An efficient synthesis of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA)-containing peptides for use in photodynamic therapy

An efficient and cost-effective procedure has been devised for the preparation of urethane-protected 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA) dipeptide ester derivatives which avoids problems associated with the instability of 5-ALA under basic conditions. The procedure is also applicable to the direct synthesis of N-(α)-acetyl amino acid-ALA dipeptides in high enantiomeric purity as potential novel prodrugs for photodynamic therapy (PDT).     

5-Aminolaevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy in multidrug resistant leukemia cells

To verify if photodynamic therapy (PDT) could overcome multidrug resistance (MDR) when it it applied to eradicate minimal residual disease in patients with leukemia, we investigated the fluorescence kinetics of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA)-induced protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) and the effect of subsequent photodynamic therapy on MDR leukemia cells, which express P-glycoprotein (P-gp), as well as on their parent cells. Evaluation of PpIX accumulation by flow cytometry showed that PpIX accumulated at higher levels in mdr-1 gene-transduced MDR cells (NB4/MDR) and at lower levels in doxorubicin-induced MDR cells (NOMO-1/ADR) than in their parent cells. A P-gp inhibitor could not increase PpIX accumulation. Measurement of extracellular PpIX concentration by fluorescence spectrometry showed that P-gp did not mediate the fluorescence kinetics of ALA-induced PpIX production. Assessment of ferrochelatase activity using high-performance liquid chromatography indicated that PpIX accumulation in drug-induced MDR cells was probably regulated by this enzyme. Assessment of phototoxicity of PDT using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay showed that PDT was effective in NB4, NB4/MDR, NOMO-1 and NOMO-1/ADR cells, which accumulated high levels of PpIX, but not effective in K562 and K562/ADR cell lines, which accumulated relatively low levels of PpIX. These findings demonstrate that P-gp does not mediate the ALA-fluorescence kinetics, and multidrug resistant leukemia cells do not have cross-resistance to ALA-PDT.     

Lipophilic phthalocyanines for their potential interest in photodynamic therapy: synthesis and photo-physical properties

Several phthalocyanines with different peripheral substituents were prepared and characterized by MALDI-TOF, ¹H NMR, UV–vis, fluorescence, and singlet oxygen quantum yields and retention time in HPLC normal phase. Zinc was used as a central metal ion to increase the photodynamic therapy efficiency. Phthalonitrile or 4-nitro phthalonitriles were used as starting materials. The influence of lipophilicity on the photophysical and photochemical properties was evaluated.     

A photosensitizer-loaded zinc oxide-polydopamine core-shell nanotherapeutic agent for photodynamic and photothermal synergistic therapy of cancer cells

In clinical cancer research,it is quite promising to develop multimodal synergistic therapeutic strategies.Photodynamic and photothermal synergistic therapy is a very desirable multimodal therapy strategy.Herein,we report a facile and simple method to construct a nanotherapeutic agent for photodynamic and photothermal therapy.This nanotherapeutic agent(ZnO@Ce6-PDA) is composed of a ZnO nanoparticle core,an interlayer of photosensitizer chlorin e6(Ce6) and an outer layer of polydopamine(PDA).Due ...     

Efficient synthesis of benzimidazolyl-phenoxyacetic acid O-acetylxylopyranosyl and O-acetylgalactopyranosyl esters and their antiviral activity

Six benzimidazolylphenoxyacetic acid O-acetylxylopyranosyl and O-acetylgalactopyranosyl esters were synthesized through esterification reactions at room temperature using 4-dimethylaminopyridine as a catalyst and triethylamine as a deacidification reagent. Their structure was confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR spectra, MS, and elemental analysis. The synthesized compounds are all of β-configuration. The results show that DMAP is an effective catalyst; the yields can reach 63.6%. The above esters showed improved antiviral activity against tobacco mosaic virus. Published in Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 6, pp. 832–837, June, 2006.     

