Preparation of pH-sensitive liposomes retaining SOD mimic and their anticancer effect

We prepared an anticancer drug based on a pH-sensitive liposome retaining Fe-porphyrin as an SOD mimic. The liposomes contained cationic/anionic lipid combinations and were composed of Fe-porphyrin, 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine, dimethylditetradecylammonium bromide, sodium oleate, and Tween-80. The Fe-porphyrin was released from the liposome at low pH, and the cytotoxicity for cancer cells by the liposome depended on the acidic environments of the endosomes in the cells. Furthermore, although the liposome exhibited an excellent anticancer effect on a gastric cancer cell line, the SOD activity of Fe-porphyrin was shown to have a significant influence on the cytotoxicity toward cancer cells. These findings suggest that the pH-sensitive liposome retaining the Fe-porphyrin as an SOD mimic promises to be a novel anticancer drug for endosomal escape.     

Quantum dot FRET biosensors that respond to pH, to proteolytic or nucleolytic cleavage, to DNA synthesis, or to a multiplexing combination

Fluorescent acceptors have been immobilized on nanoparticulate quantum dots (QDs), which serve in turn as their FRET donors. The broad excitation and narrow emission bands of QDs mark them as having excellent potential as donors for FRET and, in principle, differently colored QDs could be excited simultaneously. The present work describes the preparation and operation of FRET-based QD bioprobes individually able to detect the actions of protease, deoxyribonuclease, DNA polymerase, or changes in pH. In addition, two such QD-mounted biosensors were excited at a single wavelength, and shown to operate simultaneously and independently of each other in the same sample solution, allowing multiplex detection of the action of a protease, trypsin, in the presence of deoxyribonuclease.     

Polymer-like polyphenols of black tea and their lipase and amylase inhibitory activities

Lipase and amylase inhibitory activities of black tea were examined. After solvent partitioning of a black tea extract with the ethyl acetate and n-butanol, the two soluble fractions showed comparable inhibitory activities. Activity in the ethyl acetate fraction was mainly attributable to polyphenols with low-molecular weights, such as theaflavin gallates. On the other hand, the active substance in the n-butanol layer was ascertained to be a polymer-like substance. 1H- and 13C-NMR spectra showed signals arising from the flavan A-ring and galloyl groups, although signals due to flavan B-rings were not detected, suggesting that the polymer-like substances were generated by oxidative condensation of flavan B-rings, a result which was previously deduced from our results of in vitro catechin oxidation experiments. Enzymatic oxidation of epicatechin 3-O-gallate produced a similar polymer-like substance and suggested that condensation between a B-ring and galloyl groups was involved in the polymerization reaction.     

Oxidative Annulation of Arenecarboxylic and Acrylic Acids with Alkynes under Ambient Conditions Catalyzed by an Electron‐Deficient Rhodium(III) Complex

It has been established that an electron‐deficient Cp^E rhodium(III) complex catalyzes the oxidative [4+2] annulation of substituted arenecarboxylic and acrylic acids with alkynes under ambient conditions (at RT–40 °C, under air) without using excess amounts of substrates to produce the corresponding substituted isocoumarins and α‐pyrones in high yields. Minor modification of reaction conditions depending on the coordination ability of alkynes realized the high efficiency.     

Superionic Conduction in Co‐Vacant P2‐NaxCoO2 Created by Hydrogen Reductive Elimination

The layered P2‐Na_xMO₂ (M: transition metal) system has been widely recognized as electronic or mixed conductor. Here, we demonstrate that Co vacancies in P2‐Na_xCoO₂ created by hydrogen reductive elimination lead to an ionic conductivity of 0.045 S cm^?1 at 25 °C. Using in situ synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, the composition of the superionic conduction phase is evaluated to be Na_0.61(H₃O)_0.18Co_0.93O₂. Electromotive force measurements as well as molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the ion conducting species is proton rather than hydroxide ion. The fact that the Co‐stoichiometric compound Na_x(H₃O)_yCoO₂ does not exhibit any significant ionic conductivity proves that Co vacancies are essential for the occurrence of superionic conductivity.     

The chemical behavior of silica in water in saline area; comparison for region and evaporation process

The chemical behavior of silica in the water samples from Death Valley were examined by the speciation of silica and the measurements of the silica and alkaline and alkaline earth cation contents to compare with those from the arid area in Xinjiang, Northwest China. Basically, the chemical behavior of silica in spring water samples from Death Valley coherent with those in Xinjiang, Northwest China. And the observed chemical species of silica with alkaline and alkaline earth cations in spring water samples in Death Valley were in good agreement with those in Xinjiang, Northwest China. However, some of the silica behavior observed in water samples in Death Valley was distinct from those observed in Xinjiang, Northwest China. It is considered that some of the water samples in Death Valley were subject to evaporation process.     

Electronic polarization effect on low-frequency infrared and Raman spectra of aprotic solvent: molecular dynamics simulation study with charge response kernel by second order Møller-Plesset perturbation method

Low-frequency infrared (IR) and depolarized Raman scattering (DRS) spectra of acetonitrile, methylene chloride, and acetone liquids are simulated via molecular dynamics calculations with the charge response kernel (CRK) model obtained at the second order M?ller-Plesset perturbation (MP2) level. For this purpose, the analytical second derivative technique for the MP2 energy is employed to evaluate the CRK matrices. The calculated IR spectra reasonably agree with the experiments. In particular, the agreement is excellent for acetone because the present CRK model well reproduces the experimental polarizability in the gas phase. The importance of interaction induced dipole moments in characterizing the spectral shapes is stressed. The DRS spectrum of acetone is mainly discussed because the experimental spectrum is available only for this molecule. The calculated spectrum is close to the experiment. The comparison of the present results with those by the multiple random telegraph model is also made. By decomposing the polarizability anisotropy time correlation function to the contributions from the permanent, induced polarizability and their cross term, a discrepancy from the previous calculations is observed in the sign of permanent-induce cross term contribution. The origin of this discrepancy is discussed by analyzing the correlation functions for acetonitrile.     

Thermally Induced Phase Transition of Crystalline Syndiotactic Polystyrene Studied by Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The structural phase transition between the polymorphs of syndiotactic polystyrene has been studied by means of molecular dynamics simulation. It was found that the initial δ_e form of the crystal structure was completely transformed into the γ form by thermal treatment. Not only the crystal structure but also the transition path are investigated at the molecular level for the first time.