A sensitive solid-phase fluoroimmunoassay for detection of opiates in urine

An automated flow fluorometer designed for kinetic binding analysis was adapted to develop a solid-phase competitive fluoroimmunoassay for urinalysis of opiates. The solid phase consisted of polymer beads coated with commercial monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) raised against morphine. Fluorescein-conjugated morphine (FL-MOR) was used as the fluorescein-labeled hapten. The dissociation equilibrium constant (K _D ) for the binding of FL-MOR to the anti-MOR MAb was 0.23 nM. The binding of FL-MOR to the anti-MOR MAb reached steady state within minutes and was displaced effectively by morphine and other opiates. Morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G), the major urinary metabolite of heroin and morphine, competed effectively with FL-MOR in a concentration-dependent manner for binding to the antimorphine MAb and was therefore used to construct the calibration curve. The sensitivity of the assay was 0.2 ng/mL for M3G. The assay was effective at concentrations of M3G from 0.2 to 50 ng/mL, with an IC₅₀ of 2 ng/mL. Other opiates and heroin metabolites that showed >50% crossreactivity when present at 1 μg/mL included codeine, morphine-6-glucuronide, and oxycodone. Methadone showed very low crossreactivity (<5%), which is a benefit for testing in patients being treated for opiate addictions. The high sensitivity of the assay and the relatively high cutoff value for positive opiate tests allows very small sample volumes (e.g., in saliva or sweat) to be analyzed. A double-blind comparison using 205 clinical urine samples showed good agreement between this single-step competitive assay and a commercially performed enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique for the detection of opiates and benzoylecgonine (a metabolite of cocaine).     

Kinetics and mechanism of rhenium-catalyzed O atom transfer from epoxides

O atom transfer from epoxides cis-stilbene oxide and styrene oxide to triphenylphosphine catalyzed by Tp'ReO(3) (Tp' = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) is shown to proceed via an unexpectedly complex combination of mechanisms. Reduction of Tp'ReO(3) with PPh(3) in THF is rapid above room temperature to form a highly reactive species suggested to be Tp'ReO(2). Spectroscopic examination and attempts to isolate this by chromatography lead only to Tp'Re(O)(OH)(2) (1); exposure of the crude reduction mixture to ethanol results in formation of Tp'Re(O)(OEt)(OH) (3). Both 1 and 3 are as efficient catalysts for O atom transfer as the unpurified mixture resulting from reaction of PPh(3) with Tp'ReO(3); all three rhenium reactants give the same turnover frequency to within 10% at identical [Re](total) and [epoxide]. The kinetic behavior of the catalytic system (epoxide:Re = 20) is complex; an initial "burst" of alkene production is seen, which quickly tapers off and falls into a pseudo-zero-order reaction. The majority of rhenium is observed to exist as the syn-Tp'Re(O)(diolate) complex, formed by ring expansion of the epoxide. However, cycloreversion of this diolate is incapable of accounting for the observed catalytic turnover frequency. An additional intermediate, a coordinated epoxide, is proposed to form and partition between ring expansion and direct fragmentation to alkene; eventually a steady-state concentration of diolate forms. Competition between direct atom transfer and ring expansion followed by diolate cycloreversion is demonstrated by reaction of 3 with excess cis-stilbene oxide and styrene oxide in the absence of reductant to give a 4:1 mixture of alkene and syn-diolate from cis-stilbene oxide or a 5.5:1 mixture of alkene and syn-diolate from styrene oxide under conditions where diolate cycloreversion is a negligible contributor.     

Studies in bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane methanolysis. Ring opening of activated cyclopropanes under acidic and basic conditions

A bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane, with one cyclopropane carbon flanked by a ketone and an ester or an aldehyde, undergoes methanolysis with cleavage of one of the two activated cyclopropane bonds, depending on the reaction conditions. Acidic conditions yield primarily or exclusively a 4-methoxycyclohexane, while basic conditions yield a 3-methoxymethylcyclopentanone.     

