Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 2006. / Embargoed. Vita. Bibliography: 257-258.

Les acouphènes, perception d'un son en l'absence de stimulation sonore extérieure, affectent fortement la qualité de vie des personnes qui en souffrent. Hélas, aucun traitement n'existe à l'heure actuelle pour traiter les acouphènes. Des études ont montré que la présence d'acouphènes pourrait entraîner une plasticité au niveau des structures nerveuses centrales et des comportements de type anxieux. Nous nous sommes donc intéressés aux altérations moléculaires pouvant caractériser une augmentation de la plasticité synaptique et aux liens existants entre acouphènes et anxiété. En utilisant le modèle d'acouphènes induits par le salicylate chez la souris, nos résultats suggèrent une tendance à la baisse de l'activité dans les structures nerveuses et de la transcription au niveau des structures auditives centrales. Cette baisse est caractérisée par une diminution de l'expression de molécules de signalisation intracellulaire (MAPK-ERK et PI(3)K-AKT) et des niveaux d'expression de l'ARNm des NMDAR, tous marqueurs de plasticité synaptique. Nos résultats démontrent que la survenue d'acouphènes induits par le salicylate chez la souris provoque des comportements de type anxieux qui pourraient être régulés par le système sérotoninergique. Nos résultats semblent confirmer l'origine périphérique plutôt que centrale des acouphènes, tout en montrant que ces altérations périphériques s'accompagnent d'effets centraux et sont prometteurs pour le développement de stratégies thérapeutiques visant à soigner les acouphènes.

M.Sc. / This study deals with the synthesis of nitrogen-donor imidazolyl- and pyrazolyl-salicylaldimine compounds, their reactions with selected transition metals and applications as catalysts for Heck coupling reactions of aryl halides with butyl acrylate, ethylene polymerization reactions and reactions of higher α-olefins. Imidazole-based salicylaldimine compounds 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[2-(1H-imidazol-4-yl)-ethylimino]-methyl}-phenol (L1) and 4-tert-butyl-2-{[2-(1H-imidazole-4-yl)-ethylimino]-methly}-phenol (L2) were prepared by Schiff base condensation reaction of histamine dihydrochloride with 3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde and 5-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde respectively. The compounds were characterized by 1H, 13C{1H} NMR and IR spectroscopy; and high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Compounds 2-{[2-(1H-imidazole-4-yl)-ethylimino]-methly}-phenol (L3), 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[2-(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethylimino]-methyl}-phenol (L4), 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-[(2-pyrazol-1-yl-ethylimino)-methyl]-phenol (L5) and 2,4-di-tert-butyl-6-{[2-(3,5-diphenyl-pyrazol-1-yl)-ethylimino]-methyl}-phenol (L6) were synthesized according to literature procedure. Reactions of L1-L3 with [PdCl2(MeCN)2] yielded complexes 2.1-2.3 respectively. Ligand L1 was also complexed with [FeCl2] and [CoCl2] to give complexes 2.4 and 2.5 respectively, while complexes 2.6-2.15 were synthesized by reactions of L1, L2 and L4-L6 with [VCl3] and [CrCl3(THF)3]; all in a ratio of 1:1. The palladium(II) complexes (2.1-2.3) were characterized by 1H, 13C{1H} NMR and IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis, while complexes 2.4-2.15 were characterized by IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis due to their paramagnetic nature. The structures of complexes 2.1 and 2.4 were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. All the complexes formed were mononuclear.

Salicylic acid, and to a lesser extent aspirin, have been shown to repress β-galactosidase synthesis in Escherichia coli. The repression is not due to decreased inducer uptake, nor does it result from competition with inducer for repressor. Dinitrophenol does not exert similar effects on β-galactosidase synthesis. Cyclic adenosine 31, 51-monophosphate partially relieves the repression. The extent or the relief by cyclic adenosine monophosphate seems to depend on the concentration of salicylic acid. This indicates there may be direct interaction between the actions of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and salicylic acid in E. coli cells.

