The role of hemocytes in the immunity of the spider Acanthoscurria gomesiana

Invertebrates protect themselves against microbial infection through cellular and humoral immune defenses. Since the available information on the immune system of spiders is scarce, the main goat of the present study was to investigate the role of hemocytes and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) in defense against microbes of spider Acanthoscurria gomesiana. We previously described the purification and characterization of two AMPs from the hemocytes of naive spider A. gomesiana, gomesin and acanthoscurrin. Here we show that 57% of the hemocytes store both gomesin and acanthoscurrin, either in the same or in different granules. Progomesin labeling in hemocyte granules indicates that gomesin is addressed to those organelles as a propeptide. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and yeast caused the hemocytes to migrate. Once they have reached the infection site, hemocytes may secrete coagulation cascade components and AMPs to cell-free hemolymph. Furthermore, our results suggest that phagocytosis is not the major defense mechanism activated after microbial challenge. Therefore, the main reactions involved in the spider immune defense might be coagulation and AMP secretion. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vanadium complexes with thiosemicarbazones: Synthesis, characterization, crystal structures and anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity

The development of more efficient anti-tuberculosis drugs is of interest. Three oxovanadium(IV) and three cis-dioxovanadium(V) complexes with thiosemicarbazone derivatives bearing moieties with different lipophilicity have been prepared and had their inhibitory activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H(37)Rv ATCC 27294 evaluated. The analytical methods used by the complexes` characterization included IR, EPR, (1)H, (13)C and (51)V NMR spectroscopies, elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic susceptibility measurement and single crystal X-ray diffractometry. [VO(acac)(aptsc)], [VO(acac)(apmtsc)] and [VO(acac)(apptsc)] (acac = acetylacetonate; Haptsc = 2-acetylpyridinethiosemicarbazone; Hapmtsc = 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-methyl-thiosemicarbazone and Happtsc = 2-acetylpyridine-N(4)-phenyl-thiosemicarbazone) are paramagnetic and their EPR spectra are consistent with the monoanionic N,N,S-tridentate coordination of the thiosemicarbazone ligands, resulting in octahedral structures of rhombic symmetry and with the oxidation state +IV for the vanadium atom. As result of oxidation of the vanadium(IV) complexes above, the diamagnetic cis-dioxovanadium(V) complexes [VO(2)(aptsc)[, [VO(2)(apmtsc)[ and [VO(2)(apptsc)] are formed. Their (1)H, (13)C and (51)V NMR spectra were acquired and support a distorted square pyramidal geometry for them, in accord with the solid state X-ray structures determined for [VO(2)(aptsc)] and [VO(2)(apmtsc)]. In general, the vanadium compounds show comparable or larger anti-M. tuberculosis activities than the free thiosemicarbazone ligands, with MIC values within 62.5-1.56 (mu g/mL). (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dithiocarbazate complexes with the [M(PPh(3))](2+) (M=Pd or Pt) moiety Synthesis, characterization and anti-Tripanosoma cruzi activity

New neutral Pd(II) and Pt(II) complexes of the type [M(L)(PPh(3))] (M Pd or Pt) were prepared in crystalline form in high-yield synthesis with the S-benzyldithiocarbazates and S-4-nitrobenzyldithiocarbazates derivatives from 2-hydroxyacetophenone, H(2)L(1a) and H(2)L(1b), and benzoylacetone, H(2)L(2a) and H(2)L(2b). The new complexes [Pt(L(1a))(PPh(3))] (1), [Pd(L(1a))(PPh(3))] (2), [Pt(L(1b))(PPh(3))] (3), [Pd(L(1b))(PPh(3))] (4), [Pt(L(2a))(PPh(3))] (5), [Pd(L(2a))(PPh(3))] (6), [Pt(L(2b))(PPh(3))] (7) and [Pd(L(2b))(PPh(3))] (8) were characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, UV-visible, IR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), NMR ((1)H and (31)P) and by X-ray diffraction studies. The studies showed that differently from what was observed for the H(2)L(1a) and H(2)L(1b) ligands, H(2)L(2a) and H(2)L(2b) assume cyclic forms as 5-hydroxypyrazolinic. Upon coordination, H2L2a and H2L2b suffer ring-opening reaction, coordinating in the same manner as H(2)L(1a) and H(2)L(1b), deprotonated and in O,N,S-tridentate mode to the (MPPh(3))(2+) moiety. All complexes show a quite similar planar fourfold environment around the M(II) center. Furthermore, these complexes exhibited biological activity on extra and intracellular forms of Trypanosoma cruzi in a time- and concentration-dependent manner with IC(50) values ranging from 7.8 to 18.7 mu M, while the ligand H(2)L(2a) presented a trypanocidal activity on trypomastigote form better than the standard drug benznidazole. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thiosemicarbazones, semicarbazones, dithiocarbazates and hydrazide/hydrazones: Anti-Mycobacterium tuberculosis activity and cytotoxicity

