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Herein we report on the multicomponent synthesis of a novel imidazole-based compound, able to act efficiently as a minimalist β-strand mimic. Biological evaluation proved its ability to impair the LDLR-PCSK9 protein-protein interaction, disclosing it as the first small molecule exerting a PCSK9-mediated hypocholesterolemic effect.

Radiotherapy for breast cancer may expose heart and vessels to late radiation-induced complications. Although recent technical progress in radiation therapy (RT) has been associated with drastic reduction in cardiovascular (CV) mortality, the prolonged life expectancy of patients with cancer requires CV evaluation for many years. The aim of our study was to evaluate local changes in vascular and cardiac function because of previous breast RT. We enrolled 43 patients treated with RT 15 years ago for breast cancer. CV risk factors and atherosclerotic carotid damage were investigated in all women. We divided patients into 2 groups: R (n = 25) treated to right breast and L (n = 18) to left breast. All subjects were submitted to standard echocardiography and functional arteries evaluation by carotid-radial pulse-wave velocity (crPWV; Complior) and AIx (Sphygmocor; Atcor Medical). Global mean age was 69.5 ± 8 years old. CV risk factors were equally allocated in 2 groups. No patients had history of cardiac or artery disease. R had a significantly increased crPWV (9.9 ± 1.4 vs 8.9 ± 1.1, p = 0.001) on right arm compared with left arm, and in L group, crPWV was similarly higher on the left arm than on right arm (9.6 ± 1.5 vs 8.9 ± 1.4, p = 0.011). AIx was significantly increased in the ipsilateral arm only in L (32.1 ± 7.6 vs 28.3 ± 6.8, p = 0.05). Central blood pressure estimation was not different in the right and left arms. No correlations were found with hormone therapy or chemotherapy. Our data show a local arterial stiffening because of radiation that can be involved in increased CV risk in breast cancer-treated patients., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The most important drawback of the use of TiO2 as photocatalyst is its lack of activity under visible light. To overcome this problem, the surface modification of commercial micro-sized TiO2 by means of high-energy ultrasound (US), employing CuCl2 as precursor molecule to obtain both metallic copper as well as copper oxides species at the TiO2 surface, is here. We have prepared samples with different copper content, in order to evaluate its impact on the photocatalytic performances of the semiconductor, and studied in particular the photodegradation in the gas phase of some volatile organic molecules (VOCs), namely acetone and acetaldehyde. We used a LED lamp in order to have only the contribution of the visible wavelengths to the TiO2 activation (typical LED lights have no emission in the UV region). We employed several techniques (i.e., HR-TEM, XRD, FT-IR and UV-Vis) in order to characterize the prepared samples, thus evidencing different sample morphologies as a function of the various copper content, with a coherent correlation between them and the photocatalytic results. Firstly, we demonstrated the possibility to use US to modify the TiO2, even when it is commercial and micro-sized as well; secondly, by avoiding completely the UV irradiation, we confirmed that pure TiO2 is not activated by visible light. On the other hand, we showed that copper metal and metal oxides nanoparticles strongly and positively affect its photocatalytic activity., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: During the treatment of orthodontics, in the mechanics of slide, there takes place friction, which they reduce the slide of the arch across bracket. Therefore, clinical there takes place an increase of the time of treatment. There are different the technologies that try to reduce this friction, as the self-ligating braces. The purpose of this study was to research the in vitro behavior of JAL 90458 as a buffering agent which reduces friction between brackets and stainless steel arch wires of different cross sections and sizes., Material and Methods: Three types of stainless steel wires with different cross sections and three types of ligatures were used with and without JAL 90458 to measure the friction according to the time and distance traveled by the brackets on an inclined plane with two angulations. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance by ranks was applied to determine the degree of friction between the group using and the group not using the product (P ≤ .05)., Results: Separate analysis of the arch wires, ligatures and angulation with and without the compound revealed statistically significant differences between the groups, showing that friction was reduced significantly when JAL 90458 was used (P ≤ .01). The 0.021x0.025" arch wires and the arch wires attached using elastic ligatures produce the least resistance to sliding among all of those analyzed when the product was not used (P ≤ .05)., Conclusions: The results show that JAL 90458 reduces friction independently of arch wire cross section, type of ligature and angulation of the measuring instrument., Key Words: Friction, JAL 90458, arch wires, ligatures, in vitro.

