An Activatable T1-Weighted MR Contrast Agent: A Noninvasive Tool for Tracking the Vicinal Thiol Motif of Thioredoxin in Live Cells

We have synthesized new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T₁ contrast agents (CA1 and CA2) that permit the activatable recognition of the cellular vicinal thiol motifs of the protein thioredoxin. The contrast agents showed MR relaxivities typical of gadolinium complexes with a single water molecule coordinated to a Gd³⁺ center (i.e., ~4.54 mM⁻¹s⁻¹) for both CA1 and CA2 at 60 MHz. The contrast agent CA1 showed a ~140% relaxivity enhancement in the presence of thioredoxin, a finding attributed to a reduction in the flexibility of the molecule after binding to thioredoxin. Support for this rationale, as opposed to one based on preferential binding, came from ¹H-¹⁵N-HSQC NMR spectral studies; these revealed that the binding affinities toward thioredoxin were almost the same for both CA1 and CA2. In the case of CA1, T₁-weighted phantom images of cancer cells (MCF-7, A549) could be generated based on the expression of thioredoxin. We further confirmed thioredoxin expression-dependent changes in the T₁-weighted contrast via knockdown of the expression of the thioredoxin using siRNA-transfected MCF-7 cells. The nontoxic nature of CA1, coupled with its relaxivity features, leads us to suggest that it constitutes a first-in-class MRI T₁ contrast agent that allows for the facile and noninvasive monitoring of vicinal thiol protein motif expression in live cells.     

Engineering Multifunctional Gold Decorated Dendritic Mesoporous Silica/Tantalum Oxide Nanoparticles for Intraperitoneal Tumor‐Specific Delivery

Nonspecific high‐energy radiation for treatment of metastatic ovarian cancer is limited by damage to healthy organs, which can be mitigated by the use of radiosensitizers and image‐guided radiotherapy. Gold (Au) and tantalum oxide (TaO_x) nanoparticles (NPs), by virtue of their high atomic numbers, find utility in the design of bimetallic NP systems capable of high‐contrast computed tomography (CT) imaging as well as a potential radiosensitizing effect. These two radio‐dense metals are integrated into dendritic mesoporous silica NPs (dMSNs) with radial porous channels for high surface‐area loading of therapeutic agents. This approach results in stable, monodispersed dMSNs with a uniform distribution of Au on the surface and TaO_x in the core that exhibits CT attenuation up to seven times greater than iodine or monometallic dMSNs without either TaO_x or Au. Tumor targeting is assessed in a metastatic ovarian cancer mouse model. Ex vivo micro‐CT imaging of collected tumors shows that these NPs not only accumulate at tumor sites but also penetrate inside tumor tissues. This study demonstrates that after intraperitoneal administration, rationally designed bimetallic NPs can simultaneously serve as targeted contrast agents for imaging tumors and to enhance radiation therapy in metastatic ovarian cancer.     

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) Agents: Quantum Chemistry and MRI

Diamagnetic chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) contrast agents offer an alternative to Gd³⁺‐based contrast agents for MRI. They are characterized by containing protons that can rapidly exchange with water and it is advantageous to have these protons resonate in a spectral window that is far removed from water. Herein, we report the first results of DFT calculations of the ¹H nuclear magnetic shieldings in 41 CEST agents, finding that the experimental shifts can be well predicted (R²=0.882). We tested a subset of compounds with the best MRI properties for toxicity and for activity as uncouplers, then obtained mice kidney CEST MRI images for three of the most promising leads finding 16 (2,4‐dihydroxybenzoic acid) to be one of the most promising CEST MRI contrast agents to date. Overall, the results are of interest since they show that ¹H NMR shifts for CEST agents—charged species—can be well predicted, and that several leads have low toxicity and yield good in vivo MR images.     

