Ellipticine is an alkaloid isolated from Apocynaceae plants exhibiting significant antitumor and anti-HIV activities. Cytochromes P450 (CYP) and peroxidases are the enzymes participating in metabolism of ellipticine. This process provides activation and detoxication metabolites of ellipticine. The CYP enzymes, which participate in oxidation of ellipticine in different tissues (liver, lung and kidney) of rat, a model organism simulating the fate of ellipticine in humans have already been identified. In this work, the effects of ellipticine on contents and catalytic activities of CYPs and other components of the mixed-function oxidase (MFO) system in this animal system were studied. For detection of contents of CYPs and other components of the MFO system, spectroscopic and electrochemical methods were used. To determine catalytic activities of CYPs and NADPH:cytochrome P450 reductase, reactions with specific substrates of these enzymes were utilized. The results found in this study demonstrate that expression and catalytic activity of CYP1A is induced by ellipticine in all of the tested organs (liver, kidney and lung) of rats treated with the drug. Moreover in liver, the cytochrome b5 expression is also induced. In addition, in this organ, expression and catalytic activity of CYP3A was increased by...

Cancer cells are able to adapt to different stress factors such as hypoxia, which is caused by insufficient tumor vascularization. An increased acetylation status of histones H3 and H4 in UKF-NB-3 and UKF-NB-4 neuroblastoma cell lines was found to be a mechanism of adaptation of these cells to hypoxia. An increase in acetylation of histones H3 and H4 is suggested to cause changes in the structure of chromatin that lead to activation of gene transcription. In addition, cultivation of tested neuroblastoma cells under hypoxic conditions changes expression of proteins of a transcription factor N-myc, which is essential for development of neuroblastomas. This transcription factor is also responsible for a metabolic adaptation of neuroblastoma cells, increases their aggressiveness and its expression leads to a worse prognosis of the disease. Inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDAC) are suggested to be the promising agents exhibiting various anticancer effects. They can induce cell cycle arrest, differentiation or programmed cell death in sensitive tumors. In this study, the effect of one of inhibitors of HDACs, valproate, on expression of proteins of transcription factors N-myc and hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) was investigated. Valproate decreases protein levels of both transcription factors in...

7 Abstract Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood. Despite advances in cancer diagnosis and therapy, the treatment of some forms of neuroblastoma is still complicated. One of the major complications of the chemotherapy is a developed drug resistance. This master thesis deals with the effect of cytostatics on protein and gene expression of selected proteins, which may contribute to chemoresistance of the human neuroblastoma cell line UKF-NB-4. The sensitive line UKF-NB-4 and the resistant line UKF-NB-4CDDP , UKF-NB-4DOXO and UKF-NB-4ELLI were exposed to cisplatin, doxorubicin, ellipticine for 24, 48 and 72 hours. The Western blot analysis showed that cytostatic agents cisplatin, doxorubicin or ellipticine added to the sensitive neuroblastoma cell line UKF-NB-4 in amounts which are added to resistant neuroblastoma cell lines in order to maintain resistance induced expression of p53 and reduced expression of retinoblastoma protein pRb after 72 hours of cultivation. Differences in the expression of RAS protein, cytochrome P450 1A1, 3A4 and cytochrome b5 has not been shown. Changes in the expression of the studied proteins in resistant lines UKF-NB-4CDDP , UKF-NB-4DOXO and UKF-NB-4ELLI cultured with and without cytostatic agents were not detected by the Western blot analysis....

