Placental blood flow and pregnancy outcomes in women with abnormal placental localization and absence of placental "migration".

Aim: We investigated the arcuate artery blood flow in the region of the abnormally localized placenta in women who had undergone insertion of an obstetric pessary and were receiving micronized progesterone.

Materials And Methods: The study included 120 pregnant women with high perinatal risks and abnormal placental localization. The patients were randomized to receive the Arabin's pessary and vaginal micronized progesterone (Group A,  = 60) or vaginal micronized progesterone only (Group B,  = 60).

3-Amino-thieno[2,3-b]pyridines as microtubule-destabilising agents: Molecular modelling and biological evaluation in the sea urchin embryo and human cancer cells.

A series of 3-amino-thieno[2,3-b]pyridines was prepared and tested in a phenotypic sea urchin embryo assay to identify potent and specific molecules that affect tubulin dynamics. The most active compounds featured a tricyclic core ring system with a fused cycloheptyl or cyclohexyl substituent and unsubstituted or alkyl-substituted phenyl moiety tethered via a carboxamide. Low nano-molar potency was observed in the sea urchin embryos for the most active compounds (1-5) suggestive of a microtubule-destabilising effect.

Synthesis and anti-mitotic activity of 6,7-dihydro-4H-isothiazolo[4,5-b]pyridin-5-ones: In vivo and cell-based studies.

A series of 3,7-diaryl-6,7-dihydroisothiazolo [4,5-b]pyridin-5(4H)-ones 8 and 9 was synthesized by multicomponent condensation of 3-aryl-5-isothiazolecarboxylic acid esters 4a-f with aromatic (or thienyl) aldehydes 7 and Meldrum's acid in an acidic medium. The targeted compounds were evaluated for their antimitotic microtubule destabilizing activity using in vivo phenotypic sea urchin embryo model and in vitro human cancer cell-based assays. Selected dihydroisothiazolopyridinones altered sea urchin egg cleavage in 2-10 nM concentrations together with significant cytotoxicity against cancer cells including chemoresistant cell lines (IC in submicromolar - low nanomolar concentration range).

A facile synthesis and microtubule-destabilizing properties of 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-furazan-3-amines.

A series of 4-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-furazan-3-amines (BIFAs) were prepared in good yields (60-90% for each reaction step) via a novel procedure from aminofurazanyl hydroximoyl chlorides and o-diaminobenzenes. The synthetic sequence was run under mild reaction conditions, it was robust and did not require extensive purification of intermediates or final products. Furthermore, there was no need for protection of reactive moieties allowing for the parallel synthesis of diverse BIFA derivatives.

Application of plant allylpolyalkoxybenzenes in synthesis of antimitotic phenstatin analogues.

Phenstatin and its derivatives with the modified ring A have been synthesized, using plant allylpolyalkoxybenzenes as a starting material. The targeted molecules were evaluated in a phenotypic sea urchin embryo assay for antiproliferative activity. It was found that phenstatin ring A modifications yielded antimitotic compounds.