Human diseases related to aluminium overload

Abstract  

In this paper attention is devoted to the role of aluminium in osteodistrophy and dialysis dementia. In fact, these diseases, in spite of the actions that have drastically reduced their occurrence, have so far constituted a cause of great medical concern. As a preliminary point, some aspects concerning the solution chemistry of aluminium are considered, then the medical problems are described and finally the chelation therapy of aluminium overload, giving some insight on the chelators recently proposed.     

Different approaches to the study of chelating agents for iron and aluminium overload pathologies

Our objective is to illustrate the activity of the groups operating in Italy involved in identification and study of new chelating agents, mainly intended for treatment of human pathology correlated with metal overload. The objective of “chelation therapy” is removal of toxic metal ions from the human body or attenuation of their toxicity by transforming them into less toxic compounds or by dislocating them from the site at which they exert a toxic action. Because most of this research activity is related to chelating agents for iron and aluminium, diseases related to these two metal ions are briefly treated. Iron overload is the most common metal toxicity disease worldwide. The toxicity of aluminium in dialysis patients was a serious problem for haemodialysis units in the seventies and eighties of the last century. In particular, this review focuses on research performed by the group at Cagliari and Ferrara, and by that at Padova. The former is studying, above all, bisphosphonate and kojic acid derivatives, and the latter is investigating 3,4-hydroxypyridinecarboxylic acids with differently substituted pyridinic rings.

Iron chelating agents for the treatment of iron overload

The importance of iron chelators in medicine has significantly increased in recent years. Iron is essential for life but it is also potentially more toxic than other trace elements. This is because we lack effective means to protect human cells against iron overload and because of the role of iron in the generation of free radicals. In order to protect patients from the consequences of iron toxicity, iron chelating agents have been introduced in clinical practice. Unfortunately, the ideal chelator for treating iron overload in humans has not been identified yet. In this paper we examine a few characteristics of iron chelators, with some emphasis on the effects of redox cycling, on absorption mechanisms and on some properties of the pFe. A brief summary is then made of the chelators recently proposed or in development for the treatment of iron overload.     

Chelating polymers and related supports for separation and preconcentration of trace metals

This review is concerned mainly with the applications of chelating polymeric resins for the separation and concentration of trace metals from oceans, rivers, streams and other natural systems. Commercially available resins, specially prepared polymers and a selection of other sorbents are described and their uses outlined. Special emphasis is placed on the preconcentration of uranium from sea-water.     

Signals in asbestos related diseases in human breath - preliminary results

Several diseases occur due to asbestos exposure. Until today, asbestos predicted mortality and morbidity will increase because of the long latency period. Actually, the methods to investigate asbestos related disease are mostly invasive. Therefore, the aim of the present paper was to investigate, whether signals in human breath could be correlated to Asbestos related lung diseases using a multi-capillary column (MCC) connected to an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) as non-invasive method. Here, the breath samples of 10 mL of 25 patients suffering from asbestos related diseases. This group includes patients with asbestos related pleural thickening with and without pulmonary fibrosis. Twelve healthy persons constitute the control group and the breath samples are compared with those of the BK4103 patients. In total 83 peaks are found in the IMS-Chromatogram. A discrimination was possible with p-values <0.001 for two peaks (99.9 %), <0.01 (99 %) for 5 peaks and <0.05 (95 %) for 17 peaks. The most discrimination peaks alpha pinene and 4-ethyltoluol were identified among some others with lower p-values. The corresponding Box-and-Whisker-Plots comparing both groups are presented. In addition, a decision tree including all peaks was created that shows a differentiation with alpha pinene between BK4103 (pleural plaques group) and the control group. In addition, the sensitivity was calculated to 96 %, specificity was 50 %, positive and negative predictive values were 80 % and 86 %. Ion mobility spectrometry was introduced as non-invasive method to separate both groups Asbestos related and healthy. Naturally, the findings need further confirmation on larger population groups, but encourage further investigations, too.     

Fluorous synthesis of minor groove binding agents related to distamycin

Minor groove binding agents related to distamycin have been shown to target specific DNA sequences with high affinity. We report a new method for the preparation of these agents using fluorous synthesis in which the fluorous tag is located on what will become the cationic tail of the molecule. We demonstrate that fluorous synthesis yields both simple and complex polyamides in good yields and in high purity.     