Oxygen depletion during in vitro photodynamic therapy: structure-activity relationships of sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanines

Photodynamically induced oxygen depletion has been measured in an Ehrlich ascites mouse tumor cell line using a Clark-type electrode. Cells are loaded with aluminum phthalocyanines, sulfonated to different degrees (AlPcS_n, n = 0,2,3,4) and consisting of various isomeric species. Different cell lines and incubation procedures are used in order to investigate the cellular uptake mechanism. Uptake (in units of molecules/cell), post-irradiation redistribution and AlPcS_n photodegradation are measured using spectroscopic techniques. For a given sensitizer, the oxygen depletion rate per cell increases sublinearly with uptake and superlinearly with cell density. In order to compare oxygen depletion rates of different compounds, we have defined the biological quantum yield (BQY) as the number of oxygen molecules that disappear per absorbed photon. The BQY is independent of uptake and cell density; therefore, it denotes the intrinsic photoactivity of a sensitizer. Sensitizers with high BQY show efficient post-irradiation intracellular redistribution. Photodegradation during irradiation is similar for all sensitizers (20–30%).     

Microwave-mediated ‘click-chemistry’ synthesis of glycoporphyrin derivatives and in vitro photocytotoxicity for application in photodynamic therapy

In this paper, we report the synthesis of a series of porphyrins, designed as photodynamic therapy (PDT) agents, substituted by three glycosyl units linked by a triazole group to chromophore in the aim to target tumor cells overexpressing lectin-type membrane receptors, by ‘click-chemistry’ under microwave heating.     

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of improved EGFR targeting peptide-conjugated phthalocyanine photosensitizers for tumor photodynamic therapy

A serial of peptide-conjugated zinc phthalocyanines with finely tuned structure modification were prepared and one optimized conjugate showed improved targeting towards tumors and abolished inoculated tumors with only a single PDT treatment in a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model, making this approach a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer.     

Systematic analysis of in vitro photo-cytotoxic activity in extracts from terrestrial plants in Peninsula Malaysia for photodynamic therapy

One hundred and fifty-five extracts from 93 terrestrial species of plants in Peninsula Malaysia were screened for in vitro photo-cytotoxic activity by means of a cell viability test using a human leukaemia cell-line HL60. These plants which can be classified into 43 plant families are diverse in their type of vegetation and their natural habitat in the wild, and may therefore harbour equally diverse metabolites with potential pharmaceutical properties. Of these, 29 plants, namely three from each of the Clusiaceae, Leguminosae, Rutaceae and Verbenaceae families, two from the Piperaceae family and the remaining 15 are from Acanthaceae, Apocynaceae, Bignoniaceae, Celastraceae, Chrysobalanaceae, Irvingiaceae, Lauraceae, Lythraceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Myristicaceae, Myrsinaceae, Olacaceae and Sapindaceae. Hibiscus cannabinus (Malvaceae), Ficus deltoidea (Moraceae), Maranthes corymbosa (Chrysobalanaceae), Micromelum sp., Micromelum minutum and Citrus hystrix (Rutaceae), Cryptocarya griffithiana (Lauraceae), Litchi chinensis (Sapindaceae), Scorodocarpus bornensis (Olacaceae), Kokoona reflexa (Celastraceae), Irvingia malayana (Irvingiaceae), Knema curtisii (Myristicaceae), Dysoxylum sericeum (Meliaceae), Garcinia atroviridis, Garcinia mangostana and Calophyllum inophyllum (Clusiaceae), Ervatamia hirta (Apocynaceae), Cassia alata, Entada phaseoloides and Leucaena leucocephala (Leguminosae), Oroxylum indicum (Bignoniaceae), Peronema canescens, Vitex pubescens and Premna odorata (Verbenaceae), Piper mucronatum and Piper sp. (Piperaceae), Ardisia crenata (Myrsinaceae), Lawsonia inermis (Lythraceae), Strobilanthes sp. (Acanthaceae) were able to reduce the in vitro cell viability by more than 50% when exposed to 9.6 J/cm² of a broad spectrum light when tested at a concentration of 20 μg/mL. Six of these active extracts were further fractionated and bio-assayed to yield four photosensitisers, all of which are based on the pheophorbide-a and -b core structures. Our results suggest that the main photosensitisers from terrestrial plants are likely based on the cyclic tetrapyrrole structure and photosensitisers with other structures, if present, are present in minor amounts or are not as active as those with the cyclic tetrapyrrole structure.     

