Design, synthesis, and antioxidant potency of novel alpha-tocopherol analogues in isolated membranes and intact cells.

In this study, we have designed novel chromanyl derivatives that share with alpha-tocopherol a chromanyl head but differ in the lateral chain in: (i) length and saturation (FEBL-45, 50, 70), (ii) position of double bonds in Z or E (FEBL-50 and 53 and their respective 6-chromanyl methyl derivatives FEBL-161 and 162), or (iii) presence of additional antioxidant molecules, such as the catechol compound hydroxytyrosol (FEBL-80) or dopamine (FEBL-82, 95). The efficiency of these compounds in preventing free-radical-induced oxidative stress was investigated in isolated membranes as well as intact cells. The results of this study clearly show that all compounds synthesized were active in: (i) inhibiting AAPH- or tert-BOOH-induced lipid peroxidation in microsomes and (ii) preventing H2O2-induced ROS production, cell damage, and heat-shock protein expression in immortalized RAT-1 fibroblasts.

Protective effects of Fe-Aox29, a novel antioxidant derived from a molecular combination of Idebenone and vitamin E, in immortalized fibroblasts and fibroblasts from patients with Friedreich Ataxia.

Friedreich Ataxia (FRDA), the most frequent inherited ataxia, is not only characterized by progressive gait and limb ataxia, but in most cases is also accompanied by a severe hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This life threatening symptom can be ameliorated by the administration of idebenone, a short chain quinone antioxidant, supporting additional evidence that oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis of this disease. In this study we analyze the combinatorial effect of different antioxidants on cell viability of FRDA fibroblasts and of RAT-1 immortalized fibroblasts exposed to oxidative stress.

Novel selective human mitochondrial kinase inhibitors: design, synthesis and enzymatic activity.

Selective and effective TK2 inhibitors can be obtained by introduction of bulky lipophilic chains (acyl or alkyl entities) at the 2' position of araT and BVaraU, nucleoside analogues naturally endowed with a low TK2 affinity. These derivatives showed a competitive inhibitory activity against TK2 in micromolar range. BVaraU nucleoside analogues, modified on the 2'-O-acyl chain with a terminal N-Boc amino-group, conserved or increased the inhibitory activity against TK2 (7l and 7m IC(50): 6.