Browsing by Author "Calderon, Pedro Buc"

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    An in vitro comparative study with furyl-1,4-quinones endowed with anticancer activities
    (2011) Benites, Julio; Valderrama, Jaime A.; Taper, Henryk; Calderon, Pedro Buc
    We describe the biological activity of some furylbenzo- and naphthoquinones (furylquinones) on hepatocarcinoma cells and healthy rat liver slices. The effects of furylquinones on cancer cells (Transplantable Liver Tumor, TLT) were assessed by measuring cell death (membrane cell lysis); intracellular contents of ATP and GSH and the activity of caspase-3 were used to determine the type of cell death. Most of the furylquinones tested (at a concentration of 25 mu g/ml) induced caspase-independent cell death but compound 4 had no cytotoxic effects. The levels of both ATP and GSH were severely affected by quinones 1, 2 and 5, while no effect was observed with compound 4. These cytotoxic properties of quinones are associated with physico-chemical properties as shown by the LUMO energies and lipophilicity. Interestingly, no cytotoxic effects of furylquinones were detected when the in vitro model of precision-cut liver slices (PCLS) was used. Indeed, although CYP2E1 activity was slightly affected, ATP and GSH levels as well as protein synthesis were not modified by furylquinones. Paracetamol, a well-known hepatotoxicant, reduced these parameters by more than 80% compared to control conditions. Taking into account the considerable incidence of adverse-effects induced by most current anticancer drugs, the selective cytotoxicity shown by compounds 1, 2 and 5, in particular that of 1, represents a safety factor that encourages the further development of these quinones as new drugs in cancer therapy.
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    Binding of dihydroxynaphthyl aryl ketones to tubulin colchicine site inhibits microtubule assembly
    (2015) Gutierrez, Eunices; Benites, Julio; Valderrama Guerrero, Jaime Adolfo; Calderon, Pedro Buc; Verrax, Julien; Nova, Esteban; Villanelo, Felipe; Maturana, Daniel; Escobar, Cristian; Lagos, Rosalba; Monasterio, Octavio
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    Discovery of New 2-Phenylamino-3-acyl-1,4-naphthoquinones as Inhibitors of Cancer Cells Proliferation: Searching for Intra-Cellular Targets Playing a Role in Cancer Cells Survival
    (2023) Benites, Julio; Valderrama, Jaime A.; Contreras, Alvaro; Enriquez, Cinthya; Pino-Rios, Ricardo; Yanez, Osvaldo; Calderon, Pedro Buc
    A series of 2-phenylamino-3-acyl-1,4-naphtoquinones were evaluated regarding their in vitro antiproliferative activities using DU-145, MCF-7 and T24 cancer cells. Such activities were discussed in terms of molecular descriptors such as half-wave potentials, hydrophobicity and molar refractivity. Compounds 4 and 11 displayed the highest antiproliferative activity against the three cancer cells and were therefore further investigated. The in silico prediction of drug likeness, using pkCSM and SwissADME explorer online, shows that compound 11 is a suitable lead molecule to be developed. Moreover, the expressions of key genes were studied in DU-145 cancer cells. They include genes involved in apoptosis (Bcl-2), tumor metabolism regulation (mTOR), redox homeostasis (GSR), cell cycle regulation (CDC25A), cell cycle progression (TP53), epigenetic (HDAC4), cell-cell communication (CCN2) and inflammatory pathways (TNF). Compound 11 displays an interesting profile because among these genes, mTOR was significantly less expressed as compared to control conditions. Molecular docking shows that compound 11 has good affinity with mTOR, unraveling a potential inhibitory effect on this protein. Due to the key role of mTOR on tumor metabolism, we suggest that impaired DU-145 cells proliferation by compound 11 is caused by a reduced mTOR expression (less mTOR protein) and inhibitory activity on mTOR protein.
