Angelo Liguori

The food contaminants bisphenol A and 4-nonylphenol act as agonists for estrogen receptor α in MCF7 breast cancer cells

Xenoestrogens are chemically distinct industrial products potentially able to disrupt the endocrine system by mimicking the action of endogenous steroid hormones. Among such compounds, the ubiquitous environmental contaminants bisphenol A (BPA) and 4-nonylphenol (NPH) may promote adverse effects in humans triggering estrogenic signals in target tissues. Following a research program on human exposure to endocrine disruptors, we found contamination of fresh food by BPA and NPH. More important, these contaminants were found to display estrogen-like activity using as a model system the estrogen-dependent MCF7 breast cancer cells (MCF7wt); its variant named MCF7SH, which is hormone-independent but still ERα-positive, and the steroid receptor-negative human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells. In transfection experiments BPA and NPH activated in a direct manner the endogenous ERα in MCF7 wt and MCF7SH cells, as the antiestrogen hydroxytamoxifen was able to reverse both responses. Moreover, only the hormone-binding domains of ERα and ERβ expressed by chimeric proteins in HeLa cells were sufficient to elicit the transcriptional activity upon BPA and NPH treatments. Transfecting the same cell line with ERα mutants, both contaminants triggered an estrogen-like response. These transactivation properties were interestingly supported in MCF7wt cells by the autoregulation of ERα which was assessed by RT-PCR for the mRNA evaluation and by immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry for the determination of protein levels. The ability of BPA and NPH to modulate gene expression was further confirmed by the upregulation of an estrogen target gene like pS2. As a biological counterpart, concentrations of xenoestrogens eliciting transcriptional activity were able to stimulate the proliferation of MCF7wt and MCFSH cells. Only NPH at a dose likely too high to be of any physiological relevance induced a severe cytotoxicity in an ERα-independent manner as ascertained in HeLa cells. The estrogenic effects of such industrial agents together with an increasing widespread human exposure should be taken into account for the potential influence also on hormone-dependent breast cancer disease.

Quantitative determination of fatty acid chain composition in pork meat products by high resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy

High resolution (1)H NMR spectroscopy was proposed for the determination of the fatty acid chain profile of lipids in pork meat products during ripening. Two typical Mediterranean PDO salami produced in Calabria, a region in the Southern Italy, were chosen as a case of study. Quantitative NMR analysis provided the fatty acid chain profiles of total lipid extracts. The transesterification of total lipid extracts furnished FAME mixtures that enabled quantitation of fatty acid acyl chains in the acylglycerol and FFA portions. In all cases, oleyl chains were predominant, and high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acid chains were observed. The proposed spectroscopic method allowed also the estimation of the most important nutritional parameters of dry fermented meat products.

Synthesis of 4′-aza analogues of 2′,3′-dideoxythymidine by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of nitrones to 1-N-vinyl-thymine

Abstract The title compounds have been obtained by 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of methylene nitrones, prepared in situ from suitably protected hydroxylamines, to 1- N -vinyl-thymine. The 4′- aza -2′,3′-dideoxyerythrofuranoside ( 4 ), an analogue of 2′,3′-dideoxythymidine, might exhibit antiviral activity.

Survey of the proton affinities of adenine, cytosine, thymine and uracil dideoxyribonucleosides, deoxyribonucleosides and ribonucleosides†

The kinetic method was applied to the determination of the proton affinities (PAs) of modified deoxy- and dideoxyribonucleosides. A correlation between the measured PAs and the replacement of one of the three hydroxyl groups of the ribose unit is presented. A PA scale was obtained which shows that the replacement of the primary or of one or both secondary hydroxyl groups of a ribonucleoside with a hydrogen atom induces the lowering or the enhancement of the nucleoside PA, respectively. The scale extends over a very narrow range of approximately 2 kcal mol(-1), thus demonstrating the sensitivity of the kinetic method in the evaluation of small differences in thermodynamic parameters.

