基于硼酸酯的19F磁共振分子探针的设计合成及活体深组织活性氧物种的激活响应成像

活性氧簇(ROS), 如过氧化氢, 在生物体内的各种生理和病理过程中发挥着重要作用. 生物体内活性氧簇水平的异常与多种疾病(炎症、 肿瘤和器官损伤等)密切相关, 使ROS监测成为研究和诊断这些疾病的重要工具. 目前, 实现活体内深组织中的活性氧簇成像仍然面临挑战. 本文设计并合成了一种响应型的¹⁹F磁共振成像(MRI)探针(Gd-DPBF), 并将其用于实现对活体内通用活性氧簇的检测和成像. 该探针由钆螯合物通过活性氧簇响应的芳香硼酸酯键与含氟砌块相连接构成. 体外和体内成像实验结果证实, 该探针可以实现在活体荷瘤小鼠中针对肿瘤中高表达的活性氧进行检测和成像, 展示了其在生物体内对活性氧簇相关生理过程进行深组织、 零生物背景成像方面的潜力.     

Anticancer Aminoferrocene Derivatives Inducing Production of Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species

Elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and deficient mitochondria are two weak points of cancer cells. Their simultaneous targeting is a valid therapeutic strategy to design highly potent anticancer drugs. The remaining challenge is to limit the drug effects to cancer cells without affecting normal ones. We have previously developed three aminoferrocene (AF)-based derivatives, which are activated in the presence of elevated levels of ROS present in cancer cells with formation of electron-rich compounds able to generate ROS and reduce mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). All of them exhibit important drawbacks including either low efficacy or high unspecific toxicity that prevents their application in vivo up to date. Herein we describe unusual AF-derivatives lacking these drawbacks. These compounds act via an alternative mechanism: they are chemically stable in the presence of ROS, generate mitochondrial ROS in cancer cells, but not normal cells and exhibit anticancer effect in vivo.     

Applications of single-drop microextraction in analytical chemistry: A review

Single-drop microextraction (SDME) has been recognized as one of the simple miniaturized sample preparation tools for the isolation and preconcentration of several analytes from a complex sample matrix. In this review, we explored the applications of SDME coupled with various analytical techniques (spectroscopy, chromatography, and mass spectrometry) for the analysis of organic molecules, inorganic ions, and biomolecules from various sample matrices including food, environmental, clinical, pharmaceutical, and industrial samples. Also, it summarizes the use of nanoparticles in SDME combined with various analytical tools for the rapid analysis of several trace-level target analytes. An overview of ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents, and SUPRAS, which improved the selectivity and sensitivity of various analytical techniques toward several analytes, as promising extracting solvent systems in SDME is also included. Finally, discussed the impressive analytical features and future perspectives of SDME in this review article.     

Electro catalytic generation of reactive species at diamond electrodes and applications in microbial inactivation

Use of robust and safe water disinfection technologies which are inexpensive and energy-efficient are need of the hour to combat the problem of inadequate access of safe and clean drinking water. Energy and chemically intensive water treatment technologies warrant the need for a safe and environmentally sound treatment technology. Electrochemical disinfection or electrodisinfection (ED) is experiencing a great resurgence among the scientific communities owing to its novel use of electrode materials and electric current in an inexpensive and energy-efficient way for achieving the inactivation of microorganisms. Among the various electrodes used in the ED, boron-doped diamonds emerge as a sustainable alternate for their ability to electro generate strong potent oxidants which result in effective pathogen control in drinking water. ED for disinfecting waters occurs via generation of the reactive species which act in the bacterial inactivation mechanisms. In this mini-review, a critical discussion on the fundamentals and applications of promising electrochemical methods using boron-doped diamond anodes (namely electrochemical oxidation), evidencing their advantages for the remediation of drinking water infected with waterborne agents, is given.     

