Vanadium Chloro-Substituted Schiff Base Catecholate Complexes are Reducible, Lipophilic, Water Stable, and Have Anticancer Activities

A hydrophobic Schiff base catecholate vanadium complex was recently discovered to have anticancer properties superior to cisplatin and suited for intratumoral administration. This [VO(HSHED)(DTB)] complex, where HSHED is N-(salicylideneaminato)-N'-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine and the non-innocent catecholato ligand is di-t-butylcatecholato (DTB), has higher stability compared to simpler catecholato complexes. Three new chloro-substituted Schiff base complexes of vanadium(V) with substituted catecholates as co-ligands were synthesized for comparison with their non-chlorinated Schiff base vanadium complexes, and their properties were characterized. Up to four geometric isomers for each complex were identified in organic solvents using ⁵¹V and ¹H NMR spectroscopies. Spectroscopy was used to characterize the structure of the major isomer in solution and to demonstrate that the observed isomers are exchanged in solution. All three chloro-substituted Schiff base vanadium(V) complexes with substituted catecholates were also characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and electrochemistry. Upon testing in human glioblastoma multiforme (T98g) cells as an in vitro model of brain gliomas, the most sterically hindered, hydrophobic, and stable compound [t_1/2 (298 K) = 15 min in cell medium] was better than the two other complexes (IC₅₀ = 4.1 ± 0.5 μM DTB, 34 ± 7 μM 3-MeCat, and 19 ± 2 μM Cat). Furthermore, upon aging, the complexes formed less toxic decomposition products (IC₅₀ = 9 ± 1 μM DTB, 18 ± 3 μM 3-MeCat, and 8.1 ± 0.6 μM Cat). The vanadium complexes with the chloro-substituted Schiff base were more hydrophobic, more hydrolytically stable, more easily reduced compared to their corresponding parent counterparts, and the most sterically hindered complex of this series is only the second non-innocent vanadium Schiff base complex with a potent in vitro anticancer activity that is an order of magnitude more potent than cisplatin under the same conditions.

Dupilumab for atopic dermatitis: a real-world portuguese multicenter retrospective study

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a difficult-to-treat inflammatory skin disease with a high impact on patients' quality of life. Dupilumab, an IL-4 and IL-13 inhibitor, was the first monoclonal antibody approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe AD and is currently approved in patients aged 6 or older.Methods: This is a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective, 48-week study designed by the Portuguese Group of AD to assess real-world efficacy and safety of dupilumab for the treatment of AD.Results: A total of 169 patients were enrolled, with a mean disease duration of 22.75 (±11.98) years. The percentage of patients achieving an improvement of at least 75% in Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) compared to baseline (EASI75 response) at weeks 12 and 48 was 67.6% and 74.1%, respectively. In the same timepoints, 25.0% and 44.1% achieved an EASI90 response. Patient-reported outcome measures also improved throughout the study period. Regarding safety, 32.0% of the patients developed adverse events, with conjunctivitis (26.6%), persistent facial erythema (4.7%), and arthritis/arthralgia (3.6%) as the more frequently reported.Conclusion: Data from real-world populations are crucial to guide clinicians in their daily decisions. This study provides data demonstrating that dupilumab is an effective and safe therapeutic option for AD.

Depression mediates the links between climacteric symptoms and food and nutritional insecurity

OBJECTIVE

This study is perhaps the first to evaluate the influence of depression on the relationship between climacteric symptoms and food and nutritional insecurity (FNI).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study with a relatively large sample of climacteric women (N = 400), sociodemographic and clinical variables were investigated. We measured FNI, depression and climacteric symptoms with psychometrically sound instruments, namely the Brazilian Food Security Scale, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Kupperman Index, respectively.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were observed in the means of FNI according to education, income, marital status, history of depression, use of antidepressants and current depression. Furthermore, depression had strong indirect effects on the relationship between climacteric symptoms and FNI.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that targeting depression could benefit climacteric women, especially those with severe symptoms and in FNI.

