Anti-angiogenic effects of thalidomide: expression of apoptosis-inducible active-caspase-3 in a three-dimensional collagen gel culture of aorta

The anti-angiogenic properties of thalidomide have led to the use of the agent as a remedy for multiple myeloma. Nevertheless, the anti-angiogenic moiety of thalidomide remains unidentified. In this study we examined the anti-angiogenic effects of thalidomide in an in vitro model using a three-dimensional collagen gel culture. Angiogenesis was significantly inhibited when the culture was treated with thalidomide plus cytochrome P-450 (CYP2B4), and the migrating cells and tubules were positive for active-caspase-3 in an accompanying immunohistochemical investigation. Transmission electron microscopic observation also confirmed that active-caspase-3-positive cells demonstrated apoptotic characteristics. This study is the first to morphologically demonstrate the effect of thalidomide in directly inducing the apoptosis of new tubules and migrating cells on a three-dimensional collagen gel culture of aorta. Taken together with earlier findings, our new results indicate that the thalidomide-induced inhibition of angiogenesis involves apoptosis in addition to the suppression of TNF- and inhibition of cell migration from aorta explants, i.e., the factors important for capillarogenesis.     

索拉非尼和沙利度胺对肝癌患者血清中VEGF-C、VEGF-D及微血管密度的影响

目的：探讨索拉非尼和沙利度胺这两种不同的化疗药物,对肝癌患者血清中VEGF-C、VEGF—D及微血管密度的影响。方法：将患者分成3组,每纽16例。对照组采用常规治疗并服用安慰剂;索拉非尼和沙利度胺这两个组患者中,前者服用索拉非尼400mg／次,2次／d,治疗6个月;后者服用沙利度胺每日服200mg,每周增加200mg／d,直至最大剂量每日600mg,至少服用4月。ELISA检测患者血清中VEGF-C、VEGF-D;免疫组织化学检测肝癌组织中微血管密度。结果：对照组患者血清中VEGF-C的水平为210ng／ml,索拉非尼组患者血清中VEGF—C的水平为132ng／ml,而沙利度胺组患者血清中VEGF—C的水平为186ng／ml。与对照组相比,索拉非尼组和沙利度胺组患者血清中VEGF—C的水平均降低。对照组患者血清中VEGF—D的水平为322ng／ml,索拉非尼组患者血清中VEGF—D的水平为217ng／ml,而沙利度胺组患者血清中VEGF—D的水平为256ng／ml。与对照组相比,索拉非尼组和沙利度胺组患者血清中VEGF—D的水平均降低。索拉非尼组患者血清中VEGF—D的水平明显低于沙利度胺高（P〈0．05）。对照组肝癌组织MVD为（44．32±5．16）个,索拉非尼组患者肝癌组织MVD为（21．75±1．49）个,而沙利度胺组患者肝癌组织MVD为（34．78±2．31）个。结论：多靶点化疗药物索拉非尼对肝癌患者血清中VEGF—C、VEGF—D及微血管密度的影响最大,深入探讨其作用机制．可为其肝癌患者提供新的化疗方案。     

沙利度胺对实验性矽肺血管生成的干预研究

目的观察实验性矽肺形成过程中肺组织局部血管生成的动态变化,以及沙利度胺对矽肺肺纤维化血管生成的干预作用。方法SD大鼠54只,随机分为3组,矽肺组和沙利度胺组气管内注入二氧化硅混旋液复制实验性大鼠矽肺模型,对照组在相同条件下给予生理盐水。第二天起沙利度胺组给予沙利度胺饲料喂养,其余各组在相同条件下给予普通饲料喂养。采用HE染色、羟脯氨酸含量测定、免疫组织化学染色等方法,观察实验性大鼠矽肺的发病过程,肺组织中p-Akt蛋白和局部血管生成的动态变化及其与肺胶原蛋白含量的关系。结果矽肺组第7天新生血管明显增多,第30天较第7天有所减少,到第60天肺组织正常结构基本消失,取代为广泛结节性纤维化,少见血管;沙利度胺组血管生成在第7天轻于矽肺组,但仍高于对照组。免疫组化显示p-Akt蛋白在矽肺组第7天明显达到高峰,第30天时较第7天有所减弱,第60天时明显减弱。沙利度胺组p-Akt蛋白和羟脯氨酸含量均低于矽肺组,但高于对照组。结论矽肺早期血管生成显著,血管生成在矽肺肺纤维化发生早期可能起重要作用;沙利度胺能在一定程度上抑制过度的血管生成,对实验性矽肺具有一定的阻抑作用。     

