Łukasz Uram

Different patterns of nuclear and mitochondrial penetration by the G3 PAMAM dendrimer and its biotin–pyridoxal bioconjugate BC-PAMAM in normal and cancer cells in vitro

The intracellular localization and colocalization of a fluorescently labeled G3 amine-terminated cationic polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer and its biotin–pyridoxal (BC-PAMAM) bioconjugate were investigated in a concentration-dependent manner in normal human fibroblast (BJ) and squamous epithelial carcinoma (SCC-15) cell lines. After 24 hours treatment, both cell lines revealed different patterns of intracellular dendrimer accumulation depending on their cytotoxic effects. Cancer cells exhibited much higher (20-fold) tolerance for native PAMAM treatment than fibroblasts, whereas BC-PAMAM was significantly toxic only for fibroblasts at 50 µM concentration. Fibroblasts accumulated the native and bioconjugated dendrimers in a concentration-dependent manner at nontoxic range of concentration, with significantly lower bioconjugate loading. After reaching the cytotoxicity level, fluorescein isothiocyanate-PAMAM accumulation remains at high, comparable level. In cancer cells, native PAMAM loading at higher, but not cytotoxic concentrations, was kept at constant level with a sharp increase at toxic concentration. Mander’s coefficient calculated for fibroblasts and cancer cells confirmed more efficient native PAMAM penetration as compared to BC-PAMAM. Significant differences in nuclear dendrimer penetration were observed for both cell lines. In cancer cells, PAMAM signals amounted to ~25%–35% of the total nuclei area at all investigated concentrations, with lower level (15%–25%) observed for BC-PAMAM. In fibroblasts, the dendrimer nuclear signal amounted to 15% at nontoxic and up to 70% at toxic concentrations, whereas BC-PAMAM remained at a lower concentration-dependent level (0.3%–20%). Mitochondrial localization of PAMAM and BC-PAMAM revealed similar patterns in both cell lines, depending on the extracellular dendrimer concentration, and presented significantly lower signals from BC-PAMAM, which correlated well with the cytotoxicity.

In vitro cytotoxicity of the ternary PAMAM G3–pyridoxal–biotin bioconjugate

A third-generation polyamidoamine dendrimer (PAMAM G3) was used as a macromolecular carrier for pyridoxal and biotin. The binary covalent bioconjugate of G3, with nine molecules of biotin per one molecule of G3 (G39B), and the ternary covalent bioconjugate of G3, with nine biotin and ten pyridoxal molecules (G39B10P), were synthesized. The biotin and pyridoxal residues of the bioconjugate were available for carboxylase and transaminase enzymes, as demonstrated in the conversion of pyruvate to oxaloacetate and alanine to pyruvate, respectively, by in vitro monitoring of the reactions, using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The toxicity of the ternary bioconjugate (BC-PAMAM) was studied in vitro on BJ human normal skin fibroblasts and human squamous cell carcinoma (SCC-15) cell cultures in comparison with PAMAM G3, using three cytotoxicity assays (XTT, neutral red, and crystal violet) and an estimation of apoptosis by confocal microscopy detection. The tests have shown that BC-PAMAM has significantly lower cytotoxicity compared with PAMAM. Nonconjugated PAMAM was not cytotoxic at concentrations up to 5 μM (NR) and 10 μM (XTT), and BC-PAMAM was not cytotoxic up to 50 μM (both assays) for both cell lines. It has been also found that normal fibroblasts were more sensitive than SCC to both PAMAM and BC-PAMAM. The effect of PAMAM and BC-PAMAM on the initiation of apoptosis (PAMAM in fibroblasts at 5 μM and BC-PAMAM at 10 μM in both cell lines) corresponded with cytotoxicity assays for both cell lines. We concluded that normal fibroblasts are more sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of the PAMAM G3 dendrimer and that modification of its surface cationic groups by substitution with biologically active molecules significantly decreases that effect, confirming that PAMAM G3 is a useful candidate as a carrier for active biocompound delivery.

Biological activity of N(4)-boronated derivatives of 2′-deoxycytidine, potential agents for boron-neutron capture therapy

Boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a binary anticancer therapy that requires boron compound for nuclear reaction during which high energy alpha particles and lithium nuclei are formed. Unnatural, boron-containing nucleoside with hydrophobic pinacol moiety was investigated as a potential BNCT boron delivery agent. Biological properties of this compound are presented for the first time and prove that boron nucleoside has low cytotoxicity and that observed apoptotic effects suggest alteration of important functions of cancer cells. Mass spectrometry analysis of DNA from cancer cells proved that boron nucleoside is inserted into nucleic acids as a functional nucleotide derivative. NMR studies present very high degree of similarity of natural dG-dC base pair with dG-boron nucleoside system.

