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We report the preparation of selenium-containing platinum-based anticancer drug EG-Se/Pt. EG-Se/Pt was obtained from the coordination of selenium-containing molecules (EG-Se) with cisplatin (CDDP). The structure of EG-Se/Pt was characterized by (1) H and (77) Se NMR spectroscopy, XPS, ESI-MS, and MALDI-TOF. In aqueous solution, EG-Se/Pt self-assembles to form spherical aggregates. EG-Se/Pt shows enhanced stability against dilution and high salt concentration compared with EG-Se. EG-Se/Pt induces cell apoptosis via reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to high selectivity between cancer cells and normal cells in cytotoxicity assays. More importantly, EG-Se/Pt effectively inhibits tumor growth in vivo in tumor-bearing mice. It is anticipated that tuning the ROS level through the assembly of selenium-containing molecules can be a general method to realize anticancer selectivity., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Anthocyanins are important natural pigments in plants, and they function not only in antioxidation but also in plant stress responses, pollination, and seed propagation. The anthocyanin-more (am) mutant described in our study is a naturally occurring mutant of Brassica napus cultivar Zhongshuang 11. Compared with the wild type (WT), the mutant produced more anthocyanins at the seedling, bolting, and maturity stages, showing purple color in different parts of the plant. The protein expression profiles of the mutant and WT seedling leaves under natural growth conditions were analyzed using proteomics. A total of 32 proteins that exhibited at least 1.5-fold difference in expression between the WT and mutant plants were successfully identified. The proteins were mainly involved in defense/stress/detoxification and photosynthesis. In particular, the defense/stress/detoxification response and anthocyanin synthesis-related proteins were significantly affected in the am mutant. Moreover, we found the am mutant can enhance the resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum compared with the WT. This enhanced disease resistance may result from the increased anthocyanin content, which is also related to antimicrobial activities and inhibiting fungal growth, and the rapid accumulation of reactive oxygen species that are involved in programmed cell death in plants. These results provide a basis for studying the mutant's molecular mechanism and increase the information available regarding the growth and development of rapeseed under stress conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sonodynamic therapy (SDT) with exogenous protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) or endogenous PpIX derived from 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been carried out to produce apoptotic effects on macrophages, indicating a potential treatment methodology for atherosclerosis. Our previous studies have found that mitochondria damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a major role in the SDT-induced apoptosis. This study aimed at investigating the potential involvement of the mitochondrial 18 kDa translocator protein (TSPO) and ROS in the pro-apoptotic effects of SDT on THP-1 macrophages. THP-1 macrophages were divided into control and SDT groups, and went through pretreatment of the specific TSPO ligand PK11195 and ROS scavengers N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC), then compared with groups without pretreatment. Application of PK11195 reduced intracellular accumulation of endogenous PpIX. PK11195 and NAC reduced the generation of intracellular ROS and oxidation of cardiolipin induced by SDT, respectively. PK11195 and NAC also reduced SDT-induced mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) loss, the translocation of cytochrome c and cell apoptosis. PpIX accumulation, ROS generation and cell apoptosis were also attenuated by siTSPO. Our findings indicate the pivotal role of TSPO and ROS in SDT-induced cardiolipin oxidation, ΔΨm collapse, cytochrome c translocation and apoptosis in THP-1 macrophages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the preparation of selenium-containing platinum-based anticancer drug EG-Se/Pt. EG-Se/Pt was obtained from the coordination of selenium-containing molecules (EG-Se) with cisplatin (CDDP). The structure of EG-Se/Pt was characterized by 1H and 77Se NMR spectroscopy, XPS, ESI-MS, and MALDI-TOF. In aqueous solution, EG-Se/Pt self-assembles to form spherical aggregates. EG-Se/Pt shows enhanced stability against dilution and high salt concentration compared with EG-Se. EG-Se/Pt induces cell apoptosis via reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to high selectivity between cancer cells and normal cells in cytotoxicity assays. More importantly, EG-Se/Pt effectively inhibits tumor growth in vivo in tumor-bearing mice. It is anticipated that tuning the ROS level through the assembly of selenium-containing molecules can be a general method to realize anticancer selectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Up-regulation of miR-34a inhibits cell viability. [•] Suppression of miR-34a enhances cell viability. [•] NOX2 is a target of miR-34a in A172 cells. [•] MiR-34a serves as a tumor suppressor in human glioma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Owing to the limitations in the current therapeutic strategies for treating HCC, development of novel chemotherapeutic drugs is urgently needed. In the present study, we found that QQM, a newly-synthesized quinolinylmethyl substituted ethylenediamine compound, exhibited anti-HCC effects both in vitro and in vivo. QQM inhibited HCC cell growth and induced G0/G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Our results showed that QQM acted by significantly increasing intracellular reactive oxygen species in HCC cells, which led to cell apoptosis and growth inhibition. Furthermore, QQM treatment resulted in an accumulation of reactive nitric oxide (NO) in HCC cells, and introduction of a NO scavenger, carboxy-PTIO, largely attenuated QQM-induced cytotoxicity. Finally, we found that QQM inhibited growth and induced apoptosis of HCC xenograft tumors in vivo. Taken together, our results indicated that QQM exerted anti-HCC effects by inducing reactive oxygen species and NO accumulation in HCC cells. Thus, QQM exhibits the qualities of a novel, promising anti-tumor candidate for the treatment of HCC. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]