Synthesis of phenyldithioglyoxalic acid and its esters. A route to a-ketodithioacid derivatives

A novel route has been developed for the direct synthesis of the hitherto unknowna-ketodithioacid. Benzaldehyde has been treated with carbon disulphide in the presence of potassium cyanide, thereby making the intermediate carbanion Ph-C(OH)CN to add on to carbon disulphide eventually leading to thea-ketodithioacid. The methyl and ω-carboxypropyl esters of this acid have also been prepared.     

Determination of ethyl glucuronide and fatty acid ethyl esters in hair samples

Hair testing for alcohol biomarkers is an important tool for monitoring alcohol consumption. We propose two methods for assessing alcohol exposure through combined analysis of ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) species (ethyl myristate, palmitate, stearate and oleate) in hair (30 mg). EtG was analysed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, while FAEEs were analysed by gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry using electron impact ionization. Both methods were validated according to internationally accepted guidelines. Linearity was proven between 3 and 500 pg/mg for EtG and 30–5000 pg/mg for FAEEs, and the limits of quantification were 3 pg/mg for EtG and 30 pg/mg for each of the four FAEEs. Precision and accuracy were considered adequate, processed EtG samples were found to be stable for up to 96 h left in the injector and processed FAEEs samples for up to 24 h. Matrix effects were not significant. Both methods were applied to the analysis of 15 authentic samples, using the cut‐off values proposed by the Society of Hair Testing for interpretation. The results agreed well with the self‐reported alcohol consumption in most cases, and demonstrated the suitability of the methods to be applied in routine analysis of alcohol biomarkers, allowing monitoring consumption using low sample amounts.     

Thermal decomposition and stability of fatty acid methyl esters in supercritical methanol

In recent years, non-catalytic supercritical processes for biodiesel production have been proposed as alternative environmentally friendly technologies. However, conditions of high temperature and pressure that occur while biodiesel is in supercritical fluid can cause fuel degradation, resulting in low yield. In this study, we performed the thermal decomposition of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) in supercritical methanol at temperatures ranging from 325 °C to 420 °C and pressure of 23 MPa to investigate the degradation characteristics and thermal stability of biodiesel. The primary reactions we observed were isomerization, hydrogenation, and pyrolysis of FAMEs. The main pathway of degradation was deduced by analyzing the contents of degradation products. We found that if FAME has shorter chain length or is more saturated, it has higher thermal stability in supercritical methanol. All FAMEs remained stable at 325 °C or below. Based on these results, we recommend that transesterification reactions in supercritical methanol should be carried out below 325 °C (at 23 MPa) and 20 min, the temperature at which thermal decomposition of FAMEs begins to occur, to optimize high-yield biodiesel production.     

Reductive alkylation of perfluorocarboxylic acid esters with CCl3F or CCl4 and synthesis of higher linear perfluoroketones

Barbier-type reductive alkylation of perfluorocarboxylic acid esters (I) with CFCl₃ and activated Al was successfully performed to give α,α-dichloroperfluoroketones (II). A similar reaction of CF₃COOEt with CCl₄ and Al provided a convenient synthesis of CF₃COCCl₃. Ketones (II) were fluorinated further with SbF₅ to form higher linear perfluoroketones (IX). An alternative approach to the synthesis of ketones (IX) was proposed by reductive perfluoroalkylation of esters (I) under the action of R_FI and Al.     

Rapid procedure for the isolation and analysis of fatty acid and fatty alcohol fractions from wax esters of marine zooplankton

A rapid and simple method for the isolation of fatty acid methyl esters and fatty alcohols from the lipid fraction of marine zooplankton is described. Wax esters are the dominant lipid class in most calanoid copepods and trans-esterification results in a high fatty alcohol content in the analytical extract. Current procedures for the separation and purification of lipid classes by preparative thin-layer chromatography are time-consuming and are subject to low recovery of the analytes. In this method, fatty acid methyl esters and fatty alcohols were separated by liquid chromatography using silica or honded amino-silica as the stationary phase. The procedure is equally applicable to the analysis of zooplankton with low wax ester (and hence fatty alcohol) content, for example, a number of species of euphausiid and, generally, for samples of low mass.     