Ellipticine is an alkaloid with antitumor activity, whose mechanism of action is based on intercalation into DNA, inhibition of topoisomerase II and formation of covalent adducts with DNA, after its enzymatic activation by cytochromes P450 and/or peroxidases. Ellipticine is oxidized by cytochromes P450 to form up to five metabolites (7-hydroxy-, 9-hydroxy, 12- hydroxy-, 13-hydroxyellipticine and N2 -oxide ellipticine). 9-Hydroxy- and 7- hydroxyellipticine are considered to be detoxification metabolites, whereas 12-hydroxy-, 13- hydroxyellipticine and N2 -oxide of ellipticine are considered as activation metabolites, which are responsible for formation of covalent DNA adducts. The aim of this thesis was to examine the efficiency of human recombinant cytochromes P450 expressed in eukaryotic (SupersomesTM ) and two prokaryotic expression systems (Bactosomes) in oxidation of ellipticine. Cytochromes P450 expressed in prokaryotic systems differed in the amounts of "coexpressed" NADPH:CYP reductase. The resulting ellipticine metabolites were analyzed by HPLC. The results obtained in this thesis demonstrate that human cytochromes P450 2C9/2D6/2C19 expressed in prokaryotic or eukaryotic systems oxidize ellipticine to form up to four metabolites: 9-hydroxy-, 12-hydroxy-, 13-hydroxyellipticine and N2 -oxide...

6 Abstract Ellipticine (5,11-dimethyl-6H-pyrido[4,3-b]carbazole), an alkaloid isolated from Apocynaceae plants, exhibits significant antitumor and HIV activity. This antitumor agent binds to DNA and forms covalent DNA adducts. Enzymes, which are involved in its enzymatic activation, are cytochromes P450 (CYP) and peroxidases. To elucidate the effect of ellipticine on the expression and enzymatic activity of the individual components of the microsomal mixed function oxidase system in different tissues, we used rat model. Simultaneously, the effect of ellipticine and its cytotoxicity on different tumor cell lines was also investigated. Another part of the presented work was targeted on preparation of anti-peptide antibody against orphan cytochrome P450 2S1, which is highly expressed in many human tumours of the epithelial origin, for its detection in these tissues. For better understanding how CYP2S1 can contribute to the metabolism of xenobiotics, the protein was prepared by heterologous expression in E. coli. Furher, its role in metabolism of an antitumor drug ellipticine, a carcinogenic environmental pollutant benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and its derivate BaP-7,8-dihydrodiol was examined. Utilizing a mouse model, the impact of pulmonary inflammation on the metabolism of an environmental carcinogen was...

Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-22T22:01:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andreia Montoia.pdf: 3824551 bytes, checksum: 75e621941cc5f0f5383f36e0472f3ec2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-08 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The growing number of cases of resistance to the common antimalarials chloroquine and the ACTs (artemisinin-based combined therapy) favors the search for new substances with antiplasmodial activity. In 2007, the Amazonian Active Principles Laboratory (LAPAAM) at the National Institute for Amazon Research (INPA) discovered the in vitro antimalarial activity of the indole alkaloid ellipticine (10) against Plasmodium falciparum. A bibliographic search revealed that many indole alkaloids of relatively simple structure exhibited in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity. In the present study, substances that are structurally related to 10 were obtained by isolation or semi-synthesis and their in vitro antimalarial activity was investigated. 10 and 2-methyl-1, 2, 3 ,4-tetrahydroellipticine (12) were isolated from the alkaline extracts of the bark of carapanaúba (Aspidosperma vargasii, Apocynaceae) by column chromatography. UPLC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 10 and 12 in an infusion of A. vargasii bark. Nitration (HNO3/AcOH) and bromination (Br2/CHCl3) reactions using 10 as starting material formed electrophilic aromatic substitution products 7-nitroellipticine (20, new substance) and a 3:1 mixture of 7,9-dibromoellipticine (17, a new substance) and 9-bromoellipticine (18), respectively. All substances inhibited the K1 strain of P. falciparum in vitro as evidenced by IC50 values 0,19 (10), 1,10 (12), 0,43 (20) and 0,30 (17+18) μg/mL. Compounds 10, 12, 17, 18 and 20 were not cytotoxic to human fibroblasts (IC50 > 50 μg/mL). 10 administered by mouth was highly active in the 4 day suppressive test against Plasmodium berghei in mice and inhibited parasitemia by 92% on the 5th day at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day. In the future, 17, 18 and 20 will be prepared in larger quantity and evaluated for in vivo antimalarial activity. / O aumento de casos de resistência aos antimaláricos comuns cloroquina e TCA (Tratamentos Combinados baseados na Artemisinina) favorece a busca por novas substâncias com atividade antiplasmodial. Em 2007, o Laboratório de Princípios Ativos da Amazônia (LAPAAM) do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisa da Amazônia (INPA) descobriu a atividade antimalárica in vitro contra Plasmodium falciparum do alcaloide indólico elipticina (10). Um levantamento bibliográfico revelou que diversos alcaloides indólicos de estruturas relativamente simples possuem atividade antimalárica in vitro e in vivo. No presente estudo, substâncias relacionadas estruturalmente a 10 foram obtidas por isolamento ou semi-sintése e sua atividade antimalárica in vitro foi investigada. 10 e 2-metil-1, 2, 3, 4-tetraidroelipticina (12) foram isoladas a partir dos extratos alcalinos das cascas de carapanaúba (Aspidosperma vargasii, Apocynaceae) por cromatografia em coluna. Análise por UPLC-ESI-MS revelou a presença de 10 e 12 em uma infusão das cascas de A. vargasii. As reações de nitração (HNO3/HOAc) e bromação (Br2/CHCl3) utilizando 10 como material de partida levou à formação dos produtos de substituição eletrofílica aromática 7-nitroelipticina (20, substância inédita) e uma mistura 3:1 de 7,9- dibromoelipticina (17, substância inédita) e 9-bromoelipticina (18), respectivamente. Todas as substâncias inibiram a cepa K1 de P. falciparum in vitro apresentando valores de IC50 de 0,19 (10); 1,10 (12); 0,43 (20) e 0,30 (17+18) μg/mL. As substâncias 10, 12, 17, 18 e 20 não exibiram toxicidade para fibroblastos humanos (IC50 > 50 μg/mL). 10 via oral exibiu elevada atividade in vivo no teste de supressão de 4 dias contra P. berghei em camundongos e inibiu em 92 % a parasitemia no quinto dia na dose de 10 mg/kg/dia. Futuramente, 17, 18 e 20 deverão ser preparados em maior quantidade e avaliados para atividade antimalárica in vivo.

L'Ellipticine, alcaloïde représentatif des composés de type pyrido[4,3-b] carbazole, est un<br />puissant cytotoxique de part ses propriétés intercalantes mais également du fait de son<br />aptitude à inhiber l'activité de religation de l'ADN de la topoisomérase II. De nombreux<br />laboratoires se sont attachés à réaliser des synthèses efficaces de l'ellipticine mais également<br />de ses analogues structuraux.<br />Dans la première partie, en s'appuyant sur des travaux antérieurs du laboratoire, nous avons<br />développé une voie de synthèse d'un nouvel analogue benzoxazinique de l'Ellipticine, en 9<br />étapes, avec un rendement global de 4%. L'étape clé de notre stratégie, permettant la<br />construction du squelette tétracyclique, consiste à condenser la benzoxazine protégée par un<br />groupement N-Boc sur le N,N-diéthyl-4-formylnicotinamide suivant une double réaction de<br />metallation. Une réaction de couplage palladiée est ensuite utilisée afin d'introduire de<br />manière judicieuse les substituants désirés.<br />Dans une deuxième partie, nous avons préparé des dérivés 1,4-dihydropyridiniques originaux<br />substitués en positions 2 et 6 par divers groupements alkyles, allyles, aryles ou hétéroaryles ;<br />nous avons réalisé des réactions de couplage palladié de type Suzuki-Miyaura ou Stille à<br />partir de bis-vinylphosphates obtenus à partir de glutarimides commerciaux. Nous avons<br />ensuite mis au point les conditions d'alkylation de ces composés en position 4. Le traitement<br />acide des diverses dihydropyridines ainsi obtenues a ensuite permis d'accéder, suivant les<br />conditions expérimentales, à des pyridines diversement substituées ou à des composés<br />dicétoniques.

