An insight into the mechanisms of the phototoxic response induced by cyamemazine in cultured fibroblasts and keratinocytes

The phototoxicity of cyamemazine (CMZ, Tercian), a neuroleptic of the phenothiazine family, has recently been reported in humans. CMZ has an absorbance maximum at 267 nm (molar absorptivity, 25,800 M(-1) cm(-1)) but a weaker molar absorptivity in the ultraviolet A (UV-A) region. CMZ exhibits a fluorescence with maximum emission at 535 nm and a quantum yield of 0.11. CMZ is a powerful photosensitizing agent toward HS 68 human skin fibroblasts and NCTC 2544 keratinocytes. At a UV-A radiation dose of 10 J/cm2, innocuous to cells in the absence of CMZ, the LD50 (lethal dose corresponding to 50% killing) are 0.5 and 1 microM for the fibroblasts and the keratinocytes, respectively, after overnight incubation with the drug. Short incubation times do not significantly alter the LD50. The CMZ-induced phototoxicity is accompanied by lipid membrane peroxidation consistent with the amphiphilic character of this photosensitizer. Keratinocytes are an order of magnitude less sensitive to the photosensitized lipid peroxidation than fibroblasts. Microspectrofluorometry reveals that lysosomal membranes are major sites of CMZ incorporation into the two cell lines because a Forster-type resonance energy transfer process occurs from CMZ to LysoTracker Red DND99 (LTR), a specific fluorescent probe of lysosomal membranes. The CMZ-photosensitized destruction of LTR demonstrates that CMZ retains its photosensitizing capacity after its lysosomal uptake.     

IDENTIFICATION OF THE PROTON ACCEPTOR OF SCHIFF BASE DEPROTONATION IN BACTERIORHODOPSIN: A FOURIER-TRANSFORM-INFRARED STUDY OF THE MUTANT ASP85 → GLU IN ITS NATURAL LIPID ENVIRONMENT

Abstract— In order to assign the proton acceptor for Schiff base deprotonation in bacteriorhodopsin to a specific Asp residue, the photoreaction of the Asp85 → Glu mutant, as expressed in Halobacterium sp . GRB, was investigated by static low-temperature and time-resolved infrared difference spec-troscopy. Measurements were also performed on the mutant protein labeled with [4-¹³C]Asp which allowed discrimination between Asp and Glu residues. 14,15-di¹³C-retinal was incorporated to distinguish amide-II absorbance changes from changes of the ethylenic mode of the chromophore. In agreement with earlier UV-VIS measurements, our data show that from both the 540 and 610 nm species present in a pH-dependent equilibrium, intermediates similar to K and L can be formed. The 14 ms time-resolved spectrum of the 540 nm species shows that a glutamic acid becomes protonated in the M-like intermediate, whereas the comparable difference spectrum of the 610 nm species demonstrates that in the initial state a glutamic acid is already protonated. In conjunction with earlier observations of protonation of an Asp residue in wild-type M, the data provide direct evidence that the proton acceptor in the deprotonation reaction of the Schiff base is Asp85.     

Inclusive ϱ0,K *±(892) andf production in\bar p p Interactions at 12 GeV/c

Inclusive production of ?⁰,K ^*±(892), andf is studied in \(\bar p\) p interactions at 12 GeV/c. The inclusive cross sections for ?⁰,K ^*±(892), andf are found to be 6.7±0.3 mb, 1.0±0.2 mb, and 1.4±0.3 mb, respectively. The differential cross sections are presented as a function of c.m. rapidity, Feynmanx and square of the transverse momentump _T ² . Comparison with the correspondingpp data shows some interesting differences which can be attributed to the \(\bar p\) p annihilation. The results are compared with the predictions of the quark fusion model.     

The molecular basis of the adsorption of xylans on cellulose surface

In order to model the adsorption of xylan on cellulose, we have simulated, at the atomic level, the gas phase adsorption of small xylan fragments having 5 skeletal β (1 → 4) xylosyl residues (X₅), using molecular dynamics simulations. A first regime was considered, corresponding to a low surface coverage, with the adsorption of isolated X₅ in various initial orientations. In this regime, the simulation indicated that X₅ moved toward extended conformations, some of them being helical, with the possibility of either 2₁ or left-handed 3₁ helices. During the simulation, the X₅ fragments became preferentially oriented, parallel or anti parallel with respect to the cellulose chain axis. Substitution of the X₅ backbone by either GlcA and/or Araf side chains had no major influence on either the conformation or the efficiency of the interaction. However, the presence of side chains favored orientations of the X₅ backbone inclined with respect to the cellulose chain axis. In a second regime corresponding to monolayer coverage, the geometrical features of the adsorption of the xylan fragments on cellulose was roughly the same as that in the individual coverage situation. In this case, the monolayer became equilibrated at 0.14 g of xylan fragments for each g of cellulose, a figure that compared favourably with the values obtained in experimental adsorption of xylan on bacterial cellulose.     

Chromium Trioxide Supported onto Wet Silica Gel: Rapid Oxidation of Alcohols to Carbonyl Compounds Under Microwave Irradiation in Solventless System

In an environmentally benign system, alcohols are rapidly oxidized to carbonyl compounds using CrO 3 supported onto wet silica gel as an oxidant under microwave irradiation.     

Two stage electrostatic separator for the recycling of plastics from waste electrical and electronic equipment

The aim of study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a new facility for recycling of plastics from granular waste electrical and electronic equipment. The installation consists of two sections, the products of a first tribo-aero-electrostatic separator being subsequently treated in two free-fall electrostatic separators. The tests were performed on a mixture of polycarbonate (PC) and polyamide (PA). Analysis of the purity of the products obtained was performed using a program of image processing in MATLAB. Products of very high purity (roughly 95% for both PC and PA) were obtained at a recovery rate higher than 70%.     

Electrochemical parameters of aluminum oxide film in situ during anodization of aluminum by white light-optical interferometry

Optical Review - Both Fabry–Pérot interferometry and the DC electrochemical method have been simultaneously used for the first time to measure in situ the anodic current density (J) of...     

Performance evaluation of praseodymium doped fiber amplifiers

Optical Review - In this paper, we report the performance evaluation of praseodymium doped fiber amplifier (PDFA) operating in 1.25–1.35 μm band of wavelengths based on...