Probing the interaction of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist with bound platelets using electrochemical impedance

A label-free assay is described to monitor the interaction of abciximab, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist (ReoPro), with platelets bound to a fibrinogen-functionalised electrode surface. Firstly, fibrinogen is deposited in a defined pattern onto a gold electrode using microcontact printing, and then platelets from whole blood are captured on the patterned surface. Patterning influences the spreading of platelets, which is strikingly different to that observed on homogeneously coated surfaces. The drug–platelet interaction has been investigated using AC impedance on uniform and patterned fibrinogen-modified surfaces. The results demonstrate that patterned fibrinogen surfaces can provide deep insights into the interaction of abciximab with different platelet sub-populations. The key advantages of this approach are that it is rapid, label free and does not require pre-processing of patient blood samples.     

Preparation and pharmacological evaluation of novel glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa antagonists. 2. Condensed heterocyclic derivatives

A novel series of platelet receptor glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa antagonists with condensed heterocycles as their basic core was synthesized. In an in vitro assay, trans-4-(5-amidinobenzofuran-2-carboxamido)cyclohexyloxyacetic+ ++ acid 17e and trans-3-[4-(5-amidinobenzofuran-2- carboxamido)cyclohexyl]propionic acid 17f produced marked inhibitions with IC50 values of 0.018 and 0.006 microM, respectively in a human platelet adenosin-5'-diphospate (ADP)-induced aggregation assay; they also exhibited a wide spectrum of inhibition toward major aggregation agonists (ADP, collagen, thrombin, PMA (tumor promoter) and arachidonic acid). These compounds were > 2-3 orders of magnitude more effective in inhibiting platelet aggregation than human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) binding. The oral administration of 10 mg/kg of either 17e and 17f to guinea pig, resulted in a 60% inhibition of ex vivo platelet aggregation after 5 h. Oral administration of ethyl trans-4-(5-amidinoben-zofuran-2- carboxamido)cyclohexyloxyacetate 18e (10 mg/kg) resulted in 80% inhibition of platelet aggregation in dogs for 6 h after oral administration with a return to baseline by 24 h. Ethyl trans-3-[4-(5-amidinobenzofuran-2-carboxamido)cyclohexyl]propionat e 18f (AR0598) produced 80% inhibition for 5 h after oral administration. Prodrug 18e showed a good profile in dogs with a long duration of action. 18e (AR0510) was selected as suitable clinical candidate for development as an orally active antithrombotic agent.     

Preparation and pharmacological evaluation of novel glycoprotein (Gp) IIb/IIIa antagonists. 1. The selection of naphthalene derivatives

The synthesis and design using molecular modeling techniques for non-peptide, low molecular weight novel fibrinogen receptor (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa: Gp IIb/IIIa) antagonists, is reported. We used a highly potent serine protease inhibitor, Nafamostat, having an amidinonaphthyl unit as the starting compound. The compounds 4-(6-amidino-2-naphthylaminocarbonyl)phenoxyacetic acid (5a) and 4-(6-amidino-2-naphthalenecarboxamido)phenoxyacetic acid (5b) inhibited adenosin-5'-diphospate (ADP)-induced aggregation of human platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with IC50 values of 0.05 and 0.07 microM, respectively, and had lost their ability to inhibit a variety of serine proteases, including thrombin, factor Xa, plasmin and trypsin.     

Energy transfer in zinc porphyrin-phthalocyanine heterotrimer and heterononamer studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)

Two or eight zinc triphenyl porphyrins were conjugated with Zn-phthalocyanine or H2-phthalocyanine to form ZnPc-(ZnTPP)2, ZnPc-(ZnTPP)8, H2Pc-(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc-(ZnTPP)8. Energy transfers from the porphyrin moiety to phthalocyanine part were quantitatively studied with the modality of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). By measuring the fluorescence increment from the phthalocyanine moiety and the decrease from porphyrin part under selective excitation at the B band of the porphyrin part in those conjugated compounds and their equimolar mixture of compositions, energy transfer efficiencies were estimated to be 90% for H2Pc-(ZnTPP)8 and ZnPc-(ZnTPP)8, and 60%, 30% for ZnPc-(ZnTPP)2 and H2Pc-(ZnTPP)2, respectively.     

