1,1‐Organoboration of bis(trimethylstannyl)ethyne with trimethylsilyl‐ and dimethylsilyl‐dialkylboryl‐substituted alkenes: organometallic‐substituted allenes

The reactions of bis(trimethylstannyl)ethyne, Me₃Sn–C?C–SnMe₃ ( 4 ), with trimethylsilyl‐ or dimethylsilyl‐dialkylboryl‐substituted alkenes 1 – 3 afford organometallic‐substituted allenes 5 , 6 and 8 , 9 in high yield. In the case of (E)‐2‐trimethylsilyl‐3‐diethylboryl‐2‐pentene ( 1) , a butadiene derivative 7 could be detected as an intermediate prior to rearrangement into the allene. All reactions were monitored by ²⁹Si and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR, and the products were characterized by an extensive NMR data set (¹H, ¹¹B, ¹³C, ²⁹Si, ¹¹⁹Sn NMR). Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soft-laser scanning densitometry performed on a 35-mm slide illustrating SDS-PAGE separation of adenovirion polypeptides

Virion polypeptides (35 S), methionine-labeled and purified by CsCl gradient centrifugation, were separated by SDS-gel electrophoresis. Analysis of their band pattern was performed by scanning the images of the SDS-gels shown on a 35-mm slide. The densitometric tracings revealed the presence of 17 protein bands, although only 15 of them were visible to the naked eye. The high sensitivity and resolving capacities of the soft-laser scanning densitometer enabled us to detect trace amounts of protein bands separated in SDS-gels and to obtain a resolution compatible to that of electrophoresis. Fourfold electronic amplification of the densitometric tracings, produced by a computer, generated new information regarding the pattern of the electrophoregram. The facility to amplify peaks of importance is particularly advantageous when faint or overlapping protein bands revealed on a gel are assessed.     

Aqueous phenylacetic acid as a low-dose fluorescence dosimeter

Total fluorescence of aqueous phenylacetic acid system at neutral pH has been evaluated as low-dose -ray chemical dosimeter, using the fluorescence accessory of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The useful working range of the system is from 4 to 70 Gy. The postirradiation stability of the dosimeter response has been studied at different pH's, storage temperatures and light conditions. The post-irradiation stability of the dosimeter decreases with an increase in storage temperature. The stability is not affected in diffuse sunlight but it is very unstable in direct sunlight.     

A Study of the Uptake of Toluidine Blue O by Porphyromonas gingivalis and the Mechanism of Lethal Photosensitization

The purpose of the study was to determine the distribution of the photosensitizer toluidine blue O (TBO) within Porphyromonas gingivalis and the possible mechanism(s) involved in the lethal photosensitization of this organism. The distribution of TBO was determined by incubating P. gingivalis with tritiated TBO (³H-TBO) and fractionating the cells into outer membrane (OM), plasma membrane (PM), cytoplasmic proteins, other cytoplasmic constituents and DNA. The percentage of TBO in each of the fractions was found to be, 86.7, 5.4, 1.9, 5.7 and 0.3%, respectively. The involvement of cytotoxic species in the lethal photosensitization induced by light from a helium-neon (HeNe) laser and TBO was investigated by using deuterium oxide (D₂O), which prolongs the lifetime of singlet oxygen, and the free radical and singlet oxygen scavenger L-tryptophan. There were 9.0 log₁₀ and 2 log₁₀ reductions in the presence of D₂O and H₂O (saline solutions), respectively, at a light dose of 0.44 J (energy density = 0.22 J/cm²), suggesting the involvement of singlet oxygen. Decreased kills were attained in the presence of increasing concentrations of L-tryptophan. The effect of lethal photosensitization on whole cell proteins was determined by measuring tryptophan fluorescence, which decreased by 30% using 4.3 J (energy density = 4.3 J/ cm²) of light. Effects on the OM and PM proteins were determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. There was evidence of change in the molecular masses of several PM proteins and OM proteins compared to controls. There was evidence of damage to the DNA obtained from irradiated cells. Scanning electron microscopic studies showed that there was coaggre-gation of P. gingivalis cells when sensitized and then exposed to laser light. These results suggest that lethal photosensitization of P. gingivalis may involve changes in OM and/or PM proteins and DNA damage mediated by singlet oxygen.     

Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of n-Tributyltin Derivatives of Pharmaceutically Active Carboxylates

Summary.  Tributyltin(IV) derivatives of six different pharmaceutically active carboxylates were synthesized. The complexes were characterized by different analytical techniques (elemental analysis; infrared, NMR, and mass spectroscopy). ¹¹⁹Sn NMR data were also recorded in six different coordinating and non-coordinating solvents. The antibacterial activities of the compounds were tested using ten different bacteria relative to the reference drugs ampicillin and cephalexin. Received September 20, 2001. Accepted (revised) December 6, 2001