Copper(II) Methacrylate Complexes with Imidazole Derivatives-Structural, Spectral and Antitumor Features.

A series of five novel copper(II) complexes with imidazole derivatives having general core Cu(R-Im)(Macr) (Macr = methacrylate anion; R-Im = 2-methylimidazole/2-MeIm, 4-methylimidazole/4-MeIm, 2-ethylimidazole/2-EtIm, 2-isopropylimidazole/2-PrIm) has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electronic reflectance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, thermal analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. All complexes crystalize in a monoclinic crystal system and form a complex supramolecular network developed through hydrogen bonds. The stereochemistry of the copper ion is distorted octahedral except for the compound with 4-methylimidazole for which the geometry is square-pyramidal.

Fast detection of bacterial gut pathogens on miniaturized devices: an overview.

Introduction: Gut microbes pose challenges like colon inflammation, deadly diarrhea, antimicrobial resistance dissemination, and chronic disease onset. Development of early, rapid and specific diagnosis tools is essential for improving infection control. Point-of-care testing (POCT) systems offer rapid, sensitive, low-cost and sample-to-answer methods for microbe detection from various clinical and environmental samples, bringing the advantages of portability, automation, and simple operation.

Development and Characterization of Electrospun Composites Built on Polycaprolactone and Cerium-Containing Phases.

The current study reports on the fabrication of composite scaffolds based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and cerium (Ce)-containing powders, followed by their characterization from compositional, structural, morphological, optical and biological points of view. First, CeO, Ce-doped calcium phosphates and Ce-substituted bioglass were synthesized by wet-chemistry methods (precipitation/coprecipitation and sol-gel) and subsequently loaded on PCL fibres processed by electrospinning. The powders were proven to be nanometric or micrometric, while the investigation of their phase composition showed that Ce was present as a dopant within the crystal lattice of the obtained calcium phosphates or as crystalline domains inside the glassy matrix.

Cancer Wars: Revenge of the AMPs (Antimicrobial Peptides), a New Strategy against Colorectal Cancer.

Cancer is a multifaceted health issue that affects people globally and it is considered one of the leading causes of death with a high percentage of victims worldwide. In recent years, research studies have uncovered great advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment. But, there are still major drawbacks of the conventional therapies used including severe side effects, toxicity, and drug resistance.

No country for old antibiotics! Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as next-generation treatment for skin and soft tissue infection.

In recent years, the unprecedented rise of bacterial antibiotic resistance together with the lack of adequate therapies have made the treatment of skin infections and chronic wounds challenging, urging the scientific community to focus on the development of new and more efficient treatment strategies. In this context, there is a growing interest in the use of natural molecules with antimicrobial features, capable of supporting wound healing i.e.

Oscillating Glucose Induces the Increase in Inflammatory Stress through Ninjurin-1 Up-Regulation and Stimulation of Transport Proteins in Human Endothelial Cells.

Clinical data implicate fluctuations of high levels of plasma glucose in cardiovascular diseases. Endothelial cells (EC) are the first cells of the vessel wall exposed to them. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of oscillating glucose (OG) on EC function and to decipher new molecular mechanisms involved.

Composite Fibers Based on Polycaprolactone and Calcium Magnesium Silicate Powders for Tissue Engineering Applications.

The present work reports the synthesis and characterization of polycaprolactone fibers loaded with particulate calcium magnesium silicates, to form composite materials with bioresorbable and bioactive properties. The inorganic powders were achieved through a sol-gel method, starting from the compositions of diopside, akermanite, and merwinite, three mineral phases with suitable features for the field of hard tissue engineering. The fibrous composites were fabricated by electrospinning polymeric solutions with a content of 16% polycaprolactone and 5 or 10% inorganic powder.

Proton irradiation induced reactive oxygen species promote morphological and functional changes in HepG2 cells.

The increased use of proton therapy has led to the need of better understanding the cellular mechanisms involved. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects induced by the accelerated proton beam in hepatocarcinoma cells. An existing facility in IFIN-HH, a 3 MV Tandetron™ accelerator, was used to irradiate HepG2 human hepatocarcinoma cells with doses between 0 and 3 Gy.

Antiproliferative Copper(II) Complexes Bearing Mixed Chelating Ligands: Structural Characterization, ROS Scavenging, In Silico Studies, and Anti-Melanoma Activity.