Inhibitory effect of thalidomide on the growth, secretory function and angiogenesis of estrogen-induced prolactinoma in Fischer 344 rats

The process of angiogenesis has been found to be essential for the development of estrogen-induced pituitary prolactinoma in Fischer 344 rats. Thalidomide [(alpha-(N-phthalimido)-glutarimide] is known to be a potent immunomodulatory drug with antiangiogenic properties, but its effect on lactotroph cell secretory function and pituitary prolactinoma formation has not been described yet. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of thalidomide on secretion of prolactin (PRL) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cell proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis within the anterior pituitary gland in long-term diethylstilboestrol (DES)-treated male F344 rats in vivo and in vitro. It was found that DES sharply increased serum PRL and VEGF levels. On the other hand, simultaneous treatment of F344 rats with thalidomide for the last 15 days of the experiment attenuated the stimulatory effect of DES on PRL and VEGF secretion. It also diminished prolactin cell proliferation evaluated as the number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive stained cell nuclei and increased the number of apoptotic bodies determined by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method in sections of the DES-induced pituitary prolactinoma. The density of pituitary microvessels evaluated by microscopic counting of CD-31-positive blood vessels was also diminished by the tested drug. In addition, thalidomide (10(-4) to 10(-6) M) inhibited cell proliferation, prolactin and VEGF secretion from rat pituitary prolactinoma cells cultured in vitro. In conclusion, our results provide strong evidence for the antiprolactin and antitumor activity of thalidomide in experimentally DES-induced pituitary adenoma.     

Synthesis and evaluation of novel dapsone–thalidomide hybrids for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions

We synthesized a series of novel dapsone–thalidomide hybrids (3a–i) by molecular hybridization and evaluated their potential for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions. All of the compounds had analgesic properties. Compounds 3c and 3h were the most active antinociceptive compounds and reduced acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions by 49.8% and 39.1%, respectively. The hybrid compounds also reduced tumor necrosis factor-α levels in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated L929 cells. Compound 3i was the most active compound; at concentrations of 15.62 and 125 μM, compound 3i decreased tumor necrosis factor-α levels by 86.33% and 87.80%, respectively. In nude mice infected with Mycobacterium leprae in vivo, compound 3i did not reduce the number of bacilli compared with controls. Compound 3i did not have mutagenic effects in Salmonella typhimurium strains TA100 and TA102, with or without metabolic activation (S9 mixture). Our results indicate that compound 3i is a novel lead compound for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions.     

Thalidomide dithiocarbamate and dithioate derivatives induce apoptosis through inhibition of histone deacetylases and induction of caspases

Anti-cancer effect and mechanism of cell death were investigated in a battery of five thalidomide analogs containing one sulfur atom 2 or two sulfur atoms 3–6 and were compared with thalidomide 1 activity. The cytotoxic effect of thalidomide analogs 2–6 against Hep-G2, 1301, and HCT-116 cells was estimated by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis and necrosis cell percentage was stained by ethidium bromide and acridine orange, DNA fragmentation, inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC), and total caspases were assayed by universal procedures and kits. We report here for the anti-cancer activity of thalidomide dithiocarbamate analog 3 and thalidomide dithioate analog 5 against Hep-G2 and HCT-116 cells, which was more cytotoxic than thalidomide itself, and that the cytotoxicity was associated with DNA fragmentation and was due to apoptosis and not necrosis. Moreover, we suggest that the cell death pathway is evoked by thalidomide dithiocarbamate analog 3 and thalidomide dithioate analog 5 in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through multiple consequences that trigger apoptotic cell death; involving the enhancement of DNA fragmentation, the activation of caspases, and the induction of histone acetylation. In conclusion, thalidomide dithiocarbamate analog 3 and thalidomide dithioate analog 5 are promising anti-cancer agents more than thalidomide.     