Mechanistic evaluation of arsenite oxidation in TiO2 assisted photocatalysis

We report herein a detailed assessment of the roles of O2, H2O2, *OH, and O2-* in the TiO2 assisted photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of arsenite. Although both arsenite, As(III), and arsenate, As(V), adsorb extensively onto the surface of TiO2, past studies relied primarily on the analysis of the arsenic species in solution, neglecting those adsorbed onto the surface of TiO2. We used extraction and analyses of the arsenic species adsorbed onto the surface of the TiO2 to illustrate that the oxidation of As(III) to As(V) occurs in an adsorbed state during TiO2 PCO. The TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) of surface adsorbed As(III) in deoxygenated solutions with electron scavengers, Cu2+, and polyoxometalates (POM) yields oxidation rates that are comparable to those observed under oxygen saturation, implying the primary role of oxygen is as a scavenger of the conduction band electron. Pulse radiolysis and competition kinetics were employed to determine a rate constant of 3.6 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1) for the reaction of As(III) with O2-*. Transient absorption studies of adsorbed hydroxyl radicals, generated by subjecting colloidal TiO2 to radiolytic conditions, provide convincing evidence that the adsorbed hydroxyl radical (TiO2+*OH) plays the central role in the oxidation with As(III) during TiO2 assisted photocatalysis. Our results suggest the reaction of superoxide anion radical does not contribute in the conversion of As(III) when compared to the reaction of As(III) with *OH radical during TiO2 PCO.     

Pectin in controlled drug delivery – a review

Controlled drug delivery remains a research focus for public health to enhance patient compliance, drug efficiency and reduce the side effects of drugs. Pectin, an edible plant polysaccharide, has been shown to be useful for the construction of drug delivery systems for specific drug delivery. Several pectin derived formulations have been developed in our laboratory and tested in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo for the ability to deliver bioactive substances for therapeutic purposes in the context of interactions with living tissues. Pectin derivatives carrying primary amine groups were more mucoadhesive and have shown potential in nasal drug delivery and other mucosal drug delivery. Pectin derivatives with highly esterified galacturonic acid residues are more hydrophobic and able to sustain the release of incorporated fragrances for a prolonged duration. Less esterified pectin derivatives are able to penetrate deeper into the skin and may be useful in aromatherapy formulations. Pectin, in combination with zein, a corn protein, forms hydrogel beads. The bound zein restricts bead swelling and retains the porosity of the beads; the pectin networks shield the zein from protease attack. The complex beads are ideal vehicles for colon-specific drug delivery. Studies presented in this paper indicate the flexibility and possibility to tailor pectin macromolecules into a variety of drug delivery systems to meet different clinical requirements. Mention of trade names or commercial products in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information and does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the US Department of Agriculture.     

Synthetic mimics of mammalian cell surface receptors: prosthetic molecules that augment living cells

Specific receptors on the surface of mammalian cells actively internalize cell-impermeable ligands by receptor-mediated endocytosis. To mimic these internalizing receptors, my laboratory is studying artificial cell surface receptors that comprise N-alkyl derivatives of 3beta-cholesterylamine linked to motifs that bind cell-impermeable ligands. When added to living mammalian cells, these synthetic receptors insert into cellular plasma membranes, project ligand-binding small molecules or peptides from the cell surface, and enable living cells to internalize targeted proteins and other cell-impermeable compounds. These artificial receptors mimic their natural counterparts by rapidly cycling between plasma membranes and intracellular endosomes, associating with proposed cholesterol and sphingolipid-rich lipid raft membrane microdomains, and delivering ligands to late endosomes/lysosomes. This "synthetic receptor targeting" strategy is briefly reviewed here and contrasted with other related cellular delivery systems. Potential applications of artificial cell surface receptors as molecular probes, agents for cellular targeting, tools for drug delivery, and methods for ligand depletion are discussed. The construction of synthetic receptors as prosthetic molecules, designed to seamlessly augment the molecular machinery of living cells, represents an exciting new frontier in the fields of bioorganic chemistry and chemical biology.     

