NaYF-based upconverting nanoparticles with optimized phosphonate coatings for chemical stability and viability of human endothelial cells.

The increasing interest in upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) in biodiagnostics and therapy fuels the development of biocompatible UCNPs platforms. UCNPs are typically nanocrystallites of rare-earth fluorides codoped with Yband Eror Tm. The most studied UCNPs are based on NaYFbut are not chemically stable in water.

Dietary vitamin D equilibrium in serum ameliorates direct bilirubin associated diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus (DM), a non-communicable endocrine disease that is marked by a differing degree of tolerance to insulin and dysfunction. The connection between diabetes and liver failure important to doctors in general practice diabetologists and hepatologists. DM is linked with an elevated risk of hepatic consequences and mortality of liver cirrhosis patients.

Assessment of toxicity and genotoxicity of low doses of 5-fluorouracil in zebrafish (Danio rerio) two-generation study.

Residues of anti-neoplastic drugs represent new and emerging pollutants in aquatic environments. Many of these drugs are genotoxic, and it has been postulated that they can cause adverse effects in aquatic ecosystems. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is one of the most extensively used anti-neoplastic drugs in cancer therapy, and this article describes the results of the first investigation using a two-generation toxicity study design with zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Monocyclic 4-amino-6-(phenylamino)-1,3,5-triazines as inhibitors of human DNA topoisomerase IIα.

Human DNA topoisomerase IIα (htIIα) is a validated target for the development of anticancer agents. Starting from the available information about the binding of the purine-based htIIα inhibitors in the ATP binding site we designed a virtual screening campaign combining structure-based and ligand-based pharmacophores with a molecular docking calculation searching for compounds that would contain a monocycle mimetic of the purine moiety. We discovered novel 4-amino-6-(phenylamino)-1,3,5-triazines 6, 7 and 11 as monocyclic htIIα inhibitors targeting the ATP binding site.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) influences the gene expression of metallothioneins in human glioblastoma cells.

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3); ATO, TRISENOX®) is used to treat patients with refractory or relapsed acute promyelocytic leukaemia while its application for treatment of solid cancers like glioblastoma is still under evaluation. In the present study, we investigated the interaction of arsenic trioxide with metallothionein (MT) isoforms as a possible (protective response) resistance of glioblastoma cells to arsenic-induced cytotoxicity. Special attention was focused on MT3, the isoform expressed mainly in the brain.

CD133/prominin1 is prognostic for GBM patient's survival, but inversely correlated with cysteine cathepsins' expression in glioblastoma derived spheroids.

Introduction: CD133 is a marker for a population of glioblastoma (GBM) and normal neural stem cells (NNSC). We aimed to reveal whether the migratory potential and differentiation of these stem cells is associated with CD133 expression and with cathepsin proteases (Cats). MATERIALS AND METHODS.

Prognostic impact of CD68 and kallikrein 6 in human glioma.

Aims: To evaluate the expression of CD68 and kallikrein 6 in human gliomas, and investigate their prognostic significance for survival of brain cancer patients in comparison to some known prognostic markers.

Patients And Methods: Histological sections of 51 primary astrocytic tumours (11 benign, 40 malignant) were immunohistochemically stained for CD68, cathepsin B, kallikrein 6 and Ki-67. CD68 and kallikrein 6 expressions were also analyzed by real-time PCR in nine brain tumour biopsies.

Effects of model organophosphorous pesticides on DNA damage and proliferation of HepG2 cells.

Organophosphorous compounds (OPs) are commonly used pesticides. The primary mechanism of OP toxicity is the inhibition of acetylcholine esterase in the nervous system leading to a variety of acute and chronic effects. Recent studies have revealed several other targets of OPs that disturb noncholinergic biological systems.

Patterns of microcystin-LR induced alteration of the expression of genes involved in response to DNA damage and apoptosis.

Microcystins (MCs) are hepatotoxic cyclic heptapeptides produced by freshwater cyanobacteria. They are inhibitors of serine/threonine protein phosphatases 1A and 2A and are involved in liver tumour promotion. Several recent studies indicated that MCs are genotoxic and may also act as tumour initiators.

Cathepsin L affects apoptosis of glioblastoma cells: a potential implication in the design of cancer therapeutics.

Background: Previous studies indicate that Cathepsin L (CatL) is involved in brain tumour progression. Here, CatL in tumour cell invasion and apoptosis has been studied.

Materials And Methods: Human glioblastoma cell line U87 was transfected with CatL cDNA in sense and antisense orientations.

Invasiveness of transformed human breast epithelial cell lines is related to cathepsin B and inhibited by cysteine proteinase inhibitors.

The activities'of the lysosomal cysteine proteinases cathepsin B and L are regulated by their endogenous inhibitors, stefins A and B, and cystatin C, and their imbalance may be associated with increased invasiveness and development of the malignant cell phenotype. The aim of this study was to investigate mRNA, protein and activity levels of the above proteins in relation to in vitro invasiveness and to the reported in vivo tumorigenicity of four human breast tumor cell lines: the spontaneously immortalized cell line MCF10A, its c-Ha-ras transfectant MCF10AT, and two tumorigenic derivative cell lines, MCF10AT-Ca1a and MCF10AT-Ca1d. Invasiveness did not correlate with tumorigenicity, since the MCF10AT cell was the most invasive and the remaining three were at about half of its level.

Expression of cysteine peptidase cathepsin L and its inhibitors stefins A and B in relation to tumorigenicity of breast cancer cell lines.

The in vitro invasiveness of human breast cancer cell lines was compared with their reported tumorigenicity in vivo, increasing from MCF7, MDA-MB468, MDA-MB231 to MDA-MB435 cells. The invasiveness roughly corresponded to the tumorigenicity of the cell lines. The levels of cathepsin L mRNA and protein correlated with the invasiveness of the cells.

Cathepsin B and its inhibitor stefin A in brain tumors.

Cysteine protease cathepsin B (CatB) and its endogenous inhibitor stefin A (StA) play an important role in tumor progression. Increase of CatB expression and lower levels of its inhibitors were associated with tumor malignancy in brain tumors. In this study of 100 patients, CatB was localized by immunostaining to both, tumor and endothelial cells of primary brain tissue.

Evolutionary relationships among Europan newts (genus Triturus) as inferred from two mtDNA fragments.

European newts (genus Triturus) are widely studied, but their phylogeny is not yet unambiguously resolved. Fragments of mitochondrial DNA experiencing different rates of evolution (the ATPase and 12S rDNA genes) were sequenced in order to test a phylogenetic hypothesis derived from biochemical and behavioural data. Well supported branches of the existing phylogeny also gained support in our study.