arridu
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Rossella Angius
- Laboratorio NMR e Tecnologie Bioanalitiche, Sardegna Ricerche, Pula, 09010 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Serusi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Laura Škarnulytė
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50162 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Ugnė Endriulaitytė
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50162 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Miglė Paškevičiu̅tė
- Department of Drug Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 50162 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Filippo Cottiglia
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Marco Gaspari
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Domenico Taverna
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, “Magna Græcia” University of Catanzaro, Viale Europa, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Serenella Deplano
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Benedetta Fois
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Elias Maccioni
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Via Ospedale 72, 09124 Cagliari, Italy
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Floresta G, Amata E, Gentile D, Romeo G, Marrazzo A, Pittalà V, Salerno L, Rescifina A. Fourfold Filtered Statistical/Computational Approach for the Identification of Imidazole Compounds as HO-1 Inhibitors from Natural Products. Mar Drugs 2019; 17:md17020113. [PMID: 30759842 PMCID: PMC6409521 DOI: 10.3390/md17020113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over-regulation of Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) has been recently identified in many types of human cancer, and in these cases, poor clinical outcomes are normally reported. Indeed, the inhibition of HO-1 is being considered as an anticancer approach. Imidazole scaffold is normally present in most of the classical HO-1 inhibitors and seems indispensable to the inhibitory activity due to its strong interaction with the Fe(II) of the heme group. In this paper, we searched for new potentially HO-1 inhibitors among three different databases: Marine Natural Products (MNP), ZINC Natural Products (ZNP) and Super Natural II (SN2). 484,527 compounds were retrieved from the databases and filtered through four statistical/computational filters (2D descriptors, 2D-QSAR pharmacophoric model, 3D-QSAR pharmacophoric model, and docking). Different imidazole-based compounds were suggested by our methodology to be potentially active in inhibiting the HO-1, and the results have been rationalized by the bioactivity of the filtered molecules reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Emanuele Amata
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Romeo
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Agostino Marrazzo
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125 Catania, Italy.
- Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale di ricerca in Metodologie e Processi Innovativi di Sintesi (C.I.N.M.P.S.), Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125 Bari, Italy.
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Salerno L, Floresta G, Ciaffaglione V, Gentile D, Margani F, Turnaturi R, Rescifina A, Pittalà V. Progress in the development of selective heme oxygenase-1 inhibitors and their potential therapeutic application. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 167:439-453. [PMID: 30784878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Heme oxygenases (HOs) are a family of enzymes involved in the selective catabolism of free circulating heme. While HO-2 is constitutively expressed, HO-1 is strongly overexpressed under stressful stimuli (e.g., oxidative stress). Under these conditions, HO-1 exerts its strong cytoprotective activities and plays a crucial role in stimulating cell survival by removing the pro-oxidant heme and by producing carbon monoxide and biliverdin (promptly reduced to bilirubin). Unfortunately, the broad spectrum of HO-1 cytoprotective effects has been well experimentally documented both in normal and tumor cells, where the enzyme can be overexpressed, making it an exciting target in the management of some type of tumors. Development of non-competitive HO-1 inhibitors dates back in 2002 with the discovery of Azalanstat. Since then, many efforts have been devoted to the identification of selective HO-1 and HO-2 inhibitors and to unravel the molecular determinants responsible for selectivity. Molecular modeling studies supported the identification of chemical features involved in the recognition and inhibition of these enzymes. Herein, medicinal chemistry aspects and in silico studies related to the development of HO inhibitors will be discussed. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent advances in the development of new selective HO-1 and HO-2 inhibitors and covers the last six years (2013-2018).
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Salerno
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Valeria Ciaffaglione
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Davide Gentile
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy; Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Fatima Margani
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Rescifina
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy; Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale di ricerca in Metodologie e Processi Innovativi di Sintesi (C.I.N.M.P.S.), Via E. Orabona, 4, Bari, 70125, Italy.
| | - Valeria Pittalà
- Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, V.le A. Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
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Synthesis of hybrid molecules containing pyrimidine and diterpene alkaloid lappaconitine fragments. Chem Heterocycl Compd (N Y) 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10593-019-02404-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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A Dual Role of Heme Oxygenase-1 in Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 20:ijms20010039. [PMID: 30583467 PMCID: PMC6337503 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20010039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 is known to metabolize heme into biliverdin/bilirubin, carbon monoxide, and ferrous iron, and it has been suggested to demonstrate cytoprotective effects against various stress-related conditions. HO-1 is commonly regarded as a survival molecule, exerting an important role in cancer progression and its inhibition is considered beneficial in a number of cancers. However, increasing studies have shown a dark side of HO-1, in which HO-1 acts as a critical mediator in ferroptosis induction and plays a causative factor for the progression of several diseases. Ferroptosis is a newly identified iron- and lipid peroxidation-dependent cell death. The critical role of HO-1 in heme metabolism makes it an important candidate to mediate protective or detrimental effects via ferroptosis induction. This review summarizes the current understanding on the regulatory mechanisms of HO-1 in ferroptosis. The amount of cellular iron and reactive oxygen species (ROS) is the determinative momentum for the role of HO-1, in which excessive cellular iron and ROS tend to enforce HO-1 from a protective role to a perpetrator. Despite the dark side that is related to cell death, there is a prospective application of HO-1 to mediate ferroptosis for cancer therapy as a chemotherapeutic strategy against tumors.
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