Bioorganometallic chemistry of molybdocene dichloride

The study of molybdocene dichloride and related metallocenes has been dominated by their remarkable catalytic properties in organic synthesis and polymer chemistry. Interest in the aqueous, bioorganometallic chemistry of metallocene dihalides has stemmed from the potent antitumor properties of titanocene dichloride, including results from human clinical trials. This review will summarize key results reported in the last decade on the biological chemistry of molybdocene dichloride. The effect of concentration, pH and ionic strength on the rates of hydrolysis of both the cyclopentadienyl and halide ligands have established that the positively charged monoaquated species Cp₂Mo(OH)(OH₂)⁺, in equilibrium with the dipositively charged dimer Cp₂Mo(μ-OH)₂MoCp₂, is present under physiological conditions. Systematic studies of the coordination chemistry of Cp₂MoCl₂ with nucleobases, nucleotides, single-stranded and double-stranded oligonucleotides, and calf-thymus DNA have shown that while simultaneous phosphate(O) and heterocyclic(N) adducts are formed with nucleotides, negligible interaction with DNA occurs under physiological conditions. In contrast, Cp₂MoCl₂ forms strong, non-labile complexes with deprotonated thiols in amino acids. Molybdocene dichloride is able to catalyse the hydrolysis of activated phosphate esters under physiological conditions, but hydrolysis of unactivated phosphodiesters is only significant at pH 4. Limited antitumor activity results, inhibition studies with protein kinase C and topoisomerase II, structure-activity and cell-uptake studies have provided some insight into possible mechanisms of antitumor action.     

Coordination chemistry of the antitumor metallocene molybdocene dichloride with biological ligands

The relative affinity of molybdocene dichloride (Cp(2)MoCl(2)) for the thiol, amino, carboxylate, phosphate(O) and heterocyclic(N) donor ligands present in amino acids and nucleotides, has been studied in aqueous solutions at pH 2-7, using (1)H, (13)C and (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Molybdocene dichloride forms the highly water soluble, air-stable complexes Cp(2)Mo(Cys)(2) and Cp(2)Mo(GS)(2) with cysteine and glutathione respectively, via coordination of the deprotonated thiol groups. While coordination to the imidazole nitrogen in histidine was observed, no evidence for coordination of the amino or carboxylate groups in the amino acids cysteine, histidine, alanine or lysine to Cp(2)MoCl(2) was detected. Competition experiments with dAMP, ribose monophosphate and histidine showed preferential coordination to the cysteine thiol over the phosphate(O) and heterocyclic(N) groups. Cp(2)Mo(Cys)(2) is stable in the presence of excess dAMP or ribose monophosphate and Cys displaces coordinated histidine, dAMP or ribose monophosphate to give Cp(2)Mo(Cys)(2). These results provide further evidence against interaction with DNA as the key interaction that is related to the antitumor activity of molybdocene dichloride. The implications of these results for the biological activity of the antitumor metallocene and the likely species formed in vivo are discussed.     

The interaction of antitumor active vanadocene dichloride with sulfur-containing amino acids

Vanadocene dichloride (1) reacts with sulfur-containing amino acids, cysteine and methionine, giving new complexes with five- or six-membered chelate ring, but the structure of isolated compounds is affected by the pH value of the reaction mixture. Methionine reacts with aqueous 1 in the pH range of 3-8 affording chelate structure [Cp₂V(N,O-met)]Cl (4). Similar reaction with cysteine gives two different products depending on pH. In the acidic solution, the complex [Cp₂V(O,S-cys)]Cl (2) is present, whereas in neutral media the compound [Cp₂V(N,S-cys)] (3) could be identified. On inspection of spectroscopic measurements, particularly EPR and vibrational spectroscopy, it is evident that sulfur atom of amino acid is bonded directly to the vanadium atom of [Cp₂V]²⁺ moiety. For the purpose of comparison the complexes [Cp₂V(O,S-mpa)] (5) and [Cp₂V(N,S-csam)]⁺ (6a) with related chelating ligands, 3-mercaptopropionic acid (mpa) and cysteamine (csam), respectively, were prepared and spectroscopically characterized. The structure of the complex [Cp₂V(N,S-csam)]BPh₄ (6b) was also determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Developing a Chromatographic 99mTc Generator Based on Mesoporous Alumina for Industrial Radiotracer Applications: A Potential New Generation Sorbent for Using Low-Specific-Activity 99Mo