Melanoma is a skin cancer characterized by rapid growth and spread for which current therapies produce both resistance and increased risk of infection. To develop new anti-melanoma biocompatible species, the series of complexes Cu(N-N)(bzac)(X)⋅nHO (N-N: 1,10-phenanthroline/2,2'-bipyridine, Hbzac: 1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione, X: NO/ClO, and = 0, 1) was studied. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction revealed a mononuclear structure for all complexes.

Insights into Structure and Biological Activity of Copper(II) and Zinc(II) Complexes with Triazolopyrimidine Ligands.

In an attempt to increase the biological activity of the 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-]pyrimidine scaffold through complexation with essential metal ions, the complexes -[Cu(mptp)Cl] (), [Zn(mptp)Cl(DMSO)] () (mptp: 5-methyl-7-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-]pyrimidine), [Cu(dmtp)Cl]·2HO () and [Zn(dmtp)Cl] () (dmtp: 5,7-dimethyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-]pyrimidine), were synthesized and characterized as new antiproliferative and antimicrobial species. Both complexes () and () crystallize in the 2/n monoclinic space group, with the tetrahedral surroundings generating a square-planar stereochemistry in the Cu(II) complex and a tetrahedral stereochemistry in the Zn(II) species. The mononuclear units are interconnected in a supramolecular network through π-π interactions between the pyrimidine moiety and the phenyl ring in () while supramolecular chains resulting from C-H∙∙∙π interactions were observed in ().

Electrochemical evaluation of proton beam radiation effect on the B16 cell culture.

The interaction of radiation with matter takes place through energy transfer and is accomplished especially by ionized atoms or molecules. The effect of radiation on biological systems involves multiple physical, chemical and biological steps. Direct effects result in a large number of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within and outside and inside of the cells as well, which are responsible for oxidative stress.

Biological Activity of Triazolopyrimidine Copper(II) Complexes Modulated by an Auxiliary N-N-Chelating Heterocycle Ligands.

Novel complexes of type [Cu(N-N)(dmtp)(OH)](ClO)·dmtp (() N-N: 2,2'-bipyridine; () L: 1,10-phenantroline and dmtp: 5,7-dimethyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-]pyrimidine) were designed in order to obtain biologically active compounds. Complexes were characterized as mononuclear species that crystallized in the space group P-1 of the triclinic system with a square pyramidal geometry around the copper (II). In addition to the antiproliferative effect on murine melanoma B16 cells, complex () exhibited low toxicity on normal BJ cells and did not affect membrane integrity.

Biological Performances of Plasmonic Biohybrids Based on Phyto-Silver/Silver Chloride Nanoparticles.

Silver/silver chloride nanoparticles (Ag/AgClNPs), with a mean size of 48.2 ± 9.5 nm and a zeta potential value of -31.

Antiproliferative and antibacterial properties of biocompatible copper(II) complexes bearing chelating N,N-heterocycle ligands and potential mechanisms of action.

In an attempt to propose new applications for the biomedical field, complexes with mixed ligands {[Cu(bpy)(μOClO)]ClO}n (1) and [Cu(phen)(OH)](ClO) (2) (bpy: 2,2'-biyridine; phen and 1,10-phenantroline) were evaluated for their antibacterial and cytotoxicicity features and for the elucidation of some of the mechanisms involved. Complex (2) proved to be a very potent antibacterial agent, exhibing MIC and MBEC values 2 to 54 times lower than those obtained for complex (1) against both susceptible or resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, in planktonic or biofilm growth state. In exchange, complex (1) exhibited selective cytotoxicity against melanoma tumor cells (B16), proving a promising potential for developing novel anticancer drugs.

Antimicrobial Peptides as New Combination Agents in Cancer Therapeutics: A Promising Protocol against HT-29 Tumoral Spheroids.

Antimicrobial peptides are molecules synthetized by a large variety of organisms as an innate defense against pathogens. These natural compounds have been identified as promising alternatives to widely used molecules to treat infections and cancer cells. Antimicrobial peptides could be viewed as future chemotherapeutic alternatives, having the advantage of low propensity to drug resistance.

Copper(II) Complexes with Mixed Heterocycle Ligands as Promising Antibacterial and Antitumor Species.