Photoinduced electron transfer between chlorophylls (a/b) and fullerenes (C60/C70) studied by laser flash photolysis.

Photoinduced electron-transfer processes in the systems of chlorophylls (Chl) (chlorophyll-a [Chl-a] and chlorophyll-b) and fullerenes (C60/C70) in both polar and non-polar solvents have been investigated with nanosecond laser photolysis technique, observing the transient spectra in the visible/near-IR regions. By the excitation of Chl in benzonitrile (BN) it has been proved that electron transfer takes place from the triplet excited states of Chl to the ground states of C60/C70. By the excitation of C70 in BN electron transfer takes place from the ground states of Chl to the triplet excited state of C70. In both Chl the rate constants and quantum yields for the electron-transfer processes are as high as those of zinc porphyrins and zinc phthalocyanines, indicating that the long alkyl chains of Chl play no role in retarding the electron transfer. The rate constant for the electron-mediating process from the radical anion of C70 to octylviologen dication yielding the octylviologen radical cation was evaluated. The back electron-transfer process from the viologen radical cation to the radical cation of Chl-a takes place in a longer time-scale, indicating that a photosensitized electron-transfer/electron-mediating cycle is achieved.     

The chemisorption of carbon monoxide on Ni(110) studied by electron energy loss spectroscopy

The vibrational spectrum of carbon monoxide chemisorbed on Ni(110) at 300K has been recorded as a function of surface coverage. At low and intermediate coverage the adsorbate is bonded either to single nickel atoms (linear site) or to two nickel atoms in contact (B₂ site). As the coverage approaches unity the spectrum changes rapidly until at saturation virtually all adsorbed molecules are of B₂ type.     

Photoinduced charge transfer in ZnO/Cu(2)O heterostructure films studied by surface photovoltage technique

ZnO/Cu(2)O heterostructure films were prepared by a two-step electrodeposition method in aqueous solution on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis transmission measurements were utilized to characterize the films. Surface photovoltage (SPV) technique was used to investigate the process of photoinduced charge transfer. The results show that there is an electric field located at the interface between ZnO and Cu(2)O film and the photoinduced electrons in Cu(2)O film inject into ZnO under the effect of interfacial electric field with visible light irradiation. While under ultraviolet light illumination, the photoinduced electrons in Cu(2)O film accumulate at the surface of Cu(2)O film instead of injecting into ZnO under the action of surface built-in electric field of Cu(2)O film. The work function measurements confirm that the direction of interfacial electric field is from ZnO to Cu(2)O. These results are help to future design of high performance heterostructure photovoltaic devices.     

Rotational energy transfer in NO (A2Σ+, v = 0 and 1) studied by two-color double-resonance spectroscopy

Collision-induced rotational relaxation in the A²Σ⁺, v = 0 and 1 states of NO has been measured by using step-wise double-resonant ionization spectroscopy. Multiple quantum rotational energy transfer is occurring to at least |ΔJ| = 6 and the observed cross sections ranging from tens to hundreds of A² are larger than the gas-kinetic collisional cross section. The energy-transfer efficiency is slightly enhanced by the vibrational excitation. Energy-based scaling laws are successfully applied to reproduce the observed rotational distribution.     

