We have found that the profiles of total phospholipids in malignant breast cancer cell lines change going from hormone sensitive to highly hormone resistant cells lines. In particular, two phospholipid components that were absent or at very low levels in hormone sensitive MCF7 cells and moderately hormone sensitive cell lines (MIII, LCC2) were found in relatively high proportions in highly hormone resistant cell lines (MB435, MB231). These two components were shown to be the alkylacylphosphatidylcholine (AAPtdC) and the unsaturated analog plasmenylphosphatidylethanolamine (plasmenyl-PtdE). Another component phosphatidylethanolamine (PtdE) increased in correlation with the degree of hormone insensitivity. This was shown using 31P NMR spectroscopy of lipid extracts of the cells, and was confirmed using HPLC analysis, as well as other techniques. The significance of these results for the metabolic characteristics of these cell lines is related to the therapeutic responsiveness of breast cancer.

Very few studies describe endothelial cell (EC) properties under three-dimensional (3D) conditions using (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). The authors developed a model in which living ECs growing in Matrigel threads (3D conditions) for 5 days are monitored by (31)P MRS, providing the fingerprint of the major EC phosphometabolites. Organic extracts of membranal phospholipids were also analyzed by (31)P MRS. For comparison and as a model for two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture conditions, (31)P MRS spectra of aqueous extracts of EC phosphometabolites grown under 2D conditions were also evaluated. The phosphometabolites fingerprint of the cells cultured under 3D was significantly different from that of ECs maintained under 2D. Moreover, the pattern of phosphometabolites was affected by coculture with C6-glioma cells and upon treatment with valproic acid, which is under clinical investigation as an antioangiogenic anticancer drug. The major effects were modulation of (i) energy metabolism intermediates such as phosphocreatine, (ii) precursors of phospholipids such as phosphomonoesters, and (iii) degradation products of phospholipids such as glycerophosphocholine. This endothelial model will be usefull as an enabling platform technology for tissue engineering.

The effect of structural features of six pairs of enantiomers of cannabimimetic compounds on their chromatographic resolution on an amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) chiral stationary phase was studied using various compositions of n-hexane with 2-propanol and ethanol. Structural analysis by molecular mechanics was also performed to venfy that the 3D conformation within this family of compounds was preserved with substitution. The homologous enantiomeric pairs showed better resolution when there was an additional OH group near the chiral centers (position 7 on the cannabinoid structure). Better resolution was observed also for the enantiomeric pair that had the smaller alkyl side chain. These differences indicated that the additional OH group contributed to a better discrimination of the enantiomers by the chiral sites of the stationary phase and that the bulkier alkyl side chain reduced it. The chromatographic resolution of two enantiomeric pairs of nonclassical cannabinoids HU-249 and HU-250, HU-255 and HU-256, was compared both in ethanol and 2-propanol. Both enantiomeric pairs showed relatively high resolution and selectivity, but the rigid benzofuran analogs (HU-249 and HU-250) exhibited better resolution using 2-propanol, in spite of the flexibility of the open chain analog (HU-255 and HU-256) and its additional OH group. The elution order of all the cannabinoids was (+)I(-) using both solvents. Unusual solvent effects were displayed by one enantiomeric pair, A6-THC, which was resolved easily using 2-propanol, but whose elution order reversed with 1% ethanol in the mobile phase. Partial separation was obtained at 5% ethanol [elution order (+)/(-)I and full separation was obtained at 0.5% ethanol [elution order (-)/(+)I. o 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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