Low Micromolar Concentrations (low + micromolar_concentration)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effects of the monomeric, oligomeric, and fibrillar A,42 peptides on the proliferation and differentiation of adult neural stem cells from subventricular zone

JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY, Issue 2 2007
Chaejeong Heo
Abstract The incidence of amyloid plaques, composed mainly of ,-amyloid peptides (A,), does not correlate well with the severity of neurodegeneration in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The effects of A,42 on neurons or neural stem cells (NSCs) in terms of the aggregated form remain controversial. We prepared three forms of oligomeric, fibrillar, and monomeric A,42 peptides and investigated their effects on the proliferation and neural differentiation of adult NSCs, according to the degree of aggregation or concentration. A low micromolar concentration (1 ,mol/L) of oligomeric A,42 increased the proliferation of adult NSCs remarkably in a neurosphere assay. It also enhanced the neuronal differentiation of adult NSCs and their ability to migrate. These results provide us with valuable information regarding the effects of A,42 on NSCs in the brains of patients with AD. [source]


Synthesis and characterization of metal sulfide clusters for toxicological studies

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 4 2002
Karl C. Bowles
Abstract Zinc sulfide clusters were synthesized and characterized at low micromolar concentrations to assess the effect of metal-sulfide ligands on metal toxicity to aquatic organisms in oxic environments. Recommended preparation times are greater than 2 h initial reaction of equimolar sodium sulfide and zinc nitrate, followed by oxic aeration for 3 d. Ionic strength, pH, and anoxic stabilization time were found to be relatively unimportant in controlling the final yield. Adsorptive losses of zinc sulfide (ZnS) clusters to surfaces, however, were significant for a variety of vessel materials and membrane filters. Ionic strength and pH were found to be important factors controlling the extent of adsorptive losses with minimal loss for pHs greater than 9 and for soft waters. The Ag(I), Cu(II), and Hg(II) as metal sulfides completely suppress the analysis of sulfide, whereas Pb(II), Mn(II), and Co(II) partially suppress the analysis of sulfide by the methylene blue technique. Ultraviolet and fluorescence spectra are shown for synthesized ZnS clusters. [source]


Anticancer effects of zoledronic acid against human osteosarcoma cells

JOURNAL OF ORTHOPAEDIC RESEARCH, Issue 6 2006
B. Kubista
Abstract Based on neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients has improved dramatically. However, due to therapy resistance in patient subgroups, the development of new treatment strategies is still of utmost importance. The aim of our study was to test the effects of the nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate zoledronic acid (ZOL) on osteosarcoma cell lines (N,=,9). Exposure to ZOL at low micromolar concentrations induced a dose- and time-dependent block of DNA synthesis and cell cycle progression followed by microfilament breakdown and apoptosis induction. The ZOL-induced cell cycle accumulation in S phase was accompanied by significant changes in the expression of cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors with a prominent loss of cyclin E and D1. ZOL not only inhibited growth but also migration of osteosarcoma cells. The mevalonate pathway intermediary geranyl-geraniol (GGOH) but not farnesol (FOH) significantly inhibited the anticancer effects of ZOL against osteosarcoma cells. Correspondingly, ZOL sensitivity correlated with the blockade of protein geranylgeranylation indicated by unprenylated Rap1. Overexpression of even high levels of P-glycoprotein, as frequently present in therapy-resistant osteosarcomas, did not impair the anticancer activity of ZOL. Summarizing, our data suggest that ZOL, which selectively accumulates in the bone, represents a promising agent to improve osteosarcoma therapy. © 2006 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res [source]


Phytochemicals in olive-leaf extracts and their antiproliferative activity against cancer and endothelial cells

MOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 5 2009
Vlassios Goulas
Abstract Olive oil compounds is a dynamic research area because Mediterranean diet has been shown to protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer. Olive leaves, an easily available natural material of low cost, share possibly a similar wealth of health benefiting bioactive phytochemicals. In this work, we investigated the antioxidant potency and antiproliferative activity against cancer and endothelial cells of water and methanol olive leaves extracts and analyzed their content in phytochemicals using LC-MS and LC-UV-SPE-NMR hyphenated techniques. Olive-leaf crude extracts were found to inhibit cell proliferation of human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF-7), human urinary bladder carcinoma (T-24) and bovine brain capillary endothelial (BBCE). The dominant compound of the extracts was oleuropein; phenols and flavonoids were also identified. These phytochemicals demonstrated strong antioxidant potency and inhibited cancer and endothelial cell proliferation at low micromolar concentrations, which is significant considering their high abundance in fruits and vegetables. The antiproliferative activity of crude extracts and phytochemicals against the cell lines used in this study is demonstrated for the first time. [source]


New potential anti-cancer agents synergize with bortezomib and ABT-737 against prostate cancer

THE PROSTATE, Issue 8 2010
Bulbul Pandit
Abstract BACKGROUND We previously described the identification of a transcriptional inhibitor ARC and FoxM1 inhibitors, thiazole antibiotics, Siomycin A and thiostrepton that were able to induce potent p53-independent apoptosis in cancer cell lines of different origin. Here, we report the characterization of these drugs individually or in combination with ABT-737 and bortezomib on a panel of prostate cancer cell lines. METHODS DU 145, LNCaP and PC-3 prostate cancer cells were treated with ARC, Siomycin A and thiostrepton to evaluate their activity as single agents or in combination with ABT-737 and bortezomib to measure their synergistic potential in anti-proliferative and cell cycle assays. Chou-Talalay method was used to quantitate the synergistic interaction. Western blot method was used to determine Mcl-1 and FoxM1 expression and caspase-3 cleavage. RESULTS We show that ARC inhibited the viability of prostate cancer cells and induced apoptosis in low nanomolar concentration. It potently downregulated the expression of Mcl-1 and showed synergistic combination effect with Bcl-2 inhibitor ABT-737. Thiazole antibiotics, Siomycin A and thiostrepton inhibited growth, FoxM1 expression and induced cell death in prostate cancer cells in low micromolar concentrations. In addition, thiostrepton and ARC synergistically induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells following combination treatment with proteasome inhibitor bortezomib. Furthermore, we found that all tested drug combinations were able to induce apoptosis selectively in transformed, but not normal cells of the same origin. CONCLUSIONS Based on their in vitro activity as single or combination agents, ARC, Siomycin A and thiostrepton represent potential candidates for drug development against prostate cancer. Prostate 70: 825,833, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]