Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12573/395

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  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Targeting Cholinergic Dysfunction and Neuroinflammation through Rationally Designed Thieno[3,2-d]Pyrimidine Hybrids
    (Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science, 2026-07) Acar, Ozden Ozgun; Acar, Busra; Senol, Halil; Tokali, Feyzi Sinan; Sen, Alaattin; Demir, Yeliz; Cakir, Furkan
    Neurodegenerative diseases involve the convergence of cholinergic dysfunction, neuronal loss, and sustained neuroinflammatory responses, necessitating the development of multifunctional therapeutic agents. In this study, a series of novel thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine-phenolic Mannich base hybrids were rationally designed, synthesized, and evaluated as dual cholinesterase inhibitors with neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory potential. The synthesized compounds exhibited potent inhibition against acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), with inhibition constants in the low nanomolar range. Among them, compounds 5 and 9 emerged as the most active derivatives, displaying Ki values of 8.79 and 14.11 nM for AChE and 7.04 and 11.75 nM for BChE, surpassing the reference inhibitors tacrine and donepezil. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations supported the experimental findings, and Molecular Mechanics-Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) binding free energy calculations further confirmed their superior binding affinities compared with donepezil. Cytotoxicity profiling in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells and RAW 264.7 and THP-1 immune cells identified a narrow sub-cytotoxic concentration window (EC05-EC10 = 1.2-2.1 mu M), ensuring biological effects independent of nonspecific cell damage. Within this range, both compounds exerted pronounced antineuroinflammatory activity. Notably, compound 9 significantly downregulated pro-inflammatory mediators, reducing IL-1 beta, IL-6, and NF-kappa B1 gene expression by up to 2.78-, 3.37-, and 4.84-fold, respectively. Consistently, it suppressed nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated macrophages to levels comparable with ascorbic acid and markedly decreased Iba1 expression in activated THP-1 cells. This integrated enzymatic, computational, and cellular investigation identifies compounds 5 and 9 as promising multifunctional lead combining dual cholinesterase inhibition with robust anti-neuroinflammatory activity. The results provide a strong foundation for future in vivo studies and further optimization toward disease-modifying agents for neurodegenerative disorders.
  • Article
    A Small Indole Derivative Isolated From Caper (Capparis Ovata) as an Inducer of P53-Mediated Apoptosis in Prostate Cancer: Comprehensive In Vitro and In Silico Studies
    (Wiley, 2025-12-31) Acar, Ozden Ozgun; Gazioglu, Isil; Oruc, Hatice; Kale, Elif; Senol, Halil; Topcu, Gulacti; Sen, Alaattin
    Natural products with stunning chemical diversity have been extensively researched for their anticancer potential for more than fifty years. This study aimed to determine the effect of indole derivative 1H-indole-2-hydroxy-3-carboxylic acid (IHCA), isolated as a novel alkaloid from Capparis ovata, on selected tumor suppressor, apoptotic, and cell cycle regulatory genes, which are known to be important in cancer pathophysiology, on Caco-2 and LNCaP cells in comparison with Taxol. The molecular mechanism of IHCA's anticancer activity is essentially undefined. Different concentrations of IHCA increased the expression levels of apoptosis-related genes, including BCL-2 and TNF-alpha. In addition, the tumor suppressor genes PTEN, P53, and RB were increased in LNCaP and Caco-2 cells. KRAS, an oncogenic gene, was significantly downregulated by IHCA in LNCaP cells. Western blot results showed that the protein expression levels of P53 and PTEN in LNCaP cells were increased when treated with IHCA, whereas CDK4 and TNF-alpha were decreased. Finally, IHCA and doxorubicin significantly increased P53-driven luciferase activity compared to the control. The results strongly suggest that the novel natural compound IHCA has an anticancer effect involving the regulation of the P53 gene and its networks in vitro. The molecular docking and MD simulation analyses reveal that IHCA exhibits superior binding potential to the MDM2 protein compared to Nutlin-3a. MD simulations further confirm that IHCA maintains a more stable and consistent interaction with MDM2, as indicated by lower RMSD values and reduced ligand fluctuation. These results highlight IHCA's potential as a more effective MDM2 inhibitor, suggesting its promise as a lead compound for anticancer drug development.Clinical Trial Registration: Not applicable.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 2
    Citation - Scopus: 2
    Neuroinflammatory Human Brain Organoids Enable Comprehensive Drug Screening Studies: Fingolimod and Its Analogues in Focus
    (Bentham Science Publishing Ltd, 2025-10-08) Acar, Busra; Pepe, Nihan Aktas; Zivkovic, Aleksandra; Stark, Holger; Sen, Alaattin