Gemini-induced columnar jointing in vitreous ice. Cryo-HRSEM as a tool for discovering new colloidal morphologies

A gemini surfactant is able to promote columnar jointing in vitreous ice where long pillars, often of hexagonal cross section, are formed. This jointing is visible by cryo-high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (cryo-HRSEM), in which colloidal suspensions in bulk water are cooled rapidly in liquid ethane, thereby avoiding the potential artifacts with other types of EM. The jointing is proposed to arise from a new type of colloidal morphology where the surfactant self-assembles into hexagonal columns. Evidence for this mechanism comes from a cryo-HRSEM photo of an ice-free hexagonal "skeleton" composed of surfactant. Cryo-HRSEM, a method that is just beginning to realize its potential, would seem to have a promising future in the discovery of additional and as yet unimagined colloidal structures.     

Sensitive and rapid analysis of protein palmitoylation with a synthetic cell-permeable mimic of SRC oncoproteins

The localization of oncogenic Src and Ras proteins to cellular plasma membranes is critical for the proliferation of specific cancers. In addition to other lipid modifications, these proteins require posttranslational palmitoylation of specific cysteine residues by the enzyme palmitoyl acyltransferase (PAT) in order to be stably anchored at plasma membranes. Hence, the identification of inhibitors of protein palmitoylation has significant potential to define a new class of antitumor agents. However, studies of protein palmitoylation have been hindered by the dynamic and reversible nature of cysteine acylation and the lack of sensitive and convenient assays of PAT activity. To facilitate the rapid identification of compounds that affect protein palmitoylation, we report the solid-phase synthesis of a fluorescent cell-permeable palmitoyl acyltransferase substrate that mimics the N-terminus of Src family proteins. Metabolic radiolabeling and epifluorescence microscopy of Jurkat lymphocytes treated with this Src-mimetic lipopeptide revealed that this compound is palmitoylated intracellularly, which confers localization at cellular plasma membranes. Addition of the palmitoylation inhibitor 2-bromopalmitic acid to substrate-treated cells blocked palmitoylation and diminished substrate-mediated plasma membrane fluorescence. Analysis of inhibition of palmitoylation by flow cytometry revealed that this fluorescent lipopeptide substrate represents a highly sensitive molecular probe of palmitoyl acyltransferase activity that enables unprecedented high-throughput assays of protein palmitoylation.     

Reactions of triosmium clusters with organic azides; x-ray crystal structures of [Os3(CO)10(NCMe)(N3COPh)], [Os3(μ-H)(CO)10(HN3Ph)], and [Os3(μ-H)2(CO)9(μ3-NPh)]

Organic azides [N₃R] react with [Os₃(CO)₁₁(NCMe)] and with [Os₃(μ-H)₂(CO)₁₀] to form [Os₃(CO)₁₀(NCMe)(N₃COR)] (R  Ph) and [Os₃(μ-H)(CO)₁₀(HN₃R)] (R  Ph, n-Bu, CH₂Ph, cyclo-C₆H₁₁), respectively; the latter may be converted to [Os₃(μ-H)₂(CO)₉(μ₃-NR)] by thermolysis; the molecular structure of the phenyl derivative of each class of compound has been confirmed by x-ray analysis.     

Salvinicins A and B, new neoclerodane diterpenes from Salvia divinorum

[reaction: see text] Two new neoclerodane diterpenes, salvinicins A (4) and B (5), were isolated from the dried leaves of Salvia divinorum. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by spectroscopic techniques, including (1)H and (13)C NMR, NOESY, HMQC, and HMBC. The absolute stereochemistry of these compounds was assigned on the basis of single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis of salvinicin A (4) and a 3,4-dichlorobenzoate derivative of salvinorin B.