Complexes with mixed ligands [Cu(N-N)(pmtp)](ClO) (() N-N: 2,2'-bipyridine; () L: 1,10-phenanthroline and pmpt: 5-phenyl-7-methyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-]pyrimidine) were synthesized and structurally and biologically characterized. Compound () crystallizes into space group and () in -1. Both complexes display an intermediate stereochemistry between the two five-coordinated ones.

Versatile Polypeptide-Functionalized Plasmonic Paper as Synergistic Biocompatible and Antimicrobial Nanoplatform.

Nowadays, thanks to nanotechnological progress, which itself guides us more and more closely toward not only the efficient design of innovative nanomaterials or nanostructures, but to the improvement of their functionality, we benefit from an important asset in the battle against pathogenic illnesses. Herein, we report a versatile biocompatible plasmonic nanoplatform based on a Whatman paper incorporating positively-charged gold nanospherical particles via the immersion approach. The morphological characterization of the as-engineered-plasmonic paper was examined by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and HRTEM (high-resolution transmission electron microscopy) investigations, while its surface chemical modification with a synthetic polypeptide, specifically RRWHRWWRR-NH2 (P2), was proved by monitoring the plasmonic response of loaded gold nanospheres and the emission signal of P2 via fluorescence spectroscopy.

Pulsed Laser Deposition Derived Bioactive Glass-Ceramic Coatings for Enhancing the Biocompatibility of Scaffolding Materials.

The purpose of this work was to propose and evaluate a new composition for a bioactive glass-ceramic starting from the well-known 45S5 commercial product. Thus, we developed a modified version, including MgO, an oxide that turned out to induce superior mechanical properties and improved biological response. This had the following molar percentages: 46.

Ninjurin-1 upregulated by TNFα receptor 1 stimulates monocyte adhesion to human TNFα-activated endothelial cells; benefic effects of amlodipine.

Aims: The objectives of the present study were to investigate the mechanisms of Ninj-1 regulation in TNFα-activated human endothelial cells (HEC), and to test if Amlodipine (AML) ameliorates the inflammatory stress by decreasing Ninj-1 expression.

Main Methods: TNFα-activated HEC with/without AML (0.1 μM and 1 μM) were used.

Hyperlipidemia Determines Dysfunctional HDL Production and Impedes Cholesterol Efflux in the Small Intestine: Alleviation by Ginger Extract.

Scope: To assess the impact of ginger extract (GIN) in stimulating the production of quality HDL and the cholesterol efflux in the small intestine (SI), key processes in the management of hyperlipidemia (HL)-induced hepatic steatosis, and atherosclerosis.

Methods And Results: Three groups of hamsters are used: (i) N, fed standard diet, (ii) HL, fed high-fat diet for 21 weeks, and (iii) HL-GIN, HL treated with GIN for the last 5 weeks of diet. Apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I), malondialdehyde-apoA-I (MDA-apoA-I), paraoxonase1 (PON1), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are measured in plasma and SI.

Zingiber officinale extract administration diminishes steroyl-CoA desaturase gene expression and activity in hyperlipidemic hamster liver by reducing the oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Background: Stearoyl CoA desaturases (SCD) are enzymes that convert saturated to monounsaturated fatty acids and have increased activity in hepatic steatosis.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the potential of ginger extract (GIN) to modulate the liver SCD1 expression and activity in hyperlipidemic (HL) conditions, in order to lower lipid accumulation in the steatotic liver.

Study Design/methods: Male Golden Syrian hamsters were divided in three groups: (i) fed with standard chow (N), (ii) fed with standard chow plus 3% cholesterol and 15% butter for 21 weeks (HL), (iii) HL treated with GIN (800 µg/kg body weight/day) in the last 5 weeks of fat diet (HL-GIN).

Inhibition of miR-486 and miR-92a decreases liver and plasma cholesterol levels by modulating lipid-related genes in hyperlipidemic hamsters.

In the present study we aimed to evaluate the potential of in vivo inhibition of miR-486 and miR-92a to reverse hyperlipidemia, then to identify and validate their lipid metabolism-related target genes. Male Golden-Syrian hamsters fed a hyperlipidemic (HL) diet (standard chow plus 3% cholesterol and 15% butter, 10 weeks) were injected subcutaneously with lock-nucleic acid inhibitors for either miR-486 or miR-92a. Lipids and miRNAs levels in liver and plasma, and hepatic expression of miRNAs target genes were assessed in all HL hamsters.