    Introduction The absence of physiologically relevant models for neuroinflammatory brain disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), highlights the need for improved drug screening platforms. To bridge this gap, this study aimed to develop a human brain organoid (hBO) model incorporating essential neural cell types, including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes.Methods hBOs were generated from H9 stem cells, and neuroinflammatory characteristics were elicited by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The expression of specific neuronal and inflammatory markers was assessed through qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence staining (IFS), and ELISA.Results IFS of mature hBOs with anti-SOX2, anti-SATB2, anti-MAPT, anti-GFAP, anti-MBP, and anti-IBA1 antibodies and images collected with the confocal microscope confirmed the differentiation of H9 cells into cortical neurons, astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocyte cell types. Elevated GFAP, IBA1, NF-kappa B, and IL-6 levels, along with reduced CNPase expression with LPS treatment, were considered reflective of MS-like pathology and were used to test fingolimod and its derivatives. Fingolimod and all its derivatives, specifically ST-1505, decreased MAPT (2.1-fold in ELISA, 1.7-fold in IFS), GFAP (1.8-fold in IFS), TNF alpha (5.4-fold in qRT-PCR), and FABP (1.5-fold in ELISA) levels, and increased IL-10 (11-fold in qRT-PCR) and MBP (2.9-fold in IFS) levels.Discussion The present data collectively showed LPS to evoke neuroinflammation in the hBO model, while fingolimod and its derivatives, particularly ST-1505, exhibited significant anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties by counteracting these evoked changes in the hBO model.Conclusion The findings supported the applicability of brain organoids as a model system for drug screening studies for neuroinflammatory brain diseases.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Interaction of Inula Viscosa (L.) Aiton with IBA1 via Rosmarinic Acid and Rutin: Insights from Computational Models and Biological Effects
    (Wiley-VCH verlag GmbH, 2025-10-29) Aktas Pepe, Nihan; Acar, Busra; Ceylan Ekiz, Yagmur; Senol, Ayse Merve; Semiz, Gurkan; Sen, Alaattin; Celik Turgut, Gurbet
    Inula viscosa (L.) Aiton is a traditional medicinal plant extensively utilized in Mediterranean nations for the treatment of rheumatic pain, inflammatory disorders, diabetes, anemia, and cancer. This study further explored its anti-inflammatory mechanisms through the highest components, chlorogenic acid, rosmarinic acid, and rutin, on the expression of the ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1) on monocyte-derived macrophage-like cells. Iba1 is known to contribute pathogenesis of diverse inflammatory diseases. HPLC analysis identified 13 major phenolic compounds, with rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, and rutin as major components. The aqueous extract of the plant and its major components exhibited dose-dependent antiproliferative activity on pTHP-1, RAW264.7, and PCS-201-012 cells. Immunofluorescence staining revealed a significant reduction in Iba1 protein expression, which is associated with inflammation, at the high dose of I. viscosa and rutin. Molecular docking studies indicated that rosmarinic acid and rutin had the strongest predicted interactions with Iba1, with docking scores of -12.403 and -12.301 kcal/mol and MM/GBSA binding energies of -64.47 and -84.20 kcal/mol, respectively. I. visoca and its major components were observed to significantly suppress iNOS activity in LPS-stimulated cells; these findings were also supported by RT-PCR results. Treatment with the high dose of I. viscosa resulted in 9.45% necrotic cells and caused cell cycle arrest in the S phase (59.2 +/- 5.23%). This suggests that it may potentially reduce the proliferation of activated macrophages. In the fibroblast migration assays, the relative wound closure rate was found to be significant 27.06 +/- 18.09% at the low dose of I. viscosa and 31.59 +/- 22.42% at the high dose of I. viscosa. Although the relatively low wound closure rate limits tissue repair, it may benefit chronic wounds and fibrosis by suppressing excessive cell proliferation and inflammation. These results suggest that I. viscosa is a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with potential applications in anti-inflammatory drug development.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 14
    Citation - Scopus: 15
    Triterpenoids and Steroids Isolated from Anatolian Capparis Ovata and Their Activity on the Expression of Inflammatory Cytokines
    (Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2020-01-01) Gazioglu, Isil; Semen, Sevcan; Acar, Ozden Ozgun; Kolak, Ufuk; Sen, Alaattin; Topcu, Gulacti
    Context CapparisL. (Capparaceae) is grown worldwide. Caper has been used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases including rheumatism, kidney, liver, stomach, as well as headache and toothache. Objective To isolate and elucidate of the secondary metabolites of theC. ovataextracts which are responsible for their anti-inflammatory activities. Materials and methods Buds, fruits, flowers, leaves and stems ofC. ovataDesf. was dried, cut to pieces, then ground separately. From their dichloromethane/hexane (1:1) extracts, eight compounds were isolated and their structures were elucidated by NMR, mass spectroscopic techniques. The effects of compounds on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in SH-SY5Y cell lines were examined by qRT-PCR ranging from 4 to 96 mu M. Cell viability was expressed as a percentage of the control, untreated cells. Results This is a first report on isolation of triterpenoids and steroids fromC. ovatawith anti-inflammatory activity. One new triterpenoid ester olean-12-en-3 beta,28-diol, 3 beta-pentacosanoate (1) and two new natural steroids 5 alpha,6 alpha-epoxycholestan-3 beta-ol (5) and 5 beta,6 beta-epoxycholestan-3 beta-ol (6) were elucidated besides known compounds; oleanolic acid (2), ursolic acid (3), beta-sitosterol (4), stigmast-5,22-dien-3 beta-myristate (7) and bismethyl-octylphthalate (8). mRNA expression levels as EC(10)of all the tested seven genes were decreased, particularly CXCL9 (19.36-fold), CXCL10 (8.14-fold), and TNF (18.69) by the treatment of 26 mu M of compound1on SH-SY5Y cells. Discussion and conclusions Triterpenoids and steroids isolated fromC. ovatawere found to be moderate-strong anti-inflammatory compounds. Particularly, compounds1and3were found to be promising therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 6
