Metronidazole affects breast cancer cell lines

Constituents of Propolis: Chrysin, Caffeic Acid, p-Coumaric Acid, and Ferulic Acid Induce PRODH/POX-Dependent Apoptosis in Human Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell (CAL-27)

Propolis evokes several therapeutic properties, including anticancer activity. These activities are attributed to the action of polyphenols. Previously it has been demonstrated, that one of the most abundant polyphenolic compounds in ethanolic extracts of propolis are chrysin, caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid. Although their pro-apoptotic activity on human tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells (CAL-27) was established previously, the detailed mechanism of this process remains unclear. Considering the crucial role of proline metabolism and proline dehydrogenase/proline oxidase (PRODH/POX) in the regulation of cancer cell survival/apoptosis, we studied these processes in polyphenol-treated CAL-27 cells. All studied polyphenols evoked anti-proliferative activity, accompanied by increased PRODH/POX, P53, active caspases-3 and -9 expressions and decreased collagen biosynthesis, prolidase activity and proline concentration in CAL-27 cells. These data suggest that polyphenols of propolis induce PRODH/POX-dependent apoptosis through up-regulation of mitochondrial proline degradation and down-regulation of proline utilization for collagen biosynthesis.

Palladium(II) complexes of OS donor N-(di(butyl/phenyl)carbamothioyl)benzamide and their antiamoebic activity

Two promising palladium(II) compounds of general formula, cis-[Pd(L-O,S)2] [where HL-O,S = N-(di(butyl/phenyl)carbamothioyl)benzamide] as metal based antiamoebic drug candidates, have been synthesized. Both complexes are characterized in the solid state by FT-IR spectroscopy, TGA and single crystal X-ray study, as well as in solution by other spectroscopic techniques such as (1)H and (13)C NMR, and UV-visible. All these studies confirm the coordination of ligands through oxygen and sulphur atoms upon thioenolization induced delocalization. Complexes adopt cis-configuration in the solid state. Both the complexes and their respective ligands were screened in vitro for antiamoebic activity against HM1:1MSS strain of Entamoeba histolytica by microdilution method and cell viability in response to drugs was checked by using MTT assay. The IC50 values in the range 0.30-0.80 μM for ligands as well as complexes compared to 1.40 for metronidazole along with their similar inhibitory effect on cell viability of HEK293 cells like metronidazole make them promising future antiamoebic drugs.

Spectral, thermal and kinetic studies of charge-transfer complexes formed between the highly effective antibiotic drug metronidazole and two types of acceptors: σ- and π-acceptors

Understanding the interaction between drugs and small inorganic or organic molecules is critical in being able to interpret the drug-receptor interactions and acting mechanism of these drugs. A combined solution and solid state study was performed to describe the complexation chemistry of drug metronidazole (MZ) which has a broad-spectrum antibacterial activity with two types of acceptors. The acceptors include, σ-acceptor (i.e., iodine) and π-acceptors (i.e., dichlorodicyanobenzoquinone (DDQ), chloranil (CHL) and picric acid (PA)). The molecular structure, spectroscopic characteristics, the binding modes as well as the thermal stability were deduced from IR, UV-vis, (1)H NMR and thermal studies. The binding ratio of complexation (MZ: acceptor) was determined to be 1:2 for the iodine acceptor and 1:1 for the DDQ, CHL or PA acceptor, according to the CHN elemental analyses and spectrophotometric titrations. It has been found that the complexation with CHL and PA acceptors increases the values of enthalpy and entropy, while the complexation with DDQ and iodine acceptors decreases the values of these parameters compared with the free MZ donor.

Effects of metronidazole on proopiomelanocortin a gene expression in zebrafish

The Metronidazole (MTZ), a widely used antibiotic for treating variations of infections, recently is applied in a powerful tool for specifically ablating cells or tissues when combined with E. coli nitroreductase (NTR). Although some undesired biological effects on eukaryote cells have been reported previously, the toxicological mechanism of MTZ has not been uncovered yet. In current study, we found that MTZ can induce proopiomelanocortin a (pomca) expression in zebrafish larvae. The effect of MTZ is in stage-sensitive and dose-dependent manner. A pro-proliferation activity of MTZ on pomca-expressing cells in the pituitary at larval stage was also observed. Furthermore, up-regulated levels of prolactin (prl) and glycoprotein hormone subunit α (gsuα) were also observed after the MTZ treatment. Therefore, utilizing our zebrafish as in vivo model, we concluded that MTZ can interfere the endocrine signals in the pituitary hormone genes expression. Our current results raised the cautions to the intensively application of MTZ in clinical practices and biomedical researches.