Marcin Cieslak

Water-soluble polycationic dendrimers with a phosphoramidothioate backbone: preliminary studies of cytotoxicity and oligonucleotide/plasmid delivery in human cell culture.

A series of water-soluble polycationic dendrimers with a phosphoramidothioate backbone (P-dendrimers) was studied in human cell culture. Preliminary studies have shown that P-dendrimers of series 1 and 2, possessing N,N-diethyl-ethylenediamine hydrochloride functions at the surface, show rather moderate cytotoxicity toward HeLa, HEK 293, and HUVEC cells in a standard MTT assay in serum-containing medium, generally lower than lipofectin. The experiments of cellular uptake have shown the necessity for the presence of serum for transfection with P-dendrimers of series 1 and 2. These compounds efficiently delivered fluorescein-labeled oligodeoxyribonucleotide into HeLa cells in serum-containing medium, but they failed to do so in HUVEC cell culture. The dendrimers were found to be successful mediators of transfection of the HeLa cells with a DNA plasmid containing the functional gene of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP).

5-Ethynyl-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-1H-[1,2,3]triazole-4-carboxylic acid amide (ETCAR) and its analogues: synthesis and cytotoxic properties.

Efficient Pd(0)-catalysed synthesis of 5-alkynyl-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-1H-[1,2,3]triazole-4-carboxylic acid amide depends on the presence of different protecting groups of the ribose moiety. Peracetylated 5-iodo substrate (15) couples with terminal alkynes or trimethyl-[(tributylstannyl)ethynyl]silane in 50-71% and 72% yield (ETCAR), respectively, although its hydrodehalogenation to 19 is noticeable. On the other hand, hydrodehalogenation of acetonide (16) predominates over coupling with terminal alkyne and slightly decreases a yield of cross-coupling reaction with trimethyl[(tributylstannyl)ethynyl]silane. Alternative conditions of reaction with terminal alkynes, to exclude so far identified hydride sources to produce hydridopalladium species, have been established for acetonide 16 and allowed to achieve 72% of coupling. Fluoromethyl derivative (42) was prepared from its 5-hydroxymethyl precursor by fluorination with DAST. Additionally, X-ray structural analysis of 42 was performed. All 1,2,3-triazolonucleosides and two synthesized cycloSal-pronucleotides were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against K562, HeLa and HUVEC cells.

High Cytotoxic Activity of Phosphonium Salts and Their Complementary Selectivity towards HeLa and K562 Cancer Cells: Identification of Tri-n-butyl-n-hexadecylphosphonium bromide as a Highly Potent Anti-HeLa Phosphonium Salt.

Quaternary ammonium and phosphonium salts have been screened for their toxic effect on HeLa and K562 cancer cell lines, as well as on normal HUVEC cells. Tri-n-butyl-n-hexadecylphosphonium bromide, the first phosphonium salt with a halogen anion tested against HeLa cells, was 12 times more potent (IC50 <5 μm after 24 and 48 h) than the clinically used reference compound cisplatin and 17 times more potent than tri-n-hexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, which, to the best of our knowledge, is the first phosphonium salt to be evaluated in HeLa cells. However, it was inactive against K562 cells (24 and 48 h). According to a caspase-3/7 assay, its toxicity has not been connected with the induction of apoptosis. In contrast, triphenylalkylphosphonium iodides with shorter C1–5 alkyl chains were inactive against HeLa cells but very active against K562 cells (IC50=6–10 μm after 48 h). Phosphonium cations with halide counterions proved to be more potent than those with (CF3SO2)2N− as the anion, as in the anticancer agent NSC 747251, or other anions in molecules with similar alkyl chain lengths. On the other hand, a series of ammonium salts containing a short methylthiomethyl or methoxymethyl side chain revealed low cytotoxicity (IC50 >500 μm after 24 and 48 h) against both HeLa and K562 cancer cell lines as well as normal HUVEC cells, showing that the nontoxic N+CH2YMe (Y=S, O) structural motif in ammonium salts could be suitable for further optimization and development, especially in transfection experiments.

Phytotoxicity and Cytotoxicity of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids Containing Sulfur Atom

Abstract Ionic liquids have attracted considerable interest in various areas as new, nonvolatile and nonflammable organic solvents, catalysts, reaction additives, ligands, drugs, and other dedicated materials. Ionic liquids exhibit solubility both in organic solvents and in water. They also constitute very good solvents for many inorganic, organic, and organometallic compounds. Yet, the most important feature of ionic liquids is that they provide the possibility of obtaining substances of optimal properties for a given process through modification of the cation structure and selection of the appropriate anion. Therefore, the term designer solvents has been invented for these salts. The above characteristics and relatively low production cost may soon lead to the situation, in which huge amounts of these chemicals will be brought into environment via industry, agriculture, and commercial trading. Their general use, sometimes in bulky quantities, requires determination of their potential ecotoxicity on selected plant and animal organisms. Other biological tests, are also very important. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Chelating ability and biological activity of hesperetin Schiff base

Hydrazone hesperetin Schiff base (HHSB) - N-[(±)-[5,7-dihydroxy-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-phenyl)chroman-4-ylidene]amino]benzamide has been synthesized and its crystal structure was determined. This compound was used for the formation of Cu(II) complexes in solid state and in solution which were characterized using different spectroscopic methods. The analyses of potentiometric titration curves revealed that monomeric and dimeric complexes of Cu(II) are formed above pH7. The ESI-MS (electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry) spectra confirmed their formation. The EPR and UV-visible spectra evidenced the involvement of oxygen and nitrogen atoms in Cu(II) coordination. Hydrazone hesperetin Schiff base can show keto-enol tautomerism and coordinate Cu(II) in the keto (O(-), N, Oket) and in the enolate form (O(-), N, O(-)enol). The semi-empirical molecular orbital method PM6 and DFT (density functional theory) calculations have revealed that the more stable form of the dimeric complex is that one in which the ligand is present in the enol form. The CuHHSB complex has shown high efficiency in the cleavage of plasmid DNA in aqueous solution, indicating its potential as chemical nuclease. Studies on DNA interactions, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities have been undertaken to gain more information on the biological significance of HHSB and copper(II)-HHSB chelate species.

Antigenic properties of fibrinogen component of hemaseel™ HMN subjected to the antiviral severe dry heat treatment

The experiments in this work were focused on determination of the extent to which fibrinogen component of fibrin glue (Hemaseel HMN, Haemacure Biotech.) retained the conformation of the parent molecule after dry heat antiviral treatment (one hour at 100 degrees C). For this purpose antigenic structure of the fibrinogen component, heated and non-heated, was compared to that of control fibrinogens, i.e. the isolated one and the fibrinogen present in fresh human blood plasma. The analytic parameters CI50 and CIs were calculated from the competitive inhibition data obtained in ELISA systems using antisera to fibrinogen, plasmic fragments D and E, and to polypeptide chains A alpha, B beta, and gamma. These immunochemical analyses indicated that there was a modified expression of some fibrinogen epitopes probably resulting from unfolding of the A alpha chain and the better exposure of the E domain to the hydrated environment induced upon a heating procedure. Our data show that dry heat treatment of fibrinogen component is not associated with a significant overall conformational change of the molecule.