A new strategy to obtain distorted pyrene-fused azaacenes is reported.

Motor patterns, intraluminal pressures, volume capacity, and histoanatomic characteristics were studied in full thickness specimens from ileal reservoirs (orthotopic ileal bladders) removed during corrective surgery. Contractile activity was recorded in situ before corrective surgery. Morphological examination was performed with both light and electron microscopy. Two populations of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) were identified: ICC at the level of the deep muscular plexus (ICC-DMP) and ICC at the level of the myenteric plexus (ICC-MP). The ileal reservoirs left as tubes generated phasic activity when filled with liquid, and all retained the ICC-MP; however, after extended periods (e.g., 8 yr), these reservoirs lost the ICC-DMP and were less responsive to distension. The detubularized ileal reservoirs were not responsive to distension and did not generate phasic activity; none had ICC-DMP and all had a disrupted ICC-MP network. In conclusion, motor patterns were found to be specific for each type of reservoir, and the two populations of ICC had characteristics specific for the type of bladder reconstruction.

One important strategy to develop effective anticancer agents is based on natural products. Many active phytochemicals are in human clinical trials and have been used for a long time, alone and in association with conventional anticancer drugs, for the treatment of various types of cancers. A great number of in vitro, in vivo and clinical reports document the multi-target anticancer activities of isothiocyanates and of compounds characterized by a naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide scaffold. In order to search for new anticancer agents with a better pharmaco-toxicological profile, we investigated hybrid compounds obtained by inserting isothiocyanate group(s) on a naphthalenetetracarboxylic diimide scaffold. Moreover, since water-soluble fullerene derivatives can cross cell membranes thus favoring the delivery of anticancer therapeutics, we explored the cytostatic and cytotoxic activity of hybrid compounds conjugated with fullerene. We studied their cytostatic and cytotoxic effects on a human T-lymphoblastoid cell line by using different flow cytometric assays. In order to better understand their pharmaco-toxicological potential, we also analyzed their genotoxicity. Our global results show that the synthesized compounds reduced significantly the viability of leukemia cells. However, the conjugation with a non-toxic vector did not increase their anticancer potential. This opens an interesting research pattern for certain fullerene properties.