Syntheses and antiproliferative activities of novel phosphatidylcholines containing dehydroepiandrosterone moieties

Synthesis and Pharmacological Properties of Modified A- and D-Ring in Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA): A Review

Dehydroepiandrosterone (3β-hydroxyandrost-5-en-17-one) (DHEA) is a naturally occurring steroid hormone primarily produced in the zona reticularis of the human adrenal glands. It serves as a crucial precursor for sex hormones, such as testosterone, estradiol, and androstenedione. Recent findings indicate that DHEA serves as the primary source of sex steroids in women during both pre- and postmenopausal stages. Additionally, a decline in DHEA levels with age is linked to various hormone-deficiency symptoms. Despite the wide array of biological activities that make DHEA a valuable polycyclic natural steroid, particularly for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, reports suggest that oral DHEA has limited clinical effect. Thus, A- and D-ring modified DHEA are synthesized and their biological activities are carried out by different research groups and enhanced biological activity reported in the literature. Here, in this review, we have tried to cover all of the synthetic routes and biological studies of modified A- and D-ring DHEA from 2015 to mid-2022.

Effect of Distigmasterol-Modified Acylglycerols on the Fluidity and Phase Transition of Lipid Model Membranes

Plant sterols are known for their health-promoting effects, lowering blood cholesterol levels and alleviating cardiovascular disease. In this work, we continue our research on the asymmetric acylglycerols in which fatty acid residues are replaced by two stigmasterol residues in sn-1 and sn-2 or sn-2 and sn-3 positions as new thermostable carriers of phytosterols for their potential application in foods or as components of new liposomes in the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this manuscript was to compare and analyze the effects of four distigmasterol-modified acylglycerols (dStigMAs) on the fluidity and the main phase transition temperature of the model phospholipid membrane. Their properties were determined using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), steady-state fluorimetry and attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The determination of the effect of the tested compounds on the mentioned physicochemical parameters of the model membranes will allow for the determination of their properties and stability, which is essential for their practical application. The results indicated that all compounds effect on the physicochemical properties of the model membrane. The degree of these changes depends on the structure of the compound, especially the type of linker by which stigmasterol is attached to the glycerol backbone, as well as on the type of hydrocarbon chain.

Distigmasterol-Modified Acylglycerols as New Structured Lipids-Synthesis, Identification and Cytotoxicity

Plant sterols, also referred as phytosterols, have been known as bioactive compounds which have cholesterol-lowering properties in human blood. It has been established that a diet rich in plant sterols or their esters alleviates cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and also may inhibit breast, colon and lung carcinogenesis. Phytosterols, in their free and esterified forms, are prone to thermo-oxidative degradation, where time and temperature affect the level of degradation. Looking for new derivatives of phytosterols with high thermo-oxidative stability for application in foods, our idea was to obtain novel structured acylglycerols in which two fatty acid parts are replaced by stigmasterol residues. In this work, asymmetric (1,2- and 2,3-) distigmasterol-modified acylglycerols (dStigMAs) were synthesized by the covalent attachment of stigmasterol residues to sn-1 and sn-2 or sn-2 and sn-3 positions of 3-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol or 1-oleoyl-sn-glycerol, respectively, using a succinate or carbonate linker. The chemical structures of the synthesized compounds were identified by NMR, HR-MS, and IR data. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the obtained compounds was determined. The dStigMAs possessing a carbonate linker showed potent cytotoxicity to cells isolated from the small intestine and colon epithelium and liver, whereas the opposite results were obtained for compounds containing a succinate linker.

Syntheses and cytotoxicity of phosphatidylcholines containing ibuprofen or naproxen moieties

In this study, novel phosphatidylcholines containing ibuprofen or naproxen moieties were synthesized in good yields and high purities. Under the given synthesis conditions, the attached drug moieties racemized, which resulted in the formation of phospholipid diastereomers. The comperative studies of the cytotoxicity of ibuprofen, naproxen and their phosphatidylcholine derivatives against human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60, human colon carcinoma Caco-2, and porcine epithelial intestinal IPEC-J2 cells were carried out. The results of these studies indicated that phospholipids with NSAIDs at both sn-1 and sn-2 positions (15 and 16) were more toxic than ibuprofen or naproxen themselves, whereas 2-lysophosphatidylcholines (7 and 8) were less toxic against all tested cell lines. Phospholipids with NSAIDs at sn-1 and palmitic acid at sn-2 (9 and 10) were also less toxic against Caco-2 and normal cells (IPEC-J2).

Dehydroepiandrosterone reduced lipid droplet accumulation via inhibiting cell proliferation and improving mitochondrial function in primary chicken hepatocytes

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) possesses fat-reducing effect, while little information is available on whether DHEA regulates cell proliferation and mitochondrial function, which would, in turn, affect lipid droplet accumulation in the broiler. In the present study, the lipid droplet accumulation, cell proliferation, cell cycle and mitochondrial membrane potential were analysis in primary chicken hepatocytes after DHEA treated. The results showed that total area and counts of lipid droplets were significantly decreased in hepatocytes treated with DHEA. The cell viability was significantly increased, while cell proliferation was significantly inhibited in a dose dependent manner in primary chicken hepatocytes after DHEA treated. DHEA treatment significantly increased the cell population in S phase and decreased the population in G2/M in primary chicken hepatocytes. Meanwhile, the cyclin A and cyclin-dependent kinases 2 (CDK2) mRNA abundance were significantly decreased in hepatocytes after DHEA treated. No significant differences were observed in the number of mitochondria, while the mitochondrial membrane permeability and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity were significantly increased in hepatocytes after DHEA treated. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that DHEA reduced lipid droplet accumulation by inhibiting hepatocytes proliferation and enhancing mitochondrial function in primary chicken hepatocytes.