Polymer bound pyrrole compounds,VII: Xanthobilirubinic acid esters and amides from an insoluble,polystyrene-supported precursor

Summary A series of xanthobilirubinic acid (XBR) esters (i.e.,1c to1p) and amides (2a–2c) have been prepared by a procedure involving detachment of the chromophore previously ester-bound to a functionalized, insoluble polystyrene (1b). Detachment is achieved by treatment with the respective alcohol in aqueous alkali or with the amines, yielding directly the corresponding esters or amides. With primary, short-chained alcohols the ester yields are high (60% forn-C₄H₉-OH to 99% for C₂H₅-OH), but decrease rapidly with chain length (40% forn-C₁₀H₂₁-OH and 0% forn-C₁₆H₃₃-OH). The same trends are observed with the amines. These results are interpreted in terms of an (increasingly) unfavourable entropic interaction between the polymer matrix to which the chromophore is bound and the (growing) alcohol chain. The impairment by the long chained nucleophile to reach the transesterification center could also contribute, and, for the most lipophylic alcohols, their low solubility in aqueous alkali is an additional drawback. With secondary and tertiary alcohols, no ester is obtained, in agreement with a B_AC2 mechanism involving a tetrahedral intermediate.

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Polymergebundene Pyrrolverbindungen, 7. Mitt.: Darstellung von Xanthobilirubinsäureestern und-amiden, ausgehend von einer unlöslichen polystyrolgebundenen Vorstufe

Zusammenfassung Unlösliche, durch eine Estergruppe an Polystyrol gebundene Xanthobilirubinsäurederivate liefern mit Alkoholen die monomeren Ester (1c–1p), mit Aminen die monomeren Amide (2a–2c). Die Ausbeuten für primäre kurzkettige Alkohole sind hoch (n-C₄H₉-OH: 60%, C₂H₅-OH: 99%), mit steigender Kettenlänge sinken sie rasch (n-C₁₀H₂₁-OH: 40%,n-C₁₆H₃₃-OH: 0%). Denselben Trend beobachtet man bei Aminen. Die Ergebnisse werden durch eine zunehmend ungünstige entropische Wechselwirkung zwischen Chromophor an der Matrix und Alkohol interpretiert. Durch die steigende Kettenlänge des Alkohols könnte auch aus räumlichen Gründen die Annäherung des Nucleophils an das Reaktionszentrum erschwert werden. Die geringe Löslichkeit der höheren lipophilen Alkohole in wäßrigem Alkali wirkt sich ebenfalls ungünstig auf den Reaktionsverlauf aus. Für sek. und tert. Alkohole wird keine Reaktion erhalten, wie es für einen B_AC2-Mechanismus mit tetraedrischem Zwischenprodukt zu erwarten ist.

     

固相微萃取气相色谱法(SPME-GC)测定水体中邻苯二甲酸酯

选用85μm PA纤维,考证了萃取温度、萃取时间、搅拌、离子强度及解析时间等影响因素,最后确立了65℃萃取温度、60min萃取时间、稳定的磁力搅拌、5min解析时间、用带电子捕获检测器的毛细管气相色谱（CGC—ECD）分离测定、外标标准曲线法定量分析水体中邻苯二甲酸酯（PAEs）的方法。该方法具有较好的精密度（RSD≤16％）和较低的检出限（DLDBP=0．003μg/L,DLDEDEHP=0．05μg/L）,水样加标回收率在70％～130％之间。用该法测定了长江水样、太湖水样、自来水及蒸馏水的PAEs含量,DBP在0．1～0．4μg/L,DEHP在0．2～1．2μg/L,DMP、DEP、DOP均未检测到。     

Thermal stability of aromatic polyesters prepared from diphenolic acid and its esters

