Regulation of redox balance using a biocompatible nanoplatform enhances phototherapy efficacy and suppresses tumor metastasis

Many cancer treatments including photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilize reactive oxygen species (ROS) to kill tumor cells. However, elevated antioxidant defense systems in cancer cells result in resistance to the therapy involving ROS. Here we describe a highly effective phototherapy through regulation of redox homeostasis with a biocompatible and versatile nanotherapeutic to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis. We systematically explore and exploit methylene blue adsorbed polydopamine nanoparticles as a targeted and precise nanocarrier, oxidative stress amplifier, photodynamic/photothermal agent, and multimodal probe for fluorescence, photothermal and photoacoustic imaging to enhance anti-tumor efficacy. Remarkably, following the glutathione-stimulated photosensitizer release to generate exogenous ROS, polydopamine eliminates the endogenous ROS scavenging system through depleting the primary antioxidant, thus amplifying the phototherapy and effectively suppressing tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, this approach enables a robust inhibition against breast cancer metastasis, as oxidative stress is a vital impediment to distant metastasis in tumor cells. Innovative, safe and effective nanotherapeutics via regulation of redox balance may provide a clinically relevant approach for cancer treatment.

Amplified oxidative stress achieved by modulating redox homeostasis with PDA–MB for highly effective synergistic phototherapy to inhibit primary tumors and metastases.     

Modification of Cr/SiO2 for the dehydrogenation of propane to propylene in carbon dioxide

Summary Dehydrogenation of propane to propylene in carbon dioxide was investigated over promoted Cr/SiO2. The results showed that the catalysts were effective for the reaction and CO2 in the feed promoted the catalytic activity. XRD, TPR and microcalorimetric adsorption techniques were used to study the structure and surface acidity of the catalysts. It was found that the surface acidity decreased with the increase of K in the Cr/SiO2 and led to the increase of selectivity toward propylene. A propane conversion of 31% with 91% selectivity to propylene over the 5%Cr-0.4%K/SiO2 catalyst was observed at 923 K with CO2 /C3H8 molar ratio of 3.6.     

不同分子筛载体对CO加氢产物分布的影响

研究了几种小孔分子筛ＺＳＭ－５，ＨＹ，ＮａＹ及β担载ＺｒＯ２对Ｃ加氢反应的催化作用，并就产物的分布情况与担载ＺｒＯ２的硅铝中孔分子筛进行了对比研究。其中中孔分子筛分别用季铵盐和一级胺为模板剂，在水热条件和常温常压下合成；并用ＢＥＴ，ＸＲＤ，ＳＥＭ等手段表征了它们的孔道和骨架结构。另外，考察了碱金属Ｋ＾２＋，Ｎａ＾２＋对催化剂催化性能的影响。     

Effect of molecular structure on the solute-micelle and solute-stationary phase binding constants in micellar liquid chromatography

The effects of molecular structure on the solute-micelle and solute-stationary phase binding constants in micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) have been investigated. The following points have been observed. (1) There is quite a good linear relationship between the solute-micelle and solute-stationary phase binding constants in MLC with the cationic (CTAB) and anionic surfactants as the additives, which means that the contribution of physico-chemical properties of solutes on the solute-micelle and solute-stationary phase binding constants acts in a parallel way. (2) Good quantitative relationships between the solute-micelle and solute-stationary phase binding constants and the solvatochromic parameters have been obtained, which indicates that the distribution mechanism of the neutral solutes in MLC is determined via their molecular interactions. Both the cavity process and the hydrogen bond interaction play a very important role in the retention of neutral solutes in MLC. The contribution of the hydrogen bond interaction, especially the hydrogen donor ability of the solutes on those binding constants in anionic and cationic surfactant MLC, is determined in a different way. (3) Linear regression analysis of the solute-micelle and solute-stationary phase binding constants between the cationic and anionic surfactant MLC has been carried out. The obtained results suggest that the transfer of the non-polar solutes from the aqueous phase to the anionic and cationic surfactant micelles acts in a parallel way, but that of the polar solutes in a different way. A model of micelles with three different sites of solubilization, i.e., (1) the core of the micelle, (2) the surface of the micelle and (3) the palisade layer of the micelle, has been used to successfully explain the observed results. Finally, the retention behavior of solutes in MLC is compared with that in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC). It has been observed that there is no difference in separation selectivity for the non-polar solutes between MLC and RP-LC; however, for the polar solutes, MLC provides a different separation selectivity compared to that in RP-LC.     