Simple and efficient routes for the preparation of isoxazolidinyl nucleosides containing cytosine and 5-methyl-cytosine as new potential anti-HIV drugs

Abstract A rapid and convenient large-scale strategy for the synthesis of some new isoxazolidinyl nucleosides, as potential antiviral drugs, is reported. In particular, a multistep methodology based either on the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition approach or on a slight modification of the convertible nucleoside concept was exploited in the preparation of 4′-aza-2′,3′-dideoxynucleoside analogues containing cytosine and 5-methyl-cytosine.

A preparation of N-Fmoc-N-methyl-α-amino acids and N-nosyl-N-methyl-α-amino acids

A convenient route for the synthesis of lipophilic N-Fmoc-N-methyl-α-amino acids and N-nosyl-N-methyl-α-amino acids, interesting building blocks to be used for the preparation of N-methylated peptides, is presented. Both nosyl- and Fmoc-protected monomers are accessible, so these compounds can be used in solution as well as in solid phase peptide synthesis. The methodology is based on the use of benzhydryl group to protect temporarily the carboxyl function of N-nosyl-α-amino acids and on the subsequent methylation of the N-nosyl-α-amino acid benzhydryl esters with diazomethane. The benzhydryl esters offer several beneficial features such as simple preparation, stability to methylation and selective deprotection under mild conditions. The overall procedure is highly efficient in that the adopted conditions keep the chiral integrity of amino acid precursors and the process does not require chromatographic purification of the methylated products.

N,O-heterocyclics13;-14conversion of isoxazolidines into α,β enones☆

Abstract Substituted isoxazolidines formed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrones to alkenes undergo ring-opening elimination to α,β-enones when treated with trimethyl phosphate. The reaction involves initial alkylation giving the isoxazolidinium intermediate which collapses to the α,β-enone by a Hofmann-like elimination having an orientation controlled by electronic factors, the first step being rate-determining.

Rearrangements of regioisomeric 4-isoxazolines: the novel formation of enaminoderivatives

Abstract Regioisomeric 4-isoxazolines are formed by 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of C-benzoyl-N-phenylnitrone to electron-deficient alkynes. The 4- and 5-substituted cycloadducts react in different modes under the same conditions yielding enaminoderivatives, via a novel rearrangement process, and amines, aziridines and 1,3-oxazolines according to the substitution pattern.

Simultaneous extraction and derivatization of amino acids and free fatty acids in meat products

In meat products the contents of free amino acids and free fatty acids are two important parameters used to establish their quality. These compounds play a very important role in defining the sensorial characteristics and acceptability of meat products. An innovative procedure for the measurement of free amino acid and fatty acid contents in meat and meat derivatives was developed. A single experiment can be performed in order to determine simultaneously the free amino acid and free fatty acid profiles. The analytes of interest are rapidly extracted from the meat matrix and derivatized by using methyl chloroformate. This reagent allows the transformation of the two groups of analytes into the corresponding N-methyloxycarbonyl amino acid methyl esters and fatty acid methyl esters that can easily be extracted and sampled for their further identification and quantitation. The measurement of the obtained amino acid and fatty acid derivatives is performed by GC/MS analysis and their concentrations are calculated by using two appropriate internal standards. The main advantage of the proposed protocol is the determination at the same time of two important classes of analytes that are of great importance in food analysis and characterization. Moreover, minimal sample manipulation and preparation, and reduced total extraction times are required to obtain the response with respect to conventional procedures, in which instead the analysis of both the two classes of compounds must be performed separately. The helpfulness of the protocol was tested in the analysis of a cured meat product that is typical of the South of Italy. The optimized protocol successfully allowed the determination of thirteen free amino acids and six free fatty acids, namely those most abundant in the lipid content of the cured meat product under evaluation.

New Strategies for an Efficient Removal of the 9-Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) Protecting Group in the Peptide Synthesis

The aluminium trichloride/toluene system is investigated as a novel, unusual and straightforward reagent for the removal of the 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) protecting group in the solution peptide synthesis. This procedure avoids any undesired side reactions, such as the frequently observed inversion of the amino acid configuration.