Chelating ligands for nanocrystals' surface functionalization

A new family of ligands for the surface functionalization of CdSe nanocrystals is proposed, namely alkyl or aryl derivatives of carbodithioic acids (R-C(S)SH). The main advantages of these new ligands are as follows: they nearly quantitatively exchange the initial surface ligands (TOPO) in very mild conditions; they significantly improve the resistance of nanocrystals against photooxidation because of their ability of strong chelate-type binding to metal atoms; their relatively simple preparation via Grignard intermediates facilitates the development of new bifunctional ligands containing, in addition to the anchoring carbodithioate group, a second function, which enables the grafting of molecules or macromolecules of interest on the nanocrystal surface. To give an example of this approach, we report, for the first time, the grafting of an electroactive oligomer from the polyaniline family-aniline tetramer-on CdSe nanocrystals after their functionalization with 4-formyldithiobenzoic acid. The grafting proceeds via a condensation reaction between the aldehyde group of the ligand and the terminal primary amine group of the tetramer. The resulting organic/inorganic hybrid exhibits complete extinction of the fluorescence of its constituents, indicating efficient charge or energy transfer between the organic and the inorganic semiconductors.     

Zinc and aluminium trimethylsilylmethyls and their use as alkylating agents

The trimethylsilylmethyl compounds Zn(Me₃SiCH₂)₂ and Al(Me₃SiCH₂)₃(C₂H₅)₂O and some amine derivatives of the former are described. Action of the zinc alkylon NbCl₅ and TaCl₅ differs from alkylation by lithium or magnesium reagents in giving the di- or trialkyl chloro species.     

Chelating Diazoarylcelluloses for Selective Chromogenic Reactions

Russian Journal of General Chemistry - A number of polydentate diazoarylcelluloses have been proposed in the form of reagent indicator, in which the functional diazo group is connected to the rest...     

Infrared high temperature spectra of aluminium chloride and related species

Isothermal cells of nickel with diamon windows were used to study various melts and vapours by infrared emission, transmission and reflectance techniques in the 860 to 300 K range with an evacuable Fourier transform spectrometer.IR vapour spectra of AlX₃ (X = Cl, Br, I) and GaCl₃ in transmission and emission were measured between 700 and 50 cm^?1. A comparable signal/noise ratio between the transmission and emission spectra was obtained above 200 cm^?1, below 200 cm^?1 the transmission spectra had better quality. The dimer and monemer spectra were assigned in terms of $\text{D}$_2h and $\text{D}$_3h symmetry, respectively, and compared with earlier Raman and IR matrix isolation data.Emission spectra of chloroaluminates AlkAlCl₄ (Alk = Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) were recorded as melts between 1500 and 50 cm^?1. Increasing distortion of the tetrahedral AlCl^?₄ ion in the series Cs<Rb<K<Na<Li was observed. Emission spectra of AlkAl₂Cl₇ (Alk = Li, Na, K, Cs) indicate $\text{D}$_3d symmetry for Al₂Cl^?₇ with a linear Al-Cl-Al bridge as proposed from earlier Raman data. As a demonstration of reflectance technique an IR spectrum of ZnAl₂Cl₈ at ambient temperature is presented.     

1,2,4-Thiadiazoles as promising multifunctional agents for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Detailed studies of properties of new 3-substituted 5-anilino-1,2,4-thiadiazoles containing different substituents at position 3 of the thiadiazole ring were carried out, in particular, their esterase profile and antioxidant properties. It was found that the presence in the molecule of 2-aminopropyl fragment determines an efficient and selective inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase as compared to acetylcholinesterase and carboxylesterase, with radical-scavenging activity being weak. The compounds containing a 2-aminopropenyl fragment possess a high radicalscavenging activity, weakly inhibit cholinesterases, and exhibit anticarboxylesterase activity. A wide spectrum of activity of 3-substituted 5-anilino-1,2,4-thiadiazoles as inhibitors of cholinesterases and highly efficient scavengers of free radicals gives a basis for the optimization of structure and development in this series of original agents for therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.     

The determination of aluminium in human plasma

Summary Determination of aluminium in human plasma is of great interest in monitoring dialysis patients under oral aluminium therapy. Flameless atomic-absorption is chosen as the method because of the low normal levels of this non-essential trace element. A method avoiding the analytical problems of aluminium determination in human plasma is described. Normal values for healthy persons and levels for dialysis patients are given.