    Citation - Scopus: 7
    Therapeutic Potential of Nitrogen-Substituted Oleanolic Acid Derivatives in Neuroinflammatory and Cytokine Pathways: Insights From Cell-Based and Computational Models
    (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 2025-04-22) Turgut, Gurbet Celik; Pepe, Nihan Aktas; Ekiz, Yagmur Ceylan; Senol, Halil; Sen, Alaattin
    This study was conducted to investigate the mechanism of the potential and anti-inflammatory properties of nitrogen-substituted oleanolic acid derivatives that can be used to treat neuroinflammatory diseases. Nitrogen-containing oleanolic acid derivatives have been evaluated for their anti-neuroinflammatory effects in vitro in neuronal and monocytic cell lines at nontoxic doses, and the production of cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL-17), the inflammatory enzyme induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and NF-kappa B signalling under LPS-stimulated conditions, and the expression of genes associated with Alzheimer's disease have been assessed. In addition, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation assessments are conducted in silico. Key protein markers of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease and neuroinflammation, TAU protein levels, and microglial activation, as well as ionised calcium-binding adaptor protein-1 (IBA1) levels, were significantly reduced with the addition of oleanolic acid derivatives. LPS-induced NF-kappa B luciferase reporter activity and iNOS activity were significantly inhibited, approaching the levels in uninduced controls. The mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines critical for neuroinflammation, such as TNF-alpha, NF-kappa B, IL-6 and IL-17, was reduced twofold to sevenfold. Furthermore, the molecular docking and MD simulation analyses revealed potential interactions with the TNF-alpha and NF-kappa B proteins. These findings underscore the potential of oleanolic acid derivatives, particularly compound 16, as candidates for further development as therapeutic agents for neurodegenerative diseases associated with chronic inflammation.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 31
    Citation - Scopus: 30
    Synthesis of Nitrogen-Containing Oleanolic Acid Derivatives as Carbonic Anhydrase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors
    (Springer Birkhauser, 2023-02-13) Senol, Halil; Turgut, Gurbet Celik; Sen, Alaattin; Saglamtas, Rueya; Tuncay, Salih; Gulcin, Ilhami; Topcu, Guelacti; Çelik Turgut, Gurbet
    In this study, a total of 13 compounds (5-17) were synthesized starting from oleanolic acid (OA), a natural triterpenoid. Five new compounds (10, 11, 12, 15 and 17), are the main targets of the study, which were synthesized for the first time in this work as oxime, imine and hydrazone derivatives of OA. Other compounds were previously obtained as natural or semi-synthetically. NMR and HRMS analyses were carried out to determine of structures of all the synthesized molecules. The inhibitory effects of the synthesized compounds on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), human carbonic anhydrase I (hCA I) and II (hCA II) were evaluated. Compounds 13 and 15 showed better inhibitory activity than the other compounds against both hCA I and hCA II isoenzymes, which are competing with AZA. In addition, compound 15 showed the strongest AChE inhibitory activity among all the tested compounds, with an IC50 value of 34.46 mu M.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 1
    Citation - Scopus: 1
    Synthesis, Characterization, and Comprehensive in Vitro and in Silico Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Novel 1,2,3-Triazole–Arylidenehydrazide/Thiazolidinone Hybrids
    (Wiley-VCH verlag GmbH, 2025-09) Pepe, Nihan Aktas; Cakir, Furkan; Atalay, Tugba; Acar, Busra; Turgut, Gurbet Celik; Sen, Alaattin; Senol, Halil
    Five novel 1,2,3-triazole/arylidenehydrazide/thiazolidinone hybrid compounds (7-11) were synthesized and characterized using NMR, HRMS, IR, and HPLC purity analysis. The cytotoxicity of these compounds was evaluated on fibroblasts and THP-1 cells, showing that all compounds were nontoxic at the tested concentrations. The wound healing assay revealed that compounds 7, 9, and 10 significantly enhanced wound closure, with a 7.74%-32.69% improvement in treated cells. Compounds 8 and 11 showed moderate effects. Anti-inflammatory activity was assessed through qRT-PCR, demonstrating that compound 10 led to the most significant reduction in proinflammatory cytokines TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, and NF-kappa B1. In addition, the expression of Iba1 protein in THP-1 cells confirmed that compound 8 showed the strongest anti-inflammatory effect, surpassing that of aspirin. Compound 10 showed the highest inhibition of NF-kappa B signaling and iNOS activity. Molecular docking studies revealed that compounds 10 and 11 had strong binding affinities to TNF-alpha and iNOS, with compound 11 showing the most stable interactions. Molecular dynamics simulations supported these findings, indicating that compound 11 demonstrated more stable binding to both targets. Overall, the results suggest that compounds 10 and 11 are promising anti-inflammatory candidates with potential for further development in therapeutic applications for inflammatory diseases.