A Short-Lived but Highly Cytotoxic Vanadium(V) Complex as a Potential Drug Lead for Brain Cancer Treatment by Intratumoral Injections

The chemistry and short lifetimes of metal-based anti-cancer drugs can be turned into an advantage for direct injections into tumors, which then allow the use of highly cytotoxic drugs. The release of their less toxic decomposition products into the blood will lead to decreased toxicity and can even have beneficial effects. We present a ternary V^V complex, 1 ([VOL¹ L² ], where L¹ is N-(salicylideneaminato)-N'-(2-hydroxyethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine and L² is 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol), which enters cells intact to induce high cytotoxicity in a range of human cancer cells, including T98g (glioma multiforme), while its decomposition products in cell culture medium were ≈8-fold less toxic. 1 was 12-fold more toxic than cisplatin in T98g cells and 6-fold more toxic in T98g cells than in a non-cancer human cell line, HFF-1. Its high toxicity in T98g cells was retained in the presence of physiological concentrations of the two main metal-binding serum proteins, albumin and transferrin. These properties favor further development of 1 for brain cancer treatment by intratumoral injections.

Relationships between depression and food intake in climacteric women

Objective: This study evaluated the associations between food intake - especially omega-3 (n-3) - and depressive symptoms in climacteric women.Methods: Four hundred climacteric women were included in this research. The Kupperman Index, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and a 3-day food diary were used to investigate climacteric symptoms, depressive symptoms, and food intake, respectively. Sociodemographic, clinical, and anthropometric variables were also explored.Results: Statistically significant associations were observed between depression and climacteric symptoms, climacteric phase, previous history of depression, antidepressant drug use, family income, sleep pattern, and consumption of carbohydrates, fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, and vitamins C, D, and B12. No association was observed between n-3 consumption and depression.Conclusion: Climacteric symptoms and food intake are important factors linked to depression during the climacteric period. Further studies are needed to clarify the changes in this phase of women's lives, as well as to investigate the role of the diet in the depression treatment or prevention.

Comparative studies of Schiff base-copper(ii) and zinc(ii) complexes regarding their DNA binding ability and cytotoxicity against sarcoma cells

Schiff base-copper(ii) and zinc(ii) complexes were prepared and characterized, and their binding ability to DNA and cytotoxicity against healthy and carcinogenic cells were studied.

Controlled release of moxifloxacin from intraocular lenses modified by Ar plasma-assisted grafting with AMPS or SBMA: An in vitro study

Intraocular lenses (IOLs) present an alternative for extended, local drug delivery in the prevention of post-operative acute endophthalmitis. In the present work, we modified the surface of a hydrophilic acrylic material, used for manufacturing of IOLs, through plasma-assisted grafting copolymerization of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS) or [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA), with the aim of achieving a controlled and effective drug release. The material was loaded with moxifloxacin (MFX), a commonly used antibiotic for endophthalmitis prevention. The characterization of the modified material showed that relevant properties, like swelling capacity, wettability, refractive index and transmittance, were not affected by the surface modification. Concerning the drug release profiles, the most promising result was obtained when AMPS grafting was done in the presence of MFX. This modification led to a higher amount of drug being released for a longer period of time, which is a requirement for the prevention of endophthalmitis. The material was found to be non-cytotoxic for rabbit corneal endothelial cells. In a second step, prototype IOLs were modified with AMPS and loaded with MFX as previously and, after sterilization and storage (30days), they were tested under dynamic conditions, in a microfluidic cell with volume and renovation rate similar to the eye aqueous humour. MFX solutions collected in this assay were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and the released antibiotic proved to be effective against both bacteria until the 12th day of release.