The commercial low-pressure column chromatographic ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc generator represents a reliable source of onsite, ready-to-use ^99mTc for industrial applications. These generators use fission-produced ⁹⁹Mo of high specific activity, posing serious production challenges and raising proliferation concerns. Therefore, many concepts are aimed at using low-specific-activity (LSA) ⁹⁹Mo. Nonetheless, the main roadblock is the low sorption capacity of the used alumina (Al₂O₃). This study investigates the feasibility of using commercial alumina incorporated with LSA ⁹⁹Mo to develop a useful ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc generator for industrial radiotracer applications. First, the adsorption profiles of some commercial alumina sorbents for LSA ⁹⁹Mo were tested under different experimental conditions. Then, the potential materials to develop a ⁹⁹Mo/^99mTc generator were selected and evaluated regarding elution yield of ^99mTc and purity. Among the sorbents investigated in this study, mesoporous alumina (SA-517747) presented a unique sorption-elution profile. It demonstrated a high equilibrium and dynamic sorption capacity of 148 ± 8 and 108 ± 6 mg Mo/g. Furthermore, ^99mTc was eluted with high yield and adequate chemical, radiochemical, and radionuclidic purity. Therefore, this approach provides an efficient and cost-effective way to supply onsite ^99mTc for radiotracer applications independent of fission-produced ⁹⁹Mo technology.     

Microcalorimetric studies on the interactions of lanthanide ions with bovine serum albumin

The interactions of lanthanide ions (Ln³⁺) with bovine serum albumin (BSA) under mimetic physiological conditions (310.15 K, pH 6.7, 0.1MNaCl) were studied by microcalorimetry. For the first time, based on Two Sets of Independent Sites Model, molar enthalpies (Δ_r H _m1, Δ_r H _m2) and coordination number (n ₁, n ₂) of the two sets of binding sites with different affinity were obtained directly from the microcalorimetric results. It was shown that the interactions are endothermic and entropy-driving processes. By combining with fluorescence spectroscopy, other thermodynamic parameters (Δ_r G _m1, Δ_r S _m1) were determined for high-affinity specific sites.     

Chemical and Physical Characterisation of Macroaggregated Human Serum Albumin: Strength and Specificity of Bonds with 99mTc and 68Ga

Background: Macroaggregated human serum albumin (MAA) properties are widely used in nuclear medicine, labelled with ^99mTc. The aim of this study is to improve the knowledge about the morphology, size, dimension and physical–chemical characteristics of MAA and their bond with ^99mTc and ⁶⁸Ga. Methods: Commercial kits of MAA (Pulmocis^®) were used. Characterisation through experiments based on SEM, DLS and Stokes’ Law were carried out. In vitro experiments for Langmuir isotherms and pH studies on radiolabelling were performed and the stability of the radiometal complex was verified through competition reactions. Results: The study settles the MAA dimension within the range 43–51 μm. The Langmuir isotherm reveals for [^99mTc]MAA: Bmax (46.32), h (2.36); for [⁶⁸Ga]MAA: Bmax (44.54), h (0.893). Dual labelling reveals that MAA does not discriminate different radioisotopes. Experiments on pH placed the optimal pH for labelling with ^99mTc at 6. Conclusion: Radiolabelling of MAA is possible with high efficiency. The nondiscriminatory MAA bonds make this drug suitable for radiolabelling with different radioisotopes or for dual labelling. This finding illustrates the need to continue investigating MAA chemical and physical characteristics to allow for secure labelling with different isotopes.     

Preparation and Biological Evaluation of [99mTc]Tc-CNGU as a PSMA-Targeted Radiotracer for the Imaging of Prostate Cancer