Energy transfer between surface-immobilized light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex (LHCII) studied by surface plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS)

The major light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b complex (LHCII) of the photosynthetic apparatus in green plants can be viewed as a protein scaffold binding and positioning a large number of pigment molecules that combines rapid and efficient excitation energy transfer with effective protection of its pigments from photobleaching. These properties make LHCII potentially interesting as a light harvester (or a model thereof) in photoelectronic applications. Most of such applications would require the LHCII to be immobilized on a solid surface. In a previous study we showed the immobilization of recombinant LHCII on functionalized gold surfaces via a 6-histidine tag (His tag) in the protein moiety. In this work the occurrence and efficiency of Fo?rster energy transfer between immobilized LHCII on a functionalized surface have been analyzed by surface plasmon field-enhanced fluorescence spectroscopy (SPFS). A near-infrared dye was attached to some but not all of the LHC complexes, serving as an energy acceptor to chlorophylls. Analysis of the energy transfer from chlorophylls to this acceptor dye yielded information about the extent of intercomplex energy transfer between immobilized LHCII.     

Effect of surfactant on interfacial gas transfer studied by axisymmetric drop shape analysis-captive bubble (ADSA-CB)

A new method combining axisymmetric drop shape analysis (ADSA) and a captive bubble (CB) is proposed to study the effect of surfactant on interfacial gas transfer. In this method, gas transfer from a static CB to the surrounding quiescent liquid is continuously recorded for a short period (i.e., 5 min). By photographical analysis, ADSA-CB is capable of yielding detailed information pertinent to the surface tension and geometry of the CB, e.g., bubble area, volume, curvature at the apex, and the contact radius and height of the bubble. A steady-state mass transfer model is established to evaluate the mass transfer coefficient on the basis of the output of ADSA-CB. In this way, we are able to develop a working prototype capable of simultaneously measuring dynamic surface tension and interfacial gas transfer. Other advantages of this method are that it allows for the study of very low surface tensions (<5 mJ/m2) and does not require equilibrium of gas transfer. Consequently, reproducible experimental results can be obtained in a relatively short time. As a demonstration, this method was used to study the effect of lung surfactant on oxygen transfer. It was found that the adsorbed lung surfactant film shows a retardation effect on oxygen transfer, similar to the behavior of a pure DPPC film. However, this retardation effect at low surface tensions is less than that of a pure DPPC film.     

Metal-dependent global folding and activity of the 8-17 DNAzyme studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer

The 8-17 DNAzyme is a DNA metalloenzyme catalyzing RNA transesterification in the presence of divalent metal ions, with activity following the order Pb2+ > Zn2+ >Mg2+. Since the DNAzyme has been used as a metal ion sensor, its metal-induced global folding was studied by fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) by labeling the three stems of the DNAzyme with the Cy3/Cy5 FRET pair two stems at a time in order to gain deeper insight into the role of different metal ions in its structure and function. FRET results indicated that, in the presence of Zn2+ and Mg2+, the DNAzyme folds into a compact structure, stem III approaching a configuration defined by stems I and II without changing the angle between stems I and II. Correlations between metal-induced folding and activity were also studied. For Zn2+ and Mg2+, the metal ion with higher affinity for the DNAzyme in global folding (Kd(Zn) = 52.6 microM and Kd(Mg) = 1.36 mM) also displays higher affinity in activity (Kd(Zn) = 1.15 mM and Kd(Mg) = 53 mM) under the same conditions. Global folding was saturated at much lower concentrations of Zn2+ and Mg2+ than the cleavage activities, indicating the global folding of the DNAzyme occurs before the cleavage activity for those metal ions. Surprisingly, no Pb2+-dependent global folding was observed. These results suggest that for Pb2+ global folding of the DNAzyme may not be a necessary step in its function, which may contribute to the DNAzyme having the highest activity in the presence of Pb2+.     

Infrared fluorescence and collisional energy transfer parameters for vibrationally excited azulene*(So): dependence on internal energy (Evib)

Infrared fluorescence (IRF) from the CH stretch modes of vibrationally excited gas-phase azulene^* was observed to depend on E_vib according to a simple model. The IRF time/pressure behavior shows that the average energy transferred per collision depends strongly on E_vib for azulene^* + azulene and azulene^* + argon collisions.     