The first asymmetric, Brønsted acid catalyzed Biginelli-like reaction of a ketone has been developed, employing N-substituted isatins as carbonyl substrates, and urea and alkyl acetoacetates as further components. BINOL-derived phosphoric acid catalysts have been used to achieve the synthesis of a small library of chiral, enantioenriched spiro(indoline-pyrimidine)-diones derivatives. The absolute configuration of the new spiro stereocenter was assessed on diastereoisomeric derivatives through computer-assisted NMR spectroscopy. X-ray diffractometry allowed the disclosure of the overall molecular conformation in the solid state and the characterization of the crystal packing of a Br-substituted Biginelli-like derivative, while computational studies on the reaction transition state allowed us to rationalize the stereochemical outcome.

Background: In the last 2 decades, new drugs that oppose the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and thus angiogenesis, have considerably improved treatment of solid tumors. These anti-VEGFR drugs, however, are burdened by several side effects, particularly relevant on heart and vessels. The aim of this study was to analyze the changes in cardiovascular structure and function associated with use of anti-VEGFR drugs., Methods: Twenty-nine patients (27 affected by renal and 2 by thyroid cancer), received treatment with anti-VEGFR drugs. Brachial blood pressure (BP), central BP, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), augmentation index (Aix), and several echocardiographic markers of systolic and diastolic left ventricular functions including global longitudinal strain were measured before starting treatment (T0), after 2 (T1), and 6 weeks (T2) of treatment., Results: Anti-VEGFR treatment was accompanied by a significant increase of both peripheral (systolic BP +13±15.5mm Hg, diastolic BP +7.1±9.3mm Hg, P < 0.001) and central BP (systolic BP +14±14.2mm Hg, diastolic BP +7.3±10.4mm Hg, P < 0.001) and a significant raise of cfPWV (+1.3±1.8 m/sec, P = 0.003). There was also a significant alteration of markers of diastolic and subclinical left ventricular systolic function, including global longitudinal strain (-19.9±3.8% at T0, -17.8±2.6% at T2, P < 0.05). All the changes were already evident at T1, worsened at T2 in patients who maintained oncological treatment, but disappeared at T2 in patients in whom treatment was stopped., Conclusions: All the changes regarding BP and cfPWV appear early after treatment initiation and seem to be reversible if treatment is stopped, instead diastolic and systolic left ventricular function are persistently altered by anti-VEGFR drugs., (© American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2015. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The FLIPR (Fluorescent Imaging Plate Reader) system has been extensively used in the early stages of drug discovery for the identification of small molecules as a starting point for drug development, and for the pharmacological characterization of compounds. The main application of the system has been the measurement of intracellular Ca(2+) signals using fluorescent calcium indicators.This chapter describes the application of a protocol for the study and characterization of state-dependent blockers of Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels (VGCC) on the FLIPR(TETRA).The cell line suitable for the application of the protocol, and described hereafter, co-expresses the human CaV1.2 channel and the human inward rectifier K(+) channel Kir2.3. The presence of Kir2.3 allows the modulation of the plasma membrane potential and consequently of the state of the CaV1.2 channel by changing the extracellular K(+) concentration. In this way, CaV1.2 activity can be measured at different membrane voltages, corresponding to either the resting or partial inactivated state, by loading the cells with a calcium probe in extracellular low or high potassium buffer.

A small family of structural analogues of the antimitotic tripeptides, hemiasterlins, have been designed and synthesized as potential inhibitors of tubulin polymerization. The effectiveness of a multicomponent approach was fully demonstrated by applying complementary versions of the isocyanide-based Ugi reaction. Compounds strictly related to the lead natural products, as well as more extensively modified analogues, have been synthesized in a concise and convergent manner. In some cases, biological evaluation provided evidence for strong cytotoxic activity (six human tumor cell lines) and for potent inhibition of tubulin polymerization.