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a well-established biological target that is overexpressed on the surface of prostate cancer lesions. Radionuclide-labeled small-molecule PSMA inhibitors have been shown to be promising PSMA-specific agents for the diagnosis and therapy of prostate cancer. In this study, a glutamate-urea-based PSMA-targeted ligand containing an isonitrile (CNGU) was synthesized and labeled with ^99mTc to prepare [^99mTc]Tc-CNGU with a high radiochemical purity (RCP). The CNGU ligand showed a high affinity toward PSMA (K_i value is 8.79 nM) in LNCaP cells. The [^99mTc]Tc-CNGU exhibited a good stability in vitro and hydrophilicity (log P = −1.97 ± 0.03). In biodistribution studies, BALB/c nude mice bearing LNCaP xenografts showed that the complex had a high tumor uptake with 4.86 ± 1.19% ID/g, which decreased to 1.74 ± 0.90% ID/g after a pre-injection of the selective PSMA inhibitor ZJ-43, suggesting that it was a PSMA-specific agent. Micro-SPECT imaging demonstrated that the [^99mTc]Tc-CNGU had a tumor uptake and that the uptake was reduced in the image after blocking with ZJ-43, further confirming its PSMA specificity. All of the results in this work indicated that [^99mTc]Tc-CNGU is a promising PSMA-specific tracer for the imaging of prostate cancer.     

Synthesis, characterization and structural investigation of the first vanadocene(IV) carboxylic acid complexes prepared from the vanadocene dichloride

Two types of vanadocene complexes with carboxylic acids have been synthesized from the aqueous solution, Cp₂V(OOCR)₂ (R=H, CCl₃ and CF₃) and Cp₂V(OOC-A-COO) (A= - and CH₂), and characterized by EPR, IR, and Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Monocarboxylic and dicarboxylic acids form monodentate and chelate complexes, respectively. Both bonding types were evidenced by X-ray diffraction analysis. Structures and EPR HFC tensors were also calculated at the DFT level. Correlation between the complex structure and HFC tensor was established. HFC tensors are characteristic for the type of bond of carboxylic acid on vanadocene fragment. It is shown that the structure of complexes can be determined by the combination of theoretical method with experimental EPR spectra.     

<Superscript>19</Superscript>F NMR spectroscopic characterization of the interaction of niflumic acid with human serum albumin

The interaction of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, niflumic acid (NFA), with human serum albumin (HSA) has been investigated by ¹⁹F nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. A ¹⁹F NMR spectrum of NFA in a buffered (pH 7.4) solution of NaCl (0.1 mol L⁻¹) contained a single sharp signal of its CF₃ group 14.33 ppm from the internal reference 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol. Addition of 0.6 mmol L⁻¹ HSA to the NFA buffer solution caused splitting of the CF₃ signal into two broadened signals, shifted to the lower fields of 14.56 and 15.06 ppm, with an approximate intensity ratio of 1:3. Denaturation of HSA by addition of 3.0 mol L⁻¹ guanidine hydrochloride (GU) restored a single sharp signal of CF₃ at 14.38 ppm, indicating complete liberation of NFA from HSA as a result of its denaturation. These results suggest that the binding is reversible and occurs in at least two HSA regions. Competitive ¹⁹F NMR experiments using warfarin, dansyl-l-asparagine, and benzocaine (site I ligands), and l-tryptophan and ibuprofen (site II ligands) revealed that NFA binds to site I at two different regions, Ia and Ib, in the ratio 1:3. By use of ¹⁹F NMR with NFA as an ¹⁹F NMR probe the nonfluorinated site I-binding drugs sulfobromophthalein and iophenoxic acid were also found to bind sites Ia and Ib, respectively. These results illustrate the usefulness and convenience of ¹⁹F NMR for investigation of the HSA binding of both fluorinated and nonfluorinated drugs.     

Radiochemical Feasibility of Mixing of 99mTc-MAA and 90Y-Microspheres with Omnipaque Contrast

Yttrium-90 (⁹⁰Y) microspheres are widely used for the treatment of liver-dominant malignant tumors. They are infused via catheter into the hepatic artery branches supplying the tumor under fluoroscopic guidance based on pre-therapy angiography and Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin (^99mTc-MAA) planning. However, at present, these microspheres are suspended in radiolucent media such as dextrose 5% (D5) solution. In order to monitor the real-time implantation of the microspheres into the tumor, the ⁹⁰Y microspheres could be suspended in omnipaque contrast for allowing visualization of the correct distribution of the microspheres into the tumor. The radiochemical purity of mixing ⁹⁰Y-microspheres in various concentrations of omnipaque was investigated. The radiochemical purity and feasibility of mixing ^99mTc-MAA with various concentrations of a standard contrast agent were also investigated. Results showed the radiochemical feasibility of mixing ⁹⁰Y-microspheres with omnipaque is radiochemically acceptable for allowing real-time visualization of radioembolization under fluoroscopy.     

