Publications by authors named "Valeria R Martinez"

The redox imbalance, caused by depletion or generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is a key mechanism by which metal complexes exert anticancer effects. Carbidopa has shown the ability to inhibit the MDA-MB-231 cell line, a highly aggressive triple-negative human breast adenocarcinoma, by inducing reductive stress. The metal complex of carbidopa with zinc (ZnCarbi) was designed to modify carbidopa's structure and exhibited increased cytotoxicity against MDA-MB-231 cells.

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Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the major cause of mortality. Estrogens (E) exert multiple CV and neuroprotective effects. During menopause, CV and cognitive pathologies increase dramatically.

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Background: Glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors are highly expressed in cardiac tissue, and both can be activated by corticosteroids. MR activation, in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), worsens cardiac function, and increase NHE activity contributing to the deleterious process. In contrast, effects of GR activation are not fully understood, probably because of the controversial scenario generated by using different doses or potencies of corticosteroids.

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Background: the antihypertensive drug α-methyldopa (MD) stands as one of the extensively used medications for managing hypertension during pregnancy. Zinc deprivation has been associated with many diseases. In this context, the synthesis of a Zn coordination complex [Zn(MD)(OH)(HO)]·HO (ZnMD) provide a promising alternative pathway to improve the biological properties of MD.

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This study is based on the premise that the application of chemical synthesis strategies to structurally modify commercial drugs by complexation with biometals is a valid procedure to improve their biological effects. Our purpose is to synthesize a compound with greater efficacy than the original drug, able to enhance its antihypertensive and cardiac pharmacological activity. Herein, the structure of the coordination compound of Zn(II) and the antihypertensive drug olmesartan, [Zn(Olme)(HO)] (ZnOlme), is presented.

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Hypertension is the most common cause of left ventricular hypertrophy, contributing to heart failure progression. Candesartan (Cand) is an angiotensin receptor antagonist widely used for hypertension treatment. Structural modifications were previously performed by our group using Zinc (ZnCand) as a strategy for improving its pharmacological properties.

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The pharmacological response and the therapeutic efficacy of a drug depends on the interactions with plasma proteins. The interaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) with the metal complexes of antihypertensive drugs, Zn(II)/sartan complexes (candesartan, valsartan and losartan), was investigated using fluorescence quenching determinations at different temperatures. The binding studies of the compounds with BSA showed static quenching and moderate binding with calculated constants in the range of 10-10 M, indicating potent serum distribution via albumins.

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Background: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most frequent type of lung cancer and more than 90 % of mortality is due to metastasis-related deaths. Flavonoids are considered nutraceuticals due to the variety of pharmacological properties. In this paper, we studied the effects of baicalin, silibinin, apigenin, luteolin, and its oxidovanadium(IV) cation complexes on the viability, adhesion to fibronectin, invasion, and migration on human lung cancer cell line A549.

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Angiotensin II receptor blockers were designed as therapeutic agents to block the binding site of the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R). The structure of telmisartan was modified by coordination to the biometal Zn(II), resulting in the compound ZnTelm. Its antihypertensive activity and cellular mechanisms in comparison to telmisartan were studied.

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To improve the anticancer activity of telmisartan, its structure has been modified by Zn(II) complexation giving [Zn(Telm)(HO)]·2HO (ZnTelm). The cytotoxic effect was measured on the human lung cancer cells (A549) and on the lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5). The complex markedly improved anticancer activity (IC 75 μM) of telmisartan (IC 125 μM) or ZnSO (IC 225 μM) and did not show toxicity on non-cancer cells, inducing oxidative stress with cellular ROS generation and GSH/GSSG decrease.

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A new losartan [2-butyl-5-chloro-3-[[4-[2-(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)phenyl]phenyl]methyl]imidazol-4-yl]methanol zinc(II) complex [Zn(Los)Cl], was synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure was determined by x-ray diffraction methods. When aqueous solutions of the ligand and the metal were mixed, the known and more soluble powder [Zn(Los)].

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Azilsartan is the eighth approved member of angiotensin II receptor blockers for hypertension treatment. Considering that some drugs have additional effects when administered, we studied its effects and mechanisms of action on a human lung cancer cell line A549. We have also modified the structure of the drug by complexation with Zn(II) cation and assayed the anticancer effect.

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The natural antioxidant flavonoid diosmin, found in citric fruits, showed low antioxidant properties among other flavonoids due to its structural characteristics and low cytotoxicity against lung (A549) and breast (T47D, SKBR3 and MDAMB231) cancer cell lines. The anticancer behavior has been improved by the metal complex generated with the flavonoid and the oxidovanadium(IV) ion. This new complex, [VO(dios)(OH)3]Na5·6H2O (VOdios), has been synthesized and characterized both in solid and solution states.

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