Synthesis of 1,6-bis(semicarbazide)hexanes and 1,6-bis(1,2,4-triazol-5-one)hexanes and their antiproliferative and antimicrobial activity

A series of 1,6-bis(3-substituted-4,5-dihydro-1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-on-4- yl)hexanes (3a-g) were synthesized by the cyclization reaction of 1,6-bis(1- substituted-semicarbazide-4-yl)hexanes (2a-g) in alkaline medium. New derivatives (3a-c) were screened in vitro for their antiproliferative and anticancer activity in human tumor cell lines derived from breast and lung carcinoma cells. Compounds 3a (in concentration of 0.18 mM), 3b (in concentrations of 0.12 mM and 0.02 mM) and 3c (in concentrations of 0.23 mM and 0.11 mM) were found to be the most effective against lung cell line. The compound (3a) had the most antiproliferative effect on breast carcinoma cell line. Representative compounds were established and evaluated as antimicrobial agents. All tested derivatives showed MIC in range 1.87-7.5 (μg/mL). The compound (3b) was the most effective against C. albicans (MIC 1.87 μg/mL)

Relevance of molecular changes in the ND4 gene in German Shepherd dog tumours

The aim of the study was to identify polymorphisms and mutations in the mitochondrial ND4 gene and to analyse the associations between the occurrence of molecular changes in mtDNA and phenotypic traits in tumours in German Shepherd dogs. Fifty samples obtained from blood and tumour tissues of German Shepherd dogs with diagnosed tumours were analysed. DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the mtDNA ND4 gene, and bioinformatics, statistical, and in silico protein coding SNP analyses were performed. ND4 mutations and/or polymorphisms were noted in eleven nucleotide positions in nearly half of the examined dogs. All the changes were substitution mutations. A majority of the changes identified were homoplasmic. In one dog with osteosarcoma, blood heteroplasmy was detected. In two positions of the ND4 gene, presence of non-synonymous mutations leading to amino acid changes in the ND4 protein was reported. Analyses carried out to determine the deleterious effect of mutations indicated an almost 97 and 62% probability that a single amino acid substitution (p.G239V and p.I401T, respectively) in the protein has a negative impact on its function. The results of statistical analyses indicate a significant association between the occurrence of mutations in three loci of the ND4 gene and the location of tumours. The mutations identified may be a result of cell adaptation to the changes in the environment occurring during carcinogenesis. The high frequency of mutations in the tumours may indicate genetic instability of mtDNA, which may also play a role in carcinogenesis

Adjuvant Radiochemotherapy with a 23-Month Overall Survival Time in a Patient after a Surgery due to Splenic Hemangiosarcoma Rupture: A Case Report with the Literature Review

Spleen sarcoma is one of the most rare soft tissue malignancies. The annual incidence is 0.14–0.25/1,000,000 and the average age of diagnosis is 50 to 73 years. The incidence of this cancer has been increasing. Treatment of choice is surgical splenectomy, which rarely gives good results due to the aggressive course of the disease as well as the high potential for metastasis. Overall survival in primary spleen sarcomas as described by various authors is between 4 and 14 months. 80% of patients after spleen rupture do not survive 6 months. We report the case of a 42-year-old male diagnosed with spleen angiosarcoma. The patient underwent surgery in an emergency mode because of rapid rupture of the organ. Due to positive surgical margins, he underwent adjuvant radiochemotherapy followed by chemotherapy. Overall survival time was relatively long (23 months). The international guidelines provide information based on limited data. The role of postoperative radiotherapy in angiosarcomas remains controversial. Postoperative radiotherapy may increase local disease control, especially after nonradical operation, but this does not translate into improvement in overall survival time of these patients. The case shows that adjuvant radiotherapy as part of cancer treatment strategy may prolong the overall survival