Protein glycation is usually referred to as an array of non-enzymatic post-translational modifications formed by reducing sugars and carbonyl products of their degradation. The resulting advanced glycation end products (AGEs) represent a heterogeneous group of covalent adducts, known for their pro-inflammatory effects in mammals, and impacting on pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and ageing. In plants, AGEs are the markers of tissue ageing and response to environmental stressors, the most prominent of which is drought. Although water deficit enhances protein glycation in leaves, its effect on seed glycation profiles is still unknown. Moreover, the effect of drought on biological activities of seed protein in mammalian systems is still unstudied with respect to glycation. Therefore, here we address the effects of a short-term drought on the patterns of seed protein-bound AGEs and accompanying alterations in pro-inflammatory properties of seed protein in the context of seed metabolome dynamics. A short-term drought, simulated as polyethylene glycol-induced osmotic stress and applied at the stage of seed filling, resulted in the dramatic suppression of primary seed metabolism, although the secondary metabolome was minimally affected. This was accompanied with significant suppression of NF-kB activation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells after a treatment with protein hydrolyzates, isolated from the mature seeds of drought-treated plants. This effect could not be attributed to formation of known AGEs. Most likely, the prospective anti-inflammatory effect of short-term drought is related to antioxidant effect of unknown secondary metabolite protein adducts, or down-regulation of unknown plant-specific AGEs due to suppression of energy metabolism during seed filling.

In the present study, natural phaeosphaeride A (PPA) derivatives are synthesized. Anti-tumor studies are carried out on the PC3, К562, HCT-116, THP-1, MCF-7, A549, NCI-Н929, Jurkat, and RPMI8226 tumor cell lines, and on the human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line. All the compounds synthesized turned out to have better efficacy than PPA towards the tumor cell lines listed. Among them, three compounds exhibited an ability to overcome the drug resistance of tumor cells associated with the overexpression of the P-glycoprotein by modulating the work of this transporter. Luminex xMAP technology was used to assess the effect of five synthesized compounds on the activation of intracellular kinase cascades in A431 cells. MILLIPLEX MAP Multi-Pathway Magnetic Bead 9-Plex was used, which allowed for the simultaneous detection of the following nine phosphorylated protein markers of the main intracellular signaling pathways: a universal transcription factor that controls the expression of immune-response genes, apoptosis and cell cycle NFκB (pS536); cAMP-dependent transcription factor (CREB (pS133); mitogen-activated kinase p38 (pT180/pY182); stress-activated protein kinase JNK (pT183/pY185); ribosomal SK; transcription factors STAT3 (pS727) and STAT5A/B (pY694/699); protein kinase B (Akt) (pS473); and kinase regulated by extracellular signals ERK1/2 (pT185/pY187). The effect of various concentrations of PPA derivatives on the cell culture was studied using xCelligence RTCA equipment. The compounds were found to modulate JNK, ERK1/2, and p38 signaling pathways. The set of activated kinase cascades suggests that oxidative stress is the main probable mechanism of the toxic action of PPA derivatives.

Protein glycation is usually referred to as an array of non-enzymatic post-translational modifications, formed by reducing sugars and carbonyl products of their degradation. Resulting advanced glycation end products (AGEs) represent a heterogeneous group of covalent adducts, known for their pro-inflammatory effects in mammals, and impacting on pathogenesis of metabolic diseases and ageing. In plants, AGEs are the markers of tissue ageing and response to environmental stressors, the most prominent of which is drought. Although water deficit enhances protein glycation in leaves, its effect on seed glycation profiles is still unknown. Moreover, the effect of drought on biological activities of seed protein in mammalian systems is still unstudied in respect of glycation. Therefore, here we address the effects of a short-term drought on the patterns of seed protein-bound AGEs and accompanying alterations in pro-inflammatory properties of seed protein in the context of seed metabolome dynamics. A short-term drought, simulated as polyethylene glycol-induced osmotic stress and applied at the stage of seed filling, resulted in dramatic suppression of primary seed metabolism, although secondary metabolome was minimally affected. This was accompanied with significant suppression of NF-kB activation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells after a treatment with protein hydrolyzates, isolated from the mature seeds of drought-treated plants. This effect could not be attributed to formation of known AGEs. Most likely, the prospective anti-inflammatory effect of short-term drought is related to antioxidant effect of unknown secondary metabolite protein adducts, or down-regulation of unknown plant-specific AGEs due to suppression of energy metabolism during seed filling.

Introduction. Benzo(a)pyrene metabolites are genotoxic compounds, the accumulation of which contributes to carcinogenesis. The main mechanism of metabolite formation is the benzo(a)pyrene oxidation by cytochromes P450 (CYP). Inhibitors of the main cytochromes can reduce the rate of metabolite formation and, as a result, to decrease the genotoxic effects of benzo(a)pyrene metabolites. In contrast, inducers of cytochromes contribute to the enhancement of genotoxicity. Objective. The aim of the work was to develop a cell model based on the HepaRG cells to study the role of cytochromes activity in the genotoxic effect of benzo (a) pyrene. Material and methods. To assess the effect of inhibitors of cytochromes CYP3A and CYP1A on the genotoxic effect of benzo(a)pyrene in HepaRG cells, the content of active forms of proteins of the DNA damage detection and repair system, phosphorylated forms of signaling cascade proteins was determined by immunoassay using Luminex xMAP technology. The cytotoxicity of benzo(a)pyrene was assessed by real-time cell analysis on xCelligence analyzer. Results. Inhibitors of CYP3A and CYP1A cytochromes, ketoconazole and α-naphthoflavone demonstrate the ability to diminish the toxic effects of benz (a) pyrene, reduce the activation of the DNA repair system, and have a multidirectional effect on the different tyrosine kinases phosphorylation in signaling pathways. Conclusion. HepaRG human hepatoma cells are a suitable cell model both to assess the contribution of cytochromes to the metabolism of xenobiotics and to study of the cell protection from the genotoxic effect of benzo (a) pyrene by cytochrome inhibitors. Limitations. The study was performed on a cell culture. To extrapolate the data to the organism, it is necessary to take into account the data of toxicodynamics and toxicokinetics.