Inhibition of inflammatory-molecule synthesis in THP-1 cells stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate by brefelamide derivatives

In Vitro Cytotoxic Activity of Total Flavonoid from Equisetum Arvense Extract

Background

Normally happening substances like flavonoids are regarded as active candidates for the treatment and prevention of cancer The purpose of this study was to see how Iraqi E. arvense total flavonoid affected cell lines biologically and human lung fibroblast normal cell line (WISH).

Methods

Plant powder was extracted by reflex apparatus, then thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was used to determine total flavonoids. Cytotoxicity assay (MTT) was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of the prepared plant against human breast cancer (MCF-7), cells human cervix cancer (HELA), human colon cancer (Caco-2) and human lung fibroblast normal cell line (WISH).

Results

The flavonoids Rutin, Quercetin, Kaempferol, and luteolin were detected using the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) technique. In contrast to the negative control, the extract inhibited cell growth to a highest of 82.158% for MCF-7 and 61.360% for Caco-2 at the concentration (100 µg/ml), and (54.880%) for Hela cell line at the concentration (100 µg/ml). In addition, the concentration (6.25 µg/ml) of total flavonoid extract produced a decrease in the growth of the normal WISH cell line to reach (1.094%).

Conclusion

Equisetum arvense contain high amounts of flavonoids, the qualification of some flavonoids compounds was detected using TLC. The total flavonoids showed significant cytotoxic activity against various types of cancer cell lines and normal cell line in vitro, the antitumor activity was highly efficient in a dose and cell type dependent manner.

Both Full-Length and Protease-Cleaved Products of Osteopontin Are Elevated in Infectious Diseases

Circulating full-length osteopontin (FL-OPN) is elevated in plasma from patients with various infectious diseases, such as adult T-cell leukemia, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), hepatitis virus infection, leptospirosis, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), AIDS/TB, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Proteolysis of OPN by thrombin, matrix metalloproteases, caspase 8/3, cathepsin D, plasmin, and enterokinase generates various cleaved OPNs with a variety of bioactivities by binding to different target cells. Moreover, OPN is susceptible to gradual proteolysis. During inflammation, one of the cleaved fragments, N-terminal thrombin-cleaved OPN (trOPN or OPN-Arg¹⁶⁸ [OPN-R]), induces dendritic cell (DC) adhesion. Further cleavage by carboxypeptidase B2 or carboxypeptidase N removes Arg¹⁶⁸ from OPN-R to OPN-Leu¹⁶⁷ (OPN-L). Consequently, OPN-L decreases DC adhesion. In particular, the differences in plasma level over time are observed between FL-OPN and its cleaved OPNs during inflammation. We found that the undefined OPN levels (mixture of FL-OPN and cleaved OPN) were elevated in plasma and reflected the pathology of TB and COVID-19 rather than FL-OPN. These infections are associated with elevated levels of various proteases. Inhibition of the cleavage or the activities of cleaved products may improve the outcome of the therapy. Research on the metabolism of OPN is expected to create new therapies against infectious diseases.

High Levels of the Cleaved Form of Galectin-9 and Osteopontin in the Plasma Are Associated with Inflammatory Markers That Reflect the Severity of COVID-19 Pneumonia

Numbers of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have increased rapidly worldwide. Plasma levels of full-length galectin-9 (FL-Gal9) and osteopontin (FL-OPN) as well as their truncated forms (Tr-Gal9, Ud-OPN, respectively), are representative inflammatory biomarkers. Here, we measured FL-Gal9, FL-OPN, Tr-Gal9, and Ud-OPN in 94 plasma samples obtained from 23 COVID-19-infected patients with mild clinical symptoms (CV), 25 COVID-19 patients associated with pneumonia (CP), and 14 patients with bacterial infection (ID). The four proteins were significantly elevated in the CP group when compared with healthy individuals. ROC analysis between the CV and CP groups showed that C-reactive protein had the highest ability to differentiate, followed by Tr-Gal9 and ferritin. Spearman's correlation analysis showed that Tr-Gal9 and Ud-OPN but not FL-Gal9 and FL-OPN, had a significant association with laboratory markers for lung function, inflammation, coagulopathy, and kidney function in CP patients. CP patients treated with tocilizumab had reduced levels of FL-Gal9, Tr-Gal9, and Ud-OPN. It was suggested that OPN is cleaved by interleukin-6-dependent proteases. These findings suggest that the cleaved forms of OPN and galectin-9 can be used to monitor the severity of pathological inflammation and the therapeutic effects of tocilizumab in CP patients.