Salient region detection using background priors

In this paper, we introduce a novel salient region detection algorithm by using background priors. Because of the fact that superpixel is perceptually more meaningful than pixel, and which can reduce the complexity of image processing, we use the superpixel algorithm to reprocess original images. In addition, we hold the point that the colors in the image boundary could mainly represent all background colors, hence we compute the color contrast between the intern colors and the boundary colors. Since the nearer the patches are close to center, the more they affect other patches, we propose a new distribution-based model. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches.     

Pressurized liquid extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry applied to determine iodinated X-ray contrast media in sewage sludge

Pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) has been successfully applied for the first time to the extraction of five iodinated X-ray contrast media from sludge. Once optimized all PLE parameters, the extract has been analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, being the method developed sensible enough to reach limit of quantifications (LOQs) of 25 μg kg⁻¹ (d.w.). The developed method has been applied to the analysis of sludge from urban sewage treatment plants and although some compounds such as iopromide, diatrizoic acid and iopamidol have been identified, their concentrations have been lower than their LOQs.     

Redox Properties and in Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cyclodextrin-Polynitroxides Contrast Agents

This paper reports the synthesis, characterization and in vivo application of water-soluble supramolecular contrast agents (Mw: 5–5.6 kDa) for MRI obtained from β-cyclodextrin functionalized with different kinds of nitroxide radicals, both with piperidine structure ( CD2 and CD3 ) and with pyrrolidine structure ( CD4 and CD5 ). As to the stability of the radicals in presence of ascorbic acid, CD4 and CD5 have low second order kinetic constants (≤0.05 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) compared to CD2 (3.5 M⁻¹ s⁻¹) and CD3 (0.73 M⁻¹ s⁻¹). Relaxivity (r₁) measurements on compounds CD3 - CD5 were carried out at different magnetic field strength (0.7, 3, 7 and 9.4 T). At 0.7 T, r₁ values comprised between 1.5 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 1.9 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ were found while a significant reduction was observed at higher fields (r₁≈0.6-0.9 mM⁻¹ s⁻¹ at 9.4 T). Tests in vitro on HEK293 human embryonic kidney cells, L929 mouse fibroblasts and U87 glioblastoma cells indicated that all compounds were non-cytotoxic at concentrations below 1 μmol mL⁻¹. MRI in vivo was carried out at 9.4 T on glioma-bearing rats using the compounds CD3 - CD5 . The experiments showed a good lowering of T₁ relaxation in tumor with a retention of the contrast for at least 60 mins confirming improved stability also in vivo conditions.     

激活型有机光声造影剂的应用

光声(PA)成像作为一种结合了光学和声学成像优势的新型成像方式,具有深层组织穿透和高空间分辨率等优点,在重大疾病的早期影像诊断方面有着巨大的应用前景。然而传统的PA造影剂依然存在信噪比低、选择性及特异性差等不足,容易产生假阳性诊断结果。激活型PA造影剂可以有效的降低背景噪声,并提升成像的灵敏度和特异性,是目前PA造影剂设计与构筑的主要趋势。本综述首先简单介绍了PA成像的原理,然后结合近几年在金属离子、酶、活性氮和活性氧等相关方面的生物成像应用,梳理了可激活探针在不同微环境中的响应方式。最后,对激活型探针在PA成像中的应用进行了总结和展望。     

电子束敏感材料的原子尺度结构研究

分子筛和金属有机骨架(MOF)材料以其独特的孔道和骨架结构在催化、 储能、 干燥及净化和吸附分离等领域有着广泛应用, 对其结构的原子尺度表征对于深入理解其构效关系具有重要意义. 但其大孔道结构和有机骨架使得它们对电子束辐照极为敏感, 在常规透射电镜成像模式下结构会很快被破坏变为非晶, 从而无法获得孔道和骨架的原子排列信息. 最近发展起来的基于积分差分相位衬度扫描透射电子显微(iDPC-STEM)技术在电子敏感材料和轻元素组分成像方面展现出明显优势, 使得对多孔骨架材料及烃池物种的表征成为了可能. 本文综述了本课题组近期利用该技术对分子筛和MOF材料原子尺度结构方面的研究. 将iDPC-STEM技术应用到ZSM-5分子筛催化剂中, 实现了对该分子筛的原子级骨架结构的成像分析. 在MOF体系中, 利用该技术观察到MIL-101骨架内部有机连接体与金属节点的配位方式, 在此基础上解析了MIL-101结构中有机配体的连接和金属节点的苯环结构, 并观察了MOF的原子级表面、 界面和缺陷等局域结构特征. 最后对iDPC-STEM技术在原子尺度成像方面的应用潜力进行了总结与展望.     