Fluorescence spectroscopic studies on binding of a flavonoid antioxidant quercetin to serum albumins

Binding of quercetin to human serum albumin (HSA) was studied and the binding constant measured by following the red-shifted absorption spectrum of quercetin in the presence of HSA and the quenching of the intrinsic protein fluorescence in the presence of different concentrations of quercetin. Fluorescence lifetime measurements of HSA showed decrease in the average lifetimes indicating binding at a location, near the tryptophan moiety, and the possibility of fluorescence energy transfer between excited tryptophan and quercetin. Critical transfer distance (R _o ) was determined, from which the mean distance between tryptophan-214 in HSA and quercetin was calculated. The above studies were also carried out with bovine serum albumin (BSA).     

1,3-diallyl-5-[ω-(diphenylphosphino)alkyl] isocyanurates in reactions of complex formation with palladium(ii) dichloride

The reactions of phosphine derivatives of diallyl isocyanurates with palladium(ii) dichloride lead to the formation of complexes, whose structure, composition, and stability depend on the length of the methylene chain between the isocyanurate and diphenylphosphine fragments in the ligand. 1,3-Diallyl-5-[5′-(diphenylphosphino)pentyl and 10′-(diphenyl-phosphino)decyl] isocyanurates with PdCl₂ form monomeric L₂PdCl₂ trans-complexes in which P atoms of the ligands participate in coordination with the metal. 1,3-Diallyl-5-[2′-(diphenylphosphino)ethyl] isocyanurate with PdCl₂ forms a dimeric (LPdCl₂)₂ complex, which decomposes in a solution to the monomer including solvent molecule into the coordination sphere of the metal. The reactions of 1,3-diallyl-5-[4′-(diphenylphosphino)butyl] isocyanurate and 1,3-diallyl-5-[6′-(diphenylphosphino)hexyl] isocyanurate with PdCl₂ give monomeric chelate LPdCl₂ complexes in which one of the allyl groups of the isocyanurate cycle participates in coordination with the central ion along with the phosphorus atom. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1859–1865, September, 1998.     

Reactions ofN-pentafluorophenylcarbonimidoyl dichloride with aromatic hydrocarbons in the presence of aluminum chloride

N-Pentafluorophenylcarbonimidoyl dichloride reacts with aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, xylenes, and mesitylene) in the presence of AlCl₃ to give stableN-pentafluorophenylbenzimidoyl chlorides, which can further react with aromatic hydrocarbons to give azomethine derivatives. An increase in the number of methyl groups in the molecule of a hydrocarbon favors the reaction.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1605–1611, September, 1993.     

Fluorescence study on the interaction of human serum albumin with bromsulphalein

The binding of bromsulphalein (BSP) with human serum albumin was investigated at different temperatures, 298 and 308 K, by the fluorescence spectroscopy at pH 7.24. The binding constant was determined by Stern-Volmer equation based on the quenching of the fluorescence HSA in the presence of bromsulphalein. The effect of various metal ions on the binding constants of BSP with HSA was investigated. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated according to the dependence of enthalpy change on the temperature as follows: DeltaH and DeltaS possess small negative (9.3 kJ mol(-1)) and positive values (22.3 J K(-l)mol(-l)), respectively. The experimental results revealed that BSP has a strong ability to quench the intrinsic fluorescence of HSA through a static quenching procedure. The binding constants between BSP to HSA were remarkable and independent on temperature. The binding constants between HSA and BSP decreased in the presence of various ions, commonly decreased by 30-55%. The hydrophobic force played a major role in the interaction of BSP with HSA. All these experimental results and theoretical data clarified that BSP could bind to HSA and be effectively transported and eliminated in body, which could be a useful guideline for further drug design.     

Glycosylation of Bovine Serum Albumin with D-[<Superscript>14</Superscript>C]-Glucose

Certain parameters of the Maillard reaction between bovine serum albumin (BSA) and D-[¹⁴C]-glucose were investigated.__________Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 275–277, May–June, 2005.     

