The leading cause of death in developed countries is cardiovascular disease, where coronary heart disease is the main cause of death. Myocardial reperfusion is the most significant method to prevent cell death after ischemia. However, restoration of blood flow may paradoxically lead to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MI/RI) accompanied by metabolic disturbances and cardiomyocyte death. As the myocardium has an extremely limited ability to regenerate, the mechanisms of regulated cell death, including apoptosis, are the most significant for contemporary research due to their reversibility. BCL2 is a key anti-apoptotic protein. There are several signaling pathways and compounds regulating BCL2, including PI3K/AKT and MEK1/ERK1/2, JAK2/STAT3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, PTEN, cardiac ankyrin repeat protein and microRNA, which can serve as targets for modern methods of cardioprotective therapy inhibiting intrinsic apoptosis and saving viable cardiomyocytes after MI/RI. The present review considers the mechanisms of Bcl2-regulated apoptosis in the development and treatment of MI/RI.

Background/Aim. Polyamines are important for the growth of eukaryotic cells. At high levels, they promote proliferation, invasion and migration of tumour cells. Polyamine metabolism is an important new target for anticancer therapy. Some polyamine analogues can have an inhibitory effect on tumour cells. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of certain butylated derivatives of propanediamine for prostate cancer chemotherapy. Materials and Methods. Human prostate cancer cells, LNCaP, were used for the evaluation of the antiproliferative activity of polyamine analogs and their influence on spermine oxidase. Results. Tetrabutyl propanediamine and two new polyamine analogues inhibited the growth of LNCaP cells. At the same time, a strong activation of spermine oxidase was observed. Conclusion. The investigated compounds demonstrated their potential value in the therapy of human prostate cancer. Their effect might be attributed to the activation of the polyamine catabolic pathway.

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Physiological polyamines are ubiquitous polycations with pleiotropic biochemical activities, including regulation of gene expression and cell proliferation as well as modulation of cell signaling. They can also decrease DNA damage and promote cell survival. In the present study, we demonstrated that polyamines have cytoprotective effects on normal human CD4+ T lymphocytes but not on cancer Jurkat or K562 cells. Pretreatment of lymphocytes with polyamines resulted in a significant reduction in cells with DNA damage induced by doxorubicin, cisplatin, or irinotecan, leading to an increase in cell survival and viability. The induction of RAD51A expression was in response to DNA damage in both cancer and normal cells. However, in normal cells, putrescin pretreatment resulted in alternative splicing of RAD51A and the switch of the predominant expression from the splice variant with the deletion of exon 4 to the full-length variant. Induction of RAD51A alternative splicing by splice-switching oligonucleotides resulted in a decrease in DNA damage and cell protection against cisplatin-induced apoptosis. The results of this study suggest that the cytoprotective activity of polyamines is associated with the alternative splicing of RAD51A pre-mRNA in normal human CD4+ T lymphocytes. The difference in the sensitivity of normal and cancer cells to polyamines may become the basis for the use of these compounds to protect normal lymphocytes during lymphoblastic chemotherapy.

Introduction. Topoisomerases influence on DNA topology and are capable of running down their super spiraling molecules by importation of one- or two-chained ruptures with the subsequent restitution and also the negative super rounds or catenae’s. Topoisomerases are known to be targets for antineoplastic therapy. Inhibitors of these enzymes of various nature and chemical structure are widely used for the suppression of tumor Topoisomerase I and/or II activity with the blocking cells in the phase G2 and a delay of their introduction in mitosis. Such difficult curable tumors as colorectal cancer, carcinoma of the stomach, non-small cell lung cancer and so forth are the most sensitive to these drugs. The search of perspective antineoplastic inhibitors is implemented generally in ranks of the non-camptothecin agents among which heterocyclic condensed nitrogenous compounds, in particular, anthrafurandiones show the most significant results. The review of thematic literature from 2011 to 2018 is devoted to the description of properties of topoisomerase as targets and their inhibitors from perspective classes. Objectives: 1. The analysis of signal characteristics of topoisomerases as targets for anticancer non-camptothecin inhibitors. 2. Identification of structure-activity relationship in the ranks of potential inhibitors of topoisomerases. 3. The choice of the most perspective non-camptothecin topoisomerase inhibitors among heterocyclic condensed nitrogenous compounds on the basis of the comparative analysis of structure and properties. Material and methods. Materials of 79 scientific articles published in the leading biological, biochemical and chemical journals of the different countries within the 8 last years are subjected to the analysis. The structure of the review meets the purpose and tasks of the scientific analysis. Results. The analysis of the thematic literature showed topoisomerases to be relevant targets for antineoplastic therapy of severe oncological pathology. In this regard, intensive search of various pharmaceuticals among topoisomerase inhibitors is performed in recent years. Researchers modify the known basic structures as well as synthesize new compounds. The discovery of a top-directional effect of the known medicines expands the data on their mechanism of the action. To identify the topoisomerase inhibitory activity of the drug the methods with the use of plasmid DNA is applied. The cytotoxic activity, apoptosis induction, including the caspases activation, modification of mitochondrial potential, influence on p53 and others are examined in parallel studies. The research directed on the identification of new effective non-camptothecin oral topoisomerase inhibitors among the anthracyclines derivatives are of undoubted relevance. Such agents, in contrast to Doxorubicin (anthracycline antibiotic widely used for tumor therapy), have moderate toxicity and allow to control the growth of solid tumors and leukemia in mono-therapy mode. Conclusion. In terms of searching of original antineoplastic agents, a class of heterocyclic condensed nitrogenous compounds, first of all, the anthraquinones showing properties of topoisomerase inhibitors is one of the most promising. The results of chemical and biological research of the compounds of this series were laid in a basis of the design of medicinal substances and their drug formulations. Prognostically significant data obtained in preclinical testing allow us to hope that obtained antitumor agents will be highly effective on a clinical stage of trials.