Early vascular aging is a process characterized by a reduction in arterial elastin with an increase in collagen that has been related to cardiovascular risk factor and can determine an increased arterial stiffness and central blood pressure. It can be measured by several non invasive methods and in different arterial segment. The present paper will focus on functional (local stiffness parameter) and structural (intima media thickness) carotid arteries alterations typically evaluated by ultrasound methods. Methodological, research and clinical issue has been reviewed.

A series of 1,4-disubstituted piperazine-based compounds were designed, synthesized, and evaluated as dopamine D2/D3 receptor ligands. The synthesis relies on the key multicomponent split-Ugi reaction, assessing its great potential in generating chemical diversity around the piperazine core. With the aim of evaluating the effect of such diversity on the dopamine receptor affinity, a small library of compounds was prepared, applying post-Ugi transformations. Ligand stimulated binding assays indicated that some compounds show a significant affinity, with K i values up to 53 nM for the D2 receptor. Molecular docking studies with the D2 and D3 receptor homology models were also performed on selected compounds. They highlighted key interactions at the indole head and at the piperazine moiety, which resulted in good agreement with the known pharmacophore models, thus helping to explain the observed structure-activity relationship data. Molecular insights from this study could enable a rational improvement of the split-Ugi primary scaffold, toward more selective ligands.

The concurrent employment of α-amino acid-derived chiral components such as aldehydes and α-isocyanoacetates, in a sequential Ugi reaction/cyclization two-step strategy, opens the door to the synthesis of three structurally distinct piperazine-based scaffolds, characterized by the presence of L-Ala and/or L-Phe-derived side chains and bearing appropriate functionalities to be easily applied in peptide chemistry. By means of computational studies, these scaffolds have been demonstrated to act as minimalist peptidomimetics, able to mimic a well defined range of peptide secondary structures and therefore potentially useful for the synthesis of small-molecule PPI modulators. Preliminary biological evaluation of two different resistant hepatocellular carcinoma cellular lines, for which differentiation versus resistance ability seem to be strongly correlated with well defined types of PPIs, has revealed a promising antiproliferative activity for selected compounds.

An efficient Ugi three-component reaction of a preformed chiral ketimine derived from isatin with various isonitrile and acid components has been developed. The reactions proceeded smoothly and in a stereocontrolled manner with regard to the new center of the Ugi products due to the stereoinduction of the amine chiral residue. A wide variety of novel chiral 3,3-disubstituted 3-aminooxindoles were obtained, a selection of which were subjected to post-Ugi transformations, paving the way to application as peptidomimetics.

New penguin fossils from the Eocene of Peru force a reevaluation of previous hypotheses regarding the causal role of climate change in penguin evolution. Repeatedly it has been proposed that penguins originated in high southern latitudes and arrived at equatorial regions relatively recently (e.g., 4-8 million years ago), well after the onset of latest Eocene/Oligocene global cooling and increases in polar ice volume. By contrast, new discoveries from the middle and late Eocene of Peru reveal that penguins invaded low latitudes >30 million years earlier than prior data suggested, during one of the warmest intervals of the Cenozoic. A diverse fauna includes two new species, here reported from two of the best exemplars of Paleogene penguins yet recovered. The most comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of Sphenisciformes to date, combining morphological and molecular data, places the new species outside the extant penguin radiation (crown clade: Spheniscidae) and supports two separate dispersals to equatorial (paleolatitude approximately 14 degrees S) regions during greenhouse earth conditions. One new species, Perudyptes devriesi, is among the deepest divergences within Sphenisciformes. The second, Icadyptes salasi, is the most complete giant (>1.5 m standing height) penguin yet described. Both species provide critical information on early penguin cranial osteology, trends in penguin body size, and the evolution of the penguin flipper.