低功率超声增强碘帕醇氯氧化的效果和路径

研究了低功率超声(US, <38 W)对NaClO氧化非离子型碘代X射线造影剂—碘帕醇(IPM)的增强作用及机理, 考察了NaClO添加浓度和超声功率的影响, 分析并计算了体系中的主要活性物种及其贡献. 采用高效液相色谱/串联质谱(HPLC/MS/MS)对降解产物进行分析, 推测IPM的降解路径. 结果表明, 低功率US显著增强了NaClO对IPM的氧化效果, 在25 ℃, pH=5.8, NaClO浓度为0.12 mmol/L条件下, 10 mg/L IPM在60 min的降解率达到85.8%. 其中NaClO氧化、 HO·和活性氯自由基(RCSs)是US/NaClO增强IPM降解的主要原因, 自由基分析计算它们的贡献率分别为15.82%, 4.65%和79.53%. NaClO浓度在0~0.24 mmol/L范围内, IPM的降解率随NaClO浓度升高而增加, 60 min后降解率由4.75%增加到91.12%; 超声功率为28.5 W, 降解率达到最高. 在 15~45 ℃温度范围内, IPM的降解过程符合表观一级反应动力学, 反应活化能(E_a)为59.03 kJ/mol. HPLC/MS/MS共检测出5种中间产物, 结合密度泛函理论(DFT)计算结果, 初步推测了IPM在US/NaClO体系中的降解途径和机理.     

Expanding the Ligand Classes Used for Mn(II) Complexation: Oxa-aza Macrocycles Make the Difference

We report two macrocyclic ligands based on a 1,7-diaza-12-crown-4 platform functionalized with acetate (tO2DO2A²⁻) or piperidineacetamide (tO2DO2AM^Pip) pendant arms and a detailed characterization of the corresponding Mn(II) complexes. The X−ray structure of [Mn(tO2DO2A)(H₂O)]·2H₂O shows that the metal ion is coordinated by six donor atoms of the macrocyclic ligand and one water molecule, to result in seven-coordination. The Cu(II) analogue presents a distorted octahedral coordination environment. The protonation constants of the ligands and the stability constants of the complexes formed with Mn(II) and other biologically relevant metal ions (Mg(II), Ca(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II)) were determined using potentiometric titrations (I = 0.15 M NaCl, T = 25 °C). The conditional stabilities of Mn(II) complexes at pH 7.4 are comparable to those reported for the cyclen-based tDO2A²⁻ ligand. The dissociation of the Mn(II) chelates were investigated by evaluating the rate constants of metal exchange reactions with Cu(II) under acidic conditions (I = 0.15 M NaCl, T = 25 °C). Dissociation of the [Mn(tO2DO2A)(H₂O)] complex occurs through both proton− and metal−assisted pathways, while the [Mn(tO2DO2AM^Pip)(H₂O)] analogue dissociates through spontaneous and proton-assisted mechanisms. The Mn(II) complex of tO2DO2A²⁻ is remarkably inert with respect to its dissociation, while the amide analogue is significantly more labile. The presence of a water molecule coordinated to Mn(II) imparts relatively high relaxivities to the complexes. The parameters determining this key property were investigated using ¹⁷O NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) transverse relaxation rates and ¹H nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion (NMRD) profiles.