Synthesis and interaction studies of benzimidazole derivative with human serum albumin

A benzimidazole derivative, 1-(2-picolyl)-3-(2-picolyl) benzimidazole iodide (PPB), was synthesized. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), UV–visible, three-dimensional (3D) fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence (SF) and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were used to determine the PPB binding mode and the effects of PPB on protein stability and secondary structure. Fluorescence results revealed the presence of static type of quenching mechanism in the binding of PPB to human serum albumin (HSA). The binding constants between PPB and HSA were obtained according to Scatchard equation. The number of binding sites, the binding constants and the thermodynamic parameters were measured. The results showed a spontaneous binding of PPB to HSA through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces. In addition, the distance between PPB and the Trp 214 was estimated via employing the Förster's non-radiative energy transfer theory, and was found to be 3.49 nm, which indicated that PPB can bind to HSA with high probability. Site marker competitive experiments indicated that the binding of PPB to HSA primarily took place in subdomain IIA.     

Thermal decomposition studies of the polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, POSSh, and when it is impregnated with the metallocene bis(eta5-cyclopentadienyl)zirconium (IV) dichloride or immobilized on silica

Thermal decomposition studies of the free polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane, POSS(h), and when this compound has been impregnated with Cp(2)ZrCl(2) (Cp=eta(5)-C(5)H(5)) or immobilized on SiO(2) were conducted using infrared emission spectroscopy (IES) over a 100-1000 degrees C temperature range and by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The organic groups in POSS(h) apparently decompose thermally into Si-CH(3), Si-H and other fragments. Upon impregnation with Cp(2)ZrCl(2), however, a different thermal decomposition pathway was followed and new infrared emission bands appeared in the 1000-900cm(-1) region suggesting the formation of Si-O-Zr moieties. When immobilized on SiO(2) and subjected to thermal decomposition, the POSS(h) compound lost its organic groups and the inorganic structure remaining was incorporated into the SiO(2) framework.     

酸性棕NR分光光度法测定血清白蛋白

采用分光光度法研究了酸性棕NR与血清白蛋白的结合反应。在Brit ton Robinson(B-R)(pH2.50)缓冲溶液中,酸性棕NR与血清白蛋白结合生成沉淀,探讨了该结合反应的最佳条件,并据此建立了一种高灵敏度的测定血清白蛋白的新方法。牛血清白蛋白(BSA)和人血清白蛋白(HSA)分别在28.0～112.0mg/L、24.4～122.0mg/L范围内服从比尔定律,其表观摩尔吸光系数分别为:1 44×106L·mol-1·cm-1(BSA)、1.32×106L·mol-1·cm-1(HSA)。对7个人血清样品蛋白总量平行测定6次,相对标准偏差0.83%～3.02%,回收率90.90%～109.80%,且与医院双缩脲法结果基本一致。     

Issues with the European Pharmacopoeia Quality Control Method for 99mTc-Labelled Macroaggregated Albumin

Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin ([^99mTc]Tc-MAA) is an injectable radiopharmaceutical used in nuclear medicine for lung perfusion scintigraphy. After changing to a new batch of macroaggregated albumin (MAA), we saw unwanted uptake in the liver and spleen. The batch was therefore tested by both the supplier and us and we found it to comply with the requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.). However, a simple comparison between the problematic batch and a batch supplied by another manufacturer showed that there was a significant difference. The quality testing showed a higher number of small particles in the problem encumbered MAA batch with unwanted in vivo uptake. In this article we present a simple method of testing for particle size of [^99mTc]Tc-MAA, which gives a good indication of how the radioactive drug performs in vivo. We argue that the quality control method described in the Ph. Eur. should be changed. The changes will improve concordance between the laboratory analyzes and what is seen in vivo in human lung perfusion scintigraphy. Furthermore, we hope that the MAA suppliers without delay will replace their release procedure to be in accordance with the method described in this article.     

功能性CdS纳米荧光探针荧光增敏法测定人血清白蛋白

目前 ,以荧光分析法对蛋白质进行研究主要采用有机荧光探针[1～ 3 ] .与传统的有机染料 (如罗丹明 )探针相比 ,半导体纳米晶体探针的光强度要高 2 0倍 ,光稳定性要高 1 0 0倍 ,谱线宽度只是有机染料谱线宽度的 1 /3 [4 ] .将半导体纳米晶体作为探针用于测定生物分子 ,将大大提高分析的灵敏度和选择性 ,而目前其应用于生物染色、医疗诊断、DNA序列测定和免疫分析等方面的研究很少 [4 ,5] .本文合成了胶态纳米粒子 Cd S,并在其外表面修饰一层巯基乙酸 ,使其具有水溶性 ,并能与生物分子作用 ,从而可利用其外表面的功能性基团对人血清白蛋白进…