β-Carotene Inhibits Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinase-10 and Invasion in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Gastric Epithelial Cells

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), key molecules of cancer invasion and metastasis, degrade the extracellular matrix and cell–cell adhesion molecules. MMP-10 plays a crucial role in Helicobacter pylori-induced cell-invasion. The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, which activates activator protein-1 (AP-1), is known to mediate MMP expression. Infection with H. pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium, is associated with gastric cancer development. A toxic factor induced by H. pylori infection is reactive oxygen species (ROS), which activate MAPK signaling in gastric epithelial cells. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR-γ) mediates the expression of antioxidant enzymes including catalase. β-Carotene, a red-orange pigment, exerts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We aimed to investigate whether β-carotene inhibits H. pylori-induced MMP expression and cell invasion in gastric epithelial AGS (gastric adenocarcinoma) cells. We found that H. pylori induced MMP-10 expression and increased cell invasion via the activation of MAPKs and AP-1 in gastric epithelial cells. Specific inhibitors of MAPKs suppressed H. pylori-induced MMP-10 expression, suggesting that H. pylori induces MMP-10 expression through MAPKs. β-Carotene inhibited the H. pylori-induced activation of MAPKs and AP-1, expression of MMP-10, and cell invasion. Additionally, it promoted the expression of PPAR-γ and catalase, which reduced ROS levels in H. pylori-infected cells. In conclusion, β-carotene exerts an inhibitory effect on MAPK-mediated MMP-10 expression and cell invasion by increasing PPAR-γ-mediated catalase expression and reducing ROS levels in H. pylori-infected gastric epithelial cells.     

Red Blood Cell Stiffness and Adhesion Are Species-Specific Properties Strongly Affected by Temperature and Medium Changes in Single Cell Force Spectroscopy

Besides human red blood cells (RBC), a standard model used in AFM-single cell force spectroscopy (SCFS), little is known about apparent Young’s modulus (Ea) or adhesion of animal RBCs displaying distinct cellular features. To close this knowledge gap, we probed chicken, horse, camel, and human fetal RBCs and compared data with human adults serving as a repository for future studies. Additionally, we assessed how measurements are affected under physiological conditions (species-specific temperature in autologous plasma vs. 25 °C in aqueous NaCl solution). In all RBC types, Ea decreased with increasing temperature irrespective of the suspension medium. In mammalian RBCs, adhesion increased with elevated temperatures and scaled with reported membrane sialic acid concentrations. In chicken only adhesion decreased with higher temperature, which we attribute to the lower AE-1 concentration allowing more membrane undulations. Ea decreased further in plasma at every test temperature, and adhesion was completely abolished, pointing to functional cell enlargement by adsorption of plasma components. This halo elevated RBC size by several hundreds of nanometers, blunted the thermal input, and will affect the coupling of RBCs with the flowing plasma. The study evidences the presence of a RBC surface layer and discusses the tremendous effects when RBCs are probed at physiological conditions.     

Exogenous Sodium Nitroprusside Mitigates Salt Stress in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) by Affecting the Growth,Yield, and Biochemical Properties

Soil salinity disrupts the physiological and biochemical processes of crop plants and ultimately leads to compromising future food security. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a contributor to nitric oxide (NO), holds the potential to alleviate abiotic stress effects and boost tolerance in plants, whereas less information is available on its role in salt-stressed lentils. We examined the effect of exogenously applied SNP on salt-stressed lentil plants by monitoring plant growth and yield-related attributes, biochemistry of enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)) amassing of leaf malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂). Salinity stress was induced by NaCl application at concentrations of 50 mM (moderate salinity) and 100 mM (severe salinity), while it was alleviated by SNP application at concentrations of 50 µM and 100 µM. Salinity stress severely inhibited the length of roots and shoots, the relative water content, and the chlorophyll content of the leaves, the number of branches, pods, seeds, seed yield, and biomass per plant. In addition, MDA, H₂O₂ as well as SOD, CAT, and POD activities were increased with increasing salinity levels. Plants supplemented with SNP (100 µM) showed a significant improvement in the growth- and yield-contributing parameters, especially in plants grown under moderate salinity (50 mM NaCl). Essentially, the application of 100 µM SNP remained effective to rescue lentil plants under moderate salinity by regulating plant growth and biochemical pathways. Thus, the exogenous application of SNP could be developed as a useful strategy for improving the performance of lentil plants in salinity-prone environments.