Hyperpigmentation induced by topical 5-aminolaevulinic acid plus visible light

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) is an alternative tool for the treatment of superficial non-melanoma skin cancers. Recently ALA-PDT has been employed with encouraging results also for warts, condylomata and psoriasis. In this study the effects of topical ALA plus irradiation with visible light on intact human skin have been evaluated. Five skin areas (A, B, C, D, and E) on the inner upper part of the arms of five healthy volunteers (skin types III and IV) were treated with (A) ALA 20% in base cream without irradiation, (B) only the vehicle (base cream) without ALA, (C, D and E) ALA cream at the concentrations of 5, 10 and 20%, respectively; all treatments were applied with an occlusive dressing. Four hours after ALA or vehicle application areas B, C, D and E were irradiated with a fixed dose of 40 J/cm(2). ALA penetration through the intact skin was evaluated by in vivo fluorescence determination. The effects on healthy skin were evaluated by clinical and chromometric examinations, light microscopy, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. RESULTS: (1) in vivo fluorescence demonstrated that ALA is able to penetrate through the intact skin, when applied with occlusive dressing and induces a classical fluorescence peak due to Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) formation, which is the active photosensitiser. (2) Skin areas receiving ALA plus irradiation showed erythema and swelling just after the irradiative session and hyperpigmentation 48-72 h later. (3) Colourimetric data confirmed significant skin colour changes: values a* (representing the erythematous changes) increased only on the skin areas where ALA+irradiation were applied and during the 48 h after irradiation, thereafter a* began to decrease; values L* (pigmentation) increased during the 2 weeks following treatment. (4) Histopathological, immunohistochemical (S100, HMB-45) and electron microscopic findings showed an absolute increment of the number of melanocytes, which appeared clearly activated. In conclusion the application of ALA cream followed by irradiation is able to induce a pigmentation response in healthy human skin, at least in skin types III and IV. This melanocytic activation could have a potential for the treatment of skin disorders characterised by hypopigmentation.     

Group contributions to the infinite dilution partial molar volumes of alkanes, alcohols, and glycols in polar organic solvents

Densities of binary mixtures of polar organic solvents with alcohols were measured at 25‡C. The solvents studied were N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and formamide while alcohols were butanol, pentanol, hexanol, and 1,4-butanediol. Density measurements of hydrocarbons (from pentane to dodecane and some heptane isomers) + N,N-dimethylformamide were also performed. From these data the apparent molar volumes of alcohols and hydrocarbons as functions of concentration were calculated. The standard partial molar volumes were obtained by extrapolation to infinite dilution and are discussed in terms of group contributions.     

Microwave-assisted ring-closing metathesis revisited. On the question of the nonthermal microwave effect

The ring-closing metathesis reactions (RCM) of six standard diene substrates leading to five-, six-, or seven-membered carbo- or heterocycles were investigated under controlled microwave irradiation. RCM protocols were performed with standard Grubbs type II and a cationic ruthenium allenylidene catalyst in neat and ionic liquid-doped methylene chloride under sealed vessel conditions. Very rapid conversions (15 s) were achieved utilizing 0.5 mol % Grubbs II catalyst under microwave conditions. Careful comparison studies indicate that the observed rate enhancements are not the result of a nonthermal microwave effect.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the atmosphere: monitoring, sources, sinks and fate. II: Sinks and fate

This paper reviews the transformation processes that polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) undergo in the atmosphere. These processes can take place both in the gas phase and in the particulate/aerosol one. Among the gas-phase processes, the most important ones are the daytime reaction with *OH and the nighttime reaction with *NO3. The relative importance of the two processes depends on the particular PAH molecule. For instance, gaseous naphthalene is mainly removed from the atmosphere upon reaction with *OH, while gaseous phenanthrene is mainly removed by reaction with *NO3. Oxy-, hydroxy-, and nitro-PAHs are the main transformation intermediates. Reaction with ozone and photolysis play a secondary role in the transformation of gaseous PAHs. The particle-associated processes are usually slower than the gas-phase ones, thus the gas-phase PAHs usually have shorter atmospheric lifetimes than those found on particulate. Due to the higher residence time on particulate when compared with the gas phase, direct or assisted photolysis plays a relevant role in the transformation of particle-associated PAHs. Among the other processes taking place in the condensed phase, nitration plays a very important role due to the health impact of nitro-PAHs, some of them being the most powerful mutagens found so far in atmospheric particulate extracts.     

