A tetranuclear oxofluorovanadium(IV) cluster encapsulating a Na(H2O)n+ subunit

Halide encapsulation by dicarboxylate oxido-vanadium cage complexes

Compounds [Bu₄N]₂[V₈O₁₆(oda)₄⊂2Cl], 1, [Bu₄N]₂[V₈O₁₆(glut)₄⊂2Cl], 2, and [Bu₄N][V₄O₈(glut)₂⊂F], 3, (oda = oxydiacetate, O(CH₂COO)₂^2-; glut = glutarate, CH₂(CH₂COO)₂^2-) were obtained by a stepwise reaction of in situ prepared [Bu₄N]VO₃ with HCl (or HF for 3) and then with the dicarboxylic acid X(CH₂COOH)₂ (X = O and CH₂), under appropriate reaction conditions. Multinuclear magnetic resonance (¹H, ¹³C{¹H}, ³⁵Cl, ¹⁹F and ⁵¹V), electrochemical studies, X-ray structural determinations (single crystal and powder), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were employed to characterise these polyoxovanadate complexes 1-3. They included encapsulated halide anions, two chloride ions in 1 and 2 and one fluoride ion in 3, where the shape and dimensions of the cage were governed by the halide size. The stabilizing template effect of the chloride ion towards the bowl-shaped [V₄O₈(OOCR)₄] fragment (i.e. the half part of 1 and 2), containing a crown-shaped {V₄O₈} subunit, or that of the fluoride ion towards the planar {V₄O₈} moiety in 3, was definitively demonstrated by DFT calculations. The HOMO composition of 1 prompted us to study the possible oxidation of the two encapsulated chloride ions toward a chlorine molecule. The electrochemical behaviors of 1-3 were thus investigated. However, the chlorine molecule in the model [V₈O₁₆(oda)₄⊂(Cl₂)], 6c, was not capable to stabilise the polyoxovanadate cage [V₈O₁₆(oda)₄], 4c, according to DFT calculations.

Knockdown of Host Antioxidant Defense Genes Enhances the Effect of Glucantime on Intracellular Leishmania braziliensis in Human Macrophages

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects millions of people worldwide and represents a major public health problem. Information on protein expression patterns and functional roles within the context of Leishmania-infected human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) under drug treatment conditions is essential for understanding the role of these cells in leishmaniasis treatment. We analyzed functional changes in the expression of human MDM genes and proteins during in vitro infection by Leishmania braziliensis and treatment with Glucantime (Sb^V), using quantitative PCR (qPCR) arrays, Western blotting, confocal microscopy, and small interfering RNA (siRNA) human gene inhibition assays. Comparison of the results from gene transcription and protein expression analyses revealed that glutathione S-transferase π1 (GSTP1), glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM), glutathione reductase (GSR), glutathione synthetase (GSS), thioredoxin (TRX), and ATP-binding cassette, subfamily B, member 5 (ABCB5), were strongly upregulated at both the mRNA and protein levels in human MDMs that were infected and treated, compared to the control group. Subcellular localization studies showed a primarily phagolysosomal location for the ABCB5 transporter, indicating that this protein may be involved in the transport of Sb^V By inducing a decrease in L. braziliensis intracellular survival in THP-1 macrophages, siRNA silencing of GSTP1, GSS, and ABCB5 resulted in an increased leishmanicidal effect of Sb^V exposure in vitro Our results suggest that human MDMs infected with L. braziliensis and treated with Sb^V express increased levels of genes participating in antioxidant defense, whereas our functional analyses provide evidence for the involvement of human MDMs in drug detoxification. Therefore, we conclude that GSS, GSTP1, and ABCB5 proteins represent potential targets for enhancing the leishmanicidal activity of Glucantime.