Significance of vascular endothelial growth factor in growth and peritoneal dissemination of ovarian cancer

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a key regulator of angiogenesis which drives endothelial cell survival, proliferation, and migration while increasing vascular permeability. Playing an important role in the physiology of normal ovaries, VEGF has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. Essentially by promoting tumor angiogenesis and enhancing vascular permeability, VEGF contributes to the development of peritoneal carcinomatosis associated with malignant ascites formation, the characteristic feature of advanced ovarian cancer at diagnosis. In both experimental and clinical studies, VEGF levels have been inversely correlated with survival. Moreover, VEGF inhibition has been shown to inhibit tumor growth and ascites production and to suppress tumor invasion and metastasis. These findings have laid the basis for the clinical evaluation of agents targeting VEGF signaling pathway in patients with ovarian cancer. In this review, we will focus on VEGF involvement in the pathophysiology of ovarian cancer and its contribution to the disease progression and dissemination

YF[MoO4] and YCl[MoO4]: Two halide derivatives of yttrium ortho-oxomolybdate: Syntheses, structures, and luminescence properties

The halide derivatives of yttrium ortho-oxomolybdate YX[MoO 4] (X = F, Cl) both crystallize in the monoclinic system with four formula units per unit cell. YF[MoO4] exhibits a primitive cell setting (space group P2 1/c; a = 519.62(2) pm, b = 1225.14(7) pm, c = 663.30(3) pm, beta = 112.851(4) degrees ), whereas the lattice of YCl[MoO4] shows face-centering (space group C2/m; a = 1019.02(5) pm, b = 720.67(4) pm, c = 681.50(3) pm, beta = 107.130(4) degrees ). The two compounds each contain crystallographically unique Y (3+) cations, which are found to have a coordination environment of six oxide and two halide anions. In the case of YF[MoO4], the coordination environment is seen as square antiprisms, and for YCl[MoO4], trigon-dodecahedra are found. The discrete tetrahedral [MoO4](2-) units of the fluoride derivative are exclusively bound by six terminal Y(3+) cations, while those of the chloride compound show a 5-fold coordination around the tetrahedra with one edge-bridging and four terminal Y(3+) cations. The halide anions in each compound exhibit a coordination number of two, building up isolated planar rhombus-shaped units according to [Y2F2](4+) in YF[MoO4] and [Y2Cl2](4+) in YCl[MoO4], respectively. Both compounds were synthesized at high temperatures using Y2O3, MoO3, and the corresponding yttrium trihalide in a molar ratio of 1:3:1. Single crystals of both are insensitive to moist air and are found to be coarse shaped and colorless with optical band gaps situated in the near UV around 3.78 eV for the fluoride and 3.82 eV for the chloride derivative. Furthermore, YF[MoO4] seems to be a suitable material for doping to obtain luminescent materials because the Eu(3+)-doped compound shows an intense red luminescence, which has been spectroscopically investigated.status: publishe

p-Cymene Ruthenium Thioether Complexes

Thioethers PhC2H4SMe, PhC3H6SiPr and MeSAllyl form substitutionally labile monomeric adducts (p-cymene)RuCl2(SRR′) (2a–c) upon treatment with the {(p-cymene)RuCl2}2 dimer (p-cymene = η6-MeC6H4iPr-1,4). Pure adducts were obtained by crystallization from CH2Cl2/Et2O, and 2a,c as well as the bis(thioether) complex View the MathML source (3) were studied by X-ray crystallography. The trichloro bridged diruthenium complex View the MathML source is formed as a byproduct in the preparation of 3 and was also crystallographically characterized. In solution, pure samples 2a–c equilibrate with free thioether and the dimeric starting complex 1. The amount of 1 present in these mixtures increases with increasing bulk of the thioether substituents. Attempts to thermally replace the cymene ligand by the dangling arene substituent of the thioether ligand of 2a,b failed. Complexes 2a–c as well as the dimethylsufide derivative 2d were studied by cyclic voltammetry and display a close to reversible (2a,c,d) or partially reversible (2b) oxidation near +0.85 V and an irreversible reduction at rather negative potential. New peaks observed after oxidation and reduction point to dissociation of the thioether ligand as the main decomposition pathway of the associated radical cations and anions