Geminate rebinding in R-state hemoglobin: kinetic and computational evidence for multiple hydrophobic pockets

Biphasic geminate rebinding of CO to myoglobin upon flash photolysis has been associated to ligand distribution in hydrophobic cavities, structurally detected by time-resolved crystallography, xenon occupancy, and molecular simulations. We show that the time course of CO rebinding to human hemoglobin also exhibits a biphasic geminate rebinding when the protein is entrapped in wet nanoporous silica gel. A simple branched kinetic scheme, involving the bound state A, the primary docking site C, and a secondary binding site B was used to calculate the microscopic rates and the time-dependent population of the intermediate species. The activation enthalpies of the associated transitions were determined in the absence and presence of 80% glycerol. Potential hydrophobic docking cavities within the alpha and beta chains of hemoglobin were identified by computational modeling using xenon as a probe. A hydrophobic pocket on the distal side of the heme, corresponding to Xe4 in Mb, and a nearby site that does not have a correspondence in Mb were detected. Neither potential xenon sites on the proximal side nor a migration channel from the distal to proximal site was located. The small enthalpic barriers between states B and C are in very good agreement with the location of the xenon sites on the distal side. Furthermore, the connection between the two xenon sites is relatively open, explaining why the decreased mobility of the protein with viscosity only slightly perturbs the energetics of ligand migration between the two sites.     

Flexible polyfluorinated bis-diazirines as molecular adhesives

Motivated by a desire to develop flexible covalent adhesives that afford some of the same malleability in the adhesive layer as traditional polymer-based adhesives, we designed and synthesized two flexible, highly fluorinated bis-diazirines. Both molecules are shown to function as effective crosslinkers for polymer materials, and to act as strong adhesives when painted between two polymer objects of low surface energy, prior to thermal activation. Data obtained from lap-shear experiments suggests that greater molecular flexibility is correlated with improved mechanical compliance in the adhesive layer.

Flexible, highly fluorinated covalent adhesives are synthesized, and are shown to afford comparable C–H insertion efficiency and adhesion strength relative to a rigid analogue, while providing improved mechanical compliance in the adhesion layer.     

Unexpected and expeditious entry into trifluoromethyl aziridines from substituted beta-dicarbonyl compounds

[Reaction: see text]. One-pot aziridinations were obtained starting from substituted 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl beta-dicarbonyl compounds with nosyloxycarbamates in the presence of an excess of CaO as base. The unexpected ring closure reaction takes place at room temperature, leading to the N-protected alpha-trifluoromethyl aziridines with good yields. The reaction pathway seems to be influenced by the choice of the base.     

Enthalpies of mixing of some nitriles aqueous solutions with dodecylsurfactants micellar solutions

The enthalpies of mixing of some n-nitriles (from acetonitrile to valeronitrile) aqueous solutions with dodecyltzimethylammonium bromide, sodium dodecylsulfate and dodecyltzimethylammonium oxide micellar solutions were determined. The measurements were performed by systematically changing the surfactant concentration at a given solute concentration. The experimental enthalpies were rationalized in terms of the standard enthalpy of transfer of solute from the aqueous to the micellar phase and of the distribution constant between the two phase. Information on the effect of the nature of the surfactant on the standard thermodynamic quantities of transfer(G _t ^o , H _t ^o , TS _t ^o ) is reported. The present data are compared to those previously reported for primary alcohols and the solubilizing properties shown by the different types of micelles are discussed.