The aim of this study was to identify a candidate drug for the development of anti-tuberculosis therapy from previously synthesized compounds based on the thiosemicarbazones, semicarbazones, dithio-carbazates and hydrazide/hydrazones compounds. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of these compounds against Mycobacterium tuberculosis was determined. Their in vitro cytotoxicity to J774 cells (IC(50)) was determined to establish a selectivity index (SI) (SI = IC(50)/MIC). The best compounds were the thiosemicarbazones (2, 3 and 4) and the hydrazide/hydrazones (14, 15, 16 and 18). The results are comparable to or better than those of ""first line"" or ""second line"" drugs commonly used to treat TB, suggesting these compounds as anti-TB drug candidates. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Oxorhenium(V) Complexes with a Novel Type of Thiosemicarbazones Derived from N-[N `,N `-Dialkylamino(thiocarbonyl)]benzimidoyl Chlorides

Reactions of N-[N`,N`-diethylamino(thiocarbonyl)]benzimidoyl chloride with 4,4-dialkylthiosemicarbazides give a novel class of thiosemicarbazides/thiosemicarbazones, H(2)L, which causes a remarkable reduction of cell growth in in vitro experiments. These strong antiproliferative effects are also observed for oxorhenium(V) complexes of the general composition [ReOCl(L)], which are formed by reactions of the potentially tridentate ligands with (NBu(4))[ReOCl(4)]. A systematic substitution of the alkyl groups in the thiosemicarbazone building blocks of the ligands do not significantly influence the biological activity of the metal complexes, while the replacement of the chloro ligand by a PPh(3) ligand (by the replacement of the oxo unit by a nitrido ligand) completely terminated the cytotoxicity of the metal complexes.

Oxotechnetium(V) Complexes with a Novel Class of Tridentate Thiosemicarbazide Ligands

A novel tridentate thiosemicarbazide-type ligand class with an SNS donor set, H(2)L(1), was prepared by reactions of N-[N`,N`-dialkylamino(thiocarbonyl)]benzimidoyl chlorides with thiosemicarbazides. H(2)L(1) ligands readily react with (NBu(4))[TcOCl(4)] in MeOH under the formation of red oxotechnetium(V) complexes of composition [TcOCl(L(1))]. The monomeric, five-coordinate compounds are air-stable and bind (L(1))(2-) tridentate in the equatorial coordination sphere. The compounds represent the first examples of oxotechnetium(V) complexes with NS chelate-bonded thiosemicarbazones.

Pt(II) and Ag(I) complexes with acesulfame: Crystal structure and a study of their antitumoral, antimicrobial and antiviral activities

Two new complexes of platinum(II) and silver(I) with acesulfame were synthesized. Acesulfame is in the anionic form acesulfamate (ace). The structures of both complexes were determined by X-ray crystallography. For K(2)[PtCl(2)(ace)(2)] the platinum atom is coordinated to two Cl(-) and two N-acesulfamate atoms forming a trans-square planar geometry. Each K(+) ion interacts with two oxygen atoms of the S(=O)(2) group of each acesulfamate. For the polymeric complex [Ag(ace)](n) the water molecule bridges between two crystallographic equivalent Agl atoms which are related each other by a twofold symmetry axis. Two Agl atoms, related to each other by a symmetry centre, make bond contact with two equivalent oxygen atoms. These bonds give rise to infinite chains along the unit cell diagonal in the ac plane. The in vitro cytotoxic analyses for the platinum complex using HeLa (human cervix cancer) cells show its low activity when compared to the vehicle-treated cells. The Ag(I) complex submitted to in vitro antimycobacterial tests, using the Microplate Alamar Blue (MABA) method, showed a good activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis, responsible for tuberculosis, with a minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of 11.6 mu M. The Ag(I) complex also presented a promising activity against Gram negative (Escherichia colt and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram positive (Enterococcus faecalis) microorganisms. The complex K(2)[PtCl(2)(ace)(2)] was also evaluated for antiviral properties against dengue virus type 2 (New Guinea C strain) in Vero cells and showed a good inhibition of dengue virus type 2 (New Guinea G strain) replication at 200 mu M, when compared to vehicle-treated cells. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.