Diss. (sammanfattning). Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Colorectal cancer (CRC), which includes cancer of the large bowel and rectum is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women and there is a poorer survival rate in less developed regions of the world such as West Africa mainly due to the ‘out of reach’ costs of chemotherapy. Evidence suggests that aspirin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) has the potential to decrease incidence of, or mortality from, a number of cancers including CRC through several mechanisms of action. However, this evidence is dampened by aspirin’s gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity, which have been found to be mostly age-dependent. The search for potential aspirin-related compounds with the same or better cytotoxic effects against cancer cells accompanied by a safer toxicity profile has been ongoing over the years and led to us to synthesise a number of novel aspirin analogues. One of the mechanisms of action suggested for the anticancer property of aspirin is the COX-dependent pathway. In this thesis SW480 cell line, a CRC cell line that is COX-2 negative and mismatch repair (MMR) proficient was used to study the possible COX-independent mechanism of action for aspirin, its analogues and diflunisal at 0.5 mM. Diflunisal was included in this study because it is also a salicylate with reports of having cytotoxic effects. OE33 and FLO1 oesophageal cancer cells were also employed in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and synergy experiments to show effects were not just specific to SW480 cells alone. These aspirin analogues were synthesised, identified using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infra-red (IR) spectroscopy, and tested for purity using thin layer chromatography (TLC) and melting point. The findings of this study suggest that these compounds breakdown into salicylates and perturb epidermal growth factor (EGF) internalization with PN517 (fumaryldiaspirin) and PN590 (ortho-thioaspirin) also driving EGF co-localization with early-endosome antigen-1 (EEA1). The perturbation of the internalization of EGF by aspirin and PN517 was also observed by a time-lapse assay using live confocal imaging. These compounds also had specific effects on different tyrosine phosphorylation sites of the EGFR, with none but PN590 inhibiting 4 phosphorylation at Y1068, and all but PN502 (ortho-aspirin), PN548 (meta-aspirin) and PN549 (para-aspirin) inhibiting phosphorylation at Y1045 and Y1173. Given that the EGF internalization assay involved the cells being treated with compounds for 2 h, cells were also treated for this same time period and probed with pEGFR 1045, which resulted in the compounds having no significant effect on phosphorylation at that site which is responsible for the ubiquitination of the EGFR. Most of these compounds were apoptotic with some showing a combination of apoptosis and necrosis. Aspirin and its isomers drove apoptotic cell death in SW480 cells via the BCL2-BAX pathway while the thioaspirins appear to follow the p21 pathway by decreasing the expression of the protein. In addition, it was shown that PN502 (aspirin), PN517 and PN590 had synergistic effects when used in combination with oxaliplatin at ED50, ED75 and ED90 in SW480 CRC cells. The cytotoxicity of these compounds individually or in combination was determined using MTT assay followed by the use of the CompuSyn and CalcuSyn software to calculate combination index (CI), which indicated whether a drug combination was synergistic, antagonistic or additive. PN517 and PN524 were synergistic when used in combination with cisplatin in OE33 oesophageal cancer cells. Effect of these compounds on the EGFR indicates a delay or disruption of the signalling pathway involved in the proliferation of cancer cells, thus, translating into protection against tumour formation or progression while the synergistic effects of these compounds when used in combination with platinum compounds can provide patients with less toxic chemotherapeutic regimen especially in patients with CRC tumours that harbour mutant TP53 gene and normally resistant to oxaliplatin. It is therefore proposed that the perturbation of EGF internalization is a novel mechanism of action for aspirin and its analogues in cancer therapy. These positive findings shed light on the understanding of the possible mechanism of action for aspirins and gives hope for a more affordable, less toxic therapy for the prevention, treatment and management of cancer.

Thesis (Au.D.)--James Madison University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references.

This study examines the role of deffensive host-plant traits in structuring the community of leaf-chewing insects living on willows. Host-plant phylogeny was reconstructed and leaf morphology and content of three different groups of secondary metabolites were measured. Relationships between defensive leaf traits were examined and their influence on insect community structure was analyzed.