Excitation energy transfer in the photosystem II core antenna complex CP43 studied by femtosecond visible/visible and visible/mid-infrared pump probe spectroscopy

Excitation energy transfer in the Photosystem II core antenna complex CP43 has been investigated by vis/vis and vis/mid-IR pump-probe spectroscopy with the aim of understanding the relation between the dynamics of energy transfer and the structural arrangement of individual chlorophyll molecules within the protein. Energy transfer was found to occur on time scales of 250 fs, 2-4 ps, and 10-12 ps. The vis/mid-IR difference spectra show that the excitation is initially distributed over chlorophylls located in environments with different polarity, since two 9-keto C=O stretching bleachings, at 1691 and 1677 cm-1, are observable at early delay times. Positive signals in the initial difference spectra around 1750 and 1720 cm-1 indicate the presence of a charge transfer state between strongly interacting chlorophylls. We conclude, both from the spectral behavior in the visible when the annihilation processes are increased and from the vis/mid-IR data, that there are two pigments (one absorbing around 670 nm and one at 683 nm) which are not connected to the other pigments on a time scale faster than 10-20 ps. Since, in the IR, on a 10 ps time scale the population of the 1691 cm-1 mode almost disappears, while the 1677 cm-1 mode is still significantly populated, we can conclude that at least some of the red absorbing pigments are located in a polar environment, possibly forming H-bonds with the surrounding protein.     

The use of PhastSystem crossed immunoelectrophoresis with immunoblotting to demonstrate a complex between glycoprotein Ib and the actin-binding protein (ABP) of human platelets

The study shows how a technique described in an accompanying paper can be applied to solve a biological problem. The technique makes use of the observation that a monoclonal antibody that has been coprecipitated with its antigen during crossed immunoelectrophoresis can be transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane and visualized. Previous studies using crossed immunoelectrophoresis of Triton X-100 extracts of platelets have indicated that a particular immunoprecipitate (peak III) of the membrane receptor glycoprotein Ib (GP Ib) might contain a complex between the receptor and the actin-binding protein (filamin). When a monoclonal antibody (PM6/317) directed towards the actin-binding protein was added to a platelet extract prior to immunoelectrophoresis and blotting, this was visualized on the blot as a replica of the peak III immunoprecipitate. This demonstrates a colocalization of GP Ib and the actin-binding protein in the precipitate, and thus the existence of a complex between the membrane receptor and the cytoskeletal protein.     

Preferential energy transfer from N2(A) to specific energy levels of Cu atoms

Emission spectra resulting from reaction of “clean” N₂(A³ Σ_u⁺) with copper atoms were studied using a flowing afterglow apparatus. The population distribution of the Cu states was calculated from the spectrum; it indicates that Cu atoms are excited by nearly resonant energy transfer processes. N₂(A,v') + Cu(²S_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}) → N₂(X, v) + Cu^* , and that the transfer is most efficient for N₂(A,v') → N₂(X,v) transitions with large Franck-Condon factors. The preferential energy transfer results in population inversion between some of the Cu states.     

Vibrational energy relaxation of azulene studied by the transient grating method. I. Supercritical fluids

The vibrational energy dissipation process of the ground-state azulene in supercritical xenon, carbon dioxide, and ethane has been studied by the transient grating spectroscopy. In this method, azulene in these fluids was photoexcited by two counterpropagating subpicosecond laser pulses at 570 nm, which created a sinusoidal pattern of vibrationally hot ground-state azulene inside the fluids. The photoacoustic signal produced by the temperature rise of the solvent due to the vibrational energy relaxation of azulene was monitored by the diffraction of a probe pulse. The temperature-rise time constants of the solvents were determined at 383 and 298 K from 0.7 to 2.4 in rho(r), where rho(r) is the reduced density by the critical density of the fluids, by the fitting of the acoustic signal based on a theoretical model equation. In xenon, the temperature-rise time constant was almost similar to the vibrational energy-relaxation time constant of the photoexcited solute determined by the transient absorption measurement [D. Schwarzer, J. Troe, M. Votsmeier, and M. Zerezke, J. Chem. Phys. 105, 3121 (1996)] at the same reduced density irrespective of the solvent temperature. On the other hand, the temperature-rise time constants in ethane were larger than the vibrational energy-relaxation time constants by a factor of about 2. In carbon dioxide, the difference was small. From these results, the larger time constants of the solvent temperature rise than those of the vibrational energy relaxation in ethane and carbon dioxide were interpreted in terms of the vibrational-vibrational (V-V) energy transfer between azulene and solvent molecules and the vibrational-translational (V-T) energy transfer between solvent molecules. The contribution of the V-V energy transfer process against the V-T energy transfer process has been discussed.     