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    Part 1: Effect of vitamin C on the biological activity of two euryfurylbenzoquinones on TLT, a murine hepatoma cell line
    (ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER, 2008) Benites, Julio; Rojo, Leonel; Valderrama, Jaime A.; Taper, Henryk; Calderon, Pedro Buc
    2-Euryfuryl- and 2-euryfuryl-3-nitro-1,4-benzoquinone Q2 and Q3, prepared via oxidative coupling reactions of sesquiterpene euryfuran 1 to 2-nitro-1,4-benzoquinone and 1,4-benzoquinone, were tested for their cytotoxicity towards TLT cells (a murine hepatoma cell line) in the absence and in the presence of vitamin C. Their cytotoxic profile was completely different. In cells incubated with Q2 (from 1 to 50 mu g/ml), cell survival was not modified, both GSH and ATP were depleted to about 50% of control values (at 50 mu g/ml); and caspase-3 was activated in a dose-dependent manner. These effects were observed whatever cells were incubated or not in the presence of vitamin C. In the case of Q3, the cytotoxicity was rather unrelated to its concentration but the association of vitamin C plus the highest Q3 concentration (50 mu g/ml) results in a strong cell death (more than 60%). At such a concentration, a complete lack of caspase-3 activity was observed, probably due to cell lysis. At lower concentrations of Q3 (1 and 10 mu g/ml), caspase-3 activity was lower than that observed in the absence of vitamin C or even under control conditions. Both GSH and ATP were kept fairly constant as compared to control values but in the presence of vitamin C and Q3, at 50 mu g/ml, a decrease in their amounts was observed. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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    Part 2: Influence of 2-Euryfuryl-1,4-naphthoquinone and Its peri-Hydroxy Derivatives on Both Cell Death and Metabolism of TLT Cells, a Murine Hepatoma Cell Line. Modulation of Cytotoxicity by Vitamin C
    (PHARMACEUTICAL SOC JAPAN, 2009) Benites, Julio; Adolfo Valderrama, Jaime; Taper, Henryk; Calderon, Pedro Buc
    2-Euryfuryl-1,4-naphthoquinone C-1 and its 5- and 5,8-hydroxy derivatives C-2 and C-3, were tested for their cytotoxicity towards transplantable liver tumor (TLT) cells (a murine hepatoma cell line) in the absence and in the presence of vitamin C. Cell death, caspase-3 activity and two metabolic end-points, namely the intracellular content of ATP and glutathione (GSH), were employed to evaluate their cytotoxicity. In a range of concentration from 0 to 10 mu g/ml C-1 and C-3 were non toxic against TLT cells, while compound C-2 killed about 50% of cells by necrosis. Interestingly, the presence of vitamin C did not enhance the cytolysis of C-2, but its addition exacerbated the effects of the three compounds on both ATP and GSH contents, the two metabolic end points selected in our study. Our assumption is that the electron donor effect of the peri-hydroxyl substituents on euryfurylnaphthoquinones and the hydrogen bond between the peri-hydroxy and quinone carbonyl groups influence the electron-acceptor capability of the quinone nucleus and thus modifies the electron transfer from ascorbate to the electroactive quinone nucleus. The combination of euryfurylnaphthoquinones with vitamin C may he of potential clinical interest, because cancer cells accumulate vitamin C, they are sensitive to an oxidant insult and they depend on glycolysis (ATP formation) for their survival.
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    Studies on quinones. Part 46. Synthesis and in vitro antitumor evaluation of aminopyrimidoisoquinolinequinones
    (ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER, 2010) Vasquez, David; Rodriguez, Jaime A.; Theoduloz, Cristina; Calderon, Pedro Buc; Valderrama, Jaime A.
    In the search of structure-activity relationship studies and to explore the antitumor effect associated with the pyrimidoisoquinolinequinone scaffold, several diversily substituted 8-aminopyrimido[4,5-c] isoquinolinequinones were regioselectively synthesized. Variation in the structure of the nitrogen substituent bonded to the 8-position of the pyrimidoisoquinolinequinone system led to a set of alkylamino-, phenylamino- and alkyphenylamino derivatives. The cytotoxic activity of the aminoquinone derivatives was evaluated in vitro using the MTT colorimetric method against one normal cell line (MRCS lung fibroblasts) and four human cancer cell lines (AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma; SK-MES-1 human lung cancer cells, and J82 human bladder carcinoma; HL-60 human leukemia) in 72-h drug exposure assays. Among the series, five compounds exhibited interesting antitumor activity against AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma and human lung cancer cells. The SAR studies revealed that both the nature of the nitrogen substituent into the quinone ring and the methyl group at the 6-position play key roles in the antitumor activity. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.
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    Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of 8-phenylaminopyrimido[4,5-c]isoquinolinequinones
    (PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD, 2009) Vasquez, David; Rodriguez, Jaime A.; Theoduloz, Cristina; Verrax, Julien; Calderon, Pedro Buc; Valderrama, Jaime A.
    A series of 8-phenylaminopyrimido[4,5-c]isoquinoline-7,10-quinone derivatives were prepared by regioselective amination reaction of pyrimido[4,5-c] isoquinoline-7,10-quinones with arylamines in the presence of a Lewis acid catalyst. Preliminary evaluation of the members of the series against cancer cell lines and assays of activation of their cytotoxic activity on K562 cells with ascorbic acid are reported. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.