Práca sa zaoberá in silico dizajnom a validáciou peptidov založených na konotoxíne - MrIA, izolovaného z morských slimákov druhu Conus marmoreus a možnosti využitia týchto peptidov v liečbe neuroblastómu pomocou cielenia norepinefrínového transportéru. Päť peptidov založených na tomto konotoxíne bolo simulovaných pomocou simulácii molekulárnej dynamiky, ich trajektórie boli analyzované pre zistenie vlastností týchto peptidov. Dva homologické modely ľudského norepinefrínového transportéru boli vytvorené pre analýzu väzobných vlastností peptidov založených na konotoxíne ku norepinefrínovému transportéru. Peptidy boli následne syntetizované a použité na pokrytie apoferitínových nanočastíc s elipticínom uväzneným vnútri apoferitínu. Vytvorené peptidy a nanočastice boli ďalej skúmané pre objasnenie ich fyzikálo-chemických vlastností. Interakcie a cytotoxicita boli skúmané aplokáciou nanočastíc na bunky neuroblastómu a epitelu. Z in silico a in vitro analýz vyšiel YKL-6 peptid ako najlepší kandidát na ďalší výskum.

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are a superfamily of heme proteins distributed widely throughout nature, involved in metabolism of a broad variety of substrates and catalyzing a variety of interesting chemical reactions. They play a central role in metabolism of chemotherapeutic agents. Several prodrug antitumor agents have been found as CYP substrates. Ellipticine, an alkaloid found in Apocynaceae plants, is an example of such type of pro-drug. Here, we investigate the efficiencies of human recombinant CYPs expressed in eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression systems, namely in SupersomesTM , microsomes isolated from insect cells transfected with baculovirus construct containing cDNA of human CYP1A1, 1A2 and 3A4 with NADPH:CYP reductase or in Bactosomes, the membrane fraction of E. coli transfected with cDNA of the same human CYP enzymes and NADPH:CYP reductase to oxidize their marker substrates and ellipticine. Cytochrome b5, an aditional component of the mixed function oxidase system, which metabolize xenobiotics was also expressed in some of the systems. The results found in this work demonstrate that human CYP1A1, 1A2 or 3A4 expressed in both eukaryotic and procaryotic systems oxidize their marker substrates (EROD for CYP1A1/2, MROD for CYP1A2 and testosterone 6β-hydroxylation for CYP3A4). They also oxidize...

Despite advances in cancer diagnosis and therapy, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. The improvements of cancer treatment are the major challenge in this research. The aim of the thesis was studying of effects of two anticancer drugs ellipticine (Elli) and doxorubicin (DOX) on some cancer and healthy cell lines. Specific consideration was given to expand current knowledge about the metabolism and cytostatic effects of Elli in neuroblastoma cell lines. Another part of this study was focused on mechanisms contributing to the development of ellipticine-resistance in cancer cells and influence of histone deacetylase inhibitors on anticancer therapy was investigated. Moreover, the aim was to develop apoferritin (Apo) nanocarrier suitable for the active transport of cytostatics to cancer cells. Several essential data were found in this doctoral thesis. Anticancer efficiency of Elli depends on the CYP3A4-mediated metabolism in cancer. The CYP3A4 enzyme encapsulated into two nanoparticle forms, liposomes and SupersomesTM , was tested to activate ellipticine to its reactive species forming covalent DNA adducts. The formation of adducts seems to be dependent on concentrations of CYP3A4 in nanoparticle systems. A higher effectiveness of CYP3A4 in SupersomesTM than in liposomes to form...