Development of the first small molecule histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) degraders

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) decrease the acetylation level of histones and other non-histone proteins. Over expression of HDACs have been observed in cancers and other diseases. Targeted protein degradation by “hijacking” the natural ubiquitin-proteasome-system (UPS) recently emerged as a novel technology to “knock-out” endogenous disease-causing proteins. We applied this strategy to the development of the first small molecule degraders for zinc-dependent HDACs by conjugating non-selective HDAC inhibitors with E3 ubiquitin ligase ligands. Through cell-based assays, we discovered novel bifunctional molecules (dHDAC6) that could selectively degrade HDAC6. Further mechanistic studies indicated that HDAC6 was selectively removed by the UPS.     

Investigation of the in vitro biotransformation of R-(+)-thalidomide by HPLC, nano-HPLC, CEC and HPLC–APCI-MS

High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), nano-HPLC, capillary electrochromatography (CEC) and on-line HPLC–atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry (APCI-MS) techniques were used for the identification and detailed characterization of two new metabolites of the former sedative drug thalidomide (TD). The advantages of nano-HPLC and CEC are higher peak efficiency and a drastic decrease in the analysis time, which, together with lower sample dilution during the analyses, allowed to obtain a detection sensitivity that was comparable to HPLC with common-sized columns. Both, nano-HPLC and CEC could be realized in the commercially available capillary electrophoresis system HP^3D. On-line HPLC–APCI-MS coupling is a very useful technique for the rapid identification of metabolites without any need for reference compounds.     

Quantitative determination of thalidomide in human serum with high-performance liquid chromatography using protein precipitation with trichloroacetic acid and ultraviolet detection

A validated and precise reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of thalidomide in serum, with phenacetin as an internal standard, is described. Protein precipitation, using trichloroacetic acid, was used for clean-up. The aliquot was chromatographed on a octadecyl column, using an eluent composed of 250 ml 0.01 M potassium dihydrogenphosphate, adjusted to a pH of 3.0 with a 43% phosphoric acid solution, mixed with 750 ml methanol. Ultraviolet detection was used at an operation wavelength of 220 nm. Hydrolytic degradation was prevented during analysis by acidification of samples with the precipitation reagent. Thalidomide and phenacetin were found to have retention times of 7.9 and 15.0 min, respectively. Recoveries ranging from 79 to 84% were found for both components, with reproducibility relative standard deviations of 0.8–3% and repeatability coefficients of 1.2–3%. A mean correlation coefficient of 0.9995 was found for the linear calibration curve (n=2) of thalidomide with limits of quantitation of 0.222–21 mg/l. The method appeared to be feasible for pharmacokinetic studies with thalidomide.     

艾迪注射液与沙利度胺对老年多发性骨髓瘤患者血清APRIL、beta2-m 和TPO水平的影响

目的：探讨艾迪注射液联合沙利度胺对老年多发性骨髓瘤患者血清中APRIL、beta2-m 和TPO水平变化的影响及其临床意义。 方法：选取我院收治的老年多发性骨髓瘤患者80 例,根据治疗方案不同分为常规组及试验组。常规组患者采用长春新碱静、盐酸 肾上腺素及醋酸地塞米松治疗,试验组患者采用艾迪注射液联合沙利度胺治疗。观察并比较两组患者治疗前后骨髓浆细胞数、M 蛋白、血红蛋白、免疫功能、肾功能及血清APRIL、beta2-m 和TPO 水平的变化情况。结果：与常规组比较,试验组采用患者的免疫功 能及肾功能获得明显改善,肿瘤细胞活性得到显著抑制,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。与常规组比较,试验组患者骨髓浆细胞 数、M蛋白、血肌酐、尿素氮水平降低,血红蛋白及CD4+/CD8+ 比值升高,血清APRIL、beta2-m 和TPO 水平降低,差异具有统计学 意义（P<0.05）。结论：艾迪注射液联合沙利度胺可降低多发性骨髓瘤患者的肿瘤细胞活性,增强患者免疫力,且副作用小,值得临 床推广应用。