A photoactivatable dopamine-conjugated platinum(IV) anticancer complex (Pt-DA) has been incorporated into G-quadruplex G4K+ borate hydrogels by using borate ester linkages (Pt-G4K+B hydrogel). These were characterized by 11B NMR, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, circular dichroism, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Microscopy ...

We have developed a new micromethod to study the effect of drugs on microsporidia, using MRC5 fibroblasts infected by 10(5) spores of Encephalitozoon cuniculi. After 3 days of incubation with various concentrations of drugs, parasitic foci were counted in stained cultures. The inhibition of microsporidial growth exceeding 90% with albendazole (0.005 microgram/ml), fumagillin (0.001 microgram/ml...

Toxoplasmosis is a serious opportunistic infection in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The lung is a major site of infection after the central nervous system. The aim of the study was to assess the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and cell culture for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii. One hundred and thirty two human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with r...

Benjakul have also been used for cancer therapy by folk medicine. The ethanolic extracts, five fractions and three pure compounds from Benjakul were investigated for cytotoxic activities against two types of human lung cancer cell lines (COR-L23 and A549) and one normal human lung myofibroblasts (MRC-5). The cytotoxic activities of the BEN-3 fraction which fractionated with vacuum liquid chroma...

Only 2 amino acids and one vitamin were found to be essential for the growth of human embryonic diploid lung fibroblasts when 10% undialysed calf serum was used as a medium supplement. These amino acids were either glutamine + cysteine or serine + homocysteine. Replacing cysteine or homocysteine with cystine or homocystine, respectively, reduced growth. The growth rate in the glutamine + cystei...

Cell migration is a highly controlled essential cellular process, often dysregulated in tumour cells, dynamically controlled by the architecture of the cell. Studies involving cellular fractionation and microarray profiling have previously identified functionally distinct mRNA populations specific to cellular organelles and architectural compartments. However, the interaction between the transl...

An ytterbium catalyzed formal [3+3] cycloaddition of cyclic enamines and ?,?-unsaturated ketones is reported. The reaction proceeds with a ‘head to tail’ regioselectivity through conjugate addition the enamine moiety followed by an amine-carbonyl condensation. In use chiral provided high degree stereoselectivity, driven possible balance between steric ?-stacking effects. resulting bicyclic 1,4-...

The comet assay methodology was used to monitor nuclear changes occurring in MRC5 human fibroblasts during transition from young to senescent cultures and to study heterogeneity of senescent populations. Nuclear morphology and size, DNA content per nucleus, and DNA damage (basal strand break, total damage, and oxidized base levels) were evaluated; moreover, visually identified large and small n...

*Corresponding author: Prof. Hossein Mozdarani, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, P.O. Box: 14115-111, Tehran, Iran. Fax: +98 21 88006544 E-mail: [email protected] Background: Gemcitabine (2′, 2′-difluoro-2′deoxycytidine, an analogue of deoxycytidine) is a relatively new drug with wide range of anti-cancer activity. In this study, radi...