Cytotoxicity Subject

The primary objective of a Phase I trial is to assess the safety of the drug in humans. Studies are normally conducted in healthy male volunteers, although specific categories of subject may be used in certain cases. For example, to avoid the risk of low blood pressure, subjects with mild hypertension would be more appropriate for the evaluation of antihypertensive drugs, while patients are likely to be used in the case of drugs that are expected to produce significant toxic effects (e.g. anti-cancer cytotoxic drugs). Remuneration may be offered for participation in the study. The number of subjects is normally between 10 and 100 people. 

In contrast to this view, but in analogy with the behavior of several antitumor metal complexes, some authors proposed that the DNA is the probable target for cytotoxic activity of organotin(IV) compounds. In this section we survey and compare the most important literature data published to date on this subject. 

Haliclonacyclamine E (13) and arenosclerins A (14), B (15), and C (16) have been isolated from the marine sponge Arenosclera brasiliensis, endemic in Brazil. Crude extracts of this sponge displayed potent cytotoxic and antibiotic activities, and were subjected to fractionation by sihca-gel flash chromatography, medium pressure chromatography on a SiOH cyanopropyl-bonded column, and reversed-phase Cis column chromatography to give compounds 13-16 [18]. The structure elucidation was based on spectroscopic analysis, including HRFABMS, COSY, HSQC, HSQC-TOCSY, and HMBC NMR... 

Selley et al. (1992) have recently employed gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometric detection to determine levels of the cytotoxic monounsaturated aldehyde 4-hydroxy-/7 t-2-nonenal in the blood plasma of healthy human subjects, and patients with rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. Intriguingly, this lipid peroxidation end-product is present at a concentration ofc. lx 10 mol/dm in healthy and osteoarthritic human plasma samples (but significantly elevated in those collected from rheumatoid arthritis patients). Although at least some of this could originate from the oxidative degradation of PUFAs invm, there may be a relationship existing between these levels and the frequency of thermally/... 

A series of zinc(II) phthalocyanines with other sorts of solubilizing groups in exo or endo positions (carboxyalkyl, carboxyalkoxy, amino acid) has been synthesized and subjected to preliminary in vitro assays.257 Interestingly, the seryl derivative zinc(II) 2,9,16,23-tetrakis(l-car-boxy-2-hydroxyethylaminocarbonyl)phthalocyanine proved to be cytotoxic (i.e., toxic in the dark) which is not so commonly observed with macrocyclic systems. 

See, D.M. et al., In vitro effects of echinacea and ginseng on natural killer and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity in healthy subjects and chronic fatigue syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patients, Immunopharmacology, 35, 229, 1997. 

The stress-associated shift in Thl/Th2 cytokines observed in human subjects has also been demonstrated in restraint-stressed mice. Associated with the shift towards a Th2 response are a significant decrease in NK cell activity, decreased IFN-y production by Con A-stimulated splenocytes, and a concomitant increase in serum corticosterone levels after 24 hours of restraint.30 These observations are consistent with studies on the effects of restraint stress and the immune response to viral infection. Restraint-stressed mice exhibited a decline in NK cell activity and a decrease in the generation of virus-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes to HSV-l after primary infection, which resulted in an increase in the replication of the virus at the site of infection.3132... 

In contrast to the relative chemical stability of mono-epoxides, diol epoxides of fatty acids (10.52), which are formed from di-epoxides by EH, are subject to a different fate. In such metabolites, intramolecular nucleophilic substitution may occur, such that oxirane opening is accompanied by formation of a tetrahydrofuran ring [134], Such reactions of intramolecular nucleophilic substitution are discussed in detail in Sect. 11.9. In the case of diol epoxides of fatty acids, the resulting tetrahydrofuran-diols (10.53) are part of a much larger ensemble of oxygenated metabolites of fatty acids, the potential cytotoxicities of which are being evaluated [135]. 

Among almost 70 plant extracts (Table 6.5), seven-eight plants were found potential cytotoxic active, and their extracts were subjected for fractionation and isolation of pure compounds, and then over 300 fractions and 35 pure compounds were searched for ovarian cytotoxic activity against A2780 human ovarian cell lines. 

Shown in Figure 6 is in vitro cytotoxic activity of PIPAAm-PBMA micelles loaded with ADR or micelles without ADR at 29°C (below the LCST) and at 37°C (above the LCST) compared with that of free ADR. In vitro cytotoxic activity was measured using bovine aorta endothelial cells. Bovine aortic endothelial cells were obtained as previously reported using dispase for cell dissociation from freshly harvested bovine aorta [13]. The cells plated at a density of 3 x cells/well, were exposed with free ADR or micelles loaded with ADR at below and above the LCST for 5 days. In order to assay cytotoxicity of the free ADR or micelles loaded with ADR, culture medium was replaced with 10% FBS-supplemented phenol red-free DMEM containing 10% alamar Blue, a dye that is subject to reduction by cytochrome c activity and changes the color from blue to red [38]. After 4-hour incubation, reduction of the dye was estimated by absorbance at 560 and 600 nm. PIPAAm-PBMA polymeric micelles loaded with ADR showed higher cytotoxic activity than that of free ADR at 37°C (above the LCST)... 

IVpe 2, cytotoxic reaction. Drug-antibody (IgG) complexes adhere to the surface of blood cells, where either circulating drug molecules or complexes al-Lullmann, Color Atlas of Pharmacology 2000 Thieme All rights reserved. Usage subject to terms and conditions of iicense. 

Certain chemicals such as silicon dioxide have a cytotoxic effect on the alveolar macrophage, which results in the accumulation of particles in a given area. As the macrophages lose their activity, these particles become less subject to removal, leading to the development of masses containing dead cells and particles. 

The formation of cholesterol chlorohydrins has been a subject of intense research [99-102]. The role of these compounds is not yet fully understood, but in addition to cytotoxicity and a possible action on atherosclerosis [100], they have been suggested to be biomarkers of myeloperoxidase-derived HOC1 [103]. Moreover, chlorohydrins and other halohydrins are useful intermediates for the synthesis of a vast range of biologically active natural and synthetic products [104, 105], In fact, considering the importance of these compounds, their preparation is of major interest. 

---