Crossover from one- to three-dimensional behavior in the S = 1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet Cu(N2H5)2(SO4)2

From experimental and theoretical analyses of magnetic and specific-heat properties, we present the complete magnetic phase diagram of the quasi-1D antiferromagnet Cu(N₂H₅)₂(SO₄)₂. On cooling and at zero magnetic field this compound enters a 1D regime with short-range magnetic correlations, marked by a broad maximum in the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility at [Formula: see text] K, followed by a tridimensional antiferromagnetically ordered phase below [Formula: see text] K induced by small interchain couplings. The intermediate-temperature 1D regime can be modeled using exact quantum-transfer-matrix calculations, which offer a compatible description of the nonmonotonic behavior of [Formula: see text] as a function of the magnetic field, giving [Formula: see text] K for the intrachain exchange parameter. The analysis of magnetic specific-heat and susceptibility data at low temperature indicates that the interchain exchange couplings are an order of magnitude smaller than the coupling inside the chains.

Design, syntheses, characterization, and cytotoxicity studies of novel heterobinuclear oxindolimine copper(II)-platinum(II) complexes

Herein, the design and syntheses of two new mononuclear oxindolimine-copper(II) (1 and 2) and corresponding heterobinuclear oxindolimine Cu(II)Pt(II) complexes (3 and 4), are described. All the isolated complexes were characterized by spectroscopic techniques (UV/Vis, IR, EPR), in addition to elemental analysis and mass spectrometry. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements showed that in all cases, one-electron quasi-reversible waves were observed, and ascribed to the formation of corresponding copper(I) complexes. Additionally, waves related to oxindolimine ligand reduction was verified, and confirmed using analogous oxindolimine-Zn(II) complexes. The Pt(IV/II) reduction, and corresponding oxidation, for complexes 3 and 4 occurred at very close values to those observed for cisplatin. By complementary fluorescence studies, it was shown that glutathione (GSH) cannot reduce any of these complexes, under the experimental conditions (room temperature, phosphate buffer 50mM, pH7.4), using an excess of 20-fold [GSH]. All these complexes showed characteristic EPR spectral profile, with parameters values g_ǁ>g_⊥ suggesting an axially distorted environment around the copper(II) center. Interactions with calf thymus-DNA, monitored by circular dichroism (CD), indicated different effects modulated by the ligands. Finally, the cytotoxicity of each complex was tested toward different tumor cells, in comparison to cisplatin, and low values of IC₅₀ in the range 0.6 to 4.0μM were obtained, after 24 or 48h incubation at 37°C. The obtained results indicate that such complexes can be promising alternative antitumor agents.

Maier-Saupe model for a mixture of uniaxial and biaxial molecules

We introduce shape variations in a liquid-crystalline system by considering an elementary Maier-Saupe lattice model for a mixture of uniaxial and biaxial molecules. Shape variables are treated in the annealed (thermalized) limit. We analyze the thermodynamic properties of this system in terms of temperature T, concentration c of intrinsically biaxial molecules, and a parameter Δ associated with the degree of biaxiality of the molecules. At the mean-field level, we use standard techniques of statistical mechanics to draw global phase diagrams, which are shown to display a rich structure, including uniaxial and biaxial nematic phases, a reentrant ordered region, and many distinct multicritical points. Also, we use the formalism to write an expansion of the free energy in order to make contact with the Landau-de Gennes theory of nematic phase transitions.

Phase diagram of a model for a binary mixture of nematic molecules on a Bethe lattice

We investigate the phase diagram of a discrete version of the Maier-Saupe model with the inclusion of additional degrees of freedom to mimic a distribution of rodlike and disklike molecules. Solutions of this problem on a Bethe lattice come from the analysis of the fixed points of a set of nonlinear recursion relations. Besides the fixed points associated with isotropic and uniaxial nematic structures, there is also a fixed point associated with a biaxial nematic structure. Due to the existence of large overlaps of the stability regions, we resorted to a scheme to calculate the free energy of these structures deep in the interior of a large Cayley tree. Both thermodynamic and dynamic-stability analyses rule out the presence of a biaxial phase, in qualitative agreement with previous mean-field results.

Susceptibility of hippocampal neurons to Abeta peptide toxicity is associated with perturbation of Ca2+ homeostasis

Neuritic dystrophy, loss of synapses and neuronal death in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the present study was to investigate the differential susceptibility of cortical and hippocampal neurons to amyloid-beta (Abeta)-induced toxicity. For that, we have used primary neuronal cultures prepared from rat brain cortex and hippocampus which were treated with the synthetic peptides Abeta25-35 or Abeta1-40. Abeta-induced apoptotic cell death was analyzed by determining caspase-3-like activity. Neuritic dystrophy was evaluated by cobalt staining and MAP2 immunoreactivity. Perturbation of Ca(2+) homeostasis caused by exposure to Abeta was evaluated by determining basal cytosolic calcium levels in the whole neuronal population and by single cell calcium imaging under basal and KCl-depolarization conditions. Finally, levels of GluR2 subunit of glutamate AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionate) receptors were quantified by western blotting. Our results demonstrated that hippocampal neurons in culture are more susceptible than cortical neurons to Abeta-induced apoptosis and also that this mechanism involves the perturbation of Ca(2+) homeostasis. Accordingly, the exposure of hippocampal neurons to Abeta peptides decreases the protein levels of the GluR2 subunit of glutamate AMPA receptors that may be associated with a significant rise of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration, leading to dendritic dystrophy and activation of apoptotic neuronal death.

Cyclosporin A treatment in severe childhood psoriasis

Though used occasionally, systemic therapies in severe childhood psoriasis have not been systematically investigated. Cyclosporin A (CysA) is effective in adults with severe psoriasis but there are no extensive data regarding the efficacy and safety of its use in childhood psoriasis. In this paper, we describe six children aged between 11 months and 13 years (average: 7.6 years) treated with CysA microemulsion formulation for severe psoriasis, who had been unresponsive to other treatments. The CysA dose ranged from 2 to 4 mg/kg/day, for periods varying from 8 to 105 weeks (mean: 54 weeks). Dose tapering was gradual after lesion improvement and adjusted according to clinical response. Adjuvant therapy with topical steroids, vitamin D3 ointments, coal tar preparations or anthralin was used in all children. Acitretin was used in three patients for short periods. The children were regularly monitored for serum renal and liver function and blood pressure. Improvement of skin lesions was achieved after between 4 and 30 (mean: 12) weeks of treatment, with complete remission in three children. Relapse of lesions occurred in the other children during CysA reduction, but they responded to a dose increase. The treatment was found to be well tolerated and with no significant side-effects. CysA can be used in carefully selected and monitored patients and may represent an alternative tool for severe episodes of psoriasis in children, when other therapies are unsuccessful.

Correlated disordered interactions on Potts models

Using a weak-disorder scheme and real-space renormalization-group techniques, we obtain analytical results for the critical behavior of various q-state Potts models with correlated disordered exchange interactions along d(1) of d spatial dimensions on hierarchical (Migdal-Kadanoff) lattices. Our results indicate qualitative differences between the cases d-d(1)=1 (for which we find non-physical random fixed points, suggesting the existence of non-perturbative fixed distributions) and d-d(1)>1 (for which we do find acceptable perturbative random fixed points), in agreement with previous numerical calculations by Andelman and Aharony [Phys. Rev. B 31, 4305 (1985)]. We also rederive a criterion for relevance of correlated disorder, which generalizes the usual Harris criterion.

Autoimmune progesterone urticaria

Autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is a rare cutaneous disorder characterized by recurrent and cyclic skin eruption with variable morphology, occurring during the luteal phase. A case of autoimmune progesterone urticaria in a 47-year-old woman is reported. An intradermal progestin test revealed a strong reactivity against this hormone. Treatment with tamoxifen and leuprolide acetate induced only a partial remission of urticaria. Bilateral oophorectomy was performed with absolute clearing of cutaneous lesions.