In Vitro Effect of 8-Prenylnaringenin and Naringenin on Fibroblasts and Glioblastoma Cells-Cellular Accumulation and Cytotoxicity

Gliomas are one of the most aggressive and treatment-resistant types of human brain cancer. Identification and evaluation of anticancer properties of compounds found in plants, such as naringenin (N) and 8-prenylnaringenin (8PN), are among the most promising applications in glioma therapy. The prenyl group seems to be crucial to the anticancer activity of flavones, since it may lead to enhanced cell membrane targeting and thus increased intracellular activity. It should be noted that 8PN content in hop cones is 10 to 100 times lower compared to other flavonoids, such as xanthohumol. In the study presented, we used a simple method for the synthesis of 8PN from isoxanthohumol—O-demethylation, with a high yield of 97%. Cellular accumulation and cytotoxicity of naringenin and 8-prenylnaringenin in normal (BJ) and cancer cells (U-118 MG) was also examined. Obtained data indicated that 8-prenylnaringenin exhibited higher cytotoxicity against used cell lines than naringenin, and the effect of both flavones was stronger in U-118 MG cells than in normal fibroblasts. The anticancer properties of 8PN correlated with its significantly greater (37%) accumulation in glioblastoma cells than in normal fibroblasts. Additionally, naringenin demonstrated higher selectivity for glioblastoma cells, as it was over six times more toxic for cancer than normal cells. Our results provide evidence that examined prenylated and non-prenylated flavanones have different biological activities against normal and cancer cell lines, and this property may be useful in designing new anticancer drugs for glioblastoma therapy.

The effect of G3 PAMAM dendrimer conjugated with B-group vitamins on cell morphology, motility and ATP level in normal and cancer cells

&NA; In a search for the safe vitamin carrier the PAMAM G3 dendrimer covalently substituted with 9 and 10 molecules of vitamin B7 (biotin) and B6 (pyridoxal), respectively (BC‐PAMAM) was investigated. Dendrimer substitution with B‐group vitamins significantly alters its biological properties as compared to native form. Observed effects on investigated cell parameters including morphology, adhesion, migration and ATP level were different for normal human fibroblasts (BJ) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC‐15) cell lines. BC‐PAMAM revealed significantly less pronounced effects on investigated parameters, particularly at higher concentrations (5–50 &mgr;M), which is relevant with its lower positive surface charge, as compared with native form. The bioconjugate, up to 50 &mgr;M concentration, appeared to be a safe vitamin carrier to normal fibroblasts, without significant effect on their adhesion, shape and migration as well as on intracellular ATP level. In SCC‐15 cells BC‐PAMAM, at low concentrations (0.1–0.5 &mgr;M), altered the cell shape and increase adhesion, whereas at higher concentrations opposite effects were seen. Measurements of cellular level of ATP showed that higher resistance of cancer cells to toxic effects of native PAMAM dendrimers may be due to higher energy supply of cancer cells. Graphical abstract Figure. No caption available.

Biotinylated PAMAM G3 dendrimer conjugated with celecoxib and/or Fmoc-l-Leucine and its cytotoxicity for normal and cancer human cell lines

ABSTRACT Tumors still remain one of the main causes of mortality due to the lack of effective anti‐cancer therapy. Recently it has been shown, that overexpression of inducible cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and decrease of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor &ggr; (PPAR&ggr;) expression accompany many malignances, therefore, it has been proposed, that COX‐2 inhibitors and PPAR&ggr; agonists are potential candidates for anticancer therapy and their synergistic, antineoplastic action has been described. In the present study a COX‐2 inhibitor (celecoxib) and/or PPAR&ggr; agonist (Fmoc‐l‐Leucine) were conjugated with the biotinylated G3 PAMAM dendrimer to form a three different constructs targeted to cells with increased biotin uptake. All conjugates were characterized by the NMR spectroscopy. Investigation of three types of human cells: normal skin fibroblasts (BJ), immortalized keratinocytes (HaCaT) and cancer lines: glioblastoma (U‐118 MG) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC‐15) revealed similar biotin labeled ATTO590 accumulation (after 24h), except for SCC‐15 with significantly lower loading. Constitutive expression of COX‐2 protein was confirmed in all tested cells with significantly higher levels (2–2.5 times) in both cancer lines. Comparison of cytotoxicity of the new synthetized dendrimers clearly documented the highest cytotoxicity of the G31B16C15L dendrimer conjugated with both drugs (1: 1) as compared with drugs alone and single conjugates. Additive effects of construct with both compounds were shown for fibroblasts and both cancer cell lines in the order BJ>U‐118 MG>SCC‐15 with IC50 in the range: 0.69, 1.44 and 2.22&mgr;M, respectively and lowest cytotoxicity in HaCaT cells (IC50=2.88). Our results showed, that biotinylated G3 PAMAM dendrimers substituted with COX‐2 inhibitor, celecoxib, and PPAR&ggr; agonist, Fmoc‐l‐Leucine (1:1) may be a good candidate for local therapy of glioblastoma but not a skin cancer. Since the effect of PPAR&ggr; agonists on COX‐2 expression vary depending upon the cell type, specificity of used agonist and the presence of other environmental factors, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the response of chosen drugs on the target cells.