Vibrational energy relaxation of azulene studied by the transient grating method. II. Liquid solvents

The vibrational energy dissipation process of the ground-state azulene in various liquids has been studied by the transient grating spectroscopy. The acoustic signal produced by the temperature rise of the solvent due to the vibrational energy relaxation of azulene was monitored. The temperature rise-time constant of the solvent has been determined both by the fitting of the acoustic signal to a theoretical model equation and by the analysis of the acoustic peak shift. We found that the temperature rise-time constants determined by the transient grating method in various solvents are larger than the vibrational energy relaxation time constants determined by the transient absorption measurement [D. Schwarzer, J. Troe, M. Votsmeier, and M. Zerezke, J. Chem. Phys. 105, 3121 (1996)]. The difference is explained by different energy dissipation pathways from azulene to solvent; vibrational-vibrational (V-V) energy transfer and vibrational-translational (V-T) energy transfer. The contribution of the V-V energy transfer is estimated in various liquid solvents from the difference between the temperature rise time and vibrational energy relaxation time, and the solvent V-T relaxation time.     

Synthesis of oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)-porphyrin-oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) triads as antenna molecules for energy transfer

The oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)-porphyrin-oligo(p-phenylene vinylene) (P-OPVn, n=2, 4, where n is the number of phenyl rings) and the complex with Zn²⁺ based on P-OPVn were synthesized for investigating their photophysical properties via UV-vis, voltammetry, steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectra. In these molecules two OPV moieties as energy donors were linked to porphyrin center by virtue of Wittig reaction. The detailed studies of photophysical properties indicate that OPV group can act as an antenna unit for effective intramolecular energy transfer.     

The relaxation of HCN(011) by V-T,R and V-V energy transfer

Tuned output from an optical parametric oscillator has been used to excite HCN directly to its (011) level. By careful use of a “cold-gas filter”, it has proved possible to distinguish between the time-resolved fluorescence from HCN(011) and that from HCN(001) formed during collisional relaxation. Rate constants for relaxation from both levels have been obtained for the partners: (i) He, Ne, Ar and Kr, and (ii) HCN, CO₂, N₂O, OCS, CS₂, C₂H₂ and C₂D₂. With the rare gases, HCN(011) is relaxed to (001) by V-T,R energy transfer, with rate constants (cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1) at 298 ± 4 K of: k_He⁰¹¹ = (7.9 ± 1.05) × 10^?13; k_Ne⁰¹¹ = (1.56 ± 0.12) × 10^?13; k_Ar⁰¹¹ = (1.20 ± 0.17) × 10^?13; k_Kr⁰¹¹ = (6.7 ± 0.65) × 10^?14. The molecular collision partners also transfer HCN(011) to (001). The rates are much greater and clearly near-resonant V-V energy exchange is important. The results are compared to first-order Sharma-Brau theory, with fair agreement where near-resonant channels exist.     

Selective Hg(II) sensing with improved Stokes shift by coupling the internal charge transfer process to excitation energy transfer

Versatile chemistry of the Bodipy chromophore allows modular assembly of an excitation energy donor, acceptor, and a cation selective ligand in just a couple of steps. The new approach should be applicable in other designs which target molecular sensors with large Stokes shifts and red to near IR emission.