Cerebrolysin Inhibits Lipid Peroxidation Induced by Insulin Hypoglycemia in the Brain and Heart of Mice

Summary As a consequence of enhanced production of oxygen free radicals, lipid peroxidation leads to the degradation of membrane lipids and disturbances of membrane permeability. Lipid peroxidation increases under stress conditions such as hypoxia, ischemia or acidosis as well as in metabolic diseases, e.g. diabetes mellitus. We have shown that subcomatous doses of insulin (6.0 IU/kg) significantly increase thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), especially malondialdehyde (MDA) -the endproduct of lipid peroxidation, in the brain and heart of mice. In our model of insulin-induced hypoglycemia, mice were treated with the neuroprotective, peptide-containing drug Cerebrolysin (100 mg/kg b.w.). Animals were sacrificed by decapitation two or three hours after the injection of tested substance and samples were taken to determine several serum parameters (glucose, total protein, triglycerides and lactic acid) and TBARs in the brain and heart. Although Cerebrolysin was not able to affect serum parameters after subcomatous insulin injection, the drug significantly influenced lipid peroxidation. A single injection of Cerebrolysin already decreased TBARs levels in the brain and heart tissue. Presuming that an increase of TBARs reflects disturbances of the cell membrane, we have documented a promising effect of Cerebrolysin on cell integrity

Base-catalyzed oxidation of silybin and isosilybin into 2,3-dehydro derivatives

International audienceThe base-catalyzed oxidation of the flavonolignans, silybin, and isosilybin into the corresponding 2,3-dehydro derivatives has been studied and optimized. Various bases, solvents, and reaction conditions were tested to achieve the best yields. The influence of water on the course of the reaction was also observed. It was found that this oxidation reaction was probably based on the disproportionation of the (iso)silybin (or some intermediate) molecule, as the reaction also proceeds in the absence of oxygen. We report here for the first time the preparation of optically pure 2,3-dehydroisosilybins A and B

Cis-trans isomerization of silybins A and B

Methods were developed and optimized for the preparation of the 2,3-cis- and the 10,11-cis-isomers of silybin by the Lewis acid catalyzed (BF 3-OEt2) isomerization of silybins A (1a) and B (1b) (trans-isomers). The absolute configuration of all optically pure compounds was determined by using NMR and comparing their electronic circular dichroism data with model compounds of known absolute configurations. Mechanisms for cis - trans-isomerization of silybin are proposed and supported by quantum mechanical calculations. © 2014 Novotná et al; licensee Beilstein-Institut.Funding Agencies|P207/10/0288, GACR, Czech Science Foundation</p

Preparation of silybin and isosilybin sulfates by sulfotransferase from Desulfitobacterium hafniense

Flavonolignans silybin and isosilybin are major components of silymarin complex isolated from seeds of the milk thistle (Silybum marianum) featuring strong antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects, and also anticancer, chemoprotective, dermatoprotective and hypocholesterolemic activities. Natural silybin and isosilybin are mixtures of diastereoisomers: silybin/isosilybin A (1a, 1b) and silybin/isosilybin B (2a, 2b). The metabolism of these compounds is supposed to be strongly linked to Phase II of biotransformation and the respective conjugates are rapidly excreted in bile and urine. The aim of this study was to obtain optically pure sulfated metabolites of both silybins and isosilybins. Aryl-sulfate sulfotransferase (EC 2.8.2.22) from Desulfitobacterium hafniense was found to be a highly effective tool for the regiospecific enzymatic synthesis of silybin A-20-O-sulfate, silybin B-20-O-sulfate, isosilybin A-20-O-sulfate and isosilybin B-20-O-sulfate providing nearly quantitative yields and employing cheap p-nitrophenyl sulfate as sulfate donor. The isolated sulfated products will be used as authentic standards in metabolic studies of both silybins and isosilybins. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved