Design of peptide–dendrimer conjugates with tumor homing and antitumor effects

Development of drug delivery systems for cancer therapy is a crucial issue. Previously, some peptides were designed as tumor homing cell-penetrating peptides with antitumor activities. In this study, dual function dendrimers with tumor targeting activities and antitumor effects were designed using the tumor targeting CPP44 peptide for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and the antitumor p16^INK4a peptide. Two types of peptide–dendrimer conjugates were synthesized. One was a CPP44-linked p16^INK4a peptide-conjugated dendrimer (tandem linked dendrimer) and the other was a dendrimer conjugated with separate CPP44 and p16^INK4a peptides (parallel linked dendrimer). In addition, a peptide cathepsin B substrate was linked to the antitumor p16^INK4a peptide to release it from the carriers. These peptide–dendrimer conjugates produced more effective antitumor effects than a CPP44-linked p16^INK4a peptide. The parallel linked dendrimer showed less association with AML cells than the tandem linked dendrimer, but had greater antitumor effects. This suggested that both cellular uptake and antitumor peptide cleavage affected the antitumor activities of dual functional peptide-conjugated dendrimers.     

Studies of complex formation between macrolide antibiotics and alkali and alkali—earth metals by the voltammetry at the interface of two immiscible electrolyte solutions

Transfer of complexes of josamycin, spyramycin, and erythromycin with alkali and alkali-earth metals was studied using the method of voltammetry at the interface of two immiscible electrolyte solutions. Standard energies and standard transfer potentials of the formed complexes and also the values of their stability constants were determined. Stoichiometry of the complexes formed was determined. Experimentally obtained detection limits of these macrolide antibiotics in the organic phase are presented.     

Characterization of PDZ domain–peptide interactions using an integrated protocol of QM/MM,PB/SA,and CFEA analyses

Protein–protein interactions, particularly weak and transient ones, are often mediated by peptide recognition domains. Characterizing the interaction interface of domain–peptide complexes and analyzing binding specificity for modular domains are critical for deciphering protein–protein interaction networks. In this article, we report the successful use of an integrated computational protocol to dissect the energetic profile and structural basis of peptide binding to third PDZ domain (PDZ3) from the PSD-95 protein. This protocol employs rigorous quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM), semi-empirical Poisson–Boltzmann/surface area (PB/SA), and empirical conformational free energy analysis (CFEA) to quantitatively describe and decompose systematic energy changes arising from, respectively, noncovalent interaction, desolvation effect, and conformational entropy loss associated with the formation of 30 affinity-known PDZ3–peptide complexes. We show that the QM/MM-, PB/SA-, and CFEA-derived energy components can work together fairly well in reproducing experimentally measured affinity after a linearly weighting treatment, albeit they are not compatible with each other directly. We also demonstrate that: (1) noncovalent interaction and desolvation effect donate, respectively, stability and specificity to complex architecture, while entropy loss contributes modestly to binding; (2) P₀ and P₋₂ of peptide ligand are the most important positions for determining both the stability and specificity of the PDZ3–peptide complex, P₋₁ and P₋₃ can confer substantial stability (but not specificity) for the complex, and N-terminal P₋₄ and P₋₅ have only a very limited effect on binding.     

Comparison of the boundary theory with the contact rule of phase regions and Gupta’s method

1Introduction J.W.Gibbs’phase equilibrium theory,especially the phase rule,laid the foundation for the phase theory,but the phase rule cannot solve the problems regarding the relation between neighboring phase regions(ab-breviated to NPRs)and their bound…     

A high performance method for thermodynamic study on the binding of copper ion and glycine with Alzheimer’s amyloid β peptide

The interaction of Cu²⁺ to the first 16 residues of the Alzheimer’s amyloid β peptide, Aβ(1–16) was studied by isothermal titration calorimetry at pH 7.2 and 37°C in aqueous solution. The Gholamreza Rezaei Behbehani (GRB) solvation model was used to reproduce the enthalpies of interactions of Aβ(1–16) with glycine, Gly+Aβ(1–16), and Cu²⁺ ions, Cu²⁺ +Aβ(1–16), over the whole range of Cu2+ concentrations. The binding parameters recovered from the solvation model were attributed to the structural change of Aβ(1–16) due to the glycine and Cu²⁺ interactions. It was found that there is a set of two identical binding sites for Cu²⁺ ions. p=2 indicates that the binding has positive cooperativity in the two binding sites. Aβ(1–16) structure is destabilized greatly as a result of binding to Cu²⁺ ions.     

Preparation and characterization of theβ-cyclodextrin inclusion complex with sulfafurazole

The 1 : 1 inclusion complex involving sulfafurazole (SF) and-cyclodextrin (-CD) is prepared by the freeze-drying method and characterized on the basis of its chemical analysis, thermal behavior, infrared spectrum, X-ray powder pattern and¹³C NMR spectrum in DMSO-d₆ solution. The stability constant of the inclusion complex was determined by the solubility method. The effect of cyclodextrin on the UV absorption spectrum of sulfafurazole was also observed.     

Design, Synthesis and Investigation of Bone Affinity of the Conjugates of 5-Fluorouracil and Hydroxybisphosphonate

Bone tumor, as a common disease, is treated by surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is one of the most important treatment, however, a major problem of chemotherapy is lack of selectivity of cytotoxic drugs. Although many attempts have been made to increase the selectivity of therapeutic drugs for the bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, paget’s, hypercalcemia and bone metastases by conjugating them with targeting carriers1-4, there are still no bone-targeting agent…     

Photochemical behaviour of polyacryloylacetone;and polyethylacrylacetate monolayers at the air–water interface

The surface organization of enol units of polyacryloylacetone (PAA) and polyethylacrylacetate (PEAA) monolayers at the air–water interface is examined using surface pressure, surface potential and rheological measurements and theoretical calculations based on molecular models. The mechanism and kinetics of the photochemical enol–keto tautomerization of PAA and PEAA polymers organized in a monolayer of closely packed monomer units are studied by measuring the surface area increase at constant surface pressure. The results indicate an increase in the area per unit during the consecutive enol-to-keto photoconversion and the slow interfacial reorganization of these ¶forms to a more favourable state.     

Preparation and characterization of the inclusion complex of Ofloxacin with ��-CD and HP-��-CD

The formation of the inclusion complexes of Ofloxacin with cyclodextrins (CDs) including ??-cyclodextrin (??-CD), and hydroxypropyl-??-cyclodextrin (HP-??-CD) were studied by Fluorescence, UV?CVis absorption spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) in solution. Experimental conditions including the concentration of various CDs and media acidity were investigated in detail at room temperature. The results suggested that in different pH solutions, CDs have different inclusive capacity to different forms Ofloxacin. ??-CD was most suitable for inclusion of neutral form and HP-??-CD was suitable for acidic form. The binding constant (K) of the inclusion complex was determined by fluorescence measurement, and the complexation ratio was determined as 1:1 in the concentration range used in this study. A mechanism was proposed to explain the inclusion process based on the experimental NMR data.     

Application of Bader’s atoms in molecules theory to the description of coordination bonds in the complex compounds of Ca2+ and Mg2+ with methylidene rhodanine and its anion

In the framework of Bader??s atoms in molecules theory a complete analysis of the distribution function of electron density in molecules of complexes of Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ with methylidene rhodanine and its anion was carried out. The role of mutual polarization of the metal cation and the ligand in the formation of coordination bonds was demonstrated. The accumulation of electron density in the interatomic space of coordination bonds is assumed to be a consequence of the deformation of the ligand electron shell under the influence of the cation electric field. Based on the magnitude and sign of the Laplacian and the electron energy density at the critical points of coordination bonds the interactions were classified the in terms of the atoms in molecules theory. The energy of the coordination bonds was evaluated using the Espinoza??s formula. The stability of metal-containing rings was considered basing on the values of the bond ellipticity.     

Volumetric study on the inclusion complex formation of α- and β-cyclodextrin with 1-alkanols at different temperatures

The partial molar volumes (V_a) of 1-alkanols (carbon number, m=5, 6, 7) in - and -cyclodextrin (CD) solutions at 5.00 mmol kg^–1 have been determined as a function of alkanol concentration (C_a) between 293.2 and 308.2 K by using a dilatometer. It has been observed that with an increase in C_a, V_a increased in -CD solution but decreased in -CD solution, asymptotically to a value of V_a in CD-free water. The dependence of V_a on C_a provided the binding constant (K) of 1:1 complex, the volume change in complex formation, and the partial molar volume of complex itself. The complex formation mechanism has been discussed on the basis of these values and their carbon number dependences in the respect of geometric behavior, hydrophobic interaction, and van der Waals interaction. It is concluded that the CD cavity in water is not rigid but flexible for fitting in nicely with guest molecule.     

Molecular interpretation of Trouton’s and Hildebrand’s rules for the entropy of vaporization of a liquid

The entropy of vaporization at a liquid’s boiling point is well approximated by Trouton’s rule and even more accurately by Hildebrand’s rule. A cell method is used here to calculate the entropy of vaporization for a range of liquids by subtracting the entropy of the gas from that of the liquid. The liquid’s entropy is calculated from the force magnitudes measured in a molecular dynamics simulation based on the harmonic approximation. The change in rotational entropy is not accounted for except in the case of liquid water. The predicted entropies of vaporization agree well with experiment and Trouton’s and Hildebrand’s rules for most liquids and for water except other liquids with hydrogen bonds. This supports the idea that molecular rotation is close to ideal at a liquid’s boiling point if hydrogen bonds are absent; if they are present, then the rotational entropy gain must be included. The method provides a molecular interpretation of those rules by providing an equation in terms of a molecule’s free volume in a liquid which depends on the force magnitudes. Free volumes at each liquid’s boiling point are calculated to be ～1 Å³ for liquids lacking hydrogen bonds, lower at ～0.3 Å³ for those with hydrogen bonds, and they decrease weakly with increasing molecular size.     

Structures of Cytochrome b_5 Mutated at the Charged Surface-Residues and Their Interactions with Cytochrome c

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Flow injection chemiluminescence determination of l-cysteine in amino acid mixture and human urine with the BrO3 −–quinine system

In this paper, a novel flow injection chemiluminescence (CL) determination of l-cysteine is proposed. The method is based on the CL reaction of l-cysteine and KBrO₃ in acidic medium. The CL intensity was greatly enhanced in the presence of quinine. The CL intensity was linear with l-cysteine concentration in the range of 0.2–80 g L^–1, and the detection limit was 0.1 g L^–1 (3). A complete analysis, including sampling and injecting, could be performed in 1 min, giving a throughput of about 60 h^–1. The relative standard deviation was 1.6% for 0.8 g L^–1 l-cysteine (n=11). The proposed method was satisfactorily applied to the determination of cysteine in an amino acid mixture and human urine. The mechanism of the CL reaction is also discussed.     

Phase equilibria,crystal structure at 1373 K and properties of complex oxides in the Nd–Co–Fe–O system

Phase equilibria in the Nd–Co–Fe–O system were systematically studied at 1373 K in air. The homogeneity range and crystal structure of solid solution NdCo_1–xFe_xO₃ (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) have been studied by the X-ray powder diffraction method. The structural parameters of complex oxides have been refined by the full-profile Rietveld method. It was shown that all oxides reveal practically stoichiometric oxygen composition within the entire temperature range under investigation. The values of thermal expansion coefficients for the cobaltites NdCo_1–xFe_xO₃ (x = 0.3, 0.7) have been calculated within the wide temperature range in air. Chemical stability of NdCo_1–xFe_xO₃ (x = 0.3, 0.7) in respect to the solid electrolyte materials (Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_2–δ and La_0.88Sr_0.12Ga_0.82Mg_0.18O3-δ) was examined. Electrical conductivity of NdCo_1–xFe_xO₃ (x = 0.3, 0.7) was measured as a function of temperature within the range 300–1373 K in air. It was shown that substitution of cobalt for iron leads to the decrease of conductivity. The isothermal-isobaric cross-section of the phase diagram for the Nd–Co–Fe–O system at 1373 K in air has been presented.