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Aluminiumbestimmung in menschlichem Plasma

Zusammenfassung Die Bestimmung von Aluminium im menschlichen Plasma ist von großem Interesse bei der Überwachung von Dialysepatienten, die unter oraler Aluminiumtherapie stehen. Die flammenlose Atomabsorption ist die Methode der Wahl, da die Normalwerte dieses nicht essentiellen Spurenelements sehr niedrig sind. Eine Methode, die die analytischen Probleme bei der Bestimmung von Aluminium im menschlichen Plasma vermeidet, wird beschrieben. Normalwerte gesunder Personen und solche von Dialysepatienten werden angegeben.

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Dedicated to the 60th birthday of Prof. Dr. G. Zigeuner.     

Comparison of two chelating agents immobilized on controlled-pore glass for the preconcentrationof aluminium from aqueous solutions

Aluminium at low μg cm^?3 levels can be preconcentrated on columns of 8-quinolinol or EDTA immobilized on controlled-pore glass. Distribution coefficients are ca. 45 and 370 cm² g^t-1, respectively, and recoveries of aluminium are >80% at pH >4.6 and pH >4.0, respectively. The eluted aliminium is determined by atomic absorption spectrometry in a nitrous oxide/acetylene flame.     

Synthesis of p-aminobenzamides of several aminopyrazolidines: Potential antiarrhythmic agents related to procainamide

Four heterocyclic amines including 1,2-diethyl-3-aminomethylpyrazolidine ( 3 ), 1-(2-aminoethyl)-2-methyl-pyrazolidine ( 5 ), 1,2-dimethyl-4-aminomethylpyrazolidine ( 7 ), and 1,2-diethyl-4-aminopyrazolidine ( 9 ) have been synthesized. Each was acylated with p-nitrobenzoyl chloride and afforded the corresponding p-nitro-benzamides 10, 12, 14 , and 16. Catalytic reduction of these nitro intermediates gave the corresponding p-aminobenzamides 11,13,15 , and 17 . The latter compounds are analogs of procainamide and two of them, 15 and 17 , were evaluated in the isolated cardiac Purkinje fiber preparation by measuring their effects on the action potential upstroke velocity.     

The chemical speciation of aluminium in human serum

Chemical speciation of aluminium in the low molecular mass (LMM) and high molecular mass (HMM) fractions of human serum is discussed. A critical review of the literature on different analytical procedures described for the speciation of aluminium in human serum samples is presented here. The methodologies, the experimental and instrumental requirements and the ability of the reported analytical procedures for identification of HMM and LMM aluminium species in human serum are examined in detail. Non-chromatographic separations coupled to electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry for aluminium detection are compared with chromatographic techniques (size exclusion chromatography, anion exchange chromatography and fast protein liquid chromatography) coupled to ETAAS or inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection for Al-HMM species investigations. Studies and techniques reported for Al-LMM compounds are also summarised, both for healthy volunteers and dialysis patients. On the basis of the knowledge obtained from the application of the developed analytical procedures to real serum analysis, it has been demonstrated that most of Al in human serum is bound to Al-transferrin, while the LMM-Al fraction (10-20% of total Al) mainly contains Al-citrate, Al-phosphate and ternary Al-citrate-phosphate complexes.     

A capillary electrophoresis procedure for the screening of oligosaccharidoses and related diseases

The most widely used method for the biochemical screening of oligosaccharidoses is the analysis of the urinary oligosaccharide pattern by thin-layer chromatography on silica gel plates. However, this method is not always sensitive enough, and it is extremely time-consuming and laborious. In this work, the analysis of the urine oligosaccharide pattern was standardized for the first time by using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection (Beckman P/ACE MDQ) with a 488-nm argon ion laser module. All of the analyses were conducted using the Carbohydrate Labeling and Analysis Kit (Beckman-Coulter), which derivatizes samples with 8-aminopyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonate. Urine samples from 40 control subjects (age range, 1 week to 16 years) and from ten patients diagnosed with eight different lysosomal diseases (six of them included in the Educational Oligosaccharide Kit from ERNDIM EQA schemes) were analyzed. Two oligosaccharide excretion patterns were established in our control population according to age (younger or older than 1 year of age). Abnormal peaks with slower migration times than the tetrasaccharide position were observed for fucosidosis, α-mannosidosis, GM1 gangliosidosis, GM2 gangliosidosis variant 0, Pompe disease, and glycogen storage disease type 3. In conclusion, the first CE-LIF method to screen for oligosaccharidoses and related diseases, which also present oligosacchariduria, has been standardized. In all of the cases, the urine oligosaccharide analysis was strongly informative and showed abnormal patterns that were not present in any of the urine samples from the control subjects. Only urine from patients with aspartylglucosaminuria and Schindler disease displayed normal results.