  • Article
    Citation - Scopus: 23
    Synthesis and Comprehensive in Vivo Activity Profiling of Olean-12-en-28-ol, 3β-Pentacosanoate in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis: A Natural Remyelinating and Anti-Inflammatory Agent
    (American Chemical Society, 2023-01-04) Şenol, Halil; Ozgun-Acar, Özden; Daǧ, Aydan; Eken, Ahmet; Guner, Hüseyin; Aykut, Zaliha Gamze; Sen, Alaattin
    Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment has received much attention, yet there is still no certain cure. We herein investigate the therapeutic effect of olean-12-en-28-ol, 3β-pentacosanoate (OPCA) on a preclinical model of MS. First, OPCA was synthesized semisynthetically and characterized. Then, the mice with MOG<inf>35-55</inf>-induced experimental autoimmune/allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) were given OPCA along with a reference drug (FTY720). Biochemical, cellular, and molecular analyses were performed in serum and brain tissues to measure anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective responses. OPCA treatment protected EAE-induced changes in mouse brains maintaining blood-brain barrier integrity and preventing inflammation. Moreover, the protein and mRNA levels of MS-related genes such as HLD-DR1, CCL5, TNF-α, IL6, and TGFB1 were significantly reduced in OPCA-treated mouse brains. Notably, the expression of genes, including PLP, MBP, and MAG, involved in the development and structure of myelin was significantly elevated in OPCA-treated EAE. Furthermore, therapeutic OPCA effects included a substantial reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines in the serum of treated EAE animals. Lastly, following OPCA treatment, the promoter regions for most inflammatory regulators were hypermethylated. These data support that OPCA is a valuable and appealing candidate for human MS treatment since OPCA not only normalizes the pro- and anti-inflammatory immunological bias but also stimulates remyelination in EAE. © 2023 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
  • Article
    Citation - WoS: 22
    Citation - Scopus: 26
    Suppression of Inflammatory Cytokines Expression With Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia) in TNBS-Instigated Ulcerative Colitis
    (Sciendo, 2020-09-01) Semiz, Asli; Acar, Ozden Ozgun; Cetin, Hulya; Semiz, Gurkan; Sen, Alaattin
    Background and Objective: This study was aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Momordica charantia (MCh), along with a standard drug prednisolone, in a rat model of colitis induced by trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). Methods: After the induction of the experimental colitis, the animals were treated with MCh (4 g/kg/day) for 14 consecutive days by intragastric gavage. The colonic tissue expression levels of C-C motif chemokine ligand 17 (CCL-17), interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, IL-23, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), nuclear factor kappa B (NFkB), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), were determined at both mRNA and protein levels to estimate the effect of MCh. Besides, colonic specimens were analyzed histopathologically after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. Results: The body weights from TNBS-instigated colitis rats were found to be significantly lower than untreated animals. Also, the IFN-gamma, IL-1 beta, IL-6, Il-23, TNF-alpha, CCL-17, and NF-kB mRNA and protein levels were increased significantly from 1.86-4.91-fold and 1.46-5.50-fold, respectively, in the TNBS-instigated colitis group as compared to the control. Both the MCh and prednisolone treatment significantly reduced the bodyweight loss. It also restored the induced colonic tissue levels of IL-1 beta, IL-6, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha to normal levels seen in untreated animals. These results were also supported with the histochemical staining of the colonic tissues from both control and treated animals. Conclusion: The presented data strongly suggests that MCh has the anti-inflammatory effect that might be modulated through vitamin D metabolism. It is the right candidate for the treatment of UC as an alternative and complementary therapeutics.