Photocatalyzed intermolecular amination for the synthesis of hydrazonamides

A photocatalyzed intermolecular amination strategy for the synthesis of hydrazonamides is reported by a multi-component reaction of β-ketonitriles with N,N-disubstituted hydrazines.

Elevated Levels of Galectin-9 but Not Osteopontin in HIV and Tuberculosis Infections Indicate Their Roles in Detecting MTB Infection in HIV Infected Individuals

Galectin-9 (Gal-9) and osteopontin (OPN) play immunomodulatory roles in tuberculosis and HIV infections. Evaluation of their levels as well as their interplay with different pro-inflammatory cytokines is critical to understand their role in immunopathogenesis of HIV/tuberculosis co-infection considering the complexity of the disease. Plasma levels of these proteins were measured by ELISAs in HIV-negative individuals with pulmonary (n = 21), extrapulmonary (n = 33), and latent tuberculosis (n = 22) and in HIV infected patients with pulmonary (n = 14), latent tuberculosis (n = 17), and without tuberculosis (n = 41). Levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were estimated by Luminex assay. Receiver operated characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate discriminatory roles of these proteins. Spearman's correlation analysis was performed with the markers of HIV and tuberculosis disease progression to evaluate their immunopathogenic roles. Gal-9 and OPN levels were higher in HIV uninfected patients with active tuberculosis than with latent tuberculosis. Gal-9 but not OPN levels were higher in HIV infected patients with active tuberculosis than with latent tuberculosis. Area under curve for Galectin-9 was >0.9 in HIV/tuberculosis co-infection and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. OPN and IL-6 levels were higher in patients with severe chest X-ray grade indicating its association with severity of the disease and positively correlated with each other. Stronger positive and negative correlations of Gal-9 levels, respectively, with viral loads and CD4 cell counts in HIV infected patients were observed than OPN levels indicating their association with HIV disease progression. Thus, significantly elevated Gal-9 levels were reported for the first time in HIV/tuberculosis co-infection and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in our study than single infections with HIV and tuberculosis. The study indicated a need for further evaluation of monitoring role of Gal-9 for detection of developing tuberculosis in HIV infected individuals. The findings also indicated differential roles of Gal-9 and OPN in the pathogenesis of tuberculosis and HIV infections.

Plasma Osteopontin Levels is Associated with Biochemical Markers of Kidney Injury in Patients with Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis becomes severe, with a fatality rate of >10%, and manifests as severe lung injury accompanied by acute kidney injury. Using urine and blood samples of 112 patients with leptospirosis, osteopontin (OPN), galectin-9 (Gal-9) and other kidney-related biomarkers were measured to understand the pathological and diagnostic roles of OPN and Gal-9 in leptospirosis. Plasma levels of full-length (FL)-OPN (pFL-OPN) (p < 0.0001), pFL-Gal-9(p < 0.0001) and thrombin-cleaved OPN (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in patients with leptospirosis than in healthy controls (n = 30), as were levels of several indicators of renal toxicity: serum cystatin C (p < 0.0001), urine N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG)/creatinine (p < 0.05), and urine clusterin/creatinine (p < 0.05). pFL-Gal-9 levels were negatively correlated with pFL-OPN levels (r = −0.24, p < 0.05). pFL-OPN levels were positively correlated with serum cystatin C (r = 0.41, p < 0.0001), urine NAG/creatinine (r = 0.35, p < 0.001), urine clusterin/creatinine (r = 0.33, p < 0.01), and urine cystatin C/creatinine (r = 0.33, p < 0.05) levels. In a group of patients with abnormally high creatinine levels, significantly higher levels of serum cystatin C (p < 0.0001) and pFL-OPN (p < 0.001) were observed. Our results demonstrate that pFL-OPN reflect kidney injury among patients with leptospirosis.

Two New Terpenes Isolated from Dictyostelium Cellular Slime Molds

We report a protoilludane-type sesquiterpene, mucoroidiol, and a geranylated bicyclogermacranol, firmibasiol, isolated from Dictyostelium cellular slime molds. The methanol extracts of the fruiting bodies of cellular slime molds were separated by chromatographic methods to give these compounds. Their structures have been established by several spectral means. Mucoroidiol and firmibasiol are the first examples of more modified and oxidized terpenoids isolated from cellular slime molds. Mucoroidiol showed moderate osteoclast-differentiation inhibitory activity despite demonstrating very weak cell-proliferation inhibitory activity. Therefore, cellular slime molds produce considerably diverse secondary metabolites, and they are promising sources of new natural product chemistry.