The thermal performance of aromatic polyesters (poly(DPA-IPC), poly(MDP-IPC) and poly(EDP-IPC)) prepared from isophthaloyl chloride (IPC) with diphenolic acid (DPA) and its esters were studied with DSC and TG, and the decomposition mechanism of poly(DPA-IPC) were investigated using FTIR and integrated TG/FTIR analyses. As compared with ordinary aromatic polyesters, poly(DPA-IPC) has lower glass transition temperature (159 °C) and much lower thermal stability. It starts to decompose at about 210 °C and is characterized by two-stage thermal decomposition behavior, with active energies of decomposition of 206 kJ/mol and 389 kJ/mol, respectively. The analyses of the decomposition process and products indicate that the pendent carboxyl groups in poly(DPA-IPC) are responsible for its low thermal stability. Accordingly, a decomposition mechanism for the first stage is proposed. With this knowledge in mind, we capped the carboxyl groups in DPA with methyl and ethyl groups to prepare poly(MDP-IPC) and poly(EDP-IPC) from methyl diphenolate and ethyl dipenolate. As expected, these two polymers exhibit obviously improved thermal stability, with onset decomposition temperature of about 300 °C.     

RAFT synthesis of an amphiphilic block copolymer bearing chlorin rings in the hydrophobic segment and its application in photodynamic therapy

RAFT polymerization of styrene (St) in the presence of 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TFPP) was conducted using 4‐cyano‐4‐(thiobenzoyl)thiopentanoic acid as a chain‐transfer agent and azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator at 60 °C. The resulting polymer exhibited a chlorin‐like UV‐vis spectrum, which indicated that the polymer possessed a reduced TFPP structure. Furthermore, an SEC trace recorded using UV‐vis detector (λ = 410 nm), which selectively detected the TFPP‐incorporated polymer, shifted toward higher molecular mass as the polymerization progressed. This evidence indicated that TFPP acted as a vinylene‐type monomer, such as maleimide, to form a copolymer, namely, poly(St‐co‐TFPP). The mole fraction of TFPP units was estimated to be 0.74 × 10^?3, which was close to that in the feed (1 × 10^?3). Chain extension of poly(St‐co‐TFPP) with polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether acrylate (PEGA) was performed to afford the amphiphilic block copolymer poly(St‐co‐TFPP)‐b‐poly(PEGA). The degrees of polymerization of St and PEGA were determined to be 64 and 75, respectively. Poly(St‐co‐TFPP)‐b‐poly(PEGA) formed micelles following dialysis. The median diameter of the micelles in solution was determined to be 16 nm by DLS. The photocytotoxicity of the micelle solution was evaluated in a human glioblastoma cell line (U251) and an N‐methyl‐N'‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine‐induced mutant of a rat murine RGM‐1 gastric carcinoma mucosal cell line (RGK‐1). © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 3395–3403     

A concise synthesis of glycosyl-α-amino acid derivatives via homologation of dialdoses into bromo uronic acids and esters

The synthesis of the compounds of the title involves three steps from dialdoses. The reaction between potassium dibromoacetonitrile carbanion and protected dialdoses provides corresponding β-bromo-α-ketonitriles that are easily transformed into α-bromo esters by treatment with methanol or isopropanol or α-bromo acids by treatment with t-BuOH. Substitution of the bromine by sodium azide onto these last compounds and subsequent catalytic hydrogenation of the azide group afford the targeted glycosyl-α-amino acid derivatives. This methodology represents the most rapid access to the key α-amino acid moiety of polyoxins.     

气相色谱质谱法同时测定建筑用胶中苯系物和邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂

建立了建筑用胶中苯系物和邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂等10种物质同时测定的气相色谱质谱法,对提取方法及色谱条件进行了研究,各物质的检出限在0.2～0.8 mg/L之间。在两个添加水平下,水基型和溶剂型建筑用胶中苯系物及邻苯二甲酸酯类增塑剂的回收率在98.1%～101.5%之间。5个实验室间对相同建筑用胶样品测定的相对标准偏差在1.9%～3.9%之间。