Synthesis of comb‐shaped poly(methyl methacrylate)‐b‐poly(polytetrahydrofuran acrylate) under 60Co γ‐ray irradiation

Comb‐shaped graft copolymers with poly(methyl methacrylate) as a handle were synthesized by the macromonomer technique in two steps. First, polytetrahydrofuran acrylate (A‐PTHF), prepared by the living cationic ring‐opening polymerization of tetrahydrofuran, underwent homopolymerization with 1‐(ethoxycarbonyl)prop‐1‐yl dithiobenzoate as an initiator under ⁶⁰Co γ irradiation at room temperature; Second, the handle of the comb‐shaped copolymers was prepared by the block copolymerization of methyl methacrylate with P(A‐PTHF) as a macroinitiator under ⁶⁰Co γ irradiation. The two‐step polymerizations were proved to be controlled with the following evidence: the straight line of ln[M]₀/[M] versus the polymerization time, the linear increase in the number‐average molecular weight with the conversion, and the relatively narrow molecular weight distribution. The structures of the P(A‐PTHF) and final comb‐shaped copolymers were characterized by ¹H NMR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 3367–3378, 2002     

POLYBINAPHTHYLS INCORPORATING (R)-2,2''''-BINAPHTHO-20-CROWN-6 AND NAPHTHYL MOITIES

Chiral polymer was synthesized by the polymerization of (R)-6,6'-bistributylstannyl-2,2'-binaphtho-20-crown-6 (M-1) with 1,4-dibromo-2,3-bisbutoxy-naphthyl (M-2) by Pd(PPh3)4 catalyzed Stille coupling reaction. Both monomer and polymer were analyzed by NMR, MS, FT-IR, UV, polarimetry, DSC-TGA, CD, fluorescent spectroscopy and GPC. The major difference between monomer and polymer is that a long wavelength Cotton Effect was observed for the polymer due to its more extended conjugation in the repeating unit and a highly rigid backbone in the polymer chain. Polymer has strong blue fluorescence due to the efficient energy migration from the extended n-electronic structure of the repeating unit of the polymer to the chiral binaphthyl core and is expected to have potential application in the materials of fluorescent sensors and chiral chromatographic packing for resolution of racemic amino acid.     

New diphosphite ligands for enantioselective asymmetric hydroformylation

A series of new diphosphite ligands have been easily prepared from BINOL derivatives; moderate enantioselectivities (up to 80% ee) and excellent regioselectivities (b/l up to 98/2) have been achieved in the Rh-catalyzed asymmetric hydroformylation of vinyl acetate.     

Prediction of paper permanence by accelerated aging II. Comparison of the predictions with natural aging results

Accelerated aging tests are credible and useful to predict paper permanence only if such tests can be shown to correlate with natural aging. In the first part of this study, a kinetic model was developed based on the accelerated aging results. In this report, we have shown that this kinetic model can indeed predict the natural aging results of lignin-free sheets with a statistical confidence. This is the first quantitative comparison of accelerated aging with natural aging.     

On-column amperometric detection in capillary electrophoresis with an improved high-voltage electric field decoupler

The analysis of polyamide-6 oligomers and polymer is usually performed with expensive fluorinated alcohols like 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) or 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP). Formic acid is well known as a mobile phase additive to adjust pH in reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. However, formic acid is seldom used as a modifier to perform gradient elution chromatography on octadecyl-modified silica-based columns. Here we demonstrate the determination of cyclic and linear polyamide-6 oligomers using formic acid as a modifier on an octadecyl-modified silica-based column. This column was shown to be stable for more than 5000 column volumes, even when a mobile phase of 65-95% formic acid in water at a flow of 1 ml/min is applied. With formic acid under the conditions used (65-95% formic acid in water) the oligomers are retained on the column, while the polymer does not precipitate. In comparison, during adsorption and separation with a HFIP gradient, precipitation of the polymer occurs. The implications of the different separation mechanisms, i.e., adsorption vs. precipitation chromatography are discussed. Loadability is shown to be much better with the formic acid system. However, with formic acid as a modifier UV detection below 250 nm is not feasible. The less sensitive evaporative light scattering detector is used to detect the polyamide oligomers in the formic acid phase. In addition it is shown that capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) with UV-absorbance detection using HFIP is an attractive combination as HFIP is UV-transparent and CZE allows low modifier consumption.     

Screening and analysis of bioactive compounds with biofingerprinting chromatogram analysis of traditional Chinese medicines targeting DNA by microdialysis/HPLC

Biofingerprinting chromatogram analysis, which is defined as the comparison of fingerprinting chromatograms of the extract of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) before and after the interaction with biological systems (DNA, protein, cell, etc.), was proposed for screening and analysis of the multiple bioactive compounds in TCMs. A method of microdialysis sampling combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was applied to the study of DNA-binding property for the extracts of TCMs. Seven compounds were found to bind to calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) from the TCMs of Coptis chinensis Franch (Coptis), but only three ones from Phellodendron amurense Rupr. (Phellodendron) and none from Sophoraflavescens Ait. (Sophora) to bind to ct-DNA, respectively. Three of them were identified as berberine, palmatine and jatrorrhizine and their association constants (K) to ct-DNA were determined by microdialysis/HPLC. Competitive binding behaviors of them to ct-DNA were also investigated.